Elliot felt awkward as he looked at Leila.
It was not that he was unfamiliar with interactions with women. He just did not know how to interact with a young lady who looked like a cute girl but spoke to his father like they were in the same generation.
He did not know if he should treat her as a future colleague, a younger sister, or an elder.
Leila did not have the same concerns. For her, this entire situation was only a means to an end. She needed Farrel Motors to legitimise her presence in Lake City, so she had to be friendly to Edgar and Elliot.
"What is the collection in the back?" Leila asked tilting her head slightly.
The questioning move made her seem so cute. Elliot's heart rate accelerated as he took in her appearance. Leila heard the fast heartbeat due to her sensitivity and frowned a little as she looked at the young man who seemed to have tachycardia.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
Elliot cleared his throat, realising that he must have exposed his unstable emotions.
"Yes," He answered quickly. "The collection is a sort of small museum of vehicles that my father set up in the back of the house. Well, it is technically a garage because the vehicles are operational."
Leila became more interested. "What kind of cars?"
"Mostly classic models which you might not find on the market without a lot of effort. The garage is only a museum because he does not allow anyone to drive them," Elliot almost smiled. "Come, let me show you."
"He probably has a hard time repairing and replacing anything when the vehicles need repairs," Leila commented as she stood up. "If I had a valuable collection, I would also not let anyone touch my cars."
Elliot laughed. "I once took out one of them to go out with my friends when I was much younger. When I returned it, it had the smallest scratch, but the old man talked my ear about how hard matching the exclusive colour would be."
Leila laughed again.
Most men claimed not to see a difference between colours except for the classic primary and secondary colours. But if something of theirs were damaged, like their nice cars or expensive shoes, they would suddenly be able to identify every pixel of the colour wheel.
"You do not sound like you are a fan of vehicles," Leila asked with a lifted eyebrow.
The answer did not matter to her, but she was curious. Regardless of his passion for cars, or lack thereof, it did not mean that he was bad at his job. Most people were not able to pursue what they liked.
"No, it is not like that." Elliot shook his head to reassure her of his love for automobiles. "I just do not get the true love for classic cars. I admire the technology, but I do not get why my father is so obsessed."
"He pays too much for vehicles that have limited features and cannot reach speeds comparable to ordinary cars on the road. Moreover, he invests in their maintenance even though he does not drive them." Elliot continued.
"Ah, I understand!" Leila said, but she did not explain what she understood.
Elliot felt nervous because the light tone made it seem like she had through everything. "It is not that I am not sentimental. I am not also saying that newer vehicles are necessarily better. I just do not understand the idea of keeping something frozen in time."
"You like racing," Leila said as a matter of fact as they reached the door to the so-called museum or garage. The building looked like a warehouse, but it was well-designed in a minimalist motif.
"What?" Elliot was startled.
"It is not that hard to deduce. You like newer vehicles because they are faster and have advanced technology. You do not have contempt for classic cars, and you would probably jump at the opportunity to modify one. You like improving things." Leila said.
Elliot opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before sighing. He used his fingerprint and input a code before the large warehouse opened. The door was naturally large enough to allow vehicles to be driven in and out.
He motioned for Leila to go in.
However, before Leila could step in, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge. She lifted her hand and touched her neck. She knew, at that moment, that someone was watching her intensely.
She looked around, but there was only a high wall and trees around the property. She pulled the jacket she took closer to her body, lifting it higher around her neck, unconsciously seeking comfort from that scent.
"Ms Lawson," Elliot called out.
Leila looked around again before following Elliot into the warehouse.
The first thought that came to her mind when she saw the interior of the space was that Elliot was right. His father was obsessed with collecting classic cars to an unhealthy level. The warehouse looked large from the outside, but she never imagined the number of vehicles inside.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Elliot asked.
"It is something," Leila said with twitching lips.
At heart, she was shocked by the unprecedented extravagance. She had travelled in private planes, lived in lavish penthouses and homes, and worn some of the most expensive clothes. But she was still a village girl.
The only reason she was ok with the extravagance was because of her position as the Lawson adopted granddaughter and personal safety. If she were kidnapped, she would have been a leverage for more than her grandparents in Nirvana Village.
But she did not understand the world of the excess.
The garage or museum was a direct expression of true excess.
"My dad also has a room full of small car models in the house," Elliot said. "At first, he used to only collect the old designs, but I pointed out that there were some cool cars in the modern day, and they would probably be considered classics in the future."
Leila was still a little in awe of the extravagance. It was not that she was judging negatively. In her opinion, people had the right to use their money as they wished. It would be hypocritical to impose the rules of the lower and middle classes on the rich.
After all, if a lower-class family got to move up in income, they would get themselves a better house, vehicles, and more luxuries. If a middle-class family got to the upper class, they would change their lifestyle to suit their new financial status.
Even the court always allocated alimony and child support fees based on what a person was earning! In essence, money was there to be used. If one did not use it, someone else would.
All things considered, morality and generosity were just ideas that most people kept for the sake of shaming those above them. A truly generous person was the one who could give, regardless of their immediate financial situation.
"What was his final word?" Leila asked.
"He agreed to keep scale models of the newer cars if they were good and study them. He has almost every unique model car in the market." Elliot replied with some pride. "It took a while to convince my father that new cars were not just gimmicks."
"What about your racing?" She asked.
"My dad does not know about it. He has always been a little uncomfortable with the idea. But it has helped me with vehicle design so far in my career. I enjoy improving and evolving car models," Elliot paused. "You cannot tell him!"
Leila chuckled. "I am not going to interfere with your life or business as long as you are competent in your job and do not interfere with my life. I will only be focused on designing, and I will not have time for anything else, especially snitching. Rest assured."
Elliot sighed in relief, but a part of him felt disappointed that Leila did not care.