GTFO of My Head

Chapter 3

"I almost didn't recognize you," Maddie called out as Brady exited the arrivals terminals, Green Bay Packers ballcap pulled down over a pair of dark aviators. He was wearing a denim jacket instead of his usual leather motorcycle jacket and worst of all, he was wearing gray sweatpants. "If it wasn't for that tattoo," she pointed at the same spot on her own neck, "I might not have." She might have felt overdressed except she would never have allowed herself to leave her condo in sweats. Hell, she wouldn't take the garbage out or check the mail in her pjs either. However, his uber casual attire did make her feel marginally awkward about how long she'd taken to decide on a vintage Siouxsie concert t-shirt and red tartan high waist straight leg pants. She reminded herself that comfort was more important on a flight than anything else and it was probably unfair to judge him on his current attire.

"How is that thing in the snow?" he asked, stopping beside the passenger door and staring down at her mini cooper.

"You're not going to be that American are you?" she asked as he moved around to open the hatch on the back of her compact car. "You don't honestly think it snows all the time and we live in igloos do you?"

"Of course not. But...we are going to a ski resort right?" he asked as he hefted his bag into the cargo compartment.

"We are but it's also September, not January and yeah, if you go up onto the glacier you could ski now but hopefully there won't be snow in the village while we're there," she countered as started to close the hatch.

"And is that all you've brought?" he asked, pointing at her smaller bag, dwarfed by his larger, solid sided travel trunk.

"I'm not a high maintenance kinda girl," she responded as she closed the hatch and walked around to the driver's side door. Brady was still standing at the back of the compact car looking dubious. "She has a lot more room in her than you'd think and I put the passenger seat all the way down and back to accommodate those long legs of yours. You'll be fine, I promise." She slid in behind the wheel and waited while he opened the passenger door and looked in, still looking tentative. She hit the start button and the little engine roared to life. "Come on rock star. I know she's not your big sleek muscle car but she is turbocharged and has a shit load of torque," she promised.

Still looking unsure, the tall and lanky rock star folded himself into the car and then looked not only relieved but impressed that he had both foot room and head room. Then, as she pulled into the street and gave the mini some gas he actually reached for the holy shit handle.

"You're right, she has some get up and go," he agreed. "So, if it's a she, does she have a name?" he asked.

"Of course she does. Brady, meet Grace O'Malley, named after the notorious pirate queen of Ireland," she explained as she pulled out onto the wider road and gave the car even more gas. "What's your big beast's name?"

"Uh...I never thought of it," he admitted, sitting back, letting go of the handle and appearing to relax.

"But there are so many good names for a car like that. The Black Beast of Argh, Blackbeard, Cerberus," she offered animatedly as he shook his head. "Oh...sorry I don't know all the Superman villains but wasn't there a Zod or a Zul or something like that you could christen your beast?"

"So now my car is a he?" he asked, seemingly bemused by the direction of the conversation.

"A muscle car is absolutely a guy...unless it's a Panther Pink Duster or RT then I'm afraid you have no choice but to name her Miss Piggy," she insisted and he tilted his head back and laughed. "Not that I can see you driving a pink car," she added.

"Why? Do you think that I have an issue with my sexuality? Do you think I would be susceptible to bullying if I drove a pink car? I think I'd make a pink car very cool," he replied, slipping off his aviators and raising those perfect eyebrows above his sapphire blue eyes. Maddie allowed herself one look over at him and then dragged her attention back to the cars on the freeway ahead of her.