By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

17. Just a Casual, Quick Trip to Italy- E

She laughed then. A genuine sound that warmed me. "Yeah. I do. I was quaking in my shoes. Almost ripped them apart with all the vibrating."

"Mmm," I said, pretending to nod wisely. "Nikes as I recall. They should've held up under all that shaking."

Poor Pip, who hadn't quite stopped laughing anyway, started up again. Unable to help it, I joined in. Soon enough, we were laughing for no reason. My joke had ceased to be funny way long ago, but it didn't really matter anymore.

After far too long, we quieted. "Alright," she said finally, "can you please tell me where we're going?"

I shook my head, a smug smile curving my lips.

Pip turned to face me and interlaced her fingers, holding them before her in a beg. "Pleeease?" she whined adorably.

I stuck to my guns and shook my head again.

Now her bottom lip stuck out too and it was becoming harder and harder to refuse. "Pweeeeease? Pwetty pwease wif whipped cweam and a chewey on top?" Even the exaggerated lisp was getting to me.

Striving for toughness, I said, "I don't like whipped cream."

She grunted lightly and she straightened in her seat, forgetting the puppy dog act for a second. "Yeah, me neither. Never understood that phrase." Her position resumed, pouty lips and all. "Anyway. Pleeeeeeease, E? I just want to be prepared for whatever we're doing."

I wasn't gonna hold up much longer under the barrage of cute and she did have a good point. Maybe she'd need sunscreen for the moon or something. "Venice."

Her lips parted in surprise. "You're taking me to Italy?"

"Ha ha. No. Venice Beach, Pip."

Now her eyebrows matched her lips. "We're going to the beach? Now?"

"Yep. There a problem?"

I was happy to see her adamantly shake her head. "No! It's just... Well, it's just almost eight. I would've figured it would be too dark," she said quickly. "Plus, I don't have my suit."

I grinned at her. "You want to go swimming at eight at night?"

"You don't?"

"Touché," I said. "I love night swimming. Tell me where to turn."

"Turn? For what?"

"If you want to go swimming, you need a suit. So tell me where to turn to go to your house so you can get it. Then, we'll hit my house so I can get mine."

Cora sighed unhappily and muttered something I didn't catch.

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "What was that Pip?"

She sighed again, but there was a grin in place this time. "I said, 'so no cliché scene where you buy me a bikini, got it.' Suit you?"

I started laughing so hard, I almost had to pull over. "Pip," I managed at last and she looked at me, her cheeks flaring red. "Do you want me to buy you a bikini?"

"I, uh..." she stammered. I, personally, didn't realize a person's whole face could turn the approximate color of a cherry until this moment. She blushed so much around me and you'd think it would get old, but it never does. "I mean... it was—I didn't—I, uh..." Pip face-palmed and I'll admit it, I was enjoying myself immensely. "I watch too many movies."

I agreed before turning my car onto the road that would eventually lead us to Venice.

Pip straightened from her slumped position as she noticed. "This isn't—you missed the turn!"