31 The Glass Fell to the Ground

The new driver politely greeted all the mechanics. Martin shook Don's hand not feeling any negative emotions anymore. They used to be colleagues, rivals, but now they had practically nothing in common, because in a few days they will not even be colleagues, so Martin will have to put up with him only for a short time. And it was bearable.

Alston looked genuinely surprised to see an old friend here.

"Martin? I didn't know you were working here! You didn't show off on social media? "

"I can live without them," he explained.

Martin sensed the curious gazes of the others, especially Jack, who made no attempt to hide it.

"You two! Did you ride together? " Lambert exclaimed excitedly.

"We competed a bit," Alston admitted innocently. Apparently he wanted to pass as a friend.

Martin, however, couldn't be that fake. He might have come to terms with the idea that Don Alston would be riding for the Fergus Stables, but he didn't have to pretend they were best buddies.

"Old history," added Martin.

The cool tone of his voice did not go unnoticed by some people. Jack clearly noticed that the two younger colleagues did not necessarily like each other and his smile became more mischievous. Steve, however, became even more cloudy. Now his expression was like a hail cloud. Martin noticed the change but couldn't explain it to himself. It took him a moment to realize that Paxton was really pissed off that he had to stay in his sweaty coveralls.

But the hiatus ordered by Fergus to introduce the new driver to the people couldn't last forever, and Allen set everyone to work right away. He also took Alston with him to show him some details they had been working on. Lambert, limping slightly, followed them. Martin watched them go, and when he turned around Steve was gone.

'I wonder if he'll remember our beer?' Martin wondered. It wouldn't surprise him if Paxton forgot. After all, a lot had happened today and the day was still long before them.

Some mechanics started asking Martin about his previous relationship with the new driver, but Martin was clearly reluctant to respond. He didn't want to alienate people from Alston, because it's stupid when one person's experiences and prejudices obscure the sound judgment of others, but Martin really wasn't a saint and couldn't pretend to be friends with someone he didn't like. So he tried not to talk much about it and dismissed everyone that he was so busy that he didn't have time to talk about anything.

But in fact, Martin's thoughts were occupied by something else entirely, and that was his concern as to whether he would be able to meet up and talk to Steve that day. Who knows, it wasn't the last chance for him?

Time was passing unbearably slow, but at the same time Martin hadn't even noticed when it was time to finish work. He didn't have time to ponder this paradox, however, because he wanted to see as soon as possible if Paxton was actually waiting for him as he had promised? Despite the haste and uncertainty, the boy was the last to leave the locker room. He couldn't risk someone seeing him with Steve.

Of course, it wasn't unusual for a mechanic to have a beer with the driver - as long as it was Jack. If someone saw Paxton drinking beer with someone from the stables, the rumors wouldn't end, which Martin wanted to avoid.

His heart was racing as he left the building. Will he see Steve waiting for him?

First, Martin smelled tobacco smoke. The wind was carrying him towards him. His heart immediately leapt up in him. The smell of tobacco smoke stimulated his senses.

Steve was indeed waiting for him, in the same place as before, and just as before, the driver casually tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and stamped it with his heel. Martin saw four or five cigarette butts on the ground.

"Then where do you want to go?" Paxton asked.

Martin suddenly felt very nervous. This was the moment when he was to take the initiative.

"There is a bar by the river called Keyboard. They have really good beer there ... "

"I know this place. It's okay. Let's go. "

Martin struggled to lift his legs off the ground. It took all his courage to get into Paxton's car. Martin was not afraid of Steve, but of the conversation he wanted to have with him.

Keyboard was neither crowded nor empty. It was just right for a conversation over a beer, so when Martin brought two glasses of amber liquid to the table, there was no longer any reason to postpone the conversation. To his surprise, however, it was Steve who started talking.

"I'm glad you invited me," he said. "I was planning to do it beforehand, talk to you, but I didn't have the courage."

"Really?" the boy was surprised.

"If you want to bring me to trial, I'll confess to everything."

Martin stared at Steve uncomprehendingly. He really tried to realize what Paxton was talking about, but he couldn't do it.

"Before the court? Why?" he finally asked.

"What I did at the hotel ..."

Only now did he realize what Steve had said, and he remembered what Jack had said about it. Martin's face turned the color of a tomato and he started waving his hands nervously.

"No, no, no, no ..." he flatly denied. He definitely didn't want to talk about such an embarrassing topic among so many people, but the topic seemed to be important to Steve.

Martin swallowed hard and, head bowed, muttered softly:

"You surprised me then," he admitted, "but let's not talk about the courts."

"Then we'll settle the matter amicably."

Martin grimaced. He felt disgust. This conversation was not going as he wanted it to be. He imagined that they would slowly get to know each other, that Steve would tell him something about his life, not that they would talk about courts and the like. Was that what Marin was to Paxton? Was he a remorse and a threat of punishment?

No, Martin refused to believe it. If they had met once, yes, but they had already had three passionate meetings, and with each subsequent meeting, Martin felt that they were getting closer to each other. Steve just knows their first time was a bit controversial, so he feels responsible. Right?

"I'm not very smart," admitted Martin. "Instead of studying at school, I was sitting in the workshop or racing with my friends. I don't know much about the law, lawsuits and amicable lawsuits ... Jack said what you did to me was wrong, but I ... Steve. Did you want to hurt me? "

"No. I had no bad intentions, but the result was that I hurt you. I am very, very sorry. "

"I'm sorry too," admitted Martin. "But this is not a matter for the court. I was shocked because I've never been in a situation like this, but… I can't tell. I guess I want to say that if it were someone else, I certainly wouldn't have given up so easily."

Martin dared to meet Steve's eyes. The driver looked confused.

"I think if another man had been with me then I wouldn't have done it," he announced. "What I mean is that I don't sleep with men, but you… I couldn't resist the temptation. Forgive me."

"Are you saying you never, with a man ...?" Is Ami right ?!

"Three years ago, with one," Steve replied, blushing.

Steve Paxton, THAT Steve Paxton, a thoroughbred playboy, a guy who was like a devil on the track and acted like a real asshole in real life, was just blushing sitting in front of Martin and confessing that he had an intimate relationship with a man three years ago!

Steve looked absolutely adorable with that blush on his face!

Martin was totally stunned. It looked like he and Ami were both right! Steve had experience with guys, but from a few years ago, it was rather small. But then, then ...

"Why me?" Martin suddenly asked.

"I would like to know the answer myself."

"Do you ... do you like me at least a little?" Martin asked timidly. All this conversation went wrong as he wanted it to be, but can anyone plan what the other person will say, how they will react? But that was one thing he had to know.

Paxton began to play with the glass, which was slowly losing foam. He looked like a man who didn't know what to say.

"Martin, I don't know what you think of me, but I'm not what you think. I am not a man who deserves recognition or sympathy. If similar feelings have arisen in your heart, you should give them up. "

Martin felt hit on the head with a bludgeon.

"Does that mean that you ..." he asked, wanting to understand something, "that you don't like me at all? Not at all? Then why did you sleep with me three times? Why?"

"You are very nice and attractive. I feel very pleasant in your company. You are really hard to resist. "

"Are you saying that I seduced you?" Martin asked incredulously.

"No. I mean, you're a really cool, attractive guy, but if you're looking for something more than sex between us, you should stop. You should focus on getting along with your girlfriend. "

The glass fell to the ground. It was one of the waitresses that the vessel slipped from the tray. Why did Martin feel the sound mirrored his heart splashing into a million pieces?

So Steve really felt nothing about him. So it was really just sex. Martin had no right to be disappointed, but at that moment he was experiencing the greatest disappointment in his life.

"Don't worry," he replied, trying to smile. "It was really just sex."