CH.14

Three days later the driving lessons between Dom and Annie were still at the same point: each time they came back, they were quarrelling for something. This time they arrived at the bar.

"You're enervating, no better you're exhausting!" said Annie to Dom preceding him into the bar.

"Oh, oh look who's talking! The expert!" replied Dom sarcastic.

She stopped to face him, her hands on her waist, aggressive: "You pretend to me something absurd!" she yelled.

"Me??? Absurd?!?" he repeated looking astonished, his tone ironical.

"Know what? I think you were wrong, maybe I don't belong near a car. It's clear: I'm not good." Declared Annie in a simple tone.

"And from where does it come this technical judgment?" asked Dom half closing his eyes.

"It's obvious. I feel it." She replied toughly.

"Oh, yeah . . . you feel it . . . " he nodded as she was unveiling a secret: "Because - you're . . . an expert?" he asked her provocative.

"I'm not but - " "Then, if you're not, you better shut up and let me take decisions!" he replied tough.

"But, maybe you just did a mistake with me . . " she made him notice: "Maybe, . . . you're wrong" she ended seductively, raising an eyebrow.

"I cannot be wrong. Because I know. I'm never wrong on this things, I know you can do it, I feel it." Said Dom shaking his head, not believing at what she was saying.

"With which part of your body you were thinking" Letty commented sarcastic passing nearby him with a beer.

"You better shut up" he warned her.

It was in that moment that Dom noticed Hector and his friend nearby the bar cheat-chatting. "You're only an arrogant sadist: you like to torture me! But I won't give you the chance to do it again!" replied Annie decisive to him. She brought a Coke and took a swallow.

"Low down your voice" said Dom warning her with his eyes about Hector's presence.

"We'll talk about this later" said Dom ending their discussion and turning to reach Vince and the others. She sighed resigned, shaking her head and turned to look around.

She glanced at Hector: he was having fun kicking with another guy an empty can. She smiled and decided to reach his group. She arrived the exact moment in which he was saying to his friend: "I'm unbeatable, resign!". He was all satisfied. "Twenty bucks, that I'll keep you the can from your feet, only with my feet, kicking" she said defiantly, interrupting his laugh. The other guys of his team started to chuckle at that.

He turned to look at her and charmingly smiled : "Hy sugar" he told her seducing. She smiled provoking at him, her eyes shining. "Why you'd want to waste your money" Hector teased her, not taking serious her bet.

"Fifty bucks that'll keep you the can and in less than three minutes" she insisted never taking her eyes out of Hector and smiling: "and one of your guys can check the time" she ended seducing.

"You're serious" he observed smiling fascinated by the idea. "Ok" accepted Hector shrugging keeping under his feet the can. Annie posed her bottle of Coke and smiled. The struggle started: Hector was a good kicker and it wasn't easy. The guys shouted inciting Hector. Even if she was a girl, he didn't gift her anything.

Attracted by all that noise, Dom came just in time to see Annie winning the bet. "Stop the time, dude" said Annie panting a little, but with the can under her foot.

"Two minutes and a half" declared the guy looking at his clock. All the others looked at her surprised.

"Money, please" said Annie with a smirk.

"How you did it" asked Hector in disbelief.

"Thank you" she said keeping the money satisfied and putting it in her jeans back pocket.

Dom was watching her.

"How I did it?" she finally answered at his question: "I'm Italian, I know three things: cooking, soccer and do sex" she ended mischievously giving a glance to Dom and grabbing again her Coke. All the guys started to laugh out loud.

"You're someone" said Hector slapping Annie on her shoulder.

Dom grinned satisfied. He wasn't wrong. She was the right one.

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"Ok. Today we'll do something different" announced Dom the day after to Annie at they're new driving lesson: "We'll go with two cars".

She frowned: "What?"

"C'mon" he grinned thinking at his plan satisfied while giving her a walkie- talkie, then they jumped on their car and went outside.

Once in the traffic he called her: "Annie?"

"Yeah, Dom?"

"Ok, here is my plan: I drive and you have to follow me. I won't wait you so keep up or.you'll be lost."

"What???????" was saying Annie astonished.

"Oh." he interrupted her: "if you lose.you'll ought me 1000$ more" said Dom very satisfied, this was definitely a good idea, he thought.

"No! Please! Dom! Wait!" was shouting Annie on the other side, but he had already closed the conversation and was speeding up.

"What a bastard!" shouted Annie trying to follow him through the traffic. He heard her reply by the open walkie- talkie and laughed at that. It was unfair what he was going to do, but necessary for her.

They started their dangerous fast race through the traffic. Dom was a great pilot and Annie got big difficulties to stay behind him. It was true: he wouldn't have waited her. He suddenly turned and did a slalom between some cars, she followed him but for all her efforts to stay back, when he did it again, faster then before, she was soon lost.

"Fuck!" she cried slamming her hand against the wheel realizing that. Good Anastasia! Now you're lost and you ought him a 1000$ more! She thought imprecating then she smiled. She'd liked that kind of chase like: "smuggler and mercs" and he was right: she'd followed him without thinking too much following her instinct, driving fast. She'd just discovered that she could drive fast and good. She blinked her eyes and looked around, the problem now was: where she was because she didn't know LA and all the streets looked the same and .she was truly lost.

It was evening when Annie finally arrived at home tired and angry. She saw him waiting her. She breathed deeply, half closing her eyes and stopped her car abruptly almost in the middle of the street. She got out of it slamming the door. She was furious.

Dom watched her quietly leaned against his car, arms crossed on his chest. He looked very relaxed: "you here finally"

"You! You dared to leave me there!" she yelled.

"Told you".

She was out of control: coming back had been much more difficult than what she'd expected. She had often taken the wrong street.

"You've come back home at the end: strong sense of orientation" he grinned.

"You bastard!" she shouted and pushed him away. She'd been suddenly scared, she'd forgot the name of the street and she'd had to go on just with her photographic memory which it hadn't been easy: for a while she'd thought to be lost. Only her stubbornness had saved her to stop her car on a side and call for a cab. Yes her stubbornness and her lack of money. So now all her worries had come out.

"It wasn't bad until you were back to me" he told her: "You've learned something today" he added: "Told you to better keep up, it wouldn't have been easy".

"You!" she suddenly cried trying to slap him but he prevented her movement and held her wrist twisting it on her back and slamming her against him.

She breathed hard, distraught by the fear she'd felt, the tiredness and. the contact with him. He had to guess that because he smiled triumphant: "I like when you're so wild" he whispered her while she struggled to free herself. "Dom - please!" she tried to say while pushing him with her free hand on his chest. But he tightened his hold pushing her up to him, making her stand on the tip of her feet. His face was near to her, she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. "Leave me - I - Can't breath!!" she protested. "Shut up" he told her peremptory and kissed her wildly.

When he raised up, she breathed hard and looked confused at him. She didn't try to fight, it was useless and she had no more forces.

"You're a strange cocktail of confusion and sensuality." Said Dom while caressing her face with the back of his free hand: "I like that" he whispered and grabbing her at her nape of the neck, he kissed her again. This time the kiss was gentle slow and soft. They took their time to explore each other and soon they forgot the rest of the world.

The sudden sound of steps made them come back to reality: someone was coming. "Dom?" it was Letty calling him.

They detached immediately, fortunately hidden by the darkness of the night. Half covered by his car. Annie slipped away from him breathing hard. She blinked her eyes confused.

He frowned breathing hard too. "You cannot run away from me" he whispered her. "It's useless. You ought me" he ended decisive and walked away.

Dom reached Letty and put his arm around her shoulders starting to go back home when he suddenly turned: "Oh . . . ! And 'bout my driving lessons, . . . parking is not included among them, but I'll give you some free tip-off if you want". His tone arrogant, filled with irony, his lips bent in a grin. She glanced at the car she'd left in the middle of the street . Letty laughed at that and they both got home leaving Anastasia there: alone in the darkness. A tear crossed her face. Why you let him play with you? You never learn! She told bitterly to herself. He's using you! She repeated feeling so sad, confused and lonely in that moment.

She came back home and went immediately in her room. Mia saw her running fast upstairs and frowned. Something was wrong.

When Dom passed nearby her sister she stopped him, placing a hand on his forearm: "What did you do?" asked Mia softly but firm to him.

Dom looked at his sister, frowning but didn't answer, he tried to free his arm from her hold.

She tightened it. "Don't make her suffer. Don't you dare!" she admonished him serious. They exchanged a long look. His eyes thoughtful then, with a decisive gesture, he freed his arm, just in time for Letty to come and take his attention.

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