"Is the wrong color. The 2002's don't come in Indigo Blue so I had it custom painted. Just say the word and I'll have it changed," JC responded. He was baffled by the woman standing in front of him. He wasn't used to people telling him "no".
"No, the color is fine, perfect, it's just…"
"What, gold emblems instead of silver…"
"No, silver is perfect. I just cannot accept this. My car will be fixed in a couple days and after that we can put what happened to us last week behind us." She was trying to be firm but finding it harder and harder to resist him.
"Do you want something different? I hear the Dodge Durango is quite nice and Joey loves his Cadillac Escalade…"
"JC, no, I don't need a car. Please, just take the keys and take it back," Amanda said again, putting the keys into JC's hand.
"Please, I don't know how else to say I'm sorry for damaging your first new car," JC pleaded.
"JC, you just said it," she responded quietly with a small smile playing on her lips.
"Then please take the car, do whatever you want with it," he said as he handed the keys back to her.
She sighed. She was tired and didn't want to argue with him any more. And it was a great gift. And she knew she was going to regret accepting it…. "Ok, fine, I'll take it," she said reluctantly.
JC didn't know what to say so he grabbed her in a bear hug and picked her up and spun her around.
"Thank you, thank you, you don't know how much better it makes me feel," JC beamed when he put her down.
"JC," she said, "Take this anyway you want, but you've got to realize that you don't have to buy someone an expensive gift to make them feel better or forgive you for something you've done. And when you learn that, you'll be a much better person. Thank you for the gift." She took her flowers and headed back up the stairs to her apartment leaving JC standing with his mouth half open.
"Hey wait a sec, where are you going," he yelled up to her.
"Back to bed, I was up till 4am last night," she replied through a yawn.
"Don't you want to take your new ride out for a test drive? I'll come with you," JC said back with his award-winning smile. Amanda knew it was no use arguing.
"Fine, let me change. Could you take the bow off the car, it creates a terrible blind spot…."
Five minutes later she stepped out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. He didn't know why, but the sight of her made him catch his breath. Maybe it was how she was unaware of how beautiful she was in her low slung jeans and pink tank top with her brown hair piled messily on her head. Maybe it was how she reacted around him, treating him as he were the guy next door. Maybe it was how she always found his character flaws and pointed them out, politely. Whatever it was, he wanted to get to know her better.
"So, where are we going," JC asked as they climbed into the SUV.
"Well, since I'm up, I might as well get some errands done," Amanda responded as she adjusted the seat and mirrors. As she started the vehicle, she pulled her sunglasses off her head, causing a few strands to come loose from her messy bun. She tucked them behind her ears as she adjusted the radio to her favorite station. She looked over at JC to see if the selection was ok and caught him staring at her. "What, do I have snot running out of my nose?"
JC realized he was caught. "Um, no, I was just, ummm…"
"Staring," she finished for him.
"Yeah," he answered as he blushed.
As they drove along, they sat in silence. After five minutes, Amanda couldn't stand it anymore. "I've always pegged you as the strong silent type. But never would I have guessed you'd invite yourself on someone's first drive in her new car and then stare at her the whole time without speaking."
Just as he was about to speak, Amanda cut him off. "Oh, turn it up, great song," she said as she started to sing along. "Don't pretend your sorry, I know you're not, I know you've got the power, to make me weak in side, girl you leave me breathless…"
"What are you doing," JC said, slightly astonished she was singing a song by the Backstreet Boys.
"Impressing you with my awful voice so that maybe you'll take me on tour as your opening act," she grinned at him.
"Ummm, Amanda, I hate to tell you this…"
"But I don't have a voice that can be commercially marketed."
"Uh, yeah, that's putting it nicely," he smiled.
"Oh, come one, it wasn't that bad."
"Ok, I've got to admit, it wasn't the worst I've heard…"
"Oooo, I'll quite while I'm ahead," she said as she pulled into a parking space at the Wal-Mart Super Center. "Hey, I didn't even think to ask, are you ok to be out in public with out one of the jolly black giants with you?"
"Yep, got that covered," he said as he reached into her glove compartment and pulled out a hat and sunglasses.
"What are those doing in my car?"
"Hiding." She looked at him funny. "Hey, don't look at me in that tone of voice young lady," he scolded.
"Yes sir," she pouted then broke into a smile.
Thirty minutes later, they were loading the groceries into the car.
"I've never seen someone shop at Wal-Mart that fast," JC said as he picked up the last bag.
"Well, when you're on a limited time budget, you learn to power shop," she said as she shut the lift gate. "But I don't know how you can comment on my power shopping abilities, you must be good at it, especially at Wal-Mart seeing as how you've got to be in here pretty often."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, the whole comment about never wearing the same socks twice, among other things, and that Wal-Mart is such a great thing…"
He blushed. "I never thought they'd publish that."
"Hey, you've got to expect that since it wasn't the normal 'How's the tour going?' or 'What do you look for in a girl?'…."
"Down to earth, good sense of humor, able to cook, confidant, understands the nature of my work, independent, outspoken but polite, has a career of her own. Someone that looks absolutely beautiful in jeans and a tank top," he finished softly as he leaned down and gently placed a feather-light kiss on her lips. "Need I go on?"
"Um, no," she said as she turned away and walked to the front of the car. JC sighed and headed towards the passenger side.
