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Driving Lessons
by Guest Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:43 am
“Childe, if you slide this car off the edge of one of these cliffs, I may let you heal yourself, eventually, but you’ll go home with no car at all. And, you’ll ride in the back of the Limo until you’re released.” Baron Quinton’s body language betrayed no fear, but he spoke with more than just an edge of casual advise.
Antoinette grinned but didn’t take her eyes from the road. She did feather back off the fuel just a tad, to humor him, and made the apex of her next turn as smooth as she could. They were so close to Maranello, she could almost taste it.
Driving in was like entering the Disney Land of Ferraris. She could see the myriad models glistening red in the windows and saw the ultra modern European office and factory buildings, so clean and tight, all buttoned up for the night, ready to do the business of Scuderia Ferrari in the light of day that she would sadly never get to see.
They met Stephano out on the track. Antoinette knew what strings he had to pull in order to get permission for them to drive out here at night. He must have had to promise his first and second born. They went through the expected but awkward pleasantries. Stephano remarked on how much she had grown and told her how sad he had been to hear of her parents’ accident. She introduced the Baron as her “business partner”. Stephano shook hands politely but looked skeptically at Baron Quinton.
“OK, I’m ready, I’m ready! Where are they? I can’t stand it anymore Stephano!”
The older Italian man smiled but shook his head. “I can see so much of your father in you, Toni. But you need to learn his patience. The boys are unloading them now.”
And sure enough, Antoinette and Baron Quinton looked over into the back pit area to see a big rig truck, double-stacked with the Enzo and the Veyron. They were gently guiding one of them down the ramp, and bringing the other down an elevator device. Antoinette was quivering, she was so amped. She grabbed Baron Quinton’s hand and squeezed; she wanted him to know how much this meant to her. He squeezed her hand back in answer, then released it, gave her a little hug around her shoulders and sent her on her way. “What are you waiting for childe? We don’t have all night.”
She tried to walk like a lady over to the waiting cars, but what was the use. She was really just floating when it came down to it. She got in the Enzo FXX first, and Stephano came over, helped her strap in and walked her through the complicated warm up ritual. Hmmm… this was not going to be the kind of car you just hopped in to go somewhere quickly. He further explained she needed to avoid second gear on her warm up laps until her oil pressure got to a certain point, and gave her other things to watch for before going full out. This was becoming a little more complicated than she had expected.
So she drove it out of the pits and onto the track, learning the geometry as she let the engine come to life. It did sound good. She loved the way the car sang to her through her body as they twisted and turned around the asphalt. Before it got up to temp and she could let it have it's head, the car was extremely heavy and tough for her to push around the track. Only when she could go faster did it lighten up considerably. Apparently, Ferraris did not like being driven slow. A car after her own heart.
The Buggati Veyron was a different matter. It warmed much easier and was a little lighter to drive off the line. Not as light and agile as the Ascati, but much better than the Enzo. It was fun and definitely had advantages over the Ferrari. But it simply wasn’t a Ferrari. It actually felt more like a “dress-up” car, except, still faster than hell.
Who was she kidding? She was taking all of them.
When she was done, she gave both Stephano and Baron Quinton big hugs and let them know that as long as both cars checked out mechanically, she would like to ship both home, along with the Ascari, of course. “This way, Your Excellency, when I build my race track, you can race with me! I may even let you win once or twice!” She gave him a wicked grin and hugged him again and whispered quietly, “Thank you for letting me come and do all this. I will make sure I study hard to learn the lessons you want me to learn from now on. I want you to be proud of me.”
“Then it’s time for a lesson, childe.”
Antoinette looked at him suspiciously. Here it comes. She knew it. She KNEW this trip had all been too good to be true. “What is it.” Her look and tone were suddenly cool.
“You need to go and negotiate a deal to purchase these cars for half his asking price. Then you can take the cars home.”
She looked at back at him with outrage. “I’m not doing that. Stephano is a family friend. He’s known my parents forever. He’s known me since I was born. I’m not cheating him out of half the money.” She stares at the Baron, appalled. “No.”
“Then we leave now without any of the cars.”
You fucking bastard. “Fine. Then call your goddamn driver. I’m ready to leave.”
Baron Quinton shook his head in disgust. “I thought you wanted to learn your lessons. I thought you wanted to make me proud. Here is your chance Antoinette.”
“He is a friend of my family. I owe him something.”
“You owe him nothing. You are letting your human emotions get the better of you, childe. You need to let them go and embrace what you are now.”
What I am? And what is that, exactly? A monster that would fuck my father’s friend over? What the hell. “Fine.” She hissed. “Fine Quinton. Fine.”
Antoinette walked over to Stephano, took him aside privately and worked him over to the best of her ability. After an hour of haggling, she was able to bring the price down 35%, but Stephano was not happy, and neither was she.
She walked back over to Baron Quinton. “I got him down 35%. That’s the best I can do. And that’s all I’ll do. If it’s not good enough, call the driver and take me back to the airport. I’m ready to go home.”
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