Speed By • DANIEL GILLIES

55 | irl

Daniel had Gia blind folded. Gia had planned for a simple birthday, a small gathering at home and some cake. When it came to get the cake, Daniel claimed she had to come along to the bakery and Gia reluctantly did. They'd been driving for the last forty-five minutes, Daniel claiming he was lost and Gia groaning. She wanted to take her blind fold off and help find their way. Daniel kept gently putting her hand down, telling her to be patient.

"I can't believe you're lost," Gia said. "If you let me take this off I can help you find the bakery. I know Atlanta like the back of my hand."

"I'm going the right way, Gi," Daniel replied. He was driving the right way, out of the city where Gia's moms and their friends were waiting.

"You could at least use maps," she told him.

"I don't know how to use it."

"Julie!" Gi said. "Could you please enter the address and help him?"

"My phone isn't working right now, mom," Julie argued. Gia let out a frustrated sigh, minutes ago she'd heard Julie's phone going off. She turned around on her seat without taking off her seat belt, handing her phone to Julie. Julie took the phone but didn't enter the an address dress. "You know I get carsick when I look at my phone."

"Fine. I guess we'll be lost for another hour," she said.

"Wow, you have a good sense of time," Daniel said. "But it hasn't been an hour. It's been forty-five minutes."

"Big difference," she replied. Daniel couldn't make the road get smaller. They were driving to Dahlonega and that was an hour and sixteen minutes away from Atlanta. They had gotten lucky, there wasn't much traffic at this hour.

"I think we're almost there," he said. Gia let out a small sigh of relief and he couldn't help but smile. He wondered if Gia really did think he was a complete idiot that had no sense of direction or if she sensed they were planning something. Daniel didn't know which was better, the former or the latter.

"What's it like shooting in New Orleans sometimes?" Julie asked Daniel.

"New Orleans is beautiful," he told her. He began to tell her stories of the French Quarter, and when it was built. Daniel had studied its history because he bet Elijah Mikaelson knew everything about New Orleans and therefore so should he.

"I've been watching an episode here and there," Gia admitted. "I'm starting right from the beginning."

"Of TVD?"

"Yep."

"Well, we don't show up until season two and we're much better than the rest of the characters," Daniel joked. Gia snorted at his joke and rolled her eyes. (He imagined, he couldn't actually see her eyes.)

"Answer the long running debate of the show, mom. Stefan or Damon?" Julie asked her. Gia thought about the question for a moment, much longer than Daniel would have thought about the it.

"Damon seems kind of reckless."

"He is reckless. He's the bad boy!" Julie laughed.

"Yeah, we'll, he's definitely not marriage materiel. The whole bad boy appeal has always been lost on me."

"Really? I thought that's why you liked me," Daniel said. Gia held back a laugh, nudging his shoulder. Daniel liked what she'd said, though. Gia wasn't looking for something meaningless. She was looking for the real deal.