Sundaywas known to us as 'Shopping Day'. All my friends were those fromcollege, including Fern. The only difference to be noted between usthat I probably had dirt and grease under my fingernails; other thanthat, I was all dolled up as they were. I wore my flat black sandalsalong with a short floral Santorini dress. It was fairly simplethough after last night, I had little time from waking up to plan onwhat to wear. First on the agenda was hitting the shoe shops whichtook up less time than it usually did; this meant I wasn't toohungry compared to normal as we went to our favourite food outlet forlunch.

Itwas such a lovely day, so hot that there was no doubt that summer wasaround the corner. It was when we were in one of the many clothesshops that the conversation turned to me.

'Whydon't you ever bring us in your Mustang, Ella?' Jasmine asked,sifting through a rack of black and white striped tops.

Iwas helping Fern look for her size on another rack. 'Because it'snot my day car. The Mustang is for racing only. I don't even givesmall lifts in it.'

'Thenwhat is the point in having it?' Alison added.

Fernand I exchanged understanding glances. Although Fern didn't raceherself, Carlos did and they were pretty close to know what a racingcar was all about. 'Maybe you could take it out in the day once inawhile. Everyone around here knows you have one.'

'ReallyI don't see the need to have two cars in the first place.'

Igiggled as Fern went to try her shorts on. 'The more I drive myMustang, the more likely something will go wrong with it. Plus itisn't set up for casual driving.' Saying that reminded me of whatJack had said to me last night. There was nothing in here that hadcaught mine or Alison's eye so we headed off to the toilets leavingFern and Jasmine to purchase their pick of clothes.

'Youdo see our point though, don't you? You get a lot of money for theblack one that you could spend or save for the Mustang.'

'Yeh,I get your point but I like having both.'

'Isthere a race tonight?' she asked. Jasmine and Alison rarely camealong with Fern and I to the night races.

'Notthat I know of. The organised ones are held Friday and Saturdaynights, depending on the main convenience of those who want to race.'

'Whydon't you ever remind us so we can plan our nights around them?'

Isuppose it was partly my fault why they hadn't been to many raceswith us. My main, secret reason was that they weren't so car mindedas I was and the rest of the time I was too busy at work to rememberletting them know. 'Tell you what, I know there's one thisweekend. I'm not sure when it is yet as Ed hasn't messaged me.I'll set a note on my fridge to remind me to text you.'

'Ohgood. I haven't been in months. It's well good fun being aroundall them lads in one place.' I rolled my eyes. Trust Alison to turnthe subject onto guys. 'Oh come on. You must like it all too.'

'Allwhat?'

'Allthe attention? There aren't many girl racers round here. Has anyoneactually beaten you recently?'

Myvoice caught in my mouth as I was about to say 'last night' butmy head stopped me and I remained quiet. Alison might have saidsomething to my silence but I didn't hear her. As I glanced aroundseeing if Fern and Jasmine had finished in the last clothes shop, Isaw a small group of guys a few hundred yards down the mall's maincorridor. It turned out, Fern and Jasmine were indeed done with theirlast purchase and just joined in our twosome when the lads were inhearing distance to us. All the while I had kept my head down andlooking in the complete opposite direction when he called out.'Ella?'

'Ohgod, not here,' I muttered to myself. 'Jack, hey. Did you getyour car?' I asked ever so politely yet feeling all messed upinside.

'Yeh,I drove it here. Are you spending your winnings already?' he asked,clearly not at all bothered by my company staring at him and hisfriends. How could a group of four consist of all good-looking guys?It didn't seem possible and yet there they were. 'I thought I sawyour Subaru in the parking lot.'

Iwas interrupted of my next comment. 'And you are...?' askedJasmine.

'Jack.Pleased to meet you.' They shook hands as Jasmine and the other twointroduced themselves to the other three. 'What are you shoppingfor then?' he asked, moving out of the way of the others nowclustered together.

'Shoesand clothes. Why are you here?'

'Gettingsome lunch. Want to join us?' he asked back.

'We'vejust eaten.'

Hefolded his arms and shifted his weight to the right. 'Somehow Ifeel like you'd say no even if you hadn't eaten.'

Imerely smiled and nodded my head. 'Too right.'

'Noworries.' He walked past me and I watched over my shoulder as hewent. His friends left too, leaving me with mine.

'Whowas that?' Jasmine asked, propping her chin on my shoulder.

'Trouble.That's who. Come on, let's get out of here.'

'Meaningwhat?'

'Juston the other side of the mall.'

Withour bags piled into the trunk and ourselves now in my Subaru, weheaded back to Alison's place for some wine and a catwalk show.Whilst Alison and Jasmine went through their new outfits, Fern and Iwere chatting about last night, completely in our own world.

'WhatI don't get is what happened? How did he... ya know?' Iappreciated her not finishing the obvious question.

'Ilet my attention slip. That's all. I hit the Nos button too earlierand that's it.'

'Idon't get it. No one's ever beaten you.'

Thatwas wrong. I had been beaten loads of times back when I had a simpleSupra. That was also back when I had much less money than I do now. Iremember my first win like it was yesterday. It was me against a guywho was far too cocky for my liking and someone had to teach him alesson. Luckily for me I knew the power of my Supra very, very wellby then. That was when I won the Subaru I have today. It was a pinkslip race. I won his Subaru and sold my Toyota that very same day.Although, the Subaru had a lot more power now than it did then. 'Not'til now.'

'Maybeyou were just having a bad day,' she suggested. 'Any other day,any other place, you could beat him.'

'Maybe.'

Itwas enough hours later that I was safe enough to drive again. I wascareful in the daytime; I didn't rev too loud or speed too much. Isimply drove and drove, around the streets and over the freeway; backand to between LA central and the suburbs. It was whilst I was backin the suburbs that I noted movement in my rear view mirror. At firstI just thought it was some local out doing some weekend groceryshopping; that was up to the point where I could make out the shape.At the next set of traffic lights, I stopped and rolled my sidewindow down.

'Trustyou to be following me, yet again.'

'Yetagain? And who was it that ended up beating who?'

'Wantanother shot?' I asked, tempting him in.

'Nah.I'm cool.'

Iturned to face the lights. As they switched to amber, I said'Chicken' and then drove off on green. What made me smile themost was seeing him following me. I decided then and there that itwould be a good day to cruise and cruising meant following the SantaAna and Santa Monica freeways as they made a ring around Los Angeles.It was more fun than when I did this with André or Carlos; they wereso close to me that I knew their styles near to a point. Jack, on theother hand, didn't seem to have a style or, at least, one Icouldn't figure out. First he just followed me; when I overtook acar, he overtook; when I sped up, he sped up. And then it changed; heswerved in and out of the lines without a care who he cut-off.

Witha beep of his horn, he took the exit and I followed. Since we weren'tracing, I was happy to go where he led. Weirdly, he took me to adowntown parking lot. I pulled up beside him and we both got out.

'Doyou know how many people you must have pissed off in the last twentyminutes?' I asked him.

'Eh,nowhere near the amount my dad and uncle have in the last twentyyears. You are such a considerate driver, you know that?' He satdown on his car just above the headlight. There was something abouthim; something that I couldn't understand. His body looked sorestful and yet his eyes were completely unsteady.

Wedidn't speak, mainly because his phone started to ring. 'Yeh?'In the moment of him listening, he rolled his eyes and leant onto hisleft hand which was on the hood. 'How did...? Eh, nevermind. Seeya.' Slipping his cell back into his pocket, he turned to me.'Would you like to have dinner at mine?'

Shocked,I remained silent and slid my hand along the hood of my car. 'Ithink I'll pass but thanks.'

'Ahcome on. You can bring your car, we have plenty of room. Either thator I'll give you a lift and then bring you back here.'

'Andleave my car unattended? Like I said, I'll pass.'

'You'lloffend my family...' he bribed unfairly when my back was turned.

Witha glance over my shoulder, I complained. 'That's not fair.'

'Myuncles are cooking. They make the best rib racks on the planet. Whatdo you say?'

Iwas confused. Either he was simply being modest and offering me somesort of belated thank you from the day before orhe was somehow trying to hint some massive liking for me and hidingit behind my 'offence to his family' excuse. Deciding I couldalways leave, I took him up on the offer. 'Alright but I'llfollow you in my car.' With a grin, he got into his Nissan anddrove off not even waiting for me to buckle up.

Witha final roar, we turned onto his street and raced down to his house.Pulling up outside, parking behind him, I began to smell the mixedfumes of petrol, oil and barbecue smoke. It was an odd combinationbut nonetheless, I got out anyway. That was when I heard the clamourof plenty of voices.

'Nah,nah. You have to caress it...' came one voice.

'Igot this. Go and cut the buns.'

Iwas utterly confused and still was until we walked between the houseand the wooden, shack-looking garage to find a long trestle tablewith mismatched chairs. Further up the grass lawn was a medium, gasbarbecue being tended to by a short black man carefully brushing onsome marinade or other to whatever was currently on there. Next tohim, slicing bread buns, was another black man only he was bald anddecently muscular. Out of the back door came Dom and an even shorterwoman. She wasn't what I would call pretty; possibly in an odd way,she was handsome in the most feminine way there is. Her long, wavyblack hair framed her face in a wild frenzy matching the frenzy andbelonging in her deep brown eyes. Between them, they carried bowls ofsalad, coleslaw and pasta.

'Doyou wanna beer?' Jack asked, dipping his hand into am icebox packedwith bottles. Deciding I could deal with having one, I took a Coronaoff him.

'You'relucky you're old enough to have one of them,' Dom said, takingone himself and sitting at the head of the table. The wavy hairedwoman sat in his lap without a second thought.

'Younever complained when I was younger, Uncle Dom.'

Helooked over his shoulder. 'That's because you used to be polite.'Turning his attention to his girlfriend, Dom brought me into theequation. 'Who's your new friend?' Dom had a deep, cool voicewith a steady, steel tone to it.

'Oh,yeh.' I simply stood there and sipped at my beer. 'This is Ella.'

'Takea seat. Food shouldn't be long now.' He gave a crooked smile andthen turned to the woman on his lap and whispered something in herear; it must have been funny as she began to give a hearty laugh.

Jacksmiled and we both took a seat a little further down the table. 'Wantsome introduction?'

'Whynot?'

'Cool.So, Uncle Dom and Letty,' he started, casually pointing back up thetable. 'The two guys on the barbie are Tej and Rome.' Tej bobbedhis head up from plating up the chicken and ribs. Rome was too busymiming to the music that he didn't notice much. 'And you know mymum and dad.'

'Brianand Mia?' He nodded just as Tej and Rome put the last of the foodon the table.

'Mmm,looks good guys,' Mia said.

Jacktook a piece of chicken. 'Ah, you took first piece,' Lettypointed out.

Rollinghis eyes, Jack put his hands together in a prayer gesture, the restof the table followed and I did too. 'Oh lord, thank you for thefood on our table,' he started. 'Thank you for friends and familyand the right tools for the job.'

'Amen,'the rest of us said together when he'd finished and everyone took aplate and passed them round the table.

Aftereverything had been cleaned up, Tej and Rome set about playing somesort of hitman video game on one TV whilst the rest watched a film onanother and lounged out on a rounded corner sofa. On the back wallthere were photos. Most of them were of those present in the room;Jack was just quietly telling me who the others were.

Thefirst photo he pointed to was of an Asian man (possibly Korean orJapanese) and a slim, pretty woman with long brown hair; they wereboth smiling though to each other and not the camera. 'That's Hanand Giselle. He was my uncle's best friend.'

Thebackground of the picture was full of skyscrapers and bright lights.'Where are they?'

'Dead,'he said shortly and with an even lower voice. I bowed my head wishingI hadn't asked. 'It doesn't bother me so much. I never knewthem. I wasn't even one when they were killed.' Changing thesubject, I asked about the next photo, it had three men in it.'That's Vince, Leon and Jesse. V and Jess are both dead as well.'He went on to a couple more photos and at least four other familyfriends. When he had finished and I had finished my third beer, weheaded off outside. It was a warm night with a full moon. From here Inoted that the white car was an Alfa Romeo Guilietta, it was elegant.

'Ishould get going,' I told him.

Witha raised eyebrow, he looked rather disbelieving. 'After you'vebeen drinking?'

Myeyes shifted as I felt my predicament start to unfold. 'And whosefault is that?' I didn't wait for him to answer. 'I can justsleep in my car. Unless you have a better idea.' I wasn't tryingto be cheeky but I knew I couldn't drive in case some cop carpulled me up.

'Wehave a spare bunk at my place. It's just down the road. And seeingas I can't drive either, I'll walk with you.' Not able to get aword in, he had gone to speak to Brian before hurrying me out thefront door.