The Smell of Lilies

Chapter 13

As they drove home that night Brandon silently took a detour. Kel hadn't noticed yet; she was still knew to the Chicago landscape.

"How are you liking Chicago?" Brandon asked her above the quiet background music coming from the radio. 

Kel thought about it. "I've only been here for a week. At first I hated it. It's cold and damp and windy. There's nothing green. Yes, yes, I know it's winter, but there isn't any color at all. Some of the people are not friendly and too touchy. And they say things funny sometimes. Like, instead of saying 'Chic-aw-go, they say 'Chic-aa-go'."

Brandon laughed. "So your opinion on whether you like the city is based on the accent?"

Kel shrugged. "Not really. I'm just pointing things out that I've observed. You have it too."

"The accent?"

"Mm-hm. It's kind of cute." 

He smirked. "Well what are some good observations."

"It is beautiful, if I get past the frost-bite. I love the little shops and the brick buildings. There aren't a lot of those in California, if you remember. Most of the people are genuine. I like that they're straight forward and real. They say it like it is around here. In California sometimes people are fake. Not all of them, but some. They're afraid of saying something socially or politically wrong so they sugar coat things. Like, when I got my job for Victoria's Secret, one of the managers interviewing me for the life of him couldn't just say, 'You're a big girl so you'll be in plus-size'. He had to go on and fabricate some romanticized line of how 'I'm a curvaceous girl that takes up more space than most woman so my work will be needed in a different area of the company'." 

"Yah, I can remember some people like that," he scoffed. "I hated it."

"I think that's what I like most about here," she concluded. "The realness, the...take-it-or-leave-it atmosphere. It's nice."

"And Chicago as a whole?" he asked. 

Kel nodded. "I do like it, I'm not sure if I love it yet...Are you lost?"

She had finally taken into account that they were going in a different direction from his apartment. The buildings turned more beachy and the atmosphere was open, not so cramped. 

"No, I'm not lost."

"Then why aren't we going back home?"

"I want to show you something. I think it will change your mind about Chicago."

"Where is it?"

"Patience, grasshopper."

She sighed and sat quietly, looking out the window. Three minutes hadn't passed when she piped up. "Tell me where we are going."

"No."

"I hate surprises. Unless I'm in on them."

He laughed. "Well you're just going to have to deal."

"You aren't taking me anywhere questionable are you?"

"Are you asking me if I'm kidnapping you?"

"I asked first."

"I'm not taking you to some warehouse full of sketchy men, Kel. You'll like it, I promise."

"Fine," she sighed and watched the road. Little white flakes started falling from the sky, swirling around in the air. Kel tried to count them but gave up and just enjoyed the scene.

Around ten minutes or so later she realized there was no more road in front of them. It was too dark to tell for sure, but the land in front of her seemed flat and wide.