CHAPTER FIVE #2
Once we’re all at eye level and no one is scootching around anymore, Knox raises his hand to get everyone’s attention.
“Time for official introductions. Imma make it fast, so everyone pay attention.” Then he starts pointing at his band mates, rattling off names.
“My boy, Matti, you’ve seen on the bass.
Next to him, Jason, plays lead guitar and that’s his girl, Cass, who’s also our drummer.
” He pauses to adjust before he picks things up again on the other side of the circular table.
“You’ve probably never seen Winston, but he’s always with us doubling as driver and security.
” Makes sense. Dude is built . Like, bodybuilder built.
“All my people, the short one with the insults and favors is Arizona, and this,” he turns to smile at me before he says it, “Is Kenley.”
I wave at the group. “Hi all.”
“I’m not that short.” Arizona seems unimpressed with her introduction.
“You are pretty short,” Winston says eyeing her from his side. “Cute though.” He winks.
Arizona shuts up about being short.
“Oh, shit. Forgot one.” Knox gestures at Jake who’s been staying at an undecided distance from the table, taking one step forward and two steps back on repeat, ever since they arrived. “What’s your name, man?”
Jake seems temporarily speechless. So, I help him out, one panicking fan to another. “That’s Jake, or as we like to call him, the pancake god.”
He laughs nervously. “I’m pretty good with coffee, too.” This seems to trigger some sort of recollection regarding the reason he’s here, standing at our table, with a tray in his hand. “Um, can I get you guys started with something to drink?”
The answer is yes. From everyone. And while they’re at it, they all place their orders for all you can eat pancakes as well.
“I feel like I just found my people,” Arizona sighs. “An entire table of pancake lovers. It’s a beautiful thing.”
It really is. And surprisingly comfortable considering a bunch of us only just met each other. Winston seems particularly charmed with Arizona, and I notice they continue to have their own quiet little chats separate from the group. Who knew the boys from Trip Three could be so easily forgotten?
The rest of us carry on an even flow of conversation, covering everything from how long everyone has known each other (Matti and Knox go back the longest, having met in first grade when they were six) to more random topics like favorite pancake toppings and songs you love but only listen to when no one can hear you, which then turned into remembering all the songs we ever thought we knew the lyrics to, only to learn we’d been singing them wrong for years.
This part may be my favorite. We all keep singing along with everyone’s wrong lyrics.
Sitting next to Knox makes this an entirely wonderful experience despite the butchered songs.
Only when our pancakes show up, do we all quiet down again.
Sort of.
“Tell me honestly, how many have you had already?” Knox asks, just as I’m about to take my first bite. For the fifth time.
I grin sheepishly. “This is my thirteenth pancake.” Then I fork the other two. “And my fourteenth. And fifteenth.” I stare at him point blank. “And I’m not stopping there either.”
He chuckles. “Good. Because I’m starving so I’m going to be at this a while myself.”
“Somehow you don’t strike me as the sort who frequently gorges himself on pan-fried breakfast cake,” I point out before I finally get that bite to my mouth.
“You do this frequently?” he answers my question with one of his own.
“I wish.” I don’t really wish. “Actually, that’s not true.
I’d probably lose my ability to eat an infinite amount of carbs soaked in syrup if I did this regularly.
” I collect another small stack of fluffy goodness on my fork.
“Arizona and I have been doing this since we were nineteen and waited tables at the same Mexican bar and grill. By the time we’d get done on Friday nights, it’d be Saturday morning and Denny’s was the only thing open.
Back then, we ate the pancakes for survival.
” I’m joking. Obviously. “Now it’s more for sake of tradition. Or to celebrate.”
“Are you celebrating something tonight?” he asks. More questions. And I don’t think I’ve gotten him to answer even one.
“I guess you could say that.” I put more food in my mouth to stop myself from giving him a more elaborate answer.
“Don’t wanna tell me what it is?” God. If he’s already calling me out for shit, this is not going to go well.
“I’ll tell you.” Arizona chooses this precise moment to rejoin a conversation beyond the one she’s having with Winston. “We were celebrating that this really potentially great guy asked for Kenley’s number.”
Knox’s face lights up. It’s not even smug. He’s just genuinely pleased.
Until Arizona opens her mouth again. “We’re really hoping he calls.”
“Wow.” Matti almost misses his mouth with his fork on that one.
“That was messed up.” Knox laughs.
Arizona smirks, perfectly satisfied with the results of her joke.
“So, what’s the favor?” he prompts her when she tries to go back to eating her pancakes like nothing happened.
“What favor?”
“You know, the one you ask me for after you insult me,” he reminds her, still grinning.
“Oh.” She puts down her fork. “Right.” She taps her chin as she thinks it over. “You know, I actually think I’m going to do you one.”
Knox leans over the table toward her, clearly curious to hear what she’s offering. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes move from looking at him to lock on mine and I’m instantly nervous. She smirks, then returns her attention to Knox. “I’m going to let you in on a secret only I know.”
“And what’s that?”
“Kenley is a sucker for sunrise walks on the beach after a night of all you can eat pancakes.”
“That’s a good secret.” He smiles. “And an excellent favor.”
“You don’t have to do anything with that information,” I assure him. The last thing I want is for him to feel like he’s being put on the spot to spend more time with me.
“I know.” He’s still smiling. He’s also starting to clear everyone’s empty plates, stacking them up before he slides the small tower over toward the edge of the table. “I’m going to though. That is, if you’re interested.”
“She’s interested,” Arizona beats me to the punch. “She’s just having a hard time accepting that feeling is mutual.”
Knox turns to me, suddenly serious.
Thankfully, before he can ask me anything else, Jake shows up, forcing a change in subject.
Saved by the pancake god.
We wind up sitting here for another three rounds. Though, only Arizona, Knox, Matti, and I make it to the final serving of pancakes. Everyone else bows out the one before.
With plenty of sugar and caffeine (the coffee refills were coming just as steadily) in our systems, the chatter turns increasingly ridiculous, helping me evade Knox and his serious face. At least for now.
Then, it’s time to settle up.
Or I think it’s time. Apparently, that time has passed.
“It’s all paid for,” Jake says again when Arizona and I just stare at him, like we can’t comprehend what he’s saying. “Knox Marley left his card with the cashier on the way in.”
I turn to scowl at Knox. “Why would you do that?”
He shrugs. “Guess I had a sixth sense about you and your inability to accept a meal from a man. Calm down, woman. They’re just pancakes. You can get the coffees after we watch the sun come up.”
“After we watch the sun come up?” Now I’m directing my blank stare at him. He can’t possibly mean what I think he means.
“We’re going for a walk, remember?” It’s his turn to slide out of the booth. As soon as he’s out, he’s turning back for me, hand stretched out to help me. Much to my own hyper-independent ass’s surprise, I take it. And then, I notice, he doesn’t let go.
“Don’t you have to get back on the road?”
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “Saturdays are our last show of the week. Next one isn’t until Wednesday. Normally, I’d be off until Thursday night, but we’re doing this charity thing.”
“But,” I point out as we’re walking through the front doors and out into the parking lot, “you said you guys were all on the bus and ready to go when you decided to join us for pancakes. If you don’t have anywhere to be, where were you going?”
“Home,” Matti fills me in.
“Right.” That would be obvious, I suppose.
And I might have been able to conclude it for myself if eighty-five percent of my brain power wasn’t currently wrapped up in analyzing the handholding I’m still involved in.
Another ten is trying to remember the last time I held hands with a man before this.
Maybe I shouldn’t be attempting conversation right now.
“Speaking of places your bus is going,” Arizona joins the current topic of conversation. “Any chance you can add another stop along the way?”
“Girl, I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go,” Winston drawls, wrapping his massive arm around her itty-bitty frame.
“What are you talking about?” I cut in. “You don’t need a ride. I’m your ride.”
“You were,” she agrees. “Now I’m going with Winston and you’re going on a walk to watch the sunrise.”
“Forget the walk, you were my original date, I’m not ditching you halfway through.”
She sighs, obviously getting annoyed with me.
“No one is ditching anyone. Our date ended with pancakes. And for me, that’s the end of the night.
It’s time for me to get back to my car and get back on the road to head home.
But for you, the night isn’t over. So, it would be dumb,” she bugs her eyes out at me to emphasize just how dumb, “for you to insist on driving me back to your place where I will switch cars and keep going. Especially when we can just switch cars now and make it easy. Why not make it easy?”
Ordinarily, I’d find it worrisome, my best friend tucked into the side of a strange man she only just met who also happens to be three times the size of her...and now wants her to leave with him, even if it is just to take her to her car so she can go home. Alone.
When stripped of all context and feelings, that just has bad idea written all over it. And yet, watching her make googly eyes at him like she’s nineteen again, while also sounding exceptionally rational about the change in plans, doesn’t feel wrong at all. It feels kind of logical.
“So, we’re doing this,” I say, just to make sure we’re really all on the same page. “You’re leaving on the tour bus and I’m...”
“Leaving with the rock star.” Arizona grins. “Yep. We’re doing this.”