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“I love Hot Tamales!”
“Really? I got those on a whim, figured I’d end up havin’ to take them back to Gram.”
“Nope.” She clutched the box to her chest. “I love these. They’re hard but soft, sweet but hot. They’re perfectly balanced in every way. And they’re my favorite candy.”
“So… you seem to have thought about this a lot,” he said, endlessly amused.
“I have.” Her matter-of-fact tone didn’t surprise him in the least. “I have a definitive ranking of every single one of my favorite candies, and Hot Tamales are absolutely number one.”
He turned onto the highway then, the road open, the sun still a couple hours from setting. Knowing that he was heading out of Greenbelt, even if only for a few hours, made him feel free. If he’d been alone, he would have leaned his head out the window and released a giant “whoop” in celebration.
“I need to hear this ranking,” he said instead, pure delight bubbling up in his belly.
“I literally thought you’d never ask.”
By the time they pulled into the Highway 21 Drive-In, he’d sat through—and thoroughly enjoyed—Aja’s candy ranking. As it went, Hot Tamales were at the top, Sour Patch Kids were at the bottom, and Skittles, which were his personal favorite, were far too deep in the middle for his liking. He’d managed to only argue with her a little, and she hadn’t been afraid of pushing back, protesting until the very second they arrived at their destination.
Cars were still filing in when they got there. The first movie wasn’t set to start until nine, well after the sun went down and the giant movie screen could be seen clearly by everyone. They picked an optimal spot in the center of the field—close enough to the concession stand that Walker wouldn’t have to walk too far but far enough from the screen that they wouldn’t have to crane their necks to watch the movie.
He backed the truck in, making sure the bed was facing the front, then turned to Aja.
“You ready?” He patted the large tote bag full of old blankets he had sitting on the floor between them.
Her nod was enthusiastic.
“Did you clean the truck?” She ran her hand over the edge of the truck bed. “I didn’t notice earlier.”
“Sure did. Gave the bed a deep scrubbin’ and everything. You didn’t think I was goin’ to let you hang out in a dirty truck bed all night, did you?”
“I didn’t think about it, honestly.”
“Well, I wouldn’t. You deserve only the most spotless of truck beds in which to luxuriate.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She rolled her eyes, grabbing one of the blankets out of the bag. “What I really deserve is a soft place to rest my behind, so let’s get these blankets together.”
Walker watched as she parachuted one of them, straightening it out when it landed on his side. “You know, I’ve been told my lap is a pretty soft place to rest.”
“Have you now?” She kept her attention on releasing the second blanket.
“Yep. These thighs might not be much, but they make a pretty sturdy seat.”
Aja shot him a look, lips pursed, and an eyebrow raised. She muttered something under her breath that he couldn’t understand.
“What was that?” he asked playfully.
“Hmm?” Her eyes were wide with fake innocence when she turned them on him. “I didn’t say anything.”
He heard her scoff at his answering smirk, and that just made his smile bigger.
Once they got the blankets situated, Walker helped Aja climb up and settle into the bed before he went back to the front, grabbed his keys and the snacks, then locked the doors. He made sure to situate the little corded speakers on the edges of the bed before he climbed in.
They’d made a cozy little space. It was soft and comfortable, and the evening air was warm enough that they didn’t have to tuck themselves in but cool enough that they didn’t sweat on top of all the fabric.
“This is really nice.” Aja looked around at the wide-open space. “I’ve never been to a drive-in before. To be honest, I kind of forgot they existed. I think there’s one a few hours outside of DC, but I don’t know anyone who’s been.”
“This is my first time too, actually.”
She looked shocked. “What made you want to come then?”
