Jamie & the Brand New Car
(16 years old)
"What are you up to?" dad asked, leaning against my doorway.
"Reading."
"I'm going out for a couple of hours, care to come with?"
That was sort of our thing. Whenever my dad went to run errands on a Saturday morning I would usually join him.
We would usually get coffee and donuts on the way, chat about our week. It was our time.
"Of course, daddy."
He flashed me a crooked smile. "Ten minutes." And then he disappeared again.
I changed into appropriate clothing to venture out in, grabbing my phone before heading downstairs.
Dad was sitting at the kitchen table, his feet propped up and his iPad in front of him.
"Mom would kill you."
He glanced up at me, offering me a brief smile. "Good thing she never has to know." He dropped his iPad, standing up. "That was fast."
"Where to this morning?" I asked, following him out the door.
"Well I do believe that if I don't buy the cord to hook up the TV out on the back porch your mother might finally follow through in her threats to kick my ass."
"You're finally going to fix that old thing?"
It probably doesn't even work anymore. It's been out there for months and my dad had never bothered to hook it up.
"Old? Your mom just bought it on Black Friday."
I rolled my eyes.
"But yes," dad said. "That very one."
"Impressive. She'll be surprised."
He shot me a smile. "That's the goal."
I rolled my eyes as I climbed into the passenger seat of his car. "What did you do?"
"It's always something, James."
That's so true. My dad was always in hot water for one thing or another.
We went to Starbucks and took a seat at one of the unused booths.
"So I paid 4 dollars for your overglorified milkshake," dad said, with a smirk.
I told a long sip of my Frappuccino. "Sure did."
We had a deal during our Starbucks dates. Nobody tells mom.
Because my dad will drink an espresso, sometimes even two. And my mom would never approve.
I don't particularly approve. But my opinion doesn't count for much when my dad is buying.
During our Starbucks dates, my dad likes to get caught up in the small details. He likes to know how my classes are going, how my friends really are, and all the little gossip that I've overhead lately.
And vice versa. My dad was a stay-at-home dad, so he knew what was going on around the town.
"Can you believe she's cheating on him?" dad asked, shaking his head. "After everything Eddie has done for her, that bitch is having an affair."
"Doesn't surprise me," I said, shaking my head. "Mrs. Williams is constantly hitting on you."
My dad's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "On me?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "How could you not notice? She invited you to a keys party dad."
He stared at me for a few moments. "You're too young to know what that is."
"If you say so."
He just shook his head, letting out a defeated sigh. "Come on, James, let's go."
I finished off my Frappuccino as we left, tossing it into the wastebasket.
My dad had long since finished his.
"Where to first?" I asked, as I clambered into the passenger seat.
Dad ignored me as he connected his phone to the Bluetooth radio.
"Let me choose!" I said, grabbing his phone from him before he could cue up his Spotify.
"None of that shit your mother likes," dad said, as he pulled out onto the main road.
I rolled my eyes as I went onto Apple Music, shuffling through the music choices.
"Is this MCR?" dad asked, glancing toward me.
I nodded. "I'm really into their Black Parade album right now."
He flashed me a quick smile. "I knew I raised you right."
The two of us rode in a comfortable silence, My Chemical Romance blasting from the speakers.
Unlike mom, dad didn't sing along, but instead tapped out the rhythm on the steering wheel.
And then my dad pulled into the left turning lane.
I reached over to lower the volume. "Dad that's a car dealership."
"I know."
My eyes widened as the butterflies erupted in my stomach. "Why are we going to a car dealership?"
My dad made the turn, pulling into an empty spot. "To look at the Audi S8."
My dad would never drive an Audi.
He glanced toward me. "What color are we looking at?"
I vaulted across the center console, wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
He laughed, giving me a tight squeeze in return. "Don't thank me yet. We still have to buy the car."
I followed him inside the dealership and the salesman went to go find the keys to a White Audi S8 Plus.
"What made you change your mind?" I asked.
Dad folded his arms across his chest, glancing toward me. "Because I can't protect you from everything, James. I'll do the best damn job I can, but there are some things I can't be there for. And this is one of them."
My dad let me test drive the car, seeing how it ran and if I liked it.
"Give is a minute," dad said to the salesman, once we got back.
The two of us stepped outside.
"Is it alright with you?" dad asked. "I've probably test drove the damn thing fifteen times."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Why?"
"Because I wanted to find a car that your mom and I could agree on."
That explains the Audi.
"If you didn't like it there's no rush-" he continued, but I cut him off before he could finish.
"I loved it."
A smile twitched at his lips. "I figured as much."
"So what now?"
"Now I have to sit through negotiations, which is never fun. And then I'll bring your mom back around later today to pick it up."
I stared at him for a few moments, confusion rippling through me. "Why wouldn't I just drive it home?"
Dad let out a long sigh. "Let's just buy the car and then take things from there."
I wrapped my arms around him, much to his surprise. "Thank you, daddy."
After relentlessly pestering him, I didn't actually expect to get another car. I knew that my dad hadn't taken my accident well.
My mom, who often helps me fight my battles against my dad, told me she was siting this one out. That he deserved to win this round.
And after that I'd lost almost all hope. My dad was a tough wall to break when it came to certain things.
Like my first date. And a car. And grounding me for my grades.
I stepped back from my dad. "So does this mean I can drive myself to my dates now?" I asked, with a teasing smile.
"Hell no."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Dad slung his arm around my shoulders. "But this does mean you can do last-minute grocery runs for me again."
I rolled my eyes in response. "Great. I love standing in line on Super Bowl Sunday because you ran out of salsa."
"One day you can make Theo go for you." He nudged my shoulder. "Older cousin perks."
He glanced back toward the main door to the car dealership. "You're sure you're happy with the car?"
I nodded.
"Because once we sign the contracts it's done. I want you to make sure you're happy with it." He checked his phone for the time. "Maybe we should take a day to think about it."
I don't think I'm the one that's unsure.
"Whatever you think, dad."
He just shook his head. "You get that from your mother."
Sure do. The ability to placate and guilt-trip my dad came from years of watching my mom do it.
I shot him an innocent smile. "What?"
"You're lucky I love you, kid."
I rose up in my tip-toes, kissing his cheek. "That I am."
"Alright, James. Let's go start these negotiations." He raised an eyebrow at me. "This is going to be a several hour process."
Sounds like a fun afternoon.