Len took over driving while I took a nap in the passengers' seat. The drive was rather quiet. Probably because I was sleeping most of the way.
We stopped for lunch. Since we were going in a different direction then I had planned we stopped at Denny's which was the closet restaurant to the highway. I sat across from Len looking at the menu. I was starving. We drove for 3 hours already since my little melt down. While I was looking at the map I felt something on my leg I look down and noticed Len's foot is rubbing on my leg. I smiled hiding my face behind the menu.
"I saw you smiling," Len says. I put down my menu, "you can't hide that from me," he smirks.
I roll my eyes looking back at my menu, "Just look at your menu," I said taking a sip of my water.
"You have a beautiful smile babe," he continues. I nearly choked on my water. Coughing. "sorry probably shouldn't have talked like that while you were drinking."
"Maybe you shouldn't talk at all while I am drinking," I spattered.
He chuckled, " Sorry," he says between breathes.
"Not really something to laugh about," I said a bit annoyed.
He covered his mouth trying to hold his laughs, "Sorry you right he says," he covers his face with his menu. I look back at mine. I heard him laughing while keeping his face hidden from me. I sigh. Our waiter came over. I ordered a cheese burger with curly fries and a cup of coffee. Len ordered a omelette with bacon, cheese, and tomatoes, with some type of garlic sauce on top. Handing the waiter the menus I look out the window.
"You alright?" Len wondered.
I look over at him, "Its nothing," I whispered, keeping my eyes firmly at the window.
I felt something next to me. Knowing who is was I kept looking out the window, "What is it?"
I shrug my shoulder looking at him, "Its nothing just I haven't seen her parents in ages. Not sure if going over to them is a good idea?" I look down at the table.
"Shane look at me?" I look into his eyes, "do you want to keep this burden on you forever? or be a man and do something about it?" I looked surprised at him. He goes closer to my face, "Babes don't have that burden on yourself. Let them know it was wrong of them blaming their daughter on you."
"Yes well they can think that if they like I mean I know I shouldn't blame myself like you said but what if? Is what I keep wondering. Like what if? What if we haven't fought that night. She and my daughter still could've of been alive probably today? And Hazel would probably have divorced me," I sigh.
Len puts a hand on my shoulder, "Stop beating yourself up about this. Its not healthy. Also its hurting you feeling like that."
I was about to say something when we heard someone clearing their throat. It was the waiter carrying our plates of food on a tray. Len moved back over to his spot. I felt embarrassed being caught like that. "Here is your guys' food," he said there was something else in his tone I kept quiet and nodded my head as our lunch was being served.
In the middle of our meal I thought of what Len said. 'Do I really want to see her parents?' the answer is no. With a capital N, O but he has a point this has been a burden on me. It is not exactly helping though if Len who I don't know what our relationship is shows up with me at her parents' door. A guy I am slightly interested in. Someone who killed someone. Although both topics I don't need to explain to them. I am a honest guy and I don't like to lie. So if Hazel's parents ask me who Len is. I am wondering how to explain if they do ask. Looking over at Len who has his mouth stuffed with omelette. I wondered about him. He hasn't mentioned what he did in the past and I haven't brought up the topic. I figured its something he wouldn't want to talk about. There is something on my mind though. How close were my mother and Len? Did she know about what he did? Also there is something that I been wondering about since Len told me this, 'What did his step father say before he killed him?'
Back on the highway I decided to take over driving. Letting Len take a nap. I look over at him from the corner of my eye. I don't understand how can someone who held me when I needed someone to lean on and kiss me so gently be a killer? I decided to just drop that thought from my mind and focus on the road. I have plenty of things to think about tonight before sleeping anyway. The first place we were heading was Las Vegas. The whole trip is 10 hours and 57 minutes of driving. I pulled over in a gas station and while Len was filling up my tank I took my phone out to see where we were and where we should stay at for the night. We were reaching towards the early evening. I could drive a bit more but I was getting tired. OK the one thing you should know is that I am rich from all the time I been selling my plays also my wife worked and made good money we shared an account together. So I can afford fancy hotels if I would like too. I look around the town that we stopped in while waiting for my tank to be filled. It was a pretty small town. I looked at my phone there was a bed and breakfast inn some where near by. When Len got back in the car I told him of the plan. He was good with that. We drove in the parking lot of this old run down house. 'Do I really want to stay here?' I look at Len who was staring out of his window. 'Is he ok?' I decided to drop that thought from my mind and look back at the house. I decided to get out and check the place out. Len followed me. I knocked on the door since the door bell was out of it's socket. Someone should fix that it could hurt someone if they touched it. The door opened and a African American lady was standing behind it. She was quite beautiful. "Hello there," I said with a smile.
"Hi," she said with a smile back.
"We would like to check out your inn if you have a room available?"
She opens the door wider, "Oh of course come on in." We followed her inside. I look around. The place was as run down as the outside was. I looked over a Len who was next to me. "Swell place you have here," he says to the lady.
"Oh thank you," she says, "It used to be my grandfather's inn." There was a small girl that looked around 4-6 years old. I smiled sadly at her as she was running over to the lady who I'm guessing is her mother. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I look over at Len. He knows the reason behind my sad smile.
The lady who's name is Angie showed us around. There were 3 extra rooms in this place. Len wanted to share a room. He hated sleeping on his own in a stranger's house. I decided to just go with it. We took the room on the end paying Angie her service while we made our way in the room with our stuff that was left in the car.
I washed up in the guest bathroom taking a quick shower. Putting on a fresh pair of shirt and shorts. I need to do laundry soon. Maybe stop at a laundry mat before heading on the highway? I should buy Len some clothes too while in town he needs some.
Len was sitting on his bed while looking out the window that was next to his bed. Having his head in his palm. I cleared my throat. He turns his head over to me. "See you freshened up," he smiles a bit, "bet you smell good right now."
"Well my clothes was in a bag in the car all day."
He walks over to me. Snaking his arms around my waist. I heard him sniff. 'Um is he a dog?' "You smell good Shane just like I guessed. Even if your clothes was in the car all day in a plastic bag," he smiles at my face.
My eyes turned to the floor, "What are you doing? If your trying to seduce me its not working."
His eyes were wide at that, "Why would you think I am seducing you? that wasn't on my mind at all."
I nodded. Keeping silent.
"You alright?" he wondered. I nodded, "Wait...are you actually disappointed?"
Since I don't like lying I just kept quiet. "We should get going downstairs for supper," I open the door walking over to the stairs.
"Shane?" I heard Len say. I was already halfway downstairs, "Sorry I shouldn't of said that."
I look over at him stopping in the middle of the steps. "You didn't say anything wrong."
"But you got silent?"
I sigh, "Can we talk about this later in our room?"
Len nodded walking past me. "Len?" he looks over at me, "I am buying you clothes tomorrow."
Len smiled at that.