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John watched her closely. “It’s not.”
“It’s a pretty shade of red.” She looked helplessly at John. She had no idea what sort of car it was. It was low to the ground, sporty, and expensive looking. She looked at the emblem on the front grill and frowned. It looked like a three-pronged spear that Neptune might have carried around with him.
She walked closer to the car and peered in the windows. “Leather seats?”
John pushed a button and the car lit up like a Christmas tree. Rachel stepped backward and smiled. “Wow. Do that again.”
John locked the car, then unlocked it.
Rachel smiled. “Can I sit inside it?”
John opened the passenger door and she slid into the seat. The interior was every bit as luxurious as the outside. The sporty two-door model oozed sophistication. From the curved leather console, to the neon blue lights on the dashboard, it was the type of vehicle that no one forgot.
John walked around to the driver’s side and got inside. “You’re sitting in one of the first production models of the Maserati Alfieri.”
Rachel had vaguely heard the name Maserati before, but she’d never seen one. “It looks nicer than my truck.” She laughed at the pained expression on John’s face. “I’m no good with cars. As long as it gets me to where I want to go, I don’t care what sort of vehicle I drive.”
John patted the dashboard. “Don’t listen to Rachel. She hasn’t driven in anything like you before.”
Rachel waited for a computer generated voice to answer him. “Does the car talk back?” she whispered.
His deep laugh filled the interior. “Not yet. Maybe when the next model is released. Are you ready for your surprise?”
Rachel pulled her seatbelt across her chest. “You mean this isn’t it?”
“Not even close.”
She grinned at her partner in crime. “I feel like I’m about to do something amazing.”
John’s smile disappeared. “I hope so.” He looked in the rearview mirror and pulled away from the curb.
If she didn’t know better, Rachel would have sworn he was nervous. “You don’t have to impress me with fancy gadgets and expensive things. I’m happy just spending time with you.”
“I know. Do you know how unusual that is?”
“Finding someone who likes spending time with you?”
A smile replaced John’s frown. “What would my life be like if we hadn’t met?”
Rachel laughed. “Quiet.”
John’s smile grew wider. The Maserati’s engine purred as they accelerated along the street. It felt as though they were driving on a cloud. A very expensive, super-comfy cloud.
Rachel might not know where they were going, but she did know one thing. She’d found her second favorite car, after her truck.
***
John drove slowly past the State Capitol building on their night tour of Denver. Rachel peered through the window, trying to see as much as she could. The lights surrounding the building made the entrance look majestic, but it was the dome on top that made her gasp.
“Is the dome covered in gold?”
John looked at where she was pointing. “It is. We’ll have time to come back tomorrow, if you want to?”
“That would be great.” Rachel already wanted to go back to the City Park and the Denver Art Museum. Then there was Larimer Square, with plenty of colorful boutiques, restaurants and cafés. She’d need to visit Denver again just to see those few things, let alone all of the other wonderful places she’d heard about.
She smiled at John as he slowed down for a set of traffic lights. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
“And thank your interior designer. The list of furniture stores she gave us is great. I didn’t think it would be so much fun choosing sofas and tables.”
John glanced in his rearview mirror. “There’s more to visit tomorrow. By the end of the weekend we’re going to have an impressive list of furniture for her to look at.”
Rachel thought about the stores they’d already visited. Bella had been so excited when they’d found a chair with pink flowers on it. It would be perfect in her new room and give her a lovely piece of furniture to enjoy for many years.
John slowed down for another set of traffic lights and she smiled. The first time they’d stopped for a red light, people had pointed at their car. Rachel had been embarrassed, but after realizing that they were genuinely interested in the Maserati, she’d started to enjoy herself.
At another set of lights, she’d pushed a button and her window had rolled silently down. John had wondered what she was doing, until she started talking to the man in the car next to them. By the end of the thirty-second conversation, she’d found out that the Maserati was the man’s dream car.
John had pulled away from the intersection fast, muttering about carjackings and personal safety. Rachel had grinned and told him not to worry so much. He had replied by locking her window from the control panel beside him.
Even with her window permanently closed, Rachel was still enjoying herself.
They drove for a few more minutes before John turned into a parking lot and stopped the car.
“Where are we?”
“Skyline Park. It covers three blocks in the center of town.” He got out of the car and walked around to Rachel’s side of the Maserati. He held the door open, and she tried to get elegantly out of the seat. It wasn’t as easy as she thought.
Rachel looked left, then right. No one except John was around. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to scramble out of here.”
“I can help you scramble.”
“Okay, but you aren’t allowed to laugh. It’s not easy wearing a straight skirt and high-heels in a low sports car.”
John held his hand out. “No laughing allowed.” He hoisted her out of the car and Rachel almost fell into his arms.
“My truck is gaining points in the practical department,” she muttered. “How do other women get out of a Maserati?”
“Very carefully,” John said with a straight face.
Rachel buttoned her coat and looked around the parking lot. “There aren’t many vehicles here. Are you sure the stores are open?”
He locked the car and held her hand. “At this time of night, it’s mostly the restaurants that are open. Come with me.”
“But we’ve already had dinner. Are we going to have coffee or are you still hungry?”
John walked quickly across the snow covered asphalt. “I’m not hungry.”
Rachel jogged to keep up with him. “Because if you are, I don’t mind. You’re a big guy and you probably need to refuel on carbs a lot more than I do. The average male needs 2,500 calories each day to maintain their energy levels. But you’re not average, so another meal could always come in handy.”
“Nice to know I’m not average.”
Rachel squeezed John’s hand. “You could never be average. You’re super amazing.”
John stopped quickly and Rachel nearly slipped on the icy ground. She held onto his hand and smiled. “Oops. That was…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. John’s mouth connected with hers and didn’t move. When they finally came up for air, Rachel smiled. “Your kisses are super amazing, too.”
He gently touched her face before leaving another kiss on the end of her nose. “So are yours. Are you ready for your surprise?”
Rachel nodded. “It doesn’t involve hot dogs or donuts, does it? I’m still full from dinner.”
John held her hand and walked around the corner of a building. “No hot dogs or donuts, I promise.”
Rachel stopped and stared at one of the prettiest sights she’d ever seen. An ice rink, as big as a football field, was sitting in front of a whole lot of buildings. Twinkling fairy lights had been strung across area above it, and soft music played from the speakers.
Rachel looked at the seats on either side of the rink. No one was there. It was completely deserted, apart from a lady standing at a booth not far from them.
John pulled Rachel’s hand toward the ticket booth. “Have you ever been ice skating?”
“A couple of times. But we can’t go on the rink. It’s closed.”
“No it’s not.” John walked straight up to the lady. She smiled as she handed him two pairs of skates. He thanked her and handed Rachel the smallest of the two pairs. “These are for you.”
Rachel looked down at the skates and then at John. He led her across to one of the bench seats and sat down. “How did the lady know we were coming? Did you pre-book our tickets?”
“You could say that.”
Rachel sat down beside him and frowned. “Why is no one else here? It’s such a lovely night and it looks like a great place to visit. There must be something wrong with their advertising.”
“You’d better get your skates on before they really do close.”
While Rachel had been wondering about the ice rink’s promotions plan, John had put his skates on and was waiting impatiently beside her. She quickly slipped her shoes off and put her skates on.
