Page 42 of Stray
“How did you find this place?” I asked, stirring my milkshake with the straw. “It’s so much better than typical diner food.”
“Ripley and I came across it one night when we came out of a movie at the Cineplex down the street. It was the only place that didn’t have a lineup or a waiting list. We gave it a chance, and it’s been one of our favorite places ever since.”
Even though it was a small detail, I enjoyed learning more about her. She’d always struck me as the fancy French restaurant type of girl. Watching her chow down on a margherita pizza while sipping iced tea gave me a new appreciation for Codie. There was so much more to her than the outward persona she showed the world. I found myself wanting to discover everything about her.
Which was exactly the opposite of what I had intended for this date. Goddamnit.
“Have you ever tried that Mom and Pop burger place on the edge of town? By the Ford dealership? Best burgers in town. Hands down.” I caught myself watching her as she sipped from her iced tea, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Such simple motions that held me captive.
Codie shook her head, nibbling a bite of pizza. “I haven’t. Maybe you’ll have to take me sometime.”
As soon as she said the words, she froze, like she couldn’t believe they’d popped out of her mouth. That made two of us.
Since I didn’t want to make things weird, I forged ahead. “What made you want to take legal studies? Are you planning to go into law?”
She paused for a minute, glancing out the diner window at the street beyond. “I thought that I’d want to. My dad is a lawyer. He’s always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and join the family firm one day. I’m not sure it’s for me though. I’ve been thinking about trying something different. Maybe fashion and design.”
“I could see that. You definitely seem like the fashion and design type. You should do whatever makes you happiest. Life is too short to do something you hate.” Even though I’d been taking investigative studies, I didn’t always see myself pursuing it all the way. Sometimes I thought the Graveyard Kings would be my entire life. Not the most honest of incomes. Right now it worked for me.
We continued to make conversation about school and our families. I learned that she had two younger siblings, a brother and a sister. Both parents still together. The way Codie told it, she had a typical upbringing.
I couldn’t help but wonder why she had such a strong interest in dangerous activity until she said, “I bet you’re trying to figure out why I’m such a freak, as you like to put it. Honestly, I’ve been trying to figure that out as well. Sometimes I think it’s because my life has been so typical and boring. I need to find the excitement somewhere.”
Keeping my voice low so the passing waitress didn’t overhear, I snickered and said, “You know I’m always happy to excite you.”
Codie’s cheeks grew pink. Her eyes dropped to her plate as she shook her head. “I’ve noticed.”
“And I’ve noticed how much you enjoy it. I’d say we’re a pretty good match.” Why the fuck did I say that? I sounded like an idiot.
She grew quiet then. Awkward as she avoided direct eye contact. Her gaze darted around the diner. Out the window. Anywhere but at me.
“Sorry,” I said. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s cool. No worries. So tell me about your family. Do you have any siblings?” With a tight, forced smile, Codie did her best to steer the conversation in a different direction.
Ignoring the pit of disappointment that opened up inside me, I went with it. “One brother. Ryker. He’s graduating high school this year. Parents are divorced. My dad was an abusive drunk. Mom left him five years ago. Definitely not your typical happy TV family.”
I took a bite of my burger, having nothing more to say about that. My brother still lived with my mom in a townhouse on the other side of town. I dropped by to see them every few weeks. I hadn’t seen my dad since the divorce. Sometimes he tried to call, but I never answered.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. This conversation seems to be going off the rails. I guess I suck at the whole dating thing.” Codie offered me another forced smile and a half shrug.
“It’s not your fault. I forced this whole thing on you anyway. This is on me.” Seeing that she’d abandoned the rest of her pizza, I added, “We can leave if you’re done here. Do you want to go for a walk or something? Emerson Park isn’t too far from here.”
I wasn’t ready to take her home. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I felt it. Something that had her more on edge and guarded than usual.
“Yeah, a walk in the park sounds nice.”
I’d expected her to shoot me down and demand to go home. After paying for the food, we drove over to the park. It was a relatively large space with plenty of greenery and areas tosit and relax. There were walking paths that led to a small lake. Even though this wasn’t the same park where we first fucked, I still thought back to that night.
Codie was clearly thinking about it too. When we got out of the car, she said, “How can I be sure you’re not going to drag me into the trees and force yourself on me?”
“You know it doesn’t work like that. It’s not any fun without the element of surprise on my side.” Holding my hand out to her, I waited for her to take it before continuing down the path that led to the lake.
The sun had set already. The remaining final rays provided enough light for us to see as we meandered along. We passed a few people walking their dogs. Otherwise, the park was relatively empty.
“I forgot how nice it is here. I really need to get out more often.” Codie smiled as she watched a family of ducks swimming along the lakeshore.
Glancing around to make sure we were alone, I pulled her to stop. “Want to have some fun? How cold do you think the water is?”
