Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Sweat was pouring down my face, wind rushing past my cycling jersey, and my legs were burning like nothing else. I did my signature Hunger Games-inspired 3-fingered victory salute as I crossed the finish line. I had done it. I had won the 2022 Women's Tour of California. It's a pretty big deal. I had dreamed my entire life for this moment. I cooled down a bit before rolling on over to my team. I was greeted by hugs and tears with an occasional "Great Job!" thrown into the mix. Everyone knew how hard and long we had worked for this. The media had started to swarm my team and me. I was quick to thank my teammates and my sponsors. One of the reporters, obviously from a more mainstream media outlet, pushed her way to the front. "Kacey, is there a special someone in your life right now?" "I'm sorry to have to say no to that. Cycling was and still is my first love." My coach helped me push through the crowd to the team bus. I hopped on the trainer and spun my legs out for awhile. Then my soigneur (swan-yare) gave me a massage. I quickly showered and did my hair, just in time for podium. My team and I walked over to the back stage of the podium. I was beyond excited for this. While we were waiting, I noticed a man, approximately 30 years old, standing off to the side.
"I'll be right back," I quietly told my teammates.
"Don't go far, or you'll miss your podium!"
"Don't worry. I'll be right back!" I walked over to the man.
"Hello I'm Kacey Wilson. And who are you?" The man seemed startled.
"Oh! I'm Josh Hutcherson. Great job today, I was hoping you'd win."
"You know who I am?"
"I've been watching the racing all week. One of my buddies is one of the organizers and thought it'd be funny to make me a podium boy. It will be interesting, that's for sure."
"I guess I'll be seeing you again in a few."
"I'd love the chance to get to know you better. Perhaps dinner?"
"I'll let you know. My schedule is crazy. You're more than welcome to stop by the team bus afterwards."
"I'll be sure to do that Kacey."
"Oh crap, I gotta go. Awards and stuff. Uh bye."
I ran over to my teammates with a huge smile on my face. "Kacey thank goodness you're here. Where were you?"
"Busy getting dinner offers from Josh Hutcherson," I said flirtily.
My best friend Brenda Johnson flipped. "Guuurl, you best not be playing us."
"I am being 100% honest."
"Oh my gosh, I am most jealous. He's here?"
"Yeah, he's a podium boy. He was standing over by the stage earlier."
"Details will be spilled later Kacey."
"Will do."
I ran my fingers through my long wavy brown hair in a last ditch attempt to make it look good. The announcer started calling up the second and third place riders of the stage to the podium. I walked up next and took my place on the top step of the podium, making sure to shake the hands of both my competitors. Josh walked up and gave medals to the second and third place finishers. He then put the medal around my neck and kissed my cheeks, which is standard procedure for the winner. All four of us got pictures together. We all walked backstage. It was under a minute before I was called back up. Josh followed behind me. Instead of a medal, I received flowers and a glass trophy. Josh gave me the flowers, then the trophy, then the cheek kisses. We stood for pictures and then walked off stage.
"Can I help you carry something?" Josh asked.
"Sure, this glass thing is really heavy." Josh and I walked over to my teammates.
"Hey guys, this is Josh Hutcherson."
"As if we didn't know who he was already," Brenda sarcastically replied.
"Ruby, where do you want me to put the flowers and the trophy?!" I yelled.
"Put it in the passenger's seat and I'll take care of it!" Ruby yelled back. Ruby is my director sportif, basically my coach. She was over talking to our mechanics, but walked over to greet us.
"Great job this week ladies. And who is this?"
"My name is Josh Hutcherson ma'am. I was the podium boy today."
"Very nice to meet you Josh. I'm sorry but I will have to excuse myself to make some phone calls."
"Pleasure meeting you ma'am."
After Ruby walked away, Josh turned to me and smiled. "So... You, me, dinner. What do you say?"
Trying not to seem desperate or overly eager, I replied with "I'll have to ask Ruby. I'm not sure when we're leaving. But where were you thinking?"
"So I didn't think this plan through 100 percent yet," he said with a laugh, "Where would you hypothetically like to go, you know, IF we happen to go?"
"This may be weird, but I am having the maddest craving for Steak and Shake. Do you even have them in Cali?"
"Oh yeah definitely."
"Well then I'll go find Ruby. You stay here."
I ran off to find where Ruby was making her phone calls. I found her sitting in a lawn chair next to the mechanic's semi-truck full of bikes. She had just ended a call when I ran up to her.
"Ruby! So one of the most attractive men in the world that I've been crushing on since I was 15 just asked me to dinner and I'm freaking out and I don't know if I'm allowed to go or not and aaaarrrruuugxggfxdc!" I quickly rambled.
"Woah there sweetheart, what just happened?"
"Josh Hutcherson just asked me to go to dinner with him. And I'm freaking out. Am I allowed to go?"
"Kacey, if you don't go to dinner with that handsome young man, then I will," Ruby said lovingly. Ruby is in her 50's, a retired racer, and still has a head of strawberry blonde hair.
"Thank you so much Ruby." I ran back over to Josh and the girls.
"Oh hey Josh," I said. When I was just about there I tripped over a cord of sorts and started falling forward. I have never seen anyone move faster than Josh when he saw I was falling. He caught me just before I was about to hit the ground. My face turned beet red.
"I'm sorry I have to go," I quickly spat out as I ran into the team bus. I sat on one of the seats and cried. I wasn't quite sure why, I was just so overwhelmed that I couldn't keep it in any longer. I could still hear Josh outside. I wondered why he didn't just take off.
"Is she okay?" Josh asked Brenda with concern.
"Honey she'll be okay in a minute. Just give her a bit of space."
"Okay," Josh replied reluctantly as he sat down. About 15 seconds later he stood up. "That's enough I'm going in."
I froze. What was I going to screw up now? Josh popped his head in.
"Hey Kacey. What's wrong?"
I sniffled and then replied, "I screwed up."
He walked over to the seat next to me and sat down. "You tripped. I caught you. No biggie."
"So you don't think I'm a screw up?"
"Could a screw up beat all those other women?"
"Racing is easy compared to this," I laughed. Josh grabbed a Kleenex.
"Hold still." He wiped off my running mascara. "Much better," Josh said with a smile.
"I had that on my face the entire time?" I asked with shame. "Kacey, don't worry. You're beautiful." With that he kissed my cheek. "Now about dinner..."
"I'd love to go. I just need to change. That means you need to go outside."
"Oh! Okay I'll go outside." I started panicking. I didn't bring any nice clothes.
"Brenda! I need some help!" Brenda walked in quickly.
"Whadya need girl?"
"I don't have any clothes to wear. And I can't wear sweatpants on a date."
"I see your problem. Lemme check my suitcase." She dug her suitcase out and dug through it. "Aha! This is cute. And here's some jean shorts to go with it. I ended up wearing a grey and yellow running tank with the shortest shorts I've ever worn and my signature red Converse. I walked off the bus and over to Josh. He turned around and just stared.
"Is it that bad? I can change," I said uneasily.
"No, don't. You look gorgeous. Let's go. I'll drive."
We arrived at Steak & Shake and got a table. We ordered our shakes started drinking our water.
"Are you as nervous as I am?" Josh asked.
"You're kidding me right."
"Why would I be kidding you?"
"Because, not to be creepy or anything, but I've dreamed about meeting you since I was..."
"Fifteen. I know."
"You know?"
"You weren't exactly being stealthy when you were talking to Ruby."
"You heard all of that?"
"I found out some very useful information."
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that you consider me one of the most attractive men in the world," Josh said cockily. I face-palmed myself. The waitress walked up with our milkshakes.
"Here you go. Let me know if you two need anything," the waitress said.
"Thank you," Josh and I said in sync.
Josh continued. "Want to know why I found that so funny?"
"Why?" I said casually as I took a sip of milkshake. "I've been reluctant to talk to you because... I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." I just about choked on my milkshake.
"You sure we're talking about me. Kacey Wilson from Grand Rapids, Michigan."
"And why is that so surprising?"
"Because the last guy to show the slightest interest in me was in my freshman year of college. And not a movie star."
"I'm sorry the other spokesmen for the male population were so blind. But then I'm not."
I laughed. "So how long are you going to be in Cali?"
"I'm on vacation. I can go anywhere I want to at any time. How long are you staying?"
"I'm leaving at 4:30 tomorrow morning. Back to North Carolina."
"I'm glad I made dinner plans tonight then. You sure don't stick around long."
"We were supposed to leave tonight. But Ruby wanted me to have dinner with you."
"Speaking of dinner, I'm hungry. Let's get food. I'm paying."
"But... Fine."
The waitress walked over and we placed our order.
"I know I've told you this before, but you're beautiful Kacey."
"Thank you, you look stunning, as always."
"So where in North Carolina do you live?"
"I live in Banner Elk."
"Oh yeah. Near Asheville. How do you like it there?"
"I love it. It is beautiful. Great training roads."
"Is your job your entire life?"
"Honestly? Pretty much. Its not like I want it that way, its just the truth."
"I know how you feel. Sometimes I feel like my acting takes time away from other things."
The waitress brought us our juicy hamburgers and our amazing fries.
"I could eat their fries all day," I said.
"Me too. So I don't know much about you."
"What would you like to know?"
"The traits you look for in a man."
"Honest, um... Mature, thoughtful, supportive. I could go on. What is your ideal date?"
"Watching the stars. Are you okay with kissing on the first date?"
"As long as the moment is right. Kissing for the sake of kissing is stupid. My question: are we on date right now?"
"I was hoping we were..." Josh said innocently.
"I was hoping we were too."
He smiled and locked his eyes with mine. His eyes were breathtaking, but his smile was contagious. My heart started beating faster and it started getting harder to breath. I tore my gaze away from his and finished my dinner. He smiled and picked up some of the wonderful french fries. He then proceeded to dunk them in his milkshake.
"Let me try some," I cheerfully said. Josh handed me one of the milkshake covered fries. It was amazing. The perfect balance of sweet and salty, as well as hot and cold. Pretty soon we finished off all the fries and the milkshakes. Josh walked up to the cashier and payed. He walked back over to me.
"Shall we go?"
"Yep."
He opened the door for me and we both walked outside. Josh slid his fingers into mine. We held hands until we walked up to the car. He opened the passenger's door to his bright red Camero. Josh ran over to the driver's side and started the car. He drove me back to the team bus.
"I got the door Josh."
"Okay."
We held hands as we walked slowly to my team bus. In reality, it was only about 15 steps away from his car.
"When can I see you again?" Josh asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll be in North Carolina for a few weeks at least. You'd have to fly out there."
"You really think a plane trip is going to deter me from seeing you?"
"Apparently not."
"Where's your phone? I need to give you my number."
With my hand that wasn't holding his, I grabbed my phone out of the very tight shorts I was wearing. "Here ya go." I handed him my phone and he put his number in. He handed me back my phone and I looked at it.
"You put your name as Milkshake N. Fries."
"Well, I thought it was cute. Whatever." I laughed. We were almost to the door.
"Oh Kacey, one more thing before I leave." He pulled me in close and kissed me. My heart started beating out of my chest, shivers were being sent down my spine, and my breath was taken away. He pulled away and smiled.
"I'll be seeing you Kacey," he said as he walked backwards to his car.
"Okay..." was all I could muster as a response. I quickly opened the bus door and walked in. "Brenda detail spill time now."
"Girl, I've been waiting for hours to hear you say that."
I told Brenda everything that happened since the moment I said hello. Of course the entire bus was listening because this kind of thing has never happened before. Everyone was really excited for me. And there was no one more excited than I was.