unlocked the door. Shining under several spotlights was a fleet of at least six rare, vintage, and luxury vehicles.
“Who needs this many cars?” I asked, taking in the beauty and magnificence before me.
“My father,” Julian said dryly. “There it is.”
He pointed to a shiny, chromed-out onyx Jaguar convertible parked in the corner. Sandwiched between a vintage Porsche 911 and a Model T Ford, it was begging to be started up, begging for us to take it out of that stuffy underground garage and out onto the open road.
“I’m really nervous to drive this thing,” I said, imagining the power and roar of the engine. Even as it sat there all quiet and pretty, that thing screamed power.
“Get over it,” he said as he grabbed the keys from a box on the wall. “We’re getting out of here.”
I climbed into the driver’s seat and slid onto the buttery smooth leather. I folded my sweaty palms around the leather-wrapped steering wheel and familiarized myself with the dashboard. The car looked like it had only been driven a handful of times.
I sunk down into the soft driver’s seat and ran my fingers along the wood grain dash before bringing my hand down and resting it on the chrome shifter knob. “This is the nicest car I’ve ever been in in my entire life, Julian.”
He laughed, and there was a sort of nervous excitement about him, like this was his first real taste of rebellion. “You going to start it, or what?”
Inserting the key into the ignition, I took a deep breath and pressed it forward. The engine began to purr softly, waiting patiently for me to shift into drive. Julian reached over and pressed a button, and the top came down and folded behind us. The weather was calling for an unusually warm March day, which wasn’t all that atypical for Kansas.
As I shifted the car into gear, Julian pressed the garage door remote and we were on our way, heading around from the back of the house and exiting via the pristine circle drive.
“This thing is amazing,” I said to Julian, a smile across my face as we zoomed down the street. He flashed a reserved smile in return as he fished around in the glove box and slipped on a pair of Ray-Ban aviators. They must’ve been his dad’s, but he wore them well, as if they were better suited for him.
“Here,” he said, handing me a pair of driving gloves. “You need the full experience.”
I slipped them on as soon as we pulled up to a stop sign. Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be wearing driving gloves and behind the wheel of such a fancy car.
“Can I teach you how to drive today?” I asked.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said, immediately shooting me down. “I don’t have a license.”
“I thought we were living a little today,” I said, nudging him with my elbow.
“Fine,” he said with an eye roll. That was the Julian I knew. “Just make sure it’s in a remote area.”
“We’re going to Green Hill Park,” I told him. “It’s on the outskirts of town. There’s a lake and a trail and a grassy area. It’s Monday morning, so we should have the whole place to ourselves.”
We zipped around town for a bit in the Jaguar, the tepid breeze whipping my hair all around. I thought about tying it back but changed my mind. If I were with Spencer, I’d care about my hair looking crazy, but I knew those types of things didn’t matter to Julian.
After a bit of joy riding, I turned down an access road and took a left, bringing us to Green Hill Park. Just as I expected, the place was completely vacant. We had the whole thing to ourselves.
“Time to switch,” I told him, gently placing the car in park.
He swallowed, staring ahead, as if he were slightly nervous.
“You’re not chickening out, are you?” I teased. “You’re twenty-four. Time to learn how to drive.”
“I’m well aware of my age,” he snipped.
“Come on. You’re driving,” I said, climbing out and running to the passenger side.
We switched
“Who needs this many cars?” I asked, taking in the beauty and magnificence before me.
“My father,” Julian said dryly. “There it is.”
He pointed to a shiny, chromed-out onyx Jaguar convertible parked in the corner. Sandwiched between a vintage Porsche 911 and a Model T Ford, it was begging to be started up, begging for us to take it out of that stuffy underground garage and out onto the open road.
“I’m really nervous to drive this thing,” I said, imagining the power and roar of the engine. Even as it sat there all quiet and pretty, that thing screamed power.
“Get over it,” he said as he grabbed the keys from a box on the wall. “We’re getting out of here.”
I climbed into the driver’s seat and slid onto the buttery smooth leather. I folded my sweaty palms around the leather-wrapped steering wheel and familiarized myself with the dashboard. The car looked like it had only been driven a handful of times.
I sunk down into the soft driver’s seat and ran my fingers along the wood grain dash before bringing my hand down and resting it on the chrome shifter knob. “This is the nicest car I’ve ever been in in my entire life, Julian.”
He laughed, and there was a sort of nervous excitement about him, like this was his first real taste of rebellion. “You going to start it, or what?”
Inserting the key into the ignition, I took a deep breath and pressed it forward. The engine began to purr softly, waiting patiently for me to shift into drive. Julian reached over and pressed a button, and the top came down and folded behind us. The weather was calling for an unusually warm March day, which wasn’t all that atypical for Kansas.
As I shifted the car into gear, Julian pressed the garage door remote and we were on our way, heading around from the back of the house and exiting via the pristine circle drive.
“This thing is amazing,” I said to Julian, a smile across my face as we zoomed down the street. He flashed a reserved smile in return as he fished around in the glove box and slipped on a pair of Ray-Ban aviators. They must’ve been his dad’s, but he wore them well, as if they were better suited for him.
“Here,” he said, handing me a pair of driving gloves. “You need the full experience.”
I slipped them on as soon as we pulled up to a stop sign. Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be wearing driving gloves and behind the wheel of such a fancy car.
“Can I teach you how to drive today?” I asked.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said, immediately shooting me down. “I don’t have a license.”
“I thought we were living a little today,” I said, nudging him with my elbow.
“Fine,” he said with an eye roll. That was the Julian I knew. “Just make sure it’s in a remote area.”
“We’re going to Green Hill Park,” I told him. “It’s on the outskirts of town. There’s a lake and a trail and a grassy area. It’s Monday morning, so we should have the whole place to ourselves.”
We zipped around town for a bit in the Jaguar, the tepid breeze whipping my hair all around. I thought about tying it back but changed my mind. If I were with Spencer, I’d care about my hair looking crazy, but I knew those types of things didn’t matter to Julian.
After a bit of joy riding, I turned down an access road and took a left, bringing us to Green Hill Park. Just as I expected, the place was completely vacant. We had the whole thing to ourselves.
“Time to switch,” I told him, gently placing the car in park.
He swallowed, staring ahead, as if he were slightly nervous.
“You’re not chickening out, are you?” I teased. “You’re twenty-four. Time to learn how to drive.”
“I’m well aware of my age,” he snipped.
“Come on. You’re driving,” I said, climbing out and running to the passenger side.
We switched
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