Chapter 18 - A home of her own
Kat remembered she'd never told them where the house was. "Oh yeah, right. The place is called Echo Park. You guys wanna go see it? I have the keys. We don't officially own it till Wednesday though."
"Of course we wanna see it. Lead on." Kale told her and they paid the bill and left. They climbed into the Eclipse and Kat drove to the house.
"Wow, it is big." Sean said with some aw in his voice. The house was two stories and a bit of an attic. It was a pretty pale grey color. It had a nice sized lawn and a two car garage. Kat let them in and took them on a tour. She told them that she was claiming the room with it's own bathroom and the guys just laughed. As the girl they would have made her take the big room even if she'd tried to take a smaller one. But being Kat, she just claimed what she wanted for hers like she always did.
They left and went home.
Tuesday went so slow for Kat. She wasn't coming in the next day because they were moving into their new house and they were going furniture shopping. Kat couldn't wait. And it made her fidgety. She made it through and went home to the old apartment for the last time.
"Well, you guys all packed?" She asked them.
"Yes mother." The chimed in unison, like they knew that was coming. She laughed and went to finish her packing. She was picking up the truck from the Racer's edge the next morning to use to move. Harry had insisted.
She was quietly packing up her stuff. She was aware of being vaguely melancholy about leaving the old 'hood. She'd lived down here for the last 4 years. She'd gotten use to it and in some ways she was gonna miss it. In a lot of other ways she was glad they'd finally have a normal life and be able to park their cars at there own house without worrying about finding them gone or stripped the next day, and be able to have people over without an armed escort off their street.
Kat found it hard to sleep and the morning was forever coming. They loaded their meager possessions into the truck and drove the 20 minutes to their new house. Everything they were keeping fit in one truckload. Everyone was getting new beds and they really hadn't had any furniture in the old house. They had to buy appliances too.
They unloaded the truck and went to return it then go do some shopping. Kat drove the truck and Stacy hopped in it with her. Sean and Kale followed in the Eclipse. It was such a fun car to drive around in when the weather was nice. She knew the guys preferred it cause it had more room then the interior of her skyline. They arrived at the Racer's Edge and parked the truck. She went inside to find Harry and Stacy followed her in. Harry was at the counter. "Kitten, how'd it go? You all done already?" Harry asked as he walked out around the counter to greet her. He pulled her into a quick hug.
"Yeah, all done. I told you we didn't have a lot of stuff." She told him then introduced Harry to Stacy. Something bugged Stacy about Harry, but not in a bad way, just he knew there was something about the man he should clue into. He couldn't figure it out, but Harry did seem to look out for Kat just like they assumed he did. Which was good, because the guys all knew something was up between Kat and that Dom Torreto guy and they worried about Dom hassling her at work. Especially since Dom's best friend was technically Kat's boss, but now Stacy knew that Harry would never let Dom hurt Kat. The two men shook hands and Stacy added his thanks for the use of the truck and then they joined the rest of the team in the convertible.
"So guys, time for your favorite activity, shopping." Kat exclaimed. Three groans met her statement, the guys, like typical men, hated to shop for anything but beer and food. "Oh come on. You have to help me pick out furniture. I can't do it all on my own."
"Why not? We don't care what we sit on Kitten. It's all the same to us." Kale told her.
"Yeah, it's not like we give a care about colors or styles. Long as we have a comfortable place to watch sports." Sean told her.
"Guys, I am not furnishing a whole house on my own." The statement was made in a tone that allowed for no argument. While Kat knew they had enough money left in the bank to buy whatever furniture they wanted she didn't figure they had to go crazy. For some stuff used would do. So they hit the used furniture place first. She got a sweet leather living room set and the appliances they needed there. They got a dining room set at another used furniture store, and at the same store Kale got a bedroom set.
They went to a new furniture store and Kat saw an oak bedroom set she loved. It was more then she wanted to spend so she walked away. The guys looked at it and figured it was what every little girl would have loved to have but Kitten never had a chance. It had a queen sleigh bed, an 8 drawer double dresser with an arched mirror for over it, a 5 drawer highboy and a huge armoire. They drug her back over to it and then told the sales man they'd take it. Kat protested but it was one of those things that she couldn't win. It was gonna be delivered that day so she'd have it for that night. They found bedroom stuff for the guys as well, one at the new store and one at the next used place. Then they went shopping for electronics.
They refused to skimp on this addition to the house. They bought a big screen TV for the living room and a home theater, DVD, VCR and stereo to go with it. They bought a small TV for the kitchen. Kat got a small TV for her room.
Kat then insisted they go looking for bedding and curtains and blinds. The guys were ready to stop now. It was more then enough shopping for them for the day. But they followed her to Walmart with a sigh. They knew she wasn't stopping till she felt done. She got blinds, curtains, bedding, towels, shower curtains, kitchen stuff, the guys were amazed at how much stuff she figured they needed right away.
They went and laughed at the Walmart car stuff, stickers that said 'racing' and 'NOS' being sold at Walmart. Then they checked out and somehow managed to cram all their stuff into the small trunk of the Eclipse. It just barely closed and then they drove home and carted it all in. The deliveries started to arrive soon after they got home and they spent the rest of the day putting stuff away and setting stuff up.
By that night everything was put away and they were all moved in. They went to bed early, they were all tired. Kat couldn't remember the last time she slept so well. And she no longer had to worry about bugs. She got up and enjoyed some juice in her nice, big, clean kitchen and then headed out to work.
Work was pretty uneventful. She had pretty much a standard day then headed home. She was out working under the Supra. Shawn had bought the intercooler and the exhaust system for it and she was installing it for something to do. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a bikini top. No matter how much the guys yelled at her about safety she never wore more then that when she worked on the cars at home. She had the car up on axel stands and she was lying on a creeper under the engine.
Leon decided to walk to the store down the street for some beer and chips. Dom was driving him insane and he had to get away. He could drive but it really was only 4 blocks down the street. Seemed kinda lazy to drive. Plus walking would take longer.
He walked by this house on his street that had been empty for quite some time and saw curtains up in the windows. Then he noticed the car up in the air in the driveway with a pair of what he would swear were ladies legs sticking out from under it. He walked closer. He studied the long lightly tanned legs. He knew those legs.
"God damn it."
Leon knew that expletive as well. That was Kat. He wondered what she was doing working on cars in his neighbourhood.
"For fuck's sake." She swore again, and mumbled about the 'god damn pipe' and Leon heard some clanking noises. He used the toe of his shoe to haul the creeper out from under the car.
He pulled a very irate Kat out from under the car sucking on her thumb. Her very dirty, and now slightly bloody thumb.
"Damn it Sean, did I ask you to help me? I'm not done." She opened her eyes and looked up into eyes not deep brown but brilliant green.
She came out spiting fire and she was one of the sexiest sights Leon ever saw, grease on her nose, sucking on her cut thumb, hair everywhere, dressed in very short jean cutoffs that rode very low and lose on her hips, and a stars and strips pattered bikini top. Leon asked himself who worked on cars dressed like that.
"Oh hi Leon. I wasn't expecting you to be around. How did you find out where I lived?" She stood up with the help of the hand he offered her.
"You live here?" Leon asked her incredulously.
"No I work on strangers cars all the time. I just stop and add HKS exhausts to them all the time." She said sarcastically. "Of course I live here."
"It's a small world. We live in that white house with the cement step across the street and down 4 houses." Leon pointed.
"No shit?" Kat asked him with a very surprised look on her face.
"That's where we live." He confirmed.
"Well then this is a small world." She gave Leon a sunny smile. Worse things could happen then finding out the cute guy you sorta liked lived right across the street, she told herself. "So whatyadoin'?"
"Goin' to the store. Wanna come?" She was unconsciously playing with a small drop of oil on her tummy. Leon watched her finger move the oil in circles.
"Um sure, let me grab a shirt." She told him and went to run into the house.
"You can go like you are, this is a pretty easy goin' neighbourhood." Leon told her and groaned inwardly, realizing he sounded like a letch.
"Ok, but people are gonna think I'm some dirty kid you baby sit. I look like a 12 year old who's been playing in the mud." She looked down at herself in disgust.
"You look good." Oh god he sounded like Vince after Mia. Like you look good in a gruff voice was some big compliment to a girl. Only he guessed it was an ok compliment to Kat cause she positively beamed at him. And no way would she ever look 12 to him.
"Thank you." She told him. "But shouldn't I wipe the grease off myself first?"
"Naw, you look so cute with the smudge on your nose. Trust me, everyone'll be jealous of me for being with you."
"Ok, in this case, and in this case only flattery will get you everywhere." She laughed and walked over to the sidewalk. "Let's go."
Sean watched her go with a smile. He hoped that Leon was the guy for Kat. It was about time that Kat found someone. But god help the man if he ever hurt her. Sean watched them till they left his line of sight. Kat was talking a mile a minute and gesturing like she always did and Leon was just smiling at her indulgently and listening intently to every word. Sean didn't like Leon's friend much but he could yet to find fault with Leon himself.
Kat was telling Leon about the engine and exhaust she had planned for the Supra. He made comments occasionally but mostly just let her talk. She was so animated while she spoke about things she was passionate about. Leon found himself wishing she'd talk about him that way to people. But she'd made it clear that she didn't want to have a relationship with him and he didn't want to get attached to her when she'd so obvious that she didn't want more then friendship from him.
But that didn't mean he wasn't going to get to know her better. He figured you never knew what could change. Maybe they'd come to realize they were perfect for each other.
They arrived at the little corner store and Leon got Corona and chips and picked out a video to watch that evening. Kat got her old standby of cherry coke and Fundip. She started to eat a package of the candy and Leon watched the clerk look at Kat like she was the candy stick and he wanted to dip her in sugar and lick her off. As Leon watched her little pink tongue clean the powder off that thing he had the same though. But he didn't want to share the thought with the punk behind the counter.
"You ready Kat?" He asked and held his hand out to her. If she took his hand then the guy behind the counter would hopefully take the hint. She took his hand with a smile and followed him out of the store still holding his hand. Leon caught the look of disappointment on the kid's face. No one messed with the Torreto's in this neighbourhood so if the kid thought Kat was his girl he wouldn't even go there.
Holding Leon's hand felt natural to Kat and when he didn't let go when they left the store she didn't fight him. They started walking back toward their houses. Leon could smell her hair. She smelled like oranges, grease, and something Leon suspected was roses. "So what are you doin' tonight Kat?"
"Well, the plan is to work on the car till the light gives out then maybe watch a flick with the boys. It's Thursday so I don't have much planned." She answered.
"You wanna come watch this movie" he held up the case, "'the Transporter' with us? I'm sure it'll be fine. Since you're new to the 'hood and I'm just being neighbourly."
"I'd love to, but will you let me change first this time?" She giggled. "I don't want to go to someone else's house dressed like a skank and with half a garage of dirt and grease on me."
"Well, if you think you have to change then I guess I'll be the gentleman and say that it's fine. But you don't look like a skank, and you're not that dirty." She gave him a look, half thanking him for the compliment and half knowledge she knew he was sucking up to her.
"Great, you can wait in the house while I do that." She said and hauled him into her house.
"Hey guys this is Leon. I'm gonna go watch a movie at his place. Don't harass him too much while I change. Oh and Leon, this is Sean, Kale and Stacy. They don't bite. Hard anyway." She laughed and ran up the stairs.
"So how do you know Kat?" Stacy asked the skinny white boy.
"Um, well, her boss Brian is a good friend of mine. He races for my friend. We're all sort of a team I guess." Leon answered, trying not to be nervous. He felt the same way he did when he took his first girlfriend out for the first time and her father gave him the third degree.
"So where's your house at Bro?" Kale asked.
"It's the white house across the street and down 4 houses. It has my yellow skyline at the end of the driveway and Letty's purple Nissan 240 out front on the street." Leon answered. Sean just nodded.
Kat was upstairs trying to decide what to wear. She didn't want to look preppy, but she didn't want to look skanky either. She wanted to look like a girl, and that was not a feeling she'd ever had before. She had never though of looking feminine before. She picked out a leather skirt and put it back cause she wanted to be comfortable as well if she was just kicking around Leon's house.
She pulled on a pair of baby blue velour track pants that were cut low, to the line at the bottom of her tummy, and then she pulled on a white tank top with the word kitten on it in rhinestones. She put on her white and pink sketchers with the sparkly sides and smoothed out her hair. She figured she'd do and headed down to rescue Leon from the guys.
They weren't harassing him, Kat discovered. They were all talking cars. Kat smiled. That meant they liked him.
"Ok, I'm ready. This isn't too casual is it?" She asked, gesturing at her outfit.
"Naw, you look good." Again, with the 'you look good'. Leon shook his head mentally. But again she smiled and walked up to him.
"You ready, or do you guys wanna finish talkin' first?"
"We're ready, we was just talkin' cars."
They went out the front door and crossed the street. They walked toward Leon's house.
"You sure this is cool Leon? I don't wanna start shit for you wit your team."
"It'll be fine. Just don't expect Dom to wanna talk and stuff. He'll be alright though." Leon wasn't all that concerned. He knew Dom would be mad at him in some ways but Leon figured Dom wouldn't say anything, at least till Kat went home. After all, everyone liked her but Dom. And probably Letty. Who'd still be pissed off she lost. They walked into the house and Leon went to put the beer in the fridge.
Kat followed him straight to the kitchen on his heals. She didn't want to be alone in the house at all. If Leon was around she felt safe. She leaned on the counter while he put stuff away. He turned to her and noticed her nervous look.
"No one's gonna bite you know. It'll be fine." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You want a beer?"
"Naw, I don't like beer." She made a face like she'd tasted something really vile.
"That's like saying you don't like cars around here girl, how do you not like Corona?"
"It all tastes like crap to me dude, it doesn't matter what kind it is. I can't tell the difference anyway." Kat said, pinched look of distaste still on her face.
"Ok, I knew you were strange, but not that strange. Imagine not liking Corona." He shook his head, a mock look of wonder on his face. Kat punched him in the shoulder.
"I'm not weird. Lots of people don't like beer. I'm one of 'em." Leon shook his head.
"Do you want something else? We got rum and tequila too."
"Naw, I'll just have a soda, whatever's handy. Member what I said about me and liquor? It wouldn't be a good idea." She watched Leon put ice in a mug and add coke to it. He handed her the drink and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
"It goes faster if someone does this in advance." He said, gesturing at the appliance. "The microwave is fussy and if anyone but Mia or me tries to use it, it doesn't tend to work. They'll all be yellen' for popcorn anyway but if we feed them first, they stay quiet. Well all but Vince. He's never quiet." They laughed together.
"Hey, I heard that." Vince said from the doorway of the kitchen. "But he's right, it's likely easier for him to just make the popcorn so you all don't have to listen to me or Dom curse at the thing or beat on it." Vince grinned. "How you doin' Miss Kat?"
"I'm fine Vince, and how are you?" Kat answered in her best southern accent. Leon laughed and just as Vince was about to continue carrying on with her Dom entered the kitchen.
"You get a movie Leon?" He asked; he hadn't seen Kat yet because of where she was standing.
"Yeah Dawg, I got 'The Transporter'. It promises to deliver what xXx and some other movie, I forget the name, failed to do." Leon rhymed off what he had read on the box of the movie. The three men laughed, then Dom saw Kat standing in his kitchen, going out of her way to look only between Vince and Leon.
Dom couldn't believe that Leon had brought the girl to their house. Hanging out with her at races and Brian working with her was bad enough. They didn't need her in their house. Dom figured that Kat already knew he didn't like her.
"So, why are you here Kat?" He asked bluntly. There went Leon's theory that Dom would just ignore her.
Kat just gave Vince an even more studied look and ignored Dom and his question all together. Leon answered.
"I asked her Dawg. I walked past her house on the way to the store and then I asked her to see this movie with us. Since she's new to the neighbourhood I figured it was the neighbourly thing to do." Leon gave Dom a slightly pleading look, like please don't embarrass yourself, and us by proxy. Dom failed to take the hint.
"What do you mean you walked by her house on the way to the store? What store did you go to?"
"Same store as I always go to Bro. They moved into that huge place across the street down a few houses. You know the one I mean."
"Convenient. You just happened to move to a new house almost right next door to me huh?" Dom spoke directly to Kat even though she had yet to acknowledge his presence.
Kat couldn't let that one slide. "Yep, it was a coincidence, but there was nothing convenient about it. Believe me, if I had known you were so close they could've been given that house away and I wouldn't have taken it. What about you makes you think that I give a fuck where you live? I didn't come here to see you. Dom if you died I wouldn't buy you life." She delivered that statement totally deadpan. Vince looked shocked.
"Oh real." Dom was cut off by Leon.
"Dom! Enough. I do live here right?" Dom nodded. That was obvious at least. "Then I hope I can have a friend over to watch a movie without you goin' nuts." Dom sighed but nodded.
The microwave beeped and Dom left the kitchen. Leon put the popcorn in a bowl.
"He'll get over it, just give it time." Leon told her.
"I don't much care if he gets over it, as long as I don't have to fight him all the time. You saw how I tried not to get involved. He can hate me all he wants if he can just do it quietly. A girl racer is used to not being liked by guys, just most of 'em settle for snide looks and little petty comments, not this all out verbal war that Dickhea. I mean Dom, seems intent on." They all laughed. They popped another bag of popcorn and headed to the living room.
Mia and Brian said hello, as did Jesse. Letty gave her a slightly less dirty look then Kat was use to from her but didn't say anything. Rome stood up, he was still staying with Brian for awhile.
"If it isn't my home girl Kat." He smiled and walked up to her. He did the same handshake with her as she did with Edwin. "How you liven' Kat?"
"Good Bro, how you liken' LA?" She asked as Rome walked her over to a quiet corner of the room. Leon frowned.
"Not bad, not bad. But I need to get outta the house and find some action. You know where a Brotha can get hooked up?"
"Well, depends on what you mean by hooked up." No matter what it was Kat knew where Rome would have to go for it but it would be different depending on what he wanted.
"I wanna go out, dance, have a good time." Rome told her.
"Whatoya dance to?"
"Anything if you'll dance with me girl," He winked at her, "but hip hop, dance, anything fast."
"Then you need to hit Voodoo. And I could be persuaded to show you the way on Saturday if you wouldn't mind if the boys came with." Kat hadn't been out in a while. Going dancing sounded like fun.
"The more the merrier. We'll talk more about it later." She nodded. She noticed Leon did not look happy. She tossed Rome a smile and walked over to Leon.
"Where do ya wanna sit?" All the seats but a big chair and the floor were taken.
"How 'bout the chair? You can sit on me with your back on the arm." He suggested. He didn't know if she'd go for it. He wanted to make a statement about who she was here with. But he thought she might find that too much for a 'just friends' relationship.
"Sounds good." She smiled. She liked Leon and that was sure to piss Dom off. That thought made her smile more. Leon tossed the movie to Jesse to load up and sat down. Kat settled across him. The movie started and it was good. However, Kat was never much good at watching movies. She either got fidgety or she fell asleep. She was so comfortable that the later happened and she fell asleep with her legs draped over one arm of the chair, her back against the other arm, and her head on Leon's shoulder. Leon realized she was asleep and looked down at her. Mia noticed Kat just as the movie ended.
"Aw that is so cute. Why don't you just carry her up to the spare room and let her sleep Leon?" Dom shot Mia a dirty look.
"Naw, I'm gonna run her home. Her friends'd worry if she didn't come home." Mia nodded and Dom gave him a look like that was exactly why he didn't want her around. Leon carried Kat to his car and set her inside. He didn't want to wake her, but he didn't want to try to carry her home either. He started the car up and backed out of the drive. Kat woke up.
Kat remembered she'd never told them where the house was. "Oh yeah, right. The place is called Echo Park. You guys wanna go see it? I have the keys. We don't officially own it till Wednesday though."
"Of course we wanna see it. Lead on." Kale told her and they paid the bill and left. They climbed into the Eclipse and Kat drove to the house.
"Wow, it is big." Sean said with some aw in his voice. The house was two stories and a bit of an attic. It was a pretty pale grey color. It had a nice sized lawn and a two car garage. Kat let them in and took them on a tour. She told them that she was claiming the room with it's own bathroom and the guys just laughed. As the girl they would have made her take the big room even if she'd tried to take a smaller one. But being Kat, she just claimed what she wanted for hers like she always did.
They left and went home.
Tuesday went so slow for Kat. She wasn't coming in the next day because they were moving into their new house and they were going furniture shopping. Kat couldn't wait. And it made her fidgety. She made it through and went home to the old apartment for the last time.
"Well, you guys all packed?" She asked them.
"Yes mother." The chimed in unison, like they knew that was coming. She laughed and went to finish her packing. She was picking up the truck from the Racer's edge the next morning to use to move. Harry had insisted.
She was quietly packing up her stuff. She was aware of being vaguely melancholy about leaving the old 'hood. She'd lived down here for the last 4 years. She'd gotten use to it and in some ways she was gonna miss it. In a lot of other ways she was glad they'd finally have a normal life and be able to park their cars at there own house without worrying about finding them gone or stripped the next day, and be able to have people over without an armed escort off their street.
Kat found it hard to sleep and the morning was forever coming. They loaded their meager possessions into the truck and drove the 20 minutes to their new house. Everything they were keeping fit in one truckload. Everyone was getting new beds and they really hadn't had any furniture in the old house. They had to buy appliances too.
They unloaded the truck and went to return it then go do some shopping. Kat drove the truck and Stacy hopped in it with her. Sean and Kale followed in the Eclipse. It was such a fun car to drive around in when the weather was nice. She knew the guys preferred it cause it had more room then the interior of her skyline. They arrived at the Racer's Edge and parked the truck. She went inside to find Harry and Stacy followed her in. Harry was at the counter. "Kitten, how'd it go? You all done already?" Harry asked as he walked out around the counter to greet her. He pulled her into a quick hug.
"Yeah, all done. I told you we didn't have a lot of stuff." She told him then introduced Harry to Stacy. Something bugged Stacy about Harry, but not in a bad way, just he knew there was something about the man he should clue into. He couldn't figure it out, but Harry did seem to look out for Kat just like they assumed he did. Which was good, because the guys all knew something was up between Kat and that Dom Torreto guy and they worried about Dom hassling her at work. Especially since Dom's best friend was technically Kat's boss, but now Stacy knew that Harry would never let Dom hurt Kat. The two men shook hands and Stacy added his thanks for the use of the truck and then they joined the rest of the team in the convertible.
"So guys, time for your favorite activity, shopping." Kat exclaimed. Three groans met her statement, the guys, like typical men, hated to shop for anything but beer and food. "Oh come on. You have to help me pick out furniture. I can't do it all on my own."
"Why not? We don't care what we sit on Kitten. It's all the same to us." Kale told her.
"Yeah, it's not like we give a care about colors or styles. Long as we have a comfortable place to watch sports." Sean told her.
"Guys, I am not furnishing a whole house on my own." The statement was made in a tone that allowed for no argument. While Kat knew they had enough money left in the bank to buy whatever furniture they wanted she didn't figure they had to go crazy. For some stuff used would do. So they hit the used furniture place first. She got a sweet leather living room set and the appliances they needed there. They got a dining room set at another used furniture store, and at the same store Kale got a bedroom set.
They went to a new furniture store and Kat saw an oak bedroom set she loved. It was more then she wanted to spend so she walked away. The guys looked at it and figured it was what every little girl would have loved to have but Kitten never had a chance. It had a queen sleigh bed, an 8 drawer double dresser with an arched mirror for over it, a 5 drawer highboy and a huge armoire. They drug her back over to it and then told the sales man they'd take it. Kat protested but it was one of those things that she couldn't win. It was gonna be delivered that day so she'd have it for that night. They found bedroom stuff for the guys as well, one at the new store and one at the next used place. Then they went shopping for electronics.
They refused to skimp on this addition to the house. They bought a big screen TV for the living room and a home theater, DVD, VCR and stereo to go with it. They bought a small TV for the kitchen. Kat got a small TV for her room.
Kat then insisted they go looking for bedding and curtains and blinds. The guys were ready to stop now. It was more then enough shopping for them for the day. But they followed her to Walmart with a sigh. They knew she wasn't stopping till she felt done. She got blinds, curtains, bedding, towels, shower curtains, kitchen stuff, the guys were amazed at how much stuff she figured they needed right away.
They went and laughed at the Walmart car stuff, stickers that said 'racing' and 'NOS' being sold at Walmart. Then they checked out and somehow managed to cram all their stuff into the small trunk of the Eclipse. It just barely closed and then they drove home and carted it all in. The deliveries started to arrive soon after they got home and they spent the rest of the day putting stuff away and setting stuff up.
By that night everything was put away and they were all moved in. They went to bed early, they were all tired. Kat couldn't remember the last time she slept so well. And she no longer had to worry about bugs. She got up and enjoyed some juice in her nice, big, clean kitchen and then headed out to work.
Work was pretty uneventful. She had pretty much a standard day then headed home. She was out working under the Supra. Shawn had bought the intercooler and the exhaust system for it and she was installing it for something to do. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a bikini top. No matter how much the guys yelled at her about safety she never wore more then that when she worked on the cars at home. She had the car up on axel stands and she was lying on a creeper under the engine.
Leon decided to walk to the store down the street for some beer and chips. Dom was driving him insane and he had to get away. He could drive but it really was only 4 blocks down the street. Seemed kinda lazy to drive. Plus walking would take longer.
He walked by this house on his street that had been empty for quite some time and saw curtains up in the windows. Then he noticed the car up in the air in the driveway with a pair of what he would swear were ladies legs sticking out from under it. He walked closer. He studied the long lightly tanned legs. He knew those legs.
"God damn it."
Leon knew that expletive as well. That was Kat. He wondered what she was doing working on cars in his neighbourhood.
"For fuck's sake." She swore again, and mumbled about the 'god damn pipe' and Leon heard some clanking noises. He used the toe of his shoe to haul the creeper out from under the car.
He pulled a very irate Kat out from under the car sucking on her thumb. Her very dirty, and now slightly bloody thumb.
"Damn it Sean, did I ask you to help me? I'm not done." She opened her eyes and looked up into eyes not deep brown but brilliant green.
She came out spiting fire and she was one of the sexiest sights Leon ever saw, grease on her nose, sucking on her cut thumb, hair everywhere, dressed in very short jean cutoffs that rode very low and lose on her hips, and a stars and strips pattered bikini top. Leon asked himself who worked on cars dressed like that.
"Oh hi Leon. I wasn't expecting you to be around. How did you find out where I lived?" She stood up with the help of the hand he offered her.
"You live here?" Leon asked her incredulously.
"No I work on strangers cars all the time. I just stop and add HKS exhausts to them all the time." She said sarcastically. "Of course I live here."
"It's a small world. We live in that white house with the cement step across the street and down 4 houses." Leon pointed.
"No shit?" Kat asked him with a very surprised look on her face.
"That's where we live." He confirmed.
"Well then this is a small world." She gave Leon a sunny smile. Worse things could happen then finding out the cute guy you sorta liked lived right across the street, she told herself. "So whatyadoin'?"
"Goin' to the store. Wanna come?" She was unconsciously playing with a small drop of oil on her tummy. Leon watched her finger move the oil in circles.
"Um sure, let me grab a shirt." She told him and went to run into the house.
"You can go like you are, this is a pretty easy goin' neighbourhood." Leon told her and groaned inwardly, realizing he sounded like a letch.
"Ok, but people are gonna think I'm some dirty kid you baby sit. I look like a 12 year old who's been playing in the mud." She looked down at herself in disgust.
"You look good." Oh god he sounded like Vince after Mia. Like you look good in a gruff voice was some big compliment to a girl. Only he guessed it was an ok compliment to Kat cause she positively beamed at him. And no way would she ever look 12 to him.
"Thank you." She told him. "But shouldn't I wipe the grease off myself first?"
"Naw, you look so cute with the smudge on your nose. Trust me, everyone'll be jealous of me for being with you."
"Ok, in this case, and in this case only flattery will get you everywhere." She laughed and walked over to the sidewalk. "Let's go."
Sean watched her go with a smile. He hoped that Leon was the guy for Kat. It was about time that Kat found someone. But god help the man if he ever hurt her. Sean watched them till they left his line of sight. Kat was talking a mile a minute and gesturing like she always did and Leon was just smiling at her indulgently and listening intently to every word. Sean didn't like Leon's friend much but he could yet to find fault with Leon himself.
Kat was telling Leon about the engine and exhaust she had planned for the Supra. He made comments occasionally but mostly just let her talk. She was so animated while she spoke about things she was passionate about. Leon found himself wishing she'd talk about him that way to people. But she'd made it clear that she didn't want to have a relationship with him and he didn't want to get attached to her when she'd so obvious that she didn't want more then friendship from him.
But that didn't mean he wasn't going to get to know her better. He figured you never knew what could change. Maybe they'd come to realize they were perfect for each other.
They arrived at the little corner store and Leon got Corona and chips and picked out a video to watch that evening. Kat got her old standby of cherry coke and Fundip. She started to eat a package of the candy and Leon watched the clerk look at Kat like she was the candy stick and he wanted to dip her in sugar and lick her off. As Leon watched her little pink tongue clean the powder off that thing he had the same though. But he didn't want to share the thought with the punk behind the counter.
"You ready Kat?" He asked and held his hand out to her. If she took his hand then the guy behind the counter would hopefully take the hint. She took his hand with a smile and followed him out of the store still holding his hand. Leon caught the look of disappointment on the kid's face. No one messed with the Torreto's in this neighbourhood so if the kid thought Kat was his girl he wouldn't even go there.
Holding Leon's hand felt natural to Kat and when he didn't let go when they left the store she didn't fight him. They started walking back toward their houses. Leon could smell her hair. She smelled like oranges, grease, and something Leon suspected was roses. "So what are you doin' tonight Kat?"
"Well, the plan is to work on the car till the light gives out then maybe watch a flick with the boys. It's Thursday so I don't have much planned." She answered.
"You wanna come watch this movie" he held up the case, "'the Transporter' with us? I'm sure it'll be fine. Since you're new to the 'hood and I'm just being neighbourly."
"I'd love to, but will you let me change first this time?" She giggled. "I don't want to go to someone else's house dressed like a skank and with half a garage of dirt and grease on me."
"Well, if you think you have to change then I guess I'll be the gentleman and say that it's fine. But you don't look like a skank, and you're not that dirty." She gave him a look, half thanking him for the compliment and half knowledge she knew he was sucking up to her.
"Great, you can wait in the house while I do that." She said and hauled him into her house.
"Hey guys this is Leon. I'm gonna go watch a movie at his place. Don't harass him too much while I change. Oh and Leon, this is Sean, Kale and Stacy. They don't bite. Hard anyway." She laughed and ran up the stairs.
"So how do you know Kat?" Stacy asked the skinny white boy.
"Um, well, her boss Brian is a good friend of mine. He races for my friend. We're all sort of a team I guess." Leon answered, trying not to be nervous. He felt the same way he did when he took his first girlfriend out for the first time and her father gave him the third degree.
"So where's your house at Bro?" Kale asked.
"It's the white house across the street and down 4 houses. It has my yellow skyline at the end of the driveway and Letty's purple Nissan 240 out front on the street." Leon answered. Sean just nodded.
Kat was upstairs trying to decide what to wear. She didn't want to look preppy, but she didn't want to look skanky either. She wanted to look like a girl, and that was not a feeling she'd ever had before. She had never though of looking feminine before. She picked out a leather skirt and put it back cause she wanted to be comfortable as well if she was just kicking around Leon's house.
She pulled on a pair of baby blue velour track pants that were cut low, to the line at the bottom of her tummy, and then she pulled on a white tank top with the word kitten on it in rhinestones. She put on her white and pink sketchers with the sparkly sides and smoothed out her hair. She figured she'd do and headed down to rescue Leon from the guys.
They weren't harassing him, Kat discovered. They were all talking cars. Kat smiled. That meant they liked him.
"Ok, I'm ready. This isn't too casual is it?" She asked, gesturing at her outfit.
"Naw, you look good." Again, with the 'you look good'. Leon shook his head mentally. But again she smiled and walked up to him.
"You ready, or do you guys wanna finish talkin' first?"
"We're ready, we was just talkin' cars."
They went out the front door and crossed the street. They walked toward Leon's house.
"You sure this is cool Leon? I don't wanna start shit for you wit your team."
"It'll be fine. Just don't expect Dom to wanna talk and stuff. He'll be alright though." Leon wasn't all that concerned. He knew Dom would be mad at him in some ways but Leon figured Dom wouldn't say anything, at least till Kat went home. After all, everyone liked her but Dom. And probably Letty. Who'd still be pissed off she lost. They walked into the house and Leon went to put the beer in the fridge.
Kat followed him straight to the kitchen on his heals. She didn't want to be alone in the house at all. If Leon was around she felt safe. She leaned on the counter while he put stuff away. He turned to her and noticed her nervous look.
"No one's gonna bite you know. It'll be fine." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You want a beer?"
"Naw, I don't like beer." She made a face like she'd tasted something really vile.
"That's like saying you don't like cars around here girl, how do you not like Corona?"
"It all tastes like crap to me dude, it doesn't matter what kind it is. I can't tell the difference anyway." Kat said, pinched look of distaste still on her face.
"Ok, I knew you were strange, but not that strange. Imagine not liking Corona." He shook his head, a mock look of wonder on his face. Kat punched him in the shoulder.
"I'm not weird. Lots of people don't like beer. I'm one of 'em." Leon shook his head.
"Do you want something else? We got rum and tequila too."
"Naw, I'll just have a soda, whatever's handy. Member what I said about me and liquor? It wouldn't be a good idea." She watched Leon put ice in a mug and add coke to it. He handed her the drink and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
"It goes faster if someone does this in advance." He said, gesturing at the appliance. "The microwave is fussy and if anyone but Mia or me tries to use it, it doesn't tend to work. They'll all be yellen' for popcorn anyway but if we feed them first, they stay quiet. Well all but Vince. He's never quiet." They laughed together.
"Hey, I heard that." Vince said from the doorway of the kitchen. "But he's right, it's likely easier for him to just make the popcorn so you all don't have to listen to me or Dom curse at the thing or beat on it." Vince grinned. "How you doin' Miss Kat?"
"I'm fine Vince, and how are you?" Kat answered in her best southern accent. Leon laughed and just as Vince was about to continue carrying on with her Dom entered the kitchen.
"You get a movie Leon?" He asked; he hadn't seen Kat yet because of where she was standing.
"Yeah Dawg, I got 'The Transporter'. It promises to deliver what xXx and some other movie, I forget the name, failed to do." Leon rhymed off what he had read on the box of the movie. The three men laughed, then Dom saw Kat standing in his kitchen, going out of her way to look only between Vince and Leon.
Dom couldn't believe that Leon had brought the girl to their house. Hanging out with her at races and Brian working with her was bad enough. They didn't need her in their house. Dom figured that Kat already knew he didn't like her.
"So, why are you here Kat?" He asked bluntly. There went Leon's theory that Dom would just ignore her.
Kat just gave Vince an even more studied look and ignored Dom and his question all together. Leon answered.
"I asked her Dawg. I walked past her house on the way to the store and then I asked her to see this movie with us. Since she's new to the neighbourhood I figured it was the neighbourly thing to do." Leon gave Dom a slightly pleading look, like please don't embarrass yourself, and us by proxy. Dom failed to take the hint.
"What do you mean you walked by her house on the way to the store? What store did you go to?"
"Same store as I always go to Bro. They moved into that huge place across the street down a few houses. You know the one I mean."
"Convenient. You just happened to move to a new house almost right next door to me huh?" Dom spoke directly to Kat even though she had yet to acknowledge his presence.
Kat couldn't let that one slide. "Yep, it was a coincidence, but there was nothing convenient about it. Believe me, if I had known you were so close they could've been given that house away and I wouldn't have taken it. What about you makes you think that I give a fuck where you live? I didn't come here to see you. Dom if you died I wouldn't buy you life." She delivered that statement totally deadpan. Vince looked shocked.
"Oh real." Dom was cut off by Leon.
"Dom! Enough. I do live here right?" Dom nodded. That was obvious at least. "Then I hope I can have a friend over to watch a movie without you goin' nuts." Dom sighed but nodded.
The microwave beeped and Dom left the kitchen. Leon put the popcorn in a bowl.
"He'll get over it, just give it time." Leon told her.
"I don't much care if he gets over it, as long as I don't have to fight him all the time. You saw how I tried not to get involved. He can hate me all he wants if he can just do it quietly. A girl racer is used to not being liked by guys, just most of 'em settle for snide looks and little petty comments, not this all out verbal war that Dickhea. I mean Dom, seems intent on." They all laughed. They popped another bag of popcorn and headed to the living room.
Mia and Brian said hello, as did Jesse. Letty gave her a slightly less dirty look then Kat was use to from her but didn't say anything. Rome stood up, he was still staying with Brian for awhile.
"If it isn't my home girl Kat." He smiled and walked up to her. He did the same handshake with her as she did with Edwin. "How you liven' Kat?"
"Good Bro, how you liken' LA?" She asked as Rome walked her over to a quiet corner of the room. Leon frowned.
"Not bad, not bad. But I need to get outta the house and find some action. You know where a Brotha can get hooked up?"
"Well, depends on what you mean by hooked up." No matter what it was Kat knew where Rome would have to go for it but it would be different depending on what he wanted.
"I wanna go out, dance, have a good time." Rome told her.
"Whatoya dance to?"
"Anything if you'll dance with me girl," He winked at her, "but hip hop, dance, anything fast."
"Then you need to hit Voodoo. And I could be persuaded to show you the way on Saturday if you wouldn't mind if the boys came with." Kat hadn't been out in a while. Going dancing sounded like fun.
"The more the merrier. We'll talk more about it later." She nodded. She noticed Leon did not look happy. She tossed Rome a smile and walked over to Leon.
"Where do ya wanna sit?" All the seats but a big chair and the floor were taken.
"How 'bout the chair? You can sit on me with your back on the arm." He suggested. He didn't know if she'd go for it. He wanted to make a statement about who she was here with. But he thought she might find that too much for a 'just friends' relationship.
"Sounds good." She smiled. She liked Leon and that was sure to piss Dom off. That thought made her smile more. Leon tossed the movie to Jesse to load up and sat down. Kat settled across him. The movie started and it was good. However, Kat was never much good at watching movies. She either got fidgety or she fell asleep. She was so comfortable that the later happened and she fell asleep with her legs draped over one arm of the chair, her back against the other arm, and her head on Leon's shoulder. Leon realized she was asleep and looked down at her. Mia noticed Kat just as the movie ended.
"Aw that is so cute. Why don't you just carry her up to the spare room and let her sleep Leon?" Dom shot Mia a dirty look.
"Naw, I'm gonna run her home. Her friends'd worry if she didn't come home." Mia nodded and Dom gave him a look like that was exactly why he didn't want her around. Leon carried Kat to his car and set her inside. He didn't want to wake her, but he didn't want to try to carry her home either. He started the car up and backed out of the drive. Kat woke up.