Where You Belong

"Wow," my customer grinned, stepping out the car and handing the keys back to me, "That was one hell of a test drive!"

Giggling, I took the keys from him with a smile and nodded, looking towards the sleek, red car beside us, "Well, an M3 is one hell of a car. How'd it feel?"

"Amazing," the customer answered right off the bat, wearing the same goofy smile I'd worn when I first driven my own M3, "Simply amazing."

"I know the feeling," I laughed, motioning for him to follow me back into the air conditioned building. Once we stepped inside, I led him to my office of sorts towards the back, gesturing towards the upholstered chair in front of my desk. I took my own seat after he did, smiling at the dopey grin spread across his face.

"I assume you're a proud BMW owner, too?" the man asked, blue eyes twinkling with excitement.

I nodded with a small grin, "I sure am."

"What do you have?" he asked curiously, folding one leg over his knee as he eagerly leaned forward.

"A beautiful '07 M3. Black exterior, black interior. Black everything, really."

The man whistled, causing me to laugh loudly, "A woman with taste in cars. I like it." he smirked, and I couldn't help but laugh again at his flirtatious compliment. I seemed to get that a lot since I was the only female on the sales team, and was quite obsessed with the cars we sold.

"Why, thank you," I smiled, leaning forward and typing my login information into the desktop computer, before bringing up the file on the car he'd just driven, "I am somewhat of a car fanatic, I guess."

"Do you drive an automatic, or is it manual?" he asked, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Manual." I answered simply, watching his face turn to one of shock.

"Really?"

"Really," I smiled teasingly, looking at his awed expression. "What?"

He chuckled, "I don't know too many chicks who prefer to drive sticks. It's kind of exciting."

"I know what you mean," I nodded, kicking my shoes off underneath the desk, "But I figured, if I'm killing myself to make these payments and pay for any maintenance, then not only am I getting the European plates to go with it, but I'm gonna drive it the way it was built to be driven. And that's with a manual transmission."

He nodded approvingly, "That's the way to go."

With a nod in agreement, I turned back to the computer, "Okay, so we have the certified pre-owned '06 M3 with the red metallic exterior and tan interior, 13,286 miles, manual transmission. The asking price is $18,599; is this something you'd be interested in, sir?" I asked, getting straight to the business aspect of the sale.

The man nodded eagerly, "I'm definitely interested in it, yes."

"Fabulous," I smiled over at him, "And were there any other cars on the lot that you were interested in checking out?" I asked with a knowing smile, watching as he vigorously shook his head.

"No, I've found exactly what I want."

"Perfect," I nodded, printing out a copy of the car history and spec details before stapling them together, "Then I'll send you over to Tim; he'll be the one to go over any payment plans, tags, registration fees, all that good stuff."

With that, I walked the man down the hall so that he could make his purchase. Once I'd introduced the two, I handed over the background information for the vehicle, and the left the two men by themselves. Once back inside my own office, I grabbed a blanket and relaxed for a minute on the chaise I'd gotten permission to add to my office space.

I'd had no choice but to inform my former boss of my pregnancy in order to ensure that I'd be able to keep my job and have the opportunity to simple transfer, rather than resign and go job hunting all over again. My new and current boss was also filled in on the details, and he was extremely gracious to me. He understood that I'd often have to go to the bathroom, or would have strange cravings in the middle of the day. He also understood that I was to start resting for half an hour during the day, and he gave me a lot of leeway as long as I continued making sales at the rate that I was. Being the only female had its perks, as a lot of the male customers gravitated towards me, whether they realized it or not.

A ringing noise brought me out of my thoughts, and I reached over to pick up my phone, "Hello?"

"Britt, where are you?" Johnny's voice came through the ear piece, as I could hear Jimmy screaming incoherently in the background, "Just about everyone is already here, and the movers just showed up a couple of minutes ago!"

I looked at the clock and silently cursed, "Okay, well, I'm in the middle of a sale. It might be another half hour or so before I can finish up." I told him, placing a hand on my stomach.

"So what do we do in the mean time?" he asked with a sigh before yelling at Jimmy to 'leave the poor bunny alone'. Jimmy yelled manically in the background, and I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Go ahead and help the movers load everything up. Mommy will tell you what's what; she knows what and where everything is. The girls know where the place is, so you all can head over there now. I'll meet you there in about forty five minutes; I still have to get the key from the landlord."

With that, Johnny and I hung up, and it wasn't long before my customer came back, the smile still clear on his face. I removed the blanket from my body and sat up slowly, smiling as he walked over and helped me stand on my feet. I thanked him, then nodded towards the black envelope in his hand with the company logo printed on it.

"Everything settled?" I asked with a smile, watching his expression turn into an excited one again.

"Yep; it's mine!" he exclaimed, and with a laugh, I reached over and handed him the keys.

"Well, I'm glad we could find something for you," I smiled, reaching over and shaking his hand, "I hope things are to your satisfaction, and that you have a fun drive home."

"I will, and it was a pleasure doing business with you, Brittany."

"Likewise."

Three seconds later, and the unmistakable sound of an M3 engine roared to life. I walked out of my office and looked through the glass doors as the man waved at me and got into his new car, throwing it into gear and flying off, causing some of my co-workers to chuckle.

"Bet he won't make it three miles down the road before he gets pulled," Jeff, another salesman, smirked. I giggled at that, nodding my head in agreement.

"Well, red is what he wanted. I didn't bother saying a thing, but I sure learned my lesson the first time I test drove a red Bimmer," I said, causing all the others to laugh, "Cops pulled me over before I could even get on the freeway. Luckily, they let me go once they found out I was test driving it, but I knew right then and there that I had to get a different color so I wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb in traffic." I smiled, reminiscing about when I'd first started looking at cars to buy.

I talked a bit more with the rest of the team before saying goodbye, and walked back into my office to get ready to go. My heels were still under my desk where I had left them, so I pulled those out and stuck them into my bag. I then proceeded to make a trip to the bathroom to do my business, and then change.

Since I was surrounded by males in a town where no one knew me, I didn't worry as much about hiding my pregnancy. The majority of my co-workers didn't notice I was pregnant, and those who did didn't say much about it.

Once inside the bathroom, I stripped out of the stick straight dress I wore and placed on a large, dolman top. I also put on a pair of low rise jeans and a pair of wedges. I left my hair down and gathered all my belongings before walking back to my office. I shut down my computer and turned off the lights before checking to make sure that everything was in place. Once I was sure, I closed the door and locked it behind me. I threw a final wave over my shoulder as I walked out of the doors and to my car, groaning as I slowly got inside. I placed my bags on the floor and cut the car on, music blaring as I threw the car into reverse, switched gears, and raced out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of the apartment complex I was going to move into.

***

[ZACK'S POINT OF VIEW]

"Britt said she'd be here in under an hour!" Johnny announced, walking back into the room as he slipped his phone into his pocket. He plopped down onto the couch next to Lacey, who looked up at him and smiled.

"Where was she?" Michelle asked curiously, wandering into the room with Britt's mom, carrying platters full of what looked to be sandwiches.

"She said she was finishing up a sale when I called her, so my guess is that she was doing the paperwork stuff," he shrugged before noticing the plate of sandwiches in front of him, "Ooh, sammies!"

I chuckled as Jimmy strolled in and smacked Johnny upside the head, causing Johnny to glare up at him before pouting at Lacey. Poor Lacey always had to play nurse when Jimmy would pull shit on Johnny, which was a very frequent thing.

"Zack, honey, are you going to eat?" Britt's mom, Kim, asked me. I glanced at her, seeing a kind smile on her face as she gestured towards the small snack she'd left for everyone to eat. I nodded, leaning forward and grabbing one off the dish, causing her to giggle.

God, she was just like her in so many ways.

"Kimmy, you never asked me if I was gonna eat!"

I choked on my food, throwing my head back and howling with Johnny in laughter as Jimmy came up behind Kim and scooped her up into his arms, spinning her around in circles. She squealed with laughter, repeatedly hitting Jimmy's shoulders.

"Boy, if you don't put me down right this instant!" she shrieked, flailing her arms about. The commotion had gotten the attention of Britt's dad, John, and when he saw the mess in front of us, he too fell out laughing. "Well, don't just stand there, John! Make this crazy fool put me down!"

"Sorry, honey," he chuckled, taking a seat beside me, "I'm rather enjoying myself."

Kim growled, "Boy, if I ever get down from here, I'll beat the pure hell out of you! You done lost your damn mind! You better put me the hell down right now!" she screeched, and the laughter only increased in volume.

Matt chuckled, walking into the room with a beer in his hand, "I see exactly where Britt gets that potty mouth of hers now. Kim, you're a boss. Ow!" he laughed as Kim reached over and swatted the back of his head as he tried to walk past her and Jimmy. John snorted, picking up his own beer and taking a gulp of it.

"Jimmy!" Leana gasped shrilly, causing Jimmy to freeze. All laughter ceased as Leana stood in the doorway, Val, Michelle, and Lacey standing right behind her. They didn't look too pleased, and I was honestly glad none of them were my significant other right about now.

"Fuck," Brian muttered from my other side, looking at his shoes as Michelle shot him a disbelieving look. Val shook her head with a sigh, and Lacey looked mortified. Leana glared hard at Jimmy, and without a word, Jimmy set Kim down on the ground.

"What? I was just giving Kimmy a hug," he answered simply, flashing his fiancée an innocent smile.

Leana proceeded to apologize to Britt's mom on Jimmy's behalf, but Kim just shook her head with a small smile. This was nothing new for her, as we'd known Britt for all these years. Kim and John were like family to us, and they were used to having us over all of the time. Unfortunately, that meant that Kim was used to Jimmy's antics, as he always ended up doing something every time he visited.

"Anyway," Michelle sighed with a shake of her head, "It's time to load up if we're meeting Britt at the apartment. Let's get to it!"

The next twenty minutes were spent loading box after box into the moving truck Kim had rented. Luckily, it was fairly easy because there were so many of us helping out, because had there only been a couple of us, we would've died.

"How can someone so tiny have so much fucking shit?" Brian grumbled, breathing heavily as he slowly lifted a large box, labeled, SHOES: BOX 1 of 13. I laughed loudly at the neat, curly handwriting I knew belonged to my best friend, as Brian glared at me. "You think this is funny, lover boy? You can grab the next fucking one."

"Be my guest." Matt smirked, walking over and dropping a similar box into my arms. I grunted at just how heavy it was, cursing myself for having opened my big mouth in the first place.

"Shit," I wheezed lightly, struggling to carry the box down to the truck without toppling over.

"Yeah, bet you aren't tough shit now!" Brian laughed from the porch, carrying a new box. With a roll of my eyes, I dropped the box into the truck and went back inside for more.

The loading was done fairly quickly, us guys grabbing the bigger, heavier things, while the movers grabbed Britt's mattress and bed frame. Kim had mentioned that Britt was having new furniture delivered to the apartment within the next hour or so, so we quickly got through the loading process. The girls took care of the smaller items as Kim passed out glasses of sweet tea and homemade burgers as a little lunch.

"Let's go, let's go!" Leana called with a clap of her hands, motioning towards the few cars that were parked outside the Williams' house. Matt had driven his Escalade over. I'd driven my own car here, which was by no means a huge SUV to carry multiple people, and Lacey had also driven separately since she'd come from her job as well.

Brian and Michelle chose to ride with Matt and Val, while Lacey and Johnny decided to drive on their own. Jimmy and Leana raced to my car, fighting the entire way over who would get to sit in front, since my car was a coupe. Jimmy, having the longer legs and longer strides, won fairly easy, much to Leana's annoyance.

"It is too fair, babe," Jimmy smirked, hopping into the passenger side as soon as I unlocked the car, "I have long legs, and need the extra space."

With a huff, Leana crawled into the back after I pushed my chair forward, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance. I knew right then and there that she'd give Jimmy hell the second we arrived at Britt's apartment complex, and I was looking forward to witnessing that argument. Jimmy and Leana's little arguments were absolutely hilarious to me, truly entertaining.

"Alright, you two," I mumbled sarcastically, taking my seat and shutting the door, "Put a cork in it."

With that, I put the car into drive after turning it on, following both Lacey's and Matt's cars. The complex was closer than I'd thought it would be; it was actually only a few minutes away from my house. I smiled at that thought, realizing that I'd be able to see my best friend even more often than I did now, which was still pretty often already. But now, I'd also have the chance of checking in on her whenever I wanted. I knew something was up with her, and if I was around enough, I was sure I'd find out what she was hiding-- or simply was neglecting to tell me.

"We're here!" Leana sang from the backseat, as I brought the car to a stop beside Lacey's.

"Good," Jimmy smiled, "Let's go see which neighbors get pissed off the easiest!" he exclaimed suddenly, pushing the passenger door open, and preparing to get out.

"James!" Leana barked suddenly, and he froze right in his spot, giving her a childish pout, "Don't make the people here hate her before she even gets here!"

"But--"

"Get back in the car. Or no more sex."

"Okay, okay, this is my car, and I'm still sitting here!" I interjected, cupping my hands over my ears and clenching my eyes shut tightly, "You both can get out of the car and continue that somewhere else."

"Say no more," Jimmy grinned happily, leaning inside and scooping Leana out of the car, causing a surprised squeal to leave her mouth as she clung to him for dear life. I shook my head and got out myself, closing the door and leaning against it, watching silently as everyone gathered around my car.

"It's not too bad over here," Brian noted, shoving his hands into his pockets as he took a look around the complex. Matt nodded in approval, causing me to smirk. Those two had always been more than protective over Britt for years, and I'd figured beforehand that if they had any doubts whatsoever about the place she'd chosen, they'd make it known to everyone within a hundred mile radius.

"It's pretty close to Zack's, too," Johnny smirked, elbowing me in the ribs. I rolled my eyes as I shoved him to the side, causing Matt to chuckle himself.

It was a known fact among the guys that Brittany and I were so close, we could almost be mistaken for a couple. I personally thought it was bullshit, because we were just friends, but the guys seemed to think otherwise. Johnny and Matt often claimed that I couldn't keep my hands off her, which I found ridiculous, but Jimmy and Brian always took their side, claiming that I was subconsciously attracted to her in every way imaginable, and that I just didn't realize it yet. Every now and then, one of the girls would butt in, saying that they thought she felt the same way, whatever that meant in the first place.

I simply wanted to know what they were all smoking, and where I could get some from so that I could hallucinate that badly, too.

"Tupac back, Tupac back
There’s all these bitches screamin' that Tupac back
All eyes on me, better picture me rollin’
Buyin' brand new rims, but them bitches is stolen
Stranded on death row, Brenda having my baby
But I’m stackin' my paper, I need a brand new Mercedes
They screamin' Tupac back, Tupac back
There’s all these bitches screamin' that Tupac back"


"Well, at least now we know that Britt's within a five mile radius," Brian laughed, as we heard rap music blaring in the distance. Our once red-headed friend was notorious for driving with loud rap music blasting from the speakers, turning heads everywhere she went. She'd always said it was amusing to her to gauge people's reactions to the loud, vulgar and often derogatory language.

"What the hell is that shit?" Matt asked incredulously, turning to look at Val with wide eyebrows.

"I don't know whose song it is, but it's got Rick Ross in it," Michelle spoke, a small smile stretching across her face as she looked towards the street, the music becoming louder and louder. "And if she hears you insult him, you'll have a war on your hands."

Just then, a sleek, black BMW came flying around the corner, the same music we'd heard before blaring at an earth shattering volume. We all watched in amusement as Britt turned the awful music down some before swinging the car into a large arch-like shape, before proceeding to back the car into a space at lightning speed. Once the car was parked, the tinted windows rolled up, concealing the inside of the car, and the engine was cut off.

I felt a smile immediately spread across my face as I watched her hop out of the car, heel clad feet clicking on the pavement. Closing her door, she smiled and joined us, moving down our line of friends and presenting them with hugs and kisses. Saving the best for last, in my little conceited mind, I opened my arms and scooped her small body into a tight hug, causing her to giggle before she placed a wet kiss on my cheek.

I let her back down, keeping my arm around her waist, as she motioned towards the stairs, "Let's go take a look inside, shall we?"

Just as she'd turned and started walking ahead of me, I looked over and saw Johnny, Matt, Brian, and Jimmy smirking at me with knowing expressions on her face. With a frown, I noticed that Britt and I probably did come off a little more serious than we actually were.
It was then that I understood what my friends were trying to say.

I was attracted to my best friend; a lot more than I should've been.