“Get on out of here,” he ordered. “And get something to eat!”
That yelled part reached Adam’s ears as I walked up to him with a pep in my step.
“You’re hungry?” he asked, reaching for my hand.
I took it, finding that I loved the way it felt like his hand was enveloping mine.
“I don’t know if you remember or not,” I said. “But I have type 1 diabetes. My blood sugar is an asshole, or maybe that’s my pancreas. Whatever. It’s quite low and I need something to eat rather quick.”
Adam looked down at me with concern. “I don’t actually know that I connected the dots. I just thought you were a prissy girl who didn’t like to eat the food that was provided.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have to be super careful about what I eat. I can control some of it with diet and exercise. I have to have insulin but overall, I’m quite healthy. I’m lucky really.”
He poked me in the belly. “Is that why you have abs?”
I laughed, feeling those abs contract.
“I started out as a gymnast when I was younger. Moved on to all the sports in high school. Found CrossFit when I was getting my first degree. Now, I do a combination of trail running, CrossFit when I can afford the classes, and using the school’s gym. Though, that’s going to be gone for me now. I’ll have to find some other place to get my workouts in,” I rambled.
He led me to his truck. “I’ll drop you back off at your car after I get you something to eat.”
I looked at my car. “It can stay the night. I’ll come back for it in the morning.”
My meaning was more than clear.
I could tell that he understood it, too, based solely on the heated look he gave me as he closed the door.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” I asked the moment he got into the truck. “And why are you in the truck? Where’s your bike?”
“My dad has it,” he answered as he started the truck up. “It needed a few things tuned up, and I just don’t have the time. He took it this afternoon to get them done.”
I nodded. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
He shook his head and started for the exit. “What do you want to eat? How fast do you have to eat it? I’m not sure IHOP is actually fast.”
I looked at my watch.
“Can we go to a different place that serves breakfast? Like Whataburger? I can get a taquito there,” I suggested.
He swung out of the parking lot and headed in that direction. “That actually sounds halfway decent. I haven’t been able to eat much since the Taco Hell incident. Something easy like that sounds good.”
We pulled into the driveway of the Whataburger a few minutes later, and instead of going inside, I directed him to the drive-through.
“Since you don’t have to work,” I said after he ordered. “I have something I want you to do with me.”
He didn’t argue, and since there was no one in line at this time of the night, I didn’t have to answer any of his questions until after he already had our food.
“Where are we going?” Adam asked after he handed me the food.
I was already pulling out a taquito and biting into it when he asked. It was only after I finished off the first taquito and moved to the second that I answered.
“I want you to take me somewhere.” I paused to chew. “Turn right here. Then a left.”
He did, following my directions to a T.
After I finished off the second breakfast burrito, I moved on to my water, washing it all down before moving to the third.
He watched me out of the corner of his eye, his mouth tipping up.
“I always thought you were a picky eater,” he told me. “I couldn’t understand why you never ate anything.” He paused. “And, just sayin’, but you look nothing like you used to. I mean, the curls and the long black hair is the same, possibly the eyes but I never got close enough to you to really look at those, but the rest? You’re completely different.”
“Not picky, no.” I grinned. “And I did a lot of growing up. Not to mention I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It took me a while to stabilize all of that with diet and exercise, but once I did, things started slimming down. Like my ass and face.”
He snorted. “I don’t remember you being anything other than small.” He looked at me. “Always so small.”
I shrugged, then pointed to the next road he needed to turn down while chugging my water.
He took the turn, then realized where we were going. Mostly because the road dead-ended into my dad’s business.
“You want to fly?” I asked curiously.