Instead of responding, he pointed to a travel mug in the centre console.
“Coffee?”
He smirked.
She lifted the mug and took a tentative sniff. Jasmine tea. She smiled despite herself. “You’re full of surprises.”
He just laughed. “I took a wild guess you might be one of those people who prefer green tea.”
“Bag in or out?” she asked just to be difficult.
He punished her by waiting until he’d steered them onto the highway before responding.
“Out,” he finally answered. “But there’s another tea bag in the console if it’s not strong enough,princess.”
She gave him a genuine smile. “Awesome. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He drove quickly and confidently, and before long they were leaving the dense tree line of the peninsula behind, his headlights showing her more farm country and small towns as they sped toward the city.
She sipped her tea, then closed her eyes. Repeated that a few times. But she was too keyed up to rest, and the car was oddly quiet.
He glanced over at her, as if he was thinking the same thing. Before she could suggest turning on the radio, he beat her to the punch. “What kind of music do you listen to?”
She laughed. “Really?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you don’t like country all the time.”
“Born and raised in Tennessee. It’s in my blood.”
He turned on the radio and found a station, but it was on a commercial, so he turned it down again. “Ever lived anywhere else?”
“Not for any length of time. I’ve traveled all over the world, though.”
“Favourite place?”
“Nashville.”
He laughed. “Outside of your job.”
“No such thing.”
“Ah.”
She gave him a weird look. “What are you doing?”
“We have a five hour drive to the airport. I’m making conversation.”
“Oh.”
He laughed. “For a celebrity, your social skills are a bit rusty.”
“My social skills are just fine.”
“Nobody pushes you to really talk, do they?”
“Are you nominating yourself to be my therapist, too?”
