𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀

CHAPTER 10

𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬
-𝗟𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗸 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇

I stood by the door for a while, hearing the engine of a car getting closer. They had arrived after about 20 minutes. I couldn't help but feel relieved, ready to leave. I checked through the window, spotting the car in the driveway, and saw Lyle sitting in the driver's seat, with Erik beside him in the passenger's seat.

I paused for a moment, tennis bag in hand, my hand on the door knob. I felt a strange mix of emotions - was it nervousness? Embarrassment?? I wasn't quite sure why, but a part of me felt reluctant to stepping out the front door and approaching the car.

I eventually mustered the courage to open the front door, turning to lock it behind me. Deep inside, I hoped this wouldn't turn into one of those situations where neither Erik nor Lyle would bother to get out of the car and tell me where to sit. I'd experienced too many instances in the past where friends who had never picked me up before just stayed in the car, which always made my anxieties skyrocket.

My fears were eased as I turned around and saw Erik getting out of the car. Dressed in his usual tennis attire, he walked (or sped) quickly toward me, his arms by his side and a smile on his face, practically brightening up my mood.
"Hey, Alexandra," he greeted me softly, his voice warm and friendly.

"Hi, Erik," I replied with a smile of my own.

I trailed behind Erik as he made his way to the car, hearing him mention that it might be a tight fit. Nevertheless, I dismissed his concern, and Erik courteously opened the door for me, taking my tennis bag from my hands with a smile. I let him do so as I got into the car, which was indeed quite nice, much like mine, I should note.

I found myself slipping into the middle seat, and my gaze turned to Lyle, who was dressed in his tennis attire, his hand casually resting on the steering wheel, accompanied by a brief smile directed at me.

His sun-kissed skin complemented the Carrera Glacier Sunglasses he wore, framed by his face. A subtle hint of bergamot, green notes, and the creamy aroma of vanilla emanated from his cologne, filling my nostrils. I let my hand rest on my knees as I glanced over at Erik, who was now back in the car, his own sunglasses – a pair of ray-bans – donned. He smiled at me, his casual demeanor exuding an air of confidence.

Lyle maneuvered the car out of my driveway, navigating the looping path as his gaze took in the surroundings. When we reached the end of the driveway and merged onto the main road, I spoke up, gratitude seeping into my voice. "Thank you, again, guys. You didn't have to pick me up – I could have driven myself."

Lyle's eyes flickered to me momentarily, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Nah, don't worry about it," he replied, his nonchalant tone matching his easygoing attitude. "It's no big deal. Besides, we already decided to drive this way to the court weren't we, Erik?"

Erik chimed in from the passenger seat, his voice light and carefree. "Yeah, exactly. We had already planned to go that way anyway. No point in you driving on your own, right?"

There was a moment of quiet as we continued to drive to the court. The distance was a bit lengthy, and I began to regret not driving on my own because the silence made me feel uneasy. But eventually, Erik broke the silence, speaking up and asking, "The white Countach? Is it yours?"

I glanced at Erik and cleared my throat before responding, "Yeah, it's mine. It's a car I always wanted but I never had the chance to own. After we moved here to Calabasas, my dad surprised me by getting it for me." I spoke the truth – my father had felt guilty and decided to buy me the car since he'd always promised me one. It came as a big surprise to me as he had never done anything quite like that for me before.