b'with both of us in it. are you sure about this?i must have looked like a crestfallen little boy, because right after she said that, she added, but you know, why dont we give it a try? Who knows; it might not be so bad. but youre going to drive it, right? im afraid of small cars in the city. and with that, she turned around and walked away. i said nothing. My sad-puppy look had worked once again. but all i cared about was that id gotten my 500!When we finally arrived at the rairdons Fiat dealership in neighboring kirkland to pick up my new baby for our Tv shoot, i heard in the back of my mind an annoying little voice that said, careful what you wish for. you just might get it. nah, i quipped inside my own head. i did not listen to that little voice. all i could do was stare at the car. she stood right there in front of me, a red convertible with black leather interior. Mamma mia, che bella macchina (what a beautiful car)! i said, not even realizing i was speaking italian. i donned my sunglasses, blasted the radio, and took the long way back to the Tv studios, smiling widely, singing along, and feeling like a 16-year-old inside.For the rest of the time i spent in seattle filming my Tv series, i never got to drive my red Fiat 500 again. instead, my wife took over the keys and drove the car every day. she told me it was for my protection. i had too much going on, and i needed not to worry about driving around town. she said a lot of things, but none of them were true. Just like me, she had fallen in love with that car, and she just could not get enough. she loved running up Queen anne hill with the top down, zipping along with a huge smile plastered on her face. she, too, had fallen in love with our little red rascal.When people would stop us in the street and ask us about the car and why we loved it so much, i would say, This is not a car. it is a time machine. it takes me back to a time in my life when everything was beautiful and joyous. a time when life seemed perfect.a month later, we were done with our filming, and i returned the car to the dealership.after i returned the keys, and while everybody was inside finalizing the last bit of paperwork, i spent a moment alone with her (the car, that is), and softly i whispered, 84'