Hanleigh's London

Chapter 13: You Know Cars?

He nods his head before asking, "What do you drive?"

"BMW 7 series active hybrid," I tell him confidently.

I'm proud of driving a hybrid. As I'd told my Father the benefits far outweighed the negatives. My parents had bought the car for me when I graduated a few months ago. They had tried to talk me into getting a Mercedes again, like my last car, but I'd already decided on the car I wanted. My father needed convincing, but he gave in after I showed him how much money I would save on petrol. He wasn't quite as interested in the environmental benefits as I was, but at least he let me have the car I wanted. It isn't that my father doesn't care about the environment. He is better at recycling than I am. It is more that it isn't at the top of his list of considerations when buying a car.

"You know cars?"

He's shocked. His eyes are wide; this time I'm sure I've surprised him, and it pleases me to know that he doesn't understand me either. I'm not the only one confused. I'm grateful, and I don't feel quite as much of an i***t anymore.

I shrug my shoulders, saying, "I know hybrids."

I'm not exactly a car expert or a fanatic or anything. In fact, not at all. I wouldn't recognise half the cars passing us on the other side of the road.

If I could pay attention that is, but Landon is the centre of my attention. More than that he's the sole focus of my attention. In this moment, he is all I can see. Nothing else matters.

"Normally women just comment on the colour of the paint or the interior material." His eyebrow is raised again. "It's kind of hot that you know about my car."

"It's a nice car." It's a really nice car. So nice in fact that 'nice' seems like a massive understatement.

We're silent for a while. I want him to touch me. I need him to, but he doesn't. He just sits next to me, and even though he isn't looking at me, I get the impression he's watching me. I don't know what he's thinking, but I know that I'm nervous.

I wonder if he realises just how nervous I am, how nervous he makes me.

Taking several deep breaths to still myself, I watch the buildings pass by as we drive through the dark city. I love London at night; the buildings all lit up, reflected in the river.

We turn into an underground car park and Henry; I think that's his name, stops the car in front of a set of glass doors.

He steps out, and within a few seconds he's opened the door, and Landon is getting out, before offering me his hand.

"I'll just park the car, sir. Will you need anything else tonight, Mr Peters?"

Peters... I recognise the name. I can't work out where I recognise it from though, so I put it to the back of my mind. There are more pressing things trying to get my attention; like the fact that I think I'm going to lose my virginity tonight.

Who thought tonight would actually be the night that I finally broke some rules? Not me. That's for sure.

I sigh as I get out of the car, the scared part of me wants to run. Where; I don't know. Just away. But I give myself a gentle mental shake.

You can do this, I tell myself.

"No thank you, Henry."

Landon glances at him before returning his gaze to me. The look he's is giving me is... hot.

Really hot.

It makes me blush. His eyes are flashing between looking at my eyes and my mouth.

It's quite embarrassing to think that Henry knows what we are about to do. He must know, right? How could he not? It is pretty obvious. I'm the girl his boss has brought home from a bar. I can't help but wonder if this is a regular occurrence for him; just a normal night working for Landon.

Landon leads me through the glass doors and into one of the lifts that line the wall. He pulls out a key card and places it into a slot next to the buttons. The lift begins to move, and he pulls me towards him.