PAULINA ROSTAKOVA’S ADVENTURES
JULY 20
6:22 p.m.
Dorcet Hotel, New York City
Just a quickie update before I get ready for my date . . . er . . . dinner with Dixon. And Daddy and Angela, of course.
We drove around an abandoned strip mall on Long Island and practiced parking, turning, backing up, and accelerating and stopping. Driving in the Thomas Flyer is an absolute hoot. Hard, but a hoot.
“The first thing you’re going to notice are the three pedals on the floor,” Graham said when it was my turn to learn how to drive.
“Yup,” I said. “Gas, brake, and—what, a clutch?”
“No. Right is your brake, middle is your reverse, and left is the clutch.”
“Um . . .” I looked down at my feet. “Where’s the gas, then?”
“That lever on the right side of the steering wheel. What you do is push the cl
