“Okay, that’s too small.”
He grabbed another shoe, and it was too small, too. “So let’s try eight and a half.”
She slipped the shoe on and rolled her ankle. “It feels good.”
“Let me tie it, and then we’ll try the other one.”
“Okay.”
With both shoes on, she stood and took a step. The weight felt foreign, and she had to pick her feet up more than she was used to. But it felt good walking. She walked to the end of the row and then back to Q.
“What do you think?”
She shrugged then winced, worried that he would be mad that she’d lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know.” He didn’t react, instead he grabbed the last box he had brought over.
“I have a nine. Let’s see what you think.”
She had the nines on, but they weren’t right. “They feel like they are flopping around on my feet.”
“So probably too big. Let’s get the other ones back on you.”
After Q made sure her shoes fit, they went to the clothing area, and she tried on pants and shirts. She wanted a dress, but the types of dresses she was used to wearing weren’t there. All the dresses she tried on showed way too much skin for her comfort. The jeans and shirts covered her body, which made her feel much more comfortable. Q helped her get her shoes back on and tied. She thought she recognized the knot he used, but she wasn’t sure.
She was a little surprised they couldn’t just walk out. Instead, they had to stop and pay. She didn’t know much about money, but she thought Q had spent way too much on her. At least she had clothes to wear now. He said they would get more once they got to San Diego, whatever that was.
The store was closing when they left, and she was tired. Her stomach rumbled as they drove back to the hotel. Q glanced at her, then smiled.
“We can stop for something to eat. How about tacos? You’ve had tacos, right?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what that is.”
“Oh, Mexican food might be spicy.”
“We eat chicken and beef, also pork. My job was roasting chickens. I’m good at that.”
She stared out the window, looking at the bright signs that were hard for her to take in. “There is so much here.”
“How about a fried chicken place?”
She recognized what he said so she shrugged again. “Sure.” She watched him, seeing if he reacted to her shrugging. He didn’t. That was interesting.
They went in and he ordered for her. She felt uncomfortable with other people making her food because she’d never eaten any food prepared by someone outside her community.
The food came, and it was hot, so she waited for it to cool down a little before taking the first bite. It was good, not as good as her friend’s chicken, but still okay. The mashed potatoes were okay, but the coleslaw wasn’t great.
“Do you like the food?”
She met his gaze but didn’t shrug because she thought she was pushing her luck. “It tastes okay. I can make better.”
“I’m sure you can. When did you start cooking?”
“I’ve always worked in the kitchen. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t doing something.”
He nodded. “After we eat, we can go back to the room and get some sleep. I’d rather wake early and head out.”
She swallowed the bite she was working on as a weird feeling twisted through her. Did Q expect her to sleep with him? She wiped her mouth on a napkin and looked up at him before she lowered her eyes. The man her father had picked for her to marry had been old. It was one of the reasons she’d run, but not the only one. Q was younger and the thought of sleeping with him made her heat.
“Are you okay?” Q asked.
