Fast and Furious: Future (editing and adding to)

Chapter 2: Barbecue

'Ohgod, not here,' I muttered to myself. 'Jack, hey. Did you getyour car?' I asked ever so politely yet feeling all messed upinside.

'Yeh,I drove it here. Are you spending your winnings already?' he asked,clearly not at all bothered by my company staring at him and hisfriends. How could a group of four consist of all good-looking guys?It didn't seem possible and yet there they were. 'I thought I sawyour Subaru in the parking lot.'

Iwas interrupted of my next comment. 'And you are...?' askedJasmine.

'Jack.Pleased to meet you.' They shook hands as Jasmine and the other twointroduced themselves to the other three. 'What are you shoppingfor then?' he asked, moving out of the way of the others nowclustered together.

'Shoesand clothes. Why are you here?'

'Gettingsome lunch. Want to join us?' he asked back.

'We'vejust eaten.'

Hefolded his arms and shifted his weight to the right. 'Somehow Ifeel like you'd say no even if you hadn't eaten.'

Imerely smiled and nodded my head. 'Too right.'

'Noworries.' He walked past me and I watched over my shoulder as hewent. His friends left too, leaving me with mine.

'Whowas that?' Jasmine asked, propping her chin on my shoulder.

'Trouble.That's who. Come on, let's get out of here.'

'Meaningwhat?'

'Juston the other side of the mall.'

Withour bags piled into the trunk and ourselves now in my Subaru, weheaded back to Alison's place for some wine and a catwalk show.Whilst Alison and Jasmine went through their new outfits, Fern and Iwere chatting about last night, completely in our own world.

'WhatI don't get is what happened? How did he... ya know?' Iappreciated her not finishing the obvious question.

'Ilet my attention slip. That's all. I hit the Nos button too earlierand that's it.'

'Idon't get it. No one's ever beaten you.'

Thatwas wrong. I had been beaten loads of times back when I had a simpleSupra. That was also back when I had much less money than I do now. Iremember my first win like it was yesterday. It was me against a guywho was far too cocky for my liking and someone had to teach him alesson. Luckily for me I knew the power of my Supra very, very wellby then. That was when I won the Subaru I have today. It was a pinkslip race. I won his Subaru and sold my Toyota that very same day.Although, the Subaru had a lot more power now than it did then. 'Not'til now.'

'Maybeyou were just having a bad day,' she suggested. 'Any other day,any other place, you could beat him.'

'Maybe.'

Itwas enough hours later that I was safe enough to drive again. I wascareful in the daytime; I didn't rev too loud or speed too much. Isimply drove and drove, around the streets and over the freeway; backand to between LA central and the suburbs. It was whilst I was backin the suburbs that I noted movement in my rear view mirror. At firstI just thought it was some local out doing some weekend groceryshopping; that was up to the point where I could make out the shape.At the next set of traffic lights, I stopped and rolled my sidewindow down.

'Trustyou to be following me, yet again.'

'Yetagain? And who was it that ended up beating who?'

'Wantanother shot?' I asked, tempting him in.

'Nah.I'm cool.'

Iturned to face the lights. As they switched to amber, I said'Chicken' and then drove off on green. What made me smile themost was seeing him following me. I decided then and there that itwould be a good day to cruise and cruising meant following the SantaAna and Santa Monica freeways as they made a ring around Los Angeles.It was more fun than when I did this with André or Carlos; they wereso close to me that I knew their styles near to a point. Jack, on theother hand, didn't seem to have a style or, at least, one Icouldn't figure out. First he just followed me; when I overtook acar, he overtook; when I sped up, he sped up. And then it changed; heswerved in and out of the lines without a care who he cut-off.