Stitches

3: Blue Plate Special

—Kendra—

The jeep came to a stop in the parking space at the back of the diner. Kendra cut the engine and dug her phone out of her pocket. Her fingers moved in a frenzy as she wrote up a message.

|Kendra:

-Just parked. I Need to talk with the guy I picked up and check something on my jeep. Could you please check the lost and found for any dry clothes that could fit him? 

Dots appeared on her screen when a reply came in.

|Miss Della:

-I got his height off the license you sent. The issuing date was three years ago. Is he still scrawny looking like in the face picture on it?

Since the picture he'd taken three years ago, Travis had grown out his hair that was a mix of honey-gold and caramel. The two locked eyes. His were an agate-green with hints of blue swirled into them. They were beautiful, but contrasted with the red spider veins that creeped along his sclerae like a crimson ivy creeping along a wall.

"What?" he asked, when she realized she had been gawking at him.

"Oh... sorry, my boss wanted me to-" Kendra went quiet. Was she actually flustered by the rando from the roadside? "You know what? Smile for me." A dead eye stare met her request. She shook her head and held up her phone. "Just try not to look crazy or traumatized if my boss thinks you're gonna be a problem. It'll end bad-"

She fell silent as he raised his hand to his forehead. In a sweep, he pulled the hair dangling over his face back. His head turned to show off his sharp, stubbled jawline. Travis's face was on full display as he leaned back into the seat when a loch of hair fell to the side of his face.

"Well?" He asked when a grin formed. The hand that ran through his golden and brown mane clamped onto the back of his neck, the sleeve of his shirt tightened around his biceps. Kendra only stared when she discovered the pose helped to reveal the contours of his chest strained against the soaked fabric of his shirt. "You want to take the picture? I'm getting tired."

Sure, he was a wreck, but a pretty one.

"I said look normal, not be a fuck boy." She was at a loss. Had he finally gone mad?

"C'mon, just take one like this. Considering that cheating bitch dumped me, I might as well get some good pics for Tinder." His eyes pleaded with her. "Rebound sex is way cheaper than therapy." As the stare off played out, his expression sunk. If his new plan was to pout, it was working.

A smirk formed on her face. "Fine." His grin returned. With a quick flash the picture appeared in the corner of her phone. "Ok, you want to take this seriously now?"

He brought his arm down and sat up. Facing Kendra, he gave a weak smile. Another flash filled the car. Clicking on the new image, she gave it a look over before opening her conversation with her boss again. With the picture in place, she responded.

|Kendra:

-He's a bit more athletic looking than when he got his license.

Dots moved about and her reply came.

|Miss Della:

-Well someone had a glow-up... if you ignore the bags under his eyes. Now get a move on and get in here. If he gets weird, just scream and I'll kill him myself.

|Kendra:

-I'll be in soon, just have to check something.

A thumbs-up appeared on Kendra's message. With that set, she reached into the back row of her jeep and grabbed a backpack and umbrella, then sank back into her seat.