What was different this morning was David was the one trying to put my bag in the car and safely get my coffee in the cup holder. The passenger side door did open for him, but it was moist inside and the getting the cup into the holder was not an easy task. I got in and started the car to warm it up so I could shift out of park. While the car warmed up David said with his most serious of faces, "we need to get you a new car." I think I gave my usual response of something like "it's paid off, I'll drive it until it dies" or "we will at some point." As annoying as the morning routine was, I was kind of getting used to it. As much as I wanted a new car, it was nice not having to make the payments. I could wait awhile longer. The car warmed up, I was able to shift out of park and away I went. Thinking noting more of the morning car routine.
I had been at work for an hour or so when David started sending me IMs about cars. He told me it was time to seriously start looking, and that prices were not so bad right now. He sent me links to cars at our local Dodge dealership and we talked about what I really had my heart set on (a charger!) and what I could live with out (sun/moon roof). I really wanted a silver or dark grey colored car. Nothing in red or blue (the Jetta was blue). I had had some time to really think about the car, and given that there were some better deals and options on cars that were not my Charger, if I was going to actually get a Charger I would be happy with whatever features it had. I agreed that I would have to be flexible on color, but David agreed that a spoiler was a complete deal breaker (we both think they look horrible on the car). We tentatively talked about going to the dealership that weekend and checking things out. There were a couple online that David said he was going to call the dealership about and do a little research before we went down. I was not looking forward to the car buying dance, but the thought of no more jetta issues was really really nice. I didn't hear anything back from David for the longest time, and then I got busy. I figured he got busy with work and we'd talk about things more when I was home. I completely forgot about it.
Work got really busy, and it was one of those days where we had people coming and going. For us, that is a crazy day. I was in the middle of a project when I happen to glance out the window and see David walking up. I head out of my office to go out to meet him, as I head past our windows I note his truck isn't visible. Larry was also standing at the windows and he says to me as I'm walking out the door "wow that's nice!" I have no idea what he's talking about until I get to the front door. David met me in the lobby and asked if I could come out side with him for a few minutes. That's when I see the Charger. He takes me over to it and asks me what I think. It's silver, there is no spoiler, and I see the magic word "hemi." I tell him it's beautiful! Then he says a bunch of other stuff that I hear but not entirely because I am in a state of shock that this silver beast is sitting in my parking lot! He said something about the blue Charger he was first interested in ended up having a spoiler, as did the others he was interested in and that they sales guy kind of thought it was funny that that was a deal breaker and showed David the car I was now looking at. I may have muttered something about it having a hemi, and he quieted that with a "it's actually not that much more for the hemi, and it is at a great price right now." Then he introduced me to the sales guy, who I didn't even notice was there. He told me that they needed a little bit of information from me and that the sales guy wanted to check out the trade in. I opened the car so he could check it out, and I gave David copies of the things he needed. Before he left he asked me if it was what I wanted, and still in shock I told him yes. I asked him if it was fun to drive and I got his big grin that told me it was. They left and I was utterly distracted the rest of the afternoon.
Just as my day was coming to an end I got a text from David telling me not to leave, he was on his way with some paperwork. First I wondered to myself if he had spent all day at the Dodge dealership. Then I wondered if that sexy silver beastie was going to really become ours. I was anxious for his arrival. When he pulled up to the office he was in the Charger, followed by his truck. The sales guy was driving the truck. David came in and handed me a funky looking key "it's yours after you sign a stack of papers!" Giddy doesn't even come close to describing what I was feeling! The sales guy had all the documents for me to sign, and I signed and initialed until I couldn't feel my hand anymore. I didn't care. I knew what was waiting for me in the parking lot! David had spent pretty much the whole day down at the dealership working everything out, getting the paperwork as done as he could with out me and even getting the car registered and my license plates put on. The sales guy had come with him to my office so we wouldn't have to drive back down to the dealership. He would drive the Jetta away and I would be driving home my dream car! We emptied out the Jetta, I told it a civil goodbye (it had at least mostly driven me around without leaving me stranded) and then was in complete awe (and a little nervous) about driving the Charger. David gave me a quick run down of all the things I needed to know. I started the car and it roared to life. I love that sound! After David was sure I knew enough to drive it home, with a huge grin left me to sit in our new car and grin like a fool (which I still do when I remember it's really ours and I get to drive it). The first thing I noticed was it didn't take much pressure on the gas to get it to go. I would have to remember that, and be really careful! It was not a big as I thought it would be, it only felt a little bit bigger than the Jetta-definitely longer. I giggled and grinned the whole way home. It really is my dream car! And I have my husband to thank for making it really happen. I know it was more than we wanted to spend, and I know gas is going to make me cringe, but... but... it's pretty!! Every day I get into our car and drive to work I know how much my husband loves me. I love to drive it, I love it when he drives it. It's been a dream! I have a feeling I'm going to be a grinning fool every time I see it for a very very long time!
And that folks, is the story of how my David surprised me with my dream car. And now, off we drive into the sunset. :)
And that folks, is the story of how my David surprised me with my dream car. And now, off we drive into the sunset. :)
~Emily
PS-for those of you who said I was going to get a ticket... NO TICKET YET!
