A symphony of Internal Combustion (And a Date)
11:36 AM:
Jack's eyes slowly crept open while he sat up in his bed. The sunlight peeked through the windows and filled the room with a warm, comfortable glow. He took a deep, cleansing breath and gathered the strength to stand. Eyes barely open, he could hear the birds chirping away right outside his window. Just like in the cartoons. He chuckled. He took a moment to let his eyes adjust as he soaked up the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, and finally got off to start his day. What did have to do today, again?
Oh, god. Thats right.
I have a date.
The sunlight poked through the crack in Bay Breeze's Blinds, convieniently hitting her square in the eye.
"Ah, Dammit..." She mumbled, still half asleep. What a night. She rolled onto her back, stretching her arms and wings. She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself to a sitting position, looking around the bright room. Jeez, morning already? Still disoriented, she threw the covers aside so her legs could dangle over the side of the bed. She sluggishly looked over at the alarm clock on her nightstand. 11:39 AM. Gotta love saturdays. What should she do with her weekend...
"Oh Celestia," She realized. "I have a date..."
She frantically looked at the clock again.
"...And only SIX HOURS to get ready!?"
12:02 PM:
Jacked walked our of his now-steamy bathroom, showered up, teeth brushed and hair combed. Also naked. All he needed now was a fire fit and he was set. He walked back in his room to his closet, sliding it open. He snagged a Honda T shirt and threw it on, as well as a white flannel to match his car. Why not? he thought. He put on some boxers, ripped jeans and some blue Off-White Jordan 1's. He walked over to the mirror with all the badassery he could muster and looked himself over with confidence.
"Still got it."
He checked his watch. 12:30. 5 More hours. The hell am I gonna do until then? He thought. He looked out his window at his NA, sitting Idly in the parking lot below. He could see it better in the daylight, and it wasn'y pretty, clearly dirty from last night's run. Oh. Thats what I'm doing.
5:46 PM:
Jack cruised down the narrow Canterlot street windows down, music blasting, and NSX squeaky clean. Nothing some Chemical Guys Detailer and some microfiber cloth cant fix, right?
The canterlot evening was as goregous as ever. The loud, bustling city around him was a blur of pretty lights, beautifully crafted midevial-style buildings, and countless varieties of people and ponies. Jack wasted no time pulling the handbrake as he slid onto the main road, much to the startled entertainment of the pedestrians nearby. The wind rustled through his thick, brown hair as he weaved in and out of traffic. Even though canterlot was filled to the brim with the hottest cars around, all eyes were on him. He felt at the epicenter of everything with every light, sound, and sensation assaulting his senses at once.
He rounded a curve to see the stoplight at it's end. He snapped out of it and slammed his brakes, screeching to a halt. Jeez.. He took a deep breath to regain his composure. Alright relax dude, you don't wanna kill yourself on your way to a Goddamn date. Chill out, be polite, and be... be yourself. Yeah.
The light turned green. He put it in first and gently coasted down the road. Hey, nothings a blur anymore. He looked around at all the traffic around him. If there was a place for carspotting, this was the place. Jack giggled like a little kid as he saw them. "Ferrari 360, nice. Oh man, widebody F80! Is that a gallardo?" He got even more excited when he saw what was on the left side of the road ahead; A curb. A curb lined to the brim with sports cars. "Oh wow... R34 GTR, a Dodge Demon!? A Rolls Royce - aww look! A maroon miata! Kinda looks like Breeze's.... WAIT!" He looked up at where he actually was. Sure enough, it was the plaza, truly a sight to behold. The evening sun glistened off the polished gold entrance, lined with designer stores and fancy resturants. It definitely looked like a place of prestige, opulence and grandeur.
Coming back to, he slammed his brakes again and flipped his turn signal. No cops? Perfect. He pressed the gas and clutch down all the way. Here goes. Jack Let off the clutch entirely, kicking his car around for a second time, perfectly guiding the car into the J-turn until he was once again parallel to the curb. He gently pulled in behind the Red roadster and shut his car off. Nailed it. He climbed out, taking a deep breath. You got this, it's just dinner. Imagine it's just dinner with the boys. No, that's a terrible idea. Just... be yourself. With all the confidence he had, he strolled over to the NA roadster in front of him. He was able to discern some of it's details much better, most notably so the golden BBS wheels on it. Dope, he thought. He kneeled down to look in the side window, only to see no Breeze in sight. "Huh? Where-"
"Sup?"
Jack whipped around, and there she was. Breeze stood in front of him, with the same smile from the night (Or... morning?) before, but he could see her much better now. God, he was right. She IS pretty.
This time however, the hoodie and socks were gone. Instead, she was in a bright blue sundress that went down to her thighs, nothing revealing. The blue bow remained though, as it noticably fit her really well. She looked up at him, timidly. "D-do you like my dress?"
Jack was giddy like a kid, and wasn't good at hiding it. "Yeah, you look wonderful!"
"Thanks! not lookin' too bad yourself. That flannel looks good on you."
The pair took a few moments, awkwardly looking each other over, smiling. Did I say awkwardly?
"W-well, shall we?" It was Jack's turn to stutter now. Breeze nodded. Her eyes glides from left to right, scanning all the different resturants in front of the plaza. She looked back up at Jack.
"Mmhmm. And I know the perfect place."
"Lead the wa- woah!" Breeze had already taken his hand in hoof and dragged him to the mystery restauraunt.
The Pink pegasus zipped to the front door and opened it for Jack.
"After you!" Jack came jogging up to her.
"No fair, I'm the one who's supposed to hold-"
"Oh, come in, silly." Jack chuckled, shrugging.
"If you say ssssss..." His mouth dropped when he saw what was inside. "...so?"
Before him was a Brewhouse filled to the absolute BRIM with automotive memorabillia. Old fashioned gas pumps, license plates, checkered floors, a 50s style diner counter, and, barely seen in the very back, a showroom with fenced-off cars of every kind.
"Holy shit." Breeze laughed.
"Happens everytime I bring one of my friends here. Never gets old!" she said, giggling between words. A few moments later, a stallion in his early 20s walked up. He was dressed like a NASCAR pit crew member with an apron and a nametag.
"For two?" He Beamed. Breeze nodded. She looked up at Jack, who was still staring in awe, as he pointed to the back of the restaraunt.
"C-can we sit in the back?"
"No problem! Right this way." He led the pair toward a booth right next to the fencing. As they moved through the tables of people, it was easier to make out the cars on display. There were seven of them, all parked diagnoally in a line, exept for the one in the middle. It was on a platform, rotating very slowly. But the spinning display was not what made Jack stop dead in his tracks. It was not what caused the excited squeal to climb halfway up his throat. He spotted it almost instantly, and when he did, he was glad he was already sitting at the table with breeze.
"Oh, my God."
Sitting dead center was a 1960's Ford GT40 with a very fainted paintjob. It was baby blue with two orange stripes painted down the middle, with a number '1' painted on the hood and sides.
"What is it?" Breeze's eyes followed his, finally settling on the object of his attention. "Oh. Damn." It was her turn to stare in awe.
"Beautiful, isn't it? It's a GT40. 60's, if I'm not mistaken." Breeze and Jack both snapped out of it and looked back up at their waiter. Jack finaly spoke again.
"...is it real?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is it actually one of the ones they raced? Or is it a replica?"
"Oh sir, I have no clue. I just work here!" He chuckled. Jack simply nodded. "So! Can I start you guys off with any beverages?" Breeze piped up.
"Y'all still do that black cherry soda?" He nodded. "Done." She beamed, sittingback and crossing her arms.
"And you, sir?" Jack was already staring at the car again. "Sir?" He snapped back.
"Oh sh- sorry man, water is cool. Thank you."
"Excellent! Be right back with those." And off he went. Jack continued to gawk at the car in front of him.
"You... really like that thing, huh?"
"It cant be..." Jack said, under his breath.
"Hmmm?"
"This can't be a real GT40." Breeze's face went from amused to perplexed.
"How come?"
"The real ones are worth millions. No way they'd display it in a restaraunt like this."
"Are they rare or something?"
"Oh, yeah. But they raced in Le Mans over 50 years ago."
"Le... Mans?"
"Oh. Yeah, big huge race in France they do every year."
"France is that place in Oorupp, right? With the bread and weird hats?" Jack chuckled.
"Europe, yeah. And you're thinking about baguettes and berets, silly."
"Same thing, right?" She giggled.
"No, I... anyway, these cars were raced in France and won like 4 years in a row, against all odds. It''s a pretty cool story when you look into it. There's a movie about it, too."
"And it's the story that makes this car so special?"
"Yup. So much that there are now companies that build replicas. You gotta understand Breeze, for every real one out there, there's gotta be.... a hundred fakes. But the fakes are beautiful new paint. This one almost looks like it's been sandblasted. Makes you think, doesnt it?"
Jack and Breeze both looked at the car again, pondering.
"Loved these ever since I found out what they were. Watched videos, seen pictures, read about them, but I've never seen one. Coming across a real one is like.... finding the holy grail."
"Holy Grail? Whats that?"
"Its a... nevermind, it's just an expression meaning that it's basically unheard of." Jack looked back at Breeze, who was still staring at it. It seemed she was the one thinking now. "What's on your mind?"
"Sooo... there's no way for you to tell whether its real just by looking at it?" Jack shook his head slightly.
"Not really. Wait... hold on a second." He looked left and right for any employees. Nobody. He scooted his chair so it was as close as can be to the fencing. He then leaned over, subtly reaching his arm toward the car.
"Ummmhmmhmm," Breeze giggled nervously. "What're you doin there?"
The GT40 was still rotating on the platform, and it's bumper was coming close to Jack's arm. It rotated more, and more, the car's nose creeping within his reach, until...
*TAP*TAP*
Jack pulled his hand back in utter disbelief. A smile crept onto his face and slowly stretched to both of his ears.
"It's real. It's fucking real." Breeze looked at him in surprise.
"Wait, how do you know??"
"You hear the sound it made? That's good old fashioned metal. Bonded aluminum. The original ones had aluminum panels. Only the replicas are made of fiberglass. This is definitely a real one. Thats insane..."
Breeze brought her attention back to Jack. She gleefuly watched him geek over the classic sitting in front of them. She had to admit, she was learning so much, and she was enjoying every minute of it. Finally, someone who can just-
"Am I rambling?"
"W-huh?"
"I'm not talking about this thing too much, am I?"
"Nono, not at all! I love it, honestly. You're being yourself." She smiled sincerely.
"I try," He chuckled. "I'm just wasnt expecting to see one of these today. Like, who would be willing to have their car displayed like this?" He gestured back to the GT40 one last time.
"Looooootttta rich folk round' these parts."
"Must be nice..." Jack teased. She laughed. "You have a dream build?" Breeze put her hoof to her chin, clearly in thought.
"Here're your drinks, you two!" The orange stallion said, trotting back to the table. The duo took their drinks, saying a 'thank you!' in unison. "Have yall' decided what you'd like?" Breeze opened her menu and pointed to the first page.
"I'll have the good old usual." The stallion nodded and jotted it on his notepad.
"And you, sir?" Oh, shit.
"Oh, um, Breeze, what did you get?" Breeze lifted her menu and pointed to the first page again. Turbocharged Tacos. HA. "I'll do that as well!" The stallion jotted on his notepad again.
"Timesssss... two. Got it, I'll have those out as soon as we can!" And off he went. The two looked back at each other.
"Where were we?"
"Dream Build?"
"Thats right, thank you. Honestly, I'd love to have a tricked out silvia. Probably an S15."
"Right on! Those are the perfect drift car."
"How come?"
"Weight distribution. All the weights in the front, making the back easy to maintain during a slide."
"Yknow, I never thought of it like that!" She thought for a minute. "Yeah, They're tough to find in good condition, apparently. But once I save enough, I'll get one!"
"That reminds me, I'm curious. What do you do?"
"I'm a Wedding Planner! I help pick out tuxes and dresses, manage the financial end of weddings, and arrange vendors, food, and all that other stuff."
"Oh, thats really sweet."
"Yeah, it's cool to see so many people settling down with their special somepony. Wholesome stuff, must be nice, anyways yeah! What do you do?"
"I do maintenance on Equestria's Naval fleet." Her eyes widened a tad.
"Oh, cool! Must be hard work?" He nodded.
"It's not exactly easy, but I'm doing my part. Ever seen an Equestrian invasion lately?"
"No...?" He crossed his arms in satisfaction.
"You're welcome." He said, smugly. Breeze laughed.
"Looks like we both got it pretty good, huh? But anyways, yeah. What's your dream build, Jack?"
"Easy. Twin Turbo Huracan."
"A what now?"
"Lamborghini Huracan. Those V10's are known for being totaly bulletproof, so people love to slap turbos on them."
"How many horsepowers do they make?"
"How deep are your pockets?" Breeze gazed in surprise.
"Uhhhmmmm, if I had all the money in the world to build one?"
"In that case, I've seen them make about 3,000 wheel." Breeze's mouth dropped.
"Who needs that much power!?"
"Oh trust me, Breeze. It's never enough."
"Wow. So, are there any hurricanes-"
"Huracan."
"-Any Huracans in Equestria?"
"With twin turbos? I know there's a couple of em' in manehattan. Red one and a black one. But they only make like 1000 horsepower each. They're got smaller turbos, so the boost builds up faster and there's not as much lag. Still ridiculous, but... yeah. They're pretty cool. I'm ranting again."
Breeze laughed and nudged his arm gently, her hoof lingering for a second longer than usual. "If you're ranting, I'm the one encouraging it," she said. Her smile softened as she looked at him, watching how animated he got when talking about cars. He caught her gaze, and for a moment, the noise of the brewhouse seemed to fade into the background.
Jack cleared his throat, eyes darting back to his drink. "I just… don't usually get to talk about this stuff with people who actually seem interested."
"Then maybe you need to hang out with different people," Breeze replied with a playful lilt. She took a sip of her cherry soda, eyes twinkling. "Someone who can appreciate you geeking out over a car."
Jack grinned, a touch of color creeping into his cheeks. "Is that what you're here for? To be my car enthusiast wingpony?"
"Hey, don't flatter yourself." She laughed, leaning back. "Though… maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world." She held his gaze a little longer than she intended, feeling her heart beat just a bit faster.
Their food arrived, breaking the moment, and they both eagerly dove in. Between bites, they traded more jokes and talked about anything that came to mind, but each found themselves stealing glances. Jack noticed how Breeze would fiddle with her straw when she laughed, the way she scrunched her nose at his bad jokes. Breeze couldn't help but admire the way he animatedly moved his hands when explaining something.
When they finished eating, Breeze stretched out with a satisfied sigh. "I feel like I could roll out of here."
Jack chuckled. "Good thing we have wheels, then." He flashed a grin and offered his hand, helping her up. For a moment, as she took his hand, neither pulled away, and Jack felt a flicker of something more as their arms intertwined together. They let go slowly, each one looking away, feeling the spark but hesitant to acknowledge it.
Outside, as they walked back to their cars, the sky was painted with a soft lavender and rose-colored glow from the setting sun. Breeze stopped, staring at it for a moment. "Pretty," she murmured.
Jack watched her instead of the sky. "Yeah," he said softly.
They walked in silence for a few moments, each secretly wishing the night could stretch on just a little longer. Breeze slowed down as they reached her car, turning to face him.
"Thanks for dinner, Jack. This was… really nice." Her voice was soft, almost shy, which caught him off guard.
"Always. Im glad you had fun. Thanks for showing me this place." They both gazed back in awe at the sheer size beauty of the front of the plaza. "So... whaddya think? Wanna hang out again next week? I know a couple good food spots."
Breeze smirked, leaning against her miata, hooves crossed.
"I don't think so, mister." OUCH.
"...Ah. Gotcha, no worri-"
"Because we ain't done yet. YOU still owe me a late-night drive."
"O-oh."
