Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) (17 page)

Road drives around lower and upper Queen Anne a bit then heads over to Fremont. He compliments her on the car a few times, but doesn’t talk much beyond that.

Blair wishes she could think of something witty or insightful to say. In truth, she’s nervous. It annoys her, but she can’t help it. This whole thing almost feels like a date. She even indulges in a fantasy, pretends they’re a real married couple out for a Sunday drive. Afterward, to be nice, she’d agree to go to a hardware store or an auto supply store. Then they’d go home and have the hottest sex ever. Nothing like that one horrible time. In her fantasies, Road is always hot and sensual in bed, and she’s never left dissatisfied.

“You hungry?”

Blair startles. “What?” She was imagining them back in the hallway again, except this time Road’s hands weren’t on the outside of her clothes, but the inside. His mouth was at her ear, his voice low and seductive, telling her all the naughty things he had planned for her.

“Do you want to grab a Dick’s burger?”

Blair looks around. They’ve already made their way up to Wallingford without her noticing. She sees Dick’s Drive-In up ahead. Road doesn’t wait for an answer, but turns off NE 45th Street and pulls Isadora right up to Dick’s, parking the car.

She tells him to get her a burger and fries and waits for him in Isadora, figuring they’ll take everything to a park or back to her condo to eat. When Road comes back and sits in the driver’s seat, though, he starts taking food out right away.

“What are you
doing
?” Her eyes widen in horror.

He digs around in the bag then hands her a burger. “I’m getting the grub out so we can eat.”

“We can’t eat in the car!” She tries to hand the burger back.

“Why not?”

“Because . . . ,” she sputters. “We just can’t!”

Road gives her a strange look. “We’re at Dick’s.” He ignores the burger she’s trying to hand back and starts handing her french fries now, too.

As if he were a small child, Blair patiently explains to Road how nobody is allowed to eat in Isadora. Ever. It’s an ironclad rule. No exceptions.

Road puts her fries on the armrest between them and Blair immediately snatches them up.

“Isadora is not just any car,” she explains. “I don’t want crumbs everywhere or,”
God forbid
, “grease stains. Plus, I don’t want her to smell bad and stink like food.”

By now, Road has his burger out and has opened his ketchup cup, dipping french fries into it.

“Are you even listening to me? Have you heard a single word I said?”

“Sure.” He eats the fries then picks up his burger. Blair watches him push the paper down around it and take a huge bite.

“Then why are you still eating?”

Road closes his eyes for a long moment as he chews. “God, that’s good. A year is too long.” He takes another bite and moans in appreciation.

Blair sneaks one of the french fries from the bag she’s still holding on her lap. She’s not sure what to do. She looks around at all the other ordinary cars where people are eating their food. Isadora isn’t an ordinary car, though. Clearly, he doesn’t care.
Typical Road.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asks.

She shoots him a daggered look.

Road chuckles.

Jerk!

He eats more of his fries, but she can see now that he’s studying her. Laser focus on. “You’re kind of tightly wound, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He continues with his laser beams. “Yeah, you do.”

She grits her teeth.

“You need to unwind more. Live a little.”

“Be more like you, huh?”

He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, just keeps eating. “All I’m saying is you should try to relax.”

“I don’t need to relax.”

But Road starts talking. “I mean, damn, all those lists you’ve got posted everywhere, and then you’re making more lists every day.” He takes another bite and chews, considering her. “And why do you check your front door so many times at night?”

Blair’s face grows warm. She thought she was being more discreet about her OCD behavior. “I’m just checking to make sure it’s locked.”

“Ten times?”

“Three times.”

“Why not check it once?”

She squirms in her seat, looks back down at her food, finally gives in and eats another fry. “I just want to be safe.”

“Are you worried someone is going to break into your place? Because I’m there, and I’ll kick anybody’s ass.” He grins. “Me and Mr. Maurice.”

Blair smiles a little. “The action duo.”

“Hell, I’ll just throw Mr. Maurice at them. He can use his ninja claws.”

She laughs. “That would be something.”

Their eyes meet and Blair doesn’t look away, let’s herself fall into the kaleidoscope of green. “You have an amazing eye color.” The words slip out before she can stop them.

“Think so?” He continues to meet her gaze.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that a lot.”

“I’ve heard it.”

Blair can only imagine how many times he’s heard it.
I’m sure every girlfriend he’s ever had has gushed about his eyes.

“I think you have pretty amazing hair.”

She blinks. “You do?”

He nods. “Always liked it. I’m partial to redheads.”

This is news.
Since when?
She wants to ask, but then she’d have to explain how she’s cataloged every single woman he’s ever dated and that would sound freaky. Even she can see how it
is
freaky.

His green eyes are drifting over her as he murmurs, “All that smooth, pale skin.”

Blair’s breath catches at his tone. She shifts in her seat as pleasure glides through her. Desire. Her endless desire for him.
It’s just meaningless flirtation. I’ve seen him do it with lots of women.

His eyes have moved lower, taking in her sundress. They linger and she wonders why as a small thrill races through her.
Is he checking out my legs?

“Are you going to eat that burger?” he asks.

Blair sighs. “Do you want it?”

“Only if you’re not going to eat it.”

She hands her burger over to him, and he pushes the paper down so he can eat this one, too. Despite his hearty appetite, Road has never been fat. She watches him enjoy the burger. He takes his time, doesn’t wolf it down like the first one, relishing it instead. He’s not a messy eater and is surprisingly fastidious, like a cat.

“I take it there were no Dick’s burgers in all the places you’ve traveled to?”

“I’ve had some great food, but this tastes like home, you know?”

Blair nods.

When he’s finally finished eating, he stuffs all the garbage in the large paper sack. Blair finally broke down and finished her french fries while Road ate the second burger, so she hands him her trash, too.

He gets out of the car to throw it away. On the way back, a couple of guys comment to him, pointing at Isadora, and Road stops to talk to them.

Blair takes the opportunity to indulge in what was once her favorite pastime—Road watching. If there was ever a sport she’d win an Olympic gold medal in, this was it. She was a champion at spying on Road.

She slouches a little in her seat, to make herself less obvious. Road is still standing there talking to the two guys. Between the sunglasses on top of his head and his long, blond hair, he looks like he’s giving an interview to
Rolling Stone
magazine. He’s using his hands as he talks, those well-made hands, and the two guys are nodding, listening.

After a few minutes, he heads back toward the car, so Blair pulls the sun visor down and pretends to look at herself in the mirror. This is why she’d take home the gold every time. Her ingenuity. Blair’s eyes stay on Road. He’s tall and carries himself well. It’s something she’s certain he inherited from Lori, who has a similar kind of fluid grace. Blair’s always imagined it served her well in her pageant days.

Road’s jeans are butter soft and hug his muscular thighs. His shoes—red and black striped sneakers—are the only real giveaway that he’s been out of the country for a while, since they don’t look in the least bit American.

He slips into the driver’s seat.

“Fans of Isadora?” Blair asks, flipping up the visor.

“Yeah, apparently one of the guys’ dad has a ’65 Mustang that needs some work, so I was telling them about what you and Brody did.” He turns to looks at her. “Do you get that a lot? People asking about Isadora?”

“I do.” She nods. “I’ve gotten used to it.” Oddly, Blair knows it’s been good for her. Owning Isadora has helped her to be less shy.

“You’ve done a beautiful job with her,” he says, but then amends it. “Except the color, of course.”

Blair rolls her eyes.

Road starts up the engine and they head back toward downtown Seattle, though he doesn’t tell her where he’s going. Eventually, he pulls into a parking garage near Pike Place Market and searches for a spot.

“Are we going to the Market?” she asks after he parks and closes Isadora’s convertible top.

“Yeah.” He reaches up in the corner to latch the top in place, and Blair does the same with the one on her side. “Figure we’d grab a couple of cold ones and sit outside.”

They get out of the car and Blair follows Road down the parking garage’s urine-scented stairwell.

It’s a sunny Sunday and there are people everywhere. She can hear guitar music from a busker drifting their way. Road is walking with purpose, and Blair asks him if he has someplace specific in mind.

“Heard there was a good Mexican place down in Post Alley.”

The place he’s talking about is kind of hidden, but eventually they find it. They’re seated outside on the restaurant’s terrace with a fantastic view of the water. Blair looks around in amazement. She’s never heard of this place, but Road is back in town less than a week and already knows the coolest spots.
It figures.

Their waiter comes over with menus, along with chips and salsa, asking them in a heavy Spanish accent if they’d like water, to which they both say yes.

Road studies the menu while Blair studies Road. She can’t pull her eyes away. He’s in a spotlight from the sun, and it’s making the stubble on his face shine golden-blond. He’s so dazzling, she could sit here all day and admire him.

She thinks back to how relaxed he’s been, and how she’s sure he got laid last night. She can’t help wondering again who it was.

Probably that bitch, Marla.

A fierce jealousy takes hold. Twists in her gut like a knife. All the years of being in love with Road, all the wishing and wanting. She turns her head away, gazes out at the water and tries to crush these terrible feelings to dust.

When their waiter comes back with the water and asks to take their order, Road surprises her by speaking in Spanish. The waiter seems surprised, too, but then smiles as the two of them converse for a few minutes.

Finding out Road speaks Spanish isn’t helping her mood. Blair decides she needs a drink. A real one.

“Cadillac Margarita.”

The waiter leaves and Road raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t know you were a margarita fan.”

She shrugs.
I am today.
“Since when do you speak Spanish?” she asks.

“Spent some time with a friend in Madrid.”

Blair can tell by the inflection in his voice the friend is a woman. And then she remembers how Tori told her he had a Spanish girlfriend. The jealousy knife twists deeper, even though she knows it’s irrational. She and Road were never a real couple, despite being married. And she’s certainly had boyfriends, though none of them could evoke even a tenth of what she feels for Road.

He’s eating chips and salsa, relaxed and happy, admiring the view of the water, while Blair is struggling with a hurricane of emotion.

What would he do if I just flat-out told him the truth?

If she admitted her feelings to him, had the guts to do it, cleansed her soul, would it change anything? Would he even care?

Road, I’ve been in love with you since the day we met. Crazy madly in love.

Really, babe? That’s great.

Did you hear what I said? I am out of my mind in love with you and have been for years.

That’s real nice, princess.

I know it was horrible what happened between us, but I have to confess, a tiny part of me was glad I carried your child inside of me, however briefly, because it was yours. I’d do anything for you, and I wanted our marriage to be real, but then you left me the first chance you got. Escaped was more like it!

Look, I only slept with you because I was drunk, and I only married you because you were pregnant.

Yes, and that’s how pathetic I am! Despite everything, I’m still madly in love with you. Don’t you see? The truth is I haven’t divorced you because I don’t want to. I’ll never get over you, and I’ll probably love you till the day I die.

Babe, that’s sweet.

Sweet? There’s nothing sweet about it! I’m so crazy in love with you I’d open a vein if you told me to. I’d jump off the roof of this building if you said it’d make you happy!

Really? Maybe you could give me back my car.

I don’t think so.

“So, what are we going to do about this, princess?”

“Huh?” Blair’s eyes flash to Road’s. “What did you say?” She realizes Road has been talking to her, but she hasn’t heard a word.

“About all your list making and checking the front door. Maybe I can help?”

The waiter brings them their food and drinks. It turns out Road ordered a beer and nachos, and he immediately digs into them.

“I can’t believe you’re still hungry after eating two burgers.”

“I’m always hungry.” Road leans back for a moment and pats his hard, flat stomach. “Got to feed the monster.”

Yeah, right.
Blair continues to watch him eat. She has a few bites herself, but is more interested in her drink.

“Why does everything have to be so perfect for you all the time?” he asks. “The lists, the car, worrying over where every fork or spoon goes.”

“I don’t know. I’ve always been this way. Everyone in my family is a perfectionist.” Granted, she’s the worst of the bunch.