“I am a man, or a boyfriend, but not a boy,” he stated.
“Just get in the car, Ice,” she said.
He glanced around the parking lot to make sure there was no danger before obeying the command.
Chapter Nine
“Eat this.” Elle handed Ice the hot dog before placing the bag on the floor near his feet. She started the car and drove them out of the parking lot. She’d bought a bag of crappy convenient store food, but she actually enjoyed it. “My dad calls this road trip food. It was the only time my mom let us eat junk when I was a kid. But since I’m an adult, I can eat junk whenever I want.”
“Is junk not garbage?”
“Can be.”
He held the hot dog out for her to take. She ignored his hand as she turned the wheel toward the highway. “I will not eat from the garbage.”
“It’s a figure of speech. You need to eat.” She gave him a side-eye look. “I assume you need to eat.”
He lifted the hot dog to his nose and sniffed. Then, slowly opening his mouth, he brought the foil toward his lips.
“Whoa, stop.” She placed her hand between his face and the food. His mouth hit the back of her hand, his teeth grazing her skin as he bit her. He recoiled from her hand.
“I told you I did not wish to eat you,” he stated. “Do not try to put yourself in my mouth again.”
“You have to take it out of the wrapper first.” Elle snatched the hot dog from him and began steering with her knees as she tore the foil-lined paper. She gave it back to him before putting her hand on the top of the wheel, so she could see the damage his bite had caused. There was a distinct dotting of blood patterned across the back of her hand.
“I have soda, water, juice…” She reached down to feel for the bag while still keeping her eyes on the road. “I’d probably start with the water. Humans need to hydrate. I’m not sure what Sintazians need, but water seems the safest bet.”
“This meat tastes…” He examined the bite he’d taken from the hot dog.
“I know, I’m sorry. They didn’t have a lot of meat options.” She felt the top of a bottle and pulled it into her lap. Hopefully the caffeine would help keep her awake for the long drive ahead.
“It is good.” He nodded in approval. “I like your hot dogs.”
“Okay, then great.” She screwed the lid off the soda. “The baby aspirin is in the bag if you still have a headache.”
He took another bite and glanced toward his feet. He dug into the bag and pulled out the bottle. He shook it a few times. “The aspirin is inside the wrapper?”
She nodded. “It is.”
He tore the box open and then looked around before throwing it in the backseat with the rest of the trash. He fumbled with the child safety lid, trying to pry it with his fingers. She took it from him, turned it so that the notches lined up, and then popped it open.
He took it from her, sniffed it, and then proceeded to dump pills into his mouth.
“Oh, wait, you’re only supposed to take one,” she said, trying to grab it.
He leaned away from her and began to crunch his mouthful. She managed to get the bottle from him with only slightly swerving the car over the edge of the road. “Spit them out. It’s too much!”
“It feels like the right dose to me,” he said.
She hesitated. “Have you taken it before?”
“Many times. The crew that brought us here supplied the compound to us on the ship and told us how we could find the same substance on Earth should we have need of more. It is what changes our color to that of humans.” He took another bite of the hot dog and then set it on his lap as he pulled out of the jacket. “I will need more of it to remain blended in. These clothes are too warm to wear.”
“The robbery,” Elle said. “It was baby aspirin.”
“In Denver. It is in Colorado. You said you thought my brothers were in Colorado. We now know where to find them.”
“Did you tell the scientists about the baby aspirin?” Elle hadn’t been there when the scientists did their thing. She wasn’t sure what happened. Part of her didn’t want to know.
