“Hey beautiful! You goin’ our way?”

Bette spun around slowly, smirking as she recognized the teasing voice that called out to her, and then reared her head back in surprise when she saw a gleaming supercar purr up a few feet from her.

Tom wolf-whistled at her as he dipped his aviator sunglasses further down his nose, one elbow hanging out off the drive-side window, the other forearm slung casually over the steering wheel. Jules leaned forward from the backseat and stuck her face next to the back of Tom’s head and called out, “We’re going to the same place!”

She waved Bette over, insistent. “Hop in, Bette.”

The brunette shook her head and gave them a half-frown, half-smile. “And how do you know where I’m going?” She guessed what they were trying to do. Jules must have talked Tom into this.

“Because we’re going to wherever it is that you’re going?” Tom asked, with lopsided grin, dispensing with his aviator shades altogether, blue-grey eyes twinkling.

Bette set her bag down, remaining where she was, arms akimbo. With another shake of her head, she eyed the car Tom was driving from bonnet to tail.  “Cool whip you got there, Captain,” she observed.  “What is it?”

“Tom looks unusually pale, eyes sunken,” she thought.

“Lambo,” he answered, and pressed a button to unlock the passenger side door, motioning with his head for her to get in. He swiped his forehead, as if wiping off a cold sweat, with a hand that shook slightly.  With a wink he added, “Total babe magnet.”

“Not this babe,” Bette retorted quickly, smirking. His constant, teasing flirtation was a long-standing joke between them. One day I am going to take him up on all his innuendo and give him the shock of his life! Bette thought, smiling inwardly.  Normally she would have enjoyed their usual banter, but today the cold sweat on his face, on top of that paler-than-usual demeanor had her slightly worried.

She pointed at the low-slung metallic blue Italian supercar with her chin. “I can see you’ve clearly raised your game to beast-mode with this so-called babe magnet.”

He smirked and stroked the leather-wrapped steering wheel seductively. “Mmmm… she needs a firm hand to tame her, this one,” he batted back, winking again, briefly flashing a winning smile.   In most circumstances, he’d have any other woman leaning on his window by now batting her eyelashes at him, he thought.