Hard to Desire - Chase Elliott

Chapter 2 - Time to Race

I walk beside Chase as I read signs. 'Restaurant' with an arrow pointing right. For some reason he makes a left. I don't question it because this part of the track is foreign to me. I never had driver access, just VIP access.

"So have you been to any other tracks?" He asks me.

"We've been to Watkins Glen, Dover, and I've been to Richmond once. It's the nice part about Pennsylvania. You are so close to a lot of big cities." I answer. I'm still looking around wondering where he is taking me.

"That's why I love northern Georgia. I guess it's the Pennsylvania of the south" he makes me giggle again. He is very good at that. "Are you in college."

"I just graduated last week actually. I've been interviewing like crazy to get a job but nothing lined up yet." That's when it clicks. We are in the motor homes lot.

I immediately become insulted. I tense up and don't say too much. He opens his bus door and follows me in. If he is doing what I think he's doing, I'm going to kill him.

I take a seat on his sofa and stiffen up. It is a nice home away from home. I watch as he goes to his bedroom and I stand up, ready to leave. "Here you go" I turn around to face him and it's a lanyard. "You need this to get into the restaurant." He puts it around my neck and goes outside, holding the door open for me.

Embarrassment hits me harder than a freight train. I genuinely thought he was going to rape or kill me. It's a constant state women nowadays live in when around new people. I stay quiet trying to hide my red cheeks.

"You're brothers a lot younger than you. I'm surprised. I don't know why. I have two sisters from my dads first go around but I don't see them much." He rambles. Is he nervous?

He can't be nervous. I've seen the people he dates... they don't look like me. The people he dates are models. They work at Hooters. I'm a 22 year old who drank a lot in college and has a little more belly because of it. I'm 5'4 with no thigh gap. What am I saying anyways? Chase is just being friendly and offered to go with me to lunch since we were both already going. This isn't a date!

We arrive at the restaurant and I show my badge. We take a seat and I can feel eyes on me. Right now, I'm the mystery girl sitting with Chase Elliott.

"What can I get for ya's" the waitress comes over to our table.

"I'll have a grilled chicken sandwich and fries" Chase closes his menu.

"Can I get... the... chicken Caesar wrap with no onion" I hand my menu back.

The waitress comes back with two glasses of water as we dive into a new conversation topic. Before you know it, our food is in front of us and he is making me laugh. So many people say Chase has no personality, but I just see it as he doesn't have let everyone in. I'm sure his friends and family think he's the best. I've spent one day with him and think he's the best.

We finish eating and the waitress brings the check. "Actually, can I-" I am cut off by Elliott putting his card on the bill and handing it back to the waitress. "Chase, you didn't have to pay for me."

"It wouldn't be very gentleman like to make the girl pay for a first date" he takes me by surprise. DATE???? "Besides it was a 8 dollar wrap and some chips. If that breaks my bank account, I need to evaluate my spending habits" He jokes.

I'm still caught up on the word. Date. We go back outside and he walks me back to pit lane. I see my brothers talking to Jimmie Johnson.

"I have to get going. Lots to do before the race but I had a great time. Do you think I could get your number?" His country boy accent is music to my ears. He hands me his phone and I type my number. I hand it back as he says, "I'll see you after the race" before walking over to his crew chief.

"Elsie's new boyfriend better win the race today" Nick shakes his head as we go to find our seats.

I slap his head, "he's not my boyfriend. He lives in Georgia"

"Oh but you would be dating him if he lived close by" Alex chimes in.

We find our seats and Dylan is pouting because we can't see the cars anymore. We listen to player introductions and all the pre race coverage. Soon they are all off and Kevin Harvick takes the early lead. Not for long because the back of the field bunches up and a caution comes out.

At the restart, Truex pulls away with it. He leads for a while before Denny Hamlin takes control. He pulls away from everyone. So much for Blaney being the best car in the field. Hamlin wins the race. I clap when I see who's in the top five. Hamlin, Logano, Blaney, Elliott, Harvick.

The stand start to clear out and I feel my phone vibrate.

Chase: Not bad right?
Me: Not bad at all. But Blaney is still ahead of you haha
Chase: Tough crowd geez
Me: I only spit out facts lol
Chase: you're killing me over here. My ego doesn't know rejection.
Me: Figures.
Chase: now that just hurts lol

I look up at the screen to see a smiling Elliott doing an interview.

"Chase, you race very well here. What makes you race well here so often at Pocono?"

He smiles. "I have some good luck in this crowd." I blush as Nick hits my arm

"THAT'S YOU!" He shouts. I blush. People turn to us and look at us like we're crazy. We listen to the rest of the interview, trying not to get embarrassed the rest of the night.

Chase: thanks for the good luck today 😘

WHAT??? The kissing emoji? Could Chase actually like me like that? I'm starting to wonder if this could be more, but I know he will be leaving Pennsylvania tonight and next week is Michigan, then California, and he won't be back here until the end of July. That's a whole 2 months without seeing him. He won't even remember me then.