No Shame

Twenty-Two

CiCi frowns as she shuts the dishwasher, turning to head across the room to the front door. She was definitely not expecting anyone today, so who was knocking?

"Calum?" She raises her eyebrows at the tan man standing on her doorstep in a hoodie and jogger style sweats with an old pair of Vans on his feet.

"Grab some shoes and come with me." He smiles, motioning back towards his Range Rover, her eyes following to see Duke perched in the front seat of the still running car.

"Where are we going?" She laughs nervously, grabbing some slides from beside the door that she usually only wears to run out to the trash or mailbox. Pulling a mask and her house keys from the hook beside the door.

"I need some new scenery, I'm tired of looking at your house and especially my house. I need a day of something else." Calum shrugs, waiting as she locks the door.

"You do remember the entire state, and country are locked down right?" She laughs, letting him open the passenger door for her. Scooping his adorable dog into her arms as she kisses his head, he'd been standoffish at first, but grew to love her as Calum brought him around to visit. Calum's and Duke's visits had become biweekly events, giving him a change of pace and her someone to hear her when she spoke.

Today's adventure was not on their normal schedule though, today was a Friday, usually Calum came around on Monday and Thursdays. His and Duke's day in the pool with her yesterday had her assuming she wouldn't be seeing him today.

"I know." Calum smiles, pulling around the drive and out of the gate easily, sliding his sunglasses from his head to over his eyes as he turns the wheel west, the Pacific Ocean laid out in front of them wide and expansive with Hollywood at a standstill between them and the water.

"I'd give anything for a beach day again." CiCi mumbles, relaxing back into her seat easily.

"Unfortunately we can't do that." Calum chuckles, "We would get fined a lot and it would be a scandal, which you have successfully avoided since your little party hop in early March with Brit."

"I know. So what are we doing? We don't have many options here." She turns to look at him.

"Let's just drive. They can't be mad we're in my car." He shrugs, "You just have to decide if we are taking Pacific Coast Highway north or south.

"North." She grins, reaching over to squeeze his arm quickly before burying her face into Duke's soft fur to hide just how giddy this impromptu adventure is making her.

"North it is, but first, gas, and snacks." He smiles, pulling into the station down the hill from her neighborhood. "You go start picking out the most terrible foods for us while I fill up, I'll come pay and grab anything else I want as soon as I'm done."

"You are something else, Calum Hood." She chuckles, slipping her mask over her face as she sets Duke in her seat.

Wandering down the deserted aisles of the small shop she pulls a package of cookies and pretzels off a shelf, grabbing some chocolate too. Wandering to the back of the shop to find something to drink on their little road trip.

"What you got there, Lia?" Calum startles her as he wanders up beside her, reaching into the cooler to grab a couple Arizona's from the shelf.

Showing him her loot he nods, heading back for the candy aisle as she heads to the check out, a package of gummy worms and Starbursts hitting the counter along with the drinks as Calum joins her after a moment, also a small pack of some dog treats CiCi was unaware gas stations sold. Swiping his card as the cashier tells him a total, Calum scoops up the two bags of goodies as leads CiCi back out to the car without another word.