Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)

Compromise Me: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"She's nice," Josie said, staring out her side window.  "I like her."

Travis fitted his seat belt and shifted the gear stick into Drive.  "Yes, she's very nice."

She rode quietly after that -- no questions, no saucy comments...nothing but immaculate silence, and with every mile through the city, Travis' knuckles whitened on the wheel.  Finally, he could stand it no longer.  Jerking the truck to the side of the road, he stopped and turned to her.

"Just ask, Josie!"

"Ask what?"

"Don't play dumb," he said scrubbing his hand through his hair.  "You've never been stupid, Princess.  You're one of the smartest persons I know."

"Don't call me that," she whispered, keeping her gaze locked to her window.

"Princess?  But that's who you are...a princess.  Beautiful, intelligent, graceful...and you have this amazing knack for making people fall in love with you."

"No...you’re wrong about that."

He leaned closer, slipping out of his seat belt.  "You are smart and graceful...and you are beautiful."  He touched her chin, drawing her face around.

"Take me home, Travis," she said through dry, green eyes.

"Don't you want to know about Arielle and my son?  This is why you wanted me to take you home, isn’t it?  You seem to be the only one around here that doesn't know."

"Travis, you have a nice family.  I'm happy for you." And she turned away.

He pulled the truck on the road and said, "Okay, fine.  You want to be that way?  Okay...fine."

He took the long way back to her apartment.

"Arielle and I became friends that night.  Just friends.  I got her a job at the studio when our receptionist left, and we were still just friends.  She had the worst taste in men.  I'm not kidding.  She went through four break-ups that first year I knew her, trying to makeup for the one who got away, and always crying afterward like there was something wrong with her, and I kept telling her to stop falling for deadbeats and stupid jackasses.  And she kept telling me that I didn't know what the hell I was talking about because Icouldn't stick with anyone either."

He looked to see if she was listening.  Couldn't tell for sure.

"Then one night, she showed up at my place, already in tears over some new jerk I didn't even knowshe'd been dating, and two beers into her story, she's already drunk and I'm trying to convince her that she is pretty, she is smart, she is special -- she's just too eager to fall in love -- and then one thing leads to the next--"