Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
When I’m finally able to go right again, I do then drive like an old lady until I reach the road the restaurant is located on and turn once more. When I see the bright yellow awning for Number 1 Chinese, I notice the cop is still in his cruiser but pull in to park when I spot Braxton at the counter. I’m just about to hop back over to the passenger seat but stop when the cop flashes his lights at me, signaling for me to move along.
Damn.
With a few unladylike curses, I head down the block once more, knowing Braxton is going to assume I jacked his car and I have no way to let him know I didn’t and am actually just doing him a favor. When I make it back around once more, I see Braxton standing on the edge of the sidewalk with a bag of Chinese food in one hand, looking at his cell in the other.
I honk and he lifts his head as I roll down the passenger side window. “A cop told me I had to move it or he would give you a ticket.”
“I thought you stole my car.” He steps off the ledge of the sidewalk into the road and opens the door, getting in and slamming it closed.
My eyes widen. “Don’t you want to drive?”
“I’m gonna have to double park again in about two minutes. It’s better if you stay where you are,” he says, buckling up.
“I don’t think that’s smart. I almost had a heart attack driving around the block two times.”
“I trust you.”
“You trust me, but you thought I stole your car.” I shake my head. “That doesn’t really make much sense.”
“You didn’t steal it. You moved it so I wouldn’t get a ticket.”
“I’m starting to think you’re a little insane.” I hold up two fingers an inch apart.
His eyes move to my fingers and he grins. “Maybe. But isn’t everyone a little crazy?”
“Maybe,” I agree then ask, “Where am I driving us?”
“The corner store at the end of the next block.”
Right. I pull back out into traffic and drive us there then watch as he gets out, only to come back a minute later with a brown paper bag. He comes around to the driver’s side and opens the door, reaching across me to unhook my belt.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Thank God, I think but don’t say. Still, he must read my expression, because he chuckles as he helps me down only to walk me around to the passenger door and help me in. “Where are we going?” I ask once I’m buckled in and he’s pulling away from the curb.
“Freeway Park, it’s not far from here.”
“Well that screams horror movie,” I mutter under my breath then inwardly smile at the sound of his laughter. When we reach the park, he pulls into a spot on the street and gets out, going to the back door to grab the stuff he picked up.
I meet him on the sidewalk and marvel at the ease I feel as he takes my hand, carrying the bag of our food in the other.
“Have you been here before?”
“No, but it’s beautiful.” I know my voice is filled with awe as I look around. With the sun just starting to set and the buildings all lit up, it looks like a postcard.
“Just wait until I show you the labyrinth.” He leads me down a tree-lined path to a large fountain surrounded by curved benches then motions for me to take a seat.
I sit and watch him unload our food from the bag then trade out my fork for a set of chopsticks before opening up my paper container. Starving, I dig into my noodles with abandon, not caring how I look shoving them into my mouth.
“Thank you for this,” I say as he takes a seat next to me and opens his container.
“For what?” he asks, and I fiddle with my chopsticks.
“It’s been a long week.” I shake my head. “I needed this, a simple meal in a quiet place.”
“What happened this week?” he asks before taking a bite of his noodles.
“I started a new job.” I turn toward him. “I worked at a small news station before I moved here, but I just started working for IMG, and I feel a little out of my league.” I notice his eyes flare slightly but don’t ask what that’s about. “There have just been a lot of changes for me in the last week, and I guess I’m still trying to settle in.”
“Do you like your new job?”
“Yeah, it’s a lot more intense than I’m used to, but I like my boss and the team I’m working with. Everyone seems really nice. It’s just different.”
“Sometimes different is good,” he says softly, and I have to agree with that. “With time, you’ll settle in and find your footing. They wouldn’t have hired you if you didn’t have what they were looking for.”