Tommy and Sophia stepped out of Tampa International Airport and got into a business van taking them to St. Petersburg, Florida. The driver, a local white man in a floral shirt, kept observing the young man and woman who had booked airport shuttle service through his rearview mirror with curiosity.
"Is it customary in St. Petersburg to scrutinize every tourist as if they were a Soviet spy?" Tommy asked after catching the driver staring at them for the fifth time.
The driver grinned at Tommy through the rearview mirror, "No, it's just that, outside of February and November, it's rare for visitors to demonstrate such discerning taste by choosing St. Petersburg for their vacation instead of heading to Miami."
Then the driver focused on driving, no longer chatty, and Sophia turned to Tommy, "I think you should reconsider. The local advertising in California is obviously a better choice."
