Page 25 of Drive
Jacques:Have you had dinneryet?
He poppedthe locks on the Impala and waited just a few seconds for herresponse.
Rainey:Not yet.You?
He grinned to himself.Her response hinted she welcomed the idea of having dinner with him. Their time that afternoon had been too short, and he wanted to sit across from her and take his time listening to hertalk.
In fact, he was ready to start right then. He tapped her number and listened to the call ringthrough.
“How’d the session go?” sheasked.
Her greeting made him smile. Did she somehow know what the afternoon had meant tohim?
“Like magic,” he said, unable to tamp down on the excitement he felt. “I wanted to tell you about it. Can I take you todinner?”
“Oh, I… I— Yes.” He could hear the anxiety in her voice, but she accepted anyway. Rainey had a blend of nerves mixed with courage he found disarming. The urge to reassure her warmed hisblood.
“Do you likePho?”
“Um… is that Vietnamese?” sheasked.
“Yeah. You’ve never triedit?”
“I… don’t eat out often,” she hedged and then quickly added, “but I’d love to tryit.”
The day could not have gone any better. Finding Heroine. Picking up Rainey a second time. Coffee with her. The jam session. And now the prospect of taking her todinner.
“Great. Can you be ready in…” Jacques looked down at himself. Four intense hours of uninterrupted playing had taken its toll. A shower and a change of clothes were definitely in order. “… like anhour?”
He heard her breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I thought you were about to say ‘ten minutes,’ and I was going to have to lie toyou.”
His laughter caught him off-guard. “Why?”
“Jacques, I cannot get ready in ten minutes,” she said, not a hint of humor in her voice. “I can do an hour, but in case I can’t, I’ll leave the front door unlocked. Just come in and make yourself athome.”
“No rush.” Hechuckled.
“Oh, there’s a rush. I’ve been pretty much comatose since you left. I need to shower and rejoin theliving.”
He laughed again. “That’s some nap. You must have neededit.”
Jacques heard her sigh. “I did. Sleeping in a chair in the hospital sucks,” she said. “I feel a lot better. But enough about that. I have tohurry.”
Rested Rainey was adorable. “Okay. See you in anhour.”
Ten minutes later, Jacques stepped into Pal’s kitchen to discover his grandfather, Floyd, and Netty sipping coffee. One of Netty’s chocolate pecan pies sat decimated at the center of thetable.
“You missed a good dinner, yeah,” Floyd said by way ofgreeting.
“And a better dessert,” Paladded.
“I can still fix you a plate,” Netty offered, pushing up from the table with effort. “Got some good peppers an’ ricedressin’.”
“No thank you, Mrs. Netty,” Jacques said, crossing the kitchen to stop her with a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t get up. I’m goingout.”
“Goin’ out?! Mais, you just got in!” Palexclaimed.
“Noodles, North, andneckin’.”
