Smokin' & Spinnin' Read Online Free

rolling is a standard option for our gender.
    Jerri gives me a few simple instructions and promises to get with me after lunch for a more detailed description of my job duties. “Oh! And Whitney…please plan to hang around with us for a few weeks. It is going to be a while before I can start looking for a replacement,” she says, strained.
    “Sure! I can stay for as long as you need me,” I offer.
    I can tell Jerri is relieved, but before she can say anything, Mr. Pompous Ass materializes from the back offices. Her face immediately falls. She looks agitated. He strides purposefully back to the elevators without acknowledging either one of us.
    Jerri calls out to him, “Four o’clock, Ryan! Don’t forget!”
    He doesn’t dignify her reminder with a response, but he throws up his hand as if to say, “I got this!”
    What a jerk!
I must have an irritated look on my face because Jerri quickly snaps, “My thoughts exactly!” And we both erupt in laughter.
    After our shared moment, I face Jerri to ask, “Who is he?”
    She looks at me as if my face just exploded.
    “What?” I question.
    “Whitney!” Jerri gasps. “That is Ryan Carter, Garrett Carter’s son.”
    I shake my head and raise my eyebrows at her because that information does not help me
at all
.
    Jerri looks distraught. “Gail said you were not familiar with NASCAR, but surely you know who Ryan Carter is?”
    I give her my best “I have no freaking clue” look with big, innocent eyes. “I’m sorry,” I stammer.
    She smiles warmly at me. “It’s OK. It may actually be a good thing!”
    Really
! That is the second time I have heard that phrase today. I hope to figure out what it means soon.
Or do I?
    After lunch, the activity within the office seems to calm down considerably. I have had a few minutes to walk around the floor to acquaint myself with the layout and some of the people who take the time to acknowledge me. The ones who do are surprisingly welcoming and polite, but I notice that I am carefully observed. It must be the new-girl syndrome.
    I make a mental note to make some work friends fast. I need some inside information on this organization so I can properly do my job. I don’t want to continue to be known as the girl who has no idea about stock car racing. I make a vow to learn as much as I can about NASCAR and the GCR Racing organization. I want to make sure that I am doing my job to the best of my abilities. Plus, a little knowledge never hurt anyone.
    As promised, Jerri briefly sits down with me to give me some light instructions on my job duties. I like her right away. She reminds meof my mother. She gives me a company directory of employees, which includes office locations, telephone extensions, and job descriptions. This will be extremely helpful.
    Then Jerri sighs deeply, “I feel like I need to warn you about Ryan.”
    Her statement takes me aback. “Oh?”
    “Yes,” she says, defeated. “He is the reason why we stay in chaos around here. Just last Sunday, he shot his mouth off in a pre-race interview with the Speed Channel about the new NASCAR car dynamics for this season. He was fined fifty thousand dollars for his derogatory statements.”
    “Oh my God!” I exclaim. That is an insane amount of money!
    “Oh no! It gets better!” Jerri says sarcastically. “During the race, Ryan was subsequently fined twenty-five thousand more dollars for his explicit language over his team communications during the race.”
    “Whoa!”
    She nods her head. “And that leaves me to deal with our sponsors, who believe that if he has all this money to blow on these fines each week, then he must not need their corporate contribution.”
    “Wow!” I say again, still not knowing exactly what to say to her since she has just dumped a wealth of knowledge on me on my very first day of work. Jerri has a lot to deal with. I am not sure whether to run away screaming or stick around to watch this three-ring circus and get paid for it.
    * *