July Jones - Chapter 17
Sorry about the long wait. While without DSL, I managed to finish editting all the rest of this story. There are 3 chapters left after this one and I'll have regular updates on Thursdays on it. :-)
Author: BloodyTearsOfLife
Title: July Jones
Rating: PG-13/R
Disclaimer: All characters from The Fast and the Furious belong to Universal Studios, yada, yada, yada. I only own the ones you don’t know. And no profit is made of this, this is just for mine and hopefully your entertainment.
Summary: July Jones has just learned she's been lied to for the last 10 years. Now she is in LA trying to find the real her but it won't be easy and what happens when she moves next door to the team.
[|All Chapters|] [| Previous Chapter|]
Chapter 17: In The Aftermath
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July arrived in Texas in the afternoon. She rented a car from the airport and pulled into Mike’s driveway late that evening. The lights were on in the living room but that was the only sign of life in the Bradley residence. Mike was probably in there waiting for her alone, his dad having ran out on them when he was little.
She parked her car and entered the small house without knocking, not out of disrespect but just because it was second nature. She quietly dropped her bag near the door and entered the living room to find Mike sitting passively on the couch. He instantly stood up, making quick work of the distance between them. No words were said as they embraced each other, but they understood nonetheless.
July shed her own tears as Mike silently fell apart in her arms, his arms tightly wrapped around her. Her own tears long dried out before Mike’s did, but she continued to hold him and rubbed his back until his sobs ebbed and he slowly pulled back, not lifting his head at her.
“I would ask how are you but that’s just a stupid question,” July commented, smiling sadly.
Mike looked up and gave the smallest of smiles as he pulled her towards the couch and they sat together.
“Where’s Vanessa?” July asked quietly and Mike’s answering bark of laughter was harsh sounding.
“Don’t get me started on that two timing tramp. I came back to find her with some other guy.”
“Oh Mikey, I’m sorry,” July said as her heart broke a little bit more for Mike.
“Me too. I have to ask you something,” he said suddenly, sitting up, his eyes searching hers.
“Anything.”
“Do you think I could come and live with you?”
“Did you think you even had to ask? Of course you can live with me. I wouldn’t expect you to stay out here by yourself,” July replied, giving his hand a squeeze.
Mike bobbed his head in thanks. “Mom already had arrangements made, so all we have to do is go. Everything is set for tomorrow, at eleven,” Mike told her, his voice emotionless.
July couldn’t think of anything to say and just gave his hand another squeeze and rested her head on his shoulder, silently letting him know she was there for him. The two sat in silence for a long while, until the clock in the hall chimed.
“I think I am going to go to sleep,” Mike said as the last chime died away.
“Okay.”
“The guest room is ready for you,” he told her as he got up.
“Thanks.” July got up and gave him another hug, holding on an extra moment longer. “Night,” she finally told him and let him go.
“Night,” Mike answered back and then disappeared down the hall.
With an exhausted sigh, July pulled out her cell phone and dialed Vince’s number. It rang once before he picked it up.
“July?” he said expectantly.
“Yeah V, it’s me,” July replied, laying back on the couch.
They talked for a little while before they said night and she hung up. She grabbed her bag from the front door and went to the guest room. It was the same as always. She changed and then got into the bed, preparing for a sleepless night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July was up earlier than she would have liked, sleep eluding her just as she thought it would have. She took a quick shower, dressing in a simple black dress before leaving her room for the living room. She turned on the TV simply for the noise and listened. After a while she heard Mike get up and the shower turn on. It was only a little while later when he entered the living and sat down next to her after a bit, dressed in a conservative black suit. No words passed between them but they shared sad smiles.
Neither spoke a word about breakfast. They sat and listened to the TV until it got close to eleven. Mike let July drive to the cemetery, which let her know just how bad Mike was.
The funeral seemed to drag on, when all July wanted was for it to end quickly. It was hard standing there, looking at the casket that held someone you loved being spoken over and sent into the ground. It was even harder to keep herself together that she couldn’t even begin to imagine what Mike was feeling.
There were many people around the grave, a larger crowd than she would have thought of. July saw a glimpse of Sam and Mary but she didn’t try to seek them out or talk to them. July just held Mike’s hand and stood beside him, speaking up for him when he stood silent. They made small talk with a few people that were close to Mike’s mother and then they left, neither one looking back.
The next two days were filled with preparation for Mike to leave with her, which was fortunate. It kept both of them occupied, but there were moments when July found Mike staring at something and wouldn’t hear her until she touched his shoulder. It made her worry about him.
Soon they had Mike’s house taken care of and his stuff was packed and shipped to her house. It was early Wednesday morning when they found themselves at the airport waiting for their flight. They sat in chairs facing the runway, watching as the other planes came and went.
“JJ?” Mike said, never taking his eyes off the plane that was beginning to take off.
“Yeah?” July replied turning her head towards him but he never looked back at her.
“Mom said something that didn’t make sense,” he said quietly.
“What did she say?”
“Something about her job being done and whatnot. That it was over. I couldn’t really make sense of it. It was probably nothing,” Mike said, shaking his head and finally looking over at her, confusion written on his face.
“It probably was. Don’t worry about it,” she answered, patting his arm, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Mike’s mom had been talking about. The announcement of their plane boarding sent the thought from her mind and she herded Mike towards the attendant, arguing about who go the window seat.
Soon they were landing in LA. July had called ahead and Vince was going to pick them up. The plane touched down around seven and July couldn’t help but feel like she was home. They picked up their luggage and walked outside, waiting for Vince’s car to come around. Slowly, the blue Maxima pulled up next to them and July left all her stuff on the sidewalk to hug Vince as he got out of his car. It felt like months since she last had seen him. He was equally receiving and gave her a sound kiss before letting her go.
Vince offered Mike a handshake and the two of them put the luggage in the trunk together. They piled into the Maxima, Mike opting to sit in the back seat, and headed home.
The ride home was quiet. They arrived at July’s house and Vince helped carry in their bags. The entryway was littered with Mike’s boxes. With all three carrying boxes, they were able to get everything up to what would become Mike’s room in only a few trips. July took her stuff to her room and changed into some work clothes as the guys carried up the heaviest of the boxes.
“Hey Mike?” she called out as she came out of her room and joined Vince at the top of the stairs.
“Yeah?” Mike said, his head popping out of the room.
“I’m going to head down to the garage to work, want to come with? I still got work to do on the Soarer,” she asked as she put her hair up into a ponytail.
“No, I think I’ll stay and get my stuff unpacked,” Mike answered dejectedly before disappearing back into his room.
July frowned at Mike through the door. This wasn’t Mike at all. He would have jumped at any opportunity to work on cars, to be near cars. She let out a defeated sigh and felt Vince’s arm curl around her waist and pull her to him. She turned and tucked herself against him.
“I don’t know what to do. All I want to do is make it better,” July said against his shirt.
“Just give him time. That’s all you can do,” Vince said as he rubbed his hand down her back. She leaned up and gave him a kiss, her lips lingering on his before completely pulling back.
“How do you do that?” she asked with a pout.
“Do what?”
“Know the right thing to say,” she said and Vince laughed.
“I don’t think I could say I always know the right thing to say. Remember my little mess over Max and Mike?” he reminded with a raised eyebrow.
July laughed at him, shaking her head. “Oh yeah, that’s right. How could I forget? Well, you know the right things to say some of the time. Better?” she asked with a smirk.
“Definitely,” Vince replied before planting a kiss on her lips. “Let’s get to work. Dom’ll kill us if we don’t get there soon,” he said lopping his hands in hers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day went by slowly and July and Jesse got most of the modification on her car done. Just a tweak or two more and then they would be finished. She hadn’t allowed anyone except Jesse to see the car. He was impressed so far, and that was saying a lot. She had to admit that Jesse was by far the greatest at engines. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of her.
She gave Vince a kiss goodbye and then she and Letty headed up to her house. The house was quiet when they entered and Mike was nowhere to been seen.
“I bet he’s still up in his room,” July concluded as she returned from looking in the empty kitchen.
“Why don’t you take a shower and make dinner while I talk to him?” Letty suggested.
“You think you could get to him?” July asked with hope.
“Yeah, I know how he’s feeling right now, not saying that you don’t but I know what it’s like to see someone you love die,” Letty said looking down at her calloused hands and then back up to see sympathy shining in July’s eyes.
July nodded her head okay, giving Letty a weak smile before heading upstairs. Letty followed after her and paused outside Mike’s door. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and knocked on the door. There was no answer and after a few seconds, she slowly opened the door.
The room was dark and the curtains were shut around the window, only allowing a ray or two of the fading daylight to enter. She saw Mike sitting on the bed, still as a statue. His boxes still sat on the floor, not touched at all. Closing the door silently behind her, she gradually treaded her way to him. He seemed not to notice her presence at all and if he did, he didn’t give any sign of indication. His eyes stared straight ahead as if he were lost in some daydream and his only movements were the blinking of his eyes and the slow and steady rise of his chest.
Carefully as she could, she sat down next to him on the bed. The movement seemed to jar Mike from his catatonic state and he slowly turned his head to look at her. His ash gray eyes were hauntingly empty and Letty could see the dried tear marks down his cheeks. He just stared at her, his face solemn and didn’t say a word. Letty cautiously grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers; even his skin was slightly cold. Mike looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at her.
“I’m sorry,” Letty said quietly, her voice coming out in a bare whisper. Mike nodded his head and turned away. “If it helps any, I know what you’re going through,” she continued and Mike turned back to her, his eyes carrying a defiant look telling her that he didn’t really believe her. Letty swallowed before speaking again. “Not many people know this but my mom died when I was younger.” She paused, looking up at Mike to see his expression soften. “She died from cancer.”
Letty closed her eyes and tried to suppress the emotions and memories that were beginning to swirl in her mind. “I had to watch her slowly deteriorate and wither away before my eyes. It might not have been the same but I still know how you feel.” She opened her eyes to see Mike’s eyes level with hers. “And I know that we don’t know each other very well but, if you need to talk I’m here.” Mike shook his head but remained silent. “I know it sounds cliché, so don’t be making fun of me later, all right?” Letty said and managed to rouse a smirk out of Mike.
“Thanks,” Mike said finally, his voice hoarse from disuse, and gave her hand a squeeze.
“So, what’s with this not wanting to go down to the garage? There was this really nice car in today,” Letty said as she began to tell him about the car and watched as Mike’s eyes began to take interest. They continued to talk and she hoped that maybe she would be able to help him after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was Friday afternoon when everyone was hanging out in the garage, taking a break. It was unbelievably hot and they had taken to gathering around the fan in hopes of some relief. They were all talking and joking when July and Jesse came in and cleared their throats. Everyone stopped their talking and looked up.
“We’re ready. Go out front and wait,” July said before she disappeared into the back. Everyone felt excitement and anticipation fill the air. With July nor Jesse allowing anyone to see the car, they had all grown antsy about seeing it. Jesse led them to the front of the shop where the big garage door was open.
It was quiet and soon they heard the sounds of an engine. The engine’s purr filled the street and came down the narrow drive down to the garage. What appeared to be a black car stopped in front of them, revving its engine before shutting off. They stepped back to allow the door to open and were amazed when the doors opened vertically and July stepped out. Jesse had the biggest grin on his face and she couldn’t stop the one that appeared on her own either.
“Vert doors, nice touch,” Leon commented with a smirk.
They all circled the car and examined it, seeing that the car wasn’t black but a dark, deep blue; the lighter blue and purple pearls showing as the light hit it. Exploding fireworks were on the hood, fading down the sides of the car and on the back was the name “Firecracker” written so that it looked like a lighted fuse; the letters were painted a braided black gray mix that looked liked twine and then flame colors lined the edges, starting from a dark red to a light yellow. The side windows were tinted.
“I’ll have to admit, I though it looked good before, but this is better,” Mike said peering inside the car.
“So glad I have your approval,” July said to Mike jokingly. After his talk with Letty, he had got better. He wasn’t a hundred percent but he was better.
Jesse had opened the hood and most of them were gathered around it as Jesse pointed out what they’d done to the engine.
“Well, you have mine,” Vince rumbled into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I do?” she asked flirtatiously as she tilted her head up and sideways to look at him. Vince murmured a yes to her before giving her a light kiss.
“Not bad. I still could beat your ass,” Letty said with a smirk when July faced back towards them.
“We should test out the theory later. And as much as I’d like to, I can’t take all the credit. I couldn’t have done it without Jesse,” she said giving Jesse a big smile that he reciprocated. “And yes Brian, before you ask, I did paint it all by hand,” she added as she took in Brian’s questioning glance from his spot examining the “Firecracker” name.
He gave her a sheepish smile before looking back at the car. July just shook her head at him and then turned to Dom; he was the only one that hadn’t said anything yet. He stood with his arms crossed, scrutinizing the car.
“I think it’s time for a test drive then,” he finally said, looking up at July. She nodded her head at him and couldn’t stop the butterflies that suddenly fluttered in her stomach. Vince’s arms gave her a reassuring squeeze and gave her a kiss on her exposed collarbone.
“Good luck,” he said before releasing her.
Dom got into the car and she followed him, looking back at everyone to see their encouraging faces before getting in the car and closing the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dom directed her to an area that had no traffic. He had her stop at a light and began to talk.
“I use to drag race here in high school. The train track is exactly a quarter of a mile. Let’s see how you do,” he said before turning forward to look at the red light.
July tightened her grip on the shift knob and steering wheel. She revved the engine and watched the light. The seconds ticked by and she could feel the sweat begin to gather on her brow. The light changed and she let the clutch go. The car lurched forward and she began to shift with precision. As the car began to gain speed, she could feel her heart speed up with it and adrenaline coarse through her body. Her surroundings were a blur and while it felt like a long time to cross the tracks, it was really only a few seconds.
After crossing the track, she began to slow the car down and pulled over. Her breathing was coming fast and she could feel the euphoria settle around her. She turned towards Dom to see him focusing on her.
Dom was silent. He knew the exact feeling that was running through July and could feel it coming off her in waves. Her eyes were sparkling, chest heaving from her breathing, and he lost himself in her. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her and began to kiss her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tbc…
Author: BloodyTearsOfLife
Title: July Jones
Rating: PG-13/R
Disclaimer: All characters from The Fast and the Furious belong to Universal Studios, yada, yada, yada. I only own the ones you don’t know. And no profit is made of this, this is just for mine and hopefully your entertainment.
Summary: July Jones has just learned she's been lied to for the last 10 years. Now she is in LA trying to find the real her but it won't be easy and what happens when she moves next door to the team.
[|All Chapters|] [| Previous Chapter|]
Chapter 17: In The Aftermath
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July arrived in Texas in the afternoon. She rented a car from the airport and pulled into Mike’s driveway late that evening. The lights were on in the living room but that was the only sign of life in the Bradley residence. Mike was probably in there waiting for her alone, his dad having ran out on them when he was little.
She parked her car and entered the small house without knocking, not out of disrespect but just because it was second nature. She quietly dropped her bag near the door and entered the living room to find Mike sitting passively on the couch. He instantly stood up, making quick work of the distance between them. No words were said as they embraced each other, but they understood nonetheless.
July shed her own tears as Mike silently fell apart in her arms, his arms tightly wrapped around her. Her own tears long dried out before Mike’s did, but she continued to hold him and rubbed his back until his sobs ebbed and he slowly pulled back, not lifting his head at her.
“I would ask how are you but that’s just a stupid question,” July commented, smiling sadly.
Mike looked up and gave the smallest of smiles as he pulled her towards the couch and they sat together.
“Where’s Vanessa?” July asked quietly and Mike’s answering bark of laughter was harsh sounding.
“Don’t get me started on that two timing tramp. I came back to find her with some other guy.”
“Oh Mikey, I’m sorry,” July said as her heart broke a little bit more for Mike.
“Me too. I have to ask you something,” he said suddenly, sitting up, his eyes searching hers.
“Anything.”
“Do you think I could come and live with you?”
“Did you think you even had to ask? Of course you can live with me. I wouldn’t expect you to stay out here by yourself,” July replied, giving his hand a squeeze.
Mike bobbed his head in thanks. “Mom already had arrangements made, so all we have to do is go. Everything is set for tomorrow, at eleven,” Mike told her, his voice emotionless.
July couldn’t think of anything to say and just gave his hand another squeeze and rested her head on his shoulder, silently letting him know she was there for him. The two sat in silence for a long while, until the clock in the hall chimed.
“I think I am going to go to sleep,” Mike said as the last chime died away.
“Okay.”
“The guest room is ready for you,” he told her as he got up.
“Thanks.” July got up and gave him another hug, holding on an extra moment longer. “Night,” she finally told him and let him go.
“Night,” Mike answered back and then disappeared down the hall.
With an exhausted sigh, July pulled out her cell phone and dialed Vince’s number. It rang once before he picked it up.
“July?” he said expectantly.
“Yeah V, it’s me,” July replied, laying back on the couch.
They talked for a little while before they said night and she hung up. She grabbed her bag from the front door and went to the guest room. It was the same as always. She changed and then got into the bed, preparing for a sleepless night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July was up earlier than she would have liked, sleep eluding her just as she thought it would have. She took a quick shower, dressing in a simple black dress before leaving her room for the living room. She turned on the TV simply for the noise and listened. After a while she heard Mike get up and the shower turn on. It was only a little while later when he entered the living and sat down next to her after a bit, dressed in a conservative black suit. No words passed between them but they shared sad smiles.
Neither spoke a word about breakfast. They sat and listened to the TV until it got close to eleven. Mike let July drive to the cemetery, which let her know just how bad Mike was.
The funeral seemed to drag on, when all July wanted was for it to end quickly. It was hard standing there, looking at the casket that held someone you loved being spoken over and sent into the ground. It was even harder to keep herself together that she couldn’t even begin to imagine what Mike was feeling.
There were many people around the grave, a larger crowd than she would have thought of. July saw a glimpse of Sam and Mary but she didn’t try to seek them out or talk to them. July just held Mike’s hand and stood beside him, speaking up for him when he stood silent. They made small talk with a few people that were close to Mike’s mother and then they left, neither one looking back.
The next two days were filled with preparation for Mike to leave with her, which was fortunate. It kept both of them occupied, but there were moments when July found Mike staring at something and wouldn’t hear her until she touched his shoulder. It made her worry about him.
Soon they had Mike’s house taken care of and his stuff was packed and shipped to her house. It was early Wednesday morning when they found themselves at the airport waiting for their flight. They sat in chairs facing the runway, watching as the other planes came and went.
“JJ?” Mike said, never taking his eyes off the plane that was beginning to take off.
“Yeah?” July replied turning her head towards him but he never looked back at her.
“Mom said something that didn’t make sense,” he said quietly.
“What did she say?”
“Something about her job being done and whatnot. That it was over. I couldn’t really make sense of it. It was probably nothing,” Mike said, shaking his head and finally looking over at her, confusion written on his face.
“It probably was. Don’t worry about it,” she answered, patting his arm, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Mike’s mom had been talking about. The announcement of their plane boarding sent the thought from her mind and she herded Mike towards the attendant, arguing about who go the window seat.
Soon they were landing in LA. July had called ahead and Vince was going to pick them up. The plane touched down around seven and July couldn’t help but feel like she was home. They picked up their luggage and walked outside, waiting for Vince’s car to come around. Slowly, the blue Maxima pulled up next to them and July left all her stuff on the sidewalk to hug Vince as he got out of his car. It felt like months since she last had seen him. He was equally receiving and gave her a sound kiss before letting her go.
Vince offered Mike a handshake and the two of them put the luggage in the trunk together. They piled into the Maxima, Mike opting to sit in the back seat, and headed home.
The ride home was quiet. They arrived at July’s house and Vince helped carry in their bags. The entryway was littered with Mike’s boxes. With all three carrying boxes, they were able to get everything up to what would become Mike’s room in only a few trips. July took her stuff to her room and changed into some work clothes as the guys carried up the heaviest of the boxes.
“Hey Mike?” she called out as she came out of her room and joined Vince at the top of the stairs.
“Yeah?” Mike said, his head popping out of the room.
“I’m going to head down to the garage to work, want to come with? I still got work to do on the Soarer,” she asked as she put her hair up into a ponytail.
“No, I think I’ll stay and get my stuff unpacked,” Mike answered dejectedly before disappearing back into his room.
July frowned at Mike through the door. This wasn’t Mike at all. He would have jumped at any opportunity to work on cars, to be near cars. She let out a defeated sigh and felt Vince’s arm curl around her waist and pull her to him. She turned and tucked herself against him.
“I don’t know what to do. All I want to do is make it better,” July said against his shirt.
“Just give him time. That’s all you can do,” Vince said as he rubbed his hand down her back. She leaned up and gave him a kiss, her lips lingering on his before completely pulling back.
“How do you do that?” she asked with a pout.
“Do what?”
“Know the right thing to say,” she said and Vince laughed.
“I don’t think I could say I always know the right thing to say. Remember my little mess over Max and Mike?” he reminded with a raised eyebrow.
July laughed at him, shaking her head. “Oh yeah, that’s right. How could I forget? Well, you know the right things to say some of the time. Better?” she asked with a smirk.
“Definitely,” Vince replied before planting a kiss on her lips. “Let’s get to work. Dom’ll kill us if we don’t get there soon,” he said lopping his hands in hers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day went by slowly and July and Jesse got most of the modification on her car done. Just a tweak or two more and then they would be finished. She hadn’t allowed anyone except Jesse to see the car. He was impressed so far, and that was saying a lot. She had to admit that Jesse was by far the greatest at engines. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of her.
She gave Vince a kiss goodbye and then she and Letty headed up to her house. The house was quiet when they entered and Mike was nowhere to been seen.
“I bet he’s still up in his room,” July concluded as she returned from looking in the empty kitchen.
“Why don’t you take a shower and make dinner while I talk to him?” Letty suggested.
“You think you could get to him?” July asked with hope.
“Yeah, I know how he’s feeling right now, not saying that you don’t but I know what it’s like to see someone you love die,” Letty said looking down at her calloused hands and then back up to see sympathy shining in July’s eyes.
July nodded her head okay, giving Letty a weak smile before heading upstairs. Letty followed after her and paused outside Mike’s door. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and knocked on the door. There was no answer and after a few seconds, she slowly opened the door.
The room was dark and the curtains were shut around the window, only allowing a ray or two of the fading daylight to enter. She saw Mike sitting on the bed, still as a statue. His boxes still sat on the floor, not touched at all. Closing the door silently behind her, she gradually treaded her way to him. He seemed not to notice her presence at all and if he did, he didn’t give any sign of indication. His eyes stared straight ahead as if he were lost in some daydream and his only movements were the blinking of his eyes and the slow and steady rise of his chest.
Carefully as she could, she sat down next to him on the bed. The movement seemed to jar Mike from his catatonic state and he slowly turned his head to look at her. His ash gray eyes were hauntingly empty and Letty could see the dried tear marks down his cheeks. He just stared at her, his face solemn and didn’t say a word. Letty cautiously grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers; even his skin was slightly cold. Mike looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at her.
“I’m sorry,” Letty said quietly, her voice coming out in a bare whisper. Mike nodded his head and turned away. “If it helps any, I know what you’re going through,” she continued and Mike turned back to her, his eyes carrying a defiant look telling her that he didn’t really believe her. Letty swallowed before speaking again. “Not many people know this but my mom died when I was younger.” She paused, looking up at Mike to see his expression soften. “She died from cancer.”
Letty closed her eyes and tried to suppress the emotions and memories that were beginning to swirl in her mind. “I had to watch her slowly deteriorate and wither away before my eyes. It might not have been the same but I still know how you feel.” She opened her eyes to see Mike’s eyes level with hers. “And I know that we don’t know each other very well but, if you need to talk I’m here.” Mike shook his head but remained silent. “I know it sounds cliché, so don’t be making fun of me later, all right?” Letty said and managed to rouse a smirk out of Mike.
“Thanks,” Mike said finally, his voice hoarse from disuse, and gave her hand a squeeze.
“So, what’s with this not wanting to go down to the garage? There was this really nice car in today,” Letty said as she began to tell him about the car and watched as Mike’s eyes began to take interest. They continued to talk and she hoped that maybe she would be able to help him after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was Friday afternoon when everyone was hanging out in the garage, taking a break. It was unbelievably hot and they had taken to gathering around the fan in hopes of some relief. They were all talking and joking when July and Jesse came in and cleared their throats. Everyone stopped their talking and looked up.
“We’re ready. Go out front and wait,” July said before she disappeared into the back. Everyone felt excitement and anticipation fill the air. With July nor Jesse allowing anyone to see the car, they had all grown antsy about seeing it. Jesse led them to the front of the shop where the big garage door was open.
It was quiet and soon they heard the sounds of an engine. The engine’s purr filled the street and came down the narrow drive down to the garage. What appeared to be a black car stopped in front of them, revving its engine before shutting off. They stepped back to allow the door to open and were amazed when the doors opened vertically and July stepped out. Jesse had the biggest grin on his face and she couldn’t stop the one that appeared on her own either.
“Vert doors, nice touch,” Leon commented with a smirk.
They all circled the car and examined it, seeing that the car wasn’t black but a dark, deep blue; the lighter blue and purple pearls showing as the light hit it. Exploding fireworks were on the hood, fading down the sides of the car and on the back was the name “Firecracker” written so that it looked like a lighted fuse; the letters were painted a braided black gray mix that looked liked twine and then flame colors lined the edges, starting from a dark red to a light yellow. The side windows were tinted.
“I’ll have to admit, I though it looked good before, but this is better,” Mike said peering inside the car.
“So glad I have your approval,” July said to Mike jokingly. After his talk with Letty, he had got better. He wasn’t a hundred percent but he was better.
Jesse had opened the hood and most of them were gathered around it as Jesse pointed out what they’d done to the engine.
“Well, you have mine,” Vince rumbled into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I do?” she asked flirtatiously as she tilted her head up and sideways to look at him. Vince murmured a yes to her before giving her a light kiss.
“Not bad. I still could beat your ass,” Letty said with a smirk when July faced back towards them.
“We should test out the theory later. And as much as I’d like to, I can’t take all the credit. I couldn’t have done it without Jesse,” she said giving Jesse a big smile that he reciprocated. “And yes Brian, before you ask, I did paint it all by hand,” she added as she took in Brian’s questioning glance from his spot examining the “Firecracker” name.
He gave her a sheepish smile before looking back at the car. July just shook her head at him and then turned to Dom; he was the only one that hadn’t said anything yet. He stood with his arms crossed, scrutinizing the car.
“I think it’s time for a test drive then,” he finally said, looking up at July. She nodded her head at him and couldn’t stop the butterflies that suddenly fluttered in her stomach. Vince’s arms gave her a reassuring squeeze and gave her a kiss on her exposed collarbone.
“Good luck,” he said before releasing her.
Dom got into the car and she followed him, looking back at everyone to see their encouraging faces before getting in the car and closing the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dom directed her to an area that had no traffic. He had her stop at a light and began to talk.
“I use to drag race here in high school. The train track is exactly a quarter of a mile. Let’s see how you do,” he said before turning forward to look at the red light.
July tightened her grip on the shift knob and steering wheel. She revved the engine and watched the light. The seconds ticked by and she could feel the sweat begin to gather on her brow. The light changed and she let the clutch go. The car lurched forward and she began to shift with precision. As the car began to gain speed, she could feel her heart speed up with it and adrenaline coarse through her body. Her surroundings were a blur and while it felt like a long time to cross the tracks, it was really only a few seconds.
After crossing the track, she began to slow the car down and pulled over. Her breathing was coming fast and she could feel the euphoria settle around her. She turned towards Dom to see him focusing on her.
Dom was silent. He knew the exact feeling that was running through July and could feel it coming off her in waves. Her eyes were sparkling, chest heaving from her breathing, and he lost himself in her. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her and began to kiss her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tbc…