Spices (FIRST DRAFT) ~ An Alejandro and Alfred Story

𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

The doors open at five p.m. sharp, just as the leaflet said. Alejandro and I stood at the front of the crowd, so we got the first look inside.

My first thought was ‘holy crap.’

Bright shiny cars were scattered across the entire wide floor. My eyes jumped from one area to the other, getting wider with each new thing I saw.

The cars stood on circular lit up platforms, slightly raised off the ground. The infinite tiny lights in the ceiling tiles reflected right off their polished sides, creating the illusion of a polka dot design and blinding you if you look straight at it. Large signs of the brand name hung from the ceiling or were placed right above the car on poles. The bold letters and odd shapes of the signs made my head spin from the number of names I could see from simply the entrance.

Alejandro and I stepped in further along the carpeted floor, designs leading us along a path, maneuvering through automobile paradise.

The designs of each car were astonishing and remarkably unique. The one-of-a-kind features made me incredibly jealous and envious that we didn’t come up with something like that. All the latest sports cars were within arms reach of me, and I had to pick my jaw off the floor before someone noticed. But Alejandro noticed. He smiled gently, watching me pace around the room, exploring, taking in the sight and thrill of the event.

I ran my fingertips along the side of the smooth cars, staring at each one, then moving onto the next. The scent of fresh rubber tires hit me right in the brain, like a caffeine boost.

Men with pins and identical uniforms led a group of people around the room, obviously guides, and gorgeous breathtaking women stood on the platforms in their sparkly heels and short tight dresses, batting their lashes at the men, showing off the cars, and themselves.

It was chaos, beautiful chaos. The edges of the room contained booths and stands, also belonging to a specific brand, which handed out pamphlets, souvenirs, and merchandise for a ridiculous price and complimentary snacks and drinks.

The middle of the room held the most commotion. My vision was temporarily impaired by the flashing of cameras, and it was more crowded than any other part of the room. I squeeze between people to get to the front of the horde.

My face suddenly went slack from shock. My car.

Below a cursive bright pink neon sign spelling ‘Noeia Elite III’ was a hot link race track style car. It was low, yet wide at the front. Its curves and edges were novel. Fat round edges protruded above the tires and roof, sending a smooth glide down the cars back, which then cut off by a sharp edge and stop, where there were lined up tail pipes. The front middle had two identical triangular indents in the car, below which I was sure lay a powerful engine. God, I couldn’t wait to test it out later.

As the cherry on top, Frank was right; the dazzling color had brought a crowd. They used all the right techniques to attract a crowd. The rest of the night, no matter where I was in the room, my eyes would catch a glance of the beaming vehicle, and I would stretch my eyes to get yet another look at it.

I look over at the Noeia booth not far from the car. There was already a line-up. The money faucet was already turned on.

I had to part ways with Alejandro. As the car owner and co-host, I was obligated to spend the majority of my time near the car, sharing the history behind it, describing its features, and simply putting on a pretty smile to bring in the right people. Filthy rich and important people.

Alejandro still circled my area as I took photos with the mob, answered questions, opened the doors, raised the hood to allow a closer look, and persuaded them into signing up for a test drive of the Noeia car later that night.