The Art of Life (28 page)

               
“Well, I bet you are, but that
is for other girls to see, not me,” I state sternly.
 
Though images of him are running through my
head, and even as I try really hard to get them to stop, they keep coming.

               
We are actually quiet while I
drive to the coffee shop.
 
Is this an
awkward silence?
 
I mean, we really
haven’t said anything since that weird conversation.
 
We pull into the parking lot and I park in
front of the doors.
 
Jeremy turns to
me.
 
“Who is this guy again?”

               
“His name is Jack.
 
He is friends with Eric.
 
I guess he likes cars.
 
I couldn’t remember what this was when he
asked.”

               
Jeremy smirks and dramatically
emphasizes, “1967 Pontiac G-T-O.”

               
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I
mutter.
 
“I still will not remember
that.”

               
“Well, let’s go show off my
baby,” Jeremy sighs, getting out of the car.

               
I open the door and climb out.
 
“We don’t have to do this,” I state.
 
“We can go.”

               
Coming over to me, Jeremy bends
over and kisses me on the forehead.
 
“I
will do whatever makes you happy.
 
Let’s
go make this boy drool.”
 
He puts his arm
over my shoulders and opens the door.

               
We walk in and I stop dead in my
tracks.
 
The entire sitting area is
filled with my fellow high school students, most of them seniors.
 
“Crap!” I hiss.

               
Jeremy pulls me into a hug and
whispers in my ear, “What’s wrong?”

               
“Most of my senior class is
here,” I murmur back.

               
He pulls me tight against
him.
 
“Trust me Isabelle.
 
You just got out of a killer car, with a hot
guy wrapped around you.
 
THIS is not a
bad thing.”

               
Looking up at him, I quietly
giggle.
 
“You have a point.”

               
“Let’s give them even more to
stare at,” he says, right before he kisses me.
 
It catches me off guard…yet again, but man, it feels so good.
 
After a few seconds, Jeremy pulls away.
 
“There now we have everyone’s attention.”

               
“Good,” I stutter.
 
Jeremy grabs my hand and pulls me to the
counter.
 
Jack is standing there slacked
jawed.
 
“Hey Jack, this is my friend
Jeremy.”

               
Jack just shakes his head.
 
“You did not tell me that he drove a
flippin
’ 1967 GTO!”

               
“Yup,” I reply.
 
“That’s it.
 
I couldn’t remember yesterday.”

               
“I am taking a break,” Jack yells
to someone else behind the counter.
 
“I
need to check out your ride.”

               
Jeremy waves his hand forward
and we follow Jack outside.
 
Jack bends
over and looks in the side window.
 
“It’s
pretty,” is all that I can come up with.

               
“Dude, this car is gorgeous!
 
Did you rebuild it yourself?” Jack asks.

               
“Yup,” Jeremy says.
 
“I had it for three years before I rebuilt it
all.”

               
Turning, Jack enthusiastically
asks, “Can I see under the hood?”

               
“Sure.”
 
Jeremy walks over and pulls the latch for the
hood.
 
I can’t help, so I just stand
back.
 
He obviously knows what he is
doing.
 
Now, a few other guys from school
come to check out what’s “under the hood”.

               
“That is beautiful,” Jack says.

               
“My baby has 450 big block, all
chromed out.
 
It has dual overhead cams
and a blower.
 
It schools people on a
regular basis.”

               
Jack makes some weird noises
that only guys make.
 
“I have to hear
this engine.”

               
Jeremy tosses me the keys.
 
“Start it up toots.”

               
I grab the keys and glare at
him.
 
He just winks.
 
I climb into the car, and push in the
clutch.
 
With a groan, I start the
car.
 
I hear a lot of “Sweets!”
 
Jeremy walks over to the window. “Okay,
follow these instructions: First put on the parking break.
 
Second, put the car in neutral.
 
It can’t be in any gear.
 
Then thirdly, press on the gas.
 
It will rev the engine.”

               
“Okay,” I nervously reply.
 
I do everything he says, and then press down
on the gas pedal.
 
It does rev the engine
rather loudly.
 
There is a whole lot of
whooping and hollering from in front of the car.
 
When I look out the window, I notice most of
the coffee shop has come outside.
 
Great,
we are a spectacle.
 
Finally, Jeremy
waves his hand to stop.
 
I do that and
turn off the car.
 
I am glad I didn’t
kill anyone.

               
I climb back out of the car and
walk over to Jeremy.
 
He puts his arm
around me.
 
“They like it.”

               
“I can see that,” I reply.

               
Jack leans over the engine.
 
“I cannot believe you learned to drive in
this car.
 
You rock Isabelle.”

               
“Thanks,” I whisper awkwardly.

               
“My girl does rock,” Jeremy
interjects kissing me on the head.

               
Turning to Jeremy, I say, “I
want to get some coffee.
 
Do you want
anything?”

               
“Sure,” he replies, with a
smile.

               
“Oh, I will take care of that,”
Jack happily retorts.
 
He walks over and
opens the door.
 
“Olivia, give them
whatever they want on the house!”
 

               
He holds the door open as I walk
over.
 
“Thanks,” I mumble as I walk past
him.
 
The rest of the people in the
coffee shop are now staring at me.
 
This
is a lot more attention than I was expecting.
 
I walk up to the counter and the girls smiles.
 
I look at the menu and order.
 
“Can I have two large lattes, please?”

               
“Definitely,” the girl
answers.
 
She grins at me and says, “Your
boyfriend is really hot.”

               
“Yeah,” I sigh, “And he knows
it.”
 
The girl just giggles and goes to
make our coffees.
 
I turn around and look
out the window.
 
Jack is gesturing with
his hands and Jeremy is laughing.
 
Guys
still puzzle me.
 
After a few minutes,
the barista sets our drinks down.
 
I say,
“Thank you,” and put some money in the tip jar.

               
When I get outside, Jack turns
to me.
 
“He said I can’t drive the car.”

               
“I didn’t think he would,” I
reply, handing Jeremy his latte.
 
“I am
surprised that he lets ME drive it.”

               
Jeremy chuckles.
 
“Of course you can.
 
You will need something to drive when you get
your license.
 
I have my motorcycle, you
get the car.”

               
“WHAT!?”
I yell.

               
“No
flippin
way!” Jack exclaims even louder.
 
“You
are picking me up for school every day then.
 
I will give you my first born child.”

               
I just glare at Jeremy.
 
“I am not taking your car to school.”

               
“Why not?”
Jeremy retorts.
 
“It’s a nice car.”
 
With a groan, I roll my eyes.
 
Laughing, Jeremy hugs me.
 
“Drink your latte.
 
We have to go soon anyway.”

               
“Isabelle,” Jack starts
seriously, “If you bring this to school, you have to promise to give me a
ride.”

               
That makes me smile.
 
“I can do that.”

               
“Hey!” Jack exclaims.
 
“There is a party tonight!
 
You should come!”

               
Hhhhuuuhhhhhh
?
 
Did I just get invited to a party?
 
Before I can say anything, Jeremy says, “We
would love to, but we have a party to go to already, and
you
know, I am 21
.
 
If you guys do
anything wrong and I am the oldest there, it will be my ass.”

               
“Oh,” Jack says.
 
“I didn’t know that.”

               
“Yeah, anyway, high school
parties aren’t really my thing, Isabelle’s either.
 
She may be the baby of the group, but she is
still in the group.
 
You know, we do
things differently.”
 
Jack nods his head,
like Jeremy just said the wisest thing ever.
 
I snort and then cough to cover it up.
 
“Well,” Jeremy chimes.
 
“We have
to get going.
 
Things to do,
places
to go…..make out in.”

               
My eyes close and I hang my
head.
 
“Jeremy….”

               
“
Wwwwhhhaatttt
?”
He dramatically retorts.
 
I just look up at him.
 
“Drink your coffee.
 
I am driving.”

               
“Thank God!” I yell.
 
The last thing I need to do is try to back up
in front of everyone.
 
Jeremy closes the
hood.
 
I walk up to Jack.
 
“Thanks for the coffee.”

               
He grins.
 
“No problem.
 
You just need to give me a ride in the GTO.”

               
“I can do that,” I reply,
nodding.
 
“I promise, once I get my
license and if Jeremy really lets me drive it.”

               
Jack bobs his head.
 
“You need to hurry and get your license.”

               
“As soon as she is comfortable,
we are going to go and have her take the test,” Jeremy says jovially, “but for
now, we need to go.
 
Get in babe.”

               
I wave to Jack and get into the
car.
 
Jeremy gets in the other side and I
whisper, “Thanks.”

               
“Oh wait,” he responds with a
devious grin.
 
“I will make him drool in
about ten seconds.”
 
Jeremy reaches in
back and pulls a towel out from under the seat.
 
“Put this on your lap and hold our coffees really tightly.
 
I am about to make a mess.
 
We may put your new clothes to some use.”

               
“Oh crap,” I moan.

               
Jeremy backs up and pulls out
onto the street.
 
“Hold tight
Isabelle.
 
One of these days I will show
you how to do this.”
 
He throws it into
first, and floors it.
 
I am slammed back
in my seat and all I can smell is burning rubber.
 
We jet forward at a speed I know we shouldn’t
be going.
 
He quickly shifts and we are
now four blocks away.