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Feeling the rumble in my stomach that reminded me I hadn’t eaten much that day, I headed up to the bar to order some snacks. Greg came up beside me, and I patted him on the back.
“Enjoying your celebration?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” he told me. “I could definitely get used to this.”
“Well, if you keep on performing like that, you’ll have the chance to,” I replied. “You had a great run today. Keep it up.”
“That’s the plan,” he said with a smile.
A short-order cook came out of the kitchen carrying a basket of fries in one hand and one of mozzarella sticks in the other. I grabbed both of them and gave a nod toward Greg.
“Relax and enjoy yourself. We’re not going to be getting started at work until after lunch tomorrow. Spread it around,” I announced, lifting my voice above the loud music now blaring over the speakers.
Greg grinned and nodded happily before disappearing into the crowd. The late start was going to make sure I at least got a little bit of sleep after all this, but it was also just so everybody could kick back and have fun rather than worrying about having to get into the office early the next morning. They deserved to celebrate and then get some much-needed rest.
Carrying the food with me, I crossed the bar, greeting and congratulating members of the team as I went. There were a few other crews there, and I made a point to talk to the riders. Having a competitive spirit was one thing, but there was no point in bitter rivalry. We all loved the same sport, and there was no telling how we might cross paths down the line. Events, autograph signings, and exhibitions often featured multiple teams and could be a boon for anyone involved. I liked to be a good sport, even if the others didn’t always follow suit.
When I got through the main crush of people in the middle of the bar, I caught sight of my mother coming out of the restroom. She came up and gave me a quick hug, then led me toward the booths along the back wall. Merry and my dad were sitting across the table from each other but leaned close as they chatted. It seemed like an odd pairing, but they were getting along famously as Merry flipped through images on her tablet. She pointed at the screen and looked at Dad. They laughed together and I smiled as I made it up to the booth.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
I wasn’t sure where to sit, but Mom made the decision for me, sliding into place next to Dad. I sat beside Merry, worn-out and happy, if feeling slightly awkward being so close to her while my mind went through a series of emotions.
“Merry was just showing me why she takes so many pictures of everything,” Dad said.
“Oh?” I asked, setting the food down in the middle of the table so everyone could share.
“Things like this,” Merry said.
She turned the tablet toward me to show off a hilarious image of Darren’s face. It looked like he had just swallowed a bug and was falling off his bike at the same time. As far as I knew, neither of those had happened during the race, which somehow made the picture even funnier.
“I guess you don’t always get the cover shot first, huh?” I asked.
“Not even close,” Merry agreed, pulling the tablet back and flipping through a few more images. “Usually there’s one out of every ten or twenty that’s good enough to actually post.”
“Have you chosen the ones you’re going to use?” I asked.
“Some of them. I’m still searching for one that will be perfect for announcing the big win. This is a great chance to really boost followers and get people engaged with your new social media. If we can get this post to go viral, it would be huge,” she said.
I sat back and ate, listening to her and Dad talk about strategies, surprised at how much he seemed to know. Merry reached over and grabbed a mozzarella stick, and I found a strange amount of satisfaction in her casual enjoyment of it. She was really settling in and becoming one of the team.
12
Merry
I wasn’t really intending on staying out late after the race. When I heard they were all going out to grab a couple of drinks and celebrate the amazing showing of the team, I couldn’t reject the invitation to go along. It would seem rude and like I was trying to avoid them. Besides, I wanted to be accepted by them and feel like a real part of the team. It meant a lot to me when Minnie asked me to sit with her, and I was so pumped full of adrenaline and excitement I knew I couldn’t just go home and settle down for the night. I would just go to the bar, have one beer, say my congratulations, then bow out and head home to be a responsible professional.
