Novel Storm
19
“You okay?” Chandler asked. “You went scary quiet on me there.”
It was perceptive of him, and it made her give him a curious glance. She had been quiet most of the trip, but even him, this man who didn’t really know her, was able to tell the difference in her silence.
Elena gave him a small smile. “Just thinking about emotional trauma from years back, if you must know.”
He groaned, leaning forward to turn the music up. “Nope. Not going there, love. We haven’t been fake dating long enough.”
After almost an hour of him trying to engage her in conversation, that was the thing that did the trick. She turned in her seat to appraise his facial expression. “Come on, I’ll share mine if you share yours.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“We are still on the road, surprisingly,” she said. “What else should we talk about?”
“Literally anything.” He changed lanes after a quick glance at his blind spot.
“I’d talk about politics. Religion. Women I’ve slept with in the past because I’ve never done the dating thing.. At least not in a long time. Let’s hit one of those for fun.”
Elena’s head tilted. “What exactly happened between you and your brother. When we were in school, all I knew was that you guys weren’t close. Emily referred to you as the black sheep of the family…. Knowing Emily, she must have been exaggerating, I don’t know… But what exactly was going on between you guys?”
Chandler blew out a hard breath.”She wasn’t exaggerating. But honestly, I don’t think talking about that would be fun. Let’s try this instead…. Do you know that one time when I was still in high school, I had a girlfriend who cheated on me… With my best friend? Let’s recap that in detail. I’d gladly talk about that instead”
A smile twitched at the edges of Elena’s mouth, but she tamped it down. Being charmed by his reticence to talk about his family would do her no good.
“You would make a great kid shrink, you know?” he said. “Badgering poor children into sharing.”
“You’re very skilled at deflection, Chandler.”
He sent her a crooked grin. “I’m skilled at a lot of things, trust me. Not talking about my family isn’t even at the top of the list.”
Rolling her eyes at the innuendo, she turned back to the window. Vacaville was beautiful, but as they drove farther, the views seemed to increase in grandeur. “No wonder Emily loves it here,” she told him. “It’s amazing.”
Not that her comment necessitated a response, but Chandler didn’t say anything right away. Then he let out a slow exhale, the kind you’d make after a good yoga stretch or when you slip into a bathtub full of hot water and it hits your skin for the first time. It was the kind of sigh that said her soul is at ease.
“What about you?” he asked, “The night I met you, I asked you if you liked it here and you said you couldn’t give your review. Are you ready to give it now?”
She nodded,
“Well?” he probed when she didn’t say anything else.
“I love it.” Elena told him, “at least so far, nothing has happened to make me hate it here. It’s been only one week since I got the space for by business and so far, there has been no major circumstances as I settle in, so I can’t complain,”
“I’m happy for you,” said Chandler. “And I’m glad you like it. I have lived in Vacaville for about ten years now and I don’t plan to leave any time soon.”
As he navigated the sleek, winding roads towards the destination, Elena gazed out of the car window, the passing city lights painting fleeting streaks across her mesmerized eyes. An hour and a half had slipped away, she thought, the chatter and soft music in the car creating a comfortable ambiance.
They finally arrived at the venue, and Elena sighed and stared at her phone, noticing that it was already 11:30 pm. With a gentle clearing of her throat, she turned towards Chandler, her voice laced with concern. “Chandler, it’s getting late and we only just arrived. I didn’t know the place was going to be so far from home. How are we planning to get back home after the party?”
Chandler’s eyes flickered to meet hers momentarily before returning his attention to the road as he parked the car. He stopped, but made no move to get out. He opened his mouth and hesitated, considering his response. “Actually, Elena, I knew we wouldn’t be coming home tonight so I arranged for us to stay here at the hotel where the party’s being held. They’ve reserved a room for us for the night.”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
Surprise and frustration knit together on Elena’s features. “What? You’re telling me we’re staying the night? Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” Her tone held a mix of bewilderment and exasperation.
“I’m sorry,”
“You’re sorry?” Elena repeated. Her heart raced at the idea of spending the night alone in a hotel room with him. Just what was he thinking when he did this? “Was this your plan all along?”
Chandler faced her. He reached for her hand but she pulled it away from his reach, her eyes shooting daggers at him. He pulled back. “I wanted to tell you at first,” he explained, glancing at her briefly, gauging her reaction. “I was worried that if I told you, you’d refuse to come with me and I… I really wanted you to be here with me tonight. I wanted to take a flight at first, but I figured this way, we’d have more time to talk before the party,”
“So you deceived me?”
“No.. I mean… I…. Look, Elena, when you say it like that it sounds evil and diabolical and that’s not the kind of man I want you to think I am.” He said, “It was shitty of me to do it in the first place but I thought it might be a nice way to extend the evening after the party, and not worry about the drive back in the late hours.”
Elena’s agitation was palpable as she folded her arms, the disappointment evident in her eyes. “Chandler, you should have told me. I didn’t plan for an overnight stay and I really don’t know how I feel about us spending the night in the same hotel room.”