I grab my flat boots from the back seat and tug them on before buckling my seat belt and gripping the wheel, the leather smooth and comforting beneath my fingers, the thrum of the outside world filling my ears. I flip down the sunshield to check my lipstick.
“Donovan got his baby back this morning, by the way,” Lewis says. “Amazing job. The seats look as good as new.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Oh my God, Amy. Loosen up a little.
I soften. “I spent most of last night working on it so it’d be done in time. RJ’s getting old—he’s not as fast as he used to be.”
“You guys known each other long?”
I nod. That’s all he’s getting from me. I slide the key into the starter, my clammy fingers slipping as I work the lock. Amir and Lewis have done a great job sending me off the rails today.
“Having trouble there?”
“It’s just a little stiff,” I lie, as the engine rumbles into life.
Get a fucking grip, will you?
It’s early December, but I’ve broken into a sweat. I feel so awkward, with him sitting there to my right like that. Nobody rides shotgun with me. Ever. I’ve had too many people giving me too many directions in my life. There’s no way I’m letting it happen in my car, too. This is my world, the place whereIcall all the shots—end of conversation. But with Lewis sitting there, his face set like stone as he watches me shift into first, it’s like I’ve suddenly almost forgotten how to drive.
“Did you just stall?”
I guess there’s no “almost” about it.
5LEWIS
She stalled?”
I nod as I lower my cup onto the coffee table. Lane swung by to work on his screenplay, and I left him to it, until finally I couldn’t hold back anymore and ended up spilling. I needed to share the horror story with someone, and I’m hoping that, with a little luck, this will be the nudge he needs to see the light.
“Yup. She actuallystalled.” I decide to go heavy. “Absolute disgrace, dude!”
The door swings open, and Adam steps out of his room. “Is he still telling that story? Seriously, man. Stop obsessing.”
“Who’s obsessed?”
I glance up. Donovan just got home, Carrie hovering at his elbow.
“He had his first session with Firebird on Monday—and guess what?” Adam pauses for effect. “Shestalled. Today’s Friday, and he’s still hung up on it. I’msoover this guy.”
Don’s eyebrows shoot up. “She stalled?”
“She stalled. As I was saying, absolute disgrace, dude!”
“Oh my God, I can’t listen to this anymore!” Adam falls back onto the couch. “Don’t encourage him, guys. Tell him none of us give a shit.”
“She must have been stressed-out, being put to the test like that,” Carrie pipes up.
“I just sat next to her—what’s the big deal? It’s not like I asked her to parallel park blindfolded, or anything…”
“Yeah, but you weresittingthere. Like, inches away from her. That’s super stressful.” Carrie pretends to shudder before darting into the kitchen.
“So, other than the fact that shestalled… How’d it go?” asks Don.
“I’m not sure. After that, everything was a blur. I asked her to drive a loop around campus, and then we called it a day.”
“You are such an asshole, you know that? When are you next meeting up?”
