Not so Far and Long Ago

Chapter 62

"Are we there yet?" Harper complained from the backseat.

"We are five minutes closer than we were the last time you asked," Finn sighed, "however we need to stop for gas in a few miles. We'll probably get dinner at this stop too. What do you guys want?"

I shrugged, allowing Harper to have the opinion. "Can we get McDonalds?" Finn and I looked at each other and sighed.

"Harper are you sure you wouldn't rather have something else?"

"Taco Bell." Finn looked at me again.

"I haven't ate Taco Bell since we got extremely drunk on your 21st," Finn whispered to me. I laughed, trying to recall the moment.

"Darn it, there's not a Taco Bell or McDonalds at this exit, how about we hit Chick-fil-a!"

"Can I get a milkshake?" Harper said from the backseat, "mommy won't let me have them."

"Of course sweetheart," Finn said.

"Can you get me the real chicken sandwich too? With fries. That's what all my friends get but mommy says I can't have fried stuff or bread."

"What ever you want. When you're with daddy, you get all the fried foods and desserts you want." I looked at Finn with a light smile.

"Never marry a model. We had a wedding fruit tower."

"Was it in tiers?"

Finn laughed, "A cake would've been."

"I'll make you a deal," I said as Finn took the exit, "If we get married, we can get two cakes."

"Whaddya mean if?" Finn said.

"You think we're going to end up married?"

"I hope."

"I love you," I said.

"You said it!"

"I remember loving you. In high school. I don't remember anything past that other than filming the Star Wars saga."

"I love you too Rey," Finn said pulling into the parking lot.

"So I take it that you remember our first date?" Finn questioned me as we walked into the restaurant, Harper ahead of us.

"We rode home from school together and you wanted to stop here. We shared fries. You had sweet tea, I had water. Than you took me out on my first real date. We went to some fancy restaurant but we agreed we'd both be happier with ice cream and a movie."

"Is it sad that I remember less about this date than you." I shook my head, "anyway what do you want?"

"I'll have grilled chicken nuggets."

"With fries?"

"Fruit."

"You're crazy," Finn responded, "I'm going for the chicken sandwich with fries at least tell me you want a milkshake or something."

"The fruit is my something sweet. Besides, I got a call from my agent. She mentioned an upcoming project possibly."

"I got a call like that. My thought is not to worry about it until this project is written in stone."

~~~

"Are we almost there?" Harper asked about an hour after stopping. Finn sighed, queuing for me to answer. I looked back at Finn.

"You know I don't know that unless you tell me where we're going." I whispered.

"We're going to-"Harper started to say, Finn cutting her off.

"I told you not to tell Rey where we are going. It's a birthday surprise. Would you like it if I told you everything we got you for your birthday?"

"Mommy gets me the same thing every year. I just want an American Girl doll, but all she gets me is clothes and makeup. I'm the only girl in my class that knows what lip liner is."

"I didn't know what that was until I was 12," I said.

"What is lip liner?"

"It's like eyeliner but you put it around your lips. I don't see a point in it."

"Me neither," I responded, "I haven't worn it forever."

"You girls know that was a joke, right?"

"Sure it was. Saying that was a joke is like saying you aren't in love with Rey," I felt my face get red, Finn doing the same.

"How to you know it's love?" Finn smirked.

"Because you two are acting like me and Jacob at recess. Everyone says we're in love." 

"Who's Jacob?"

"My boyfriend. We were supposed to get married, but Mr. Lars said that our parents wouldn't approve and cancelled the wedding. We secretly rescheduled it for 15 years in the future."

I looked at Finn, slightly giggling, "so, Finn, would you have approved?" I asked in response to Harper's statement.

"No," Finn said, "And I thought it would be years until I needed to have a talk with a guy."

"Mommy said that I could date whoever I wanted, whenever I wanted, she told me it's important to keep a backup boyfriend too."

"How about no more dating advice from mommy."

"But you told me always to listen to parents and teachers unless they're strangers offering me candy."

"How about we get back to the first part. How much longer do we have?" I intruded after the father-daughter duo had an intense argument over dating.

"We have about an hour." Finn sighed, "than we can handle the future heartbreaker over to my parents and have some fun."

"Like fun in the room, or what?"

"If that's what you want," Finn responded, slyly, "but there's other options for fun here that you may like better."

"I think I'm excited," I said, "I think that level would go up if you told me your plans for the week."

"I'll hand you the itinerary in 45 minutes. That's about when we'll be close enough that you'll know our plans."

"You could tell me now, so than we can talk about plans longer."

"Your not going to get this outta me."

"Fine. I'll leave you alone if you tell me in 30 minutes."

"Sorry, stores closed now. Try again in 45 minutes."

"You're being an as-"

"I said the store was closed. Please try any comments again in 44 minutes," Finn said robotically. I sighed, looking out the window, while turning on my phones Bluetooth. I selected Oceanfront Property by George Strait, a song I knew Finn hated.