After their tires were replaced or filled up with air, the girls went downstairs where breakfast was brought to them. Everly sipped her oil gratefully, happy to have her tires reinflated. Li was grumbling, questioning whether one of the forklifts had done it for a joke. Angela was quick to assure her that all employees in the mansion were completely respectable and that a full investigation would be conducted.
Satisfied that Li was pacified, Angela brought out the envelope that would announce the date for the day. Claire took it eagerly and ripped it open.
Everly, she read. Let's go where the petals fall.
The green truck perked up as she heard her name. A date? With her? And petals? Would they be flower petals?
"That's you!" Li smiled at Everly.
"What do you think it means?" Bianca asked.
"Perhaps something with flowers," Karin suggested, knowing her fellow contestant liked them.
Everly finished her breakfast and drove out towards the entrance.
"Bye, Evey," Lilith sighed. "Have fun today."
"Thanks, I think I will," Everly smiled nervously. There was a truck waiting for her. That meant they'd have quite a distance to drive.
"So, Everly?" Angela asked, parked across from Everly in the trailer. "What do you think of Fillmore so far?"
"He's a real sweetie, bless his engine," the truck replied honestly. "I don't know him that well, but so far he's been real nice to everyone. I'm looking forward to today."
"You aren't nervous at all?" Angela prodded.
"Why would I be nervous?" Everly asked.
"Well… It is a competition for his love," the Mini said slowly.
"FIllmore's got enough love to go around," the truck sounded confident.
Drat, Angela thought to herself. Even the ladies in this show don't have enough drama.
They finally reached their destination and Everly eagerly backed out of the ramp. She turned around and the sight she saw left her beaming.
"Well, blow me over and call me a Fiat!" She exclaimed. "Flowers!"
It was a flower show. Dozens upon dozens of dazzling colours almost blinded her. The smell left her smiling after her outburst and she knew, instantly, this was exactly where she wanted to be.
"I take it you like it?" Fillmore rolled up beside her with a small smile.
"I love it!" Everly said enthusiastically. "I'm happier than an ant at a picnic."
"Good, Eve, good," the Volkswagen nodded. "Just breathe it in."
Together, the two of them rolled through the stands, Everly stopping every now and again to admire a particularly beautiful display.
Everything was going perfect. But Fillmore was observant and saw two minivans glance curiously at Everly as they passed.
"What's she doin' here?" One whispered to the other. No doubt she thought she was being discrete but both Fillmore and Everly caught it.
"I can be a truck and love flowers," Everly murmured to herself.
"This happen to you before?" Fillmore asked.
"Yeah," the truck sighed, sinking a little lower into her suspension. "For some reason cars think I'm a guy… Guess it's the paint job."
"Everly," Fillmore said gently. "You can't let other people define who you are."
"I know," Everly mumbled.
Fillmore waited a little longer, biding his time. She finally turned towards him.
"It's just, I'm so used to being a truck. I don't reckon anyone'll ever be able to see past the green paint," she nodded towards it. "But I don't wanna change it, I like my colour."
"You like flowers as well," Fillmore reasoned.
"Guess I'll always be a strange one," Everly spun her front tire backwards on the ground, a little habit she picked up whenever she was sad.
"Yes," Fillmore suddenly blocked her. "Be the strange one, Everly."
She blinked at him and the van continued.
"Be the strange one," the hippie kept going, a passionate light suddenly lighted in his eyes. "And in that way, you can be a beacon of light to all the other strange ones."
"You mean…" Everly said slowly. "I should make like… a statement?"
Fillmore settled back, watching the wheels turn in her head.
"Hm… a statement."
They spent the whole morning at the market and Fillmore bought her a bouquet of flowers of her choosing. The excited truck whizzed right past Angela when the hostess tried to interview her back at the mansion.
"What do you think, Fillmore?" Angela asked. "How do you feel about her?"
"I feel like she knows what to do now, Ang," the hippie nodded.
"And you?" Angela prodded again. "Do you know what you need to do?"
"I've always known."
Bill focused the camera on Fillmore driving away, but couldn't help but glance at Angela's expression instead. Man, the Mini looked annoyed.
Bianca was enjoying her time at the mansion. She hadn't had a chance to go on a date with Fillmore during this second week, but knew the van would invite her eventually. He gave everyone a fair and equal chance which was one of the things she liked about him.
But did she love him? There wasn't a flutter in her engine when she talked to him. He was an interesting car that gave her plenty to think about. Although she was a very accomplished car and didn't need a lot of direction, she'd always wanted love.
The Ferrari decided that a drive would do her good and went outside in the gardens. It was dusk, and Fillmore would be arriving back with Everly any moment now.
Bianca stopped to admire a particular beautiful rose. Almost the same dark burgundy as she was, it curled around a statue, it's petals reaching up to the sun.
She was so deep in thought that she gave a startled yelp when something bumped into her. She sped forward, turned her wheels and reversed, then gave a sigh of relief when she saw what had touched her. It was a little blue forklift carrying a basket. He looked up at her with a small smile.
"Scusami," he apologized for crashing into her.
"You… speak Italian?" Bianca asked, forgetting to switch to her native tongue. The forklift nodded and turned towards the statue, deftly trimming some of the crumbled up rose leaves.
Bianca wanted to say something but couldn't form the words. Instead she saw one of the trucks maneuvering its way up the road and towards the mansion. Fillmore and Everly must be back. Unable to come up with anything to say, the Ferrari made her way back to the mansion.
What a sweet little forklift.
Fillmore's next date was with the lovely Claire LeTracke.
Claire, the letter read. There's so much to show you.
"Alright," the ditzy car jumped up. "I'm ready to go!"
Angela again rode with Claire in the truck ride to the date. Claire wasn't nervous at all and instead chatted the Mini's ear off the entire ride over.
"I'm really excited for this," she said. "I mean, usually I'm not into vans at all, but Fillmore's really something else. This'll be fun. Do you know where we're going? Can you tell me now?"
Claire found out what they were doing for a date soon enough. It was, quite frankly, a hippie festival.
"Hiya, Fillmore," Claire greeted, meeting Fillmore in front of a booth with natural fuel "What are we doing here?"
"Claire," Fillmore pushed a can towards her. "We're here to experience real culture. Have some organic fuel."
"Why make your own fuel? Can't you just buy it?" Claire asked, looking at the colourful can with interest.
"Taste it," FIllmore encouraged. "Then you'll see why."
Claire took a careful sip. Then another one. It was… pretty yummy! She liked it.
"It's good," she nodded. "But isn't it a lot of work?"
Fillmore smiled slightly. Ah, Claire. She hadn't had a lot of exposure in her life. Rich parents made her a little aloof and oblivious as to the real world.
"Everything is worth putting a little hard work into," he said. "Let me show you."
Together they drove off between the booths, Claire listening eagerly as her date told her everything about organic fuel and its purposes. He introduced her to several of his protest buddies of the 60s who had settled in their own small towns. A band was playing lazily in the corner and Claire pulled Fillmore into the crowd, spinning eagerly as she heard the beat.
Fillmore swayed lazily from side to side, enjoying Claire's enthusiasm. He was breaking boundaries, showing Claire a whole new world that she had missed. This was what he was here for.