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“When are you…” I say, my voice creaky. “Like, when is this…?”
“I’m thinking of going this upcoming weekend,” Ethan answers my half-question.
I frown. “I can’t go then, I’m working. It’s my first weekend on the job so I—”
“She’d love to!”
The tinkling voice is behind me, and is closely followed by an arm circling my shoulders. I look at Ivy, bewildered. “What?”
“She’d love to go on your road trip thing,” Ivy says again, a little too cheerfully for my tastes. “We were just talking about how Val needs an adventure.”
I start to shake my head. “Ivy, I couldn’t. I can’t leave you hanging.”
“Don’t be silly.”
Ethan leans back. “I’ll leave you two to discuss it. No pressure either way.” His eyes meet mine. “But I would like it if you came, Val. For old time’s sake.”
With that, he walks towards the seating area and out of earshot, whistling away. Like Pops used to do.
I turn towards Ivy. “You want me to take off on a road trip when I’m supposed to be working?!”
“It’s no big deal.” She shrugs. “You’re working the next few days, so take Friday and the weekend off. It’ll be a chance for you to regroup, get yourself in order. After all, the first days of work can be exhausting. Consider this as part of your training.”
“What would your grandparents think?”
“Ah, they won’t mind another weekend if it means reuniting old friends on an adventure. They’re suckers for stuff like that.”
She winks at what I’m sure is a very skeptical expression on my part.
“Come on, it’ll be good for you!” She leans towards me. “Besides, the guy barely looks like a serial killer. It’ll be fun. And if it’s not, I’ll cover any shifts you need covered for the next year.”
I bite my lip. If she sees me working here for the next year even when I’m considering taking my first weekend off, I must be doing something right. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“The surest I’ve ever been. So, what do you say?”
I said yes.
And that is why I’m standing in front of my parents’ house at 6am on Friday with my bags packed, a new regency romance novel in my purse, and my stomach swirling with nerves. Ethan is in the process of backing Pops’s old blue truck into the driveway.
“It’s no big deal. Seriously, no big deal,” I mutter, shifting back and forth on my feet.
“What was that?” Ethan calls through the driver’s side window. Which, it turns out, is down so he can hear me talking to myself. Maybe he should be worried about going on this trip with me.
I clear my throat, try to save face. “I said those are some nice… wheels!”
I think we both know I know nothing about cars.
His rich brown eyes meet mine in the side mirror and he smirks again.
Ugh. Enough with the adorably charming smirks already!
He parks the truck, hops out, and practically frolicks over to get my bags. He smiles as he approaches. “Don’t you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.”
“And you can pack up that cheery attitude of yours and take it elsewhere,” I grumble, then immediately feel bad as he places my bags into the trunk. “Sorry, that was rude. Still not a morning person.”
“I figured,” Ethan says, undeterred. He goes to the front of the truck and proffers a metal thermos. “Coffee?”
My hand shoots out like I’ve found my oasis in the desert. “Thank you, thank you. I didn’t want to wake my parents by making coffee at this hour.”
