toothbrush, small head, with medium hardness. He grabbed some basic Crest toothpaste, normal mint flavored, and Lady Speed Stick in a flowery scent he thought Lanie might like. He figured if he was wrong, they could go later and get the right things, but this would at least get her by. He also grabbed a hair brush and comb and headed for the register before he was bombarded with any more choices.
When he got back to room number six he found Melanie was up, showered, and waiting for him with a bright smile. He melted. All the confusion of his earlier thoughts faded away and he couldn't help but smile back.
"Is everything okay, Josh? You snuck out of here pretty early."
"Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"I heard you leave. I figured you might need some alone time. You've been stuck with me for quite a while now and you're pretty used to being alone. I suppose that if we were dating, now would have been the time that you would have left me sleeping in the bed alone while you went home."
It was true, that's what he usually did. Once the girl fell asleep, he'd slink out grabbing his clothes and head home and may or may not call again. It seemed incredibly cold and callous when she said it, but he'd never really thought about how that might make the girl feel.
"I guess it's a good thing we're not dating, huh?" Melanie said. Somehow she seemed to be on the verge of tears, but she smiled at him. He didn't know what to say. She had nailed it right on the head. Instead of saying anything, he handed her the bag of items he’d picked up for her.
Melanie took the bag from him and looked inside. "Thanks, Josh. That was very sweet."
"If I got the wrong things we can certainly go and get the right ones later when we get closer to Santa Cruz."
"Not at all. It's perfect. I think I will use my new toothbrush right now. It's even my favorite color, blue. Don't want to scare anybody with my breath." She stood up just as he sat down on the bed, turned towards him with the bag in hand, and leaned down and kissed him on his bearded cheek. "I missed you," she said, and then continued to the bathroom.
She missed me ? I was only gone an hour . Even as he said this to himself, he realized he had missed her too and he wished he had turned his head to meet her kiss so that he could have felt her lips on his. He felt like he was moving in slow motion, one step behind what he should be doing.
She finished in the bathroom and said, "That feels a hundred times better. Thanks again. Are you hungry or did you already get something while you were out?"
"No, I haven't eaten."
"Do you want your wife to go get her ailing husband breakfast?"
"No, we can both go. I'm fine."
"Well, if you need to turn your iPod on, don't hesitate. I understand."
Josh held the door open for her as she put her jacket on and they walked across the parking lot and into the tiny diner.
There weren’t quite as many people in the diner as there had been the previous evening and that made Josh sigh with relief. A young pretty waitress was working and she came to their booth with menus and water as soon as they sat down. Josh smiled at her as she asked if he would like some coffee. "Yes, please," he paused looking at her name badge and then continued, "Judith."
"You can call me Judy." She poured him a cup of coffee and walked away as if Melanie wasn't even there. Melanie flipped her coffee cup over in its saucer to imply that she would like some. A minute later Judy came back and asked Josh, "So what can I get you?"
Josh answered, "Um, I think I'll have the breakfast special."
"How would you like your eggs?"
"Scrambled."
"What kind of toast?"
"Wheat."
"Bacon or ham?"
"Bacon."
"And would you like anything else to drink?"
"Yeah, a large milk."
"Great, coming right up," she said and turned to leave, when Melanie said, "Excuse me. I'd like a coffee, a small tomato juice, and an English muffin."
"Sure," Judy said, but she never
When he got back to room number six he found Melanie was up, showered, and waiting for him with a bright smile. He melted. All the confusion of his earlier thoughts faded away and he couldn't help but smile back.
"Is everything okay, Josh? You snuck out of here pretty early."
"Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"I heard you leave. I figured you might need some alone time. You've been stuck with me for quite a while now and you're pretty used to being alone. I suppose that if we were dating, now would have been the time that you would have left me sleeping in the bed alone while you went home."
It was true, that's what he usually did. Once the girl fell asleep, he'd slink out grabbing his clothes and head home and may or may not call again. It seemed incredibly cold and callous when she said it, but he'd never really thought about how that might make the girl feel.
"I guess it's a good thing we're not dating, huh?" Melanie said. Somehow she seemed to be on the verge of tears, but she smiled at him. He didn't know what to say. She had nailed it right on the head. Instead of saying anything, he handed her the bag of items he’d picked up for her.
Melanie took the bag from him and looked inside. "Thanks, Josh. That was very sweet."
"If I got the wrong things we can certainly go and get the right ones later when we get closer to Santa Cruz."
"Not at all. It's perfect. I think I will use my new toothbrush right now. It's even my favorite color, blue. Don't want to scare anybody with my breath." She stood up just as he sat down on the bed, turned towards him with the bag in hand, and leaned down and kissed him on his bearded cheek. "I missed you," she said, and then continued to the bathroom.
She missed me ? I was only gone an hour . Even as he said this to himself, he realized he had missed her too and he wished he had turned his head to meet her kiss so that he could have felt her lips on his. He felt like he was moving in slow motion, one step behind what he should be doing.
She finished in the bathroom and said, "That feels a hundred times better. Thanks again. Are you hungry or did you already get something while you were out?"
"No, I haven't eaten."
"Do you want your wife to go get her ailing husband breakfast?"
"No, we can both go. I'm fine."
"Well, if you need to turn your iPod on, don't hesitate. I understand."
Josh held the door open for her as she put her jacket on and they walked across the parking lot and into the tiny diner.
There weren’t quite as many people in the diner as there had been the previous evening and that made Josh sigh with relief. A young pretty waitress was working and she came to their booth with menus and water as soon as they sat down. Josh smiled at her as she asked if he would like some coffee. "Yes, please," he paused looking at her name badge and then continued, "Judith."
"You can call me Judy." She poured him a cup of coffee and walked away as if Melanie wasn't even there. Melanie flipped her coffee cup over in its saucer to imply that she would like some. A minute later Judy came back and asked Josh, "So what can I get you?"
Josh answered, "Um, I think I'll have the breakfast special."
"How would you like your eggs?"
"Scrambled."
"What kind of toast?"
"Wheat."
"Bacon or ham?"
"Bacon."
"And would you like anything else to drink?"
"Yeah, a large milk."
"Great, coming right up," she said and turned to leave, when Melanie said, "Excuse me. I'd like a coffee, a small tomato juice, and an English muffin."
"Sure," Judy said, but she never
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