American Woman

Chapter 47

Prince drove Lenny and me to the rehabilitation clinic the next morning. They thoroughly checked him and all his belongings and went over what his typical days would look like and went over a visitation schedule and rules with Prince and me. After about an hour, I decided it was time to go so Lenny could get settled and adjusted. I kissed him goodbye, told him how proud of him I was, and to work hard for Zoe and me. He promised he would and told Prince to take good care of me. Prince assured him to just focus on his own health and know Zoe and me were in good hands and waiting for his return.
A few hours after our return to Paisley, I told Prince I should probably try to visit Lenny once or twice a week but knew that was a lot to ask Prince to take out of his schedule to drive me there.
"Listen if I can't drive you when you want to go, I can find someone who can. And maybe, just maybe, I might even let you borrow one of my cars. But that's just if the situation is pretty desperate. Like super dire!"
"What?! Why?! You've never even seen me drive. What just bc I'm a woman you assume I'm a bad driver?!"
"No. Well yeah maybe a little. But it's more about how precious my vehicles are to me. I can't have you smashing up one of my rides!"
"I'll have you know I have never had a wreck. Not even a fender bender! I'm a very cautious driver."
"That's what they all say and then they're calling you crying bc they hit something or got a flat tire and are stranded!"
"Do you even know how to change a flat tire? I can't see you doing that."
"What's that supposed to mean? And yes for your information I do know."
"Have you ever done it?"
"Yes!"
"Lately?"
"No"
"See..."
"I know how. It's not like it has changed much since I've done it. I just don't have to do it now. I can pay someone to."
"Oh geez! Anyway...let me prove to you what a great driver I am. Let's go for a test drive."
"Not in my of my cars you ain't"
"Oh come on! Please?" I say batting my eyelashes at him innocently.
"Good thing you're cute! Do you know how to drive a stick?" He says with a slight grin.
"No. Are all your cars standard?"
"All the fast ones are! Well momma if you want to test drive one then you have to let me teach you how to drive a stick sometime."
"Ok. Deal."
We head out to his spacious garage and he gives options of automatic ones. I choose the 1993 Ford Thunderbird. After we get in, Prince starts saying a prayer. "Oh shut up!" I say. "Nothing is going to happen to you or this precious car. I'm a good driver."
"Ok Rainman. Just go."
I pull out of the garage and out into the street carefully. After about ten minutes of driving around aimlessly, Prince turns to me and said "well I know why you are such a good driver. You drive like an old blue hair. You do know that's the gas pedal on the right don't you grandma?"
The words had barely left his lips, when I floored it and we went flying down the road. "Shit Jensen! Slow down!" I start laughing and easing my foot off the gas and gradually going back to a normal speed. "Don't ever call me a grandma again!" I say while slapping this thigh.
"Ow! Pull over up here" he says while gesturing towards a vacant lot.
"No. Please. I'm sorry. I won't put the pedal to the metal again."
"No it's not that. You've proven yourself worthy of driving...this car anyway. Verdict is still out on my more prized ones. I just wanted to show you around. Is that ok?"
"Sure. I mean I guess but it's not like I'm going to be getting out much this summer remember?"
"Well I actually wanted to show you places I've lived and things like that. Is that cool with you?" I couldn't believe he was opening up to me that way. I had a feeling this isn't something he does with a lot of people or very often so I wanted to take full advantage.
"Yes. Of course. I would love that!" I say while pulling into the lot and putting the car in park to switch sides with him. As I went around to the passengers side door, I pulled on the handle and it was locked. I just stood there for a few seconds waiting for Prince to unlock it. When he didn't, I leaned down to peer at him through the window. "It's locked" I yell so he could hear me through the glass. He shook his head and smiled at me "yeah I know" he responded.
"So open it."
"I haven't heard the magic words."
"Please." I say while rolling my eyes.
"Wrong! Try again!" He says with a smirk.
"Pretty please with a cherry on top." I blurt out the next thing that came to my mind."
"Good try but no."
"Now!" I say getting slightly annoyed by this point.
"That's just rude. Magic words aren't rude!"
"Prince I don't know what the stupid magic words are."
"Do you need a hint?" He suggested leaning closer to the passenger window. He fogs it up with his breath and draws a heart.
My breath hitched in my throat for a minute. Does he want me to say "I love you?" I wasn't sure what to do and stood there dumbfounded. After a couple minutes of me not figuring out what else it could be, he says "come on. Hurry up. Take a guess."
"I love you!" I blurt out quickly. His eyes get wide and he unlocks the door. I can feel my heartbeat racing as I take a seat. "So I'm assuming I was right?" I say turning towards him.
"Ummm no. But after saying that I kinda felt like I had to let you in." My body started sweating and I started cursing myself for being such an idiot. Now I've freaked him out and myself too! Way to go making it awkward Jensen. "Well then what was it? You drew a heart."
He starts laughing and hitting the steering wheel with his right hand. "Guess I'm not much of an artist. It was supposed to be a pretzel."
"A pretzel? Your magic word was 'pretzel?!'" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.
"Yeah." He replied shrugging his shoulders, like it was totally normal.
"What the hell kind of magic word is 'pretzel?!'"
"I don't know I just thought of a random word."
"How did you ever expect me to guess that?"
"I didn't. That's why I helped by drawing but I guess it really didn't help." He said with a nervous laugh. Before I could respond he took off like a bat out of hell.
"And you thought I drove fast earlier!" I said while scrambling to click my seatbelt.
"Nah! I just didn't think you could handle it going that fast, but I can!" He says with a wink. We drove around for about an hour with him showing me different houses he had lived in both with his parents and with Andre. He showed me his old high school and places he hung out in his youth. He didn't go into too much detail about any of it, but I still felt like he was letting me see a side of him he kept hidden most of the time. On the way back to Paisley, we passed by a house and I hollered "wait, is that the house from Purple Rain?!"
"Oh yeah it is. You want to get out and look at it?" He asked slowing down.
"Sure!" I said as he pulled into the driveway.
"Hold on...it's kinda late what if the people that live here freak out and shoot us or something?"
I say as he turns off and exits the vehicle. "First of all, we ain't getting shot in this neighborhood! And second, I own this house." He says going up to the front door. I was so excited I skipped up to the porch and walked into the house behind him. "So I take it you liked the move?" He asked turning on the lights.
"Who doesn't?" I say looking around excitedly. "Oh yeah. So what was your favorite part of the movie?"
"I don't know. Any of your performances!"
"There isn't a particular one that stuck out more than the others?"
"Probably Computer Blue." I say quickly, too quickly! He comes up behind me as I browsed around the living room and whispered near my ear "why? Because I was shirtless?" I felt my body tense up but added "and sweaty and sexy" before I could stop myself. I couldn't bring myself to face him after that but I heard him say "mmmhmm" as you moved further away from me towards the basement. "Want to go downstairs?" He asked. "Ok" I said hesitantly suddenly feeling nervous and uncomfortable. I followed him down the steps trying to keep my balance. I looked around for a few minutes and could feel him staring a hole in me but not saying anything. I finally broke the silence by saying "so did you have a good time making the movie?"
"Yeah. It was different than anything I had ever done but I enjoyed it."
"So what's Apollonia like? Do you still talk to her?" I asked facing him.
"Sometimes. She's a cool chick. Not really my type, but I think we pulled off the chemistry for the movie and made people think we were really together for awhile."
"Well it sure looked like you dug her?"
"Why do you say that?" He asked with a small laugh.
"Well the scene you did with her down here you know?"
"When I slapped her?" He asked sarcastically.
"Haha no. You know what I'm talking about."
"It's been a long time since I watched the movie. You'll have to remind me." He said with a smirk.
"Come on Prince! You know which scene I'm taking about. Don't make me say it."
"Oh when she gave me the guitar..." he began. "When you were fingering her!" I blurt out.
"Oh my god! I never fingered her!"
"I'm pretty sure I saw your finger slip underneath her panties. And the way she melted into you doesn't lie. You were definitely doing something to her."
"Sounds like you have that scene memorized." He said coming closer to me.
"Maybe." I said flirtatiously. He was now standing a few inches from me. "I guess your fingers are pretty talented. The way you play guitar is like nobody else, so I assume it is talented in other areas too." I looked at him with lust in my eyes and I could see his eyes matched mine. Something suddenly snapped and I realized how inappropriate everything I had just said was. He starts to say my name and I thought he was moving closer, but I broke the sexual tension by stepping back and cutting off eye contact. "I think we should go. I promised Lenny I would call him tonight."
We drove back home in virtual silence. My mind was so mixed up, I didn't know how I was going to get through the next few weeks with my husband, who I was having fading feelings towards, absent and constantly being around a man I was suddenly growing an attachment to.