Chapter 9: Darker Dreams

"Allie!"

My mom keeps calling for me, but I can't find the energy to lift my head. Never mind yelling back. The rain pours on as I sit in the plastic castle next to the slide. Our secret clubhouse. Or so I thought…

***

I wake up with a gasp, my hair tousled over my face. The sound of knocking on the front door starts up again and I toss off the covers. This better not be that neighbor with the annoying dog.

"Yeah, I hear ya. What is it?"

I look through the peephole and see a distorted Saz standing on my pineapple welcome mat. "Good morning, Allie."

I gasp, glancing at the clock on the wall. 8:13 AM. I'm so beyond late.

"Uh, one minute, I'm just getting some, uh, hairpins…" I yell, fully awake. I run to the bathroom and shove my toothbrush in my mouth, dousing water on the crust below my eyes. I pull the mass of curls on my head into a neat bun and rub on some deodorant before dashing to throw on my new black skirt and blazer. After that comment yesterday from Miss Priss, Zelia, I decided to spend a few bucks on a decent outfit and really take the reins of my new life. Even if it does involve Saz. Another knock on the door.

"Coming," I yell, spritzing on some body spray before throwing my bag over my shoulder and opening the door.

Saz looks up from his watch, annoyance written all over his face. "I've been knocking for an hour…" His eyebrows shoot up, eyes lingering on my new outfit. "But perfection does take time. Don't worry, I'll charm the boss when we get there."

"We?" I ask, following him down the stairs. "I told you yesterday I'm—"

"An independent woman. Yeah, I've heard. That still doesn't deter me from presenting you with a small token of appreciation."

The early morning sunlight blinds me as it glints off the side of the red car double-parked out front. Saz turns and tosses me the keys with a smile. I barely manage to catch them. "Hey. What was that for?"

"Everyone should have the keys to their car, don't ya think?"

My eyes go wide, my gaze torn between the shiny red car before me and Saz getting in the passenger seat. My heart begins to race. "You don't expect me to drive this thing, do you?"

"I drove it all the way over here. The least you could do is drive us to work."

I gulp and numbly walk to the driver's side. The last time I drove a car was before my parents decided to sell their house and move to Guam last year. Living in the downtown area with no social life doesn't leave much of a need to keep up your driving skills. I open the door. Black interior. Sweet. By the time I get into the car and put my seatbelt on, it feels like an eternity has gone by. Saz scrolls through his emails on his tablet and patiently waits for me to adjust to the driving life. I stare at the dashboard and see all digital numbers and gauges. I've traveled to the future.

"Okay, Allie. It's a car, not a spaceship. Let's get a move on. We've got work to do. I'm pumped." He does a little happy dance in his seat, his fits lightly pumping in the air and easing my nerves.

I take a deep breath. Okay, I've got this. I put the bright red beauty in drive and hit the gas, lurching us forward nearly to the end of the block. I hit the brakes hard, causing Saz to slam his face on the dashboard. I gasp, putting the car back in park. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Gah. I knew I should've just walked—"

"Allie," Saz chuckles, rubbing his nose and forehead. "It's okay. I should've presumed that you would be a bit nervous driving on the spot. Forget about what I said before. Let's take an easy cruise to Ocean Tech. No sense in giving you one of my personal cars if you're just going to crash it."

"Or kill us." I turn to him. "Wait, personal cars? As in you have more than one?"

He looks in the review mirror as he loosens his tie a little. "Oh Allie, don't be so dramatic. Of course I have several cars. It's both a blessing and a curse. I figured this one would fit you the best for some reason, so now this car is yours."

"You really need to adjust your use of small and little because you clearly have forgotten the meaning," I mumble, causing him to burst out laughing.

"Note taken," he chuckles. "Okay. When you put this thing in drive, I want you to place your foot on the gas in slow motion."

I do as he commands and this luxurious car crawls down the road.

"Alright. Now put on your blinker. We must obey street laws," he teases.

"Aye aye captain." I play along, easing back into my seat. The familiarity of being behind the wheel comes back with every passing block. Soon we are cruising through downtown, my years of experience as a walking woman giving me the advantage of knowing the back streets. The gleaming tower of Ocean Tech sits at the end of the road as we wait at a red light, a sleepy old man walking across.

Saz nudges me. "See, you're a natural. You even cut across town faster than I could've. I don't think I've ever been on this street."

I look around and smile sadly. Nothing but worn-out storefronts and boarded-up businesses. Graffiti of gang tags and profanity decorate the warped wooden boards. "It's didn't always used to look this way. This used to be a popular place to go in town. Look." I point at the next block over. "There's a theater on that corner. Once it closed, the rest of the businesses kind of went along with it. No one likes a dead street."

Saz looks out at the street with new eyes. "Maybe this will be something we can change with our project."

"If we could bring even a single percent of Miami a bit more happiness, then this project will be worth it."

Saz smiles at me warmly, gently touching my hand. "Thanks, Allie."

His gaze is like a hypnotic pool of honey, flecks of green floating across and reeling me in. The light turns green, and his hand slides off mine, causing my mouth to turn dry. I swallow hard.

"Make a left at the next light." Saz directs me.

I nod, the vibrations of his touch still lingering on my hand as we pull into the VIP parking lot of Ocean Tech.