Page 40 of First in Line
“Hi.”
Although I shouldn’t, I can’t stop myself from trying to guess the reason she might be calling me. Has she changed her mind? Does she not want a divorce anymore? Has she realized that she and her fiancé have negative chemistry and has broken off the engagement?
“Congrats on another win,” she says after a moment of pure torture.
“You watched this one, too?”
“My friends really like that sports bar. You got bored again, didn’t you?”
“Was it that noticeable?”
“To my expert eye, yes.” Another long beat, and she says, “Happy birthday, Jax.”
“Thank you.” When she hasn’t said anything else for a moment, I ask, “Is this why you called?”
“Uh… Yeah. It reminded me of the first time you won a big race on your birthday. It made me want to call you. It’s the third time this has happened, right?”
“Fourth, actually. Sakhir, two years ago.”
“Oh… Well, you got better at interviews.”
“Thank fucking God …”
She can’t fully hold back a giggle. “How’s Japan?”
“Eh, I’ve been here too many times. It lost its charm.”
“That’s bleak …”
I shrug. “It is what it is.”
The following silence has a question burning on my tongue. I’m dying to ask it, but I fear the answer she might give me.
As I would on the track, I decide to trust my gut and go for it. “I haven’t heard back from my lawyers, so I don’t think they got anything from yours. You signed the papers, right?”
“I… I haven’t had time yet.”
“It’s been two weeks.”
“I know. I’ve been busy.”
“With what?”
“With life.” When I don’t answer, she feels compelled to defend herself. “I have a busy life, Jackson.”
“Like what?”
“Like planning a wedding.”
The playfulness of the exchange immediately dies. Must she really rub it in all the time?
“And how do you plan on getting married if you don’t get divorced first?” I ask with irony.
“I’m going to sign them, okay? I meant to, I just forgot about it.”
“Sure.”
After a pause, she says, “You know, I’m surprised you never filed for divorce yourself. I always thought you would.”
