We’d been driving about four hours when Connor pulled off the expressway and stopped for gas. “I’m going to fill her up and then we’ll stop for something to eat,” he said as he got out of the car. I got out and walked around, stretching out my back and legs. I walked over to the gas pump where Connor was pumping gas and kissed him on the cheek.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“It’s just a thank you for telling me about your family.” He gave me that heart-melting smile of his.
“I’m going in the shop to get a couple of things.”
I entered the store and headed right to the candy aisle. I scanned the rows, trying to decide what I wanted when Connor came up behind me. “You’re going to fill your body with this junk?” he asked.
I turned quickly to face him, and a wave of dizziness fell over me as I stumbled into him, and he caught me. “Ellery, are you all right?”
I held my head. “I’m fine; I just got a little light-headed.” He held me until it passed.
“I knew we should have waited an extra day to leave. You’re not ready to travel yet. You need more time to recover from your fall.”
I was feeling better and could have lifted my head up from his chest, but I liked where it was. “Connor, stop being so protective. I’m fine; it’s probably the pain meds I took,” I lied. I never took any, but I didn’t want him worrying about me.
“Well, I’m finding us a hotel, and we’re stopping for the rest of the day. We’ll continue first thing tomorrow. We’ll be in Michigan in plenty of time for the funeral.”
“Okay, but let’s get something to eat and drive for a couple of more hours before stopping for the night. Go grab one of those little baskets over there,” I said to Connor as I pointed by the door.
“You aren’t seriously buying that much, are you?”
“Okay, Mr. Black, if you must know the truth, it’s my PMS time.”
He took a step back and put his hands up. “Whoa, enough said.”
I grinned as I picked up a bag of Fritos, Cheetos, a Hershey bar (king size), a Twix bar, a small pack of chocolate donuts, three cans of Coke, a bag of tiny twist pretzels, and a jar of Nutella. Connor looked in the basket and then at me with a horrified look on his face.
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to take me on this road trip. I’m just trying to keep the peace because without these foods for a woman at that time of the month…” I waved my hand. “Well, you don’t really want to know.”
I put the basket on the counter. The cashier overheard our conversation; she looked at Connor and said, “Trust her; we girls are two sheets short of psycho when it comes to our special little time.”
He just stood there and looked at both of us, speechless, as she rang up the food. She gave me the total, and I looked at Connor.
He looked at me in confusion. “Really? You want me to pay for this crap?”
The cashier leaned over the counter and looked at him straight in the eyes. “Remember, two sheets short of psycho.”
He pulled out his wallet and paid as he was mumbling under his breath. He took the bag and headed out. I looked at the cashier and high-fived her. “Thank you.”
“We girls need to stick together,” she said. I walked out of the store, smiling as he sat in the car, waiting for me.
We headed back to the interstate and he looked at me.
“What?” I smiled.
“You’re crazy; I just wanted you to know that.”
I laughed. “Aw, sweetie, I know, but I promise it’s only for a few days.”
He shook his head, and I saw how hard he was trying to fight a smile. We saw some signs on the interstate for some restaurants. I was going to be polite and let him pick where he wanted to eat. He got off at the next exit, and we entered restaurant heaven.
“Take your pick, Mr. Black. The call’s yours,” I said as I moved my hand around.
“You really don’t care where we eat?”
I looked at him and tilted my head. “No. Pick wherever you want. I like just about anything.”
“Okay, then.” He smiled. “There’s a seafood restaurant over there.”
I pressed my lips together and didn’t say anything. I didn’t like seafood, but I said it was his pick, and if that was what he wanted, then that was what we’d have. They had to have something non-seafood. We got out of the car as he held his arm out for me. I hooked my arm around his as we walked into the restaurant.
“Wow,” I said as I looked around at the sharks and swordfish mounted to the walls. A cute little blonde girl walked over to us and said there was about a thirty-minute wait; this was my chance to get the hell out of here. I didn’t like staring at those things on the wall. They were creepy.
“Thirty minutes is a long time to wait, Connor, maybe we should go somewhere else.”
He looked at me with a smile. “Thirty minutes is nothing, and time will fly by. Go look at those lobsters over there.”
I flinched because I hated to see them in those glass tanks, moving around, not knowing they were next to be thrown into a pot of boiling water. He grabbed my hand and led me to the bar. “We’ll sit here and have a drink until they call us.”
I sat on the stool as the bartender, a very attractive woman with long, brown curly hair and large, perky boobs, walked over to us, but only made eye contact with Connor. She leaned over the bar, not taking notice that I was sitting right next to him, and with her low-cut top and cleavage hanging out, she asked, “What will it be, handsome?”
He gave her a flirtatious smile and leaned in closer. “I’ll have a sex with the bartender.”
I gasped, and with a horrified look on my face, I looked at him.
“One sex with a bartender coming right up, stud.” She winked.
He looked over at me as I clenched my jaw and took in a deep breath. I couldn’t believe he just did that right in front of me. I bit the inside of my cheek and contemplated.
“Um, sweetheart, when you get his drink, don’t forget to bring those luscious boobies over here.” I smiled. The look on Connor’s face was priceless after that statement.
“Ellery, what the hell are you doing?” he whispered.
“What? Am I embarrassing you, Mr. ‘I’ll Have Sex with a Bartender’?”
She came over and handed him his drink, looked at me and, in an irritated way, asked me what I wanted. I looked at her and pouted. “Don’t you think it’s only fair that you give me the same kind of service that you’re giving him? Why should he be the only one to get to see your boobies?”
Connor threw some money on the bar and stood up. “Come on, honey. I think our table is ready.”
I smiled and winked at her as she gave me a dirty look and turned away. Connor leaned over to me and whispered in my ear. “Point taken, you bad girl.”
“You love it, Mr. Black, and you know it.”
He smiled as the waitress showed us to our table.
I opened the menu and, guess what, no non-seafood items existed. Shit, I thought to myself. What was I going to order? Well, I did have a car full of junk food if it came down to it.
“What are you going to order, Ellery?”
I looked up from my menu and glared at him. “I’m not sure. I’m torn at the moment.”
The waitress came by and asked to take our drink orders. Connor spoke up before I could tell her that I wanted a Cosmopolitan.
“I’m set, and she’ll have a Coke.”
I frowned. “I wanted a Cosmo, Connor.”
“Not after that little stunt, and who knows what that bartender would do to that drink.”
I laughed and continued looking at the menu. As soon as the waitress brought my Coke, she asked us if we were ready to order. Connor closed his menu and looked at me. I glanced up at the waitress and bit my lip. Connor looked at her. “Give us a minute, please.” I looked at him; I think he realized I didn’t like seafood.
“You don’t like seafood, do you?” I stared at him while biting my lower lip.
“Why didn’t you say something?” he asked as he ran his hands through his hair.
“Well, I wanted you to have what you wanted.”
He looked at me with those beautiful green eyes and, suddenly, they turned evil. He didn’t say a word, but he was scaring me as he waved for the waitress to come back.
“I’m going to order for us,” he said. Uh oh, now I’m in trouble.
“We will start with an order of calamari, crab legs, and a lobster tail for each of us. Also, please throw in an order of broiled scallops.
The waitress looked at me, and I managed a slight smile. Connor crossed his hands and placed his elbows on the table.
“Remember the times when you made me eat things? The pizza, hot dog, and let’s not forget the use of the chopsticks?”
I just stared at him. Two could play this game.
“Yes, I do, and I’m fine with everything you ordered.”
“We’ll see about that.” He smirked.
I leaned over the table. “You’re a vicious man, Connor Black.”
He leaned in closer until we were face to face. “Not as vicious as you, darling.”
I sat back, smiled, and reveled in the moment when he called me “darling.”
The waitress came and set the calamari in the center of the table. I looked at it and then at Connor. I got out my phone and Googled calamari; my eyes widened as “squid” appeared. I looked up at Connor. He was laughing at me.
“You Googled ‘calamari,’ didn’t you?”
I nodded my head and took a sip of my Coke. His laughter subsided, and he looked at me with a serious face.
“You don’t have to eat it. I’m sorry.”
I took in a deep breath. “No, it’s okay, and I’m going to try it. It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for me.” He smiled as I took a piece from the plate and inspected it.
“Seriously, Elle, don’t. I know you don’t want to.”
I took a small bite and started chewing. His eyes intently watched me as I was eating the calamari and making faces. He took out his phone and started taking pictures of me. “This is classic.” He laughed. The calamari wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be.
“Okay, bad boy, bring on the next one.”
Connor threw his head back and laughed as the waitress brought the scallops and lobster tails. I stabbed a scallop with my fork and held it up to my mouth as he smiled and took a picture. I ate it and, to my surprise, I enjoyed it. I held up the lobster tail and pouted at it as he took another picture. We both laughed and talked throughout dinner. I’ll admit I liked it all; this new seafood experience agreed with me. We finished up and left the restaurant. Connor put his arm around me and pulled me close. I put my hand on his chest and laid my head on his shoulder as we walked to the Range Rover.
We drove until we found a hotel. We only passed a billion of them, but Mr. Fancy Pants had to have the best, so we drove out of the way to the Ritz Carlton.