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Riley glanced ahead to finally take it in — a matte black Lamborghini parked in a spot beside a palm tree, giving off the impression of a sleeping black panther.
“Are you kidding me? It looks like the freaking Batmobile! Is this really your car?”
Nick shrugged. “Yeah. What can I say? The last few years have been good for your brother and me at the company. Things really took off in the tech industry since we started.”
Nick pushed a button on his keychain and the two doors slid up into the air, enhancing the illusion of a panther, now flicking up its ears as it roused, ready to attack.
“I’m a little less practical than your brother when it comes to cars. Sort of a weakness of mine.” He grinned, almost apologetically, noting the expression of shock on Riley’s face. “I’ll take the drive home easy, promise.”
“That seems a bit of a waste,” said Riley. “I want to see what this thing can do!”
“Get in,” said Nick, his face now becoming mischievous and determined. “I’ll show you.”
Riley squealed with delight as the engine roared to life. The car’s deep resonance vibrated through her entire body like the crash of thunder. Nick eased the car onto the street far enough away from the hospital before giving the car the power that it seemed to crave. The empty streets provided the perfect track for the beast.
Riley could feel her entire body being forced back into the leather bucket seats as the car accelerated. Her heart thumped in her chest, but all she could hear was the deep power of the engine.
She glanced from the streetlights streaking past to see Nick grinning devilishly. She couldn’t help chuckling at his boyish enjoyment.
Matt and Nick were cut from the same cloth, both thrill chasers and risk takers. Matt was always planning his next great adventure or daring expedition: skydiving in Texas, bungee jumping in Alabama, sailing from Miami to the Bahamas — and Nick’s name had been a constant in all of his stories. Their fearlessness had served them well in business, but it had also got Matt into the trouble that he was now in. While they had been chasing thrills, it seemed, the devil had been chasing them, and had finally caught up.
Finally, the straight roads and skyscrapers gave way to winding roads and plush luxury homes on one side and the moon hanging full and high over the ocean on the other.
Nick slowed the car and eased it around the bends. The engine became a low, soothing thrum and the adrenaline that had initially coursed through her body evaporated, leaving her eyelids feeling heavy and her body weak and tired. She watched the reflection of the moon drifting on the ocean as she nestled into the deep, comfortable seat.
Sleep crept up on her suddenly and within moments she was snoring lightly in time with the ocean.
4.
Riley dreamed of the first moment she had ever met Nick. Now unfiltered by waking consciousness, the memory came back with surreal clarity.
She was sitting in the living room of Matt’s apartment, reading a magazine in the sunshine coming in through the window. When the doorbell rang, she got up to answer it, thinking it was the pizza they had just ordered.
Nick stood in the doorway, three years younger, wearing a black and red checkered shirt and a beard, his hair long and sun bleached. His eyes were a bright blue and they lit up when he saw her. “Hi!” he said. “Matt didn’t say he had a girl over.”
“I’m his sister, Riley.”
“Nice to meet you, Riley,” he said shaking her hand. “Matt’s told me a lot about you. I’m Nick. I went to college with your bro. Is he around?”
“Sure, he’s just in the shower. He’ll be out in a minute. He said you might come around.”
“Yeah, I have this idea for a start-up that I wanted to talk to him about. I figured your brother’s the kind of guy to really run with the idea and make it work. I hope I can convince him to be as excited about it as I am.”
“Is that Nick?” called Matt from the bedroom.
“The one and only,” returned Nick. “You better hurry up before I bore your sister to death. Or tell her all of your embarrassing stories.”
Riley giggled, hoping Matt would take his time so she could spend more time with this funny, charismatic stranger.
“Don’t you dare! I’ll be right out.”
While Matt finished up, Nick told her stories about adventures the two of them had had and trouble they’d been in together. Their lives sounded so exciting, always trying out new business ideas and although none of them had quite worked out, they had always managed to cover their losses and had some fun doing it.
“I think this is the big one though,” said Nick.
“I hope you’re right,” said Riley. “I can’t wait to hear about it.”
When Matt came through, Nick launched straight into it and while he spoke, Riley could barely keep her eyes off him, his bright eyes shining from his face, his strong hands gesturing enthusiastically, his rock star hair waving ever so slightly in the breeze coming in through the window. He would catch her eye every now and again and grin and her heart would flutter.
