Chapter 25: Wyatt Earp

Mark clearly knew the area, he went never faster than the next bend would allow, but neither slowed down more than he had to. They had been out of town for a while, driving through open lands, the only turnoffs being the long entrance ways to remote farms. But now the landscape changed, the distances between houses got shorter and there were real roads crossing theirs.

Finally they reached what could only be called a one-horse town. It looked like any small town around here. Frozen in time apart from the big stores and fast-food chains. Mark turned right at the end of the main street. Then another turn right into a dusty field path. Maybe a quarter mile away colored lights brightened an open field. Ann didn't make sense of them until they were almost there. Then finally it hit her. "A drive-in cinema!"

Mark grinned madly, like a school-boy having performed a successful stunt. "Yes. Folks put it up themselves on weekends, so it's no official cinema. Nonetheless fun. They are playing 'High Noon' tonight."

Ann was fascinated. She had thought drive-in cinemas to be an urban myth. But this place was already packed with cars. Mark paid their entrance-fee and drove to a good spot. He parked the pickup with the front away from the screen. "Come on!"

They climbed onto the trunk bed and Ann found that he had thought of everything. There were blankets and pillows and even a picnic basket. They created a comfy space and Mark unpacked the basket. There was everything from coke to beer to wine, from fruits to chips and chocolate.

"Didn't know what you wanted so I brought a bit of everything." Mark seemed more pleased with himself every minute.

Ann couldn't really blame him for it. She was amazed and overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The green and red and yellow fairy lights twinkled at her. "This is beautiful!"

There were couples of every age, some could have been her grand-parents, others younger siblings. They were laughing and kissing, some sitting in open convertibles, others on the trunk bed like them. Finally she noticed Mark watching her watch the others. The flower that had begun to blossom ever since she had met him opened its petals a bit further.

"So, wine or beer or something else?" he asked.

She went with the wine, knowing he probably had put it in extra for her. They ate some fruits, talked about what they remembered of the movie and generally laughed a lot, until finally the screen flickered into life and the first notes of the theme music rolled by.

They sat back into the comfortable nest of blankets and pillows, drawing a spare blanket over their legs. Ann wanted to lean back against the cab but Mark caught her and drew her to his side, cushioning her against him. She looked up at him, the heat of the afternoon instantly creeping back into her stomach.

They sat quietly for the first few scenes but then concentrating on the movie became ever more difficult. Somehow Ann's thumb had started stroking the back of Mark's hand. Which was answered by Mark's other hand softly stroking along her back, finding the gap between her shirt and tank top. She huddled against him a little closer. Her hand came to rest upon his thigh in the process. Sometime then she lost track of the plot. The blood picked up speed in her veins. She willed herself to look at the screen. Were the other couples any better? Did anyone come here to actually watch the movie? And since when did she think of Mark and herself as a couple?

"You like?" Mark's deep voice grumbled close to her ear. She jumped. Mark's chuckle was easier to feel than to hear.

She leaned over to him as if in whispering something into his ear, but instead she teasingly brushed her lips against his skin, kissing the soft warm flesh beneath his ear, leading a hot trail down his neck.

When she felt his chuckle had turned into heated attention she brought her mouth back close to his ear, whispering in a husky voice, "I like."

She straightened away from him, grinning, but found herself caught in the deep green of his eyes immediately. Unnoticed by her, her hand had found its way towards Mark's inner thigh. The intensity which had built up between them in an instant seemed to liquefy the air, making it hard to breath.

Mark exhaled deeply, then took her hand firmly into his, thus removing it from his leg. "Better be careful, darlin', or we won't make it to the end of the film."

It was her turn to chuckle, but she knew there was a grain of truth in what he had said.

She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him, and watched the screen. Nevertheless, Wyatt Earp never stood a chance to get her attention back.