Chapter 18

Tiny Johnson, Jake’s gambling buddy and the owner of Tiny’s Gun Rack, called Jake the second week of February to ask if Jake had any hunches about the upcoming Daytona 500. Tiny was interested in taking some action from the NASCAR crowd and figured that his lucky charm might help him get even richer. This was definitely Tiny’s year as Jake clearly remembered the unusual 1974 Daytona 500. Jake remembered the race because NASCAR had trimmed the race’s distance to 450 miles to save fuel during the energy crisis. It had also been an exciting race with over fifty lead changes and a fantastic duel between Richard Petty and Donnie Allison.

Jake told Tiny to try to goad the Chevrolet fans into betting on their drivers and then bet his money on Petty to win big. Tiny was past wondering how Jake predicted these things and just took the money to the bank. Tiny, who seemed to know anyone worth knowing in Florida, took Jake to the Daytona pits on the Friday before the race. Tiny introduced Jake to Smiley Warrick, the owner of the garage that built Jake’s upgraded Chevelle. Smiley had a car in Sunday’s race that he was sponsoring himself. His prospects in the race were not very good because he lacked the money to attract a top tier driver or to field a very competitive entry.

While they chatted, Jake had one of his insights. NASCAR was a fast growing sport in the southeast. TFA Superstores was a fast growing business in the same region. Sponsoring a race team could be a boon for TFA if promoted correctly. With Jake’s help, Sven Johansson could make that happen. Jake asked Smiley if he could run a full schedule if he had a sponsor.

“Yep,” Smiley drawled, “if I had some serious sponsorship I’d run with the big dawgs insteada’ sittin’ on the porch.”

Jake asked how much money would be required to field a competitive team. Smiley gave Jake a figure that was easy to live with.

“Could you have a new paint scheme and logo ready for Sunday?” Jake asked.

“Do you have ten thousand dollars for a one race deal?” Smiley countered.

Jake took out his checkbook, wrote out a check for ten grand, and handed it to Smiley. Smiley looked at the check dubiously, that was a lot of money for a kid to be throwing around. Tiny vouched for Jake by telling Smiley that he was more than good for it. Smiley folded the check, put it in his shirt pocket, and stuck out his hand.

“Welcome aboard, Junior,” he said.

Smiley and Jake hashed out the color scheme of the TFA Number Fifty, a Dodge Charger. It was going to be white with red and blue lettering. Jake insisted that ‘God Bless America’ be stenciled on the spoiler. Tiny Johnson got into the spirit by purchasing a fender to advertise on. He went crazy over Jake’s design, the right rear quarter panel would display the message: ‘Tiny’s Gun Rack - God, Guns, and Guts Made America Great’.

The paint scheme was completed by Saturday night. When Smiley and his crew pushed the car out of the garage area, it was an instant hit with the fans wandering around. Every fan in the pits wanted their picture taken standing by the beautifully gleaming Dodge. Jake had sprung for an additional five hundred dollars for the custom hand lettering and quality paint job. The car was never a factor in the race but it was clearly an instant fan favorite.

Jake took Charles, Sven, and Melissa to the race Sunday, the nineteenth. He had not mentioned the sponsorship to them. He wanted it to be a surprise for his father. Smiley had obtained credentials for them so Charles saw, for the first time, his company’s latest investment in all its glory on pit road. Charles loved the car but was dubious about its value as advertising. Sven, though, saw the potential and mentioned a couple of ideas that popped into his head. Charles finally agreed to try it for a year.

Melissa fell in love with racing from the first moment she stepped on the speedway. While Jake, Sven, and Charles were looking over the car, Melissa pigeon-holed Smiley. As busy as Smiley was, he stopped what he was doing to hear the lady out. Yes, he allowed, he could build a second race team. Yes, she could be the team owner, and no, he did not think a woman driver existed who was qualified to race in the championship series. Melissa bristled at his last remark.

“We are going to have to do something about that,” she said.

Smiley walked off shaking his head.

“Women,” he muttered to himself. “God bless ‘em! They have at least half the money and all the pussy, and still they aren’t satisfied.”

Sven and Jake started using ideas in 1974 that had taken the stock car community another decade to implement in his last life. Jake insisted that their driver be personable as well as talented. He had a show car built that toured TFA stores in cities near the up-coming week’s race. TFA advertisements in selected locations featured the race car and Coy Daniels, the team’s glib and handsome driver.

For his part, Smiley used the influx of money to build a competitive team. By the sixth race of the season, Number Fifty was slicing and dicing with the big boys at the front of the field. Coy won his first race at Darlington, and by the end of the season, he had won two more, finishing seventh in the point’s race.

Of course Melissa got Smiley to put together a team for her. After all, money talks and bullshit walks. TnT racing had no trouble finding sponsors with the operation Melissa had him put together. Melissa even lured Ford back into racing, getting them to sponsor her team and provide a couple of Gran Torino Sport Coupes. In exchange, Melissa provided a first class operation and instituted innovations that Jake passed on from the future. She was the first owner to hire a professional engineer, train the pit crew as a team, and use glued-on lug nuts. She also stressed driver safety, instituting a better roll cage, roof flaps, and a safer driving compartment.

TnT racing quickly became a powerhouse in NASCAR. Bill France listened when Melissa Thornton-Turner talked. As a result, the sport jumped forward at least a decade. Oh, and TnT made a ton of money, especially when they started the merchandising craze among fans. You could not be a respectable good old boy unless you were wearing a TnT racing hat (NASCAR approved). Especially if you could claim you bought it at the track, off the TnT souvenir trailer.

Back at the ranch, Ramon had his hands full. It turned out that the cattle that died during the cold snap had been weakened by a strain of bovine influenza. A quarter of the herd still had the debilitating bug. It took a lot of work and vigilance by the ranch hands to nurse the herd through the rest of the winter.

At Stetson, Jake and Melissa were working on the last year of their degrees. Melissa was set for graduate school after she completed her four-year degree. Jake had no such ambition. When he graduated, that was it for formal schooling. He planned to continue to learn, he just was not going to attend a college to do it.

Baseball practice was not eating up a lot of his time at present. Practice was held in the gym most days in February because of the cold, blustery weather. The gym was fine for pitching but quashed full-fledged fielding and batting practice.

Jake was still gung-ho about his military duty. He and his six men were preparing for the annual Inspector General’s visit coming in April. In addition, Jake was still volunteering at Congressman Wiggins’ office. He put in a few days a month helping constituents resolve problems. Jake truly loved it when he could make something good happen for a citizen. Plus, he enjoyed the opportunity to tweak the noses of recalcitrant bureaucrats. Andrew had asked Jake to work full time for him when he graduated. Jake said no thanks. He could probably volunteer more days but he did not want to be tied down long term. Jake further told Andrew that he himself was going to run for the congressman’s seat once Andrew retired and Jake turned twenty-five.

Jake’s personal life was still stable and still the stuff of dreams. He had to pinch himself sometimes to believe it was real. Melissa and Trish were the most amazing women in the world. Between the two of them, Jake was as well cared for as a man could possibly be.

Melissa received her invitation to dinner with the Greers in the first mail after Valentine’s Day. She and Trish had a huddled meeting before Melissa called back and accepted. Jake lounged on the bed as Trish helped Muffy get ready. Jake had a feeling they were spreading it on for him when Trish trimmed and shaved Melissa’s little cooze right on the bed beside him. As Jake watched mesmerized, Trish and Melissa filled him in on what was happening.

“When Victoria invited me over it started as a way for her to enjoy a little girl-girl sex that included hubby. It ended up with Bill trying to screw Victoria’s brains out for two days. Victoria called on the phone to tell me all about it. While I was there, Victoria took care of me and Bill took care of her. The ardor that he displayed after our little tryst gave me an idea. Victoria told Bill about tonight’s dinner with Melissa two weeks ago and then cut him off. We figure that tonight he’ll definitely have some lead in his pencil. She’s not pregnant so Bill is getting first shot this time with you and me taking a shot this weekend.”

Jake shook his head in wonder at the machinations of women. But he was not going to argue, it was a good plan and made him horny. Melissa finished dressing and kissed him and Trish goodbye. She looked incredibly sexy in a short little sun dress. Bill was in for some evening.

As soon as Melissa was gone, Jake made a grab for Trish. Trish eluded his grasp and laughed.

“After supper, big boy, I’ll give you a dessert you won’t soon forget,” she said.

It was a memorable evening for all of them. Trish made Jake wait for his dessert until almost ten o’clock. She got him off quickly then prolonged his agony until Melissa arrived home at eleven-thirty. Melissa stripped off her clothes in a mad rush and dove into bed.

“Put it in me, Baby,” she said. “Watching Bill and Vickie has me hot as a fire-cracker.”

Jake was more than happy to oblige. Melissa was not kidding about being horny. She came loud and often as Jake ploughed her. Luckily, Trish sitting on Melissa’s face muffled some of her screams or someone would have thought a murder was being committed in the master suite.

Melissa later told them the details about her evening at the Greer’s. After dinner and some very good wine, she and Victoria started kissing on the couch while Bill sat in his recliner and watched. Having a strange audience made it even more exciting for Melissa. Before long, they were naked in a sixty-nine on the Persian carpet with Victoria on top. Bill shed his clothes and took his wildly climaxing wife from the rear. By Melissa’s count before she slipped out, Bill had already deposited two big loads in Victoria and was working on his third.

Marriage plans were finalized in February also. Melissa and Jake were getting married in Palmdale Episcopal Church, the church her father had helped build. Their reception was going to be held at the Palmdale Country Club. Melissa had taken Jake’s advice and let the Country Club’s social director take care of the arrangements.

Towards the end of February, Jake received a call from Barry Miller, the State’s Attorney for the Fifth Judicial District and Maria Thornton’s paramour.

“Make sure you and Melissa watch the evening news tonight,” Miller said.