Stefani's pov
I managed to sneak out the house when my dad left for work that morning after fighting with Lillian- she stormed off to her bedroom doing whatever. That gave me an opening to slip out and meet up with Rachel today.
"Jesus, you look like you haven't slept," Rachel took a single glance at me and hands me a caramel oat milk latte with foam from Starbucks.
"Ugh they're yelling.. so much for trying to rest. They've been at each other's necks since yesterday. Lillian's yelling about me not having the right to miss my mom. Kent's yelling nonsense and then walks away saying he has work and then it quiet after that.. something tells me this isn't over," I took a sip and felt warm inside again.
"She's fighting a war that can't be won, isn't she?" Rachel concluded for me.
I took a heavy sigh and stared out at the sky, "yeah, pretty much," my thoughts drifted back to when I completely shoved her away from me.
It gave me a chill- guilt.
"So what's the move for today?" Rachel starts backing out.
"Can't be a college girl without a car," I replied sarcastically and unenthusiastically.
"This is what it takes for you to get a car?" She teased and a small smile slipped.
"I thought you liked picking me up because I paid for gas," I snarled with a smirk.
"I do, but I've always imagined what kind of car you'd pick me up in," she teased.
"I'm stuck between exotic and sports and foreign," I took another sip.
"Why not pick a car that's all three?" Rachel shrugs.
"You have a car in mind?" I arched a brow and she smiled- she does.
"I'll show you, but the car you pick is what you pick. It's just a suggestion," she shrugs.
"You're a good friend... I never ask how you're doing," I stared at my latte cup.
"You're a good friend too, my life isn't as hectic as yours. It's wayyyy too stable for you to check up on me Stef, I'm serious, there's literally nothing going on," she assured.
"Oh yeah? What about lover boy that I forgot his name," I smirked.
"Broke up with him not that long ago, she shrugged," she spoke effortlessly.
"I thought you liked him!" I nearly spat my drink out.
"Yeah but like I said, my life is literally too stable. It's boring. He's boring- he doesn't even have a personality. Don't get me wrong, his dimples are everything, but he's not engaging. Not like- not even close like you. He's so dry. I like him, he's attractive but that personality is not giving what's suppose to be gave," she explained.
"You're not disappointed?" I looked over.
"Just a little bit, but if he's cute with no personality, I know there's gonna be one who's cute with a personality," she smiles at me assuringly.
"Aren't you a fresh breath of sunshine," I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"I am a blonde after all," she smiled.
"Holy shit!" I almost spat out latte this time at the dealership she pulled up to.
"We're here!" She chirped parked the car.
This looks like a concert- but for cars! We literally parked indoors and everything.
"It's one of my dad's new car lots, he opened it a few months ago. We got a shipment of exotics last month and we've been bidding them- but there's this one in particular that I begged him to hold off until you saw it," she tosses her keys to the valet.
"What kind of car? I'm not a car person Rachel, and clearly you specialize in it," I followed every footstep she made. My eyes were in awe from Lamborghini's to Ferrari's and the rare BMW's I saw on display.
"It's definitely not those, this one out ranks all of those," she grabs my hand and leads.
There was a centerpiece car that was propped on a slanted stage but was covered with a black silk curtain circling it and stage lights beaming down on the vehicle.
"Ms. Rachel, is this our guest?" A man with a clipboard and an earpiece approached us in a suit and fitted vest.
"Yes, could you do the honors?" She greeted him.
"Our guest is here, I repeat; our guest is here," he notified over the comms.
The lights dimmed and the stage lights on the hidden car were slightly dimmed as well.
As the silk curtain drops like a feather, a dark cafè brown car I've never seen before catches my eye. It was a soft gold finish on the rims and a polished black as a secondary base color. The doors opened upwards like a space shuttle- but I liked it. The seats were a dark tan and there was a wing on the tail end.
"May I present to you, a Pagani Huarya!" Rachel and a crowd of people applauded at the beauty.
I was stunned completely.
"It's a two seater, the engine is a beauty. The GT wing is a nice finish and it swerves like a sports car and the high end wheels with the lowered suspension gives an unimaginable sports car feel. Don't even get me start with this bad boy's top speed and acceleration," Rachel informs me.
"You thought I'd like this?" I was still speechless.
"Well I can't just hand it over, it's one of the cars that are going to bidded off once it's been revealed- the bidding starts now. But I just wanted to show you in case if you might be interested," she shrugged with a light blush.
"Three million!" A man's voice called afar.
"4.3 million over here," another older man hollered across the room.
"Five million," a calm and collected voice silences the entire room. He wasn't grandpa old but he had a few grey hairs. Middle Ages, tall, medium built.. confident and not cocky...
"The exotic's bid is currently at 5 million," a show host announced over the intercom.
"10 million," I took a sip of my latte and rolled my eyes.
There was a giant circle as everyone took a step away from me and Rachel.
"10 million?!" Rachel whisper yelled.
"I want that car," I brushed it off.
"15 million," the same man spoke from earlier and I could feel my brow twitch.
"200 million and that's final," I shoved my empty latte cup into the hands of a female stranger and stepped forward.
I shoved the man who challenged me and stepped up to the podium. I could his face a lot clearer. He was nervous from the very start, sweaty even.
"Close the bid," I gently informed the host man.
"I- do I hear anyone at 201 million?" His voice was shaky and the man from earlier coughed and cleared his voice.
"201 million," and an echo of gasps filled the room.
Goddamn you... does he not know-
"One billion," I took the mic and glared right at the man. I see it now, the whites in his eyes. Being a hot shot, probably reached his limit trying to even compete with me at 200 million. He has no idea how much money I have or how many shares I own from my father's generational business brand. I don't want to be an heir to continue running it because I want to build my own someday. But this man is out of his league trying to outbid me. Im a spoiled rich girl who has a billionaire as a grandpa and a father.
"Now- i wont say it a again... close. The. Bid," i could feel a surge of power rain over of my body as I hand him the mic.
"A-and, sold... to Ms-
"Ms. Edwards," I said proudly over the mic and everyone broke out into a whisper.
The man who lost the bid grunted and stomped off- poor sport. I went into my handbag to grab my checkbook and signed off on my payment and I received paperwork and the car keys.
"You're fucking crazy," Rachel's voice trembled.
"No, just stupid rich. Emphasis on stupid because I lost my grip. I could've won it at 205 million because the man was literally breaking out into sweats just trying to keep up. But I want this car. You put it on hold for me for as long as possible just so I could see it. I saw it, now I want it. You thought of me when I saw it, hell yeah I'll go stupid for it," I leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"You're emphasis on the stupid part," she scoffed.
"Oh hush and get in," I opened the doors.
"You're forgetting, I have a car parked in here," she raised a brow.
"Meet up at my place and then we can go joyriding?" I couldn't stop smiling and she made a pinky promise with me.