She's One in a Million

Fourteen

Looking at herself in the mirror, Max smoothed her white tank top. She check her denim skinny jeans and black sneakers to see if they look fine. 

Noticing a slight dirt on her sneakers, she lick her thumb and wipe it off. When the crew called her that Ian is waiting right outside the door, she wore the leather jacket her brother got for him.

"All right. Let's get this show started." Max said to herself and went outside.

"Driving as a date?" Ian said, looking at the black Porsche Boxster by the entrance of the mansion. Max smiled at him with her aviator sunglasses.

"That's right." Max said, pulling her shades from her eyes and winked at Ian.

"All right then. Exciting." He went around the car and went inside.

"Exciting it is." She place the aviator back, pulling her leather jacket and went inside.

They rode passed Rodeo Drive where Max saw the Beverly Wilshire Hotel-the one she saw in "Pretty Woman." She even saw Demi Moore walking with shopping bags from Tiffany . She tried to focus on the road, not to be distracted with the actors along the way.

But,she couldn't hide the feeling of that rush in her veins as the wind blew into her face. The sun shining on them as they rode to Beachwood drive. She stood up and spread her arms.

She screamed in excitement, seeing the view of the mountain and the cityscape. Ian chuckled looking at her, continuing to drive.

"Having fun up there?" Ian asked when Max went down and back to her seat.

Max laughed and grinned. "Oh yeah. It-it has been a long time."

"Riding a car?"

"Yeah and driving. I use to drive and didn't care where I was going. Way-way before."

"You actually drive?"

"Yeah."

"That's interesting. Why don't you drive?"

"Excuse me?"

"Drive. Drive this car."

"Who?"

"You."

Max looked around the car. "It's an expensive car. I might-"

"No worries." Ian stopped the car and went out. He opened the door and held out his hand to her. She hesitated at first but she place her hands on Ian's hand anyway. She went to the driver's seat and took a tight grip on the wheel.

"Wow. It has really been a looong time."

"Then enjoy." Ian smile at her.

"Okay then. You might want to buckle up. I like it fast." Max said as she smiled and began to speed up.

"So, you always drive?" Ian asked, with his arm on Max seat. He looked at her through his aviator.

"Before. Back when I had my car. Usually to just-run away." Max said, her hand on the wheel, the other on the gear stick. She changed the gear to a 4th, gaining speed.

"Oh? So, you were that type?"

"In the past. Never did mind nor care about things before." Max turned left, feeling the guilt again. "Thinking about it, I didn't like the me back then."

"Was that the one you were saying about things you regret?"

"Yeah." Max didn't expect that he would remember it. He did in fact, listen.

"Did you miss it?"

"Nope. I didn't." Max sit up straight, exhaled and smiled at Ian. "Although, I did miss this one." She turned on the audio and a song  "You get what you give" by the New Radicals played.

"Yes! I love this song!" She exclaimed, gripping harder on the wheel.

"Seriously?"

"As a heart attack. It's my joy ride song." Max said, nodding her head along with the music.

Ian laughed. "Funny because I also like this one."

Max gave him a smile. "We would be having a great day then."

They passed by the Sunset Ranch , singing altogether the song. They drove up to Holly Wood sign and stopped there. They went out of the car and sat on the hood, watched the city below them.

"Hollywood: City of Dreams." Ian said.

"I wonder how true would that be." Max commented.

"It never hurts to dream."

Max didn't reply anymore. It does not hurt to dream. What hurts is knowing it would never come true. She thought about her dreams: a better life for her family and to have again the pub her father used to own. She remembered she didn't care about the pub before, thinking that things would always be that way forever. Her brothers,too- they thought of the same thing. They didn't bother to help their business and just go out and having a good time.

But when a phone call came one night in summer, she knew nothing's going to be the same again. Leaving the party and her friends, she rushed towards the hospital where she found her brothers and her mother weeping.

Max quickly wipe off a tear and smiled at Ian. "Hey, you wanna eat?"

Fries, burgers, pizzas and soft drinks spread on the car's hood between her and Ian. The food was already ready (prepared by the crew). Max took the burger, opened it and placed the fries. Ian watched her do it and was smiled when she took a big bite.

"Oh. Thish ish..grood." Max chewed, nodding.

"Maybe I should try that." Ian took the fries as well, placed them on his burger and took a big bite.

"It's good, isn't?" Max chuckled at Ian. He gave her a thumbs up.

"You know, that's the first time I've seen a woman who ate burgers like that."

"It's because you are surrounded with-well, classy women. I mean, classy isn't wrong, of course, but sometimes you gotta loosen up, you know."

Ian agreed. "It's been quite a while since I loosen up."

"How long are we talking here?"

"The last time I went on a vacation was last summer. And that wasn't even relaxing, really. It was still for business."

Max looked at Ian looking at the city. Behind the handsome face, he does look tired.

"Is that why you join this show?" He looked at her but didn't say anything so, she continued. "I mean, to get away from things."

He only raised a shoulder and sip on his coke.

"And here I thought being rich solves everything."

"Not really though."

"Why not? You can buy all the things you want. Go to places you want. Be with people you wa-" Max stopped and remembered about Emilia and him and how they broke up. She wanted to ask but, thinking of the camera and the microphone, she decided to drop the topic. "But, I guess we can't have everything in this world."

"I couldn't agree more." Ian tapped his coke on to Max and drink it.

Back to the mansion, Ian lead Max towards the porch.

"Had fun today." Max said.

"Me, too. That was a pleasant date." Ian smiled, kissed her cheek and drove off. Max watched him go, smiling. He kissed my cheek. Oh well. She pulled the lever door and then she remembered-

"I didn't get a rose."