Chapter 33

 

Graham

 

 

I TURNED ON the radio, wishing I’d stuck to my guns and said ‘no’ about her going to the church with me. But, she was persistent and for whatever reason, really wanted to go. It surprised me considering I’d been so short with her.

Maybe she wanted to have a go with me, now?

I hoped not. I was the last person who’d want sloppy seconds. As attracted as I’d been to her- hell, I still was - just the thought of Cleaner putting his dick in her made me ill.  

“What do you want from Panera?” I asked when we finally pulled up to the drive-through. What should have taken us five minutes, took almost twenty because of the snow and stupid drivers. 

Chloe told me which soup she wanted and also asked for a warm cup of cappuccino. I ordered the same thing, along with a sandwich. After we received our food, I parked in the lot and we ate in silence. Fortunately, she must have gotten the hint that I wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

When we were finished, I ran the empty containers up to the trash bin and then we were on our way.

“So, how did the nursing home thing go last night?” she asked when we finally made it to the freeway.

“Good.”

“Did Tank mention if he was going to try and reschedule the ‘Meet Santa’ benefit?”

“I doubt there’s time for that.”

“We could make more fliers and maybe set it up outside somewhere? In the park, where we were yesterday even.”

“It wouldn’t work,” I said flatly.

“It could,” she argued. “If your club really wanted it to.”

“Talk to Tank about it. See what he says.”

She let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine.”

I turned up the radio and we drove in silence for quite some time, going about twenty miles an hour. Traffic was jammed up and there were a lot of vehicles in ditches. Soon, we were barely going five miles an hour and it frustrated me so much, that I decided to get off on the next exit and try a different way.

“Why are we getting off here?” she asked, confused. “I thought it was much farther north.”

“It is. I’m going to try and take the frontage roads.”

“Won’t that be even more slippery and dangerous?”

“Don’t worry. My tires are new and have great traction. We’ll be fine,” I said, just as we hit an icy patch of snow and we began to slide.

Chloe gasped and held onto the seat as if for dear life.

“Relax.” I pressed the gas pedal and regained control of the vehicle. “See, you just got to know what you’re doing. Unlike a lot of other dumb asses,” I said, watching another vehicle behind me spin out. Fortunately, they stayed on the road and didn’t hit anyone.

“I still think this is a mistake,” she mumbled as we turned onto the frontage road.

“You didn’t have to come. In fact, I told you not to in the very beginning,” I said tightly.

“Why are you always so angry?” Chloe asked, glaring at me.

“I’m not always angry. Some people just bring it out in me.”

“Who? Me? What in the hell did I ever do to you?”

Look at me with those big, beautiful fucking eyes, I wanted to say. Too bad they were the same ones that had seen Cleaner’s junk a few hours ago.

“Nothing,” I muttered.

I was tired of arguing and deep down, knew I was over-reacting. So, she fucked another guy? We barely knew each other. Still, I’d wanted her to be different.

“Really? Because you’re not acting like it. Or maybe you’re just rude to everyone and I haven’t been around you enough to notice.”

“I’m not rude to everyone.”

“Then why me?”

I clenched my teeth together, not wanting to admit to her that I was jealous. It was hard enough to admit to myself.

“You’re a real peach,” she muttered, looking out her side window. “And you’re right. I shouldn’t have taken this trip with you. I just thought… I don’t know what I thought, actually.”

Instead of replying, I changed the radio station and turned up a song that I liked. We continued on the frontage road and then got onto another. As we drove, I glanced over and noticed that Chloe had drifted off.

Thank God.

After a few more miles, the frontage road ended and I was faced with going west or east.

“Where are we?” she asked drowsily, opening her eyes and sitting up.

“Almost there,” I said, taking a right, hoping that we were heading back toward the highway. I didn’t recognize the name of the street we were currently on, but I didn’t get out that way very often. Hell, I’d only been to the church once.

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Almost? As in a couple more miles?”

“Not sure,” I admitted.

“Maybe you should check Google Maps,” she suggested.

Sighing, I took out my cell and was about to do just that when Chloe yelled at me about driving while using my phone.

“Relax. I do it all the time.”

“I’m sure, but the roads are slipperier than hell,” Chloe snapped. “I’d like to live to see Christmas.”

“Fine. You check it for me,” I said, typing in my passcode before handing my phone to her.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re phone is almost dead,” she said, swiping the screen to find the internet browser.

“Then hurry up.”

She gave an exasperated sigh. “Oh, crap. There it goes. It’s totally dead now. Do you have a charger in here?”

“I should. Check the glove compartment.”

She opened it up and began digging around. “I don’t see one.”

Remembering that I’d taken it out, I groaned and told her.

She closed the glove box. “Now what?”

“Where’s your phone?” I asked.

“I forgot it at home.”

I sighed. “Great.”

“Why don’t we stop at the next gas station and ask for directions?”

“I guess we’ll have to.”