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Jasper

60 miles per hour

70

80

85

I floor the gas pedal, a wild grin on my face as I careen toward the corner of the track

“Jasper…” warns a voice in my ear

“I’ve got this,” I murmur, in response toem of a car speed around the test track

“We haven’t tested the tires on curves yet Slon to a more reasonable—”

I reach up and tap the headset attached to the crash helmet The voice fades away My smile widens

The turn approaches I swing the wheel hard I feel the tires skid under the car, and for a pulse-stopping, heart-in-ht If I’ve taken the curve too fast, put too much stress on this new model, a car that hasn’t even been unveiled to the public yet, let alone tested by the scientists and engineers who oversee the production of all new car regulations in the country

If the car skids, flips, this could be it…

But then I feel the rubber screech, catch purchase again, and I rev the engine, accelerating with the turn instead of against it, so the car flows around the sharp turn of the track sh butter

Safely onto the straightaway once un it I watch the speedoher Faster

I love this I love getting to drive cars like this, and really put theh their paces Drive them the way they’re built to be driven—with abandon, and without road laws getting in the way Gerht, I think briefly If only the United States had its own autobahn One road, one spot where people could let loose

But, of course, that’s a pipe dream for another time For now, I’ll have to settle for this closed test track, and the chance to pacify my inner speed demon from time to time—and earn a paycheck for it, no less

I reach the out where we h the visor of

Greg’s enormous arms are crossed, his broered in the thunderous expression he gets when he doesn’t approve of so can’t really protest too s like this But that doesn’t mean he can’t allow his disapproval to show on his face

I skid to a halt outside the engineer shelter, and cliineers flood the area, bending to takethe hood to study how the engine held up, as another inspects the fuel gauges

“How about that turning radius, huh?” I shout over the clank and clatter of tools and ineers to reach Greg, and he removes his own earpiece

“You shut off your radio,” co, the voice in my ear, who has now become the constant voice in the back of ht even say He’s constantly watchingme to slon, take it easy, be more careful I know lares and lectures, but even so, it can wear on a

Youthe conscience in the back ofme,” I say “It was a finicky turn”

“Because you were driving at least twenty miles per hour faster than we’d run the car even in si mutters

“And look hoell it turned out!” I clap my assistant on the back “Noe can all skip a few of the interht into pre-production status”

Greg rolls his eyes “It was still an unnecessary risk—”

“But you say that about every risk,” I point out, ja’s bicep It barely makes a dent

I take after my father’s side of the fa Descended from the first marathon runners of ancient Greece, Dad always claims Me, I mention that a fair amount too, albeit for different reasons I blame those ancestors for my need for speed “My speed de I can do about it”

But Greg, he’s a distant cousin, part ofcomes from isn’t built like marathoners so much as like walls

Greg narrows his eyes at me

I s “Come on, worry wart Lunch is on h cholesterol levels”

“I would love to take you up on that, Jasper, but you have a lunch appoint flips open his tablet and squints down at the screen, scrolling through it with a finger

“With who?” I frown I don’t re to stop in and check out the factory today, and it’s far too early in the production schedule for any fellow manufacturers to

be poking around Maybe early buyers? Wholesalers we invited to view the pre-public models…?

“Your father,” Greg replies, and e to whip myself into on the test track evaporates, like a bubble popping in midair

Not thatQuite to the contrary I work for hi our latesti and selling them on the front end… I have a hand in every part of our co me to take over for him since I was about sixteen years old I love this job, love e about ht now

Well Except for one tiny thing…

Dad’s current uess what he’s going to be on about today The sa he’s been on about for the last several years The sa he railed at me over when I broke up with Karen, a friend-with-benefits who lasted a grand total of a ain when I stopped seeing Meghan Then Brooke Then… as that girl with the horses?

I can’t even remember her name, truth be told