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“Can’t you hold it? We’re almost to Minneapolis. You can pee there.”
“I just drank twenty ounces of coffee. What do you think?” She raises an eyebrow.
Grumbling, I unbuckle my seat belt, stand, and move into the aisle so Parisa can move out of her seat. A few minutes later she returns, and once again, I get up to let her in. “Feel better?”
“Much. Thank you.” She flashes me a sweet smile.
After we land, our layover is quick. We have forty-five minutes to get from one end of the airport to the other. On our walk we pass a restroom and I stop. “Do you need to go before we get back on the plane?”
“Very funny. I’m fine. Sorry, I don’t have the bladder of a camel like you,” she sneers.
I can’t help but chuckle. This is starting to become the best part of this trip. How much can I rile her up? “Also, you’re sitting in the aisle next. I’m not dealing with your incessant need to pee.”
“What if I had a health condition? I bet you would feel like a real jerk for making fun of me.”
“Do you have a health condition?”
“Well, no…”
“Then I don’t feel like a jerk.” I cut in front of her so I get on the plane before she does and can take the window seat.
When we land in Denver, we immediately head to baggage claim and then to find the car rental. I fill out all the paperwork and collect the keys. “Alright, we have a four-hour drive. Do you need to use the restroom?” I bend down to eye level as if I’m talking to a toddler.
“I’m fine. No. Wait. I’ll be right back” Parisa takes off toward the nearest restroom.
“Why are you squirming in your seat?” My hands grip the steering wheel as I keep my eyes on the road, but every now and then, from the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Parisa wiggling back and forth.
“I have to pee.”
“Didn’t you go before we left?”
“I did. But coffee tends to go right through me.” She holds up her coffee cup, giving it a shake to prove it’s empty. Before we made it out of the car rental, Parisa grabbed another coffee, and I knew this was going to happen. Again.
This time I take my eyes off the road and narrow my eyes at her. All she can offer me is a meek smile. Reaching forward, I tap the screen on the GPS to see where the nearest gas station is located. Luckily, there’s one a few miles up the road. “Can you manage to hold it for five more minutes?” Irritation laces my voice. I just want to arrive at the hotel and get out of this confined car with her.
“I’m not a child. And yes, I can wait.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifts her body toward the door. A few seconds later, she’s crossing her legs as well.
I spend the next few minutes in blissful silence. I wish the whole trip was like this. When the gas station sign comes into view, Parisa perks up. As I pull into the parking lot and into a spot by the front entrance, she’s throwing the car door open before I shift into park. I turn the ignition off, unsure of how long she’s going to take. Surprisingly, she returns quickly, but with another beverage in her hand. I eye the clear bottle, then look up at her.
“It’s just water. I promise I won’t have to pee in an hour.”
I turn over the ignition. “Well, if you do, I hope you have good aim because you’ll be using that.” I point at the bottle.
“Rude much.” She huffs and turns her body to face the door while digging around in her bag until she pulls out her AirPods. When the GPS springs back to life and maps our route again, I flip on the blinker to drive west.
After an hour on the road, the sun dips below the mountain tops as snowflakes flutter from the sky and accumulate on the roadway. As soon as we got off the main road, civilization becomes more and more scarce. The twisting roads surrounded by pine trees makes it feel like we’re in the middle of nowhere.
Parisa plucks out an ear bud and turns toward me. “Why are we not on the highway anymore?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been following the GPS and this is the way it told me to go.” My grip on the steering wheel tightens.
“I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be a straight shot from the highway.” She taps away on the screen of her phone and holds it out to prove that I’m wrong.
“Do you want me to pull over so you can drive?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“No,” she mumbles under her breath. “If we stay on this road, we should be able to get back on the highway in about twenty miles or so.” Parisa leans back in her seat and stares out the window, silence once again taking over the small space. Sadly, it doesn’t last long. She sits up straighter in her seat. “The snow is really coming down now. It’s getting hard to see.”
Every now and then an oncoming car will pass us. With the snow that’s falling, along with the snow kicked up from their rear tires, it makes it damn near blizzard conditions. The headlight beams shine on the snowflakes and almost make it feel like you’re traveling through hyperspace.
