INTO THE "REAL" SUMMER... (Part 24i)

The races had started by the time I arrived. As I walked through the pits a number of cars weren’t in their space, including my own car. But I didn’t hear the roar of engines. In fact, I remember that I actually couldn’t even hear the sound of a motor running and that was really strange. All the people in the pits were standing up at the fence surrounding the track. It took a little effort but I finally found a place where I could get a look out onto the track. There were a few cars parked out there with their motors turned off. But, what made my heart sink was the mass of cars down in the first turn... with my car hung up on the guard rail. The track was actually blocked which is why no engines were running. There were two wreckers attempting to disentangle the mess. I tried to get on the track but the officials wouldn’t let any more people out there. All I could do was to stand and watch. After a few minutes, Cliff, the driver of my car (and my boss) came walking across the infield with his helmet in hand. I tried to talk to him to ask what happened but he was so mad he just walked by and over to our tow vehicle. I knew enough to leave him alone.

When they finally towed my car into the pits it was a sickening sight. It had a bent frame just like the first car they’d built over the winter. Actually, it was worse. I was really down. It wasn’t just the money... it was the hours and hours that had gone into building it. The immediate problem was in how to get the car back to the gas station. In those days we all flat towed the race cars behind a regular car or pickup truck. As bent as the car was it just wasn’t capable of being towed in that fashion. I ended up getting my friend Cliffy’s father to tow it home with his wrecker. Once that was arranged I went to find Elle in the grandstands. I remember walking around the perimeter of the track and actually not wanting to see her.

One of the things that she sometimes did to pass her time while at the races was to “babysit” a few of the kids who’s fathers worked on the car. That’s what she was doing when I finally found her. She was genuinely happy to see me even if I wasn’t equally happy to see her. In spite of the fact that I was obviously unhappy, she proceeded to tell me that she’d decided to go and see Carol’s parents about her “problem. I wasn’t prepared to hear that, especially then.

As an adult I now know that I was being self centered and selfish. Actually, I was feeling sorry for myself and failed to recognize what a huge hurdle Elle had overcome in making that decision. I remember stopping at the gas station on the way home to look at the car which only served to reinforce my self pity. Needless to say there wasn’t any ”up close and personal that night.

Elle had made arrangements at work so she could go with me the next day. However, she changed her mind due to my casual indifference to her and her decision. Of course that made me upset. John, (my crew) wasn’t much help, constantly quizzing me why she wasn’t with us. Once we arrived and started getting the boat ready to race my attitude changed. After the first two (of three) races I was in second place and all I had to do was not make a mistake and I’d be qualified for the national championships for the first time.

We’d gotten there early which allowed me to walk around a bit and “visit” with some of the other competitors. One stop, of course, was to see the twins. As I walked over I was hoping that they would, again, be wearing regular clothes to sail in. It wasn’t to be. As I approached I could see Pam was in a bathing suit. Penny was no where to be seen so I still held out some hope. We chatted about how well I was doing and the projected wind conditions for the day’s race. Just before the warning horn blew to tell the competitors to get their boats in the water, Penny walked up. She was also in a bathing suit but she had a pile of clothing in her hands. She put it down on the deck of the boat and then ducked her head under the rear deck. Right on top was a neatly folded pair of panties. Even though I was on the opposite side of the boat from where the clothes were I could clearly recognize the waist elastic as being the same as on the panties both of them had worn the day before. For some reason that made me happy. I remember asking what she was looking for. She popped her head back up and had a small canvas bag in her hand. I watched as she tried to put the clothes in the bag. I had already started to head for my boat which took me around to the side of their boat where Penny was standing. I remember her trying to get the whole pile stuffed into the bag at once and that the panties that had been on top didn’t make it. They fell to the ground just about the time I rounded the back of the boat. They ended up on the ground right at Penny’s feet. I didn’t have to think twice about it but immediately went for them. The most vivid memory of that was the absolute thickness of the panties. I certainly didn’t have the opportunity to inspect them and to look at the label but I sure wished I could’ve. Actually, what I wanted to know was just where they were purchased.

Pam had predicted that the wind would come in early and she was right. Stronger winds were an advantage for me and a disadvantage for the girls. I concentrated on not making any mistakes and sailed rather conservatively. I honestly don’t remember where I finished but it was good enough that I held on to my second place. That meant I’d accomplished my goal and had qualified for the championships.

After returning to shore we all unrigged the boats and prepared for our trip home. However, for those who finished in the top five overall there was a trophy presentation. Since the races had been held at the home club of the twins, they were there when the trophys were handed out. Penny was wearing white shorts and I was hoping that I’d get a look at a VPL before we left. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It turned out to be better than that. The top three finishers (those who had qualified for the championships) and their crews were invited to a small reception. I honestly didn’t know it until then but the girls’ father was the “Commodore”. I was duly impressed. We were taken into a small room which was called “The Sun Room”. It was furnished with white wicker furniture with upholstered cushions. When I walked in there was Penny, sitting in one of the chairs that had an ottoman in front of it. She had her feet up on the ottoman and as I approached I could see right up the leg openings of her shorts. I could see the band legs on the crotch which confirmed that they were the same as I’d seen on her boat earlier that day. I know I was staring when I approached her. As the other people filed in she got up but I’d gotten more than I hoped for. When it was time to leave both Pam and Penny came up to congratulate me and to say they’d see me at the local championships in a few weeks. After this weekend, I couldn’t wait.

To be continued...