Page 87 of Vince
Putting it in gear, I switch my foot from the brake to the gas.
I find the sweet spot and release the clutch.
Too fast…
Again.
We jump forward, and my foot instinctually slams on the brake, making me nearly miss my forehead against the steering wheel.
When I regain control of the vehicle, Vince’s holding on to theoh shithandle with white knuckles. But I’ve got to give him credit. His face remains free of emotion until he makes the mistake of meeting my eyes.
A light laugh escapes as he shakes his head. “Okay. Let’s try this again. Enough with the herky-jerky.”
“Ohmigod…” I gasp with the laughter bubbling inside me. “Herky-jerky? Where the hell did that come from? Are you seventy?”
“No… but we may be that old before we get on the road if you don’t start paying attention to what I’ve taught you.”
I huff. But I’ve got nothing…
“Okay… let’s do this again.”
Patiently, he walks me through the steps once again. On my next attempt, he lets out a “Whoop” when I effortlessly make it to the pavement and drive up the highway.
“Okay, smartass,” I pretend to grumble. “You’re the navigator. Where are we going?”
* * *
Later that night, I drive with ease to my apartment. Thank God, I didn’t have to close, and I’m home at a decent time—well, decent in the sense that it’s before midnight. To my surprise, Chloe and Abby are up and watching a movie, and Drew is nowhere to be found.
“Are you two having a girls’ night without me?” I tease when I see Chloe sprawled out on the couch and Abby with her feet up on the coffee table. There are bowls of half-eaten ice cream in their hands, and each are mid-bite.
“Not intentionally. Drew’s hanging out with his roommates to celebrate their win. Apparently, it’s tradition that there be agirls-freenight where they just hang and roast one another after a team dinner.” She shakes her head as if she’s confused. “I didn’t get it, but it’s their way of keeping things low-key and the public spotlight off them. It’s at his coach’s house and more or less mandated.”
I nod, understanding completely. “No, Coach B has had this tradition for years. I’ve heard a few players talking about it this week at the bar. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Abby. It really is on the up and up.”
Abby rolls her eyes. “I’m not worried. It gave me an opportunity to hang with Chole and now you. I’m surprised you’re already home. We’d planned on waiting up for you.”
Chloe laughs. “Well, at least trying. I might crash on this couch if I don’t get up and move a bit.” With that, she sits up and offers the other end of the couch to me.
“Give me a minute to shower and change.” A girls’ night in sounds just about perfect.
As I exit the room, I hear the TV return to the movie they’re watching. We’ll likely not watch the end of it as we always end up chatting through most of it anyway. I quickly rush through a shower and put on my pajamas before returning to the living room.
Since I haven’t had the chance to catch up with either of them in what feels like forever, I ask the room, “So, what have I missed?”
“Uh, not much.” Abby shrugs. “I’m just pestering Chloe to give up the deets on her night with DeShawn. She’s been tightlipped—and we all know Chloe. She always has something to say about her dates.”
Chloe blinks and shakes her head in denial. “Nothing to say… what can I tell you?”
Yeah, she’s lying. When she gives her tell by pulling on her ear, I call her out on it. “You’re telling me that you went out with DeShawn and all you did was eat ice cream?”
“I’m a sucker for this stuff… you know that,” she admonishes and scrapes what’s left of the ice cream in her bowl as if that’s proof.
“Seriously, Chloe, you don’t have to say anything, but know… I’ve got an active imagination, and your silence only makes my mind wander,” Abby practically singsongs. Unable to keep a straight face, I bust out laughing.
“Yeah, Chloe, now that she’s engaged, I’m sure she’s got a vivid imagination to compare things to. Before long, she’s going to imagine that you were whisked off to Vegas for a quickie wedding or that you at least had some hot, sweaty monkey sex with that beast of a man,” I tease, knowing full well she hasn’t done any of these things, but maybe if I downplay the situation, she’ll fess up.
“DeShawn, is hot,” Abby agrees.
