The Art of Loving

[45] Tug-of-War with Uranus, Neptune and Pluto

They continued their journey through Skye on that day, talking about anything and everything that came to their minds while enjoying the beautiful landscape around them. They visited a castle, made a quick stop in Portree, before they drove back onto the mainland, making a stop right after leaving Skye to watch the sunset while they were still on the coast.

Ellie hadn't lied about the many tiny flies that would be there, but neither had Brian about it being romantic. It was romantic, and the fly issue was avoided by staying inside the van most of the time. They could admire the sunset through the front screen and it was still gorgeous through some glass.

Once the sun had set and the light began to fade, they decided it would probably be good to continue driving to find a spot for the night. They stopped at a restaurant in a small village on the way, just for a quick bathroom stop.  They didn't stop for dinner, because they had decided to cook for themselves tonight wherever they would stay. Ellie was hoping to find somewhere dark and quiet for them to enjoy a bit more of the nature surrounding them before they would return to Stonehaven and then eventually London too. On top of that, she remembered the promise she had given Brian, that they would find a good spot to do some stargazing while they were in Scotland. And this remote area would hopefully be exactly what Brian was looking for.

Before they continued their drive, they had a look at the map and decided they would try to find somewhere to park near a small loch next to the A890, a good bit away from any surrounding villages. It wasn't a far drive and Ellie easily managed on her own while Brian's eyes were glued to the darkening landscape around them. She didn't mind at all, she thought he was being adorable, and he was there to help if she needed him. Which she did, eventually.

"Bri, can you check the map? Is it this turn? There are no signs around, we were just in Auchtertyre," Ellie said, stopping the car at the side of the road for a moment.

Brian hummed and picked up the map when Ellie turned on the small ceiling lamp of the car. "Of course, yes, sorry. Auchtertyre... let me see if I can find that.." He traced the route they had taken before he nodded. "Yes, this is the turn, to the left here and then just a bit longer. This is really nice and I think this will be perfect for some stargazing."

"I hope so. I want to learn a bit tonight," Ellie told him, driving along the surprisingly spaceous road. They had both expected worse.

"Here," Brian said, looking up suddenly. "The lake should be there," he said, pointing to the right. "Maybe there's a parking option, slow down," he instructed, keeping his attention on their surroundings.

"Yes," Ellie said, stopping rather suddenly. "See, over there." There was a small road leading onto a gravel area beside the road, so Ellie pulled over there. "This looks good for the night, don't you think?"

"Well... I suppose it could be worse, yes," he mumbled, placing his hand on the glass so he could look outside into the dark. 

Ellie looked at him sceptically. "Are you sure you're okay with this? We can still try to find an inn or a bed and breakfast if you'd prefer that. I don't want to force you to do things you're not comfortable with."

Brian shook his head. "No... I'll be fine. Don't worry," he said, turning his head towards her. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate what you're doing. I'm just not the most experienced when it comes to sleeping in a car in the wilderness."

"And you thought I am a city person through and through," Ellie said amused. "I think you're the one of us who's the city person."

"Mhm, maybe you have a point here. I do enjoy nature, don't get me wrong, but..." He shrugged a little. "I don't know. I'll be fine. Let's do this," he said, nodding a little. "What were you planning for dinner?"