"Just stick it in there!"
"Where?"
"In the little hole."
"It won't go in. It's too big."
"Sometimes you have to kind of angle it a little."
"Like this?"
"Maybe give it a jiggle."
"It doesn't fit!"
"I promise you, it fits. Here, let me do it."
Lisa popped open the passenger side door and walked over to Jennie, struggling to insert the gas pump nozzle into the car's tank. She watched with furrowed brows as Lisa took it from her hands and slid it easily into place.
"Now you try," Lisa said, pulling it back out and handing it to Jennie.
She mimicked Lisa's motion and nodded as she successfully inserted it.
"Ok, now squeeze," Lisa instructed, leaning against the side of the car next to Jennie. "You feel that?"
"How do I know when it's finished?"
"Trust me, you'll know." Lisa couldn't help grinning at the look of concentration on Jennie's face as she held the nozzle in place. "Seriously, Jennie. How is it possible you've never filled up a gas tank before?"
"The gas stations were all full service where I grew up. You didn't even get out of the car."
"Oh right, I forgot." Lisa nodded. "New Jersey."
They were back in the car side by side a moment later. Lisa buckled herself into the passenger seat as Jennie fiddled with the ignition.
"See," Lisa said. "You're a natural."
Jennie rolled her eyes at Lisa. "Don't patronise me, ok? I know I'm like the guy from The 40-Year-Old Virgin."
"A little bit." Lisa smirked, leaning towards her and raising one eyebrow suggestively. "But then you always were a quick study."
Jennie's lips curved up in a self-conscious smile, and she blushed as Lisa's words brought back the memory of those intense all-night coaching sessions back when she and Lisa first got together. She'd forgotten the way Lisa had of showing her the ropes. And not just the way Lisa was insinuating. She'd been new to New York City back then - her first time living on her own, away from safe, familiar suburbia. She hadn't even known how to swipe a MetroCard to ride the subway. Lisa had been the one who taught her, and now look at her. Now she knew Manhattan like the back of her hand.
Maybe it wouldn't be so hard, learning to drive. Learning to blend in, here in LA. She'd adapted to life in a new place once before. Maybe she just needed to relax and let Lisa guide her.
The car roared into life, and she eased it forward toward the gas station exit. "Which way?"
"Left," Lisa said. "Don't forget your turn signal."
She snuck a glance at Lisa's face as she looked both ways at the oncoming traffic, and Lisa smiled back as she met her eyes.
"You're doing great," Lisa said, reaching out a hand and stroking her lightly on the arm.
This was dangerous territory, Jennie thought to herself, as she made the turn onto Santa Monica Boulevard. She shouldn't be thinking like this. It was all well and good to let Lisa give her a driving lesson, but she had no business thinking about moving to LA.
Just a few short days ago, she'd been certain Lisa was about to break up with her. Even now, she felt her stomach clench with anxiety when she thought back to that morning, sitting alone in the hotel suite, binging on cold pizza. "I don't think I can do this," Lisa had said to her. She wasn't quite sure if she believed the story Lisa told her afterward. She just meant she was sick of the hotel? Really? It didn't quite ring true. Not if Jennie was being honest with herself.
Lisa probably was about to break up with her, but something made her change her mind. Maybe she just decided to hold off until the end of Jennie's visit. Today was her last full day in LA, and Lisa had some kind of mystery date planned for tonight. She wouldn't tell Jennie where they were going. Just trust me, she kept saying. Just relax and wear that new Chanel dress, still hanging untouched in the closet. Lisa wouldn't break up with her tonight, would she? She would let Jennie enjoy one last big night out on the town, and then let her down easy in the morning. Lisa was probably planning to do it on the way to the airport tomorr...
"STOP!"
Jennie slammed on the breaks. The seatbelt cut into her chest as their bodies jolted forward. "What?" she asked, looking over at Lisa with a gasp of surprise. "What did I do?"
Lisa pointed out the windshield. "See that thing?" she said. "That funny looking street light with the red lightbulb?"
She looked up. "Oh."
"That's called a traffic light."
"I know what a traffic light is."
"Red means stop. Green means go. Is this ringing any bells?"
"I was thinking about something else."
"Well you need to pay attention to the road, Jennie!"
"OK!" she said. "I'm sorry. Ok?"
"What were you thinking about anyway?"
"Nothing." Jennie shook her head slightly. "Am I going straight here or what?"
"No, turn right."
She swung the car around the corner, but her concentration was shaken now, and she took the turn a little too wide. Lisa had to grab the wheel with one hand as they veered into the path of the oncoming traffic. "Sorry," she said, letting out the breath she'd been holding once they were safely back in their lane.
"You're fine," Lisa said. "You'll get the hang of it." Jennie nodded, gripping the wheel more firmly. She needed to focus on driving. There would be time to think about everything else later, when she wasn't behind the wheel of a car. In any case, it wasn't like it was anything new - just the same thoughts she'd been going over and over in her head ever since that morning.
She'd been so sure Lisa was going to break up with her. And then when Lisa back-pedalled, she hadn't wanted to question her too closely - just grateful for the momentary reprieve. She knew she was kidding herself though. "House hunting," Lisa had said. "We need to go house hunting." That was the last word she'd heard on the subject. Lisa hadn't brought it up once in the days ever since then. Obviously, Lisa hadn't really meant it. It was just a story. The real breakup was coming. Probably coming soon. Jennie needed to prepare herself - keep her safety belt firmly fastened, ready for impact.
"Turn right again here." Lisa pointed at an intersection with a palm tree-lined Beverly Hills side street.
"Where are we going?"
"Don't worry about it," Lisa said. "Just concentrate on not killing us, please."
Jennie pulled the car around the corner Lisa indicated, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye as she completed the turn.
"That's it," Lisa said. "Much better. Now a left at the next corner."
They continued through a series of right and left turns. Lisa directed her, seemingly at random, through the network of residential streets. The houses on either side gradually changed in character from family homes to more elaborate estates, set back from the road with long, gated driveways.
"Look," Lisa said, pointing through the windshield again as she eased the car forward. She followed the direction of Lisa's gaze and saw a real estate sign next to the front gate of one of the approaching mansions.
"Open House?" Jennie looked over at Lisa incredulously. "In this neighbourhood?"
Lisa shrugged. "Guess so," she said. "Come on, pull over. Let's go take a look!"
