Page 66 of The High Price Of Loneliness

Edward said simply, “Excellent. Washington, D.C., is still standing. We didn’t do any damage, so they have agreed to let us return anytime.”

The driver smiled and nodded at the news as he pulled out of the jetport to take Angelica home first.

Leaning forward a bit to hear the update, Angelica asked Taylor, “Did the Nissan service folks have any luck figuring out what was wrong with my car?”

He replied, “Yes, ma’am. They sent their tow truck over to pick it up at no charge. But unfortunately, it was not the battery. It was the alternator that recharges it, and they needed to order that part. They said it should be here this week.”

Angelica gratefully said, “Thank you so much for getting it looked at. At least now I know what the problem is. That was very nice of you.”

Taylor nodded and added, “My pleasure, Ms. Hart.”

Angelica held Edward’s hand in the back seat as they had just done on the flight landing and said, “I can just take an Uber for a day or two. Not a big deal.”

Gray nodded agreeably. “Or it could just be time to get a new car,” he said nonchalantly, never telegraphing the arrangements he and Taylor had made over the phone that weekend.

She said, “I haven’t car shopped in years. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” However, she would only have to look so far as they soon turned down her tree-lined street and pulled up curbside to stop as a new car blocked their path in her driveway. It was a red convertible Aston Martin Volante, one of Edward’s premiere vehicles in his collection from home, that he had asked Taylor to bring over and park in Ms. Hart’s driveway. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Angelica was stunned. She slowly looked over to Edward, who simply nodded. No. It was not a mistake or a neighbor parking there by accident.

Gray said, “With your car out of commission, I thought you might need some transportation. Let’s go take a look.”

Taylor discreetly handed Gray the keys to the Aston Martin as he exited the SUV to come around and open Angelica’s door. She was still a bit awestruck and was at a loss for what to say.

Taylor unloaded her luggage while the two walked around the gorgeous design of the elite British sports car. Describing the lineage, Edward said, “They’ve been building these by hand for over a hundred years in England to feel like a race car, so be careful when you hit the gas pedal, Kitten. She’s quick.”

Angelica looked at the gorgeous interior as she opened the driver’s side door to peek inside, and said only, “It is the most beautiful car I have ever seen! This is too much, Edward.”

Handing her the keys to her new world, he simply said, “Just sit inside and see what it feels like.”

As she climbed inside, she said, “I think ‘wow’ about sums it all up! Can we go for a drive in it?”

“Go ahead after we put your luggage inside. But unfortunately, I need to catch up on work today after our long weekend in D.C., but one evening soon for a fun drive, OK?”

Taylor was waiting at her front door to deliver the luggage inside, if needed. Still awestruck, Angelica climbed gracefully out of the Aston Martin. “I can take the luggage from there. Thank you so much, Taylor,” she shouted to Taylor on the front porch and added a wave goodbye.

“Thank you for the generous loan of your beautiful sports car, Edward. I will be cautious with it. Trusting me with it for a few days is so nice of you.”

Edward gazed into her beautiful eyes as he held her waist in a gentle goodbye embrace and added, “Who said anything about it only being yours on loan?” He leaned in to kiss her softly, then gently pulled her full lower lip into his mouth, his thoughts lingering for one last time on their trip together. Edward left her breathless and speechless, and his black SUV and its driver took him home.

When his taillights had turned the corner and were gone, her heart ached. Still standing by her suitcase outside, she closed her eyes to help hold on to her memory of Edward for a moment longer. How he smelled. How he felt on their first trip together. Especially how it felt sleeping in his arms. The only thing remaining of him was parked in her driveway.

She opened her eyes again, seeing the shiny red reminder that she was his.Oh, my…she thought.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A Girl Like Me

Angelica was still shocked at the red Aston Martin convertible in her driveway. She rushed to put her suitcase and bags inside, and her adrenaline and blood were pumping with excitement to take it for a spin. As she closed and locked her front door, she turned and paused just to look for a moment at the magnificent beast parked in her driveway. “Ok, calm down,” she told herself as she raced to get in the high-end British supercar. “Note to self. Good luck with that!” After all, James Bond drove an Aston Martin, and the speedometer went up to over two hundred miles per hour. Holy moly!

She slid behind the wheel, and the moment she pressed the “Start” button on the dash, the over five hundred horses under the hood made themselves known. It did not sound like her Nissan—not even close. She gently backed the Aston out of her driveway and babied it forward. In moments, she found herself heading downtown to take an extraordinary drive in the new wheels. She was unsure what Edward meant by “who said it was a loaner?” She hadn’t asked.But did he intend for her to drive it for a while longer than just the repairs on her car? Maybe even long term? Certainly, it could not possibly be a gift, could it? This would be way too much to give away, even for him. Nevertheless, it was an impressive machine. She noticed a few eyes watching her red convertible with her blonde hair streaming as she drove, and it was hard not to feel super-charged behind the wheel of so much elegant class and incredible power.

She half-hoped one of her friends would see her in it and was half-deathly afraid of having to explain it if she did. How do you explain the unexplainable? She remembered her good friend Samantha’s warnings about Edward Gray and not to get her hopes up too much. “Crash and burn” might be the end result, and Samantha had wanted her to be forewarned before it was too late. A torrent of mixed emotions was flooding through her. This was all because her car didn’t start last Thursday, making her late for the airport.How did all this happen anyway?She decided to think about it later and enjoy the cruise around Sarasota at a new level. It wasn’t hard to smile from ear to ear.

A few hours flew by as she toured St Armand’s Circle and Lido Beach. She thought of Edward and how to say thank you to someone who is at such a completely different level. There needed to be more than a text or even a phone call.I have the perfect idea, she thought. She pulled over to a cute little gift shop on the Key. But she wanted to write more than a thank you card, she wanted Edward to know how much he meant to her. So, she bought a card, a fancy pen, and some lovely stationery. Then, she headed back to Lido Beach to park while sitting in the car watching the sunset.

Angelica wanted to tell him everything. She took the chance, the high risk, of pouring her heart and soul into the letter. And, once she moved the ache of her heart onto the written pages, she drove to his home and discreetly slipped it in his curbside mailbox. She was able to make the discreet delivery without getting out of the car and drove away undetected.

Giving him his space after being together 24/7 on their trip was best, she thought. But she wanted him to check his mailbox tonight, so she texted him,Dear Edward, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you and all that you mean in my world, so there is a note in your mailbox, waiting to be read by you… XO, Angelica.She paused before hitting the send button as she drove.

The letter she had written to Edward had started as a simple thank you and had taken her a couple of hours to finish. She shared what he meant to her and how her life had changed since he had come into it and described her hopes, her fears, how she sees him and asked him to guide her as to where she fits into his life. It was the conversation you have in high school when friends ask you if you two are “going steady or what?” It is the always dreaded “DTR” conversation or defining the relationship. She knew they had an Agreement, but she wanted more and felt that Edward did too.

---