“Don’t do that again.” The wrinkle in his brow is deepening, making a large crevice on his face.
“I was just worried about you,” I say in my defense.
“I told you, I can take care of myself.”
“Okay, I just?—”
“Just nothing. Don’t interrupt my sleep again.” My eyes grow wide, and I feel ashamed.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. I feel bad about it, but I can’t deny that I’m relieved he’s fine.
“You don’t need to be so freaking neurotic all the time.” His voice is brash and stern, and I bet if there was a puppy here to kick, he would.
“Hey!” I shout now. I know I’m being neurotic, but I don’t want to be called out on it this early in the morning.
Dean shakes his head.
He rubs his temples and I stare at my feet. I know it was a neurotic thing to do.
“But please. Next time, give me more than two minutes to get on my feet,” He says, running his hands through his hair.
“Okay,”I agree.
“Let’s get on the road.”
“Okay,” I say all I can manage. Dean puts on his coat and wraps the scarf jammed in the sleeve tightly around his neck. He walks towards me, and I feel like cowering in the corner, afraid that he might snap at me again, but he grabs the handle of my suitcase for me and totes it with ease. I put on my own coat and hug the strap of my tote bag closer to me.
I follow him to the front desk where he checks us out of the inn, and thanks Angel with a smile for her service. We don’t speak when we get in the car, and we don’t speak whenwe pull into the gas station around the corner. This minivan’s gas mileage is practically nonexistent. I don’t say a word, just handing him my debit card.
I feel a pit in my stomach after getting yelled at, so I pull out my pepto. I’m about halfway through the packets. “I’m going inside the mini mart.” I carefully hop out of the van, on the hunt to refill my stash, even though I have another completely full box and bottle in my suitcase. This is for my tote bag. I don’t want to run out when I need it the most, and the tote bag is easy access.
The bell on the door to the mini mart rings when I push open the door. I pace the entire floor plan of the store and can’t find any pepto, in fact, they don’t seem to sell any medicine in this store. I theorize it must be behind the counter.
In the meantime, I decide to pick out a snack for Dean as a peace offering. I’m stuck on choosing between a banana and a beef jerky stick. Guys like meat, right? But Dean isn’t just any guy. He’s a pharmacist. I resolve to just get both.
Cradling the banana and beef jerky, I ask the burly man behind the counter if they have any medicine. He grunts and begins looking in a basket behind him. He places some options on the counter for me.
I’ve never seen these kinds of pills before, but each package is adorned with a rhinoceros…surrounded by bikini clad women and fireballs. I don’t think this is the kind of medication I’m looking for.
“I don’t think—” I start, but I’m caught off guard by the names like Rhino Blitz Gold and Platinum Rhino 25000. Who oversees naming these things? I hold back a giggle.
“I didn’t know you needed a stronger erection, Madeline.” I hear the voice over my shoulder. Oh, fuck.
“No, no, I don’t, I just…” I trail off, trying to contain myself. “I was looking for stomach medicine.”
The cashier stares at us blankly. “We don’t have that here.”
“You have plenty already,” Dean remarks, placing a banana on the counter. I place my own banana and beef jerky on the counter. “Just this.”
“$4.98.” The cashier tells us.
Dean hands him a crisp $5 bill. I take my banana and now I’m stuck with this beef jerky. Dean leaves his pennies in the TAKE A PENNY OR LEAVE A PENNY tray. Frozen in place, still embarrassed by the rhino pills, I watch him walk towards the door.
“Stop standing there like a tranquilized bear. Let’s go.” He stands stiffly at the door, and he’s had enough of me already. “Come on.”
I look at my feet and will them to move. Dean holds the door open for me, and I exit the store calmly and swiftly. Once I reach the van, I pull on the passenger door handle, but it’s locked. I pull again, still locked.
“Hold on,” Dean says, fumbling with the keys between his gloves and the banana. I pull it again for old times sake. “I said, hold on!”
