OUTFIT

Tessa was glad Shawn let her get all the way through her story without interruption. Too his credit as well he didn't laugh at her or make fun. Though he did question the validity of when she lost her virginity.

"Eeek, Sorry to here that. but you're gonna tell me that you were a virgin until College? I think you need to eat a hot pepper for that. I don't believe that. Were your parents bible nuts or something?"

Rolling her eyes she gave him a look. What was he like twelve when he lost his virginity or something. Why did people think she was some kind of prude? Not everyone in high school had sex.

"I was only eighteen. Jesus. How old were you?"

She smirked a little. Feeling on the spot a bit. It's not like she held out till she was thirty or something. Eighteen was a good age. At fourteen and fifteen she was more interested in riding her horses and her other activities than thinking about sex. Sure, she liked boys and boys liked her. It was just more innocent kind of thing then, at least on her part. If a guy pushed her too far, she stopped seeing him.

Then when she did get to that age where she noticed the boys more... her parents died. That kind of put a damper on that aspect of her life as well. She was numb for a long time, sex wasn't important her senior year of high school. It was all she could do to go through the motions, keep her grades up so she could graduate, get out of that small town and go away to college.

"And no, my parents weren't bible nuts. We did go to church on Sunday's but that was my mom's thing. They definitely weren't fanatics about it. I was just... I was a good girl. I wanted to make my parents proud. I stayed out of trouble. Trust me, I had plenty of boys knocking on my door back then. Between my dad and older brother though... most of them minded their manners. The ones that didn't, I stopped it right off. So, no. It's not a lie. No hot pepper for me."

Tessa grinned at him. Letting herself take a deep breath and relax a little bit again. She realized she had gotten riled up about that. Thinking back on it now, she was far from that same girl she used to be. Though, she wasn't completely gone... The "good girl" in her was still around. Popping up now and again. She was just a little older and a little wiser these days.

"Ok, well that's nothing...."

Sitting back a bit she settled in to listen to his most embarrassing sexual encounter. She was more than curious to hear this one.

"OK, but you have to promise not to laugh....."

She tried to make her face a neutral as possible. Nodding her head to show she understood. He hadn't laughed at her so she'd give it her best shot to not laugh at him. Though, truth be told. Her story wasn't really that funny at least from her point of view. More like a nightmare.

Listening intently she watched him as he launched into his story. Keeping a straight face for the moment. Though, from the beginning she was pretty sure it wasn't going to end well. Horny teenage boy at a party with his parents and their friends. Yeah... not a good combination.

When he got to the part about him falling off the loft she gasped a bit and covered her mouth with both hands. Still trying to stifle any laugh from bubbling out. She did a pretty good job till he laughed himself. Then she just couldn't help herself.

"Oh my God. No way. That's... awful. It's a good thing you didn't get hurt too."

She giggled at that a bit. Because yeah, as if laying out on top of a car, spread eagle and naked in front of your father and his friends wasn't bad enough.

"I'm still shocked you don't have anything else but your first time to look back on. You were a prude back then. You and me would have never gotten along back then."

Tessa shrugged at that. Thinking he was probably right. If she had met him in high school, he would probably have been one of those guys who tried to hard to get her to have sex with him. One of the ones she didn't have time to deal with so she kicked them to the curb. But, that was then... this is now. She had a feeling they were both different people than they were back in high school.

"Well, after that first time. The next guy was actually really nice. Kind of boring, but he was nice. I learned a few things but it didn't work out. He wasn't my type... I don't do boring, at least very long. After that... I kind of started taking matters into my own hands. If a guy was tentative and if he seemed like he had potential, then I'd get aggressive. Discovered a few tricks there and that some guys actually like that. Other guys, if they seemed not worth the effort I just moved on. I'm not saying there weren't other mishaps or anything. I learned how to go with it and not let it ruin everything. Kind of like having a bed collapse on you."

She smirked at him with that one. Their first time when that did actually happen. Could have been a disaster. Ended up being an amazing experience.

"So tell me....what brought you out of your shell? Why the sudden change in heart cause from what I can see from texts I sent and from stories I've heard of our first night, we had a fucking good time. That doesn't sound like the Tess from back then. So what made you finally come out of that cocoon?"

What did she say to that? Things happen in life. Change is a part of it. That's something she learned for sure. You had to adapt in order to keep up with it. Life wasn't leisurely cruise through the countryside. It was more of a roller coaster ride or a demolition derby. There were ups and downs and you enjoyed the ups and did the best you could riding out the downs.

"My life changed. Everything I believed in changed when my parents died. I always tried to be the good girl. Do the right thing. Listen to my parents, make them proud, make them happy. I tried so hard to do everything right. Then the most important thing in my life was ripped away from me. I didn't understand how that could happen. I was a good person yet I was suffering the worst punishment that could possibly be given me. I stopped believing the pie in the sky ideals. Started living life on my own terms. Made my own decisions. Found my own direction."

Looking at him with a smile, she wanted to let him know that she wasn't sad about it. This wasn't a bad thing per se. She didn't want this conversation to turn into something depressing after things had been going so well.

"I grew up, I guess. Now, if I see a kick ass penthouse with a pool that has a waterslide I can get to from my bedroom... I'll buy it. If I want to have fifteen cars and I'm just one person and it doesn't make sense to have that many cars? Who cares. I'll have them anyway. Getting black out drunk, doing crazy ass things and having a fun time... even if I don't remember that part... I'm all for it. I don't want my life to be boring. I lived seventeen years of boring. That was enough."

Tessa laughed again. Glancing up at Shawn after all that. Wondering what his take would be. The game had done what was intended she thought. At least on her end. That was her life in a nutshell.

"So, probably more 'this is the life of Tessa Jordan' then you really wanted to know, huh? I am who I am. I'm not ashamed how I live my life. I'm up front about things. If I say something, I mean it. If you think I'm playing games or trying to manipulate or get my way by some kind of underhanded means... you got the wrong girl."

"So, probably more 'this is the life of Tessa Jordan' then you really wanted to know, huh? I am who I am. I'm not ashamed how I live my life. I'm up front about things. If I say something, I mean it. If you think I'm playing games or trying to manipulate or get my way by some kind of underhanded means... you got the wrong girl."

Shawn had just finished up his food and was now reaching for his coke when she was finishing up her story. Somewhere in there he had to laugh when she mentioned about breaking the bed. See for him, it wasn't good sex unless something was being broken in the process. Sex was just sex but when you broke something in the process, that's when you knew it was GOOD sex. Unless of course it was bones. His best friend Jack knew all about that. and Shawn learned then, never buy a waterbed. Jack broke his arm between the mattress and the wooden frame and the chick took off scare to hell. Shawn was the one getting woken at 4 in the morning to take Jack to the ER that morning. So to play this game and get to know Tessa, it gave him security that Tessa wouldn't be that bitch to run scared when his shit was hanging by only skin and torn tendons.


 "See, that's the whole purpose of this game though. It's to get to know one another so that we're not going into something blindly." he said now cleaning up and placing all the garbage to the tray. "I don't regret asking any of the questions I did and I certainly don't regret having to listen to anything you told me either." he said standing from the picnic bench and walking to the garbage can to throw out their trash. He placed the tray on the small shelf provided and walked back over to Tess and lent out a hand to help her out of the picnic table. He pulled her in lose and gave her a kiss but pulled back shortly after. "You ready for this? We got 15 minutes to get there before we have a very upset Realtor." he laughed. "By the way, I was only a year younger than you and it was with the quarterbacks head cheerleader. I think I last a whole 30 seconds my first time. Needless to say, she went back to the quarter back and I was made fun of throughout the rest of my junior year. So don't feel bad." he assured her.

Keeping his hand still holding on to hers, he led them to the bike and handed her a helmet and put his own on. One leg over the bike and he was sitting down, turning the key to start it. He waited for her to get on and slowly pulled off. The way he was cruising through traffic and zigging and zagging around people, it was amazing they didn't get a ticket but they made it, they were only five minutes late, but at least they made it. Shawn pulled up to the house but didn't see the Realtor or a car. Really, they couldn't wait five minutes? but then a car pulled up and and a woman wearing a business suit stepped out of the car. 

"I'm so sorry, I got held up in traffic on the way here. I hope you haven't been waiting long?'

Shawn looked to Tessa with a smirk on his face that said he so wanted to mess with this lady, but looking at Tess he had to double think that. He looked back at the Realtor  and shook his head."Not at all. In fact, we just pulled up ourselves.

"Well, let's go inside, shall we? Is this your first place together?"

"Maybe some day, but right now this is just for me." he then looked to Tess hoping they were on the same page. "Not unless somethings changed.....?"

First place

OUTFIT

"I don't regret anything either," she said as he cleaned up their table. When he came back she took his offered hand, stood up and leaned in for the quick kiss he gave her.

"You ready for this? We got 15 minutes to get there before we have a very upset Realtor."

"Yep, I'm ready. Let's get moving."

As they started to walk over to the bike he spoke again.

"By the way, I was only a year younger than you and it was with the quarterbacks head cheerleader. I think I last a whole 30 seconds my first time. Needless to say, she went back to the quarter back and I was made fun of throughout the rest of my junior year. So don't feel bad."

She chuckled and squeezed his hand as they walked. Glad that he admitted that to her. It made her smile.

"Ah ha. So, I wasn't such a prude after all waiting till then. To be honest, at least only lasting 30 seconds would have been a blessing for my first time. It's perfectly understandable for a male his first time."

Holding hands till they got to the bike. She took the helmet and put it on. Waiting for him to get on before she slid on behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

The ride was exciting. Racing through the Monaco traffic. Shawn seeming to try and make up for lost time. Tessa didn't mind though, she liked it. The feel of speed, the air rushing by. She held on tight and enjoyed the ride.

Soon they pulled up to the first place. Tessa was still climbing off the bike and taking her helmet off when the realtor drove up. She hadn't even notice they were late. Glancing at Shawn she saw the look on his face as the woman apologized. He wanted to give her a hard time she could tell, but he changed his mind and gave her a polite answer.

"Not at all. In fact, we just pulled up ourselves."

Tessa took Shawn's hand, giving it a squeeze in response. If he pissed off the realtor it would have been a long, difficult afternoon.

"Well, let's go inside, shall we? Is this your first place together?"

Tessa started at the woman's words. Not really expecting her to make that conclusion but what else would she think. Since they were here together and it was pretty obvious they were a couple on some level.

"Maybe some day, but right now this is just for me." he then looked to Tess hoping they were on the same page. "Not unless somethings changed.....?"

She smiled at Shawn when he looked at her. Reading the look on his face. She gave him a small nod then turned back to the realtor.

"I'm just along for the ride. He's the one that needs a place. Whatever he decides he wants. I'll have visitation rights." She laughed a little at that. "Especially if it's an awesome beach house. I'll look forward to some time on his private beach. But, we're not quite ready to move in together."

Maybe that was a little more explanation than the realtor needed. Oh well, too bad so sad. She wanted to make sure that there were no misunderstandings all the way around. Letting Shawn know that she was perfectly fine with this. He needed his own place for awhile and she had hers. While they might be frequent visitors. Maintaining separate residences was important for now. They needed their space. Time to let things catch up with them since it had been moving so fast.

Not that she completely minded they were moving quickly. Sometimes you just knew. Had that feeling that things were right. Didn't hurt to be cautious though. Better for everyone's peace of mind.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm anxious to see it up close. I'm sure the pictures don't do it justice."

With all of them in agreement the realtor lead the way. Tessa walking beside Shawn as they followed her up the driveway, then the front walk way that brought them to the front door. The realtor opened the door with a key. Pushed the door open and allowed them to step inside first.

"I'm just along for the ride. He's the one that needs a place. Whatever he decides he wants. I'll have visitation rights." She laughed a little at that. "Especially if it's an awesome beach house. I'll look forward to some time on his private beach. But, we're not quite ready to move in together."

"Aw, well that's a shame. What in the world are you going to do with all this room?" she asked, "It has four bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, a dining room separate from a large kitchen, a living room and a entertainment room. Seems like an awful lot for just a single guy." she smirked, maybe in more of a playful manner than she should of in front of who she was now considering to be his sister.

Shawn knew when he was being hit on and when he wasn't but this.....this was a bold attempt while standing in the company of his girlfriend....that still sounded a little weird to him. Not that the Realtor wasn't attractive with those nice slender legs or that busty top, but damn, did she have to bring her balls between her legs too? Shawn only looked away to hide his face hoping that Tess wouldn't embarrass him too badly to where the house would possibly be taken away from them. He'd never had to worry about her jealous side, so he wasn't sure what to expect.


They started to head up the drive way and the first thing Shawn wanted to see was the garage since they were standing right there.  On the ring of house keys, came the remote to open the dual doors. The Realtor pressed the button to reveal the inside, bare and empty, freshly painted......white. Shawn almost cringed at the sight knowing damn well, that garage was going to be black by the end of his first week. He was a firm believer that a garage was useless unless it had cars, tools and oil all over the place and if the Realtor expected it to stay looking this way, she had another thing coming. He just kinda looked to Tess with a shake of the head as if to say this wasn't going to last like this. 

Soon they were on the move again, the garage doors closing as they walked away and around the front of the house. She unlocked the door to reveal the front living room and again Shawn cringed at the white paint. This stood a better chance, but not to much longer. However he did like the fireplace with the wooden wall. It reminded him of home a bit. The only thing different was the white marble stone that lid at the bottom. His father's den had a black granite one below the fire place in Amarillo. The other thing that just wasn't working for him was the carpeting....again white or was it almost a cream color? Really, it didn't matter cause he was already seeing that this wasn't the house for someone like him and Tess might even realize that if she remembered what his room looked like. Not that it was a mess, but Dom even yelled at him a few times to take his shoes off before walking into the house. 

"If you'll step this way, the kitchen is next on the tour." the Realtor spoke up after they got a good look. She then moved them to the luxurious kitchen "As you can see, the kitchen is the best room in the house so far" she emphasized. ''You have beautiful skylights, an island counter, amazing splash resistant counter tops and a polished stainless steel appliances."

Shawn couldn't help it anymore....""And more white...." he sounded a little depressed.

"Something wrong with white?' she turned and asked.

"Uh, not with the color per say, but with my line of work. I customize cars and oil just comes with the territory. This isn't gonna last a week." he pointed around the room to the color.

The Realtor sparked up a little with yet another playful little chirp to her voice, this time more evident than the first. "Oh, soooooo, your a man who likes to get a bit dirty....." she smirked yet again but tried to cover it this time, "I have just the thing for you then. Follow me please?" She soon was leading them to the house bathroom, but didn't stick around long enough to really take it in. Instead, she took them up stairs to the master bedroom with its own master bath. "I'm sure something as luxurious as this would accommodate all your dirty pleasures." 

Shawn walked in and seen more white, but this wasn't too bad, because hopefully by the time he made it this far, he'd be too clean and Tess would want to get him a dirty all over again in that tub, and then the shower, and then the bed, and look at that view of the beach! He seen that balcony being used more than once......The bedroom all in itself had his vote but the rest of the house would need a desperate paint job. He'd seen enough and not any of the other bedrooms, or the entertainment room or even the beach could persuade him otherwise. If he bought this, it would be for the bedroom and bathroom only. But he could easily pass it up too. Not only that, but the Realtor's comments were starting to make him a bit uncomfortable in front of Tess and he somehow was getting a clue, she wasn't liking it either. "I'm not sure I'm feelin' this one." he spoke up and then looked to Tess, "What do you think?"

OUTFIT

Tessa's eyebrows raised when the realtor started speaking. Noticing the change in her tone and demeanor. Her attention focused on Shawn more directly. It was pretty clear that the woman was flirting with him. Something that Tessa did not like one little bit. But, wasn't the time or place to make a big deal out of it. They had come to look at the house, so she tried to ignore it for now. Though her jaw was clenched a little tighter and her arms were crossed over her chest.

They went into the garage first. Tessa could see that Shawn was not thrilled with it. They had already talked about it not being large enough. Now seeing it with wall to wall white. This was certainly not a working garage. Just a place to park their cars out of the elements and store their extra junk. Tessa couldn't help but smirk when Shawn flashed her that look.

Tessa stayed mostly quiet as they went inside the main house and looked around. A quiet observer for the most part. Her eyes on the real estate lady watching her a little more closely now.

Everything was white. Very bright and very clean white. Not that it couldn't be painted or re-carpeted or whatever... but really, who wanted a beach house that was gonna take more work to keep clean and looking nice. Plus, if you're plunking down a good chunk of money on a house, you don't really wanna have to go through the process of changing everything.

Moving on they went into the kitchen. Again, it was white. Though she did have to admit, the skylights and large windows with an excellent view were nice as well as the stainless steel appliances. Tessa nodded her head when Shawn commented about it finally.

"And more white...."

She knew he'd been dying to say something about it since they had walked into the garage. Tessa hadn't said anything as she felt it wasn't her place. She didn't care for the white either, probably for different reasons than Shawn. All this white reflected nothing about the people who lived here. It was just plain. The place needed a serious injection of personality. Even her penthouse wasn't as cold as this was.

"Something wrong with white?" The realtor asked and Shawn replied.

"Uh, not with the color per say, but with my line of work. I customize cars and oil just comes with the territory. This isn't gonna last a week."

Tessa again noticed the flirty tone come back into the woman's voice. Speaking up about getting dirty. And not at all meaning the way Shawn had talked about his work.

"Oh, soooooo, your a man who likes to get a bit dirty....."

Tessa ground her teeth together and narrowed her eyes. She saw the smirk on the agent's face flash and then the attempt to cover it up.

"I have just the thing for you then. Follow me please?"

Staying silent still Tessa followed along as they made their way upstairs. Through the main bedroom to arrive at the master bath.

"I'm sure something as luxurious as this would accommodate all your dirty pleasures."

Tessa shifted her eyes to look at the realtor straight up. She was getting tired of the innuendo. People were going to flirt, that wasn't a big deal but this chick had a pair of big brass ones. Acting like Tessa wasn't even right there in front of her. That's the part that grated on her nerves.

"The bathroom is lovely. And yes, I'm very sure that I will be able to accommodate ALL his dirty pleasures just fine. No need to worry your head about that one. I've got it covered."

Tessa gave the woman a bright smile that underneath said, 'now shut the fuck up,' and looked around the bedroom and the bathroom while that sank in.

She moved in closer to Shawn and smiled at him. Wrapping her arms around his waist. The first really overt display of affection she had initiated. She was trying to not get crazy or anything but this woman was just too much, seriously.

"I'm not sure I'm feelin' this one."

Tessa took another quick glance around.

"What do you think?"

Giving him a bit of a shrug, wrinkling up her nose and shaking her head in the negative. Tessa had to agree.

"No, I don't really see you in this one, babe. I mean... Sure that bathroom is nice. The shower is great, but I don't really like that tub. The bedroom is okay, but it's not all that. Then add on to the fact that it would all have to painted. Plus the garage is too small. I think you'd be happier somewhere else."

Another overly sweet smile Tessa flashed at the realtor. Not thrilled with her attempt at providing 'personalized' service.

"What else have you got? And if it's all in the same vein as this one... Don't bother... We can find someone else to show us something more appropriate and pay that nice big commission too. Get what I'm saying?"

"The bathroom is lovely. And yes, I'm very sure that I will be able to accommodate ALL his dirty pleasures just fine. No need to worry your head about that one. I've got it covered."

Meow! Cat fight!, Cat fight!, Cat fight!, was all Shawn could chant in his head right now as he covered the smirk over his face with his hand. Really, the Realtor was getting a bit unprofessional now and she had to of know that Tessa was his girlfriend, so why do something like that? Tessa continued to look around after that while the Realtor kinda moved off to the side with a wide expression on her face like she knew if she pushed any farther, this was going to get ugly really fast, all up in her clean house she was trying to sell. And really, the price tag on the house was just too much. Not too much that Shawn couldn't afford it, cause hell, after the money they got off that usb drive, he could have afforded ten of these houses plus a few others. Money wasn't the issue, but did he really want to pay this much money for a house that had no character? There had to be others out there and they still had five more to look at. Even Tess agreed that there was better out there and even added that the garage was too small. even she knew, a garage wasn't a garage unless it had all the right room and furnishings. That's when Tess turned around to the Realtor and asked, 

"What else have you got? And if it's all in the same vein as this one... Don't bother... We can find someone else to show us something more appropriate and pay that nice big commission too. Get what I'm saying?"

Of course it was a dig at the chick, but this bitch really didn't realize what she was losing out if she kept up her shit. So Shawn did what he did best, he fucked with her as he wanted to in the beginning, but this was not going to be his playful mood or joking as it would have been earlier. Oh, no, this was going to be serious and the point very much expressed. "Oh, by the way, If I might add, I'll be paying straight up cash, no waiting, no banks, no games. So show me something that aw me or as she said, We'll get someone else. Maybe a gay guy so that my girlfriend doesn't get jealous over someone like you flirting her way out of a sale." he said taking Tess' hand and walking out of the room. As suspected, the Realtor came chasing out of the room after them and practically begging forgiveness from Tessa. 

"I have just the thing I think you'll want." 

Unfortunately though, she didn't. All day was spent looking at houses one after one after another. Either they were too big, too gaudy, too colorful, or the main thing, the garage was too small. Nothing seemed to speak to Shawn and he knew it was going to be hard, but something about it just didn't feel right. He wanted big, he wanted elaborate, he wanted fancy, but something in him wanted Home. Something that he felt like he lived there, something that felt like he belonged there. Something he didn't have to feel like a stranger but still something that spoke volumes and still had that quality of home and flashiness to it. Again, she didn't have anything that seemed to appease him and it was already going on nearly 5 o'clock. Dinner was right around the corner and after putting Tess through all this, he knew he owed her one. They were just about to leave the last house for the evening when the Realtor came up to them with another choice, insistent on making that cash sale. Shawn only turned around knowing it was going to be along the same lines, so he just looked to her with a look that said he didn't care anymore. "No, we're done here and I think you've wasted enough of our time. You had your chance and now it's gone to the next person. Thank you for your time." 


Walking down the Driveway, he reached for Tess' hand and pulled her in close until they got to the bike. "I'm sorry I dragged you out all day like this. You wanna go get some dinner and just call it a night? This was the last one on my list. I promise somewhere nice..... for having to put up with this." he spoke pulling her in close to him now and giving her a small kiss. He was giving up for the evening and really just wanted to get home and relax for the night, maybe get a movie or something and chill.

OUTFIT

The realtor seemed to back off after shit got real and Tessa brought up missing out on a commission. An elaborate plea was made that she had just the perfect place to show them. It went on like that for the rest of the afternoon. Each place she showed them not really up to par. Sure they had a nice feature or two. Some of them were even beautiful, in fact too beautiful. During the last couple of houses Tessa had completely tuned the woman out. She was busy on her phone. Doing her own bit of searching.

When they had finished the last house on Shawn's list and it was nothing but more of the same crap they had had enough. The realtor had finally pushed Shawn to the edge of his patience and he told her so. He was even actually polite about it.

"No, we're done here and I think you've wasted enough of our time. You had your chance and now it's gone to the next person. Thank you for your time."

Tessa held her tongue, no need for her to get snippy. It was clear she had no reason to be jealous and this woman was not worth any more of her time or effort. Leaning into Shawn as he took her hand and they walked away, Tessa rested her head against his shoulder. She knew he was disappointed. As much as he liked Dom and the crew she knew he wanted his own place. And so far today had been a big fat zero in that department.

"I'm sorry I dragged you out all day like this. You wanna go get some dinner and just call it a night? This was the last one on my list. I promise somewhere nice..... for having to put up with this."

They got to the bike and Tessa looked up at him as he spoke. Wrapping her arms around him when he pulled her against his body. He was apologizing for that wench wasting their time? She shook her head lifting back slightly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I think that lady just took the most expensive places on her list and carted us around to them. I'm pretty sure she didn't put any real thought into what you really wanted at all."

Tessa gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then stepped back from him some more. Pulling her phone out she swiped a few times and got to the page she wanted to show him. Smiling up at him as she held out her phone.

"How about we just try one more? I was doing some looking on my own and I saw this one. They didn't have a lot of pictures, but the ones they did have looked pretty nice. If you want we can just drive by real quick. If it doesn't look promising at all we can keep going and head to dinner or just back to my place and order in. Whatever you want."

She waited for his response, then took the helmet when he handed it to her and climbed on the back behind him. Putting her arms around him as they took off towards this one last house to look at for the evening. Hoping that it would at least be in the ballpark of what he was looking for. Since everything else today had been a strikeout and that was kind of a bummer.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I think that lady just took the most expensive places on her list and carted us around to them. I'm pretty sure she didn't put any real thought into what you really wanted at all."

You know, Tess was right but he couldn't blame that all on the Realtor though cause really he never gave her any specifications on what he was looking for. He just told he was looking for a certain price range and something with a decent sized garage. That was exactly what she showed him. He should have been more specific cause honestly, his definition of a decent sized garaged and hers were apparently different. "Nah, it's not completely her fault. I never gave her any specifics. If I had, we may have found something I liked." 

That was when Tess pulled out her phone, 

"How about we just try one more? I was doing some looking on my own and I saw this one. They didn't have a lot of pictures, but the ones they did have looked pretty nice. If you want we can just drive by real quick. If it doesn't look promising at all we can keep going and head to dinner or just back to my place and order in. Whatever you want."

She showed him the pictures and the one that struck him the most was the second one where he could see the garage door under the house. Was that.....? It sure the hell looked like it. It looked like a garage that was the size of the house in floor space. He couldn't help but get excited just because of that. Do you realize how many cars he could fit under there? How much room he'd have to work with and what he could do with a garage like that? He was already planning spray booths, lifts, and engine hoists and in which corners. And the balcony......overlooking the beach.......imagine the sex on that overlooking balcony. "Let's do more than just drive by. I want to look at the whole thing, especially that garage." he said getting all giddy inside and pulling out his phone to dial the number listed under the pictures.

"Hello?''

"Hello, I seen the beach house you have for sale with the under house garage.....I was wondering if it was too late to come take a look at it?"

"Not at all. I'm a private seller. I will warn ya however, it's not your average contemporary home. It's more rustic looking. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, can we come by now? We can be there in about a half an hour." he said to the owner.

"Sure can. I was just letting ya know what ya were gonna be walking into before ya wasted your time. Most people are looking for something fancy and more modern."

"No, I understand and thanks for letting us know. We'll see you in a bit. Thanks again." he said finally getting off the phone and slipping it into his pocket. He looked to Tess with a smile. "He said we can come look at it now. I have a good feeling about this place." he said slipping his helmet on. "I guess the place has a rustic feel to it and he sounded like he had a southern accent." he said starting up the bike. "You ready?" he said flipping down his visor and pulling off slowly until he merged onto the street. Speaking into the internal microphones built into the helmet before he roared off, "If this place is what I think it is, I'll be moving in tomorrow. If that's the case, we're celebrating tonight and I'm not talking like usual."

Shawn twisted the throttle and sped off to merge onto the highway and within about twenty minutes they were pulling up out front of the house. The front gates were secured by iron and wood with a long driveway that lead past a guest house up to the main house where he could see the garage door from where they sat and looked. The place was huge and rustic looking alright. It even had what looked like a barn silo attached to the house. He was already getting that warm feeling of home within him. He took his helmet off and waited for Tess to get off the bike first. Putting the kickstand down, he walked up to the security gates and placed his hands on the bars. Instantly, he got that feeling this was the place. He wasn't sure why, but he just knew. Turning to look at Tess with a smile, he whispered, "This is it. I can feel it." He leaned over and gave her a kiss for not giving up and mentioning to give it one last attempt. If she hadn't, who knew if they would have found this place. "How'd you know though?" he asked her with slight confusion. He never mentioned anything to her about what he wanted in a house. 

"Excuse me, are ya all the ones I got off the phone with earlier?" came a voice from behind them.

Shawn turned and looked to see an older gentleman with a cowboy hat, western vest, black jeans and cowboy boots. Under the vest was a white shirt, embroidered with some western loops and swoops. At the collar, his neck was adorned with a classic Texan style bolo tie. The man looked to be in his late fifties with grey hair and a grey goatee and slightly over weight. Extending his hand to the man, he greeted himself, "Yes sir, I'm Shawn Rhodes and this is my girlfriend, Tess."

"Rhodes? As in Dwight Rhodes?"

Shawn nodded regretfully.

"Ah hell, I'm sure sorry about what happened to your old man. He was a good driver. I remember watching him on the tele during the five hundred on a Sunday afternoon with a cold one in my hand. Of course, no offense, but I was watching everyone. It's just a shame he could never pull past 15th place. To this day, I still think them races are rigged, especially that one where your old man pulled and dodged out of the way of that flipping car....what number was that.......number 28? That was some slick driving there, like he was born to do that." he boasted proudly but noticed the look on Shawn's face. "Well look at me, here yapping my jaw when it's certain the hurt is still there for your loss. Forgive me, son, I meant no disrespect."

"Nah, it's fine. It's good to hear my Pop's still has fans and is remembered. Can we see the house now?" he said trying to change the subject.

OUTFIT

As they drove on to the house, Tessa could help but smile behind the helmet she was wearing. Glad that she was able to lift his spirits after the disappointment of the afternoon spent searching for a place. They arrived at the house, Tessa slide off the back of the bike. Taking the helmet off she secured it then waited for Shawn. He immediately walked over to the large gates that secured the property. She followed after him.

"This is it. I can feel it."

Shawn's voice was just a whisper. She was a bit surprised but happy that he was getting a good vibe from the place. A smile lit up her face as he kissed her. She let the warmth it caused flow through her. Such a simple gesture but it felt good and right. A sincere indication of his happiness in the moment. It made her feel good to know she knew him well enough to have an insight into what he would like and what he wouldn't.

"How'd you know though?"

She shrugged a little bit. Not sure how to answer that exactly. Explaining that she just knew sounded weird. Getting more in depth in trying to quantify that would just be ridiculous. Smiling at him took another moment before she spoke.

"I've known you for a year, Shawn. We didn't just meet last week. I pay attention. I may not know all the intimate details of your life, but I know you pretty well generally as a person. Besides, I really liked it. I figured you would too."

Their conversation stopped when a man spoke up behind them. Tessa turned as Shawn did to see the man. Best described as a cowboy he was. It almost made Tessa laugh because she wondered how an old school cowboy like him ended up in Monaco. She let Shawn do the introductions. Staying quiet but reaching out to shake the man's hands when offered. Smiling a bit again when Shawn actually used the 'girlfriend' word to introduce her.

Her eyes shifted back and forth between the two men as a brief conversation was started. She saw a change in Shawn's expression as the man mentioned the name Dwight Rhodes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that was Shawn's father. Taking Shawn's hand she interlocked her fingers with his. Giving them a soft squeeze but stayed quiet. The man had been a fan of his dad. The reminiscing obviously conflicted Shawn somewhat. Happy someone remembered his dad, sad because he was reminded of his death.

Tessa silently did her best to provide some comfort and support to Shawn. Still holding his hand and moving to stand closer to him so their sides brushed together slightly. Letting him know she was there for him and had noticed the change in demeanor.

"Nah, it's fine. It's good to hear my Pop's still has fans and is remembered. Can we see the house now?"

Tessa was nodding in agreement about seeing the house. She started to feel a little excited about the place again. As the gates started to open, you got a better view of the home and the grounds. The pictures didn't do it justice, the way it was built right into the side of a cliff looking out over the ocean. What a view that must be. She couldn't wait to see it.

"Should we start with the garage first or save that for last?" Tessa asked with a chuckle. Knowing that it was an important selling point for Shawn.

They started to walk toward the house. Down the long driveway. Tessa took in everything around them. The guest house, the landscaping, which was immaculate. It really was an awesome house. At least from the outside so far.

"Sure can son, follow me." said the big Texan, "By the way, My name's Ted Woodrow. It's mighty nice to meet ya'll"

Woodrow.....Woodrow.....why did that name sound familiar? Shawn thought to himself as he followed the big Texan through the gates. 

"This right here is the guest house for in case you have any relatives vacationing here with ya" he said but soon leaned in to Shawn and whispered a bit, ''Or of course those nights when the old lady here kicks ya out after a fight." he said with a chuckle as his belly jiggled a bit. "It's not much but at least its got its own small kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. This way your company isn't getting all up in your business, ya know what I mean?" he said continuing on towards the house.

"Should we start with the garage first or save that for last?"

Shawn debated that for a second while in thought but still chuckling about the comment the big Texan made about the guest house. In thought of course, this was his house, not hers. If anyone was getting kicked out, it'd be her. "If we do that though and its as nice as I think it is, I may not want to see the rest of the house," with a laugh. He couldn't lie, the garage was the main selling point of the house and with and entire floor for nothing but cars and lifts and tools, he'd probably but the house even if it looked like crap and was falling apart. As long as the garage still stood and remained in tact, at least they had the guest house. Of course Shawn just might sleep in the garage every night, but hell, at least Tess would still have the guest house. The closer they came to the garage the more anxious Shawn got, but in the end, he finally decided to save it for last.

''You wanna see the garage first or the house?" asked Ted.

Shawn looked to Tess and then to Ted, "Let's see the house first. She's been waiting for that, so we can save the garage for last. Although, I warn you, I may not want to leave after seeing it."

"I assure you, it's nothing spectacular. Nothing but concrete and a wooden ceiling above a solid concrete floor." he said with a dry tone. "It's just floor space with plenty of room to move around in. I was almost half tempted to take up half of it for storage, but with the divorce, I need to sell. See, this was our summer home, well, her summer home. I didn't want to move to France. She did and after a few summers, I knew why. But I suppose that's too much information for you folks." he laughed. "But as you wish, follow me." He said moving towards the right where the front door was.

The front of the house was immaculate but looked like a farm house. The front door was actually part of the silo looking part of the house. It was creative. Hearing about the garage was not disappointing in the least. Plenty of floor space meant enough room for lifts, plenty of cars, and tools which would be the first upgrade to the place once it was his. We were talking the very next day, no time wasted. Hire a moving crew and go pick out their furniture, move it all in while the garage was being put together. Maybe even place a wet bar in there too and a few 70 inch tv's just because it was going to be the main place Shawn or the guys could be found. He already had it pictured what he was going to do with the garage if it was just bare floor space like Ted said it was. They walked through the front door and immediately seen the spiral stair case going upstairs. Beautiful iron work for the railing and wooden steps....in fact that was the next thing Shawn noticed....Everything was wood and the floors were just beautiful. Looking to his right he could see what looked like to be the kitchen and ahead of them, the Living room. Again beautiful wood and iron work. This place was fucking outrageous in decor and Shawn couldn't see this being a place that only cost a couple million and that was it. This place had to be at least worth 10 million with the amount of work this place had in it. The vaulted ceilings, the decorated iron work, the intense wood floors and solid oak columns for building supports. This wasn't fake wood and this iron work had to be custom and to top it off, the wood was expensive wood, not pine or fur. Oak, cherry, maple, real hard woods. This was crazy. Those solid oak beams holding the top two floors up had to be expensive as hell.

"This place is amazing. How much are you asking again?"

"I was asking 11.5 but since you're technically a celebrity where I come from, I'll give it to ya for 9. All of this is custom work. I designed it myself, which is why it's so much. There's only one of these made in the world."

That's how Shawn knew the name. Woodrow Architecture Firm based out of San Antonio, Texas. "You sponsored my dad in the Daytona.....I was wondering why you're name sounded so familiar." he said pointing at Ted but not in the rude way. More or less like he had been thinking about it since they met and it finally hit him. "Well it's well worth every penny and she's beautiful. That's why it reminds me of Amarillo. It's got that home feel to it."

"I had to do that on purpose since I didn't want to be in France to begin with." he chuckled. "Maybe that's why she divorced me. Let me show you the Breakfast room. Follow me."

Shawn looked to Tess, "What do you think?"

OUTFIT

It was a little surprising that Shawn chose to see the garage last. Even though she knew he wanted to see it so bad, especially after Mr. Woodrow gave him a brief description of it. Tessa could almost see the visions of a fully outfitted garage dancing in his head. Probably more than that, it would become his own little man cave. Taking that into consideration it was probably a good idea not to go there first. Most likely, she'd never be able to drag Shawn out. If he stayed true to form, he would be happy as a clam living in that garage.

With that settled they headed toward the front door. As you got closer to the door you could see that the house was actually much bigger than it looked at first glance. Then when you walked inside, it was nothing short of amazing. Spectacular dark hardwood floors. There was actually wood all over the place. Many of the windows were framed in beautiful dark wood, some of the walls were inlaid with real wood slats. This was no cheap wood paneling, this was serious wood craftsmanship going on here.

While Shawn took some time to talk to the owner, Tessa started to wander around the house. For a few moments she could still hear them talking. Shawn asking about the price. Something about the man and his dad and Daytona. But eventually, it faded out as she moved through the rooms and looked around.

The way the house was built, the front actually faced the street you drove up to get to it. What you couldn't see was the way it kept expanding down the cliff the farther back into the house you went. The house was built with multiple split levels, stair stepping down the side of the cliff. Maximizing the the amount of windows and glass, even multiple balconies and patios where you could see the gorgeous view of the ocean.

There were various sets of stairs, some spiral staircases, some not, but all of them were beautiful, decked out in wood and decorative metal work. The place really was huge and the different levels, some of them like loft areas. This was not a typical house. It was unique and it definitely had character. The high vaulted ceilings with exposed and finished wood beams. There was so much to see and take in.

As Tessa made her way through some of the rooms. Careful not to wander too far away from Shawn and the owner. She stopped at one of the windows that looked out over the ocean. Off to the side you could see that there was a staircase outside that lead down to the private beach area. There was even another cement slab patio built down there. The place had it's own little lagoon and there was even a waterfall. How about that?

Tessa heard the men's voices getting closer and she dragged herself away from the window to join up with them again. She smiled at Shawn when he looked at her and asked her what she thought. Tilting her head to the side she gave him a look that conveyed the message, 'do you even have to ask?' loud and clear. Though she spoke up as well just to make sure he didn't get it wrong.

"Are you kidding? It's spectacular. I mean, we haven't even seen the garage yet. If you don't buy it, I will. I love it. Did you see the view? It's just amazing."