Read Online Plunking Reggie Jackson by James Bennett - Free Book Online

car? My dad bought it out at Hennesy’s because he got a great price on it. It was a program car.”
    â€œWhat’s a program car?”
    â€œIt’s like a demonstrator. Salesmen use them so people can make test drives.”
    Bree was twisting her torso in order to put her books in the backseat by way of the gap between the seats. Her short, silky skirt was one of those that buttoned down the front; it was high on her thighs. “But Coley, this is a lavender car, not a purple one. A purple car would be gross.”
    â€œPurple, lavender. Anyway, it’s better than the last car I had.”
    â€œYou had another car before this?”
    â€œI’ve had two other cars. This is the third car I’ve had.” Coley couldn’t help wearing a sheepish grin while he delivered this information. They were idling by the stop sign at the entry to the street. “So you’ll have to give me directions,” he reminded her. “I don’t know where your house is.”
    â€œYale Boulevard. You know where it is?”
    â€œI know.” He pulled swiftly into the street and headed east on South Grand. Bree asked him if she could turn the rearview mirror in her direction, and he said, “No problem. I’ve got the side mirrors.”
    She began combing her hair. “Your dad buys you cars? You must be rich.”
    â€œWe’re rich enough,” Coley had to admit. “I don’t know who makes more money, though, my mom or my dad. She sells real estate.”
    Bree was still combing, leaning forward in her seat to get a better look in the mirror. “What car did you have before this?”
    â€œIt was a Honda Accord. It was okay, but it didn’t have much guts. I talked my old man into getting this one.”
    â€œI think a lavender car is super cool.” She was speaking to him, but by way of the mirror. Her legs weren’t together and her skirt wasn’t pulled down. She was arousing him, even if her suggestive body language wasn’t premeditated. Maybe even because it wasn’t.
    â€œLavender, purple.”
    Bree giggled before she said, “I’ll take your old Honda when I turn sixteen, since you don’t need it now.”
    â€œSorry.” He smiled. “It got traded in on this one.” The left side of her face was less than a foot from his head. She was still combing the fine, straight hair with regular strokes, but it looked to him like everything was in place and there wasn’t much more to accomplish. “How’d you get the bruise?” he asked casually. They were stopped at the Eleventh Street traffic light.
    Before she answered, she put the sunglasses back on. “I hit it on the car door.” She was putting the comb away in her purse.
    â€œHow did that happen?”
    Something was different all of a sudden. Bree located herself squarely in her own seat. She crossed her legs and pulled the hem of her skirt down. “It just happened. It was clumsy. Don’t ask so many questions.”
    â€œThat was one question. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s cool.”
    They were headed south on Eleventh Street. Bree was quiet. Content, it seemed, to stare out the passenger’s window. Coley asked her about her family. She told him she lived with her mother and stepfather.
    â€œWhere does your real dad live?”
    â€œHe used to live in Texas. He still might, as far as I know. We practically never hear from him.”
    â€œWhat does your stepfather do?”
    â€œHe’s a retired air force officer.”
    Coley didn’t know much about her, but he decided she was a puzzle. The same girl who buttoned up his coat through the fence and gushed about his lavender car was now the one giving terse and reluctant answers to questions that didn’t seem all that personal. He decided to change the subject. “So what do you say? You wanna go out? Let’s go out to