Crash

Secret Escape

It took them ten minutes to formulate a fool-proof plan to get away without anyone noticing. Charles suggested they just leave and hope the party itself provided enough coverage, but Penelope knew better. 

Scheming was something she was pretty familiar with. Avoiding cameras and maintaining at least some sense of privacy took a lot of work, but over the years she'd gotten good at it. Thus, upon her instruction, Charles remained at the table making conversation with Mattia and some of the other Ferrari members while Penelope disappeared to the bathroom. Five minutes later, she sent a carefully composed message to Charlotte, telling her she wasn't feeling well and that she was unsure of what to do. Just as she'd predicted, her friend swiftly told her to go home and get some rest while she handled the party. There was a brief moment where Penelope was hit with a wave of guilt, but it quickly faded. 

Then finally, fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. When she opened it, Charles was standing before her wearing a devilish grin, his hand extended for her to take. 

"You're pretty clever," he told her, still smiling. "I'm impressed."

She took his hand, following him down the corridor and towards the back of the restaurant. "You should be. Hurry up though, before someone finds us."

**********

Outside, the air was colder than it had been. Penelope shivered as Charles led her through the carpark, his fingers warm as they laced through hers. 

Charles came to a stop outside a sleek black car, similar to the one that Charlotte owned. Penelope ran her free hand against the paintwork, impressed. 

"It's beautiful," she breathed, her words jittery due to the cold. 

"You're cold?" he asked her, his brow creasing as he brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Honestly."

Charles shook his head, letting go of her hand in order to shrug off his jacket. Gently, he draped the jacket across her shoulders, like something out of a romcom.

"There," he said with a flourish. "All better."

"Thank you," she blushed as he opened the door for her, placing a hand on the small of her back to help her inside. The car was low and sporty, like something she'd owned when she was a teenager. Inside, it smelled like leather and the same cologne she'd sensed earlier.

"You like it?" he asked. "Ferrari, likes us to drive branded cars."

Penelope nodded, pulling his jacket around her as he started the engine. "It's very impressive. When I was a kid, my brother's would have killed for a car like this."

"Ah, yes. Brothers. How many do you have?"

"Four. All older."

"Four? Wow, your mum must have been busy running around after you all when you were kids. I have two brothers and that was enough."

Penelope's mouth suddenly grew dry. She twiddled her fingers, playing with the bracelet on her wrist to distract her. "We were raised by our grandparents, actually. My dad died when I was a baby, and my mom left."

His eyes grew sad, expression full of sympathy. "Oh god...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Oh, no, it's fine! It's fine. It was a long time ago, and my abeula and abuelo are amazing."

"Spanish?" he asked, providing a well welcomed change of subject.

"Yeah. My grandparents migrated from Spain in their twenties, but they never forgot their culture. It's my first language, actually."

"Ah, yes. English is my second language too. French is my first."

"Do you still speak it?"

"Well, I live in Monaco when I'm not working or travelling, so yeah."

Penelope exhaled slightly, leaning her head back against the seat. The highway was dark, and she had no idea where they were. Part of her consciousness reminded her that she should probably be wary of a strange man taking her to an undisclosed location without telling anyone where she was or who she was with, but something about this man made her feel safe. 

"Monaco...it must be nice. To live at home, I mean."

"It's great. Means I get to see my family when I'm not racing, which is important to me. But you live in LA right?"

Penelope nodded. "Yeah. I have to, for work and it's just easier with my dancing and stuff. My family live here too." 

"Do you like it? LA, I mean."

She hesitated, unsure of whether to give the rehearsed answer like she'd been conditioned to do. And maybe it was the wine she'd been drinking, or the general atmosphere of the evening, but she chose to do the opposite. "Honestly? Not so much. I mean, I love my job and this is the best place to be for it, but sometimes it can be a lot to handle."

"So then where would you go?" he asked. "Forget work and family and all the other shit that's keeping you here. You could be anywhere in the world...where would you be?"

She considered the question as the car came to a stop. The surroundings were dark still, but she thought she could make out a sign saying 'Public pool'. 

"By the ocean," she decided finally. "Somewhere in Spain, so I could talk without trying to translate my thoughts from Spanish to English first. That's what I'd want."

He gave her another dazzling grin. When Penelope squinted into the distance, she was sure she could make out the glint of a body of water.

"So you like the water?"

"Yeah...Charles, did you bring me to a public swimming pool? It's like 11pm, I'm pretty sure this is breaking and entering."

He didn't seem to care. Without hesitation, he opened the car door and stepped out, making it to the passenger side and opening the door for her before she had the chance to do it herself. She felt like she'd been transported back to the fifties, being wooed by a handsome gentleman trying to win her over with good manners. It had been a long time since she'd been with someone who showed her an abundance of respect. 

"Rules," he said simply, "are for cowards."

Penelope pulled his jacket around her shoulders again, the fabric of her long, red dress drifting in the night breeze. "Is getting arrested for cowards, too?"

"Maybe," he laughed, "but we're not going to get arrested, I promise. I know the owner."

The two of them reached a fence, with a sign that said in clear bold letters 'KEEP OUT," but it didn't seem to phase Charles. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and scanned the wire fence, clicking his fingers as he spotted a small, jagged hole on the far left side. 

He pulled on her hand, leading her towards the break in the fence. "Come on. Not far now."

Penelope wasn't as tempted. She put on the breaks, pulling against him as she watched him with doubtful eyes. "You know the owner of this public pool?" she asked sceptically. "You sure?"

Charles rolled his eyes, but there was no malice behind them. "James and Tina Stones own a string of them down the coast. Met them in a meet and greet, signed a few autographs, won them over. Sure, they don't know we're here, but if we got caught well, I doubt they'd care."

"Great. How'd you find the fence hole though?"

"Last summer, my friends and I came here one night to kill the boredom. Lucky find I guess. Now, are you coming with me or not?"

************