Chapter 34: The 30-Year-Old Virgin

“Just stick it in there!”

“Where?”

“In the little hole.”

“It won’t go in. It's too big.”

“Sometimes you have to kind of angle it a little.”

“Like this?”

“Maybe give it a jiggle.”

“It doesn’t fit!”

“I promise you, it fits. Here, let me do it.”

Aidan popped open the passenger side door and walked over to Kate, struggling to insert the gas pump nozzle into the car’s tank. She watched with furrowed brows as he took it from her hands and slid it easily into place.

“Now you try,” he said, pulling it back out and handing it to her.

She mimicked his motion and nodded as she successfully inserted it.

“OK, now squeeze,” he instructed, leaning against the side of the car next to her. “You feel that?”

“How do I know when it’s finished?”

“Trust me, you'll know.” He couldn’t help grinning at the look of concentration on her face as she held the nozzle in place. “Seriously, Kate. How is it possible you’ve never filled up a gas tank before?”

“The gas stations were all full service where I grew up. You didn’t even get out of the car.”

“Oh right, I forgot.” He nodded. “New Jersey.”

They were back in the car side by side a moment later. Aidan buckled himself into the passenger seat as Kate fiddled with the ignition.

“See,” Aidan said. “You’re a natural.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don't patronize me, OK? I know I’m like the guy from The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”

"A little bit." He smirked, leaning toward her and raising one eyebrow suggestively. “But then you always were a quick study.”

Her lips curved up in a self-conscious smile, and she blushed as his words brought back the memory of those intense all-night coaching sessions back when she and Aidan first got together. She’d forgotten this way he had of showing her the ropes. And not just the way he was insinuating. She'd been new to New York City back then – her first time living on her own, away from safe, familiar suburbia. She hadn’t even known how to swipe a Metrocard to ride the subway. He’d been the one who taught her, and now look at her. Now she knew Manhattan like the back of her hand.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard, learning to drive. Learning to blend in, here in LA. She'd adapted to life in a new place once before. Maybe she just needed to relax and let him guide her.

The car roared into life, and she eased it forward toward the gas station exit. “Which way?”

“Left,” he said. “Don’t forget your turn signal.”

She snuck a glance at his face as she looked both ways at the oncoming traffic, and he smiled back as she met his eyes.

“You’re doing great,” he said, reaching out a hand and stroking her lightly on the arm.

This was dangerous territory, Kate thought to herself, as she made the turn onto Santa Monica Boulevard. She shouldn’t be thinking like this. It was all well and good to let Aidan give her a driving lesson, but she had no business thinking about moving to LA.

Just a few short days ago, she’d been certain he was about to break up with her. Even now, she felt her stomach clench with anxiety when she thought back to that morning, sitting alone in the hotel suite, binging on cold pizza. “I don’t think I can do this,” he’d said to her. She wasn’t quite sure if she believed the story he told her afterward. He just meant he was sick of the hotel? Really? It didn’t quite ring true. Not if she was being honest with herself.

He probably was about to break up with her, but something made him change his mind. Maybe he just decided to hold off until the end of her visit. Today was her last full day in LA, and he had some kind of mystery date planned for tonight. He wouldn't tell her where they were going. Just trust me, he kept saying. Just relax and wear that new Gucci dress, still hanging untouched in the closet. He wouldn't break up with her tonight, would he? He'd let her enjoy one last big night out on the town, and then let her down easy in the morning. He was probably planning to do it on the way to the airport tomorr—

“STOP!”

Kate slammed on the breaks. The seatbelt cut into her chest as their bodies jolted forward. “What?” she asked, looking over at him with a gasp of surprise. “What did I do?”

He pointed out the windshield. “See that thing?” he said. “That funny looking street light with the red lightbulb?”

She looked up. “Oh.”

“That’s called a traffic light.”

“I know what a traffic light is.”

“Red means stop. Green means go. Is this ringing any bells?”

“I was thinking about something else.”

“Well you need to pay attention to the road, Kate!”

“OK!” she said. “I’m sorry. OK?”

“What were you thinking about anyway?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head slightly. “Am I going straight here or what?”

“No, turn right.”

She swung the car around the corner, but her concencentration was shaken now, and she took the turn a little too wide. Aidan had to grab the wheel with one hand as they veered into the path of the oncoming traffic.

“Sorry,” she said, letting out the breath she’d been holding once they were safely back in their lane.

“You’re fine,” he said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

She nodded, gripping the wheel more firmly. She needed to focus on driving. There would be time to think about everything else later, when she wasn’t behind the wheel of a car. In any case, it wasn’t like it was anything new – just the same thoughts she’d been going over and over in her head ever since that morning.

She’d been so sure he was going to break up with her. And then when he backpedaled, she hadn't wanted to question him too closely – just grateful for the momentary reprieve. She knew she was kidding herself though. "House hunting," he’d said. "We need to go house hunting." That was the last word she’d heard on the subject. He hadn’t brought it up once in the days since then. Obviously, he hadn’t really meant it. It was just a story. The real breakup was coming. Probably coming soon. She needed to prepare herself – keep her safety belt firmly fastened, ready for impact.

“Turn right again here.” Aidan pointed at an intersection with a palm tree-lined Beverly Hills side street.

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Just concentrate on not killing us, please.”

She pulled the car around the corner he indicated, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she completed the turn.

“That’s it,” he said. “Much better. Now a left at the next corner.”

They continued through a series of right and left turns. Aidan directed her, seemingly at random, through the network of residential streets. The houses on either side gradually changed in character from family homes to more elaborate estates, set back from the road with long, gated driveways.

“Look,” Aidan said, pointing through the windshield again as she eased the car forward. She followed the direction of his gaze and saw a real estate sign next to the front gate of one of the approaching mansions.

“Open House?” She looked over at him incredulously. “In this neighborhood?”

He shrugged. “Guess so,” he said. “Come on, pull over. Let’s go take a look!”