#Ford Maverick off-road

[compacflt]

Oh to be Maverick, reading AD magazine and has a husband that will write you a blank check to buy any decor you want. Or collects expensive watches. And has the same taste. I don't know if anyone have asked this, what is your hc about their car preference? I hc that Mav likes big car because he's relatively short. And Ice likes luxury car. What do you think?

oh my god i have had this headcanon for so long thank god someone’s asking about it.

Ice will ONLY drive American-manufactured cars. like even when he travels somewhere and rents one. he will raise a stink about it.

It is a significant point of contention in their relationship & marriage that maverick is only interested in Japanese-manufactured motorcycles. Like they have had, and will continue to have, shouting matches over “why can’t you be a patriot and buy American motorcycles like harleys??!? What is with all the kawasaki and yamaha crap???” and “ice im telling you they just run better!!! the japanese just make better bikes!!!” tongue-in-cheek threats of divorce etc.

i definitely think of ice as less a luxury car and more a classic muscle car guy. back when muscle cars still were delicate and beautiful instead of hard and sharp, if that makes sense. there is a Venn diagram of luxury and muscle cars and he definitely has dabbled in the middle (see my fic’s deepthroating of the 2005 ford GT). But he won’t cross the line. (Won’t be caught dead driving a Porsche or mercedes for instance)

in the final final draft of my fic (ie the draft that will get posted before i call it quits on my top gun phase) the Dream Car is getting changed to a ‘68 Plymouth HEMI roadrunner. camaro is too mainstream i will admit. but see above for my “car preferences” hc.

[edsonjnovaes]

As melhores gambiarras automotivas

As melhores gambiarras automotivas Palavras Perdidas: Carrinho de controle remoto, simples e rápido 1.2, Revolução Automotiva: China Lança Carro de $10.000, The Homer o carro, Os brasileiros inventaram tudo isso?!? Apoie: Art and culture of the native peoples of our planet. ART AMBA MIRIM

[topgunruinedme]

Dagger’s Daycare|| o.4

Synopsis: Maverick finds himself in a situation he cant explain. The daggers are unavailable, and he finds himself in need of help from his old crew. Of cause this wasn't the reunion they expected.

“Did you kidnap an orphanage Mav?”

Warning: age regression (they get turned into children), slight whump mostly fluff, slight swearing, homophobia and 5 idiots with no knowledge on kids caring for some.

Word Count: 1.6k

Read on Ao3

Previous chapters: Chapter||o.1, Chapter||o.2, Chapter||o.3.

Note: Full disclosure I'm using Google translate so I apologize if the translation is wrong.

//

Slider frowned slightly as he pulled up garage door attached to his house. He hadn't been in here for a while, he had been busy recently between working and helping wood move into his new house, having move after retiring from the Navy. He had bought a house only two streets down from Wolf. His baby was had a layer of dust on it, her paint was peeling slightly. He had owned her for years, only retiring her when he had get another car. It wasn't the best look for an admiral to be driving a minivan, at least not an old one like this anyway. He had always loved minivans, unlike Wolf who’s go to car’s was a Ford Ranger. Or Wood’s Mazda, or Ice’s Toyota Rav4. He had grown up in a minivan. His mother had owned one through his entire childhood, the silver stout scarab. It was one of the things he remembered most, so when the dodge caravan first came out when he was first going into the academy he bought it. Continuing the tradition through the years as he updated, he had upgraded a few years ago to a Toyota sienna. The light of his life. He got crap from the others about his obsession with the vans but he never took the words to heart. It had been used as a transport vehicle through the years with the crew. He truly did favor the Sienna more then the others, the baby sat 8 people comfortably. He ran a hand over the smooth silver paint with a loving smile, “Alright darling, lets get you a breath of fresh air”. //

Ice parked the car of to the side of the driveway to stay out of the way. Leaving a rather large gap for the van to drive on once they retrieved it from the jungle Wolf called a yard. Hell did the man ever mow?

Wolf jumped out of the car, walking towards the side of his house where his black van was parked. He had bought it a few years ago after an old friend of his wanted to get rid f it and never really used it.

Ice turned of the engine and stepped out of the car to see if Wolf needed any help getting the old thing started.

Wolf jogged over to a power box and pulled out a key, Ice raised an eyebrow the man grinned.

“Snooping Neighbors” he offered as he walked over to the gate pulling it open to get to the van. It looked old, unused nothing Ice would ever willingly get into.

Wolf patted it on the wide, “Come on girl lets get you up and ready for some cargo”. He opened the door leaning in as he turned the key and pressed down on the petal to get the car to rumble. It kicked a few times before the engine started, Wolf let out a victorious cry.

“Lead the way metal man” Wolf cried out as he pulled the door shut and started slowly driving it out of the yard.

Ice shook his head with a sigh out of all of them why had he chosen Wolf for this job?

He walked back down the yard to his car slipping into the seat, backing out carefully and lead the van down the road. Once they were sure the old piece of junk could drive, Wolf waved him off and Ice lead the van into town towards the baby store ‘baby bunting’.

This was going to be a long trip. //

While Wood wore a confident smile, he was anything but. Being left alone with kids sure. 1 or 2, no problem. But 7 kids, alone with Maverick on top of that. He was in no way prepared for the chaos about to be pursued.

He twisted his head again a small strain in his neck from the way his head had been swinging from side to side in an attempt to count the kids.

1,2. Bradley was jumping on the couch as a darker skinned boy edged him on, “Do it. Do it. Do it”.

3,4,5. The boy with fluffy brown hair that had previously been playing with Bradley had now moved away from them. He was siting curiously in front of the two boys in the corner.

They had only shifted enough so the protective kid could cuddle into the quiet blonds side.

He could hear the the boy talking quietly, “Hola. Podemos ser amigos”. The darker skinned boy turned his face away from the blonds neck and frowned at the foreigon language slightly.

Bloody hell no one had told him he would be expected to know other languages.

6,7. The girl, Phoenix was laying down with her head on the younger boy - who looked younger then them all - stomach.

He pushed his glasses up slightly as his rubbed his nose. Both of their eyes were shut, apparently having decided to take a nap.

He shifted over to them taking a light weight blanket off the couch to wrap around them both. He tucked it into Phoenix side slightly first. Her hand coming out to wrap around the fabric, turning on her side so she was facing Bob. He then wrapped the other side of the large blanket into Bob’s side so that it covered them both.

Bob reached out blindly but instead of gripping the blanket his hand wrapped itself in Phoenix hair. Not pulling on it but just holding the strand as if assuring himself she was still there.

Maverick was leaning cover the kitchen bench, having moved out of the room after Bradley had caught sight of him again and attempted to get him to play with him by pulling on his pant leg. It had overwhelmed the man, despite the two being on good grounds it had reminded him how much he had missed.

Wood moved around the kids from the living room to the open kitchen. He walked around the kitchen island and placed a comforting hand on the younger mans shoulder he left a constant vigilant gaze on the kids. “Are you ok?” he asked quietly felling the tremors flooding Mavericks body.

Maverick’s voice was rough and choked, “Yeah” he said hoarsely, Maverick lifted his head giving him a shaky smile. “Its just” he waved his hand in an attempt of an explanation, “a lot” he finished lamely.

It was a nightmare and a half, for all of them. He couldn't imagine what it would be like for Maverick. They had all seen Bradley at the funeral, but Maverick practically lived with the Bradshaw's.

The last time he would have seen Bradley this happy at this age was when Goose was still alive, the family visit half way through Top Gun. He remembered it faintly, seeing the odd family singing away at the piano.

He rubbed Mavericks back ripping his eyes away from the kids for a moment to frown lightly in concern. This was normally Ice’s job, he always knew how to deal with Maverick.

He turned back to the kids letting Maverick have a moment to himself.

1,2,3 kids in the corner. 4,5 sleeping bundle. 6,7,8 kids playing.

He looked around the room for anything the kids could play with to keep occupied without waking the other tw- wait 8?

He frowned and counted them again, 1,2,3,4,5,6. He tensed slightly his eyes darting around 6? Hadn't there been 8 before?

“Mav, how many kids are there?” he asked wearily. Maverick lifted his head giving him and odd look.

“7?” he frowned at Wood, his own eyes moving around the room to count. “They're 7 kids here Wood.

Wood left out a breath of relief, God Ice was right. He’s not good with numbers. Guilty he snatched the shopping list note pad magnet off the fridge and took the pen out of its holder, Maverick laughed lightly shaking his head.

“Ice?” Mav asked in amusement.

“Ice” Wood grumbled, “Point them out for me” he huffed.

Natasha and Robert, Bradley and Reuben, Jake, Javy and Micky. That solved that issue now that he knew which name went to which group.

“Did you” Wood hesitated, Maverick leaned leaning his hip against the bench frowning at him. Wolf sighed there was no other way to say it. “Have you seen Ice recently?” he asked.

Maverick opened his mouth to argue, defend him wingman but then he paused. His frown deepening as he thought over his words carefully, “We talk over the phone. But I haven't seen him in a while” he admitted. “At least not for a year or more” he shrugged unconcerned, “We've been busy”.

“Did you notice anything wrong with him?” Wood asked carefully aware that Maverick was fiercely protective of the man. “He seamed different. Distant” he added.

Maverick looked uncertain for a moment before a young hand pulled at his jeans, “Mav can we go play now” Bradley asked, Maverick sent Wood a look.

“Sure bud, well play”, Maverick gripped the boys hand letting himself be pulled away. The conversation left in the air. Wood watched as Maverick got roped into playing a game with Bradley and Reuben. He kept a close eye on the boys in the corner, Micky was still babbling away at the two not noticing the language barrier and Javy seamed content to lay in Jake’s lap. This was going to be a wild day, he huffed lightly stepping out of the kitchen taking the note pad with him. Ensuring his phone was off silent, if anything went wrong he want to make sure he would hear it. He really regretting accepting Maverick’s invitation now.

//

Translations/Micky/Fanboy [Spanish] “Hola. Podemos ser amigos” - Hello. Can we be friends.

[motorsportverso]

Resultado etapa 4 Dakar Rally 2025

Dakar Classic

1-Carlos Milla/Jan Rosa-ESP-Toyota Land Cruiser-50 PTS

2-Juan Moreira/Lidia Rubia-Porsche 959-51 PTS

3-Lorenzo Traglini-ITA-Nissan Terreno Pick UP-54 PTS

4-Juraj Sebalj-HRV-Toyota BJ71-63 PTS

5-Gublin-Land Rover Defender 110-71 PTS

O líder da geral é o Lorenzo Traglini

Cars

1-201-Yazeed AL Raghi/Michael Orr-Toyota GR Hilux T1+-Over Drive-4:26:40

2-217-Lategan/Cummings-Toyota GR Hilux T1+-Toyota Gazzo Racing-4:31:25

3-Juan Cruz Yacopiani-Toyota GR Hilux T1+-Over Drive-4:37:55

4-Martin Prokop-Ford Raptor RS T1+- Orlen Team-4:39:35

5-Denis Krotov-Mini Cooper T1+X-Raid Mini-4:39:57

6-215-Mathieu Serradori-Century CR7 T1+-Century Racing Factory-T1+-4:40:41

7-228-Mitchell Guthrie\Kellon Walch-Ford Raptor T1+-Ford M-Sport-T1+-4:42:00

8-230-Marcelo Gastaldi\Adrian Metge-Century CR7 T1+-Century Racing -T1+-4:42:17

9-226-Matias Ekstrom\Emil Bergwist-Ford Raptor T1+-Ford M-Sport-T1+-4:43:37

10-203-Lucas Moraes\Armand Leon-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Toyota Gazzo Racing-T1+-4:45:16

O líder da geral é o Hank Lategan

UTVs Challenger

1-301-Nicolas Cavigliasso\Valentina Pertagrini-Taurus T3 Max-Team BBR-T3.1- 5:07:43

2-Laverton\Perry-USA\DEU-Taurus T3 Max-Red Bull Off Road jr Team By BFG-T3.1-5:10:48

3-Al-Khuwari\Al-Akuwari-Taurus T3 Max-Nasser Racing-T3.1-5:11:53

4-Spiering\Stelt-Taurus T3 Max-Rebellion & Spierings-T3.1-5:12:34

5-David Zille\Sebastien Cesana-Taurus T3 Max-Zille Rally-T3.1-5:16:08

UTVs SSV

1-Sara Price\Sean Berriman-USA-Can-am Maverick R-Can-am Factory Team-5:13:38

2-Francisco Lopez\Juan Vinagre-CHL-Can-am Maverick R-Can-am Factory Team-5:14:46

3-Heger\Eddy-Polaris RZR Pro R-Sebastien Loeb Racing-RZR Factory-5:31:45

4-Joâo Dias\Gonçalo Dias-Can-am Maverick X3-Santag Racing-5:45:40

5-Fernando Alvarez\Xavier Panseri-Can-am Maverick X3-SOUTH Racing Can-am-5:49:41

[oakridgeford]

2025 Ford Maverick Review, Pricing, and Specs

The 2025 Ford Maverick is a compact truck with a hybrid powertrain and impressive fuel economy. It delivers a towing capacity of up to 4,000 pounds.

Walkthrough Review

The 2025 Ford Maverick offers a versatile, comfortable interior to meet work and leisure needs. Its cabin includes durable materials and user-friendly technology, such as an intuitive 8-inch touchscreen, available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and ample storage options. The Maverick also features customizable space with flexible rear seating and a 6.5-foot bed, providing room for passengers and gear.

The 2025 Ford Maverick boasts a rugged yet stylish exterior designed for both utility and aesthetics. The truck features bold, sculpted lines, a wide stance, and available 17-inch wheels. With available All-Wheel Drive, the Maverick ensures confident performance, while the Tremor package adds unique off-road enhancements and striking orange accents.

The 2025 Ford Maverick delivers exceptional performance with available All-Wheel Drive, ensuring confidence in challenging conditions. Its standard 2.5L hybrid engine excels in stop-and-go traffic, slippery roads, and towing. The Maverick Tremor features rugged tech and design for enhanced off-road capability, making it ready for adventurous terrain and tough environments.

Technology

The 2025 Ford Maverick has advanced technology features to enhance convenience and connectivity. Its 8-inch touchscreen features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing seamless smartphone integration. Available upgrades include a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a Ford Co-Pilot360 safety suite, and an optional FordPass connectivity system, enabling remote vehicle access and management. For added convenience, the Maverick offers multiple USB ports, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and available navigation options, ensuring you stay connected on every drive.

CONTACT US

Visit us at Oakridge Ford to explore this innovative truck and learn more about its features, performance, and pricing. Check out the 2025 Ford Maverick review or explore the Ford Maverick price and Ford Maverick mpg. Whether you're interested in the Ford Maverick for sale or want more information, we're your trusted Ford dealership near me. Contact us today and find your perfect Maverick truck!

[alloylove]

Alloy Wheels Price in Australia | alloylove.com.au

When you’ve spent a fortune building your car, alloy wheels price in Australia the right wheels can really make it stand out. The best custom wheels are designed to fit your vehicle, and they will look great in any scene.

The majority of wheels nowadays are made of nickel and aluminum. Cast alloy wheels are created by pouring molten aluminum into a mold. These wheels are a lot stronger and lighter than steel ones.

Mag Wheels Australia

Alloy wheels are a popular choice for car enthusiasts. They are lightweight and durable, and they can be customized to suit a vehicle’s needs. They are also available in a wide variety of colours and styles. However, it is important to choose a high-quality alloy wheel. Otherwise, it may be prone to damage or accidents.

Magnesium alloys are a group of forward-looking engineering materials that have attracted interest in the automotive industry for their low weight and good mechanical properties. To enable the manufacture of lightweight vehicle wheels, it is necessary to improve and replace energy-intensive and material-consuming production methods.

The article reviews and systematizes the existing knowledge of magnesium-based lightweight alloys regarding their construction, application in various industries, and production methods. It also discusses the development of hybrid technology based on casting and die forging.

TyrePower

Tyrepower is Australia’s largest independent tyre retailer, offering local knowledge and great value. Tyrepower stores are dedicated to providing expert advice, service and the right price drawing on a combined wealth of experience from 46 years in business.

The wheels on your car make up about 25% of its visual area, so they’re a big part of how your vehicle looks and drives. They’re also an important safety feature and should be in good working order.

Get an in-depth look at Tyrepower Ltd with this enterprise profile, including registered business details, an enterprise synopsis, SWOT analysis and more. Compare financial ratios and growth data to peers in the industry. Also, see what employees say about the company on Zippia.

ROH Wheels

ROH Wheels is an Australian-owned and operated alloy wheel manufacturer based in Woodville North. The company has been making wheels since 1946 and has supplied original-equipment steel and alloy wheels to a number of major Australian carmakers. They have also produced a wide range of aftermarket styles.

The company’s design director, Glen Helgeson, has said that he looks to nature and other aspects of everyday life for inspiration. His most popular wheel, the Mantis, is a flow-forged design that gained popularity with Holden and Ford street machine owners.

ROH’s off road 4x4 wheels include the Vapour, Invader, and Maverick. These wheels are load-rated for 200 Series LandCruisers and are ideal for a GVM+ suspension upgrade. The company’s Blak Trak mine-spec steel wheels are engineered, tried and tested for the toughest outback conditions, surpassing Australian and international testing standards.

Wheelworx

The Wheelworx brand was built on a foundation of service, quality, and integrity. It is one of the leading wheels manufacturers in Australia and has a wide variety of styles, load ratings, and sizes. It also offers a great selection of tires.

Alloy wheels and rims are constantly exposed to rough weather, stones, tar, curbs, and other road debris. This can leave them scratched, pitted, or lifeless. Repairing or restoring damaged alloy wheels repair specialist can restore their beauty and improve their performance.

While DIY alloy-wheel repair kits can help fix minor issues, it is important to have them professionally repaired. This will prevent further damage and improve the value of your car. In addition, it can save you time and money. Alloy-wheel refurbishment can take a few hours to a day per wheel, depending on the size and extent of the damage.

Aodhan

Aodhan is a Hayward-based company that has been in the wheel game for 10 years, working to improve affordable wheels without sacrificing quality. Their line of cast one-piece wheels offers an array of finishes, including Tiffany Blue. The brand also produces forged wheels in their 'AFF' series, which use the Single Phase Forging process.

After the AH series became a hit in the JDM scene, Aodhan developed their LS line to offer European styling and larger brake setups. The LS series is a bigger and more aggressive look that still adheres to the lightweight design principles that the brand is known for.

Like a sparkler at a party, Aodhan is driven to find new innovations and solutions. He is a mental powerhouse and thrives when engaged in creative projects or group discussions.

[ocombatente]

Nova Hyundai Santa Cruz terá “capacidade aprimorada” para encarar Maverick

Picape intermediária ganhará novidades e será apresentada em breve no Salão de Nova York Apresentada no mercado norte-americano em abril de 2021, a picape Santa Cruz, da Hyundai, está prestes a completar três anos de mercado. Como de praxe, a marca prepara para o modelos atualizações de meia-vida e promete apresentá-las oficialmente dentro de algumas semanas. O palco para estreia, inclusive, já foi definido: será o Salão de Nova York, nos Estados Unidos, que abre as portas no dia 27 de março. A Hyundai ainda guarda as mudanças em segredo, mas divulgou imagens e deixou escapar que a renovada Santa Cruz 2025 terá “capacidade aprimorada”. Nos teasers, a marca mostra a traseira da picape com para-choque redesenhado, aspecto mais robusto e caixas-de-roda com novos revestimento. Na dianteira, haverá nova grade remodelada e com pintura em cinza para constrastar com a carroceria. Na cabine, tudo indica que haverá painel renovado com melhor ergonomia e sistema de entretenimento atualizado. Além disso, a Hyundai adicionará novos sistemas de assistência ao motorista como padrão desde a versão de entrada. Dentro do portfólio, a versão XRT - com pegada mais off-road - ganhará protagonismo e receberá a maior parte das novidades. É ela, inclusive, que aparece nos teasers. Mecanicamente, serão mantidos os motores atuais. Ou seja, propulsores 2.5 aspirado (injeção direta de gasolina) com 190 cv e 24,9 kgfm de torque, e 2.5 turbo com 275 cv e 42,9 kgfm de torque. O câmbio continuará automático de 8 marchas, com opção de tração integral com seletor de modos HTRAC, que varia a distribuição entre os eixos dependendo do modo selecionado. Renovada e com interior aprimorado, a Santa Cruz terá a missão de intensificar ainda mais a rivalidade mantida com a Maverick nos Estados Unidos. Em 2023, o modelo Hyundai vendeu 36.675 unidades no mercado norte-americano, enquanto a picape Ford (mais barata e vendida em rede de lojas bem maior) emplacou 94.058 exemplares. Santa Cruz no Brasil Por aqui, o lançamento da Santa Cruz chegou a ser especulado, mas a própria Hyundai negou recentemente os rumores. Segundo a marca, a picape é produzida nos EUA e atende unicamente a demanda local, sem volume excedente para eventual exportação. Além disso, trazê-la para o Brasil custaria caro por conta dos impostos e inviabilizaria qualquer chance comercial da caminhonete no mercado. A Maverick, por outro lado, é produzida no México e consegue ser trazida ao Brasil sem os altos custos do impostos de importação (graças ao acordo comercial Vigente entre os dois países). FONTE: https://motor1.uol.com.br/ Read the full article

[the-firebird69]

The Killers - The Man

ad his casio dive watch was the Rolex

his cars well ok mostlyw hat you see nope

firebird his first, was the first that year. he was the one affixing the bumper on the front of the car

his second car...was the maverick sorta and yes a first.  bja almost ruined it caa had him hve mr uhlman pump out the engine it ran ok

the for escort number one

bja had a secon run about two hundred thousand.  yup. the yellow one our son drove first not bja.  and it wa dropped there by the factory.  was not used eever.

the honda used by dad but driven by our son first at a dealer no school.  wentworth.  nope.  he drove it at a dealer.  liked it could not afford it.  his dad had a conniption.  

and the corrolla a first yes.  and his Fathers version and a Japanese look caught on here.  his Father afixed the rear bumber ad to protect him.

the ford truck new first a first and the first year of the new look and a 250 full sized.  new too.

the kawasaki he road when little on a farm, first. was a first he afixxed the last bolt.  on the handlebars. looked at it often

the rm 100 a sazuki nope.   Harley Davidson he and she afixed the rear tire and together.  bickered too. lol

dr125 and a suxuki nope.  modified the rm 100 same motor and used a four stroke well ok it was new a nd  a first.  not pwoerufl and they changed it.  good he says.

first we mean first productin bike and the first prototype to go into production.  yeh.  firsts. his rolex a first and the newest recent dive watch. some wanted it saw it ok.  tried for it.

his swiss army watch taken by tommy a worth 5000 if store bought and really billions for his a first and by his Father and Mother made by thier hands alone and sent in to make.  he was is hated.  and is gone shortly.

tons of clothes firsts. tons out soon.  the us army boots and us marines are his design. tons see it. too. konws it.

and yeh had ken run in boots...lol hahaha i made  a fortune he says turmp took it i know to where  his headquarters.  some suits  are ruses like in ga

and we know it too.

tercel no one and he drove it...and while in school took it out of a lot and bc and nope not enough money now. too small sorry.

the gmc one of his favs and had overdrvie fo gas and a 6 made good milage and ws  a prototyope for tons of small trucks.   had speed cut out at 97mph but can go 180.  brad knew said faster kid.  cant. cuts out.  they tried to remove it tons of times and the accident was due to that and him.  he is a clutz tommy f did it.  was astounded no injuries.  none.  and totalled it.  he is smooth too.  looked right at him said ok.  now he was in disguse ad used it no.  fell they heard it too. he is drunk or soething.  tested you verbally nope.  and the kid was silent cased it was arrested no . paid though. got ifired they saw he did it.  AND trump they repaired it we hit them  alot for it.  they are idiots and faiiled thier own.

kia optima his idea nad high mileage and good gas and affordable.  ran great.  had power and about40 miles a gallon a record.  better on hiway and overdrive.  it went about 140 and he never tried. had a limiter. ok.

new tires and tons did and it got better mileage some up to 50mpg a first ad some of his design components.  the engine especially.  fast ok.  new injectors and mechanical. fast.  got awards from us.  tons of th;em waiting for him.

and a first run first car off the line and the final prototype.  his. and you almost wrecked it several or many times.we  hat you want it now ok.

all of it

tons of new ideas, his reciever when using antena works great.  is great.  you suck ok.

kareoke too. adthe very fist

needds a table and chair so we use it.  firsts work for them....tons of them need furniture.  and the iditos wont.  we use that too

all of this stuff will work

the  firebird  is a special story.

Thor Freya

we used it on our trip.  ok it is our first car.  we were there.  and lost it.  

Hera okhoney

thats the deal

Zues ok

[stevenewing]

The Ford Maverick is a great little truck, and the new Tremor treatment is cool. But you're definitely better off getting one of the hybrid models. That's where this compact pickup is most compelling.

[autosinsightofficial]

All-NEW 2022 Ford Maverick

The all-new Ford Maverick is the smallest and least expensive pickup on the market. Unlike Ford's larger Ranger and F-Series pickups, which have rugged, real-deal truck chassis, the Maverick is mechanically similar to the Ford Escape crossover, so it's less of a work truck and more of a fun truck. With a standard hybrid engine or an available turbocharged gas engine, the Maverick is also the most fuel-efficient pickup available. And its size makes it ideal for urban environments.

Ford offers the Maverick in three trim levels: XL, XLT, and Lariat. All provide good value, but we recommend the XLT model with the optional FX4 Off-Road package.

The Maverick's standard hybrid powertrain pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a small electric motor to produce 191 total system horsepower. Front-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission are also standard. It's a responsive combination that does a good job of getting the Maverick up to speed. Power delivery is well-managed, and the engine is generally quiet, except under hard acceleration. An optional 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 hp is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission with front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

The hybrid doesn't feel under-powered, but those who crave strong performance or the added capability of all-wheel drive will find the 2.0-liter to be worth the sacrifice in fuel economy. The Maverick's power and acceleration are in line with its rivals, including the Hyundai Santa Cruz, Nissan Frontier, and Ford Ranger. All Mavericks handle well, thanks to a car-like ride and responsive steering. Add the FX4 Off-Road package with its range of available drive modes, and you'll be better able to tackle dirt roads and mild trails. The Santa Cruz also delivers a smooth, car-like ride but costs about $4,000 more.

The Maverick can tow up to 4,000 pounds with a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds. That's plenty for most buyers. Its closest rival, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, can tow up to 5,000 pounds with a maximum payload of 1,906 pounds with its optional engine. There is storage everywhere in the Maverick, and its bed is exceptionally versatile though small at just 4.5-feet long. Most small pickups have 5-foot beds, while the Santa Cruz's is just 4 feet long.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the 2022 Ford Maverick with the 2.0-liter engine will return 26 mpg in combined city and highway driving with front-wheel drive, or 25 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. Those numbers beat the Hyundai Santa Cruz, Nissan Frontier, and Ford Ranger.

Fuel economy figures for the hybrid haven't been finalized, but Ford aims for an EPA-estimated 37 mpg combined. The Maverick would not only be the most fuel-efficient small pickup in the United States by a large margin, but it would also rival the fuel efficiency of small compact cars such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

[spinningwebsandtales]

Imagine Looking At Maverick’s Photo Collection With Rooster

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw X FemReader

Warnings: Suggestive themes, mentions of death, angst but mostly fluff

Rating: T

Words: 1,688

Requested by @carpediem1219​

(A/N): I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to get this done so fast but I got started writing and couldn’t stop until I finished. I absolutely loved writing this and I hope it’s everything you hoped and wished for. Thank you again for the request it brings me such joy to be able to write things that my readers want to see! Enjoy the fluff and until next time happy reading! ~Countess

This day was one you were always going to remember, as you watched the scenery pass by while sitting in the passenger side of Rooster’s Ford Bronco. The sun seemed to shimmer on the dust kicked up behind the Bronco’s tires while the rays made your skin glow. Rooster relaxed in the driver’s seat, one hand lazily on the steering wheel with his aviators perched on his nose. You couldn’t help but notice his wind tousled hair and how the breeze pulled at his tank top giving you glimpses of his broad chest. He was wearing one of his father’s old shirts you noticed as well.

 Married life with Rooster was absolute bliss and you couldn’t help the feeling of joy when taking glances at the golden ring you had slipped onto his ring finger that unforgettable day. You remembered the fear at the news that he and Maverick had been shot down during their mission but you were relieved when the news broke that they were okay came around. You were angry but also thankful that they both made it through. 

Rooster had always looked at Maverick as a father figure until their relationship was strained. You couldn’t talk Rooster out of hating the man who tried so hard but when you both had a talk the night he returned from his mission he talked about how he forgave Maverick and you were so proud. Now with their father and adopted son relationship patched you were going to see Maverick’s hanger for the first time. You were kinda hoping for a plane ride as well as a tour. Rooster glimpsed over at you smiling to yourself.

“What’s got you all smiles over there,” he grinned looking back at the gravel road.

“I wanna go on a plane ride,” you giggled like a five year old. “I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to come here before!”

“Weelll I didn’t help matters,” Rooster said sheepishly.

“No you didn’t but that’s all in the past. I’m glad that everything is better between you two. I know Mav has your best interests at heart.” You took Rooster’s free hands his fingers automatically tangling with yours. “I have the same want in my life that you are happy and that you are healthy.”

Rooster kissed the back of your hand since he couldn’t look away from the road but for just a few seconds, “As long as I have you, I have everything I could ever want and need.”

“Oh stop or we’re not going to make it to Maverick’s without a pit stop,” you snickered.

“I’ll pull over right now!”

“No,” you laughed slapping his shoulder. “Maverick is waiting for us. But you can take me to bed after we visit with Mav.”

“I’ll remember that,” he wiggled his eyebrows behind his aviators.

“Oh I know you will. I’ll help you!”

Maverick stood outside the hanger entrance waiting on the arrival of two of his most favorite people and when he saw the Bronco trailing dust a large smile graced his face. Before Rooster could shut off the vehicle you were out of the passenger side racing towards Maverick with open arms.

“Mav,” you yelled your hair billowing behind you.

“Hey! Glad you both got here safely,” Maverick answered embracing you before picking you up and swinging you around. “Welcome to my place.”

“Navy man through and through are we,” you teased seeing the faded words above your head.

“It’s in the blood.” Maverick turned to Rooster who was now standing close his hands in his pocket. Maverick gave his arm a tender slap before pulling the young man into a hug. Rooster returned it, happy to have all animosity gone. You both followed Maverick inside to where he showed you his very own P-51 Mustang and all the work he had been doing to the aircraft. Rooster was really intrigued but they lost you right at the beginning. So you just found yourself looking around at the surrounding area of the hanger. There was awards hanging everywhere, motorcycles lined up in a row, a smaller closet, and other things that piqued your curiosity. Stepping away you looked back at both of the men, Maverick could tell that you didn’t want to just stand around to hear them talk planes so he gave you a nod.

  Off you went to explore more on your own. While he still payed attention to Maverick and he was interested on being hands-on with a different plane Rooster couldn’t help but watch as you explored around on your own.

“Don’t be,” Rooster chuckled picking up the photo you were reaching for. It was him as a kid being held by Maverick as Goose and Carole stood by his side. “Dad died a little after this photo was taken.”

Your hands crossed behind your back you rocked back and forth on your heels while reading the multiple plaques up on the wall. Maverick was absolutely amazing and one heck of a pilot. And while all his awards were intriguing there was one spot you were making your way to that had your interest more than anything else. One spot held pictures of all kinds and you could tell most of the people on them. Even far away you could recognize Rooster’s dad that he couldn’t help but talk about all the time. You were reaching for a photo when a presence made itself known at your side causing you to jump.

“Sorry,” you cringed. You felt like a kid caught with their hand stuck in the cookie jar.

“I know you told me that he died when you were a kid but I didn’t quite imagine that you were that young Roos.” Tears pricked at the corner of your eyes.

“Yeah,” he chuckled bitterly. “Mom did everything she could and Maverick was my father figure as I grew up. But I was kind of a brat growing up without a dad. Fellow kids didn’t help, I was bullied some. That’s why I never told anybody in Top Gun about Goose being my dad or how he was Maverick’s wingman. I didn’t want the sympathy and I didn’t want anybody to know why I hated Maverick so bad.”

“Rooster,” you whimpered.

“Hey don’t cry it’s okay,” he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and giving you a squeeze. “Here look at nerdy looking me in my ball uniform.” You laughed at his curly hair sticking out from under the green cap. You sniffled but took the photo.

“I think you look really cute.”

“So did mom,” he rolled his eyes. “Good thing I’m a better pilot than I am baseball player. I didn’t suck, but I wasn’t the best either.”

“Who’s tempting,” you cooed.

“Top Gun pilots are cooler than baseball players,” you teased elbowing him. “But this one,” you picked up another photo, “is my absolute favorite.” You touched the photo tenderly of Rooster in his official Navy uniform. A sharp looking photo of him well groomed and his uniform pressed.

“Picture day was awful,” he moaned.

“But you look so hot,” you purred.

“Careful Maverick is still around,” he warned. “Don’t tempt me.”

Maverick felt like he had given you both enough time and he was wanting to visit with you as well. When Rooster had talked to him about finally asking you to marry him, despite the rift between them, he was beyond ecstatic. You were good for Rooster and kept him grounded. Now he looked to you as a daughter so he didn’t feel too guilty when he cut in.

“Walking down memory lane,” he spoke patting you on the shoulder.

“Yeah. Or you could also say that I’m laughing at all these photos of baby Rooster.”

“Ain’t he a cutie,” Maverick cooed reaching to pinch Rooster’s cheek. The younger man slapped the offending hand away giving Maverick a nasty glare.

“I think it’s time to add to the pile besides just these ones,” Rooster replied looking down at you still in awe of all the pictures of the people Maverick considered family.

Maverick nodded also looking down at you still oblivious, “(Y/N) I think it’s time to start adding you to the family wall album.”

“Me?!”

“Pfft yeah,” Rooster snorted. “You married me! Welcome to our weird and kinda tragic family.”

Maverick nodded in agreement, “Welcome new pilot let’s go get your picture taken with Rooster of course.” Before you could protest or say anything else you were swept off your feet by Rooster who started towards the plane parked in the middle of the hanger. Maverick grabbed a camera he kept around (he would lie saying that he hadn’t bought it two days ago with this in mind) before following behind Rooster. Rooster stopped in front of the plane refusing to let you go despite your protests.

“Perfect,” Maverick answered. “It’s finally official (Y/N) Bradshaw is now one of us.”

“Say cheese,” Maverick yelled positioning himself and the camera for the best angle. You had no choice but to give in so you threw up a peace sign while giving Rooster a big smooch on the cheek.

“Cheese,” you mumbled, lips pressed against Rooster’s scarred cheek.

Rooster laughed still holding you while Mav took the photo.

“Glad to be here,” you nodded. The rest of the day was spent laughing and telling stories and you couldn’t remember having so much fun.

Taglist: @mads-weasley​

As the years passed by, the collection of photos began to grow. Photos of Rooster helping Maverick with his plane, you cooking dinner for them, Penny joining the growing family with her daughter, and then came the photos of you with Rooster, your stomach rounded with the next generation of Bradshaws. Those were Maverick’s favorites. The first pregnancy photo was followed by another and then one more. Then photos became the sound of tiny feet padding against the hanger floor. The calls of children with the perfect mix of Rooster and you following their father around asking questions. It was the kind of perfect that Maverick thought would never come and yet here it was and he wouldn’t change anything.

[purplekiwis]

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡🔸

Summary: Tracy Turner's Valentine's Night plans couldn't have kicked off any worse... but could it be that stumbling into a secret, private club after hours changed the fate of her night?

Warnings: A bit of ANGST, some CURSING, and a shitload of SMUT

Wordcount: 13k

AN: Is it too late to post a Valentine's Day themed fic? Probably but I'll do it anyway! This story is set in San Francisco, in 1986 🌞 It's also inspired by a bunch of 80's songs, and especially “Chain Reaction” by Diana Ross 💗

P.S: Even though the main character of this story is an oc, I made an effort to keep my descriptions of her physique to a minimum, so that it was all still somewhat bleary and inclusive ✨

**

I had a date tonight.

He had told me to put on something fancy before he left, so I did.

I wore red because he liked it - a turtleneck striped sweater, a miniskirt and matching gogo boots. I even pulled my roller set from the back of the drawer to try and tame my feathered hair into something resembling of the trendy Farrah Fawcett waves. Needless to say that that didn't go as planned, but it wasn't a total disaster either. I felt pretty and that was what mattered... a little frustrated too, once I saw the wall clock’s hands tick past the time he had promised to be home to pick me up.

A car honked outside, and I ran to the porch window to look. A huff left my lips when I saw it wasn't Andrew… just my neighbor's friend who happened to own a car of the same model he did - a 1974 Ford Maverick, that was currently pulled over the side of the road. I watched through the drapes as my neighbor fled out of the house sheltered under a vinyl umbrella and slid inside the car, where the driver greeted her with a passionate kiss.

The car's windshield wipers were on full blast, which reminded me that Andrew should also be driving in rainy weather. Before I knew it, I was nervously chewing on my thumb, as a vast collection of worst-case scenarios came popping into my head. Andrew had always been a fast driver, and the worn tires on that old car of his should have been changed months ago... but money had been tight – It always was, with me working at the five-and-dime and him constantly jumping from one temporary job to another.

He had never been the hardworking kind, and neither had I, but I tried… I showed up on time on the days my boss was there, smiled at rude costumers, and did my best not to spend much on myself...

I couldn't say the same about him.

That was the main topic of discussion under our roof - Andrew's spending habits. He bought more than he could afford and was never willing to make sacrifices - he went for a beer with the boys every night, while I stayed home and invited my friends over. He ate our leftovers outside meals, while I took less food into my plate than I wanted. He made foolish investments, promises he couldn’t keep, and never, ever put my or our interests first when it came to money.

Remembering these things was starting to make me feel angry, but I was more worried than anything else. For every extra minute that passed, there were 8 more laps I made from one side to the other of the hallway.

I was starting to get a bad feeling about his lateness but decided not to focus on that. It was Valentine’s Day, and he had promised this morning that he would take me somewhere nice… where we would eat duck in orange sauce and share a bottle of chardonnay… and then we’d go for a moonlit walk in the park before he drove us home, where he would make love to me.

I knew his promises weren’t to be trusted, but surely he wouldn’t let me down like this, would he?

I had probably just misunderstood the time of our reservations. That's what I told myself while I slung my leather coat over my shoulders and grabbed my purse from the hanger stand - just so he didn’t have to wait for me when he arrived.

And I waited.

And waited.

But that feeling of relief didn't last, once I realized he was drunk – not just drunk, but rotten. My arms naturally crossed over my chest while I stood there speechless, watching my boyfriend stroll inside the house without a care – hollering about football and dropping beer from the bottle in his hand onto the lobby rug.

Until he showed - two hours later and accompanied by two snarky big guys that I knew to be his friends.

“Oh my god!” I jumped up from the sofa, where I had ended up sitting after many minutes of standing by the front door like a dog waiting for its owner. The first emotion that went through me was relief, in finding my boyfriend was still in one piece and not dead in a ditch somewhere, like I was starting to worry he might be.

I could feel the indignation starting to bubble inside me, taking over my features and heart. “Andrew!” I yelled, but frankly I don't think he heard me. It was like I was invisible in his world, a world filled with nothing but beer, chants of victory and body sweat, apparently.

“Andrew!” I repeated, louder this time, what finally got the three heads to turn to me. Upon taking notice of my angered disposition, Andrew’s bulky friends exchanged a look in between them. As if they were debating if they should leave, but I saved them the time – “Out.” I growled, before they could take another step towards the sofa, where I knew they were headed. They followed my order, shutting the door behind them.

“Tracyyy!” Andrew sang back at me. The shit-faced grin he portrayed made me want to smack him unconscious on the spot, but I refrained from it… I needed to yell at him first.

The thing was I was at a loss of words - I couldn't believe this was the life I was living - a life where my boyfriend had stood me up on our special day to go get smashed instead. It wasn't unusual for Andrew to come home like this, but I expected more today. Maybe that was my problem… that I continued to expect different from him, even when everything I despised about him remained the same.

The sudden sound of a clash and porcelain shattering cut through my thoughts.

Andrew, who was moving like a stranger inside his own house, had bumped on the accent table on his way inside the living room - sending the lamp perched over it tumbling down. “Oh shit. My bad,” He paced back with his hands raised, stepping all over the shards and causing them to break into even smaller pieces.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” I finally managed to shout. His eyes jumped to mine, and what I saw in them disgusted me. He was staring at me with lust - like I was prey he had an appetite for.

“Tracy, Tracy, Tracy...” He murmured my name as he advanced – or stumbled – towards me. “You look so fuckin’ good…” He hissed through his teeth, reaching out to grab and kiss me.

“Get off!” I used my arms and hands to push him off my face. “Your breath reeks of beer - it’s disgusting.” I spat bitterly, shoving his shoulders back to force him to plunge on the sofa.

When faced with my rejection, Andrew groaned. “Right… let me hear it, what the fuck did I do to you this time?”

I scoffed a laugh, in utter disbelief. “Are you kidding me, right now? We had a date tonight, Andrew! A date you didn’t show up to!”

He sighed. “Yes, I know we had a date but baby… didn’t you watch the news? The niners won their first game of the season today. Do you have any idea of how big that is for us? It’s huge - and it’s also why I had to go celebrate with the guys...”

I shut my eyes and breathed in effort to calm down. “Are you… talking about football right now?”

“Yes, Tracy… the niners. As in, the best football team of all time.” He scoffed condescendingly, like he thought my question was dumb. “Oh, babe you should have seen them… Joe Cool was blistering through that field. The man was unstoppable. It was… fuckin’ epic.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable…” I shook my head, incredulous at his words. I could have been forgiving if he'd forgotten… it was something that could happen to anyone... but clearly, that wasn’t the case this time. Andrew had remembered the plans he’d made with me, and consciously decided not to follow through with them. His reason? A frigging football match. That! That was his reason. - “Why Andrew? Just… why?” I yelled in exasperation but all I got back was a vacant look. There wasn't a single flash of regret in his drunken eyes. It was like he couldn’t even see that he’d hurt me. “Why do you do this to me? Why am I always the one thing that comes last on your priority list?”

“Are you really going to start a fight over this? It was a fuckin’ dinner date, Tracy. We can go tomorrow.” I snorted at the utterance of that phrase. – “We’ll go tomorrow” – That was what he always said… but then, when the time came, we never got to go.

I let out a desperate sigh, running my hands through my hair. “No, Andrew. We can't! Because today was the day. It was today! Not tomorrow. Not the day after. Today!”

Andrew’s voice rose at my tone, now much more exalted. “And what does that even matter? It's a day, like any other day. It doesn't have to mean anything.”

“It meant something to me, goddamn it!” I finally snapped, stomping my foot hard enough to make the broken pieces of porcelain on the floor dither. Hot, mascara dyed tears began to stream down my disgruntled face, leaving traces of black in their wake.

Andrew stared at me wide-eyed when he noticed them. “Jesus Tracy, calm down… you don't have to cry.” He sneered. “If you’d told me dinner was this important to you, I obviously wouldn’t have missed it. Christ… I mean, you could have just said something instead of-”

“That’s the problem! I shouldn’t have to say anything.” I sobbed, even though I knew it wasn't going to be worth it. How could I expect him to understand the motives of my anger, when he couldn't even see I had motives to be angry? - “Do you even realize how selfish it is of you to ask that? You shouldn't be breaking promises! You shouldn’t even be making them if you're not counting on keeping them!”

“Oh so now I'm the selfish one? You’re the one who’s never satisfied with anything I do! You’re so fucking ungrateful, and then you cry just to make me feel sorry.”

I blew out a scathing laugh. “Oh I wish making you feel sorry was that fucking easy…”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a bitch all the time it would be.”

His accusation made me flinch. I fell silent for a moment, once again left speechless. We argued sometimes, but he had never stooped so low as to call me that. “What did you just call me?” I asked, incredulous.

Andrew squirmed uncomfortably on the sofa. I could tell he knew he'd said the wrong thing, but it was too late to take it back. “It’s what you’re being right now…” He said with a shrug.

Andrew’s reply didn’t surprise me. I knew better than to expect an apology from him. That was another thing about Andrew, the word Sorry never seemed to be part of his lexicon…

That was the kind of guy he was.

That was the kind of guy I was dating.

In this case, however, it didn't matter if he chose to apologize or not... he had called me a bitch - that was something I could never excuse.

I walked out of the room for a moment, just for as long as it took me to reach the closet where I knew Andrew’s sports bags were. I picked one at random - the first one I got my hands on - and took it back with me to the living room. “Here.” I tossed it into his lap, harshly and with no preamble. “I’m giving you half an hour to pack your things and walk out that door.” I said as I put my coat back on and shouldered my purse, considering I had stripped off both during my long wait. “I’m going for a walk. When I come back I want you gone. You can come get the rest of your stuff tomorrow.”

“What?” He practically barked, leaning forward on the sofa. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t kick me out - this is my house too!”

“Why are you never in it then?” I asked, knowing he would have no answer to give me. “Besides, I was already living here before you moved in from your parents’s. All you have to do is go back to where you were months ago. It's not like it's going to make much of a difference to you anyway.”

“Tracy, wait…” I was already on my way towards the front door when I heard Andrew’s calls for my name. My intention was to ignore them, but unfortunately I couldn’t because in his drunken state he had somehow managed to get up and come after me. “So that’s how it’s going to be? I screw up once and you decide to throw it all away?”

“Once…” I repeated through a humorless chuckle, turning although my fist remained firmly wrapped around the doorknob. “When’s our anniversary, Andrew?” I asked suddenly, what took him by surprise. I knew he didn't know because the date had gone unnoticed by him months ago. “What’s my favorite flower?” He had never given me any. If he had, he'd know that whatever he chose would become my favorite. “What’s my biggest dream?” I asked and on his part, again, there was silence.

“Babe c’mon, we don’t have to do this...” He supplicated, grabbing my wrist, and forcing me to stop and face him again. “Look, I’m sorry okay? I know I haven't been the nicest lately, but I love you… can't you see that?”

I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him. There was nothing about his statement that rang true. I turned the knob, but he tugged on my wrist and tried to kiss me again. “Stop! Just stop!” I pushed him back, irritated by his insistence – and once I opened my mouth next, it was like every syllable coming from it trembled with emotion. “It’s always like this with you and I’m done! I’m done with hearing the same crap over and over only for it not to mean anything!”

Andrew was still coming after me when I opened the door and ran down the outside stairs that led to the porch, but thankfully he gave up on following suit once he saw me step under the pouring rain and start walking up the street with no destination in mind.

The idea of ​​bringing an umbrella completely passed me by in the midst of everything else, and now it seemed that it was raining even more than the last time I looked out the window. I didn't care though, the cold rainwater felt sobering as it poured over my hot, heavy head – morphing my already withered Farrah waves into a cascade of unflattering wet strands.

The water dripped down my shivery body and ran beneath the sidewalk gullies under my feet as I walked. The crunch of my soles on the wet floor reminded me that I was by myself.

Not just out on the street, but in my love life as well.

A trickle of guilt shot down my spine, but I made a conscious effort to ignore it. My decision hadn’t been rushed… I had been considering ending my relationship with Andrew for months, but for some reason I always ended up changing my mind… afraid I would end up regretting it.

I knew Andrew wasn’t the type to change and still, I persisted. I gave him endless opportunities by tricking my brain into believing he was going to do better next time around… even if, deep down, I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. – Being around Andrew was always going to be like this. Like sailing through life without an anchor to support me.

Up until this point I had made the choice to put up with that…

But not anymore.

And I felt good with my decision.

Not so much with the decision to go out alone after dark though. Due to the deterrent creeps running over my skin at the sight of two suspicious-looking guys leaning around the street's corner. I wasn't one to judge by looks... Living in San Francisco, it was common to run into scary-looking strangers. I felt comfortable around groups of loud protestants and punks with spiky hair and ripped t-shirts, but something about the way these men were looking at me made me feel uneasy - enough to have me walking to the other side of the road before I crossed paths with them.

Their eyes wouldn't let go of me as trudged the small street that led to Alamo Square Park. I hoped that there would be more people there... and this wish only intensified once one of the men whistled as I walked past them. I pretended not to hear… just quickened my step and sharpened my ears to detect any kind of movement on their part, and lo and behold: there were footsteps trailing behind me. “What’s the matter sweetheart?” An eerie voice asked from my back. “Are you feeling down? Me and my friend would love to feel you up.”

“Fuck off.” I replied in a bad mood. My legs sped up even more, while my eyes kept dancing all around, looking for an open establishment I could enter but there was nothing here - the street was deserted and I still had more than 5 minutes to go until I reached my destination.

“O-Oh… feisty, and she’s got a filthy mouth on her too…” Another guy said behind me, and I hated the grisly tone in which he spoke.

I wanted to tell them to fuck off again, but I knew that wasn't the smartest thing to do taken the fact they had found it amusing the first time. “Leave me alone, I’m not interested.” I said instead, making an impulsive decision to turn to a street on my left, in the hope that it would throw them off and make them stop following me.

It didn’t work, they kept walking after me. “Where are you going, sweetie? Trying to run from us?” I heard their footsteps getting faster, so I sprinted. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew the area and had passed these streets before. There was a set of stairs to my right, and I ran down them. It was tempting to look back and see if my pursuers were getting closer as I ran, but I refused to do it. Instead, I kept running further - through alleys, back streets, passageways, and parking lots.

My mouth tasted of blood due to the racing heart pounding in my chest and the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Water splashed under my feet, making my footsteps audible even in the streets adjacent to the one where I was currently at. My body was asking for a break, but I didn't know if I could give it that – I was terrified. I had never been in such a situation before… sure, I had been catcalled before, but never stalked to the point where I was legitimately afraid for my life.

I dared to glance behind my back, sighing in relief once I saw that there was no one there anymore. “Holy fucking shit…” I finally allowed myself to breathe, leaning against a wall of a building hidden in the shadows. There was a store on the first floor, but it had been shut for a while by the looks of it - the windows were covered with old newspapers, and the door sign that marked it as a hardware store also looked a bit outdated. Something about its placement looked offbeat however, it made me wonder if that was the reason why they had gone off the market... it couldn't have been easy to captivate customers being so hidden down an alleyway.

At least the storefront had an awning where I could shelter from the rain - not that it was worth much now that the water had seeped through all the layers of my clothes, but at least it gave me a little solace. My body was freezing, but there was still so much adrenaline running in my system that I didn't even notice I was shaking until I felt my teeth chatter.

All I wanted to do was go back home, take a warm shower, go to bed, and forget that this terrible, terrible day had ever happened… but I couldn't, not just because Andrew should still be there by now, but also because I was hearing heavy footsteps again, coming from somewhere close – probably one of the streets surrounding me. I covered my mouth with my hand and slipped further into the darkness, silently praying for a way out to help me get home safely.

As if the universe was listening to my prayers, once I pressed my body against the wall where I thought I was less likely to be spotted, my ears took notice of a drumming coming from within the building I was hiding outside of. That was when I finally realized where exactly I was. I had heard about this place – The Hardware – through the vine before. It was a homey thing. A private club. I had a few friends who came often, but I had never… I had always assumed for the place to be a bit dodgy – Why would its existence be made known solely by a word of mouth system if they had nothing to hide, after all?

But now it was my best option...

I could hear the voices and steps becoming louder and clearer. They were getting closer – I knew if I stayed here, it was only going to be a matter of time until they found me…

So I rang the doorbell - relentlessly, until I finally saw the sliding peephole pulling open, and a set of eyes come into view - a set of surprisingly kind, light in color and sober looking eyes. A deep voice followed before I managed to get a single word out. “Password please.” It asked pressingly.

The request surprised me… I knew the place was restrictive, but never in a million years would I have expected to be asked for a bloody password. “Uh...” I rambled for a beat, searching every corner of my brain for something, anything... surely my friends had mentioned it around me before... but of course I hadn't thought to memorize it. “I can’t remember what it is, but-”

“Sorry dear.” The man interrupted, sounding more like a record when he said, “No password, no entry.”

“No, no, no – listen, you’ve got to let me in.” I muttered urgently, before he got the chance to close the peephole in my face. “These guys- they’re chasing me and I'm alone out here.” I hated the way my voice sounded – all pitchy and wavery from despair, but I was too nervous to stay quiet. “ Please, just for a little while. I'll be out in a minute, I swear.”

I figured my hopelessness had somehow appealed to this man’s heart, because he seemed to be actually debating over my words, eyes focused on mine until he finally asked, “What’s your name?”

“Tracy.” I shivered. “Tracy Turner.”

It didn’t take longer than a few seconds for the door before me to creak open. Automatically, my lips parted to thank whoever kind soul had agreed to let me inside, but the gentle touch of their hand on my back ushered me in before I could.

When inside, the first thing I noticed were the clouds of smoke swirling in the air… and the colorful cocktails and beer being prepared and served at the counter. Brother Louie by Modern Talking rumbled through the club speakers, courtesy of the disco jockey mixing records of swooshing electronic music with heavy basslines.

The atmosphere of the club was interesting, and not nearly as subversive as I had imagined when I learned of the existence of such a place. There didn't seem to be anything illegal going on... there was no contraband or obscene sex happening, just a hodgepodge of fashionable, frizzy haired party people dancing and socializing with each other.

“The rain got you bad,” The raspy voice from earlier caught me off guard once it spoke beside me, making my eyes flicker up to finally get a good look of whoever I’d persuaded into letting me inside the privy club I was at. As I did, I felt warmth wash over me as if I’d soaked into that bath I so desperately craved. He was… a stunner.

Starting with his beautiful eyes that I had already met through the peephole - specked with shades of green and blue that reminded me of a forest pond. His eyes wouldn't be that big of an issue though… if only the rest of his face wasn’t just as equally mesmerizing - with lips the color of watermelon sorbet and features just like they describe in romance novels. Even his hair was dreamy, for god’s sake... sleek, yet messy with the occasional self-willed curl falling over his forehead.

But the worst part had to be the groovy, carefree charm he exuded… that had my foolish heart skipping a beat when he said, “Christ love, you’re freezing cold…” I was going to tell him I wasn't, in fact it was even quite sweltry inside the bar when compared to the weather outside… but he had just touched my soaked clothes, and he seemed quite distressed over them. “Come with me, yeah? Let's get you something to dry up.”

I nodded and followed him, not wanting to undo his will when he’d been so kind to me. Besides, I figured me, and my wet clothes might be drawing a little too much attention for his liking… supposing that he'd get in trouble with whoever owned this club if they realized I was an intruder he'd let in. He took me behind the bar, and then through a door next to the counter, into the service room – from where he rushed to gather two clean bar towels. “Here,” he said, extending them towards me. “They’re not very big so, if you need more, please just suit yourself.”

“Oh-uhm, one should be fine… and thank you. You really didn't have to.”

“It’s no problem, really.” The guy chuckled, turning around to spread open a beaded curtain at the back of the room. There was a wooden staircase behind it. “Give me a minute, will you? I'll be right back.” He told me, but before I could answer he had already vanished behind the bracket of multicolored beads and was now climbing up the stairs at a brisk pace.

When alone in the room, I finally allowed myself to take a deep breath - something I felt I hadn't done since I'd seen the man. Dear god... tall, handsome, and friendly? No wonder they kept him locked in here… he was a menace to the rest of the male species out there.

I brought one of the towels to my nose out of curiosity, it smelled fresh and flowery. I used it to dry my hair first, squeezing out as much rainwater as I could before I made use of the second towel to wipe my face and clothes. My heart raced when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and even more so when the curtain opened. He held a blanket scarf in his hands, that was promptly laid over my shoulders. “It’s a bit bohemian, but it should keep you warm…” He smiled. “I’m Harry, by the way.”

“Tracy.” I smiled at him, adjusting the blanket over my shoulders a bit. “Thank you, for letting me inside… and the towels, and this. You really didn't have to...”

“Aish… don’t mention it, yeah? It’s the least I could do.” He turned his back to me for a moment, but the lack of answer from my part had his head tilting around to face me. “Are you okay?”

“No, yeah. I’m okay. It was just… a bad night, to say the least.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, “Those guys that were bothering you… what’s up with that?”

“I don’t know them. I was out for a walk when they approached me- I would’ve ignored them, but I was upset ‘cause I had gotten into a fight with my boyf- I mean, ex. He’s my ex.” Harry's brows jumped at my admission. His reaction intrigued me, but I didn't know what to make of it, so I carried on. “I talked back at them. And from there they started following me and wouldn’t-” My talking got cut off by one of the bartenders swinging the door open. Her eyes widened as she poked her mullet head inside. She reached for a bottle behind me, muttering a small “Sorry,” as she left. Her surprised reaction reminded me that I was an intruder in this club, and even more so in its service room. “Are you sure it's okay for me to be here? I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss over this...” I asked Harry, feeling a little sheepish.

He chuckled at my assumption. “Nah... you’re fine. Boss's a tranquil guy.” He said, pausing for an instant before finally adding, “It’s me. I’m the boss.” He smiled at my surprised face before bending down to pick up the towels I'd used. “Which, by the way... if there’s a next time you want to come, the password is Clandestine. Feel free to spread it around with friends, yeah? But only the nice ones...”

My mouth parted around a stunned breath, too puzzled to speak as I watched him toss the used towels onto a basket to wash. “Wait, so you actually want me to spread the word around?” I asked, what made his head snap up with a nod. “I thought- Isn't this like- a super exclusive club? As in, a ‘to be kept on the hush’ club?”

“Well… it is, sort of, but it still needs promotion and new customers just as much as any regular club does...”

My brows knit slightly. “Why not just make it a regular club, then?”

“Honestly?” Harry’s expression sobered as he leant back against a cupboard and crossed his arms. “Do you want the absolute, unfiltered truth Tracy Turner?” He asked menacingly, although his face was still traced with humor. I nodded positively, mirroring his stance. “Okay well, let’s see… It’s homier. The taxes are cheaper. I don't have to entertain idiots I don't want in here, plus... the secretiveness keeps the customers coming. People love secrets, Tracy Turner… and love to spread them too, it’s why new people show up here every day.”

“So how do you keep it a secret and promote it at the same time? That sounds like a catch-22 situation.”

Harry coughed a genuine laugh at my question, angling his head a little to the side in thought. “Well, I’d say the key to the deal is finding balance between periods of admission and restriction for new customers, and of course, changing the password from time to time to keep that feel of exclusivity… Oh! and never revealing any of this to any curious, pretty customers who ask…” He said, and then with a cheeky smile gracing his features, he added, “Suppose I still have a bit of work to do on that last one, hm?” He winked, and I felt my cheeks blush but luckily, he saved me the embarrassment of answering when he turned around and casually asked, “Do you like hot chocolate, Tracy Turner?”

“I- um, yes. I like hot chocolate.” I mumbled, taking a curious peek over his shoulder to see what he was up to – drinking chocolate, obviously.

My tongue was itching to tell Harry that he didn’t have to make me one, but the thing was… I wasn’t sure that he was making it for me, and I didn’t want to risk making a fool of myself, so I decided to keep quiet (and also, an eye out to make sure he wasn't spiking it… better safe than sorry, isn’t that what they always say?

“Do you want sugar in yours?”

I breathed out in relief at the question. Finally. A chance to say something. “Oh no, I’m okay.” I spat quickly, ignoring his question. “You don’t have to make me one.”

“Are you not in the mood for one?” He asked, looking a little let down by my response. “It’s on the house... I wasn’t planning to charge you for it.”

I contemplated saying I wasn’t but honestly, a cup of hot chocolate sounded fantastic… warm, sweet, and soothing to my sad, empty stomach. “No. I am, but-” I reached for my purse, to pull out my wallet. “I'll pay for it.”

“Sure, alright.” Harry shrugged, extending out an open hand. “Cadbury is ten dollars a spoon. I added two, plus the milk… that'll be thirty dollars, please.” My eyes widened at his price, unsure if he was joking but praying he was. “I'm kidding. It's free, okay? No one ever buys it so you're doing me a favor just by helping me drink it.”

I drew in a breath, feeling my cheeks warm as I hesitantly breathed out my response, “Oh-um… okay, then.”

Harry’s dimples winked at me. “Soo.. sugar?”

“Just half a spoon, please.”

I stood silent for a while as I admired Harry finish stirring the chocolate in our drinks and putting them to warm in the microwave. Once it dinged, he opened the fridge and took out a can of Reddi-wip, that he used to top our drinks with a swirl Chantilly cream. Plus a dash of cinnamon powder.

“Alright. There you go, Tracy Turner.” He said, handing me one of the amber colored glass mugs. “Is it good? Warm enough?”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” I said, even before I put the edge to my mouth to taste it. “It looks beautiful too, with the cinnamon...”

Harry chuckled, lifting the mug to his mouth for a sip. A lick of whipped cream underlined his top lip, stuck to his stubble. I broke a smile at it, until he got the hint and wiped it off. Shaking his head and turning a light shade of pink, he murmured sheepishly “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

I wanted to tell him that I found it cute, but I refrained from it. That would be weird to say to a stranger, wouldn’t it?

“It’s okay.” I said instead, “It happens to me all the time too.” My face lowered to my mug and as if to prove a point, a thin strand of hair flit from my fringe and dipped right into the whipped cream. “See?”

Harry was staring at my face, but his attention seemed to be on something other than my messy ways. “Do you like it? Is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s… really good.”

We finished our drinks in between shared moments of comfortable silence and casual conversation. I liked the way Harry talked to me, like he genuinely wanted to get to know me. He would ask about my interests, in a spontaneous and casual way. All small things, really… such as what part of town I liked the most and what kind of gigs I liked to go to. To be completely frank, I was enjoying the attention more than anything else... even though I knew it was cordial.

What could I say? Being the target of someone’s interest and company felt nice for a change. Really nice. Nice enough to make me overlook the chilly temperature outside to have a cigarette at the back of the bar, just so we could keep talking.

“What did you come down here for? It's too cold for you outside!” Harry scolded me. Half seriously, half-jokingly when he saw me walk out the back door right after he'd told me he was going for a smoke… but would come back to pester me some more in no time. His words, not mine.

“I’m here for the same thing you are.” I laughed, taking my pack of cigarettes and lighter out of my bag. I lit one, trying my best to ignore my shaky lips and fingers as I took the first puff.

“You could’ve smoked inside. I just don't do it out of habit, but everyone else does…”

“It's fine. I'll have to go home in a bit anyway, so it's not like a little cold now is going to make much difference.” I chuckled behind the smoke coming from my mouth.

We smoked quietly for a while, leaning against the back wall side by side until Harry broke the silence with a question, “May I ask where you live?” I was going to tell him my address, but his hand stole my attention when it touched my wrist. “Don’t hit me with street names please, I can never figure my way around like that.”

Harry’s grip dropped the next second, leaving behind a tingly vacancy. I felt like my reasoning had left with his touch, but thankfully after a silent note I finally managed to ask, “Do you know where the Hotel Majestic is?” He hummed around his cigarette in confirmation. “It's on that street. Not the one that shows the front of the hotel, but one of the sides.” I clarified, taking another conscious drag.

“But you walked here, right?” He asked, blowing out a thick cloud of white smoke into the air. I nodded. “Do you have someone coming to pick you up?”

“Oh no, I wish...” I jerked my shoulders, partially to hide a shiver. “I don't mind the walking though, it's not that far anyway...”

Harry opposed. “I can't let you walk home by yourself at this hour…” He affirmed with a brisk shake of his head as he reached down to put out his cigarette on the sidewalk. “Especially after what you told me happened earlier.” He threw the butt in the trash and held the lid open, noticing I was putting mine out too. “I'll drive you home, okay? Just give me a few minutes to shut everything down. We’re already pushing past closing time anyway.”

“No I- I can't accept that.” I fretted, tossing my cigarette into the bin after him. I didn't comment on it, but I liked the fact that he was careful not to leave his cigarette butts on the floor… or on the flower beds by the door. “You've already done too much for me, plus I'm used to walking around at night and nothing ever happened... other than that thing earlier, but I'm sure it won't happen again anytime soon.”

I held Harry's blanket tighter around me when a gust of wind blew over us, making the pink flowers tremble in their beds. Thankfully, Harry felt the cold too and walked to the door, opening it. “It will definitely not happen tonight, because I’m taking you home...” He said calmy as he ushered us back inside. “I’ll keep you company walking in case you don't want to get in my car… which I completely understand if you don’t, by the way.”

“No, it’s not that- it’s just… not necessary. I go for walks at night all the time and-”

“I want to, okay?” Harry ensured, smiling. “You are fun to talk to, Tracy Turner. And I want to get to know you better, so… if you think I'm insufferable you better speak now, ‘cause otherwise I'm not budging.”

I huffed, hoping it would blow the giddiness off my face. “Alright. Fine, under the condition that you'll let me help around a little while you close the club.”

Harry snorted, crossing his arms as he leaned against one of the walls. “Do you have any experience working in the field, Miss Tracy?”

I pursed my lips at the question. “Not exactly but I do have loads of experience scrubbing counters, washing dishes, sweeping and mopping floors.”

“That's a deal, then.” Harry grinned, holding out his hand. “I’m hiring you for the night, Tracy Turner. Better not let me down.”

I grabbed it immediately, thinking he was going for a playful handshake. Instead, he led me out of the service room – his hand clasping mine until we were back behind the bar, with our senses getting swarmed by the loud and smokey atmosphere going on in the club's main room.

Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell seemed to have awakened the craziest side of the dancing part of the audience, that gathered in front of the DJ booth jumping with their arms in the air. They looked to be having a great time, which made me feel a little sorry when I saw Harry wave at the jokey and mutter something about wrapping things up.

The man nodded once, but let the tape run until the song ended. His kindness didn't amount to much, however… for as soon as the music stopped, a roar of boos and hoos broke through the sudden silence, coming from a batch of disgruntled heads in crowd.

“Hey-hey, cool down peeps!” Harry shouted from behind the counter. He didn't look miffed by their complaints however, but more so entertained in a way. “There'll be more of the same tomorrow. Same time, same place… We’ll be having a Run DMC tribute night- make sure not to miss it! Those are always fun!”

I waited for most of the clients to clear out before I turned to Harry again, “So… what can I do?” I asked, looking around.

“Oh uhh… you can… let’s see… go have a seat?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Seriously love, you don’t have to do anything...”

“Yes but I want to!” I replied convincingly. “Okay. Tell me, should I go wipe the tables or... wait! I need to pick all the glasses first, don’t I? Can I use a tray for leverage or is that lame?”

The mullet girl from earlier laughed at my noticeable lack of experience, what Harry saw as a chance to introduce me to her, along with the rest of the staff members. “So… this is Tracy. Today’s her first day and, by the look of things… the last day she’ll be working with us also.”

His playful nagging got them to laugh but caused my lips to go droopy from dejection. “Hey! How come? I haven't even broken anything yet...”

“Yet.” Harry rehashed my word. I pouted again. “Aiish… don't pout with those pretty lips at me! That’s playing dirty…” He bantered, before head-signaling towards the tables area. “I’ll clear them and you wipe after me. How does that sound?”

He thought my lips were pretty?

“Sounds good.” I nodded, trying not to pay too much attention to what he'd said about my lips.

It was just a form of expression...

Surely. It had to have been that… And yet, the fact that I believed so did nothing to stop that sentence of his from lingering in the back of my mind the entire time we worked together cleaning the tables.

Was he interested? I thought his lips to be quite nice too… especially when they split into a big smile or laugh at something I said or did. I really liked the way he carried himself too… his easy breezy attitude… tall physique… bedraggled hair...

Crap! Was I interested?

No. I couldn’t be… Harry was just handsome. Very handsome, and acting all nice and attentive towards me. Plus it was Valentine’s Day, and I had just broken up with mine...

I was just vulnerable and needy.

That was what I was choosing to let myself believe, because how else would I justify my craving for another man already? What kind of person did that make of me?

I should be at home crying for the idiot who let me down, or for the duck in orange sauce that I never got to eat, but instead I was back at the rear of the bar, watching a cloud of smoke break through a practical stranger's lips, wondering if they tasted as deliciously pink as they looked…

“I was just realizing,” Harry started, smiling sideways at me. “You haven’t told me what you do for a living yet…”

“Oh.” I jolted, feeling a little embarrassed about the answer I had to give him. I had been counting my blessings over the fact he hadn't asked me, but I knew it was only a matter of time until my luck ran out. “I work at a five-and-dime near where I live… It’s not the nicest job but… I make do.”

“I get it.” He claimed through a puff. “Is there something you’d like to do, if not that?”

“You’ll poke fun at me if I tell you.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

“Yes you will, but fine – I guess I’ll tell you.” I sighed through the wave of smoke that surrounded us. “Ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to work for the radio – like, as a host. I don’t know why; I just… have some sort of fascination for it, I suppose.”

“No fucking way... Really?” Harry’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. “Have you ever tried it? With proper radio equipment and all that…”

“Oh, I wish... but no, never.” I said wistfully.

Harry smiled, with one of those smiles where the eyes shine brighter than the teeth. “Would you like to? Right now?” My face scrunched, confused until he said, “There’s a setup upstairs…”

“Are you pulling my leg?” I asked above the grin splitting my face in two.

Judging by the smug smile staring back at me, it didn't look like he was... he looked plenty serious, even when my obvious excitement made him cough a laugh as he spat, “Swear on my life!”

“Your bar has a radio station?” I asked full steam ahead, still a little in disbelief but undeniably excited. “Is it open? Can we go see it?”

“Not the bar, it’s um- it’s in my house. I live upstairs. On the first floor.” Harry clarified, through sheepish pink cheeks. “I’ll still take you to go see it if you want to, I just thought I should let you know before… in case you didn’t feel comfortable going there just us.”

“Oh, um- I’m comfortable if you are. You don’t have to take me though, if you don’t want to...”

“Will it make you happy, Tracy Turner?” He asked. I nodded. Our eyes sparkled. “Then I want to.”

And so it was. Once we had finished our cigarettes, Harry led me upstairs. Up the stairs hidden behind the beaded curtain and through a hallway in his house that looked more like it belonged inside a 70’s office room, than as part of a home. “Are we alone or are your parents around?” I whisper asked as we walked. Harry shot me a funny look. “I’m just asking to know if we need to keep it quiet, that’s all…”

“They never lived here. My dad used to own the place though… but he gave it to me once they shut down the station a couple years ago.” He stared up at the cork covered ceiling as we walked. “This room I’m taking you to used to be one of the main radio rooms I think..? It's cluttered in old stuff I haven’t gotten rid of yet… that’s also why that bad boy over there is still around-” He flicked the light on.

“Woahh…” My gaze danced over the setup in front of me. The only things I knew what they were for were the reel to reel tape recorder, the mic and headphones and the soundboard mixer. That didn't make me any less excited, however. “Does it work?”

“Mhmm…” Harry hummed. “Bet you’re dying to play with it, aren’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?” I asked through a breathy laugh.

“Oh yeah… super-duper obvious.” He chuckled back. “Alright, you can take that chair near the microphone and put on the headphones. As for me… let’s see if I still remember how to crank this thing up and get it going.”

I did as Harry said, waiting patiently while he checked and adjusted a bunch of cables and wires around. I tried to pay attention to what he was doing, but his concentrated face was way more appealing. The creases showing between his arched brows, his lips slightly pursed…

“Okay so- the soundboard.” He started, plopping down on the other chair and rolling over its wheels until we were sat side by side. “As you can see it has loads of buttons and being honest, I don’t know what all of them do so for now let’s focus on this volume slider here and this yellow button, which is basically what you want to move whenever you want to speak. So if I do this,” He clicked the button and made the switch go up on the board. “We should be on-air.”

“Can people really hear us?” I whispered, pulling slightly away from the microphone.

“Well… I can't promise you that there’s someone tuned in on the other side but in case there is, then yeah… they can hear us.” Harry replied quietly, before he leaned closer to me. “So, if there’s any messages you’d like to share with the world, now would be the time to do it.”

“The whole world?” I gasped.

“Okay… that might have been a slight exaggeration. Not the whole world, maybe just one local or two. Which, speaking of,” He leaned over our shared microphone, clearing his throat comically. “Dear listeners if you’re there… don't give up on us yet. We promise we’ll get it together in a second.” I smothered my laughter with my hand, as I leaned back in the swivel chair. Harry pulled the vocal slider down to nil, then with a big smile on his face he turned to me and asked, “Should we hit them with commercial break tapes from 20 years ago?”

“Oh yeah, let's.” I agreed at first, but then my eyes fell on the record player. “No, wait- actually, can we play some music first?”

“What do you want to play?”

“What are my options?”

“Well... most like- tapes and shellac options are from the 60's and 70's but one of the tonearms is set up for vinyl, so we can play some recent stuff too.” I nodded and acted like I was on topic. I didn't own any vinyl’s… the way I got my music was by sitting next to the five-and-dime’s radio player waiting for my jams to play so I could hit the ‘record’ button quickly enough. It was free and easy… then all I had to do was pray the DJ didn’t ruin my recording with any mid-song nonsense. -- “We have… Tears for Fears… Beastie Boys… Foreigner! That would make for a great choice, in my opinion...” Harry tipped, trying to influence me. I scrunched my nose. “Let’s see what else… Pixies, MJ… Oh! And my personal favorite at the moment… Laura Branigan!”

“No way!” I yelped. She was one of my current favorites as well. “You don’t happen to have Self Control, do you?”

“I like to think I have some, yeah…” Harry bantered, as he moved through his queued up records.

“No… I meant the record… by Laura Branigan.”

“On it, Tracy Turner.” He winked, moving to get the disc out of its cover. He placed it on one of the turntables, then flicked some stuff onto the board, arranged the tonearm over it and lo and behold, we were playing music!

“You know… you say my name a lot.” I commented out of curiosity, or just to see what he’d say really.

He chuckled at the question, scratching at his stubble before answering. “I like your name. It’s a good name.”

“And what exactly defines a good name, hm?”

“It’s a name I like saying?” He left it at that, letting the music fill the silence for a few seconds before throwing me is own sudden question. “What’s your favorite song? In general, not just this record.”

I pursed my lips in thought for a moment. “Ummm… I really like that Billy Idol one they were playing earlier downstairs. Oh, and A Kind of Magic by Queen! I freakin’ love that song… Yours?”

“Oof… let me think…” He took a big breath as he did so. “I really like… Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel. That’s a good song…”

I snorted, shaking my head. “That’s a dirty song, Harry.”

“Okay but… Rebel Yell is pretty dirty too and you just said that you liked it…” My head cocked to the side in consideration. “But I mean at this point it's a bit like, what gives, isn’t it? If you think about it, there are sex related bits and pieces in every song… and it makes sense… since sex is like, a universal language almost. Everyone loves it.”

“Ehh… you’re right about the songs. I don’t know if I agree with that last bit so much though.” I said honestly, what brought Harry’s eyes to narrow with heed. “It must be good for you guys I suppose… but us girls... most times than not, we’re left feeling achy and unsatisfied.” I clarified myself, knowing he’d ask me to.

“What?” He questioned instantly. “Is that how the people you've been with made you feel?”

“Hmmm... not always. There were times better than others, but I never got to, you know… finish.” I didn’t know how he managed to pull that away from me… I had never admitted that to anyone, but with Harry it was like by the time I realized, I had already told him. “But it's one of those things that makes me think that maybe the problem is mine. Like, maybe I can't because my body isn't made to do it.”

“Yeah no. That’s not true love, and you know it. All bodies are made to feel pleasure, so sorry to tell you but you’ve been having sex with sloppy blokes... or blokes who didn't really know what they were doing. Most times it's more like that.” Harry paused, looked down and then rose his eyes up to me again. “Can I ask you something really personal? You don’t have to answer it though, if you don’t want to.”

“Sure, go ahead.” I agreed with a small smile.

“Have you- erm, never touched yourself before- I mean… to the point of.. finishing?”

Shit. That one caught me off guard, and also made me stutter slightly, “I-uh… I have, yeah… I know what an orgasm is. I've had them before, just never with another person.” I chatted on, a little nervous about letting the conversation fall into silence. “...But to be fair I know it's harder for girls to get there… and for boys to figure out how we work-”

“It's not harder, it's just different…” Harry responded calmly. He sounded like he was sure of what he was saying too. Which addled me a bit at the time, but started to make perfect sense once he added, “Look, I'm not going to sit here pretending to be a saint to impress you... I've fooled around a bit when it comes to these things - girls, boys, in-betweeners... I mean, you name it… I probably did it. So believe me when I tell you, the fact that you're a girl has little to do with it. If a guy really wants to give you an orgasm, he won't give up until he gets you there. No matter how hard it is or how long it takes… and he’ll enjoy every second of it.”

Shit... Shit.

I couldn't tell if it stemmed from his words or the way he seemed so lost in my eyes when he said them, but something about that moment made my temperature soar to the point that my head felt tipsy.

“You’ve slept with men before?” I asked suddenly, trying to shift the topic to something that distracted me from those last words of his echoing inside my head.

Judging from the way his brows creased, I could tell his mood had shifted a little at my question. “Is that a problem to you?”

“No, no – God, not at all. It’s um... it's hot, actually.” I felt my cheeks burn at the admission, but when his beautiful smile followed it, it made the embarrassment worth it.

Harry’s arm, that was placed on the table, bent over his elbow. “Mm… is it?” He pried teasingly, resting his head on his hand just so he was staring right at me. “And why is that?”

“I don’t know, it just is.” I laughed, shyly covering my face with my hands. “Can we move on with the subject, please? This one is sort of making me want to jump out the window.”

“No, I quite like this subject.” Harry insisted jokingly, “You’re cute when you squirm, did you know that?” His question spawned a groan from me. He laughed at it, but when I dared to meet his gaze again, he looked solemn… contemplative, “It makes me wonder however…” He added calmly, looking down for a beat before his eyes darted up to mine. “If that’s how you get when you’re about to cum. And I think I would very much like to find out.”

My heart skipped a beat at his suggestion, but contrary to expected it didn't make me gasp or yelp. I wasn’t jolted like by it like I probably should have been… mostly because the same want had been hammering in my mind too. “I think I would like that a lot, but-” I sighed, before I carried reluctantly. “I don't think we should, at least not-”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s all good. You don't owe me an explanation… if anything, I should be apologizing for my bluntness.” I felt his fingertips brush along a strand of my hair, so delicately that I could’ve dreamed it. “I just hope it didn't make you uncomfortable...” I shook my head in denial, not trusting my tongue to respond when my body was practically melting under his touch. “Would you like me to take you home now?”

“No”, my heart answered honestly, but realistically I knew I had no reason to stay longer now that sex was out of the equation. “Yeah, that- that would probably be good.” I answered, looking down to avoid his eyes – otherwise I didn’t know what I might do.

“Alright-” Harry stretched as he stood from his chair, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the skin of his belly as his t-shirt rose slightly. But my body heated up even more once I noticed the swelling happening at the front of his jeans, letting me in on the fact that our conversation had left him as hot and bothered as it had me. That wasn’t helping. The knowledge that I’d made him hard was only making me want to leave less. “Just give me a sec to go get my keys.” He petted my hair as he squeezed behind my chair to go fetch his car keys from another room of the house.

I groaned silently as I watched him go. He seemed so calm and collected despite the bulge in his pants. That was what was making my head reel the most… how okay he was with my rejection. It wasn't very usual for men to react so well to something like that… meanwhile, Harry hadn't even tried to steal a kiss! Something I was partly thankful for, but then at the same time I kind of wished he had – if only he knew I was a heartbeat away from having a change of heart, maybe he would 've…

After all, what was keeping me from going through with this? Andrew?

Granted, we hadn't formally broken up yet… but I was planning to do that in a few hours once he came over to get his stuff – knowing him, probably with flowers and chocolates and more empty promises to try to get me to change my mind, but I wasn't going to fall for that. Not after finding out there were interesting people like Harry out there…

Harry, well… he made me curious. He was sweet, straightforward, open-minded, and most importantly, he seemed like the kind who knew how to make it good for both parties the bedroom. I wanted that for myself. I had for a while, actually… but whenever I thought to broach the topic with someone, I always ended up feeling like I was being too picky or painting my sex life to be horrible when it wasn’t. I enjoyed sex… just never got to enjoy it thoroughly like other people did. Honestly, it felt like whenever things started to feel that good for me, it ended – and I was left pent-up.

It wasn't as if opportunities like these came every day, though. Not with men like Harry at least...

“Ready to go?” He asked as he peeked back inside the room, smiling warmly at me whilst fiddling the keys in his hand.

I got up from the chair, leaving behind the blanket Harry had lent me and the little willpower I had left before I walked to meet him at the door. And when his hand reached for the handle to open it, I surprised him and even myself by darting mine over to stop him. He looked at me in question. “I uh- I changed my mind.” I blurted.

Harry’s face relaxed, but the dark in his eyes gleamed brighter. “You sure?” He breathed into the short distance between us. I felt the question more than I heard it.

“Yeah.” I replied in a whisper. “I am.”

A lopsided smile warped his features, as his arm reached behind to place his car keys on the windowsill. He reached up to fondle my face, gently guiding my chin up just so I looked into his eyes. “I wish I could tell you how happy it made me to hear that, but I think perhaps I'd be better showing you in another way...”

He was still cradling my face as his head dipped down. My eyes shut expectantly, but I felt his lips touch my forehead first… and then my cheek… and my nose. Softly, unhurriedly… as if he was savoring the anticipation. A pant of desire formed in my throat, so visceral I couldn't keep it to myself—I let it out, and only then did his mouth move away from my skin, lowering to press against my lips.

A shaky breath left the both of us as our lips wringed together, blending as one. His scent enveloped me, penetrating deep into my senses. He smelled like warmth, mint and vanilla – intense and beyond compare… just like his kiss,

And I needed more of it.

It’s why I twisted my fingers through the loops of his jeans and pulled him closer. “Mm, fuck…” Harry groaned, blindly goading me backwards so he would pin me against the door. His hips rutted against mine instinctively, while mine rocked back persuasively. “Eager, aren't you? Am I making you feel good?”

“So good.” I whispered, low and lewd against his mouth. “You’re a great kisser.”

“It's your mouth bringing it out of me. So… fucking… sweet.” He drew his other hand up to my jaw as well, holding it whilst his lips carried on tasting mine in between each muttered word. “I want to give you that orgasm… It's driving me mad, it’s all I can think about…”

“Yeah..? You think you have what it takes?” I teased, causing his hands to drop from my face and grip at my hips instead. And the next time his rolled over mine, he did it to let me know he had that and more.

“I'll give you as many as you want, I can promise you that. A gorgeous, lovely girl like you won't be leaving my bed unsatisfied.”

“And where’s that bed at, exactly?”

Our lips remained glued together as he guided me out of the hall, until our bodies melted away into the darkness of the corridor. We bumped into a few things here and there, but honestly I didn't even feel the impacts - my body was too focused on the desire Harry was making me feel.

He walked me backwards into his bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights. The curtains were open, and the streetlight illuminated the room enough - bathing it in stark shades of yellow and orange. I was too distracted to notice the decor details, but I noticed he had some interesting posters and art pop prints on the walls, a television on top of the wooden dresser that must have been inherited from his grandfather, tacky curtains like mine... frankly I noticed a lot, except that his bed was a mattress on the floor – Until I tripped and fell on top of it.

Harry came down with me, falling on his knees between my legs. “Pretty and clumsy… could you get any cuter, Tracy Turner?” He smiled, leaning over to bump his nose on mine. “Are you okay? Didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

“No.” I giggled, “Just my tush, but it’s gone now...”

“Oh,” He chuckled, whilst carefully urging me up in the mattress to lean back against his pillows. “‘S a shame it’s gone… I was starting to look forward to kissing it better…” He teased, leaning over further until his body encircled mine from above. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden proximity, and his proposition. No one had ever offered to kiss me there, but I would let Harry if he wanted to – Hell, I would probably let him do anything he wanted at this point. “Guess that means I’ll still get to kiss your perfect mouth some more, so I can’t say I mind.”

I could feel Harry’s hips recommencing their rubbing against mine – gradually increasing the friction as our breaths became more labored with desire. He was taking his time though… we were both still fully clothed, and his hands and mouth hadn't gone any lower than my neck yet,

It surprised me.

Any other guy would have tried to strip my clothes off the moment I got into their bed, but Harry hadn’t – He was simply enjoying the moment for what it was and making the most of it… and frankly, that was turning me on immensely.

I'd never been the kind of girl to make the first move, but I felt like I was on the edge of exploding from want if I didn’t. I wanted more. I needed more, so I started to strip him off his jacket… and failed to stifle a laugh once he looked at me and smirked knowingly. “What?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“No, it’s nothing.” He chuckled against my mouth, pulling the jacket the rest of the way off his body. My hands roamed around his chest as our lips touched. I could feel warmth under his heartbeats. Reactive flesh too - what had me eager to remove the remainder of his clothes. My hands rose beneath the hem of his shirt… dragging it up and shedding it off. Longing to get closer. To see more. To feel more.

His body shape was different than I’d imagined – unmistakably beautiful, but different. Most of his strength seemed to be stored around his chest and abdomen. He looked fit, but still felt soft around the edges. The lax in his posture made him curve forward, as if he was made to hug, to nest.

His hands reached for the waistband of my skirt, untucking my turtleneck blouse from under it. I giggled once the neckband got stuck over my nose momentarily as he peeled it off. I shook the unruly hairs away from my eyes, and once I could see again, I found Harry looking at me. Not just at my bare chest - at me. “You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, tracing my jaw with his fingertips. I took a heavy inbreath as I felt his touch outline the round contours of my neck and breasts.

“So are you.” I breathed feebly, using the tips of my fingers to limn over his torso the same way his did over mine. “Harry… I need you-”

“I know, sweet girl. I know.” He said, slanting us back down over the mattress. His hands loosened up the rest of the buttons down the front of my skirt, until it snapped open at the middle. Leaving my pastel pink underwear exposed through my thin nylon pantyhose.

Desperate, I lifted my bum up for Harry to strip me off them, but he had other plans. He bent down to taste my mouth again, and from my lips, his trailed an invisible path down my ribs, suckling on my breasts… circling my belly button… leaving me breathless and leaky until he reached my knees, where he began to unzip my boots.

Once those were off, he flipped me to lay on my belly, and my ass immediately rose in the air. I wanted him to rip my stockings apart and penetrate me right there without further delay.

I wasn’t normally like this, but Harry was leaving me beside myself. The ringing inside my skull was a mantra for more. More, more, more. I wanted more of him. I wanted him inside. I needed him to fill me.

The sound of his belt unbuckling was enough to make me moan softly, “Harry, please… I’m all sticky…”

“Fuck baby… That- that’s good. That’s how I want you…” My back arched up higher in response, and I nodded in agreement from where my head laid against the mattress.

Only then did he move to peel my stockings down… and still, he halted. Once he had them rucked halfway down my thighs. “You're spotting…” He muttered in amusement. I couldn't see it, but I could definitely sense it. The center of my panties felt icy in contrast to the heat throbbing beneath them. I whimpered when his thumb came to caress me there, pressing the wet fabric into my opening. “I’ll give you what you want, pretty girl… but I want my mouth between your legs first. I want that stickiness coating my tongue.”

“Are you- Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly.

It wasn’t the first time I would be trying that… but usually guys only did it if they couldn’t get me wet enough otherwise, never just because they wanted to, or because it felt good for me. Harry wanted to though, I could tell from the way his blown pupils were eclipsing through the green in his eyes. And from the edge in his voice when he spoke next, “Sure of what? That I want to taste your pussy? Babe, my mouth was watering thinking about it before I even got to kiss you...”

He prod my legs together, reaching to slide my bottom clothes the rest of the way down. I felt him lie on his stomach between my legs, so I spread them further apart. “…You’re this gorgeous down here too? How’s that fair, hm? Trying to make me burst in my pants?”

“Noo… don’t stare!” I stressed, feeling my cheeks warm. “I haven’t- trimmed in a while…”

“Hush, love. Just... relax, okay? Let me make you feel good.”

“Yeah okay. I’ll try to…I’ll try to- Ohh! Harry-” I groaned once his mouth hedged my pussy. The feeling I got from getting licked in this position was… unlike any other I’d felt lying on my back. My lips were spread-open, leaving my bud unsheltered and more susceptible to the advances of his tongue.

And gosh, it was advancing without any apprehension. Harry’s face was practically buried in my pussy. Kissing it… licking it… making me moan out his name, just for him to grunt out my own in return.

“God, you taste so good…” He muttered as he pulled away, breathing shallowy. “Do you want me to go inside you? Would that feel good?”

“Yes!” I gasped, not bothering to try and disguise my enthusiasm. “Yes. Yes, Harry. Inside would feel so good.”

“Okay but- Let’s just turn around first, yeah? I wanna see your pretty face while it goes in.” I flipped onto my back, just in time to catch the moment Harry zipped down his jeans. He was so hard that his tip was peeking through the waistband of his jockey briefs. I swallowed thickly. I had always turned up my nose at colorful men's underwear... but heck, if my opinion wasn’t changing drastically before my eyes...

His cock bobbed freely once he stripped himself out of the orange, stripy fabric. His head was ruddy and glossy with precum, the base thick, with a slightly aslant curve to the right that stood out in the midst of his bush. “He’s all-right, isn’t he?” Harry joked when he noticed my fazed looking.

“He- well, he is…” I laughed, then extended my arm. “Come here…” He crawled back over the mat, to hover on top of me. “It's perfect. And looks like it'll feel really good...”

“It will. It will feel so good...” He kissed me again, transferring my own scent from his lips to mine. “I’ll make it feel so good...” I licked myself off his tongue without shame, soaking up my juices like I did to his spit. I felt his arm raise over my head, but it was the noise of a vase being stirred that ultimately made me pull away to see what he was up to.

“Really? A vase? That’s where you keep your condoms?”

“Well… it keeps them at hand, doesn’t it”

I bit my lip once I saw him kneel and rip the package open. “Yeah, I suppose it does…” I answered at last, watching with curious eyes as he tugged his foreskin back and unrolled the rubber over himself, giving a few testy pumps to make sure we were safe before drawing nearer and nudging his plump tip at my entrance.

His gaze sought mine, waiting for my consent. “You can.” I gasped needily at the feeling of my wetness getting smeared around by him before his hips edged forward, slowly pushing inside me. I moaned at the wholeness. It was a wholeness that didn't hurt like it usually always did at first. No. It was all pleasure this time. Pure bodily pleasure, and it felt so, so good.

“Fuck… it fit so right.” Harry groaned softly, voicing my exact thought as well. “Tell me how to make love to you, baby… I’ll fuck you just the way you like.”

“Harry… please can you- can you move?” I asked, or practically pleaded. “You feel so good and I feel- I feel like I’m already close…”

“Christ… Yes. Yes, I’ll move. I’ll do anything… just- keep holding me like you are, okay? I’ll take care of you.” My nails grazed his back as his hips began to sway, keeping him close. His thrusts felt trained – they made me feel full, but not overly so. He was moving just so his tip brushed upwards inside me, reaching a spot that was making my toes curl with each pump. “Feels good like this?” Harry made a point of asking, wanting to be sure.

“Yes! God, yes. Keep- Keep going like that.”

“Yeah? You like it like that?” He rutted his hips just so his cock pressed deeper into my wetness, although his pace remained the same – unhurried, ponderous, and intense. “Are you going to cum if I keep going like that?”

“Yeah. I- I think so…” I said honestly because I felt like I was. Each gentle squeeze in of Harry within my insides pumped up my internal crescendo, that tingled with growing need. My face clung to the base of his neck. I mewled.

“That's it baby... just feel it. Feel me. Focus on how good it feels… You’re so good for me too... so soft… so warm.”

With my face still tucked into his neck, I wrapped my arms around him too. “H-Harry…” I called his name, as my fingers painted pink rivers across his shoulder blades.

“I know, …Fuck. I know.” He comforted me through my moans, kissing my hair and increasing his pace. I could feel my hips punctually jolting up into his, ruled by all the sensations arcing from the places where our skins thoroughly connected… and then it happened.

My orgasm. It happened.

And it was… mind-blowing. My head felt void as it tilted back against the mattress. My jaw went ajar, and a hoarse whine came through. Harry’s hips stuttered at the sudden grasp of my pussy massaging his cock all over, but he didn't budge until he was sure I had borne every stroke of pleasure he’d bestowed on me.

I whimpered when Harry’s movements came to a sudden halt as he detached himself from me, leaving me tortuously empty. He let out a breathy laugh before leaning to kiss me tenderly. “I'm giving it to you again. Just give me a second…” He laughed, then let out a long breath. “Alright… I think we're good to go again.” He told me, and then asked, “Do you wanna get on your belly like before? With your bum a little raised?”

I smiled eagerly at the suggestion, rolling into a facedown position and raising my hips slightly for him. “Christ…” He murmured at the sight, before settling on top of me. “This one’s a killer for me, so I won't promise I can give it to you like this for long… but I could tell from earlier that you like it too and I want to provide that for you...”

“I don’t mind if you don’t last… it's your turn to cum now. I want to do it in the way that feels best for you.”

Harry grunted against the back of my neck before kissing. “If there's one thing I want you focusing on right now, it's in not saying those filthy little things when I'm about to enter you. Understand?”

“Mhm... Sorry daddy. I won’t do it again.” I said teasingly, guessing it would get him going just like it did to most guys.

“Fuck…” Harry groaned lowly, proving my point as he guided the cock in his stroking hand against my entrance again. “Scoot that bum up, sweet thing. Let me mount you.”

I moaned once his cock set back in its place inside me. It fit snugger and deeper in this position, but the fullness was, once again, nothing but pleasant. One of his arms wrapped itself around my chest to hold me, while the other went down between my legs, so his hand could reach my hardened up clit. His fingers swirled over it. “One more…” Harry’s deep voice breathed against my ear. “Can you?”

“I-Yeah…yeah, I can.” My voice sounded breathy, shaken by his snappy thrusts. “Mm… harder. Hold me harder.” I pleaded, clutching onto his forearm that swaddled my chest. Keeping me close while his pelvis rammed into me from behind. I was stuck to him. Feeling sheltered and safe, but also… small… and bound. That was what was getting me there: the animalistic notion that I wasn’t going anywhere. I was under him. Being made to take whatever he chose to give me.

I shut my eyes and focused on where Harry was hitting that spot, just like he had told me to do before. My walls fluttered around his length moving inside me, making him moan above me. “Come for me again, Tracy.” He urged, panting against the back of my ear. I could feel a pulse roaring from my belly up to my eardrums. “My sweet, pretty girl… Come for me.”

My body tuned in to his request.

My sex spasmed as I climaxed once more, engulfing Harry’s in a beating pad of heat and softness. The raw cry of pleasure that escaped my chest, got quieted by his lips, that dipped down to kiss me as my head tilted back against his chest. “So good… So. Fucking. Good!” He drawled amidst his kisses, forcing his hips to slow whilst we both relished on the waves of my pleasure. “Can I make myself finish too?” Harry questioned against the sticky skin of my forehead. His despair as palpable on the weakened voice in which he spoke, as it was in the pulsing shaft inside me.

“Yeah.” I replied, slightly appalled that he’d even think to ask. “Yeah, please do.”

My body felt soft and pliant once his arms held me close. The creaminess between my thighs bolstering the heaviness of his thrusts as he proceeded to drive into me again. “Aah... you’re making me – ngh. I’m gonna–” His flow began to lose precision. Hips skipping a few whacks in between moans and groans until he met his release at last. His cock slammed fully into me, and he groaned - satisfied once it began to throb, pumping white ooze inside the rubber.

He clung to me in his high, allowing his chest to press fully onto my back for a moment. I welcomed the added weight pining me to the mattress. It felt good… like a warm, heavy blanket to fall asleep under. And I think I would have, had Harry not turned us over so we were facing each other.

“That was…” He puffed his cheeks, through a weary smile. “Shit. Hold on… Let me just-” He got up to discard the condom, and I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes.

I knew I should probably start getting dressed, but there wasn’t a single part of my body that wanted out of the bubble I was living in lying in Harry’s bed on the floor. A bubble that grew thicker and twice its size once he came to lay back down beside me and pulled me in for a cuddle. “It was really good.” I replied to what he started earlier, smiling sheepishly against his shoulder.

“Yeah?” He ran his fingers over my arm, smiling back. “Good enough to make you want to stay over?”

“Do you want me to?” I asked, biting back a smile.

“Yeah, of course.” He openly admitted, breathing in the moment before speaking again. “I really like you, Tracy Turner… and I wouldn't be saying this if it wasn't true.” His fingers combed through my hair. “I'd like to see you again… regardless of whether we have sex again or not.”

I reached up to fondle his tousled brown curls as well. They were soft and inviting to the touch. “When?”

“You mean when after tomorrow morning?” He joked, like he was already assuming I was staying the night. I never corrected him. “Whenever you want or can. I don’t want to pressure you, I’m just… trying to let you know where I’m at.”

“Okay.” I moved closer, snuggling into his chest. “I’ll see you again...”

“After tomorrow morning?”

“Mhm,” I grinned. “After tomorrow morning.”

[motorsportverso]

Resultado etapa 10 Dakar 2024

1-211-Guerlain Chicheret\Alex Winocq-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Over Drive Toyota-T1+-03:19:27

2-219-Brian Baragwana-Century CR7 T1+-Century Racing Factory Team-T1+-03:25:10

3-223-Benediktas Vanagas-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Toyota Gazzo Racing Baltics-T1+-3:25:31

4-227-Eugenio Amos\Paolo Cecci-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Over Drive Toyota-T1+-3:25:36

5-231-Romain Dumas-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Rebellion Racing-T1+-3:26:39

6-212-Matthieu Serradori\Loic Minaudier-Century CR6 T-Century Racing Factory Racing-T1.2-3:29:30

7-205-Juan Cruz Yacopiani-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Over Drive Toyota-T1+-3:29:54

8-245-Cristian Baugart\Beco Andreotti-Prodrive Hunter T1+-X-Rally Team-T1+-3:30:48

9-208-Martin Prokop\Viktor Chytka-Ford Raptor RS T1+-ORLEN TEAM JIPOCAR-T1+-3:31:25

10-221-Guilaume de Mevius-Toyota GR Hylux T1+-Over Drive Toyota-T1+-3:31:28

UTVS Challenger(T3)

1-318-Marcelo Gastaldi\Cadu Sachs-Taurus T3 Max Hybrid-BBR TEAM-3:44:13

2-312-Nicolas Cavigliasso\Valentina Pertegriani-Taurus T3 Max-Taurus Factory Team-3:45:39

3-308-David Zille\Sebastien Cesana-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-3:50:56

4-300-Rokas Baciuska\Oriol Vidal-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-3:3:51:42

5-306-Cristina Guttierrez\Pablo Moreno-Taurus T3 Max Hybrid-Red Bull Off Road BY BFG-3:51:53

6-303-Mitchell Guthrie\Kellon Walch-Taurus T3 Max Hybrid-Taurus Factory Team-3:51:53

7-305-Austin Jones\Gustavo Guglemin-Can-am Maverick X3-Can-am Factory Team-3:52:52

8-315-Ricardo Porem\Augusto Sanz-MMP Can-am-MMP-3:57:59

9-337-João Monteiro-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-4:04:28

10-Saleh Alsaif\Nasser Alkhuwari-Over Drive OT3-Horse Racing Team-4:05:05

UTVS SSV(T4)

1-419-Sara Price\Jeremy Gray- Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-3:51:19

2-420-Jeromy de Seedeler\Michael Metge-Can-am Maverick X3-MMP-3:51:41

3-416-Rodrigo Varela\Enio Bozzano-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-3:55:29

4-400-João Ferreira\Filipi Palmero-Can-am Maverick X3-Can-am Factory Team-3:56:35

5-405-Florent Vaysse\Nicolas Rey-Polaris RZR Pro R-Sebastien Loeb Racing-3:56:42

6-411-Xavier De Soultrait\MartinBonnet- Polaris RZR Pro R-Sebastien Loeb Racing-3:59:09

7-408-Yasir Seaidan\Adrien Metge-Can-am Maverick X3-MMP-4:00:45

8-409-Sebastien Guayssamin\Fernando Acosta-Can-am Maverick X3-FN Speed Team-4:03:31

9-414-Cristiano Batista\Fausto Mota-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-4:06:28

10-402-Gerard Farres\Diogo Ortega-Can-am Maverick X3-South Racing-Can-am-4:18:33

[readyforthegarden]

Summer of my Smiles

First things first, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve written any smut and I’m rusty so bear with me. Second, thinking of Jake in the 70s makes me absolutely feral and I wish I had the talent to verbalize the things I would do to him like some of you do on here. This is kinda based in the summer of 1970-something.

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x Female Reader

Warnings: 18+, drug use, drinking, smut - MINORS DNI!!

It started out as a typical Friday night. Your best friends Sam and Danny had picked you up, and took you to the local roller rink. While Sam hated the disco music, he did enjoy skating, and picking up girls at the snack shack between laps. Danny on the other hand just enjoyed the skating, and made sure you never felt left out if a couples skate came on to one of your favorite songs. Once you guys had enough of that, it was to the late night drive-in for burgers and fries, and whatever beer had been rolling around in the trunk of Danny’s mustard yellow Ford Maverick, the hand-me-down gift he’d gotten for graduation earlier that summer.

“I was so close to landing that redhead tonight.” Sam shook his head, tossing some fries in his mouth. There was no eating in his car, so the three of you were sat at one of the picnic tables by the parking lot. You chuckled and took a sip of the lukewarm beer in your hand, passing it to Danny. “God if her damn boyfriend hadn’t shown up I would’ve taken her out back and-“

“God, please don’t start describing your sexual fantasies.” you cut him off, pretending to gag. Sam tossed a fry at you and you tossed some back after plucking one out of your crochet halter top, continuing to laugh until a voice interrupted you guys.

“Settle down, kids.” your head turned around and you were met with Sam’s two older twin brothers. Josh, the curly-headed one, was grinning with his arms open, as if he was expecting a standing ovation. He only received fries being thrown at him. “What a way to welcome your favorite brother home.”

“Favorite is a strong word.” Sam replied, standing up to hug his oldest brother. As they parted, Josh moved to you, giving you a tight hug. Behind him, being embraced by Sam, was the second oldest. Jake. His eyes flicked over to you as Sam let go, and you felt your skin prickle with goosebumps. You’d always had a crush on Jake, ever since you were children. He was always quiet when you were around, but made sure to spend time with you when Sammy would get distracted by Danny or his other siblings. Mostly it was just letting you sit on the floor of his room and listening to whatever album he was playing on his record player as he laid in his bed and smoked or read a book, almost never talking, until Sam would realize you were gone and come find you.

He moved to shake hands with Danny and turned to you, opening his arms for a hug. You stepped into his arms, giving him a smile. You felt his hands on your bare back, his fingers resting just near the ties of your top and your cheeks flushed, an image of him untying them flashing in your mind as he pulled away.

“You guys home for the summer?” Danny asked as they joined the table. You noticed Jake sat directly across from you, giving you a look. The way the red neon lights of the restaurant sign reflected in his eyes made something stir in you. It was like he was looking through to your core, and it made you shiver. You turned away and focused your attention on Josh, who was talking about all the plans he was going to get up to over the next few months. He had picked up your burger, taking a large bite, but continued on, moving his arms around as he described the road trip he wanted to take to the west coast.

As he spoke, you played with the label on the bottle of beer in front of you, scratching at the paper until it started to peel back. You were startled from your distraction by fingers wrapping around the bottle, brushing against yours. You glanced up to see Jake, staring intently at you, now raising the half-empty bottle to his lips and pulling a swig.

“What are you going to do this summer, Y/N?” Josh asked, pulling you out of your staring contest with his twin. Before you could answer, Sam threw his arm around your shoulders, speaking loudly.

“Everyone she can, and twice if they’re good!” he began to cackle as you elbowed him in the ribs, cheeks on fire. The old joke still finding a way to embarrass you.

“I got a summer job at the country club my parents go to. It starts next month.” you answered. “Mom wanted me to earn some money before I leave for college in the fall. Plus she still thinks Sam is a bad influence, so she wants me to spend as little time with him as possible and to become a ‘real lady’.”

“She walks in on us smoking pot one time,” Sam shook his head. “Could’ve been way worse. Remember when we-Ow!” you elbowed him again, harder this time. You could feel the younger Kiszka twins eyes boring into your skin.

“Speaking of pot,” Josh patted the front pocket of his brown corduroy jacket. “Let’s take this party back home. Mom and Dad are gone for the weekend, so we’ve got free reign.” Everyone at the table stood up and started throwing away their trash, and going back to their cars. You swore you could feel fingers ghosting the small of your back, and when you turned, Jake was walking away, over to his black Pontiac Firebird. As you climbed into the backseat of Danny’s car, you couldn’t help but remember how often you’d imagined Jake taking you in his.

You remembered when he got it after getting his license, Sam wouldn’t shut up about how cool it was. Jake had promised to take him for a drive, and since you had been over that afternoon, you got to tag along. The leather bench seat was hot on your bare thighs were your cut off Lee jeans rode up, and you knew it wasn’t going to be attractive to have to peel yourself off the seat, but as soon as Jake revved the engine, you couldn’t have cared less.

Half an hour later, you were half-assed stoned, tired of listening to Sam, Danny and Josh argue over who the better drummer was, John Bonham or Neil Pert. They started to head down the basement to compare records, leaving you alone in the living room. Your eyes were transfixed on the beige and brown shag carpeting under your toes, lifting up the edges of your bell bottoms to watch your toes curl around the fibers.

“You good?” your head snapped up to see Jake standing at the bottom of the stairs. You gave him a shrug and a smile, watching as he cracked open a fresh can of beer. “I’ve got a new record, wanna come listen?” you nodded and let go of your pant legs, standing up and following him up the stairs. When you got to his room, you were surprised that it hadn’t changed much since before he and Josh left for college. Blacklight and ban posters still covered the walls, and the milk crates full of records still stacked in the far corner with his record player sitting on his dresser. The light was dim and glowed red, thanks to the chiffon scarves thrown over his bedside lamp’s shade.

Jake shut the bedroom door behind you after handing you his drink, and walked over to his record player, sliding a record out of a sleeve and setting it up. You swirled the contents of the can around in your hand, taking a sip. Once he was satisfied with the sound of the record, he moved to his bed, sitting on the edge and pulling a joint and lighter out of his nightstand, lighting it and taking a pull and then extending it to you.

“I’m good, I don’t want anymore of Josh’s shit.” you shook your head. Jake chuckled, continuing to extend the joint towards you.

“This is mine, trust me, it’s way better.” he explained. You reached out, taking the joint and taking a drag. It was silent for a little bit as The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin played, and you handed the joint back to Jake, who placed it in the ashtray on his nightstand. He laid back on his bed with his hands behind his head. You were about to take your normal spot on the floor in front of the dresser, when his voice stopped you.

“What was Sam talking about earlier?” you studied his face, but his eyes were closed, not a hint of emotion on his face. You bit your bottom lip, and stared down at the can in your hand.

“Us smoking pot?” you reminded him, knowing that wasn’t what he was referring to. He huffed a short chuckle through his nose.

“The other thing.” he said softly. You rubbed your free hand over your face and sighed.

“A few months ago, he was going to go out with a girl and was worried about his technique,” you explained feebly, your cheeks burning red. “So I let him finger me. We were high and it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“And was it?” he asked, his eyes open now and looking at you.

“It was okay.” you shrugged. “Sam doesn’t take critique very well. I’m sure his date was fine with it, though. Most girls are so enamored by his looks that they don’t really care how he performs.” Jake laughed and nodded. You felt awkward from just standing there, and Jake seemed done with the conversation, so you turned around, setting the beer on the dresser and grabbing the album sleeve to look it over.

“Did you get off?” you jumped, not expecting Jake’s voice so close to your ear. You were acutely aware of the less than a centimeter of space between your back and his front.

“Excuse me?” your breath came out as a whisper. Jake’s fingers began to ghost over your arms, running up and down. You tried to fight the goosebumps that raised themselves on your skin at his touch.

“Did. You. Get. Off.” he murmured into your ear, enunciating every word with his gravelly voice. You shook your head, afraid to speak in case your voice cracked. “Well that wasn’t very nice of him.” His hands were now on your stomach, rubbing gently downward, until they were resting at the top button of your jeans. “Do you want to?” you bit your lip and nodded. That was all he needed, and he deftly undid the buttons, sliding his hand inside.

Your head tilted back as he brushed over your panties, feeling that there was already a small wet spot from your arousal. Jake smiled as he planted kisses on your exposed neck, nipping and drawing a whimper from your throat. His fingers slid under the waistband of your panties and you gasped as his calloused fingers grazed over your clit, a shock to the sensitive nerve rocked through your body. You clutched at his other hand that was holding you to him, planted firmly on your stomach. His fingers circled around the nub, and you shuddered against him.

His fingers dipped lower and after collecting some of the wetness, slowly began pumping in and out of you. Your eyes closed and a small smile grew on your face, the pleasure of his movements filling you with ecstasy. As his pace picked up, you wound one of your arms around to the back of his neck, clutching at his hair.

“Jake,” you breathed, “Jake, please.” you were already close to the edge, and he pressed the heel of his palm against your clit, the friction making you lose it against him. Jake rode out your orgasm with you, feathering kisses along your shoulder. As you steadied your breathing and unfurled your fingers from his locks, he gently moved you and guided you towards the bed. You turned to face him, shimming down your jeans and kicking them off. You reached behind you, undoing the tie behind your back, and then slowly reaching up and doing the tie around your neck, letting the crochet top fall to the floor, the sudden cool air making your nipples hard. You heard Jake suck in a breath, his erection already straining against his black jeans.

You sat back on the bed, continuing on this new courageous whim and beckoned him over. Jake licked his lips and pulled his t-shirt over his head, the necklaces he wore clattering together. His hands went down to his belt buckle and he slowly undid it, sliding it out of the loops and tossing it to the floor. You started to get impatient as he pushed his jeans down his legs. It felt like forever until he was crawling onto the bed, pressing his lips to yours.

“Tell me what you want.” Jake hummed against your lips. You pulled away from him, staring into his dark brown eyes. The dim red glow of the room made him seem otherworldly in that moment. You said the only thing you could think of in that moment.

“You,” he kissed you again, this time hungrily, as if he couldn’t get enough of you now. You pulled him with you as you slid down onto your back, pressing your body up to his. One of his hands came up and squeezed your breast, then began teasing your nipple. You moaned into his mouth and he moved onto the the other breast. You raised you hips and ground them against his, making him groan. The tingling heat in your stomach was searching for kindling to burn brighter as the kiss grew sloppier.

You let your hand trail down his torso, wasting no time in reaching under the waistband of his boxers and wrapping your fingers around his length, pumping and making his breath falter. He moved back after a moment and moved your hand away, curling his fingers around the band of your panties and pulling them down, almost violently. He did the same with his own and reconnected your lips. He grabbed you by your hips and pulled you closer to him, gliding his cock through your wetness.

Your body arched into Jake’s as you finally connected, your lips crashing together as he slowly started to roll his hips against yours. One of his hands was holding him up, resting by your head on the bed, the other gripping your hip tightly. The burning in your stomach became a raging fire as Jake’s thrusts continued, but you needed more.

“Jake, faster..” you breathed. “Faster please!” the way your voice cracked made you sound like you were pleading with him, and Jake grinned, happily obliging. He leaned back, grabbing your legs and hooking his arms around them, your calves resting on his shoulders. You felt your back twinge at the stretch, but the angle he was hitting was too good to make him stop, his name and curses falling out of your mouth as his hips snapped against yours. You covered your mouth to keep from screaming out as you came around him, writhing on the bed. He let go of your legs and hovered over you again, ripping your hand from your mouth and smashing his lips against yours as his hips began to falter.

Running your nails down Jake’s back, you wrapped your legs around his hips. Jake let out a low growl from the back of his throat as his head fell between your neck and shoulder. You coaxed him on, whispering in his ear and nipping his shoulders, leaving love bites as he came. When he was ready to move, Jake untangled himself from your limbs, and grabbed the joint in the ashtray.

“So, is that what you’ve learned off at college?” you ask as he passed it to you. Jake laughed, getting up and going to his dresser. He changed the record that was playing and opened a drawer, pulling out a shirt and tossing it to you. You raised and eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes.

“You can’t sleep in that bullshit you were wearing.” he said, pulling on a shirt for himself. You sat up and tugged the cotton material over your head. You reached down toward the end of the bed, where your panties were when Jake stopped you with his devilish smirk. “You’re not gonna need those for a while."

[ocombatente]

Nova Hyundai Santa Cruz terá “capacidade aprimorada” para encarar Maverick

Picape intermediária ganhará novidades e será apresentada em breve no Salão de Nova York Apresentada no mercado norte-americano em abril de 2021, a picape Santa Cruz, da Hyundai, está prestes a completar três anos de mercado. Como de praxe, a marca prepara para o modelos atualizações de meia-vida e promete apresentá-las oficialmente dentro de algumas semanas. O palco para estreia, inclusive, já foi definido: será o Salão de Nova York, nos Estados Unidos, que abre as portas no dia 27 de março. A Hyundai ainda guarda as mudanças em segredo, mas divulgou imagens e deixou escapar que a renovada Santa Cruz 2025 terá “capacidade aprimorada”. Nos teasers, a marca mostra a traseira da picape com para-choque redesenhado, aspecto mais robusto e caixas-de-roda com novos revestimento. Na dianteira, haverá nova grade remodelada e com pintura em cinza para constrastar com a carroceria. Na cabine, tudo indica que haverá painel renovado com melhor ergonomia e sistema de entretenimento atualizado. Além disso, a Hyundai adicionará novos sistemas de assistência ao motorista como padrão desde a versão de entrada. Dentro do portfólio, a versão XRT - com pegada mais off-road - ganhará protagonismo e receberá a maior parte das novidades. É ela, inclusive, que aparece nos teasers. Mecanicamente, serão mantidos os motores atuais. Ou seja, propulsores 2.5 aspirado (injeção direta de gasolina) com 190 cv e 24,9 kgfm de torque, e 2.5 turbo com 275 cv e 42,9 kgfm de torque. O câmbio continuará automático de 8 marchas, com opção de tração integral com seletor de modos HTRAC, que varia a distribuição entre os eixos dependendo do modo selecionado. Renovada e com interior aprimorado, a Santa Cruz terá a missão de intensificar ainda mais a rivalidade mantida com a Maverick nos Estados Unidos. Em 2023, o modelo Hyundai vendeu 36.675 unidades no mercado norte-americano, enquanto a picape Ford (mais barata e vendida em rede de lojas bem maior) emplacou 94.058 exemplares. Santa Cruz no Brasil Por aqui, o lançamento da Santa Cruz chegou a ser especulado, mas a própria Hyundai negou recentemente os rumores. Segundo a marca, a picape é produzida nos EUA e atende unicamente a demanda local, sem volume excedente para eventual exportação. Além disso, trazê-la para o Brasil custaria caro por conta dos impostos e inviabilizaria qualquer chance comercial da caminhonete no mercado. A Maverick, por outro lado, é produzida no México e consegue ser trazida ao Brasil sem os altos custos do impostos de importação (graças ao acordo comercial Vigente entre os dois países). FONTE: https://motor1.uol.com.br/ Read the full article