Food Truck

...ROSALIE...

...Oh my gosh! I can't believe...

...my parents agreed to let me...

...leave tonight. How did you do...

...that? My mom is easy to...

...persuade, but my dad?"...

...I looked over at Jonathan, who...

...still wore a smug look on his...

...face....

..."It's like he trusts you," I...

...whispered in amazement....

...We were walking toward my...

...parents' giant garage to grab...

...one of their cars....

..."What can I say? I've got...

...skills." He held out his handlike a gun and pretended to...

...shoot. Then he blew on the...

...invisible smoke coming from...

...his pointer finger....

...I laughed, rolling my eyes....

..."Fine. I guess you do if you can...

...get my dad to trust you. He...

...tends to be a little paranoid due...

...to his line of work."...

..."Let me guess, he's the chief...

...security officer at some big...

...company," he said...

...nonchalantly....

..."Yes! How did you know?' I...

...was impressed with his guess....

...Not a lot of people knew what...

...my father did....

..."I noticed the security guards...

...and how your mansion was...

...more like a safe house than a...

...normal, regular house."...

...Not only is he charming, but he...

...is also observant....

...We arrived at the garage door. I...

...seized the handle and opened it....

...and we entered the enormous...

...space....

..."Damn!" Jonathan exclaimed.looking disappointed....

..."What? What's wrong?'...

..."I was excited when your father...

...said I could pick any car I...

...wanted. I was hoping for a...

...cool-looking sports car, but...

...they're all black Audis."...

...I laughed and rolled my eyes....

..."Geez. And here I thought it...

...was something serious. Of...

...course they're all black. My...

...father prefers to be...

...inconspicuous and not attract...

...attention...

...again, due to his line...

...of work. You understand."...

...We took one of the keys...

...hanging on the wall next to thedoor and got in one of the...

...Audis. We drove out of the long...

...driveway and onto the main...

...road...

..."We're going to my buddy's...

...place first to get my stuff, and...

...then we'll go to your...

...apartment."...

...It took us an hour to retrieve his...

...stuff, and then I showed him...

...the address to the apartment on...

...my phone....

...On our way to my new place,...

...Jonathan randomly blurted out,...

..."Remind me to teach you how...

...to drive in the future."...

..."Really? You'd do that?' I...

...excitedly twisted in my seat to...

...fully look at him. That was the...

...nicest offer anybody had ever...

...given me. I was really touched....

...He nodded....

..."Can you teach me how to use...

...a gun and…and ju-jujitsu?" I...

...asked, overly enthusiastic as I...

...couldn't contain my...

...excitement....

..."Hold your horses, princess,"...

...he said indifferently....

..."Let's try...

...driving first and see how you...

...do before I teach you anything...

...else."...

...I twisted back and looked...

...straight ahead, slightlydispirited. "Fine."...

..."Are you pouting like a five-...

...year-old over there?" He...

...laughed and gave me a brief...

...glance over....

..."Maybe I am,...

..." I answered with...

...the same dispirited tone....

..."I didn't say I wouldn't teach...

...you. I only said to focus on...

...driving first," he said gently,...

...like he was trying to soothe me....

...Before I could reply, something...

...on the road caught my eye and I...

...gasped....

...What's that over there? Can...

...we please check it out? Please,...

...I begged as he looked in the...

...direction of where I was...

...pointing....

..."Oh, that's just a food truck....

...There's nothing interesting...

...about that."...

..."Can we please check it out?" I...

...begged again....

..."I've never had...

...food from a food truck. And...

...from the long line, it must be...

...good. And it's 5:30 already and...

...I'm hungry."...

...I sounded like a whiny baby,...

...but I didn't care....

...He sighed and pulled over,parking in one of the open...

...spaces. I immediately ran out...

...the moment the car stopped and...

...got in line....

...Jonathan came up next to me a...

...minute later and warned....

..."Next...

...time, wait for me. Don't run...

...ahead. I can't protect you that...

...way if something were to...

...happen."...

..."Oh." I had completely...

...forgotten that he was my...

...bodyguard. It had only been...

...half a day, and I was already so...

...used to him, like a comforting...

...shadow....

...As more people got in line,Jonathan was pushed right up...

...against my back. His intriguing...

...scent wafted by my nose, and I...

...automatically turned toward...

...him to take in another breath....

..."What cologne do you use?...

...You smell amazing,...

...» I blurted...

...out without thinking,...

...immediately wanting to slap...

...myself....

..."I don't know," he said with...

...mirth....

..."I have a lot of them and...

...they're mostly gifts."...

...From ex-girlfriends, I bet....

...Suddenly, someone bumped...

...into Jonathan from behind....

...which made his chest push...

...against my face. His arms...

...instinctivelv went un andwrapped around my back as he...

...said...

..."Sorry about that. Are you...

...okay?"...

...My heart skipped a beat and my...

...stomach felt weird. What's this?...

...What's this feeling? I stood...

...frozen at the odd sensations in...

...my stomach....

...At my silence, he grabbed my...

...shoulders and pushed me out at...

...arm's length to have a better...

...look. "Hello? Earth to...

...Rosalie?'...

...He didn't wait for my response...

...as he cupped my face and liftedit up to look at me....

..."Are you...

...okay?" he asked, bringing his...

...face closer to mine until it was...

...only a couple of inches away....

...My cheeks instantly turned...

...scarlet and my hands flew up to...

...cover my embarrassed...

...countenance....

...«I'm fine,...

...97...

...mumbled through my fingers...

...and twisted around. out of his...

...grasp....

..."Oh, it's our turn to...

...order."...

...I was thankful for the...

...distraction. All was forgotten as...

...I ordered from the menu. It was...

...a sandwich truck, and I ended...

...up choosing a banh mi....

...We stood to one side of thetruck as we ate....

...«This is delicious!" I marveled...

...between bites....

..."Yeah, it is. And it's actually...

...really common around here....

...I'm surprised you haven't had...

...it,...

..."° Jonathan said as he finished...

...his last bite....

..."I'm sure there are...

...a few places that sell these...

...around your school."...

..."Really? I already know where...

...I want to go for lunch...

...tomorrow....

..." I said greedily....

..."You're eating right now and...

...you're already thinking about...

...tomorrow's lunch?" He laughedwhile shaking his head, like he...

...just couldn't believe it....

...I finished my sandwich and...

...threw the wrapper into the trash...

...bin nearby....

..."Come on, princess. Let's go."...

...He grabbed my arm and led me...

...through the small crowd toward...

...our car....

...By the time we arrived at the...

...apartment, it was almost eight...

...o'clock. Jonathan ended up in...

...the second bedroom since my...

...stuff was already in the first....

...Each of our rooms had its own...

...bathroom, which was super...

...convenient....

...Our rooms were the same size,so it wasn't like I took the...

...bigger bedroom. Mine was next...

...to the living room, while his...

...was farther away....

...After my nightly routine, I...

...came out of my room to say...

...goodnight to Jonathan. I...

...stopped behind a corner the...

...moment I heard his voice....

...He was on the phone with...

...someone, and I found myself...

...eavesdropping again. I had...

...started to develop a very bad...

...habit....

..."No, I won't do that... You can...

...keep your damn money....

...You...

...figure it out yourself!"The conversation got more...

...heated as it went....

...You got yourself into this...

...mess, you get yourself out of...

...it!...

.... **** that! I'm not doing...

...shit!...

...Why the **** would I...

...help you? My mother's the one...

...who was hurt."...

...Oh, no. His mother is involved....

..."She's a big girl, she knows...

...what she's doing. I'm not...

...getting involved…. You and...

...your damn mistress can stay...

...unmarried for all I care....

..."Don't fucking call me again...

...because I'm done talking about...

...this! he snapped into the phone before hanging up....

...Was that his father on the...

...phone? Should I ask? Do I even...

...have the right to ask?...

...We have only known each other...

...for a day, after all. I stood...

...rooted to the floor while I heard...

...him plop down loudly onto the...

...sofa....

...As I internally battled myself...

...about what to do next. I didn't...

...notice he had gotten up and was...

...walking toward me....

...Instead of accusing me of...

...listening in, he only said, "I'm...

...going out." His tone was...

...indifferent, his easygoing...

...attitude from earlier gone....

...Instead of nodding, I found...

...myself asking,...

...«Can I come...

...with you?"...

...At his blank stare, I...

...immediately felt self-conscious...

...and said the first thing that...

...came to mind....

..."You're my...

...bodyguard. You're supposed to...

...be by my side at all times."...

...God, did I really just say that?...

...That was the lamest thing I had...

...ever said. I wanted to crawl into...

...a hole at that moment....

...I felt like I was shrinking...

...smaller and smaller as he...

...continued to eye me. Finally, he...

...raised his brows and asked,...

..."You're going in that?'...

...I looked down at my white...

...nightshirt and blushed +311...

...change." I ran back into my...

...room and put on another white...

...summer dress. I came back out...

...only to have him eye me again....

..."Do you own anything else...

...that's not white?"' like white,...

...»' I answered...

...easily, as if that completely...

...explained everything....

..."Alright. Let's go." Hemotioned his head toward the...

...door....

..."Where are we going?" I asked...

...as he ushered me out....

..."A drive."...

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