Emancipating Andie

After a few seconds of silence, she turned to look at him. He was staring at her with such complete shock that she had to bite her lip not to burst out laughing.

Just before she turned her eyes back to the road, she saw him shake his head.

“I seriously can’t decide if I’m more angry or impressed right now,” he said, and she smiled triumphantly as Chase reached behind his head and grabbed his shirt, pulling it off in one swift movement.

He used the shirt to wipe off his face and chest before balling it up and tossing it into the backseat, and out of the corner of her eye Andie could see him reach for his drink again. He uncapped it and took a long sip before slowly screwing the top back on.

She took her eyes off the road for a second to look over at him. The interior light was still on, and she could see him clearly: the way his arm muscle flexed with the simple act of putting the cap back on, the strong definition of his chest. And his stomach. Where Colin’s was flat and smooth, Chase’s was cut, every sinewy muscle visible under the taut skin.

“What?” she heard him say, and she quickly lifted her eyes to his face. He laughed as he leaned over to put his drink back in the bag at his feet. “If there’s soda on your seats, it’s your own fault.”

“Are you go

Chase froze, looking over his shoulder at her with the most maddening smile. “Why? Is this bothering you?”

“I just…” Andie sputtered, floundering through her response. “I mean, what if we get pulled over or something?”

“If we get pulled over, this could only work in your favor,” he said, ru

Andie tried to stifle a laugh. “My God, you’re insufferable.”

He gri

He came up with a small paper bag, spotted with what looked like grease stains.

“What did you get?” she asked.

Chase reached up and turned off the interior light. “There was this little mom-and-pop candy shop at the pavilion back there,” he said, digging his hand in the bag and pulling out something that looked like beef jerky. He took a bite and groaned loudly, closing his eyes as he dropped his head back against the seat.

“What is that?”

“Chocolate-covered bacon.”

She whipped her head toward him, completely revolted, and he extended his hand to her. “Want some?”

“No! That’s disgusting!”

“You’ve had it?” he asked, taking another bite.

“No.”

“Then how do you know it’s disgusting?”

“Because it’s chocolate-covered bacon,” she said, like it should have been obvious.

Chase shoved the rest of the piece in his mouth before licking the pad of his thumb. “Do you like chocolate?”

“Of course.”

“Do you like bacon?”

Andie sighed. “I know where you’re going with this. I like coffee. I like salad dressing. That doesn’t mean they’d taste good together.”

Chase laughed, digging in the bag again. “You never know. Coffee-flavored salad dressing. It could be a million-dollar idea.”

“Doubtful.”

“How do you know? Think about it. We’re surrounded by incredible ideas that probably sounded bat-shit crazy when someone first came up with them.”

Andie snorted softly, shaking her head, and Chase said, “Like the inventor of lipstick. Someone decided women would look prettier if they painted their mouths with colored wax. You think everyone hopped on board with that right away?”

Andie tilted her head in agreement. “Touché.”

“Like if I said, ‘You know what would make a woman look more enticing? If she smeared cow shit on the side of her face,’ I’m sure I’d have some naysayers at first.”

Andie burst out laughing. “Somehow I don’t think that’s the same thing.”

Chase shrugged as he handed her a piece of the bacon. “Just try it.”

She exhaled in acquiescence, knowing he wouldn’t stop until she humored him. Andie reached over and took the piece he offered, popping it in her mouth. She chewed slowly, the salty grease of the bacon mixing perfectly with the creamy sweet of the chocolate.

It took all her effort not to groan the way he did.

Andie swallowed, glancing over at him. He was watching her, a huge grin on his face. “You can say it. I won’t gloat.”

She licked her lips with a tiny shrug. “It’s okay.”

He chuckled, sitting back in his seat as he popped another piece in his mouth. Andie watched him out of the corner of her eye as she nibbled on the side of her lip. After about forty seconds she had expended the last of her self-control, and she reached over, rummaging in the bag and pulling out another piece.

He smiled knowingly, and she pointed at him with the bacon strip. “You said no gloating.”

Chase held his hands up in surrender, laughing to himself as he rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes.

A little under an hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday I

“Hi! Welcome to the Holiday I

“Just for tonight,” Andie said, shifting the bag on her shoulder and leaning on the counter.

“Excellent!” the girl chirped, causing Andie to flinch. “Would you like a king-sized bed? Or two queens?”

“Hmm? Oh, no, just one bed,” Andie said through a yawn.

“Very well,” she said through a wide smile, clicking away at the computer. Andie looked over at Chase, tilting her head when she took in his rigid posture, his uneasy expression. He opened his mouth only to close it again, ru

And that’s when she realized what she had just said.

“Wait, no, no!” she said, shaking her head. “I meant one bed for me. And one for him. Two beds. I mean, two rooms! One bed in each room,” she said with a frustrated huff, rolling her eyes at herself.

The woman glanced back and forth between Andie and Chase. “Very well,” she said again, this time more demurely as she went back to her computer. “I’m going to need a credit card, please.”

Chase and Andie each handed her a card, and the woman adjusted her glasses as she went back to manically clicking the keyboard.

“Okay,” she said after a minute, “You guys are in two twenty-five and two twenty-seven. Checkout is at eleven, and there’s a complimentary breakfast each morning from seven to ten. Have a wonderful stay with us,” she practically sang, handing them each their credit card and a room key.

“Thank you,” Andie said softly, taking her things and following Chase to the elevators. He pressed the button for the second floor and the doors immediately dinged open.

He gestured for Andie to go first and she stepped in, hoisting her bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder. As the doors slid closed, Andie said quietly, “Sorry about that.”

“About what?”

“The whole room/bed fiasco. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

The corner of Chase’s mouth lifted in a tired smile. “Well, next time you plan on propositioning me, you could at least buy me di

Andie looked down, fighting a smile as she shook her head, and the doors opened. Once again, he gestured for her to go before him, and they walked down the hall, both stopping in front of Andie’s room.

“Well, good night,” she said.

“Yep,” he said through a yawn, turning toward his door.

Just as Andie slid her card into the slot, she heard him say, “Hey, Andie?”