TEST DRIVE: A Night of Forbidden Desire

Vonda left the hotel’s ballroom and went straight to the reception area. Leaning against the counter, she took out her phone and accessed the ride-hailing app to book a taxi.

When a message came in, Vonda blinked her eyes, trying to read it with her diminishing consciousness.

Driver:

I’m on my way, Miss.

Trying to stay aware, Vonda replied.

Vonda:

Okay, Sir. I’m wearing a ivory-white dress.

Just look for the most beautiful one, that’s me.

Vonda sent the message and checked the specifications of the taxi accepting her request. She read it with blurred vision, trying to remember.

“Red Camry. License plate….” Vonda took a deep breath, shaking her head once. “Okay, it’s red, that’s for sure.”

With hesitant steps, Vonda walked away from there. She smiled at the security guards and declined their offer to assist her walking. Alone, she made her way to the hotel’s courtyard.

The night breeze blew, causing Vonda to shiver slightly. For a moment, she stared blankly, her gaze fixed on the entrance, waiting for her ordered taxi to arrive.

Vonda blinked. Two bright lights appeared, indicating the approach of a vehicle. She shook her head for a moment, feeling something peculiar in her vision. The two lights seemed to turn into four. She tried to focus.

“Oh… it’s red,” Vonda squinted her eyes.

“Is that a Camry? Has it become a bit lower and longer?” Vonda questioned herself.

Disregarding her confusion, Vonda looked again. It seemed that the shape of the car was changing before her eyes.

“Oh… it’s definitely the car. Its height is just different,” she reassured herself.

Attempting to clear her vision, Vonda heard her phone ringing. The taxi driver was calling her, and she quickly answered the call.

“Hi, I’m here,” said the driver.

“Yes, I can see your car,” Vonda replied. “It’s red.”

Vonda ended the call and walked slowly, heading straight to one of the two red cars queued in front of the hotel courtyard. She opened the front door of the car and sat down, fastening her seatbelt.

“Hey? Miss?”

Vonda turned around. “Let’s go now.”

“Huh? Go? Go where?”

Vonda took a deep breath. “To my home. Or should we go to your home?”

The guy behind the wheel started to blink in confusion, scratching his head.

“By the way, there’s another car behind us,” Vonda said weakly. “We might get scolded by the security guard.”

The guy glanced through the rearview mirror and, indeed, there was a red Camry right behind his car.

“But…”

Vonda choked back tears, “Please, let’s just leave. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

The driver was bewildered by Vonda’s sudden outburst.

“I can’t bear to see my ex-boyfriend with his mistress all lovey-dovey,” Vonda cried.

Confused, the driver pulled the gear shift to start moving the car. Vonda let out a long sigh just as her phone rang again. She glared at it with a frown.

“Who is it now?”

Vonda declined the call and placed her phone back into her clutch.

“Where do you want to go, Miss?” the driver asked, trying to change the subject.

“Can we go to the police station?” Vonda exclaimed. “I want to report Andrew and Livy for their indecent actions in the office! They were playing ‘horsey’ in the office.”

“What?” The guy blinked. “Playing ‘horsey’?”

Vonda placed her clutch on the car dashboard. Changing her seating position, she faced the guy directly.

“You know, right?” Vonda whispered as if there were other people present. “Woman on top.”

What?!

The guy blinked once more. Confused, stiff, and only able to nod in response.

“And you know?” Vonda raised a finger. “They were fooling around in the office, and I…” Vonda blinked once, struggling to keep talking. “I got dumped by Andrew while he was still inside Livy.”

Vonda glanced toward the guy’s crotch, causing him to widen his eyes and quickly cover his private area.

“Ouch!” The guy scratched his head, his confusion escalating as he cursed. “Oh no. Why does it feel like this new car is cursed? And I haven’t even met Lucas yet. Argh!”

Vonda sobbed, making it seem like she was crying. “You’re so right. I want to find a guy like Mr. Lucas Hernandez. I don’t want Andrew anymore.”

The guy exclaimed. “Good Lord!”

“And you, what’s your name?” Vonda nodded. “You’re handsome, by the way.”

“Pardon?”

“Your name is not Andrew, right?”

“No, it’s not.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Hahaha, that’s what I thought. Andrew probably can’t afford a car because he likes to party all the time.”

The guy scratched his head.

“Actually, I already made a down payment for his car.”

The guy turned to look at her.

“But before the first installment was due, he had already sold the car,” Vonda grinned. “It happened just a day before I saw him fooling around. What should I do? I feel so broken. I lost my money, and now I’ve lost my feelings too.”

“Oh, my goodness!”

“Fortunately, I used his name for the car loan, although the down payment was from me. At least, I won’t be the one getting billed this month.”

The guy let out a long sigh, realizing that the woman sitting beside him was completely out of it. In fact, the car had not moved at all for quite some time-it had stopped on the road.

“Seems like you’ve gone off the rails.”

Vonda nodded. “I had a drink earlier.” She giggled. “Actually, it’s my first-time drinking.”

“Goodness!” He shook his head, feeling that his patience was wearing thin.

“That’s why my eyes feel a bit heavy now. Maybe I drank too much?” Vonda seemed to hiccup several times, taking a deep breath and trying to assess her own condition. “Uh… I’m a bit tipsy. But just because I’m tipsy, I feel like I’m riding in a red Lamborghini taxi.”

Vonda burst into laughter.

“From the moment you got into my car, I could tell that you were drunk,” the guy grumbled. “Feeling like you’re riding in a red Lamborghini taxi?” He gave her a sharp look. “You have no idea how long and how much trouble I went through to be able to drive this car for the first time.”

Vonda continued to laugh as her eyes became more and more hazy. “It’s okay. It feels like when we’re drunk, we experience things that we wouldn’t normally. Hihihi. I’m riding in a red Lamborghini.”

“Did I dream yesterday, meeting a crazy girl like this?” The guy said to himself, utterly puzzled.

Right after he mumbled that, he felt a tug on his hand. He turned to find Vonda looking at him with a misty gaze.

“Are you still busy?”

“Hah?”

“Sir, you don’t have to drive tonight, okay?” Vonda smiled. “How about just accompanying me instead? After all, I’m quite pretty, right?”

The guy’s eyes widened instantly. Then he blinked once, and stared again.

“What do you mean?”

Vonda’s slender fingers started to move. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned closer to the guy. Her fingertips traced along his jawline, her eyes gazing with a longing look.

“Help me forget my heartache?” Vonda whispered.

What?!

“And it’s fine in this car too.”

*