OOM: Driving Lessons

[the_gene_genie]

Gene holds the door open for her with a small smile. The view outside is of a street, red brick houses and a car parked on the corner. There's a high-rise behind the houses; it's all typically 70s. If Kate looks back behind them when the door's closed, she'll see a regular looking pub with a sign hanging near the door, declaring it to be The Railway Arms.

She'll also see Gene standing stock still, glaring at her like she's standing right in his way. Which she is, as far as he's concerned. She might also note that there is not a single spark of recognition on his face.

'You gonna shift yer arse, luv, or am I goin' to 'ave t'do it for ya?'

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[ikissdhimbck]

Kate had fussed over the clothes Miss Bar had picked out for her. The pants swam over her shoes, the jackets were stiff in the shoulders and itchy. She settled on a dress with a light jacket, and a pair of matching pumps. She's wearing a periwinkle headband and white hoop earrings, and much more makeup than she's used to. And her hair, slung back in a fancy ponytail, curls at the ends.

She feels much less out of place once she steps out the door and takes a look around, assailed first by the city smells and then by the city sights. She looks back at the pub that's now behind them, and then over at Gene...




"Charming, as always, Gene," she drawls, once she's regained her composure.

Her hands slip into the pockets of her jacket, fingering the note she'd stuffed in the right side.

[the_gene_genie]

His mouth opens, then closes. And he frowns.

'...you wha'?'

Yep, he's still looking at her like she's just any old passer-by.

[ikissdhimbck]

He very clearly doesn't recognize her. She supposes she's seen and heard of weirder things happening between doors in Milliways, but it's still a little unnerving being out in someone else's world with no way to get home until they take you home.

Which they won't do if they have no idea who you are.

"Don'cha remember me?" she asks, remembering what he'd said before they stepped outside. "We met in the... pub."

[the_gene_genie]

He stares at her.

He turns around and stares up at the pub.

He stares at her again.

'Was I drunk?'

Well, obviously he was drunk. It's Saturday morning which means last night was Friday night. It goes without saying. But really, that's a lot of drunk right there. He'd swear he'd never seen her before in his life.

[ikissdhimbck]

"...Yes."

She restrains herself from making a sarcastic remark about Gene's drunk-to-sober ratio.

Pulling the note out of her pocket, she hands it over to him.

"Y'said you were gonna teach me how to drive."

[the_gene_genie]

'I did what? I bloody did not! No one drives my car bu' me, luv.'

He takes the note off her, glaring at it. And then just looks obviously confused. Again.

'Are you a Yank?'

Hmm. A Yank who...well, alright yes, she's tidy. Maybe he pulled. Or was trying to pull, hence offering the lessons?

[ikissdhimbck]

"So I've heard," she mumbles, a small smile curling her lips.

She watches as he reads the note, and then blinks at his question.




"I'm from Texas."

So, that's a yes?

[the_gene_genie]

'...are you?'

Well. That puts a whole new spin on things. Blonde American totty, wanting to get into his car.

He looks down at the note again, staring at it like there might be another message hidden in invisible ink, ready to appear and explain this. It's definitely his handwriting and it wouldn't be the first time he's drunk so much he can't remember anything. It just seems like a bizarre thing for him to offer...though, not so much if he was trying to get into her pants.

Still doesn't like the idea of her behind the wheel though.

'Only one way t'clear this up. Come with me.'

He stalks off in the direction of the Cortina, assuming she'll follow without looking back to check.

[ikissdhimbck]

Her eyes narrow ever-so-slightly.

She's not sure she likes the sound of that 'are you', but lucky for her -- and unfortunately for Gene -- she's got a lot more information on him in her back pocket than he currently has on her.

"What's that?"

She indeed does follow after him, her slender legs hurrying in large steps as she tries to keep up with him. It's not so hard back in the bar, but out here, wearing this skirt that already feels more than two feet too short, she mildly resents those stupidly long legs of his.

"Where are we headed?"

[the_gene_genie]

'See a mate.'

He opens the door for her - but doesn't stand holding it open like a ponce, just lets her get in the car herself - and then walks around and flings himself into the driver's seat.

The Cortina is bronze. It's large, it's powerful, it squeals delightfully when it goes around corners, even if it's only doing about ten miles an hour. It is, without question, the love of his life.

It also smells of smoke and worn leather and one of his team has left some rubbish on the backseat. One of them'll be getting a slap for that come Monday morning.

'Hang on t'something.'

He spins the wheels before letting the handbrake off, jamming his foot down on the accelerator and shooting off down the street. Gene does, in fact, drive like a pissed-up crackhead. If Kate doesn't hang on to something, she'll be flung all over the place every time they go around a corner.

[ikissdhimbck]

Charming.

Utterly charming.

A few months ago she might have resented him for not helping her into the passenger seat and closing the door for her, but she's more than used to making up for the differences in culture, and damn well capable enough to take care of herself. Besides, it's Gene.

She slides into the boat car, looking around in wonderment. It's barely anything at all like the automobiles she'd seen in France. It doesn't look the same, feel the same... it certainly doesn't smell the same, but that doesn't surprise her.

"Hang--?"

She doesn't finish the puzzled question, because suddenly there's the monstrous roar of a revving engine, and Kate's hands fly to the dash and the door on instinct. Good thing, too -- it saves her the nasty bruise she would have gotten once he lets off the brake.

[the_gene_genie]

'You wanted t'learn to drive, luv!' he calls out, over the scream of the engine and the radio that's blaring (it's also fitted with what appears to be an actual telephone - cutting edge in 1973, that radio).

'This is 'ow you do it!'

It's a drive that lasts about ten minutes. Sam doesn't live that far away but he took a slightly longer route so he could show off the motor a bit. First rule of teaching, show don't tell!

'Come on. Out.

...Kate. Isn' it? Kate.'

He's squealed to a stop outside a grubby looking builing, all red brick and bits of concrete and dirty windows. He flings himself again (out of the car this time; Gene does tend to move in dramatic ways) and heads over to the front door. It opens with little more than a push and he's barrelling down a dirty hallway, up some stairs and to the end of a hallway. He doesn't check to see if she's following because...well, she may be fit but he's not going to slobber all over her and he'd rather just get to the bottom of this.

'Tyler. Tyler! You awake? Get your 'and off your knob, I got a lady wi' me.'

Without waiting for a reply, he simply applies his shoulder to the door, shoving it open and splintering the wood around the lock. (Again.)

[di_or_dci]

"What the -- "

Sam doesn't fall off the bed (later he'll thank a God he doesn't really believe in for small favors). But he does reach up and over like a man who's going for his gun.

Except --

"Guv? What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

He sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Uh oh, DI Tyler looks pissed.

And confused.

[ikissdhimbck]

He's not the only one. Kate looks like a kitten who's just gone through a tumble dryer and lived to tell the tale.

She huffs to a stop in the doorway, pausing to catch her breath and, also, because she has no idea where she is other than she's in an apartment with two strange (some stranger than others) men.

An apartment Gene just broke into.

She looks at Sam, all flushed cheeks and diamond-sharp eyes.





"How do you do."

[the_gene_genie]

'Her.'

Gene just strides into the room and then swivels, points at Kate.

'D'you know 'er?'

Yeah Kate, sorry. He does this all the time.

Sam, you should be used to it.

[di_or_dci]

"Hi," Sam says distractedly, taking a moment to grab his head in both hands.

Surely that will clear all this up. Surely.






Nope, the Guv and a lady are still standing there. Right.

"Is there a reason I'm supposed to, Hunt? Sorry, ma'am."

Now that Sam's more awake he can muster up the energy to be polite.

[ikissdhimbck]

She's pleasantly surprised to see he's... nothing much like Gene, yet.

"Kate," she nods -- and she'd offer a hand, but she's still keeping her distance. "Gene an' I met in the Bar."

She puts a slight stress on Bar, keeping her eyes on Sam's. Smiling, a bit cheeky, she adds:

"Either I wasn't very memorable, or he was drunker than I thought. He don't remember me."

[the_gene_genie]

'Pub. You ain' in Yanksville now, sweet'eart.'

He rounds on Sam, glaring down at him sitting there on the bed. He may be looking for signs of hangover because surely if he was that pissed, then Sam would have been drinking as well?

'Was she there las' night? Can't remember a thing abou' it an' she's tryin' to get her mitts on the Cortina.'

[di_or_dci]

"We call it 'America' now, Guv."

Or maybe they don't?

He manages a smile at Kate, before bestowing a dark look on his boss. Behind his eyes his brain is whirring as he pulls the facts together, scenarios click-click-clicking away.

Bar. Right. That means --

"And you were all rarin' to let her drive yesterday. 'm kind of surprised it took her this long to take you up on it."

This time his grin is a little brighter. Gene deserves this for breaking his door (again).

[ikissdhimbck]

The scene unfolding before her is enough to tell her one thing for certain.



She likes Sam.

Smirking, she crosses her arms over her chest, and leans against the doorjamb.

[the_gene_genie]

'So she was there?'

The glare fixed on his DI is still highly suspicious. He really doesn't remember a thing about it.

'You sure, Gladys? This ain' some elaborate wind-up so you can get your grubby paws on me motor?'

He absolutely wouldn't put it past him. It's the sort of sneaky, underhanded tactics this boy would employ.

[di_or_dci]

"If I came up with an elaborate wind-up, Guv, it wouldn't be this obvious."

Sam raises his eyebrows, then actually moves to stand up.

"And it wouldn't have led to you breaking down my door, either."

[ikissdhimbck]

"Gladys?"

Kate chortles, bite still in her eyes from Mr. Hunt's Wild Ride.

"You two wanna be alone?"

[the_gene_genie]

Oh, she gets a death glare for that one. And he takes a step back as Sam stands up, to put decent distance between them so she doesn't get any funny ideas.

'Less of tha' darlin', or I won' let you touch me gearstick.'

Punishment indeed.

His look back at Sam is vaguely triumphant. It seems to gloat about the differing ways they're going to spend their Saturdays - him with a sleek young lady (and Kate's very pretty too) - and Sam in a dingy flat with wallpaper that could make Ghandi declare war on the faithful.

'Right then. We'll get off an' leave you to it then.'

Heh.

'No doubt you'll be wantin' to spend the weekend with your paperwork.'

[di_or_dci]

Sam manages not to roll his eyes.

"Considering I keep up with all the necessary forms, I'm actually not behind like some people."

Gene.

"It's very odd how that works. I'll send you the bill for the door, shall I?"