Page 21 of Shut Up and Drive

It started the year Patrick Donahue dumped me. Thane found me in the kitchen one night bawling my eyes out, drowning my sorrows in Oreos, and pulled up a barstool. He didn’t say a word. He just poured his own glass of milk and shared the space with me until I was ready to talk about it. After a while, it wasn’t even about the treat. It became a way for us to feel heard, seen, and not so alone.

We sit in silence in the dim light of the Waffle House while the memories of what we once were pirouettearound us. When the bag is empty, Thane finishes off the mug of milk and stands.

I take the paper with the address scrawled on it, and we thank our waitress. Thane pays and leaves her a generous tip for saving our bacon, and we shuffle toward the exit.

We hover in the doorway, staring out at the sheets of rain falling. The rental car might as well be a mile away if it’s a foot. Thane puts his hand on the small of my back, sending a familiar ache through me. He looks into my eyes and smiles.

“You ready to run?”

Chapter 8

FLYING BURRITO

Thane

One solitary candle illuminates the front window of the small bed and breakfast, lighting our way through the pelting rain. We drip on the floor just inside the door, and attempt to wring ourselves out before moving further into the entryway. I drop our suitcases, and a squishy thud echoes across the creaky hardwood. A little old lady looks up from the front desk with a flashlight in her hand and a smile on her face. She tosses us a towel to dry off.

“You must be Pearl,” I say, extending my soaking wet hand. “I’m Thane Donnelly, and this is Sera Spencer. Marla sent us over from the Waffle House.”

“Of course! She called and told me to expect you. Welcome.”

“We’re so grateful for you taking us in, even with no electricity,” Sera replies, shaking Pearl’s hand.

“Well, checking you in may take a bit longer, being thatmy computer is down. But I can still remember how we used to do it all on carbon paper from the ‘olden days,’” she says with a giggle.

Pearl pulls out an old carbon-copy notebook and begins filling it out. I hand over a hundred-dollar bill and fight against my wet jeans as I attempt to stuff my soggy wallet back into my pocket.

“So, is this a one-bed situation, or a two-bed situation?” Sera asks nervously.

Pearl looks between Sera and me, and a sly grin crosses her face. “Oh, darlin’, don’t you fret. This is a two-queen bedroom, so you can still wear white at your wedding. But if you’d rather have the king suite, your secret’s safe with me. I’ll just need to clean it real quick. The guests staying in that room left when the power didn’t come back on.”

“Oh, no. We aren’t together,” Sera retorts quickly. “Thane and I are just old childhood friends. Really.”

Pearl smiles and nods slowly. “Mmm-hmmm.”

I raise my hand to the side of my mouth to pretend to block my words from Sera’s ear. “Honestly,” I interrupt, “I’m glad there’s two beds. This one can get a little handsy.” I point my thumb in Sera’s direction and flash my most charming grin.

The way Sera’s mouth drops open in shock is exactly the reaction I’m going for.

“He’s totally pulling your leg! Thane is the biggest tease in the world. He onlywishesI would get handsy with him…” she protests.

Thank you, Fina, for always rising to the occasion.

I continue to feed the fire. “Especially if she’s had anything to drink. She’s such a lightweight, it only takes onebeer before I’m fighting her off of me. Remember that time at the bonfire, Fina?”

She shifts her gaze from Pearl to me and narrows her eyes. I’ve seen that look a thousand times in my life, and it’s a dead giveaway that I’m on the right track to pushing her buttons. So, of course, I keep pressing.

“She got so plastered, I had to carry her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes back to the lake house. The whole way up she was smacking my butt, and it was one inappropriate comment after another coming from her. I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe she kisses her mother with that filthy mouth.’ Then, after I plunked her into her bed, I had to lock my door. The girl wouldnottake no for an answer!”

Sera lets out an exasperated sigh. “We all know you’re lying through your teeth right now, so I’m not even going to dignify this fisherman’s tale with a response.”

As if Pearl hadn’t even heard Sera, she chimes in, “I have just the thing to make sure she stays on her side of the room, Mr. Donnelly.” She pulls out a folded-up blanket from the closet behind her and smiles. “This is my chastity blanket. My mother made it for me and my sisters when we were being courted. Every one of us found true love and had long marriages.” She unfolds the blanket to reveal what looks like an adult-sized swaddle with laces up the back. “This thing is foolproof. I can tell you from experience. Why, I was pretty determined with my Walter…”

“No need to go on. I trust you,” I interrupt, putting up a hand for her to stop.

Sera’s shoulders shake and her face grows bright redfrom holding in her laughter. “I don’t think we’ll be needing that tonight,” she says through giggles.

“Oh, yes we will!” I say emphatically.