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She runs her finger down my arm, and her lips fall into a sexy pout. “And are you going to punish me for it later?”
And just like that, I forget everything I wanted to say to her.
Chapter 18: The Final Stretch
Dax
Six cities in three weeks . . . That’s how far we’ve gone. We’ve basically traveled the entire circumference of the continental United States in a very short period of time. We’ve seen Destin, Colorado Springs, Santa Cruz, Seattle, and Fargo, and our current destination is Massachusetts.
My back aches, my legs ache, and I’m more ready to be out of the car than I’ve ever been. As much as my body revolts from the thought of another day in the tight confines of this vehicle, I can’t deny how much I’ve enjoyed the trip. Just knowing we’re coming to the end is a crushing disappointment. Before long, I’ll be back at the office, working seven in the morning until eight in the evening. I love my job, but I’m having trouble drumming up the enthusiasm for my return to the daily grind.
I have a strong suspicion it’s because of the woman at my side. I’ve made comments here and there about what life will be like on our return, and each time, Jess responds as though the finish line of our trip is the end of our time together.
I’ve never been in the position of wanting more and feeling at a loss on how to get it.
Since leaving Santa Cruz, the time has been one big blur of hotel rooms and highways. We’re coming up on our final stop in the trip, and the weight of what’s to come is weighing on me heavily.
How do I convince Jess we could extend our relationship outside of the game show? Does she really have no feelings for me at all? I don’t believe that’s the case, but I’m not used to feeling this vulnerable and uncertain around a woman.
I’m not even bothering to fight it. I’m crazy about her. I love being with her. Even now, just watching the way her face is in a relaxed smile as she reads her book brings about a feeling of contentment.
She must feel my eyes on her because she lifts her face and looks at me curiously.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah. Of course. I was just thinking about our last stop and how the trip is almost over.”
“It’s been a crazy ride. That’s for sure.” She starts digging around in the bag at her feet and pulls out a notebook. “Last night, I wrote down all of the winnings for our trip so far. We’ve done really well.”
“What do you have so far?”
“So we won first place in Destin and Seattle, second place in Santa Cruz, and fifth place in Colorado Springs and Fargo. That brings our total winnings up to twenty-five thousand dollars. Split between the two of us, we’ll each get a nice chunk of change,” she says excitedly.
I’ve dreaded the thought of this discussion since we first started the trip. She’s not going to like what I’m about to tell her, but that’s too bad. She’s stubborn, but I’m more so.
I shake my head at her. “That’s twenty-five thousand for you and nothing for me. I was never doing this for the money. I want you to have it all.”
Jess stares at me for a second, then looks back down at her pad of paper. “No way. We split evenly. That was the deal.”
“Technically, I never agreed to that,” I say reasonably.
“Technically, I don’t care what you agreed to. It was implied. I’m not your charity case, Dax. I’m not taking money from you.”
My hand runs through my hair in a frustrated motion. “I realize that. However, I never did this for the money. I did this to get away from life, to have a moment to relax, and to help you out of a jam. That’s all I wanted out of this.”
She shrugs and refuses to look up from her paper. “Fine. You can take your half of the money and burn it in your fireplace for all I care. But you will be taking it, and I’m not going to discuss this any further.”
“Why are you so damn stubborn?”
“Because I choose to be, and lucky for me, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Either you take the money, or I’ll find another way to get it to you,” I tell her. “I have ways of getting things done.”
“Go ahead and try it,” she shoots back, undeterred.
“Babe, be reasonable. Once we’re married, the money won’t matter anyway,” I tell her.
My head nods toward the camera mounted near our front window. Every once in a while, we have to remind each other that someone is almost always listening.
