July Apple Pies

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

THERE COMES A MOMENT IN every relationship when one of the two people in it must make an important decision that will affect both of them. That decision is so important that the eventual outcome or repercussions can either make or break the relationship. It defines the way the submissive person will see the decision taker for years to come.

Even if they where not technically on a relationship, that moment eventually arrived for Nora and Ryder as they sat on the car, the seven pies carefully placed on Nora’s lap.

“So, what now?” she asked as she eyed Ryder. She could see the mental debate he was having with himself mirrored on his face. Go back home? Face his mother’s wrath? Go to another pie store? Where there any other pie stores owned my non-American people? If so, where those open?

“You know, we have seven pies,” she told him. There was a part of her–a big one–that just wanted to go back to the party and eat her way through everything the Crawley’s had on their large fancy tables.

“Yeah. It’s just not enough. I knew it would be hard to get the pies, but when I saw Mama Rita’s open, I just thought…”

“That maybe there was nothing to worry about in the first place.”

By the way she was looking straight ahead and because of the grim expression on her face, Ryder could tell Nora was thinking about something else. Something she probably wouldn’t tell him.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try, though.

“What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know how”–she said. She turned to look at him with wide eyes, looking alarmed– “but I think my mom planned this.”

Ryder frowned. He expected her to laugh or smile, do anything that could hint she was joking, but she didn’t. “Okay,” he said with a small nod of his head. “What exactly do you mean by this?”

“This,” she said as she moved a hand back and forth between the two of them. “You and me. Here in this car. The same dresses. The having to leave the party. You forgetting the pies. Everything.”

“Actually,” he said as he tried to figure out Nora and her weird mood swings, “I forgot the pies because I was helping a friend. Not because of your mom.”

Suddenly, Nora seemed to realize how weird she was acting. “Oh,” she said as she frowned. She took a hand to her forehead and gave it a soft massage. “I’m sorry, I just–” She stopped talking when her hand hit an injured spot, making her wince. “My head hurts.”

Ryder laughed, not really believing that was the reason for her sudden weird outburst. “Nice excuse.”

Nora rolled her eyes at him and sighted. “I mean that I–” He was still staring at her with a smug smirk. “Forget it.” She looked down at the pies in her lap and grimaced. “What now? We could still try and get a few more pies. I doubt we can get thirteen more,” she smiled hopefully, “but maybe enough for your mom to just ground you for a very long time and not kill you.”

Ryder chuckled. “Like I’d rather have that,” he said and then he went back to being serious. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, we could start by your friend. You helped him. Maybe, if he has any pies, he can help you.”

“We can’t go in there,” Nora said for the third time as she kept staring at the tall white house before them.