FAR, sza

chapter eight

eight.

The air in the night caused almost an equivalent to being in an elevated trance. Light hairs on her arm sprung up, feeling the cool air pass delicately through each follicle. She rolled down the windows of a vintage mustang to gaze into the stars that twinkled a little brighter than usual.

Each star decorated the sky just right, providing enough separation between each one. Adjusting in her seat she turned to look at him. His hand open palmed the wheel loosely as he made a wide turn into a parking lot.

She took time to observe him. He now had a permanent mark that rested under his eye and a trimmed "grown man" beard. Neither one of those were there before she'd last seen him. He no longer had that baby face with stubble that refused to grow. His lanky physique had dissipated. He'd matured in all the right places, a thanks to keeping an athletic build.

Her observations weren't as weird as it seemed. As an artist she studied anatomy and the way the human body moved and functioned. Everything was intricate, being delicately designed in structure. It was easy to read his body language.

He felt at home in Chloe's presence, almost as if they hadn't missed a beat.

Suddenly the comfortable silence they were in broke. "Thank you." Jaylen parked his car and unbuckled his seatbelt. He took the keys out of the ignition and placed them into the same pocket that held his wallet.

"Huh, for?" Bewildered, Chloe took a staggered deep breath as she was pulled out of her rampant thoughts. It didn't seem real. He didn't seem real. She picked his hand up and began to trace the veins that started at the base of each digit up to the insides of his wrist. After she picked at a stubborn hair that stuck out of place in his beard, she brought both of her arms to rest under her chin as she looked to him in admiration.

Careful not to tangle his hands in his beard, he ran his fingertips across the hairs in gentle repeated motions. "I wondered how long it would take for me to get my face back. I know I'm handsome, but I'll let a gorgeous woman hold onto it a little longer."

"Still a flirt, I see. Where are we?" Opening the door, he quickly jogged to open her's. He remembered how independent she was.

Chloe always opened her door no matter the circumstances. It had nothing to do with all the principalities that came with needing a gentleman to do it. But, she always accepted each gesture from him. In a sense it was one of his love languages.

Grabbing a hold of her hand, he closed the door with his free one. "A food truck. You've never heard of Oscar's?" He chuckled in disbelief. "It's the hottest thing in the surrounding areas. He's got trucks in a few cities."

Chloe leaned into his embrace as the wind picked up in the absence of the sun. She hooked their arms together, while using her other one to run her hands up and down his arm. The friction inadvertently warmed her up. The pair walked up, waiting in line behind another couple.

"How can I help y'all tonight?" In a dry, unenthusiastic tone, a man looked to them annoyed. Keeping his eyes trained on the screen he waited impatiently to receive their order. His finger hovered over the device, ready to input their information.

Even though Jaylen often ordered the same thing every time he came, he still looked at the menu. Rubbing his toned belly, he peaked at the options again to make sure he was confident in his decision. "Can I get five beef tacos and a chicken quesadilla with a side of cheese? If y'all still got some elote, I'll take that too. Easy on the peppers. And whatever she'd like." Glancing down at Chloe he laughed, seeing her eyes enlarge at all the food he'd ordered for himself.

"Do you use different utensils for your vegan options?" Chloe walked closer to the window to make sure the employee could hear her over the mechanics of the truck and few people that were still in the parking lot.