Chapter 4 - The Offer.
Nyssa got the door open and they walked in. She flipped the lights on and Vince saw her car. He was expecting a Honda civic or an Acura Integra. Something middle of the road.
Not a Skyline.
Never a fucking Skyline. He thought it was a shame that Leon wasn't big on racing. A Skyline was the best sport compact on the road. They were impossible to get in the states for one thing. If Leon raced his he could kick Dom's ass six ways to Sunday but he just wasn't a racer. Of course he might also be scared of what would happen to his ass if he kicked Dom's. But Nyssa had a skyline. He was floored.
"Oh man what a sweet ride." He said. "You race?" He was in such shock he forgot she'd already admitted she could hardly drive.
"Not at all. I have no idea how. I take the car to school and stuff every once in awhile but it terrifies me. I can hardly drive the thing. Plus I know that it does not belong on the roads. It's right hand drive so driving it is like living in opposite land. My brother was just starting to teach me to drive it when he was killed and I had no one to finish showing me."
"This car could clean up at races. Leon has one but he hardly ever races. He'd rather man the scanner." Vince walked around the car slowly. "And a GT-R. V-Spec too. Shit. I could teach you to drive her if you would let me drive her too."
Vince was in love with her car, Nyssa could tell. It was a purple so deep it looked black till you caught it in the right light. It had the Nismo body kit on it and Nismo decals on the rocker panels. It was a hot car. The reason why the Mazdas and Supras cleaned up at race nights is because no one could get Japanese Skylines. Everyone had tried to buy Leon's, Vince included. He hoped she would take him up on his offer and he would get to drive the car.
"I would love to have you teach me what she can do Vince. Thanks for the offer. Even though I can tell you're almost ready to embarrass yourself in your pants over my car and it is the car you really want to spend time with." She laughed at the look on his face. The look said busted clear as day. She didn't know what it was about Vince that brought the boldness out of her. She would never have thought to say something like she just had to anyone before him.
"No, I'd love to teach you to drive too. Though Dom would be the better person to ask. He's a better racer." Vince felt obligated to tell her that for some reason. It was likely to see if she was just after Dom, not him. If she was after Dom she would jump at the chance to have him alone in her car.
"Naw, he has no patience. I mean look at how he reacted tonight. Not like we knew he was walking home. He could have been running from the cops and got so far away from home that he couldn't get back right away. And doesn't he have a fucking cell like everyone else? Don't care how good he drives; I can't see him being much of a teacher. You have a temper too I can tell but I there's patience there too."
"Well thanks. You're right about Dom. When he was teaching Letty she came home pissed and upset more often then not. If you don't have a good head for taking abuse you don't want Dom to teach you shit all." Nyssa looked at her feet but he didn't notice. Vince looked around the garage. He wondered where she was going to sleep. It was a nice garage but it was just a garage. He had thought there would be a room upstairs or something. But it was just a big space, there was no upstairs. The garage had a hoist and was better equipped then any private garage he'd ever seen. Her brother had obviously loved this car.
When he looked up Nyssa was caressing the fender of the car. "She's so beautiful. If I knew how to drive her right I would drive her more. Maybe even try to get on the NIRA circuit myself." She looked up with such longing in her eyes that it set Vince back a moment. He recovered his usual abrasive personality quickly to cover his moment of sensitivity.
"There's no fun in that. First we teach you to drive. Then we see where the trust level is. Then if we trust each other, you try to get on the team with Dom and I and the others. Then you race with us. And we tint out the windows and no one knows what side of the fucking car you're driving from."
"You mean race on the street?" Nyssa looked scandalized at the thought. He was asking her to learn to break the law. Her brother had given his life upholding it. And so really, look at where the law had gotten them. It had gotten Danny killed and her sent to live with Ed. Maybe a spell of breaking the law was just what she needed.
"Sure, for now. Most of the guys on NIRA got a start street racing, you know? They don't take people with no experience onto the NIRA circuit. They expect you to have raced before." Vince wanted to convince her because he wanted to drive her car. That and he wanted her around for some reason he didn't understand and didn't want to look to deeply at.
"I don't know how my brother got on then cause I know he never street raced." Since her brother had been the model of civic responsibility Nyssa knew he would never have 'endangered innocent lives and broken about 10 laws and statutes at once' by racing in the street. He'd ranted about street racers more then once in his day.
"Maybe he was just that good. You're going to have a hard time getting into any racing being brand new at it and a girl. That goes for street racing and getting Dom to trust you and believe you can race too. Dom is a respected racer around the NIRA circuit but something he did as a kid keeps him off it. Having him on your side and saying you raced for him can't hurt you."
"Well Vince, as you say, first we try, then we trust, then we see. Well, I gotta get up for school in like 4 hours so I guess I should settle down Vince. Thanks for everything. Let me give you my cell number so we can make plans to take the car out."
"Where you gonna sleep in this place?"
"On the floor in that sleeping bag. I've had to do it before when Ed was drinking." She saw the look on Vince's face. "I'll be fine really." She didn't want anyone's pity. She wasn't a charity case. She had her car and she'd have money. It just wasn't going to be in time for her to have a place for the night.
"Oh hell, come on. You can crash at our place. You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor out here in the back of beyond. What if some weirdo comes around?"
"Well that has never happened and the door is locked after all. I'm perfectly safe here."
"Come on. I'm not leaving you out here." He wasn't taking no for an answer. He had a bad feeling about what would happen if he left her here. She kind of reminded him of Mia. She was just as naive and she didn't have any of Letty's tough racer chick attitude. Nyssa relented and came out with him, turning off the lights and locking up the garage.
They drove back to Toretto's house in silence. The place was dark when they rolled up. Vince killed the engine and they go out. He walked around to the back door and she followed him. He let them in and turned left. She followed him down a set of stairs into a small living room. Vince and, well, all the guys but Dom, lived in the basement which had been converted into a mini apartment of sorts. There were three fair sized bedrooms, the smallish sitting room and a bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet. Leon was sitting in the livingroom playing Grand Theft Auto on the PS2.
"Yo Dawg, where'd you go? Dom went looking for you about an hour after he got home and couldn't find you anywhere."
"We went for a ride's all. What'd Dom want?"
"Don't know Dawg." Leon said with a glance at Nyssa. That meant Dom wanted to talk about something that was not common knowledge, not for ears that did not belong to people on the team.
"Hey Nyssa, my room is the first one on the left, why don't you go get ready and use my bed, K? I'll be in shortly if you don't mind sharing? I don't mean in any way other then sleeping."
"Sure Vince that's fine. Thanks for everything man."
"Don't worry 'bout it. Go to bed." As she walked away Vince sat down beside Leon. Jesse had heard Vince talking and came out of his room.
"So what's going down guys?" Vince asked.
