say something wrong?
Hayli erupts into laughter to the point she's clutching her stomach. “You're gonna take her driving?”
“Why is that funny?” Jovi snips. “I can drive!”
“You can't drive,” Hayli argues between snickers.
My girlfriend folds her arms across her chest. “I have a driver's license.”
“So does my 88 year old grandmother and she can't drive either,” Hayli's chuckles finally start to die down.
“I resent that.”
“Doesn't make it less true,” Hayli sighs. “Jo', why do you think I insist we take a taxi if I know I'm going to be drinking?”
“Because we're both drinking.”
“You barely drink enough to lower your ability to name the last four presidents,” Hayli states.
Curious I ask, “You can name the last four presidents?”
She gives me a sarcastic look.
What? Can you?
Hayli continues, “You could easily be the designated driver every time, which isn't even that often by the way.”
“I...I drink a little,” Jovi shyly fights.
“My point is.” Hayli looks up at me. “There's a reason I call a taxi and it's not because my best friend is gonna get shit faced like me. It's because my best friend can't drive.”
“Then it's gonna be my pleasure to change that,” I stand up for her. The sentiment is rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.
Hayli shrugs before laughing again. “I'll pray for your soul, Romeo.”
She's really not that funny.
“You taking her out in your Camaro? Brave man.”
“No.” I nod my head towards the Audi. “The Audi.”
“You actually got papers filed for this thing?” Jovi asks.
“Yes ma'am. Which reminds me. Never do that shit again,” the tone in my voice goes hard. “I mean ever. I don't give a fuck if I'm about to lose both my kidneys. Do not bet yourself again. Okay?”
Sweetly she nods and Hayli questions, “So you're punishing the car?”
“I don't drive that bad!”
“Poor angel.” She rubs the side of it. “You don't deserve this.”
“Don't you have somewhere to be?” Jovi bites.
“Now that I don't have to take you home, I sure do,” she sighs before backing up the direction she came. “Text me later Jo'. Ya know...if you survive.”
Jovi gives her best friend the finger before turning back around to look at me. “I'm not that bad...”
Unsure if that's true or not I shrug. “We'll see. Hey, from now on why don't you let me pick you up from work?”
The sarcastic look on her face makes me wanna kiss it off. “And take me home?”
“If your father's not home, right to the front door.”
“And if he is?”
“Around the corner?”
She giggles at the suggestion before planting a hand on my cheek. “One thing at time. Driving?”
“Yeah.” I kiss her hand. “That first.”
After helping Jovi into the car, I drive us to an empty parking lot I've used for other things.
Don't judge.
Once Jovi is in the driver's seat and buckled, I calmly explain to her the basics. Throughout my instructions her face rotates through a number of emotions creating an anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
Fuck. I hope Hayli's wrong.
She successfully starts the car, but stalls on her first try. Knowing it happens to almost everyone I encourage her to try again. And again. And again. The whiplash I get from back and forth movements pales in comparison to the frustration I'm getting from calmly trying to explain to Jovi what is happening.
“That's what I'm doing!”
“That's not what you're doing!”
“It is!”
“If that's what you were doing we would be moving!” Frustrated I run my fingers down my face. On a deep breath I try again, “Relax. Take a deep breath. Vibe with the car Jovi. It's just like painting-”
“I can't paint remember!”
She can't drive either.
“But you know what I'm saying. A painter vibes
Hayli erupts into laughter to the point she's clutching her stomach. “You're gonna take her driving?”
“Why is that funny?” Jovi snips. “I can drive!”
“You can't drive,” Hayli argues between snickers.
My girlfriend folds her arms across her chest. “I have a driver's license.”
“So does my 88 year old grandmother and she can't drive either,” Hayli's chuckles finally start to die down.
“I resent that.”
“Doesn't make it less true,” Hayli sighs. “Jo', why do you think I insist we take a taxi if I know I'm going to be drinking?”
“Because we're both drinking.”
“You barely drink enough to lower your ability to name the last four presidents,” Hayli states.
Curious I ask, “You can name the last four presidents?”
She gives me a sarcastic look.
What? Can you?
Hayli continues, “You could easily be the designated driver every time, which isn't even that often by the way.”
“I...I drink a little,” Jovi shyly fights.
“My point is.” Hayli looks up at me. “There's a reason I call a taxi and it's not because my best friend is gonna get shit faced like me. It's because my best friend can't drive.”
“Then it's gonna be my pleasure to change that,” I stand up for her. The sentiment is rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.
Hayli shrugs before laughing again. “I'll pray for your soul, Romeo.”
She's really not that funny.
“You taking her out in your Camaro? Brave man.”
“No.” I nod my head towards the Audi. “The Audi.”
“You actually got papers filed for this thing?” Jovi asks.
“Yes ma'am. Which reminds me. Never do that shit again,” the tone in my voice goes hard. “I mean ever. I don't give a fuck if I'm about to lose both my kidneys. Do not bet yourself again. Okay?”
Sweetly she nods and Hayli questions, “So you're punishing the car?”
“I don't drive that bad!”
“Poor angel.” She rubs the side of it. “You don't deserve this.”
“Don't you have somewhere to be?” Jovi bites.
“Now that I don't have to take you home, I sure do,” she sighs before backing up the direction she came. “Text me later Jo'. Ya know...if you survive.”
Jovi gives her best friend the finger before turning back around to look at me. “I'm not that bad...”
Unsure if that's true or not I shrug. “We'll see. Hey, from now on why don't you let me pick you up from work?”
The sarcastic look on her face makes me wanna kiss it off. “And take me home?”
“If your father's not home, right to the front door.”
“And if he is?”
“Around the corner?”
She giggles at the suggestion before planting a hand on my cheek. “One thing at time. Driving?”
“Yeah.” I kiss her hand. “That first.”
After helping Jovi into the car, I drive us to an empty parking lot I've used for other things.
Don't judge.
Once Jovi is in the driver's seat and buckled, I calmly explain to her the basics. Throughout my instructions her face rotates through a number of emotions creating an anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
Fuck. I hope Hayli's wrong.
She successfully starts the car, but stalls on her first try. Knowing it happens to almost everyone I encourage her to try again. And again. And again. The whiplash I get from back and forth movements pales in comparison to the frustration I'm getting from calmly trying to explain to Jovi what is happening.
“That's what I'm doing!”
“That's not what you're doing!”
“It is!”
“If that's what you were doing we would be moving!” Frustrated I run my fingers down my face. On a deep breath I try again, “Relax. Take a deep breath. Vibe with the car Jovi. It's just like painting-”
“I can't paint remember!”
She can't drive either.
“But you know what I'm saying. A painter vibes
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