The Nissan still smelled like a new car, which essentially it was, at least to me. I leaned across the seat and unlocked the passenger's side door. A few seconds later Andrea walked around the corner of the building; carrying her purse and the leather bag containing her lap-top. She also had a paper cup filled with coffee and a change of clothes tucked under her arm. She had on a white button up shirt, lightly colored purple scarf and white sport coat, white pants along with her Harley-Davison boots. She had on stylish sunglasses with her hair parted in the middle and hanging loosely around her shoulders. She opened the passenger's door and handed me her coffee cup, Andrea then swung her left leg into the car and sat down with the scent of perfume entering with her. My heart quickened a pace at the sight of her.
"Good morning! Is it alright if we stop and eat something in a little bit, I'm hungry." She said, fastening her seatbelt.
Handing her coffee back now, I assured her that I was of the same mind and that I knew a good place an hour away. I then started the car and began typing Ricky's address into the Garmin while Andrea watched me. I wanted to play around with the device and figured that the trip to Ricky's would be a good introduction, since I already knew the way.
"I've always wondered about getting one of those things. What's it called?" Andrea asked.
"It's a Garmin; they've only been available to the public for about twenty years now, Andrea." I said rolling my eyes at her.
I finished typing in the address for Ricky's place. The Garmin then displayed a little pink colored pathway with an icon of the car in the center of the screen.
"Turn right at the stop sign." The device suddenly said.
"Hope you didn't have any trouble finding my condo this morning, Tim." Andrea retorted, sipping her coffee.
Snickering at her remark, I turned the Garmin's volume down then and glanced at the clock on the device as I slowly backed out of my parking space. I noticed that Hans's truck was gone from its parking space and thought about Hans and I joking, the morning before, in regard to the parking stripes but decided not to mention anything or make any sarcastic references to the stripes. "Forgive and forget" as a friend of mine says. I decided to keep my mouth shut about the stripes this morning. "No one is perfect and the perfect relationship doesn't exist." Mom would always say. Andrea was fine looking company and I was intrigued to discover how compatible we were. Humor was a part of flirting but wise ass remarks were demeaning and hurtful.
"Aren't you clever." I said dryly as I put the car in gear.
It was good to be going someplace and the weather forecast on my phone promised a nice day for it. After driving a huge gravel truck all through the Alaska summer, it was fun to just drive the little Nissan with no thought of time schedules or weight slips. No two-way radios or loud Jake-Brakes either.
"Karen's car got stolen on Saturday, the Miata." Andrea said.
"I know, she told me, that was such a cute car too. She sounds like she might be interested in a truck now. I'm going to help her look when she gets back." I replied.
"I think she was showing some interest in the Honda Ridgeline or something comparable. In real-estate you really need a vehicle that can accommodate clients as well as something that you can haul for-sale signs in and the Miata was never really good for either. I think she bought the Mazda out of ego but yes, it was a cute car." Andrea said.
"Karen is such a good person and hard worker too, and then someone rips-off her car, sheesh." I said.
"It's just a car, Tim." Andrea said.
"It's probably in a shipping container and half way to Hong Kong by now anyway." I said as we got underway.
"She said she's going to install a LoJack on this next vehicle, this is the second one that's left without her." Andrea said.
"Wow that would get annoying very quickly, two cars stolen. Tell me about the dude ranch, sounds like you all had fun Andrea," I said.
"It was fun. All four of us had gentle mounts and we probably rode close to thirty miles. I haven't been on a horse for a while so my legs and bottom are still a little sore but I'd do it again today. The gal that owns the ranch was one of my colleagues in real-estate for years and this is kind of her retirement venture, she's actually done quite well with it. It's a lot of work but her and her husband love horses so it's not really work for them." Andrea said.
"So you were there all day, then, it sounds like?" I asked.
"Pretty much, nine hours, I think." Andrea said.
"A Person has to get out and play some once in a while, Andrea; otherwise what's the point of anything?" I asked.
"Exactly, Tim. My last few years of working made me a ton of money but if I'd kept going at that pace I'd probably be dead, it was killing me, literally. I still like to dabble a little bit but it's on my terms now and I do it when I want to. In fact, I've got a piece of dirt to go look at next week in Phoenix, you're welcome to come if you'd like, might be an overnighter." Andrea said.
"I would like to, I need to see what happens with finding Karen a car first and I promised to help. I'll let you know." I replied.
"How do you like this car so far? It seems to be running quite well. Are you going to fix the dents in the door and fender" Andrea asked.
"I am very pleased with it Andrea, especially for what I paid for it and the gas mileage is insane. I'm not going to bother with the dents, as you say, it's just a car. Oh, by the way, I want to stop in Reno and look at a bicycle that I found on the internet, today, if you don't mind. I've already talked to the guy and he's expecting us in the afternoon, sometime. It's right on the way and shouldn't take too long." I said.
"Sure Tim, I'm just along for the ride. Like you said last night about your trip with Hans, I just wanted to go someplace." Andrea replied.
"I think we'll have fun on this trip Andrea and the weather forecast is calling for mild weather." I said.
"What exactly are we going to do in Seattle, again, Tim?" Andrea asked.
