Do me a favor and leave me out of it. I dont want strangers reading about me.
Dont worry. If I mention you at all, Ill give you an assumed name.
What kind of name?
I dont know. I havent thought of anything yet. She leaned back and dug around in the tote that rested on the floor behind his seat and pulled out two apples. Want one?
Thanks. He accepted the fruit, bit into it, and chewed, looking thoughtful. I dont think Ive ever met anyone like you.
She laughed. A lot of people say that. This time, Im going to take it as a compliment.
Do you look on the bright side of everything?
You can either cry or laugh. I prefer to laugh. She leaned back in the seat and took a bite out of her apple. Not that her life was one laugh after the other, but she did try to limit the tears. Anyone who micro-managed things as much as Craig seemed to could use a few more laughs in his life. Maybe she could oblige, and enjoy herself in the process.
But not too much. She shifted in her seat as her inner seductress sought once more to make an appearance. What was with her today? Shed have to check the ingredients on the power bar shed had for breakfast. Maybe it contained some secret aphrodisiac.
She glanced at the man in the drivers seat. He was intent on traffic, apparently oblivious to the effect he was having on her and her libido. That figured. She was lusting after
Handsome here and he was figuring out the best route through Virginia. That was the story of her life, wasnt it? They might be in the same car, but once again, she was headed in the wrong direction.
HERE I am on the road again, this time headed to California. My chauffeur is a man who wishes to remain anonymous, so Ill be referring to him as the Chef. This trip is definitely shaping up unlike any other Ive taken. Not to say the Chef is uptight or anything, but the man has a schedule planned down to the minute. When we stop for gas, he figures his mileage and records it in a little notebook he keeps in his glove compartment, along with the date and the price of the gas. When I suggested we make a little detour through Winchester, Virginia, to see the Worlds Largest Apple (Red Delicious, natch!) he looked at me like I was a nut. I can see Im going to have to educate him on the Travels with Marlee philosophynever pass up a chance for adventure!
Hasnt he heard the point of a vacation is to relax? Still, hes a nice guy when he loosens up, and I appreciate him giving me a lift to Susans wedding. And who knows? Ive got the next few days to convince him to slow down and make room in his life for adventure. After all, this wouldnt be Travels with Marlee without a few detours along the way, would it?
MARLEE fell asleep shortly after they crossed into Virginia, her legs drawn up beside her, her head resting against the window. Craig glanced at her every few minutes, enjoying the view. She wasnt what youd call a stunning woman, but she had an intriguing, gamin qualityshort brown hair and huge dark eyes set against pale skin. And that damned wide-eyed optimism of hers was coupled with an oversize self-confidence.
When shed called him on the carpet this morning over his jerky behavior, hed been struck dumb with awe. He couldnt help but admire anyone who seemed so sure of herself.
He still wasnt sure about spending the week traveling with her, though. The whole reason he was driving to California instead of flying was to have the time alone. Hed purposely set aside two weeks for the trip out and back and planned his route to give him plenty of time to get to the wedding and relax beforehand. He had some important decisions to make about his future and this would be a good time to sort things out in his head. The last thing he needed was a woman along. Shed throw off his schedule completely and he wouldnt get a moments peace.
Quit your whining, Brinkman. You said youd do this, so time to gut it up and do it. He had to admit hed enjoyed Marlees company so far. He smiled, remembering all her talk about the importance of doing work you loved. That was certainly a different way to look at things. He wondered what his dad would say if Craig tried out that argument. Dad had wanted him to be a banker or an architect. To his way of thinking, cooking was something women did. He was still waiting for Craig to come to his senses and get a real job.
If only he could make Dad see that being a chef was a real job, and he had the potential to be a big success at it. It was all part of his five-year plan: establish a customer base and get on-the-job training working for someone else, then open his own place inside the Loop. Hed already completed the first part of his plan. After three years at the Senate Dining Room, he felt ready to strike out on his own. But it was still risky. He had to find the right location, design the perfect menu and make sure he had enough financial backing. He wanted to be certain of every detail before he made his move.
Marlee sighed and shifted in her seat, smiling to herself. What was she so happy about? And why did was he suddenly happier, just being in the same car with her? Obviously hed been neglecting his social life too much if simply being with a woman he hardly knew could make him this lightheaded.