and we chased

Chapter 11

ARIA

"Where do you think we're going?", Lewis asks me as he arrives in his car in front of my apartment, to pick me up so that we can go to the airport. He makes the effort to step outside and get my suitcase, putting in the trunk. He even opens the car door for me.

Someone took some lessons.

I look down at my pink rib top, the white skirt, the sneakers in the same color as the skirt as well as the sweater tied around my neck, hanging on my shoulders. My hair is caught in a pink clip, I am wearing some sunglasses on the top of my head, and my lucky necklaces are as usual around my neck.

"Out", I answer, smiling above both ears. This might be a business trip but as far as I'm concerned, it is still a trip.

"We're going to work, not to fucking Disneyland", he counters bored. I sigh exhausted and pull down the mirror to my seat, to apply some lip gloss. I can see Lewis frown, yet he starts driving at his usual speed.

"That's sad. I like Disneyland", I reply, giving an air kiss to the mirror to test the gloss. Lewis offers me a side-eye. I roll my eyes and pack away the gloss, so that he doesn't see it anymore.

"It's still work. No need to look like a princess", he mutters.

I can't help but let my mouth twitch. "Someone thinks I look like a princess."

"I was merely stating facts", he tries to talk himself out of this.

I am not letting this go so easily. "It's alright. I'll take it as a compliment."

"I didn't say you look like a princess."

"So you don't think I look like a princess?"

"I did not say that either."

"So, what did you say, Mr. Cunnan?"

"Coffee?", he asks me, handing me a cup from the cup holder.

I'm staring at him confused. "Is it poisoned?"

"Do you really think so little of me?", he teases me, yet his voice sounds a tiny bit hurt.

"I mean, yeah...", I mumble.

Lewis gives me another side-eye.

"Fine, I'll take the coffee", I give up, putting my hands on the cup and taking a first sip. Vanilla latte.

"Delicious", I whisper to myself.

I can see Lewis' mouth twitch in the reflection in the rearview mirror. "Thought I'd return the favor from your first day."

"So you did like the coffee", I let out.

He chuckles. "It was nice. Not as good as a dark one with oat milk, but it was okay."

I roll my eyes, wanting to comment again, yet I stop myself by taking a sip from the latte.

Neither of us says anything else since that point, but neither of us wants to murder the other, so I'd say it is a step forward.