“I can’t believe you did that!” Amelie exclaimed, suddenly very much awake. She and Matt were sitting on the Santa Monica pier, which was unusually empty for that time of the year, he told her. The sun was just about to rise, painting the ocean and the sky in a light crimson color. The first seagulls were flying over them, making hungry noises in the hopes of getting fed. Amelie was wearing one of Matt’s pullovers since it had gotten chilly during the night.

In the past hours, they had talked about random things as they drove around to see famous sights in Los Angeles, from the Walk of Fame to the Hollywood sign and the famous celebrity quarter Beverly Hills. Amelie learned a lot about Matt, still she couldn’t shake off the feeling that he didn’t tell her the exact thing he wanted to talk about.

At the moment he grinned like a school boy who was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be, looking embarrassed and mischievous at the same time.

“How did that happen?” she asked between laughs, genuinely curious. He winked as he answered. “Well, when I was in high school I had this punk band called Successful Failure and after our first gig, some kids from a rival neighborhood started to mock us. They said my voice sounded like shit and I just couldn't take it. It turned into a real war and one night, they were throwing bottles at us and then their car got caught in a cul-de-sac. So I ran up with a whole can full of bottles and smashed in their front window.”

“No fucking way.”

“It’s true,” he said, smacking his lips. For a second, Amelie was distracted by the delicious sound they were making and by how white his perfect teeth shone when he grinned. What wouldn't I give to touch those, just once, she thought, aching for the man like she never had before. She felt putty, needy, and it wasn't exactly something she enjoyed feeling.

“The neighbors thought the sound was gunshots and then called the police. So we ran through the park. These cops on motorcycles pulled up with guns out and yelled ‘get down!’ And me being an antagonistic fuck said ‘what the fuck’s the problem officer?’ And he wasn't exactly happy with that,” he went on.

Amelie swallowed. Somehow, his past just got more interesting and crazy the more he talked about it. There was something about it that just… She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Second by second, she grew more and more interested in each of his stories. She wanted to know each and every detail about him.
“What happened then?”

“So a cop kicks me in the back of the leg and shoves me down. I got up and hit him. Then he hit me. So I grabbed him by the throat. I still can't believe it, but I was stronger than he was. I could have took him out. But not all of them. So they put me in fucking hand cuffs and one of them cracks me in the back of the head with a torch or something. That's the reason I didn't spend time in jail. Because he hit me and I had proof.”

“This is so crazy.” She laughed and ne nodded in agreement. Amelie watched in awe as his eyebrows arched up and down and his dimples popped out. It was like whenever she watched, he somehow managed to look incredibly handsome. She stifled a yawn, realizing they'd been gone the entire night.

“I think it’s time we head back,” Matt suggested. He got up and then offered her his hand. As he pulled her up, Amelie noticed a spark of electricity where their hands touched. Neither of them seemed to be keen on pulling away, not even when she was standing right in front of him. Matt looked directly down at her, right into her eyes. Once again, it struck her how tall and built he was compared to her. Amelie felt as if her face was burning everywhere his gaze lingered. His expression was unreadable.

With the slightest movement, his thumb grazed the back of her hand. She felt him stare at her mouth, making it hard for her to resist the urge to bite her lip. Even though she’d been freezing until now, she felt so hot all of a sudden. His lips formed the slightest of smiles as his expression became soft.

She stared at his lips, which were unusually well-formed for a man. For a brief second, she wondered if he would taste as good as he smelled. Having been able to shove those thoughts away before, she tried her best, but this time she didn't succeed. It was as if an invisible force pulled her closer to him despite knowing better.

She ignored the alarm lights flashing right before her eyes as well as the ugly voice inside her head telling her he was so old. It was just a number, right? And it was just a kiss. Her whole body was tingling with excitement, making it heart to breathe, and for the first time in her life, she understood the expression of butterflies in her stomach.

She didn’t recall ever feeling this way before, not even before her first kiss at age 13 or before Daniel and her got together. Ever so slowly, he took a small step forward. His toned body touched hers, making her yearn for his touch. She felt his breath hit her face as he came closer.

His head twisted to the side and Amelie felt like her ribcage was going to burst from the excitement. His hand landed on her back, just between their shoulder blades as he pulled her against himself. She closed her eyes, anticipating what was undoubtedly to come.

All of a sudden, he stepped back, letting go of her hand. For a few seconds, she couldn’t process what was happening. But then she heard it, too. His phone. This is just like in a bad movie, she thought with a frown. She knew that situation wasn’t coming back just like that. And it shouldn't.

But who knows what it’s good for… I mean, did I really just almost kiss Matt? She thought. Did… Did he even want to try? How long were we standing there?
“Hello?” he said in a neutral tone.
Then, after a pause, “Yes, this is Matthew Sanders.” As he spoke, his eyes grew wide. Something must have happened. But in that moment, Amelie didn't care. She realized another thing. She’d spent the whole night with a man although she didn’t even know his last name. Sanders. It sounded nice.

Her mom would certainly call her crazy, but she knew better than to tell her about Matt. She’d just worry and talk her out of ever meeting him again. And after all, she did want to meet him again. And again. She was already under his spell, unable to turn around and walk away, that much she knew. When the call was finished, her companion took a deep breath.

“Listen, Amelie. I hate to ask you this but I’m gonna need to call in a favor. I need to go to a meeting with my lawyer in an hour and a half, so we gotta hurry back to HB anyway. But… uh, River’s preschool teacher just called and told me his best friend has lice, so I need to pick him up as well… They’re sure he has them, too… And I’m thinking Cash, too. He’s his brother, after all.” He threw her an apologetic look.

“If you could just… Uhm, could you drop me off at the lawyer’s office and then pick up River and Cash? I’ll give you the directions. And then just please, please, take them to my house and wait until I get back. I’ll pay you whatever you want. Just, please…” he sounded desperate.

In a heartbeat, Amelie responded. “Sure. Does that mean I get to drive that car?” She reverently looked at the convertible. “Yeah, it does, but if you crash it I’m not gonna pay you,” he chuckled, handing her the keys as they approached the car.
“Did you mean… from here?” she couldn’t believe it. “Yeah,” he said, “I meant exactly that. I’ve been told that Germans are the best drivers, so I’m all in for some action.”

Amelie’s hands trembled as he held the car’s door open for her. She hadn’t driven a car in months, except for a small job she’d done in Colorado. There, she’d worked for a rental car company. All she had to do was drive cars from their service point in Boulder or in Westminster back to the Denver Airport and then go back to get the next car by bus. It was nice because she got paid for the time she spent on the bus as well.

She grinned broadly as she noticed Matt’s car was an automatic, just like almost every car in the States. “How,” she playfully complained, “how can you get such a car and then make it an automatic? That’s blasphemy!” “Really, is there so much of a difference?” he asked. She could feel his interest as she steered the car onto the interstate.

“Yeah absolutely. A manual is better for sporty cars. In Germany, everyone drives a stick. Well, not anymore now, but they sure used to. And in driver’s ed, you just have to drive a stick. Otherwise you’re getting a license only for automatics,” she replied, pleased with how sophisticated she sounded.

“I’ll make sure to get a stick next time,” he chuckled. For the rest of the ride, they listened to a classic rock music station on the radio. Amelie loved it. She was raised on the music her parents used to listen to when they were her age, so she knew every song.

They arrived in Huntington Beach a few minutes after Matt's meeting was scheduled. The commuters were causing so much traffic that the 506 was a terrible route, but according to Matt, it was their only option. Matt described her the way to the kindergarten and how she would get back to his house from there. He had a spare key under his garden gnome in the frontyard.

Amelie got her chores done quickly. Luckily, she passed a supermarket on the way back to his house, so she bought some groceries for later, knowing Matt would be as tired as her. When she opened the garage door with the little remote control Matt kept in his glovebox, she was surprised to see a giant American flag with a winged skull, the same motive that adorned the headrests of the car.

It looked remotely like the tattoo of his friend that he had on his hand. She thought hard as she tried to remember the first night she came over, when she'd knocked over the glass of wine and he took off his shirt. Didn't he have a similar tattoo on his abdomen, too? She couldn't remember. But nevertheless, the motive seemed to be special to him in some way. Was that from some kind of cult? Was he a Satanist, even?

Suddenly awake again, she decided to to do some research on the man she'd trusted so naively, and she was certainly hoping she was right to do so.

Notes

Hello lovelies! These are the car and the garage I've been describing. Hope you like the new update! What do you think is going to happen now?

Thanks so much for your comments!!! :*