Two weeks passed and as Laura's birthday got closer she couldn't help but feel excited. Over the past fortnight they had all helped her work on the Skyline. All the performance parts were installed and they were now finishing the paint job. She had chosen black metallic paint and she was going to apply silver flame vinyl around the bodykit. She also had pulsing white neon's around the bottom of the car and gorgeous 18" alloys. She was really proud of how it had turned out and couldn't wait for her first test run.
Laura had given up waiting for the mysterious guy to turn up. He hadn't shown up at either the store or the garage since she spoke to him that Saturday and she truthfully wasn't bothered, she was too busy with her car! She had decided against telling either Mia or Dom though, just in case he did decide to show up again.
"Hey Laura, you lookin' forward to Friday?" Vince asked her while he helped her strip off the masking tape around the front vents.
"Yeah, I can't wait!"
Dom had told her that since the car would be ready by Friday and since she would be accustom to driving it by then she could turn up at races in it. She wasn't going to try and race for a while yet, considering she hadn't driven anything in over 6 months. She was hardly going to be ready for a high spead, 10 second race!
"Well, that's the paint done, now that its dry how 'bout we apply the vinyls…"Laura jumped up and down excitedly,
"Totally, that means it'll be done by the end of today!"
Mia helped her apply the silver flames around the base of the Skyline and also put some decals on the front and back windscreens. By 6.30 the car stood finished on the ramp and Laura was dying to get in and drive it. As she ran her hand along the hood and stared with disbelief at the beauty of it, she had to pinch herself. Was this car really hers? Dom came out from the back and smiled as he watched her touch the car as if it were alive.
"I guess you wanna get out on the road now? Leon, you wanna do the honours?" Dom watched as her eyes lit up at the mention of driving.
Leon grinned and nodded. Laura giggled excitedly and got into the drivers seat.
"Now Laura, you may stall the first few times when you try to pull off. It's a lot different to a normal car…"
Laura started the engine and immediately her breath caught in her throat as she heard the purr of the engine. All other sounds seemed to fade away as she put her hand on the gear stick and held her foot in on the clutch. She noticed the clutch was heavier than the one in her VW Golf she had driven at home. She could hear Leon in the background telling her to remember to put the clutch back in when it stalled…she didn't listen, she knew she wouldn't need his advice. She put the car into first and let the clutch out steady… the Skyline skidded away from the garage and as she turned onto the road and changed into second and then third she heard the team whistling and shouting from behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the look of disbelief on Leon's face.
As she changed up the gears, letting the sound of the engine guide her, she sped up the highway, along the coast. Leon stayed silent beside her. She knew he was shocked at her abilityat driving so well,
"Hey you're very quiet over there…surprised are we?" she grinned at him as they stopped at a red light.
"Yeah! You said you haven't driven in months. And most people stall when they first drive a performance car, especially a Skyline…the clutch is way heavier than usual. You did good though girl, I'm well impressed."
"Thanks. My Dad always told me I had a talent when it came to driving, he said I was a natural…"
"He was right. Tell you what…it's a quarter mile from these lights to the next set. I'll time you, see what sorta time you get…you up for that?"
"Sure…"
Leon got his cell phone out so he could use the stopwatch. Laura zoned out, listening to the steady rumble of the engine. She put it into first and steadied her breathing as she waited for the lights to change. Two seconds later they were off. She moved up the gears with ease and could feel her heart pounding as she reached 140mph. They passed the second set of lights and Laura slowed up and pulled into a car park beside the beach. She looked over at Leon to see him grinning at her. He understood what she was feeling. No matter how many times you raced the buzz was always the same, always as intense.
Laura's breathing was fast and heavy and she was still so worked up after the rush she had just felt that she couldn't help but lean over and kiss Leon. He was surprised but held her tight as she pushed her lips onto his. Her kiss was rough and needy and all she could think about was ripping his clothes off. She knew by the way he was returning her kiss and gripping her sides that he felt the same way. Finally Leon gently pushed her away,
"I need to breathe…" he said as he looked at her, grinning, his eyes full of lust. As they sat in silence, trying to calm themselves and stop themselves from pouncing on each other again Laura started to laugh,
"Oh god…I need to race on Friday…"
Leon looked at her; she could see the doubt in his face,
"Laura you're good, but I don't thinkyou're ready yet."
She felta little hurtbut wasn't going to back down,
"Look, it's Wednesday. We've got two days before Friday night. I can practise loads. I'm ready Leon. I may not win but the only person who is sure they're going to win is Dom!"
He sat looking at her for a minute, deep in thought. He knew she was aware of the risks. She had been to three races with them now and knew what she was getting herself into,
"Ok. I'll talk to Dom about it. You do realise he'll wanna take you out to see how good you are himself and that's sometimes scarier than racing!"
"I don't care Leon, I wanna do this… it'd be a great birthday present…another one…" she smiled, knowing he couldn't resist her plea.
He nodded his head and smiled,
"Well then, we've got a couple of busy days ahead of us."
As they drove back home Laura couldn't stop thinking how great Friday would be. Not only was it her nineteenth birthday but it would be the first time she'd be racing. Life just kept getting better and better…