Page 53 of Playboy Pilot

Unable to contain the smile on my face as we scooted along, I listened as Carter pointed out important features of the gated neighborhood, such as a lake that ran alongside it, a small community center and an in-ground pool. The area was massive; it was starting to make sense why people travelled around on scooters.

As we continued riding, something else became abundantly clear. We hadn’t passed anyone under the age of seventy-five. Also, everyone who scooted past us had either blue hair or no hair at all.

“There sure are a lot of senior citizens in your neighborhood.”

Almost as soon as the words had exited my mouth, Carter nearly fell off the Segway. He stopped and began to laugh hysterically. It wasn’t a normal laugh. It was a full on laughing fit.

He held his stomach as he said, “I was waiting for you to catch on, Perky.”

“Catch on to what?”

“You’re so cute.” He hopped off the scooter and kissed my nose.

“Why are you laughing at me?”

“It took you long enough.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There aren’t just a lot of senior citizens here, Kendall. Pretty much everyone is. This is a community for active seniors over the age of sixty-five. Most of the residents are actually in their seventies and eighties.”

Wait.

What?

“What the hell are you doing living here then?”

“That’s the question of the year, isn’t it?” He gave me a quick pat on the ass. “Come on. Get back on the scooter. I’ll tell you a little story.”

As we zipped along, Carter began to explain. “Okay, so a couple of years ago, my grandmother passed away.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. Anyway, my condo was actually hers. She and her cat Matilda lived here for many years. After she died, I was surprised to learn that she’d left me the condo in her will.”

“Why you and not your sisters?”

“I think she didn’t want to have to choose between the two of them. They’re very competitive. She’d left them some money and gave the condo to me. I’d had every intention of selling it. But when I flew down to clean it out, I realized with each day spent down here that I’d never been more at peace in my life. It didn’t matter what I looked like, what I did for a living…no women my age to have to worry about fucking over. It was like a total escape and hideout.”

“So, you stayed.”

“I did.”

“Are you the only young person here?”

“As far as I know, I am. But the thing is…even if I wanted to leave now, I’d feel a little guilty.”

“Why?”

“This is gonna sound strange…”

“Strange?” I quipped full of sarcasm. “There’s nothing about this situation that’s strange!”

“Many of these people have come to depend on me. For the most part, I live a pretty selfish life when I’m flying. But when I’m here, I leave my ego in the sky. You know? Helping these people out, whether it’s driving them to run errands or lifting something…it makes me feel good.”

Then, it hit me. “Oh my God. The Suburban. That’s why you have such a big car, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled.