Out of the Woods | ✓

08 | indiana rhodes and the temple of food

As it turned out, Miles seemed to think that Jensen hip checking him was hilarious and Jensen regretted it more each passing moment. After ordering the cheapest thing on the menu, Jensen was leaning back in her chair.

            Miles was still wearing his baseball hat but had put his sunglasses on the table. "You know," he said, "I still can't believe—"

            "I hip checked you?" Jensen asked, wanting nothing more than the ground to swallow her. "I get it."

            "I was going to say that it took you so long to get here," Miles said, laughing. "But that was a highlight too, Rhodes."

            "How did you get here so quickly?"

            "Hollywood Hills isn't that far away."

            Jensen narrowed her eyes. "Google told me I was a five minute walk away. Try again."

            "I took a stunt driving course." Miles laughed while shrugging as Jensen shot him another I don't believe you look. "I got bored in the summer. Don't know what else to tell you."

            Jensen sat back in her chair slightly. She hadn't realized there was so much tension in her shoulders until they relaxed. Had she been on defense? "You're being serious."

            "I knew I should've brought the Suzuki." Miles shook his head, like he was mad at himself. "I could've showed you my handbrake U-turn."

            "I'm all right, thanks."

"It's like I'm James Bond, you can be Moneypenny," Miles said. "It's pretty sweet."

            Jensen fought the urge to say I'm not a secretary. The tension in her shoulders had started again, she needed to relax. "Did you only go to school for that?"

            "I went to NYU," Miles said, "if that's what you're trying not to ask."

            Jensen cleared her throat. "I was just curious."

            "You can just ask." Miles sipped at the coffee he'd ordered almost as soon as they had sat down. Jensen wasn't sure how he hadn't had a heart attack from all the caffeine he'd ingested that day. "I don't bite."

            "I thought you might have a geography degree," Jensen said. Miles looked at her questioningly, so it was Jensen's turn to shrug. "You're good with directions."

            Miles laughed. "If geography means art history and classics, sure. I also minored in cinema studies, so take your pick for the geography side of my brain." Miles rested his arm on the back of the bench seat. "What about you, Rhodes?"

            "Oh, um." Jensen tucked a few strands of still-wet curls behind her ear. "I went to UBC. Got my PDP there. Majored in cinema and media studies... and theatre. Minor in English."

            "Holy shit."

            Jensen's eyes widened, locking with Miles'. "Is that weird?"

            "It's impressive."

            "Oh." Jensen looked at her hands before looking back up at Miles. "Thanks."

            Their waiter came and began placing food on their table. Miles had insisted that Jensen order whatever she want, and it was on him because she won fair and square. Jensen had ordered General Tso chicken per Miles' recommendation. Which she felt was still too expensive for Miles to pay for—and so she had already made a plan to "go to the bathroom" and inform the waitress that she wanted to split the bill.