SugarCOAT

27. Fast Lane 🏎️

The day was finally here. Surprisingly, I woke up before my alarm went off. I had to meet A.B. at my old apartment, and waking up early hasn't been on my schedule lately. With my bag packed for the beach, I made sure to pack a swimsuit, flip flops, a beach towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, an extra pair of clothes, and underwear. I put a black baseball cap on my head after putting my hair into a low ponytail. I wore my favorite sweater over my white tank top, and a pair of baggy gray shorts that stopped at my knees. I hope I'm not too tacky with my white socks and black sneakers. I stood in front of the long mirror that hung on the back of my bedroom door. After a quick examination of my reflection in the mirror, I could confirm that I was definitely tacky. I shrugged as I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Jamie, are you up?" I could hear my mom whisper. 

I cracked opened the door and arched my brow. "Mama, why are you whispering?"

"Shh! There's a young man waiting for you in the living room. He is handsome and very respectful. How did y'all meet?"

I completely opened my bedroom door and told my mom to come in. I closed the door and turned to face her. "What man? What's his name?"

Her smile was too big for her to contain. "He said I could call him Jace or A.B."

My eyes bucked, "What is he doing here? We're supposed to meet at--"

My mom opened the door and grabbed my wrist. "If you don't get out there, already! Don't keep him waiting."

From the hall to the living room, I could see the back of A.B.'s head.

"Jace!" My mom called his name.

A.B. turned around wearing a smile. He stood up when he saw me. "Good morning, Jamie."

Why was I nervous? I waved at him. "Good morning." I looked at my mom. "Thank you, Mama."

She asked, "Do y'all want anything to eat or drink before you go?"

"No, Mama. Thank you." She was not getting the hint. "Bye, Mama," I stared at her.

She finally left us and went to the kitchen to eavesdrop.

I asked, "I thought we were meeting at the apartment?"

A.B.'s brows met. "Monica said you wanted me to pick you up from your parents' house."

Why does she do things like this? "A.B., I'm so sorry. I didn't tell Monica that."

"It's not a problem. We're actually closer to the highway from here."

I sighed, "Okay. Let me get my stuff really quick." I went back to my bedroom. I grabbed my purse and beach bag before taking one last look in the mirror. On second thought, maybe I should wear my hair down. My acne was still raging, but when is it not?

When I went back to the living room, A.B. was gone. I found him in the kitchen with my mom. She was putting containers of food and bottled water in a bag. "Now, y'all be safe. Call me when y'all make it to Yellow Sand Beach."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sawyer. I have your number. I'll call you when we make it." A.B. turned around and our eyes met. "Ready?" He asked me.

"I'm ready." I opened the front door.

"Bye, kids! Y'all have fun!" My mom waved at us. 

We walked out the house and over to A.B.'s... truck? I asked, "What happened to your Mustang?"

He opened the passenger door of the white truck for me. "Not enough room. My uncle let me borrow his truck. You look nice by the way."

"Thanks. So do you in your gray sweats and white tank top." I got in the truck.

A.B. chuckled, "Are you sure Monica didn't tell you what I was wearing?"

"Are you sure?" I lightly laughed.

A.B. closed my door before jogging to the driver's side. He got in and started the engine. "Your mom gave us beef stew and cornbread. We can eat that for lunch. Do you want breakfast before we get on the road? We have a few minutes to spare."

If he keeps feeding me, he's going to find the way to my heart. "Yes, please. Pancakes and eggs would amazing, right now."

"That sounds amazing. We can stop somewhere around here."

A.B. pulled into a fast-food drive thru and ordered us some pancakes, eggs, and sausages with orange juice. 

I reached in my purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill. "Thank you for breakfast."

A.B. refused my money. "My treat."

As hungry as I was, I had to ask, "Are you going to pay for all my food on this day trip?"

"Yes. Let me park the car so we can eat." Once he parked, he said a prayer over the food and for us to have a safe trip.

After the prayer, I was ready to dig in. Halfway into our meal, I realized we weren't talking. Should I break the silence? No. This food is too good, right now.

A few minutes later, A.B. was putting his empty food container in a bag.

I chuckled with my mouth full. If I didn't stop with the giggles, I was either going to choke or spit out my food.

"I want to laugh, too," A.B. glanced at me.

I covered my mouth trying to chew all my food. Finally, my mouth was empty. "It was so quiet, I was just thinking man, we must be really hungry."

A.B. agreed, "I didn't even notice. Sorry if you felt uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay. I just thought it was funny how we were tearing the food up."

He chuckled, "It was definitely good."

I took my last bite. "So, what's on the itinerary?"

A.B. took a sip of his orange juice before answering my question. "Do you like surprises?"

"Yes and no," I stated. "Yes, if I sorta know what to expect. No, if I don't know what to expect."

"How about this... I'll tell you what could happen on our way to Yellow Sand Beach, and the drive back home will be a surprise for both of us?"

I narrowed my eyes at A.B. as I pretended to weigh my nonexistent options. "Works for me!"

A.B. started the car. "Deal." As he drove, he gave me the plan. "It takes about two hours to get to our destination, but we are going to make about two or three stops. The first stop will be at the botanical gardens right outside of East Grove. It's small, but I've heard it's really nice all year round. The second stop for sure will be to the indoor arcade-"

I loudly gasped, "Are you talking about Fast Lane - the place where you can race go-karts, play putt-putt golf, and arcade games?" I could feel myself getting more excited.

"Yeah. I thought it was called something else, but that sounds like it. Have you been before?"

"Can you believe I've only been twice in my entire life? The place has been around since I was a kid. The first time I went was on a field trip in the 5th grade. The second time I went was for my cousin's 16th birthday. I remember playing this one game and winning a lot of tickets. I got a lot of prizes, too. I said I would go back, but I never did." I shrugged my shoulders.

A.B. asked, "Want to go there first and to botanical gardens on the drive back?"

I smiled brightly at A.B. "I like the way you think, sir."

I felt like it's been a long time, but I was finally going to have a good time. No work. No boredom. All fun!

"So, tell me what's the first thing you want to do when we get there?" He asked me.

He didn't know what he was getting into.