Learning to Drive... Him Crazy (28 page)

All four of them were eager to get back to
work the next day. Kelli was surprised when her boss, who had been
very difficult to work with lately, treated her with much more
respect. Her co-workers treated her similarly. She had a better day
at work than she'd had in some time.

John was at Alana's apartment ten minutes
after she got home. "Are you ready to go driving?" he asked.

"Ooh, absolutely," she answered
enthusiastically. She headed for the door, only to be stopped by
John. "Where's your permit?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, going back to get her
purse. She turned around to head back to the door, but stopped
short when she saw the stern look on his face. "I'm sorry, John.
It's been so long since I got to drive, I'm excited, but a little
anxious, too."

"Anxious about what?"

"What if I forget what you taught me?"

"I'm not worried about you forgetting what I
taught you about driving. I am concerned, though, that you may be
forgetting what I taught you about driving legally. When you drove
when Kelli was drunk, we had a long talk about how important it is
that you not only follow all the rules of the road, but that you
follow all the legal rules for you to drive, as well. Do you
remember that?"

Alana dropped her head as she said, "Yes, I
do. I'm sorry. I was excited and I forgot my purse, but you're
right, that would have been driving illegally."

John took her in his arms and said, "Alana,
I understand you've had a lot on your mind lately and you're eager
to drive again and make sure you're ready to get your license. For
those reasons I'm just going to remind you about it this time, but
laws for driving are very important to me. I'm a policeman. The
next time I see or hear about you driving illegally, your cute
little bottom will feel the wrath of my hand. Do you
understand?"

"I do," she assured him.

"Good. Now, get your permit and let's go let
you drive."

Alana drove for half an hour, then John had
her drive them across town to a restaurant, where they had dinner.
Afterward she drove almost another hour before driving them back to
her apartment. When they got in her apartment John said, "Honey, go
ahead and make an appointment to take your test again. You're
ready."

She squealed. "You think so, really?"

"Like I said before, I wouldn't let you take
it if I didn't feel you were ready. Now, do you want to use my car
to take your test? You seem to be able to handle it real well."

"Could I?"

"Of course you can. Just make your
appointment for sometime when I'm off and I'll go with you." He
reviewed his schedule with her to be sure she knew it before he
kissed her goodnight and planned to leave. The problem was, she
returned his kiss with such an urgency that he found himself
pulling her tighter against him and kissing her again, with more
passion. When he finally pulled away this time, they were both
breathing heavy.

He took a deep breath and whispered, "Honey,
you are having way too much of an effect on me when you kiss me
like that."

She giggled and mischievously asked, "Why do
you suppose that is?"

"Brat." He reached behind her and playfully
smacked her bottom. Then he held her face in his hands as he said,
"I suppose that's probably because I love you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and
hugged him. He returned the hug eagerly. "I love you, too,
John."

He leaned down for one more kiss, soft and
gentle, yet full of love. When he pulled away he said, "Be sure to
lock the door when I leave, honey, and sleep well tonight."

* * * * *

The next evening John and Alana were cuddled
on the swing on his front porch. Alana said, "I can't believe I
have to wait until next Thursday to take my driving test."

"I knew they were getting backed up. I
didn't know how much."

"How did you know they're backed up?"

"Because they asked me if I was interested
in testing for them for a couple days to catch them up. They're
looking for someone to hire to give driving tests, and until they
find someone they're starting to get them backed up."

"Are you going to help them?"

"I told them I'd do two days over the next
couple weeks, on my day off. They're starting to schedule people in
for those days. That should help them a little bit."

"Maybe you'll be testing me again."

"Nope."

"What do you mean nope? How do you
know?"

"Because I told them I won't. I told them
you'll be calling in and not to schedule you with me."

"Why? If you do it I won't be nervous and
maybe I'd finally pass."

He turned to face her and gently guided her
chin toward him. "Alana, listen to me. You are ready to pass this
test or I wouldn't have told you to make the appointment. But I
want you to pass it on your own. If I'm the one giving you the
test, you won't feel as confident about your driving, thinking you
passed it because of me. And other people may say I passed you
because of our relationship. I don't want either of those things to
happen. I want you to take the test with someone you don't know,
and I know you'll do just fine. You're a good driver. Then when you
pass it, you'll know you passed it on your own, without my
help."

"Not without your help. You taught me to
drive."

"I didn't teach you how to drive, I just
rounded off some rough edges."

"You fixed the parts that made me keep
failing the test."

"Like I said, I rounded off some rough
edges."

"Whatever you want to call it, thank
you."

"You're welcome." She laid her head on his
shoulder and they watched the stars.

"So, what kind of car are you going to get?"
John asked.

"One like yours."

"Why is that?"

"I like it. I feel comfortable driving
it."

"Why don't you just buy mine then?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because it's your
car that you drive, and not for sale."

"How do you know it's not for sale?"

She sat up and looked at him. "Is it for
sale?"

"It just happens to be."

"Why?"

"Because I trade my car every two years. I
always have. I like cars, and the one thing I allow myself to spend
money on is a new car every two years. I've already picked out my
new car, and I talked to them about trading mine in. I know how
much they'll give me for it on trade, and if you want to buy it
I'll sell it to you for the same as what they'll give me."

"That'd be a deal. They never give you as
much as it's worth."

"They always mark it up some and resell
it."

"Do I have enough for a down payment on it,
though, do you think?"

"You do if you buy it from me."

"Why? The bank will want so much down before
they'll give me a loan, no matter whom I buy it from."

"If you buy it from me, I can finance it for
you. We'll set up monthly payments just like you would with the
bank, but you'll pay me instead of the bank. You'll pay it off
quicker because I won't charge you interest."

"John, I couldn't let you do that. I'd love
to buy your car, but you have to let me pay you interest. That's
not fair to you."

He thought a moment and said, "Okay, here's
my final offer. You can pay me the same interest I would get if I
had that money in the bank. That way I'm getting what I would if it
were there, and you're getting a good deal on the car."

"Why are you willing to do this, sell me
your car cheap and finance it for me?"

"First and foremost, because I love you,
honey." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "But it's
partially self-serving on my part. I'd feel better seeing you drive
my car than another used car that you find that I know nothing
about. I know mine's been taken care of, and I know what's been
done to it. If you buy someone else's, you may be buying their
headaches."

"You'd feel better?" She said it softly,
almost to herself, thinking about what she was saying.

He pulled her up against him and said, "Yes,
I'd feel a lot better. I don't want you out on the road in a car
that I don't feel confident about. I'd be worrying all the time
about it breaking down and leaving you stranded along the road
somewhere. Remember my protective streak? I want to make sure
you're safe all the time, not just when you're with me."

She looked at him and smiled.

"What's the smile for?" he asked.

"I like that. It makes me feel all safe and
cozy," she said, cozying in against him.

"I'm glad, since that's exactly how I want
you to feel. But seriously, I'll feel better knowing you're driving
my car than a car I don't know the history of. So what do you
say?"

"Are you sure? I'm sure you could sell it
for more to someone else."

"But I want to sell it to you. Deal?"

With a big smile she said, "Deal!" She
reached her hand out, and he shook it, smiling back at her. She
laid her head against his shoulder and snuggled in again. After a
little while she asked, "So when are you going to quit driving my
car and get one of your own?"

"Brat." She giggled, a sound he loved
hearing. "I'll call the car salesman and tell him I'll take the car
I've been looking at. Then you can have mine as soon as you get
your license."

"So next Thursday?"

"As soon as you have your license. Just
don't get so excited that you don't pay attention during your test
and fail it again."

"That would be awful."

"Yes, it would. You're ready for this test,
so if you fail it now, it's because you were being careless. And as
a police officer, can you guess how I feel about careless
drivers?"

"About the same as you feel about people
spending money on shoes they don't need?"

"Yeah, pretty similar." They both
chuckled.

* * * * *

Thursday afternoon Kelli called. "Go get
'em, Alana! I know you can do it this time."

"You know, for the first time I feel like I
can pass this."

"You finally got a good teacher. I'm not a
teacher and I readily admit it. John is a natural, though. You'll
do great this time. Call and let me know."

"I will," Alana promised.

Ten minutes later she got a call from Cal.
"Hey, Alana, I just wanted to call and let you know I'm thinking
good thoughts for you. I know you'll do fine."

"Everybody seems to know I'll do fine except
me. I'm nervous as can be."

"Alana, listen to me. I know my brother. If
he wasn't absolutely positive you're ready to be out on the road
driving he never would have allowed you to take the test. He not
only allowed it, he suggested it, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He told me I was ready
now."

"And that's all I need to know for certain
that you're ready. He worries about you more than anyone else, so
if he says you're ready, trust me, you're more than ready."

Cal's words were exactly what she needed to
hear at that moment. As he said them she knew in her heart he was
right. It felt as if John were right there with her, looking out
for her, and that gave her a very comfortable, calming feeling.
Just like that, she stopped trembling. "Cal, this is weird, but you
don't know how much that means to me. It really helped. Thank
you."

"Well, good. I'm glad it helped. Just
concentrate on your driving and you'll do fine. I'm sure you'll let
Kelli know how it goes and she'll fill me in."

She thanked him again, just as John arrived
to take her for her test. She drove there, and to her surprise, she
wasn't as nervous as she thought she'd be. They got there and she
registered and sat down. It wasn't a long wait before a man came
out and called her name. He looked up and saw her, and saw John
sitting next to her.

He went toward them with his hand out. John
shook hands with him and said, "Phil, good to see you."

"Good to see you, too, John. Is this the
little lady you didn't want to test?"

"It is. Phil Simmons, this is the special
little lady in my life, Alana Carpenter. Alana, this is an old
friend of mine, Phil Simmons."

They shook hands and Phil said, "It's nice
to meet you, Alana."

"Take care of her, Phil," John said.

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

John tried to read a magazine after they
left, but it was no use. When Alana and Phil came back twenty
minutes later, they found John nervously pacing. Phil laughed as he
said, "John, you can relax. Alana's a good driver. She tells me she
had a good teacher."

John looked up and saw the huge smile on her
face. He opened his arms and she practically ran into them. After a
quick kiss, since they weren't alone, he asked Phil, "She did
okay?"

"She did real well. All she has to do is
take this to the BMV and they'll get her license, complete with
professional-quality photo."

They chuckled at his joke. John shook Phil's
hand and thanked him, and led Alana out to get her license.

"Do you want to drive home?" John asked.

"Nope, you can," she surprised him by
saying. "Now that I have my license, you can drive again. I've kind
of come to like this you-in-charge thing."

He opened the passenger's door for her, and
after she was in he went around and got in the driver's seat.
Before he started the car, though, he turned to look at her. "Are
you serious about liking this me in charge thing?"

"Yes, I am," she said, with a bit of a
blush. "I was afraid it would mean you would be like a dictator or
something, but it doesn't. It mostly means you watch out for me and
make sure I'm okay. I'm liking how that makes me feel more and
more."

He gently held her chin as he leaned in and
kissed her. It started off as a soft, gentle kiss, but he'd soon
taken command, and she felt herself melting into the kiss. She was
glad she was sitting down because she didn't think her legs would
have held her at that moment. He pulled back enough to say, "I love
you, Alana," and rested his forehead against hers while they both
recovered.