That shut me up, but only for a moment. “I was going to take the train,” I said pathetically.
Mark frowned. “It’s raining. Get in the car. We can’t be late.”
I made a face but sat in the passenger’s seat. The rainwater had made the poncho smell even worse. Mark sniffed as he got back into the car. I steamed in silence under the smelly poncho for the next few blocks until Mark abruptly parked the car. He turned to look at me.
“Brea,” he said and reached over to me. His blue eyes were intense. He tugged lightly at the poncho. I licked my lips.
“There are a lot of people watching,” I croaked.
Mark looked confused. “Your poncho smells like death,” he said, tugging it over my head. I let him pull it off, then he ran to throw it in a nearby street trash can. He kissed me when he got back into the car, but I crossed my arms.
“That was a perfectly good poncho.”
Mark barked out a laugh as he pulled back into traffic. “I thought maybe you had turned into Cruella de Vil and were skinning wet dogs to wear.”
“I would never!”
A small bark sounded from the back seat.
“You brought my baby!” I exclaimed, reaching back to pet Beowulf.
“He’s mine now,” Mark said with a smirk.
“Oooh, he’s getting really possessive!” I made a tiger-growl sound. “Papa bear! I like it!”
* * *
It had stopped rainingby the time we drove into Harrogate.
“Pull over,” I told Mark, pointing to Ida’s General Store. “I need a snack before I can put on my bridesmaid hat.”
Mark looked up at the sign as we stepped out of the car. He had Beowulf in his arms.
“This place has awesome local snacks,” I said, “and they sell sandwiches.”
“You don’t want ice cream?” Mark said, a hint of a smile around his mouth.
“Ha ha,” I said as he followed me into the store.
You’re acting like you’re his, well, not girlfriend and not hookup…maybe friend who is a girl? You cannot! We are simply buying time to run Memphis Eve out of New York.
I picked out a hot breakfast sandwich from the warmer then snagged a coffee and took it up to the cash register. Mark took out his credit card.
“You don’t have to,” I said, feeling self-conscious.
“I threw away your poncho. I think it was worth at least as much as a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee.”
I unwrapped my breakfast biscuit to give my hands something to do.
“Hey there, hot stuff!” a woman with a shock of white hair and bright-yellow lipstick exclaimed as she tapped at the register. She winked at Mark, who froze. “You were supposed to come on a double date with me, Harris, and Dottie, but I see you have it covered. I’ll have to tell Dottie to take a hike.”
“I suppose you must be Ida,” Mark said faintly.
“One and only! Hey,” she said to me, “how did you like all the penis enhancements I sent over for him? Did you notice a difference? Though a man like that seems like he’d be a stud already. I have some vaginal stretchers if you’d like to peruse them.”
I was quietly choking on my breakfast sandwich and took a swallow of the coffee.
Mark patted me on the back. “She’s my grandfather’s new girlfriend,” Mark said grimly.
