closed. The seats were smooth, buttery leather and seemed to mould to her contours. When he turned the car on, the radio started, one of her favourite songs playing through the speakers. She laughed, enjoying the moment, the luxury that she’d never experienced, and turned the radio up.
Jeremy looked over at her, for once enjoying what his wealth had bought him. She so loved the car and the radio, two things he’d never really appreciated. He just expected everything to work, to do its job, and he’d never really taken a moment to think about what he had. Maybe he had a lesson to learn here, after all. He’d spoken with the Committee insisting they replace him, that he was far too busy to babysit a baby were-person. They then insisted his assignment was an attempt to teach him a lesson and to expand the number of guardians available. He’d not quite understood what they meant at the time, that he had a lesson to learn, but maybe Gail’s pure enjoyment of things that he took for granted was lesson number one.
Smiling to himself, he pointed the car to the motorway, planning to turn Gail’s horrible new life into something she’d never dreamed possible. He looked over at her and took in how much she was enjoying the quiet but powerful acceleration of the car, the smooth gear changes, and the gentle roar of the exhaust. He really hadn’t noticed how wonderful this car was before. It was a status symbol, nothing more to him but now he was seeing it with new eyes. He drove the sports car masterfully, making it respond to his every demand and for the first time, he really responded back to the prompts the car was giving to him as well. Maybe he did need some re-evaluation in his life.
*** ***
Jeremy ended the day not sure if he’d ever really enjoyed his own wealth this much before. It had just been there his whole life, a means to get something done; having money was just a way to make even more money. Gail had shown him far more than he’d ever understood before, and she didn’t even know it.
Jeremy had taken her to some exquisite shops purchasing fine clothes, a new haircut, and other odds and ends, telling her with each purchase that the Committee would pay him for the purchases. He simply wanted to give her something nice, a complete U-turn from the man she’d met yesterday, but he wanted to give her something to smile about. He’d watched her at the shop, before going in. She’d looked miserable, pained, and ever so sad, standing there making coffee for a man who looked impatient and as dejected as her. He’d felt an urge to take her away from it all. So he had, for now. He wasn’t sure she was going to like the next part.
For her part, Gail was still working under the notion that this was all a dream. She was flat out somewhere, in a coma. Maybe she’d drunk herself into alcohol poisoning that night and this really was all just a part of her unconscious mind filling up the time for her? What else could explain it all? So she treated it all as part of the dream, with the occasional dose of reality trying to step in, but she’d push it aside, purchasing another bag or scarf, or bra, or sexy nightgown that she’d never wear for anyone because it was so absolutely scandalous and decadent. She had to admit, though, dream-Gail had some damn good taste. Looking at all the bags Jeremy now held, she wasn’t sure they’d all fit into his car. She couldn’t remember there being a back seat or a boot. Shrugging, she knew he’d find a way to get them home.
“Are you hungry?” Jeremy asked, hoping she was because he was starving.
“Sure, what would you like?” Gail said with a smile.
“Ever had French?” He didn’t want to be presumptuous but he didn’t think she’d ever been to a French restaurant.
“No, I can’t say that I have.” He led her out of the shop, back into the car, drove a few more miles outside of the town, and stopped at a dimly lit inn. It didn’t look like much, but the