just to explain julie's comment that jimmy's getting her pregnant was the best thing that ever happened to kirsten, since in this story kirsten clearly chose sandy.

"I'm just saying, your old car was fine," explained Sandy Cohen patiently, yet again, to his wife of four months. "I don't understand why your dad had to buy you a new one."

"He bought me the old V8 for my sixteenth birthday. That's seven years ago. Plus, he missed our wedding and he wanted to make it up to me," replied Kirsten Cohen. She, too, had repeated her opinion several times.

"But honey! That car must've cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars when it was new, and it's only seven years old now, and you've barely put seventy thousand miles on it. It's a big birthday present to buy you a new one, even if he did miss our wedding." Kirsten shrugged her small shoulders.

"It's a good car. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But Dad thought I'd like a new one…you know, he got me an automatic when I was sixteen because I'd just gotten my license and I couldn't handle a manual, but now I prefer it. Plus…I mean…I'm bored of black." She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth, but that didn't stop Sandy from jumping on them.

"He bought you a three-hundred-thousand dollar English sports car because you were bored with the color of your previous three-hundred-thousand dollar English sports car?" Kirsten winced. "Do you have any idea how much money three hundred thousand dollars is? Do you have any idea how many people could live for a year on what your father paid for you to have a car you don't even need."

"Sandy…"

"Kirsten, I love you, and I've always defended you when people have called you a spoiled Newport Beach brat, but you know what honey? You are a spoiled Newport Beach brat. Hundreds of thousands of dollars—for a car."

"It's not just a car, Sandy. It's an Aston Martin Vantage Volante, and it's…" He looked her in the eye.

"Ridiculously expensive. How are you going to pay the insurance? Neither of us makes that kind of money." She lowered her eyes. "Oh, that's right. Neither of us makes enough money to buy that kind of car, either, but it's okay: Daddy will take care of it. Kirsten, how is it that your family has so much money, but nobody ever taught you the value of a dollar?" She didn't bother answering Sandy's rhetorical question; she just stormed out of the house and climbed into her new green convertible, started the car and put it in gear and she was gone.

Jimmy Cooper's doorbell was ringing furiously. He turned to his new fiancée.

"I'll get it, Jules. You just sit tight." Planting a kiss on her soft lips, he answered the door. Kirsten Cohen stood on the doorstep, crying. When she saw Jimmy, her arms went around his neck and their lips met.

"Hey, hey, hey, Kiks, what's this?" he asked nervously, pulling away.

"You were right," she said miserably. "This is too hard. He doesn't know me—he doesn't understand." Looking right into his eyes, she said, "I should've married you." Then she was sobbing into his chest again.

"Hey…" said Jimmy, trying to soothe her as he rubbed her back. "What happened?" Kirsten sniffled.

"You remember my old car?"

"Sure, the little black Aston Martin V8. Of course I remember it. You've had that car a long time, haven't you?"

"Since my sixteenth birthday, seven years. So…you know it's been a big year, right? And my dad missed my wedding, and he's not even going to be in town for my twenty-third birthday. So he sent me my present early. It's a new Vantage Volante, and it's absolutely the coolest thing in the world."

"That's awesome," congratulated Jimmy. "But let me guess. Sandy doesn't think so?" She shook her blonde head.

"He thinks it's too expensive and I'm a spoiled brat."

"He used those exact words?" asked Jimmy, surprised. Sandy seemed like such a sweet guy.

"Actually, it was 'spoiled Newport Beach brat,' if you want the exact words," she told him.

"He can't mean that. You're the best person I know, Kiks. You're no spoiled brat; he's just not used to cars."

"But it's not just that, Jimmy. Sandy and I…I mean, he doesn't get it. He doesn't understand that because my dad's wealthy, money doesn't have to be a big deal. He doesn't get that money isn't a big deal. He just…I mean, he hears three hundred thousand dollars and he flips. I love him, but maybe we just weren't meant to be together. Maybe I should be with you; maybe I should have listened to you on my wedding day. It's not too late. Can we still run away, Jimmy, and spend our lives with people who do get it?" Jimmy sighed. He would have given so much to hear Kirsten say all that when she married Sandy. Even if it had come as recently as a week ago, even with his loving Julie, he would've had a hard time passing her up. But now…now, everything was different. Probably for the best, really—she didn't actually want to be with him; she was just mad at Sandy. If he'd been free, he just would've let Kirsten break his heart again.

"I can't, Kiks. I'm marrying Julie." She stared at him blankly.

"Why?" When he didn't answer immediately, she continued. "You said at the wedding that you didn't love her. You said that you could forget about her easily if you had me."

"And you said that you'd love me forever and that I'd be the only one," said Jimmy flatly. "But that was a long time ago. That was then…I'm in love with Julie now."

"But…"

"You've moved on. You've fallen in love. Why is it not all right for me to do the same?" Kirsten stared blankly. She hated admitting it even to herself, but Jimmy had been her "way out." A part of her liked knowing that he was pining for her, that if she ever wanted out, Jimmy would be there. And now he was marrying Julie. What?

"It is…it's just…"

"Yeah, well, she's pregnant, too, if that's what you were thinking. The wedding's next month. Your invitation should be in the mail," he finished. "Yours and Sandy's," he reminded her, almost as an afterthought. "Kiks, you know you love him…not me." She chuckled ruefully.

"I guess this is why it's hard for exes to stay friends," said Kirsten pragmatically. "This is…I mean…yes, you're right of course. I'm in love with Sandy, and I'm happy with him. It's just that there are some parts of my life that he can't seem to understand."

"Give him time. He will. Or maybe he won't. As long as he understands most of you, you've got all you've a right to ask for." She nodded.

"Yeah. I guess, well, three hundred grand may be a bit much for a car, anyway."

"It is," agreed Jimmy. "My 911 cost a lot less. But, hey, your dad's the richest guy in the county. If he wants to buy his daughter a new Aston Martin to try to make up for not being at her wedding and not being at her birthday, hey, you deserve the car."

"Jimmy!" called Julie from inside the house. "Who is it?"

"Kirsten," he called back, without thinking. "And Sandy," as an afterthought.

"I should go," Kirsten said softly. "Bye, Jimmy." She turned around and walked to the new car.