The Road Trip

Chapter Four

Day One

Knoxville, Tennessee

EPOV

Bella gasped. "Did you quote Duckie from Pretty in Pink?"

My mouth twitched. "Possibly."

"I love Duckie!" she said with a tiny squeal.

"Why does that not surprise me?" I deadpanned, earning a light smack on the shoulder from her.

"Not only did he rock thrift-store chic like nobody's business, but he was also, so quirky and kind," she released a soft sigh. "I always thought Andy was crazy for choosing Blane. And, I mean, what kind of name is Blane, anyway?" she said with a scoff. "Sure, Blane was rich, handsome, and popular, but that didn't matter to me—no, I was one hundred percent Team Duckie."

I shook my head and chuckled. "I've never seen someone so passionate about a John Hughes' character."

"What can I say? The man was a genius; God rest his soul." She made the sign of the cross over her heart.

"Are you even Catholic?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"No, why? Did I do it incorrectly?" She then redid the sign in the opposite direction.

Chuckling, I said, "You're a strange one, Bella Swan. So, which of his films is your favorite?"

"Are you serious?" She threw her arms up in exasperation. "How is a person supposed to choose? They each have moments of brilliance, but I guess if I had to pick, I'd go with Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"Yeah, I agree with you on that one, even though I was fond of Weird Science for a brief period during the seventh grade."

"No fucking way," she said before breaking into a fit of laughter. "I don't even have to guess why."

I shrugged. "What can I say? The idea of creating a hot chick sounded pretty amazing to a hormonal thirteen-year-old."

She continued laughing. "I'm shocked. And here, I always imagined you getting your rocks off to thoughts of Hermione Granger."

"Who says I don't?" I teased suggestively. "And why are you even thinking about me getting my rocks off?"

She became flustered. "I-I don't I didn't mean —"

"Sure, whatever you say," I said with a smirk. "Well, I need not ask who you dream about when you flick the bean."

Her face paled; panic laced her voice. "What?"

"Leo? Right?" I teased, but curiosity gnawed at me.

Her shoulders slumped with relief. "Oh, yeah. Leo. Hilarious, Cullen."

XXX

Bella remained quiet for the rest of the drive to Knoxville; her focus centered on her phone. Being the nosy bastard I am, I longed to know what or who had her so engrossed but resisted the urge to ask. Once we arrived on the outskirts of the city, I broke the silence and spoke up over the music playing softly, "We've almost arrived. Are you hungry?"

After tucking her phone inside her bag, she looked at her watch. "Wow. Already? Sure, I could eat. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I listed a few restaurants on the back of the itinerary."

She snorted and quirked an eyebrow. "Could you be any more organized?"

"I can't help it. I was a Boy Scout for three months. It's in my blood to be prepared."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Only three months? What happened? Did you get kicked out for not earning your bird study badge?"

"Not exactly. My mom got laid off and couldn't afford the dues. By the time she found a new job, I had lost interest."

Her voice was thick with sorrow. "Geez, I'm sorry."

"It all turned out for the best; Mom enrolled me in a free library program that summer to keep me busy. So I ended up spending more time with her and developing a love for reading." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I know it may sound silly, but I sort of associate my love of reading with my mom."

"I get it. Dad and I always celebrate any of my mom's missed moments—you know, like her birthday, Mother's Day, and their wedding anniversary by going to the cinema." She gazed out the window. "She was a huge movie fan."

"Oh, so your obsession is genetic?" I said, trying to bring a moment of levity to the conversation.

"I suppose so. I guess we can both blame our mothers for our vices."

"Hmm," I scratched my chin. "I'm not too sure reading is a weakness, but I don't know if I can say the same about an infatuation with a washed-up 90s actor."

"Hey!" She swatted me with the itinerary which was still in her grasp.

"Ouch! Will you stop abusing me and pick out a restaurant?"

"If you stop it with Leo," she said with a giggle as she studied the list. "Let's see, we have Sweet P's Barbecue, a place called Stock & Barrel," she paused and turned towards me, "I've never heard of that one?"

"They're supposed to have fantastic hamburgers."

She resumed her reading. "Hard Knox Pizza, aww ... cute name, and finally," She gritted her teeth. "Seriously, Cullen? Hooters?"

I gave her a half-shrug. "Hey, they have good wings."

Her eyes narrowed. "Sure. Wings, my ass."

"They have great asses there as well," I joked.

XXX

We eventually decided on the pizza joint and shared a pie called the Bonecrusher, which consisted of fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, rosemary, and crushed red pepper.

After Bella took a bite from her slice, she closed her eyes and unleashed a throaty moan. "Admit it; this is so much better than anything you could have gotten at Hooters. And this sausage … Dear Lord, it's the best I've ever tasted."

"Well, the pizza is pretty damn good, and I have to say that food moan of yours is sort of hot. It makes up for missing all the T & A."

An embarrassed blush crept across her features, and she threw her napkin at me. "I never realized what a perv you are, Cullen."

"Hey, what do you expect when you're over there practically in orgasmic bliss over some piece of meat."

As soon as the words left my mouth, so did the contents of her beverage, which she sprayed all over my face.

"God, I'm sorry," she said as I wiped away the liquid from my chin and neck.

Laughing, I replied, "It's okay. I guess I deserved it."

"Yeah, you most certainly did." She gave me a stern yet playful look.

"I have a surprise planned after lunch if you're up for it."

She groaned and wrinkled her nose. "The last one didn't go so well. Maybe we should just hit the road?"

"What if I promise this one will go much better? In fact, I think this might end up being one of the highlights of our trip."

She eyed me skeptically before saying, "Okay, I'm trusting you, Cullen, but we better not be going to Hooters."

XXX

BPOV

Twenty minutes later, we parked in front of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. I gave him my best WTF look.

"Come on," he said, opening his car door. He almost appeared giddy.

Cullen was so weird.

Once we entered the building, we approached the counter where a lone, young woman stood, typing on a computer.

She paused from her task. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, is Jamie in today?"

"I'm Jamie. You must be Edward and Bella."

"Yes, we are," he replied. "It's nice to meet you in person."

"You as well. How's your trip going so far?"

"Nice, thank you. We just had lunch at Hard Knox Pizza."

"Oh, great choice. They have the best Italian sausage."

Edward's mouth twitched at her comment. "That's exactly what Bella was just saying."

He winced when I discreetly elbowed him in the side.

"Well, I won't keep you waiting," Jamie said. "I know you're eager to begin your tour. Let me go grab Eric," she said as she handed him a leaflet. "Here's some information about the sites you'll be seeing today."

"Thanks again," Edward replied as he took the pamphlet and handed it to me.

Confused, I skimmed the title.

October Sky Film Location Tour

My mouth dropped into the shape of an O before I squealed with delight. "Are you shitting me?"

Edward grinned ear to ear. "I thought it was something we both could enjoy since you love the movie, and Rocket Boys is one of my favorite books."

Okay, I was wrong. Cullen was fucking awesome.

I even told him so before giving him an impulsive hug.

Edward folded his arms around me and whispered, "It's my pleasure."

The warm feel of his breath on my ear, along with the heady scent of his cologne caused chills to dance along my spine. Overwhelmed with the desire to burrow myself into his chest, I quickly backed away and said, "Excuse me, I'd better use the restroom before we go."

After fleeing to the restroom, I splashed cold water on my face as I wondered what in the hell had just happened.

AN:

First of all, no offense was meant to anyone who currently works or has worked at Hooters. You hold a special place in Edward's heart.

While completing research, I discovered there were around twenty films shot in the Knoxville area. The more popular ones include October Sky, Evil Dead, and get this - Road Trip. LOL

My husband adores Evil Dead, so when I informed him it had been filmed in Knoxville, I thought he would have a coronary. He attended college with me, so he had been so close to the film sites all that time and never visited them. I have a feeling we will make a trip to Tennessee in the not so distant future.

This chapter has a special shout-out to Jamie who I am currently spending time with at TFMU. I love you, my Tennessee girlie!

Until next time,

HE