Boosted (In The Fast Lane) Read online

  When Brody got back to his car he headed straight for the address that Sergei had given him. It was a big place out in The Canyons, set off behind a gate. The house had all the hallmarks of a paranoid criminal living beyond his means: first rate security, second rate landscaping, and a couple hired thugs hanging out near the gate.

  Was this guy really important enough to need guys protecting his gate? They weren’t doing much besides smoking and lounging around right now, but they were surely armed. Well, stealing it from his garage was out of the question. He’d always known it wouldn’t be that easy though.

  Brody continued driving away from the spot. He probably could have parked right across the street without the so-called guards noticing, but he didn’t want to wind up all over the security cameras.

  Around the bend there was a nice nook where he could park while avoiding any notice or raising suspicion. He got out of his car and walked back toward the elbow of the road. There he found a nice hiding spot among the leafy bushes along the side of the road. Now to wait to see if the target would make a move.

  The hours passed by as he sat in the shady spot. It was a pleasant enough day, thankfully. Could have been a lot worse. As he waited, his mind began to wander. He started to think about Hannah.

  He drew a picture in his head of who she was, where she had come from, where she wanted to go. He imagined them together. Not in a sexual way--well, maybe a little sex was involved--but more as a couple. He thought about what it would be like to spend time together during a quiet night at home, where they would eat dinner together, what movie they would pick to watch from the comfort of his couch.

  But it wasn’t all positive thinking. There would be consequences if they started to see each other. He’d been only semi-honest with her before. He wasn’t a drug dealer. Never even touched the stuff. But was the reality really that much better? He was a thief. Plain and simple. No amount of rationalizing could get around that fact.

  There’s no way a sweet girl like that with a good head on her shoulders and clear path to future success would ever accept his way of life. And she was too smart to keep in the dark. She would find out eventually. It was inevitable.

  He eventually tilted back in the other direction. Why worry about the destination as long as the ride was worth it? And he truly believed that it would be a hell of a ride. It went beyond the fact that she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on (and she most definitely was). It also went beyond the fact that she was smart and easy to talk to. She had some other indefinable quality about her.

  Something ethereal that attracted him toward her. Even now he was amazed that he was still thinking about her. He’d never been this hung up on a girl before, especially after one day. He didn’t know how he was supposed to handle it, how to get her off his mind.

  That problem was eventually solved for him when he saw the gates to the mansion open. Brody snapped to attention. A pair of cars exited, neither of them of any interest to him. Then the nose of a third car poked out of the gate.

  Just a glimpse of the signature front grill and round headlights and Brody knew that this was the target. The car pulled out fully and now there was no doubt about it. Brody ran back to his Impala, started the engine, and began his pursuit.

  He tailed the BMW from a safe distance down the winding canyon roads. From this distance he couldn’t tell how many people were in the car. He doubted it could be more than two, unless this was the type of guy who would cram his bodyguards into the narrow backseat of the two door coupe de ville. The other cars had gone their separate ways, leaving only the target.

  So this guy, who had so much security for his home, was now driving in an old car without an escort and a maximum of one bodyguard to back him up (and quite possibly no one at all). There was something about it that didn’t add up. Brody couldn’t dwell on that for the time being. They were approaching a series of tight turns and the car could disappear from sight at any moment.

  Brody deftly maneuvered the Impala through tight turns and blind spots, always able to maintain a glimpse of the BMW just when it seemed like it would disappear into the maze of streets. He didn’t think the target was being purposely evasive, but he had to be careful.

  If he was spotted now the whole game could be up before it had really begun. Brody didn’t want to think about how Sergei would react if that was the case. Better to err on the side of caution for the time being.

  Where the hell was this guy going anyway?

  The BMW finally slowed down and pulled off the road. Brody was too far away to see exactly where it had gone. He slowed down. The plan was to do a slow drive by, hook around the block, and find a place to keep a lookout. But the plan didn’t last long. It’s always important to be able to call an audible when circumstances change.

  As Brody rolled slowly down the street he saw just how much the circumstances had changed. The BMW had pulled into a car wash. A fucking car wash. The car was on the conveyor track and the driver was heading inside.

  Come to think of it, the Impala was getting a little dusty too. Brody pulled his car onto the track behind the BMW. He got his ticket from an attendant and went inside. He headed straight for the register, where the driver was just finishing his transaction. So far Brody hadn’t seemed to have aroused any suspicion.

  The fee came to thirty dollars. Jesus Christ. Thirty bucks for a five minute spray with a hose. This fucking town, man.

  The driver had gone outside to meet his prized automobile on the other end. Brody lingered for a moment inside before following his quarry. The BMW was just emerging from the tunnel. It glistened in the bright California sun. When it came to the end of the conveyor track a wave of towel-bearing attendants pounced on it, drying it by hand quickly but carefully.

  The driver looked on like a proud father. It was the first time that Brody got a really good look at him. He was an older man who looked to be in his late forties but had to have actually been on this earth a decade more than that. His thinning hair was pulled back in a ponytail. A thick, well-trimmed beard covered the olive skin of his face. He wore silk shirt unbuttoned to the middle of his chest and several thin chains of white gold. A pair of gold plated sunglasses covered his eyes.

  When the attendants had finished, Brody saw the owner palm a hundred dollar bill to one of them. “See you next week,” he said, before getting in his car and taking off.

  Brody, not wanting to risk being made by hurrying after him with a wet car, decided that he had done enough for one day. It was getting late and he hadn’t eaten all day. Might as well pack it in and get to bed early. He’d pick up the trail again tomorrow.

  SIX

  A Chance Encounter

  Despite having other things on her mind, Hannah was able to spend the rest of the weekend studying and getting her errands done. She didn’t hear from Brody in that time. Then again, she also had not tried to contact him either. It was probably for the best, at least for the moment.

  Had he been around she wouldn’t have gotten anything done. Not only would her studies have been neglected, but she was sure that she would forget to clean or go to the grocery store if he was around to have sex with her like they had the other day.

  She of course began to wonder if he felt the same way. It was certainly possible that he had just used her for sex in stereotypical male fashion. It was possible that the whole thing had been an act. He could have used the “I’ll be there in forty-five” minutes line with any number of girls in the past. But as hard as she tried to be pessimistic, it just never stuck. She had looked into his eyes. And the eyes never lie.

  She met her friends for a Sunday night dinner. She knew that it was probably a bad idea, but she would have to face them eventually. Might as well get it over with. Perhaps they would even defy the odds and give her some good advice on the matter instead of condemning her.

  Besides, it had been too long since she’d had good Korean food. No matter how annoying her friends were there’s no way they
could ruin a bowlful of kimchi and a plate of savory bulgogi.

  Her friends, however, never ceased to amaze.

  They pecked at her with constant questions.

  “So who was that guy?” Julia asked.

  “What’s his name?” Marissa chimed in.

  “What does he do?” Kelly inquired.

  “How big is he?” Julia asked, with a sly grin.

  “So when are you guys getting married?” Marissa asked, taking a sip of her pinot grigio.

  The questions went on and on. They started in a playful way but eventually became more invasive and even malicious.

  “Why would you go home with a strange guy without telling us?” Kelly accused. “Were you trying to get yourself raped? Or killed?”

  “How do you know this guy’s not just some weirdo?” Julia cut her off, before Hannah had to chance to answer.

  Hannah endured their barbs. She assumed by their tone that they had all gone home alone that night despite the attention lavished upon them by many of the subpar beta-males at the club. It was also clear that they had spent the remainder of the weekend talking about her amongst themselves.

  The jealousy oozed out of them. It was incredibly unbecoming and by far the worst she had ever seen them act toward her. They expected her to be their boring plaything, the one they could criticize for not being any fun when they themselves made irresponsible decisions. But now that she had made a rash choice of her own they could not let her live it down. By outdoing them she had proven how trivial they really were.

  “You really think he’s going to call you again?” Marissa questioned.

  "Yes, and he already has called me since as a matter of fact." Hannah said defensively.

  “I saw his tattoos. They look like prison tattoos," declared Kelly, "do you think he’s been to jail?”

  “Do you think he even lives here?” Julia added.

  Their cruelty was incredible. Still, Hannah tried her best not to let it bother her. This wasn’t her normal mode. Part of the reason that her friends kept harping on her is because they were used to getting a reaction out of her. Today, however, she was feeling secure.

  She didn’t care what they thought of her new fling. They could run their mouths all they wanted (and they weren’t afraid to do so). On this day, nothing they said could hurt her. She calmly ate her food and looked each of them in the eye as they interrogated her. Do your worst, she thought to herself each time one of them opened their mouth.

  When the dinner came to its conclusion Hannah bid them goodbye in the warmest tone she could muster. She wanted to make absolutely certain that they knew that they were no longer capable of hurting her. She had grown beyond any criticism they could hurl at her.

  They could deny her those twelve hours about as easy as they could deny the sun from rising the next morning. Even if she never saw him again, she wouldn't trade the magic of her time with Brody for their approval nor for anything else in the world.

  ***

  The next morning she struggled to make it through class. How could she concentrate on tort reform with Brody on her mind? How many words could her professor spew before realizing that they were having no impact on her?

  She would have been better off just staying at home today. If she didn’t get to see Brody again soon she was sure that she would lose her mind. Yet she still didn’t call him. They were at a strange stalemate now, waiting for the other to be the first one to break. She was sure that he would feel equally relieved when he finally spoke to her again. It was just a matter of who would be the one to pick up the phone.

  That afternoon she had a meeting with her adviser where she was supposed to discuss her future. The adviser would surely want to discuss her job prospects and networking opportunities. But the only thing in her future that Hannah could think about was Brody. She could hardly tell that to her adviser though. Every question brought a new flood of thoughts into her mind.

  “Where do you see yourself in five years,” the adviser asked her.

  On a ranch far away from the nearest semblance of civilization where she and Brody could live in peace. No more pressure, no more cares. No one to tell them that they couldn’t be together. Just the two of them off on their own. She thought.

  But she actually said, “I’d like to be preparing to leave a private firm for a permanent position at a corporate entity.” She was more disgusted with herself after each passing word. It was not about to improve either.

  “So you want to work at a firm first?”

  No! She didn’t want to work anywhere. She didn’t want to play that game anymore. It was all such a con. “I think it would be the most valuable use of my first few years out of school. It would also provide me with much need versatility and firsthand experience.”

  “True. Have you thought about the architecture of your future going forward?”

  Yes, in fact, she had. Finally, a good question! The first thing in her future would be to call Brody. Somebody had to give in and it might as well be her. She would call him and tell him to come pick her up and never bring her back. She didn’t care where they went. She would just drive with him, drive off into the unknown, drive off into the wide expanse of America or Canada or Mexico or straight on south to Patagonia. Anywhere.

  Anywhere that he wanted to take her. She would follow him to the top of the Himalayas and the bottom of the Marianas Trench. She would endure extremes of heat and cold.

  “Obviously networking is a huge part of finding the right opportunities. But I also have a strong resume to back that up.” Hannah said.

  “You certainly do. That’s actually one of the things that I wanted to talk about with you today.” Her adviser’s words all blurred into each other. Hannah could barely focus enough to hear them. “I’m glad that you mentioned working for a law firm before dashing off into the corporate world. An old colleague of mine is recruiting for her firm and I think that the two of you should meet. I didn’t want to push you in that direction, but since it’s something that you’re interested in I’d love to help set up a meeting.”

  Apparently her adviser wasn’t very skilled at reading Hannah or else she would have picked up on the fact that this meeting was just about the last thing that she was interested in right now.

  “That would be great." Hannah forced a smile. "I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” Of course she couldn’t tell her how much she appreciated it because the amount was nonexistent.

  “Actually, I’m supposed to have lunch with her tomorrow. You should join us. Have you been to Remy’s?”

  Hannah shook her head. She had not been to Remy’s, but she was also trying to subtly hint that she didn't want to attend this lunch date either.

  “Well then you should definitely attend. Come for the arugula salad, stay for the professional networking.”

  They shared a false laugh. What a grand time they were having! Hannah couldn’t wait to be out of that office. The atmosphere was crushing and suffocating her as if she were on a dense moon of Saturn.

  The next day she dutifully set out to the lunch meeting that would doom her to a life of legal drudgery. When she arrived she found that she was overdressed in her conservative skirt, black jacket, and hair twisted into a tight bun. Her adviser and possible future-employer were dressed as if they were just coming back from the beach. This may have been a business lunch, but it was still a Los Angeles business lunch.

  She sat and listened to their lawyer banter, chiming in half-heartedly only when she felt like she absolutely had to do so. Her mind still wandered throughout the entirety of the meeting. It was the usual subject that had been plaguing her these last few days. Brody.

  She hadn’t called him like she promised herself that she would. She tried to convince herself that things were tapering off between them. But the amount that she was thinking about him proved that this was not the case, at least on her end. She even imagined that she saw him sitting across the restaurant. Now she was sure that she was goi
ng crazy.

  She tried to shake off the hallucination. She looked away and took generous sips from her glass of water. Still he was there. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Still he was there. She even went so far as to engage in conversation with the two casually dressed power brokers across from her. Still he was there. It was only at that moment that Hannah realized that she wasn’t hallucinating at all. Brody really was there, live and in the flesh.

  He didn’t seem to notice that she was there and was gazing intently out the window, barely paying attention to the salmon filet in front of him. What the hell was he doing here? He didn’t seem like the type to come to a hip, trendy restaurant like Remy’s to grab lunch by himself.

  She wondered if he would look over at her, and what his face would look like when he recognized her. Then again, he was closer to the exit than she was. It was entirely possible that he could get up and walk out without ever having seen her there. She couldn’t stand that possibility. Now that he was so close, she had to speak to him. She had to feel his skin against hers, even if just the tips of their fingers. She could no longer resist the urge. She was boiling over.

  “Excuse me,” she said to prospective mentors. “I just recognized an old friend of mine. I need to quickly say hello. I’ll be back in just a moment.”

  Before they could respond she was up and practically dashing across the restaurant. She dodged past chairs and waiters like a halfback in the open field. When she reached Brody’s table she didn’t tap him on the shoulder or say his name. She simply sat across from him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  Brody did a double take when he saw her sitting there. “Hannah,” he said through a suddenly dry mouth. “What are you doing here?”

  “I got invited to a law school lunch. What are you doing here? This doesn’t seem like your type of place.”

  “It’s not,” he said, as he returned his gaze to the window. “I’m kind of here for a work thing.”

  “What kind of work thing?”