Jarrod didn''t speak for a long time. Elodie had no idea what he was thinking, but she noticed the car was driving much more smoothly, and faster.
The silence in the car was thick. She began to wonder if he was angry.
They drove like that all the way to the rest stop. The moment the car stopped, she jumped out. She hadn''t taken two steps before a hand grabbed the hood of her jacket and pulled her back.
As she turned, Jarrod pressed her against the car door, tilted her chin up, and brought his lips down on hers. His cool scent enveloped her as her lips were parted without warning. He pressed her hands against the door, intertwining their fingers and holding them tight. The kiss was so swift and intense that for a moment, her mind went nk. But her body reacted on instinct, her lips unconsciously reciprocating for a split second.
Jarrod''s eyes snapped open.
Realizing her instinctive response, Elodie came to her senses and tried to pull back. She could feel his heavy breathing.
"What are you doing?" she asked, bewildered.
"Weren''t you the one who started it?" he asked nonchntly, not letting go of her hand.
Elodie felt like she''d been wrongly used. "When?" she argued.
"Half an hour ago, in the car. Right corner of my mouth."
"But you were the one who suggested it!"
He put one hand in his pocket,pletely unabashed. "I was joking. You, on the other hand, seized the opportunity."
Elodie was speechless. "..."
Jarrod didn''t dwell on it. He''d gotten what he wanted. He simply pulled her along towards the building.
Elodie had no choice but to follow. She looked down at their intertwined hands, fitting together perfectly. It created a sense of intimacy she''d never felt before, as if they were affectionate lovers. It was so natural, yet it struck a chord deep within her. She had never been in a rtionship, so she couldn''t ignore the feeling.
Jarrod didn''t know what Elodie was thinking, but he was already nning the next steps of their trip. He had mapped out a rough route: Eldermere to Westvale, Westvale to Summit City, and finally, from Summit City to their destination, Herondale.
It was a route filled with food, fun, and sights.
They stayed in Westvale for a day. Elodie was shocked when he took her to a tourist attraction. When had he bought the tickets?
His only exnation was, "We have plenty of time for this business trip. We can take it slow."
Since he put it that way, Elodie threw herself into having fun. They couldn''t take photos together at the attraction, so Jarrod took her t live-action theater to watch a
historical reenactment of a
legendary legion.
The next day, they set off for Summit City The weather was
cooler, and she finally got to eat at a restaurant from her old travel
Journa
a ce she''d always dreamed of visiting. She didn''t know how Jarrod had managed it, but they had the best table even during peak hours.
A long-held wish was finally fulfilled, and she felt more rxed than she had in ages: She found herself talking more, and Jarrod proved to be an excellent listener picking up cooked pieces of food for her as she spoke.
asionally, he would chuckle and add, "You want to go to Rivertown? Not a problem. We''ll just take a detour and spend a day there."
Elodie hesitated. "Won''t that dy your work? Is everything okay on that front?"
Jarrod picked up a napkin and wiped a drop of chili oil from the back of her hand. "It''s fine. The meeting starts when I arrive."
Elodie''s face lit up with joy, her smile more genuine than he had ever seen.
Jarrod watched her, a faint smile on his lips.
The drive to Rivertown was quick. Elodie explored the most famous sights and bought a strange-looking local fruit from a street vendor.
She eagerly offered him the first piece. After all, he was her boss right now.
Jarrod just stood there watching her, finally remarking, "Goofball."
He refused to eat the bright red fruit.
Elodie pouted. He had no taste.
She popped it into her own mouth. After one bite, her expression froze.
...She had been scammed out of fifty bucks.