READY FOR LOVE | JENLISA

Chapter 66

Lisa

I shift in the driver's seat, trying my best to get comfortable, my ass numb and body stiff from the five hour drive. I blink a few times and reach for the coffee in the cup holder, gulping down the cold, remaining contents. Jennie offered to drive for a while, but I refused, letting her rest in the passenger seat after waking up at the ass crack of dawn to get ready and leave.

Glancing to my right, I catch a glimpse of Jennie adorably curled up in the passenger seat, her long hair slicked back into a ponytail, revealing the side of her face that isn't pressed to the window. Her elbow is planted on the door, her fist under her chin as her dark lashes rest against her cheeks. She tried her best to stay awake for my sake, but the blur of the scenery passing by seemed to win, lulling her to sleep.

We left her house early this morning, the day after Christmas, to head to Florida and get there just before noon, to enjoy as much sun as possible. We ended up taking her car because I only have the motorcycle, and I was not about to make the five hour commute on that thing during this time of the year.

Christmas just so happened to fall on the Tuesday right after finals, and I spent the holiday with Jennie and her family, instead of being locked up in my dorm like the previous years. Just like Thanksgiving, spending the holiday with her family was amazing. It was literally perfect, like something straight out of one of those cheesy family Christmas movies.

I glance down at the dashboard to notice the needle of the gas gauge flirting with the large E, telling me that we need to stop for gas. And to stretch, I think as I shift around in my seat for the umpteenth time, feeling a twinge of pain in my lower back.

I drive until I find a decent enough gas station, pulling in and filling up the tank. Locking the car doors, with Jennie still asleep inside, I jog inside the small gas station to grab us some drinks and snacks, and while on my way towards the cash register I pass the cheap liquor section, grabbing a bottle of the nicest wine they have, which is less than ten dollars, if that says anything. Thankfully, I don't think Jennie drinks often, if ever, so hopefully she won't notice the low end bottle. I just want to make tonight and this little vacation special.

Since last week, also known as the best night of my entire life, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Jennie and how perfect that night was. But despite it being perfect, it was far from romantic. I can't help but think about how she deserves more, and I want to give her more. The best. She deserves flowers, candles, wine, and a decent size bed, and I'll be damned if I don't give at least that much to her.

I want and need to show her how much she means to me and how much that night meant to me, too. I'm determined to make our second time beyond perfect for her.

I walk up to the register and the man behind the counter looks zoned out, a far off look in his pale blue eyes. He's tall, rail thin, dishevelled, and the dried scabs on his arms are a tell-tale sign that he's a total druggie. I set my arm that's full of things down on the counter with a thud to grab his attention. His blanked out eyes slowly find mine and wordlessly, mechanically, he starts scanning my items.

"ID." he asks after scanning the wine, and I'm honestly surprised he even bothered to ask.

I grab my wallet out of my back pocket and pull out my driver's license, handing it over. He glances at it, not even really looking. Just before he goes to hand it back, something seems to catch his eye and he snaps the little plastic card back a few inches in front of his face, examining it intently. Something actually seems to start churning in his empty brain, making me uneasy.

"Any day, pal." I snap, wondering why this crackhead is staring at my ID like that. Hopefully he doesn't have the mental capacity to remember anything about me, like my address so he can come and rob then murder me in the middle of the night.

He blinks, reluctantly handing me back my card. I shove it back into my wallet and pull out my credit card, shoving it in the card reader before he can rattle off the total. As soon as the transaction is approved, I gather up my things, not bothering to stay a second longer to ask this weirdo for a bag.

I jut my hip into the handrail of the door, pushing it open and getting the hell out of here, that guy totally giving me the creepy vibes. As quietly as I can, I open the back door of Jennie's car and dump everything into her back seat before jumping back behind the wheel.

As soon as I turn the key and the engine rumbles to life, I hear Jennie take in a deep breath through her nose, and I look over to see her stir awake. Tiredly, her eyes flutter open and she sits up straight, getting her bearings. Her brown eyes flicker over to me and I can't help but chuckle at how adorably sleepy she looks and the small red indent on her cheek from being pressed against the window.

"What?" she asks through a yawn, stretching a bit, her stiff bones making tiny cracking noises.

"Nothing. You're just really cute." I state with a grin.

She blushes slightly, rolling her eyes.

I grab her chin and pull her lips to mine, kissing her longingly. I only cut the kiss short because I still feel perturbed by the creepy gas station guy, needing to get as far away from here as possible.

"How much longer?" Jennie asks as soon as we pull out onto the main road.

"We're about thirty minutes away from the hotel." I inform her, reaching over to grab her hand, while bringing it to my lips.

"When we get there, do you want to unpack and rest before grabbing some lunch? Then maybe we can head to the beach?" she asks, and I can hear the excitement in her voice. She's been dying to go to the beach, talking about it non-stop for the last couple of days.

I can't help but smile against the back of her hand. "Sure, baby. Whatever you want."