On Sunday, church started pretty much the way it always did. Dominique finished the announcements and took her seat as Blair made his way to the microphone.
Gathering himself, he looked at the congregation with sincere appreciation. His gaze even swept the choir stand, but Dominique did not react. “Good morning everyone. I want to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me to Red Oaks and making my stay here the best I’ve ever had,” he began. “I’m especially grateful to Deacon Jones, Mother Maybelle, the Winston family, and several others, too numerous to mention. To show my sincere appreciation, I’d like to invite you to my race next Sunday in Atlanta. I’ve reserved and paid for enough tickets to cover everyone. You can pick them up at the arena box office. I hope you’ll all come and be my guests.”
Reverend Avery stood and approached Blair to pat him on the shoulder. “I love it when our young folks succeed and make us proud,” the reverend said. “Mother Maybelle and Deacon Jones have been filling my ears with this young man’s accomplishments for years. I’m proud to see him standing here, well on the road to big-time success. Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I intend to be at that race in Atlanta next Saturday.”
In a pink silk suit and matching hat, Mother Maybelle stood. “Excuse me, Reverend Avery. I’m going to that race to show my support for Blair, too. I just wanted to announce that I rented a bus, and anyone who wants a ride to Atlanta is welcome to come along for free.”
The congregation murmured in approval.
“Deborah and I will be there, too,” Dominique’s father called out.
Several of the choir members gave Dominique expectant glances. She ignored them. She thought it was nice of him to invite the church to his race, but it didn’t mean that Dominique had to tag along to get a taste of what she was missing. Dominique already knew what she was missing—Blair’s love—and she had no intention of airing her loss in public.
After leaving the choir stand at the end of service, Dominique stashed her robe while Blair talked to her parents. Then she slipped out of the church while most of the congregation was still socializing.
On Wednesday night, Dominique sat with her visiting cousin, Lucy, at a corner table in the Red Velvet Room. In the past she’d gone there several times with Blair to dance, but showing up for the ladies’ night activities was new for her.
Tall and voluptuous, Lucy had the waiters running to get her drinks and several of the male patrons buying them. She’d already caused major drama when two men argued over her and were asked to leave.
Dressed in a red-fringed slip dress and matching heels, Dominique had danced several times with different partners and sipped wine in between. She’d forgotten how it felt to be single and available. Before Blair, she’d been too hung up on not repeating past mistakes and concerned about what other people thought. Now she was enjoying herself.
In the five days since she’d stopped dating Blair, a few of the town’s eligible bachelors had made their interest known. She’d gone to high school with Deke Winters, the city attorney, who had spent time at her table earlier in the evening. He was also divorced, and all the wiser for his past mistakes. In addition, Rob Tolbert had caught her in one of his supermarkets and asked her out.
Dominique danced in her seat, certain that things would be fine as soon as she got over Blair Thomas.
As if she’d conjured him up, his handsome and exciting face appeared in the crowd. Butterflies rushed her stomach. Glad that Lucy was on the floor dancing, she watched as he made a path straight to her table.
“Dominique,” he greeted, looking at her like he expected her to get up and run. “Mind if I sit down?”
She extended her hand to point at the chair across from her.
“Are you still avoiding me?”
“No. Would you like something to drink?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t handle things right when we had lunch the other day, did I?”
This time Dominique shook her head. “I realize that you tried very hard, and I appreciate that. I got a wakeup call. I was getting much too attached and I didn’t know.”
His gaze covered her face with a hint of longing. “I’m sorry if I said anything that hurt you. I miss you. We were too good together to let things go down like this.”
Her insides tightened, the butterflies shifting nervously.
“I miss you, too,” she said honestly. “I knew you were only going to be here a short time. Aren’t you leaving for good on Friday?”
“Yeah.” He flashed the good-natured grin she’d seen him use to cover awkward situations. “You were in church on Sunday. You heard me issue the racing invitation to the congregation?”
Lifting her glass, she sipped, not quite willing to make things easy for him. “Yes, I was there. And?”
There was an unspoken plea in his brown eyes. “And I wanted to extend a personal invitation to you. You get your own room and a front row seat at the Four Star Championship Auto Racing Exhibition. I’ll drive you down to Atlanta and provide your meals. And…we part as friends.”
He extended his hand, palm up across the table.
She stared at it, evaluating her options and knowing that if she refused she would never see him again. Eyes moist, her hand inched across the table to clasp his.
“Thank you.” He held it with both hands, massaging it. “We pull out at six on Friday morning.”
The first few bars of Lionel Richie’s “Three Times A Lady” began to play. Blair’s hands gripped hers as he stood. “One dance and I’m gone. Will you dance with me?”
At her consent, he drew her to the dance floor and into his arms. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his woodsy scent and laid her head against his chest. He held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
After the dance, he took her back to her table and disappeared into the crowd.
The next morning, Dominique called her parents and informed them that she was going to Blair’s race in Atlanta. Her mother was overjoyed. Her father wished her a good trip and said he’d see her there. Her little brother was asleep.
Nervous excitement and anticipation ate at her as she packed an overnight bag with her toiletries, a nightgown, a champagne-colored dress and matching shoes for dinner, and a black and blue pants outfit to wear to the race.
She ignored the knowing glances when she got her hair done at her favorite shop. Then she checked her calendar and rearranged her appointments. For better or worse, the next two days with Blair marked the end of a time in her life that she would remember forever.
Blair came to pick her up at six a.m. sharp on Friday. When she opened the door, he simply hugged her tight. Then he put her bag in the trunk, helped her into the car, and they headed out.
The warm wind whipped at her scarf and caressed her skin as they drove. Dominique enjoyed the ride with Blair, laughing and talking. It was as if they’d never been apart. Knowing that it was their last time together made it even more special. The two-hour drive was over in no time.
Blair took her to Perkin’s for waffles and bacon. They talked about the next day’s race and his toughest competition. Dominique was sure he could win.
Later, he took her to the garage where his crew was preparing his car for the race. In the shop area, he introduced her to Seymour, Tim, and Holden, his mechanics, who also doubled as his pit crew. They greeted her warmly and explained the repairs and upgrades they were doing to his car.
Dominique touched the sides of Blair’s car, the Blue Dream. A life-sized version of some of the toys she’d seen her brother playing with when he was little; it looked light and fast, and almost too fragile to hold Blair. On the back quarter panel she found the Winston Banks logo, along with other well-known sponsors.
In the back of the garage, she met his father, Jay Thomas, who was watching tapes of past races. Tall and handsome, with a touch of silver at his temples and a few strands threaded through his hair, he looked like a slightly older version of Blair. They could have been brothers.
Taking her hand, Jay welcomed her and told her that he’d heard a lot about her. He had Blair’s chocolate-brown eyes, but his seemed to see clear through to her soul. She caught him noting the way she and Blair interacted and the way Blair held her hand.
After a while, Blair sent Dominique to the shopping mall while he worked with the crew. Dominique walked through Lennox Mall looking at the beautiful clothes in Saks and Bloomingdale’s, but was too keyed up to buy anything. She found a bookstore and spent hours perusing the shelves. When Blair called on her cell phone, she was ready to go.
Dominique went to dinner with Blair and his dad at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse with a large salad bar and a nonstop parade of grilled meat. After getting their vegetables and salads at the food bar, they sat down at their table.
They were given little poker-sized chips with a green side and a red side. Blair explained that if she left green side of the chip facing up, the waiter would serve platters of beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. When she’d had enough, she could turn the chip over to display the red side to indicate she was through.
Following dinner, Jay went back to the garage while Blair and Dominique spent some time at a dance club. They danced for hours, holding on to each other, touching, and talking. Finally, though, Blair had to go back to the hotel to rest.
Outside Dominique’s room, sensual awareness sparked and flamed. He stepped forward and gathered her so close that her soft curves molded to the contours of his body. She tilted her face up. The simmering heat in his eyes burned through her clothes.
Blair bent down to kiss her. The touch of his lips on hers overwhelmed her with a shock of sensation. He deepened the kiss, his mouth covering hers hungrily as his tongue sent thrills of desire arcing through her. Sighing, she shook in his arms. His arms dropped.
On shaky legs, Dominique turned to open her door. Her fingers fumbled with key. It took two tries to open it. She stepped inside, her fingers hitting the light switch as she turned back to face Blair.
Their gazes locked. He leaned forward for one last sizzling kiss. Dominique felt dizzy. Before she could collect her wits, he was in her room with her and she was bending beneath the storm of his kisses. His hands, his lips, and his mouth were heated lightning against her sensitive skin, and they were everywhere.
“Blair,” she moaned as she stretched out on the bed with her dress around her hips and her bra on the floor. This moment was everything she’d dreamed. Her fingers caressed the smooth skin on his chest through his open shirt.
His mouth was warm and wet on her breasts and stomach as he drew the dress off her hips and down her long legs. His hands slid up her waist and down to cup her lace-covered buttocks. “I’ve been dreaming of this for weeks,” he grunted. “If you don’t want this, send me away. Say no, Dominique.”
She arched upward as he mouthed the tips of her breasts. “Yes,” she sighed, trailing her fingers down his naked chest. “I want you, too.”
The storm of passion returned with a vengeance, and they were rubbing, sliding, and undulating together in a searing heat that burned from the inside out. They tossed the last remnants of clothing aside and lay together on the sheets.
Blair drew a packet of protection from his pants on the floor, and Dominique smoothed the condom down the swollen length of him. Soon he was thrusting into her with a wild erotic rhythm which she punctuated with sighs and moans of pleasure. When she arched against him and melted, he held her tightly, trembling with the force of his release, his cry echoing her own.
He whispered her name in the darkness as they lay together on the damp sheets, still kissing. “We should have done this a long time ago.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She curled herself against his furnace-like warmth, not ready to end their time together. “Should we make up for lost time?”
His hands slid down her body to cup her intimately. “Just say the word. I’m down for anything you want.”
She lowered her lips to his for a kiss. “Yes, yes, yes…”
The passion storm between them continued until they fell asleep in the tangled sheets.
Blair awakened Dominique in the twilight hours of the morning. He’d already showered and dressed, and was headed to the garage and then the racetrack. He made her promise that she’d get up in time to make the start of the race.
After getting herself ready, Dominique took a taxi to the racetrack and sat in the front row of the stands. She was early enough to give Blair a kiss and offer him her scarf for good luck.
The stands filled quickly with a lively crowd. Dominique saw several women sitting near her in the front row that she assumed were with the racers. All of them were beautiful and dressed to get attention. Behind them, families filled the stands.
The roar and the hum of powerful engines filled the air. Dominique turned back to face the racecars as the roar grew louder. The flag went down, and she saw them take off with Blair in the middle of the pack.
She watched his sky-blue car with the number seven until it was out of sight. Then she switched her attention to the monitors to watch the cars and listened to the announcer.
The race went on for hours. Dominique was on her feet for most of the time, anxious for Blair. She waved to him every time his car stopped for service in the nearby maintenance area that they called the pit. It was used for quick maintenance, tire changes, and gas refills.
Suddenly, two cars collided and one crashed into the wall and flipped over. The first driver got out of his wreck on his own. A team sprinted out and rescued the second man just before his car burst into flames.
Dominique watched, gripping the edges of the stand, and saying a prayer for the driver and his family. Then she said another for Blair. She knew he was skilled, but this was a dangerous sport.
On the last lap, she yelled and cheered so long and loud that her voice was hoarse. Blair was one of the three leaders.
The three cars flew around the bend and headed for the finish line with Blair in the lead. The yellow car edged closer, but Blair sped past the finish line, still in the lead. The crowd roared.
Dominique ran from the stands to the pit area, flashing the pass which Blair had given her to get by the security guards. Blair opened his arms and she flew into them.
“I knew you’d win,” she said before their lips met in a congratulatory kiss.
He picked her up and swung her around. His heart was still beating fast as he held her tightly.
“Oh Blair, I’m so happy for you,” she said, knowing that he would put the $300,000 in prize money to good use.
Reporters approached with cameras to interview Blair. He tried to hold on to Dominique, but they pulled him away and quickly surrounded him.
“Wait for me,” he called.
Dominique sat and waited. Her heart was with Blair as he talked to the reporters and sponsors and answered questions. Still basking in the glow of the love they’d made, she wanted him to know that she loved him and wanted him to be happy.
He stood in the limelight and handled the press like a pro. She’d never loved any man as much. Her heart was so full that she couldn’t think past what she would say.
As the stands emptied, she scanned them, knowing that her parents were somewhere out there. They were nowhere in sight. After an hour, the only people left were some of the women who were with the racers and the racers’ families.
Center stage, the press was taking pictures of Blair and the second-and third-place winners with their cars. He waved to her, blew kisses, and signaled her to wait several times. Each time her pulse sped up.
An hour and a half passed before she saw her parents approaching. They were ready to drive back to Red Oaks, but she knew they would wait if she asked. In her thoughts, she tried to clarify why she was waiting for—and what she expected—from Blair. That’s when she realized that it was time for her to go.
Her chest was heavy and her eyelids stung. She bit down on her bottom lip. Blair was doing something he loved. He was a success and where he wanted to be in his life. It did not include her. That was the reality of her situation with him.
She didn’t want a public ending to what they’d shared. It would be difficult for both of them. Waiting for Blair could only involve an awkward moment and another good-bye.
She found the paper at the back of the planner she kept in her purse and used it to write him a note. Then she folded it and wrote his name on it.
“You’re not going to stay?” Jay asked in a surprised tone when she asked him to give Blair the note.
She shook her head, her throat so clogged she could barely speak. “It wouldn’t do any good. Blair’s got his mind made up on where he is in his life and what he wants. He’s not ready for anything permanent.”
Jay pushed his cap back on his head. “Well, I enjoyed meeting you and going to dinner with you and Blair. You’re the nicest young lady I’ve ever seen him with.”
Thanking him, Dominique left with her parents. Her chest hurt. She sat in the back of her parents’ car and mopped her tear-stained face with a wad of tissue. She felt as if she were leaving a part of herself behind, and no amount of logic could make the feeling go away.
Huddling in the corner of the seat, she closed her eyes. It was hard to believe that the drive back to Red Oaks was the same one she’d taken with Blair only yesterday.