AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I'm not pouting!”
“You look like you’re pouting.”
“Folding my arms constitutes pouting!?”
“That and glaring out the window.”
“I'm not glaring! You can’t even see my eyes, I’m wearing sunglasses!”
“I canfeelthe glare.”
Paige burst out laughing. He had her, she could admit it. She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and turned, crossing her eyes at him. He laughed as well and she felt better.
“Okay, maybe a little pouty, but only because you’re right. I don’t like ‘sharing’,” she told him, using air quotes and making him laugh again, “but I also feel weird going on a road trip with someone I know nothing about.”
Parker cleared his throat.
“Are we going on a road trip together, Paige?” he asked, glancing at her.
“I don’t know. Depends on how long I can tolerate you,” she joked, softly smiling.
“My car, babe, depends on how longIcan tolerateyou,” he replied. Her smiled widened.
“Baby, by the end of this adventure, you're gonna be so in love with me, you won’t be able to let me go,” she cooed, leaning towards him.
Parker laughed so hard he began to swerve.
*
BY THE TIME THEY GOTinto Mississippi, they hadn’t learned any deep, personal, details about each other, but they were certainly closer to being able to call each other friends. Paige now knew that Parker had an eclectic taste in music and a decent singing voice. He also had a penchant for belting out 80’s power ballads.
Parker now knew that Paige had an intense hatred for 80’s power ballads and was never shy about voicing her opinions.
They laughed over favorite comedies and argued over Yankees vs. Mets. When they pulled over to get gas, Parker stunned her by offering to let her drive. Paige figured this was a huge sign of trust – really, while he was napping, she could just lean over, open the passenger door, and let him roll into the dust. She decided not to and instead scared him to death by bringing the car up to 120 on a straight stretch of highway,whilehe was still asleep. After that, he rescinded his offer and drove them until dark.
“It’s not that big a deal!” she shouted over him, holding her hands up in defense as he squealed into a parking spot and slammed on the brakes.
“It’s a huge deal, Paige! This car is my baby! You almost made her shit her transmission back there!” he yelled back. She rolled her eyes and threw open her door.
“You'rebeing the baby, your precious car is fine. You were the one bragging about the engine. It’s ‘American muscle’, it should be able to handle it,” she pointed out as they both got out of the car. Parker slammed his door and put both his hands in his hair.
“I swear, woman, you make me wanna commit homicide more than anything ever has,” he growled through clenched teeth. She threw her head back and laughed.
“See, I told you that you’d fall in love.”
Parker marched away and muttered something she couldn’t hear, but it sounded distinctly like a bunch of four letter words strung together. She snickered and followed behind him into the restaurant in front of them.
They sat in a booth near the door. The place was dark and smoky and filled with what she could only assume were locals. The smell of cigarettes was seeping out of the walls. Greasy menus were stuck to the walls next to the booths and the smell of an auto-fry was battling the cigarettes. A bartender who had to be in her late fifties, with bleached blonde hair and leather for skin, was slinging drinks with a cigarette dangling out the corner of her mouth. A waitress who looked frighteningly similar, though a little younger, ambled over to take their orders.
“Two Jack and cokes,” Parker muttered, digging around in his pockets for his cigarettes.
“I’m gonna need to see her I.D. before you start ordering for the little lady,” the waitress huffed, glaring down at both of them. Parker looked up at her, pulling out his pack.
“Oh, they’re both for me, lady,” he responded. She gave a snort which turned into a smoker’s coughing fit. Paige rolled her eyes and dug out her I.D.
“Whiskey sour, and some French fries. And a shot of Jameson,” she ordered quickly. The waitress continued glaring as she wrote down the order and then walked off without saying anything else. Parker raised his eyebrows as he put a cigarette to his lips.
“Jameson, wow. You go, girl,” he mumbled, flicking on his lighter. He glanced over at her. “This bother you?”
