Page 47 of Fighting for You
“Hi, Brooks! Where do you want these?” the girl says as she holds up an insulated cooler along with a tray stacked with what looks like a variety from the concession stand we passed at the entrance of the drive-in.
“I’ll grab those, thanks,” he says and then turns to me. “Ready?” I can only nod before he’s out the door, grabbing the offerings from the girl’s hands. I follow his lead and hop out of the truck, meeting him at the back, just as he’s struggling to put down the tailgate one-handed, the cooler on the ground and the tray balanced in his other hand. I grab it from him, and he drops the tailgate, revealing the truck bed, which is housing a pile of what looks like quilts and pillows. At least that’s what I think it is, it’s hard to see in the dim light of the theater lot.
“Ah, shit. It’s all fucked up. Give me a second.” I can’t help but smile as he hoists himself up into the truck bed with ease and shifts everything around, fluffing pillows and straightening out blankets. Once he’s done, he shifts over and reveals a cozy set up, complete with a dimming camping lantern and an old school boombox.
“This is…” I trail off, losing my words as I look upon his expectant face.
His face drops. “You hate it.” He hops off the truck bed and looks like he might walk away, but I grab his arm before he can.
“Wait, stop. I was going to say this is amazing. I’m blown away by all of this.” The smile that breaks out on his face could make a girl forget her own name.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say with a small nod.
Brooks takes the tray from my hands, placing it in the truck bed. Then his hands are at my hips, and he’s lifting me up just enough for my butt to land on the tailgate. My hands end up on his shoulders from the surprise. Neither of us moves to separate.
Brooks steps in closer, my jean-clad knees widening to accommodate his torso. His large hand comes up to cup my face and neck, and his eyes shift between mine. Though my gaze is locked on his, I can see his breathing speed up, the rising and falling of his chest growing shallower. My pulse races, something I’m sure he can feel under his fingertips.
Just as he’s leaning in for the first of the many do-over kisses he’s promised, a few people pass by and one of them calls out, “Yo, Brooks! That you? Happy birthday, man!” The others holler a few more greetings before they move on.
“It’s your birthday?” I cry, shocked it’s the first time I’m hearing about it. “How old are you?”
Brooks shrugs, dripping with nothing but nonchalance. “I’m thirty-three, but it’s not a big deal.” He steps back and out of my hold, picking up the cooler. “Scoot back, get comfortable.”
“No, wait. It is a big deal. It’s yourbirthday! We should be celebrating,” I say as I do what he asked.
He chuckles as he hops up. “You want to help me celebrate? What do you have in mind?” His insinuation is clear, and my face heats.
Thankfully, the screen lights up, signaling the movie will be starting soon.
I scoot back, giving Brooks room to move around the bed as he closes the tailgate, opens the cooler, and starts pulling out… cheese? Blocks and wedges and mini wheels of different types of cheese.
A little perplexed by the sheer amount of dairy being removed from the cooler, I busy myself with turning on the boombox and tuning it to the radio station listed on the moviescreen. I know I’ve found the right station when I hear a recording welcoming us to the Southbury Drive-In.
Refocusing on the man in front of me, I’m now acutely aware that, with the tailgate closed, we are shielded from the other patrons at the drive-in. If it weren’t for the voices drifting over to us, I’d think we were alone.
Brooks meets my gaze and gives me a small smile while motioning to the spread of fried concession food and mountain of cheese and crackers in front of us.
I can’t help but tease him a bit when I say, “What if I told you I’m lactose intolerant?”
As soon as the last word leaves my lips, Brooks’ face pales, which is shocking to see since our space is lit up by only a small camping lantern on the lowest setting.
I can’t hold back the giggle from bursting out of me. “I’m not, I just couldn’t help teasing since you’ve brought the entire cheese section from Leroy’s Corner Store.”
Brooks rolls his eyes and tosses a cracker at me. “Ripley told me girls like cheese, okay?” That turns my giggle into a full-on cackle, punctuated by a really attractive snort. At that, Brooks starts laughing too, and we’re lost to it still when the radio broadcast announces previews are starting.
We shift around, settling with our backs against the cab of the truck cushioned by the many pillows Brooks brought. He drapes a blanket over our laps, which is just enough to insulate us from the chill in the air. We start to pick at the food with Brooks cutting a few slices of each of the dozen or so cheeses.
He reaches into the cooler and pulls out a couple of cans.
“I’ve got beer, cider, or seltzer.” I’m still chewing, so I motion toward the seltzer, and Brooks opens it for me before opening the beer for himself.
“So what’s the movie we’re seeing?” I ask when my mouth is no longer full, eyes on the preview on the screen.
“Serendipity.”
My head snaps in his direction. Brooks is watching the preview too, his face illuminated by screen. His gaze shifts to me. “What? That’s okay, right?”
