booth and angled his body closer to hers. “So, whereabouts in England are you from?”
Either not noticing his arm, or deciding to ignore it, she turned slightly to face him, forming their own little cocoon. “You probably won’t have heard of it. Lindfield?” At his blank look, she expanded, “It’s a town in Sussex. At the bottom of the country, near Brighton.” She grinned at him, “I told you that you wouldn’t have heard of it. Where are you from, I’ve been trying to figure out your accent?”
“I’m an Alabama boy, born and raised.”
“Do you like it there?”
He shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. “It’s nice enough, I guess.”
There was an awkward pause, before she said, “Well, Sussex is beautiful. The country side, the forests. Most the year round it’s full of color and if you stand at the top of the Downs there are fields rolling out for miles and it’s as if you can see across the whole country all the way to Scotland.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I wanted an adventure.” She tried to smile up at him, but it wobbled and she quickly looked away. Reaching for her drink, she closed her fingers around the sweating glass and lifted it to take a long swig. He was just opening his mouth to say something when their food arrived.
A lot of clattering and hubbub later, it didn’t seem like the time to ask what was bothering her. His stomach grumbled and he suddenly realized how hungry he was. His insides felt like they were eating themselves. Grabbing his burger, he squished it down and took a huge bite.
“This is the size of my head!” Chloe exclaimed, holding her own burger up for inspection.
Laughing around his mouthful, Parker garbled, “It’s good for you. It’ll put some meat on your bones.”
“I have enough meat on my bones, thank you very much,” she sniffed at him, even as she picked out the gherkins and loaded her burger with ketchup.
“You not eatin’ them?” he asked, taking them from her plate when she shook her head and putting them into his own burger. Without a word, Terri handed over hers as well. Was it just a girl thing? Swallowing his mouthful, he glanced over at Riley, who was picking unenthusiastically at her salad, and said, “Bet you’re regrettin’ that now.”
Jet scowled at him, jumping to her defense. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay healthy.”
If looks could kill, Terri would be going down for murder. Not for the first time, Parker wondered if there was something going on between the two of them, despite the insistence that they were just friends. When she caught him watching her, Terri dropped her gaze back to her burger, licked ketchup off her wrist, and shoved a handful of fries into her mouth.
Glancing over at Chloe, to see if she’d noticed, he found her staring out of the window, expression solemn. Frowning, he nudged her gently with his shoulder, mouthing “you okay” when she looked at him. She forced a half-hearted smile in response and nodded. Under the table, he reached out and squeezed her knee. There was nothing sexual about it and he drew back quickly, watching the surprise in her expressive brown eyes.
Without another word, they both went back to eating. Once they’d finished and paid the bill, they began walking back towards his and Jet’s room to hangout, but Chloe paused outside the diner.
Fiddling with the strap of her bag, she said, “I’ve actually got a bit of a headache, so I think I’m just going to go back to our room.”
“I’ve got some painkillers,” Riley offered, completely oblivious to the fact that her friend was trying to escape, digging around in her handbag.
“Oh, no, thanks. I…er… think I’m just going to lie down for a bit.” After a pause, she finished lamely, “Sorry.”
“I’ll walk you back,” Parker offered.
“You don’t have to, I remember the way.”
“It’s okay, if you’re not feeling well I’ll make sure you get back all right.”
Biting her
Either not noticing his arm, or deciding to ignore it, she turned slightly to face him, forming their own little cocoon. “You probably won’t have heard of it. Lindfield?” At his blank look, she expanded, “It’s a town in Sussex. At the bottom of the country, near Brighton.” She grinned at him, “I told you that you wouldn’t have heard of it. Where are you from, I’ve been trying to figure out your accent?”
“I’m an Alabama boy, born and raised.”
“Do you like it there?”
He shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. “It’s nice enough, I guess.”
There was an awkward pause, before she said, “Well, Sussex is beautiful. The country side, the forests. Most the year round it’s full of color and if you stand at the top of the Downs there are fields rolling out for miles and it’s as if you can see across the whole country all the way to Scotland.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I wanted an adventure.” She tried to smile up at him, but it wobbled and she quickly looked away. Reaching for her drink, she closed her fingers around the sweating glass and lifted it to take a long swig. He was just opening his mouth to say something when their food arrived.
A lot of clattering and hubbub later, it didn’t seem like the time to ask what was bothering her. His stomach grumbled and he suddenly realized how hungry he was. His insides felt like they were eating themselves. Grabbing his burger, he squished it down and took a huge bite.
“This is the size of my head!” Chloe exclaimed, holding her own burger up for inspection.
Laughing around his mouthful, Parker garbled, “It’s good for you. It’ll put some meat on your bones.”
“I have enough meat on my bones, thank you very much,” she sniffed at him, even as she picked out the gherkins and loaded her burger with ketchup.
“You not eatin’ them?” he asked, taking them from her plate when she shook her head and putting them into his own burger. Without a word, Terri handed over hers as well. Was it just a girl thing? Swallowing his mouthful, he glanced over at Riley, who was picking unenthusiastically at her salad, and said, “Bet you’re regrettin’ that now.”
Jet scowled at him, jumping to her defense. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay healthy.”
If looks could kill, Terri would be going down for murder. Not for the first time, Parker wondered if there was something going on between the two of them, despite the insistence that they were just friends. When she caught him watching her, Terri dropped her gaze back to her burger, licked ketchup off her wrist, and shoved a handful of fries into her mouth.
Glancing over at Chloe, to see if she’d noticed, he found her staring out of the window, expression solemn. Frowning, he nudged her gently with his shoulder, mouthing “you okay” when she looked at him. She forced a half-hearted smile in response and nodded. Under the table, he reached out and squeezed her knee. There was nothing sexual about it and he drew back quickly, watching the surprise in her expressive brown eyes.
Without another word, they both went back to eating. Once they’d finished and paid the bill, they began walking back towards his and Jet’s room to hangout, but Chloe paused outside the diner.
Fiddling with the strap of her bag, she said, “I’ve actually got a bit of a headache, so I think I’m just going to go back to our room.”
“I’ve got some painkillers,” Riley offered, completely oblivious to the fact that her friend was trying to escape, digging around in her handbag.
“Oh, no, thanks. I…er… think I’m just going to lie down for a bit.” After a pause, she finished lamely, “Sorry.”
“I’ll walk you back,” Parker offered.
“You don’t have to, I remember the way.”
“It’s okay, if you’re not feeling well I’ll make sure you get back all right.”
Biting her
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