That breakfast had been the most excruciating meal Lindsay had ever had. The conversation was very guarded. It would have probably gone better if Nick had not added this little gem:
"Your parents have been asking us if we know where you are. What do you want us to say?"
Lindsay's face practically fell onto the table,"I don't know-"
"Lindsay," Daniel interjected suddenly,"Can I see you outside for a minute."
She began to get up at the same time Nick did. "Alone." Daniel added, persuading Nick it might be best to let his friend have his way this time.
They walked out the door and stood in front of the diner. Daniel was angrier than she could ever recall seeing him.
"Dammit, Lindsay, what the hell is going on?"
"Look, Daniel, I know you're angry at Kim for just running off-"
"Kim? You think I'm mad at Kim? She and I are over. I knew that two months ago. I accepted that two months ago. You think I came all the way down here to confront Kim? I came with Nick because I suspected he was meeting up with you."
"Daniel, I-"
"Do you have any idea what hell your brother's been through? He's worried sick about you! Your parents, Jesus, let me not even start on them."
"How do you know what's going on with Sam and my parents?"
"Because I've been going to your house to check up on them," he half-truthed,"God, being here with you like this is breaking my promise to them-"
"What promise?"
He shook his head and answered quietly,"That if I found out where you were, I'd tell them immediately. Lindsay, they're really hurting."
"I know," she replied,"I was planning on going home after Sedona anyway."
"Is that here?"
"No, it's in Arizona. It's the next series of shows."
The 102 degree weather was beginning to make him sweat. "Can we walk for a minute? I'm melting over here."
"Sure."
Daniel pointed over to a small, shaded plaza about three blocks away. "That looks like it'll do."
"Yeah," Lindsay agreed as Daniel took her hand. Stunned, she immediately looked up at him. He just smiled back.
"Just in case you try to get away."
"So what's going on with you two anyway?" Nick asked.
"It's like I said on the phone," Kim replied patiently,"we're just hanging around, watching the shows and meeting people.
"Lindsay's a Deadhead?" he wondered out loud.
"Lindsay doesn't label herself, Nick. You should know that by now."
"I just don't know what I'm supposed to-"
Just then, Andy walked into the diner and right to Kim's table and announced,"Kim, man. Major, major score. Tonight's gonna be awesome."
"What? Spill it already!"
"Kim, who is this guy?" Nick asked curiously.
"Andy, Nick. Nick, Andy. Lindsay and I are traveling along with Andy and his girl, Samm."
"No, kidding."
"No, man and tonight is gonna rock. Samm met up with these Deadheads we met in Portland last summer and they hooked us up."
"Pot?" Nick said expectantly.
"Better. Peyote and 'shrooms, man. They bring out the music, the experience and take you to a whole 'nother place."
"Really? I should try that."
"Well, you comin' tonight?"
Nick shrugged as Kim shook her head and laughed, "Yeah, I guess so."
Lindsay could hardly believe what she was hearing, "So you get together, how often?"
"Once a week," he said sheepishly.
"I never figured you as a Dungeons and Dragons fan," she said,"but you really like it, don't you?"
"Those guys are cool and I'm good, Lindsay," Daniel replied looking at the ground. "It's different, you know, to be good at something. It's not math, I know, but it's a start."
"Daniel," she said honestly,"I think it's great. Really."
"Yeah? I haven't told anyone else." He looked up at her. "Only you."
They locked eyes until Lindsay smiled and looked away. The heat was getting to her and she took off her jacket. She'd forgotten that she was wearing a skimpy halter underneath sans bra.
Daniel watched her carefully. Lindsay looked great. Hell, she always looked great but something was different about her. She seemed really happy, but that damn top she was wearing was making it hard for him to think straight. Quickly, he looked away. His mind was totally in the gutter.
"Daniel, were you checking me out?"
"Get over yourself," he replied, trying to joke around.
"You were!" she teased.
"You look good, Lindsay," he said nonchalantly,"damn good."
She laughed and shoved his shoulder a bit when she felt him catch hold of her hand. He held it gently and with his other hand he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"I'm glad you're happy, I really am, but people miss you a lot. I miss you."
As he said it, Daniel realized it was the absolute truth. He loved having Lindsay around to talk to and joke around with. Their faces started to draw closer until he stopped and began to turn away.
Lindsay's hand on his cheek stopped that. She drew her face to his and kissed him gently and in a moment she broke it off. That brief touch of her lips to his left him wanting more. He didn't know what to do.
She stood up and he did as well. They started to walk back towards the diner.
"So you coming to the show tonight?" she said, looking away from him.
"Might as well, right? I'm here and all."
"It's gonna be a blast."
"Will there be booze?"
"Absolutely."
"Then it will be a blast for me. Are we gonna keep pretending or keep making small talk."
"Daniel, I don't know what to say. I just felt like....wanted to kiss you."
"Do you love Nick?'
"What?"
"It's a simple question."
"Do you love Kim?"
"I drove for days without stopping, barely had a meal because I was in such a rush to get down here and nearly melted my tires in the desert. And Kim and I are over and happy to be friends. I love somebody alright."
Lindsay couldn't think of a word to say. He shook his head and started to walk back to the diner. She watched him silently for a few seconds before following him.
"Your parents have been asking us if we know where you are. What do you want us to say?"
Lindsay's face practically fell onto the table,"I don't know-"
"Lindsay," Daniel interjected suddenly,"Can I see you outside for a minute."
She began to get up at the same time Nick did. "Alone." Daniel added, persuading Nick it might be best to let his friend have his way this time.
They walked out the door and stood in front of the diner. Daniel was angrier than she could ever recall seeing him.
"Dammit, Lindsay, what the hell is going on?"
"Look, Daniel, I know you're angry at Kim for just running off-"
"Kim? You think I'm mad at Kim? She and I are over. I knew that two months ago. I accepted that two months ago. You think I came all the way down here to confront Kim? I came with Nick because I suspected he was meeting up with you."
"Daniel, I-"
"Do you have any idea what hell your brother's been through? He's worried sick about you! Your parents, Jesus, let me not even start on them."
"How do you know what's going on with Sam and my parents?"
"Because I've been going to your house to check up on them," he half-truthed,"God, being here with you like this is breaking my promise to them-"
"What promise?"
He shook his head and answered quietly,"That if I found out where you were, I'd tell them immediately. Lindsay, they're really hurting."
"I know," she replied,"I was planning on going home after Sedona anyway."
"Is that here?"
"No, it's in Arizona. It's the next series of shows."
The 102 degree weather was beginning to make him sweat. "Can we walk for a minute? I'm melting over here."
"Sure."
Daniel pointed over to a small, shaded plaza about three blocks away. "That looks like it'll do."
"Yeah," Lindsay agreed as Daniel took her hand. Stunned, she immediately looked up at him. He just smiled back.
"Just in case you try to get away."
"So what's going on with you two anyway?" Nick asked.
"It's like I said on the phone," Kim replied patiently,"we're just hanging around, watching the shows and meeting people.
"Lindsay's a Deadhead?" he wondered out loud.
"Lindsay doesn't label herself, Nick. You should know that by now."
"I just don't know what I'm supposed to-"
Just then, Andy walked into the diner and right to Kim's table and announced,"Kim, man. Major, major score. Tonight's gonna be awesome."
"What? Spill it already!"
"Kim, who is this guy?" Nick asked curiously.
"Andy, Nick. Nick, Andy. Lindsay and I are traveling along with Andy and his girl, Samm."
"No, kidding."
"No, man and tonight is gonna rock. Samm met up with these Deadheads we met in Portland last summer and they hooked us up."
"Pot?" Nick said expectantly.
"Better. Peyote and 'shrooms, man. They bring out the music, the experience and take you to a whole 'nother place."
"Really? I should try that."
"Well, you comin' tonight?"
Nick shrugged as Kim shook her head and laughed, "Yeah, I guess so."
Lindsay could hardly believe what she was hearing, "So you get together, how often?"
"Once a week," he said sheepishly.
"I never figured you as a Dungeons and Dragons fan," she said,"but you really like it, don't you?"
"Those guys are cool and I'm good, Lindsay," Daniel replied looking at the ground. "It's different, you know, to be good at something. It's not math, I know, but it's a start."
"Daniel," she said honestly,"I think it's great. Really."
"Yeah? I haven't told anyone else." He looked up at her. "Only you."
They locked eyes until Lindsay smiled and looked away. The heat was getting to her and she took off her jacket. She'd forgotten that she was wearing a skimpy halter underneath sans bra.
Daniel watched her carefully. Lindsay looked great. Hell, she always looked great but something was different about her. She seemed really happy, but that damn top she was wearing was making it hard for him to think straight. Quickly, he looked away. His mind was totally in the gutter.
"Daniel, were you checking me out?"
"Get over yourself," he replied, trying to joke around.
"You were!" she teased.
"You look good, Lindsay," he said nonchalantly,"damn good."
She laughed and shoved his shoulder a bit when she felt him catch hold of her hand. He held it gently and with his other hand he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"I'm glad you're happy, I really am, but people miss you a lot. I miss you."
As he said it, Daniel realized it was the absolute truth. He loved having Lindsay around to talk to and joke around with. Their faces started to draw closer until he stopped and began to turn away.
Lindsay's hand on his cheek stopped that. She drew her face to his and kissed him gently and in a moment she broke it off. That brief touch of her lips to his left him wanting more. He didn't know what to do.
She stood up and he did as well. They started to walk back towards the diner.
"So you coming to the show tonight?" she said, looking away from him.
"Might as well, right? I'm here and all."
"It's gonna be a blast."
"Will there be booze?"
"Absolutely."
"Then it will be a blast for me. Are we gonna keep pretending or keep making small talk."
"Daniel, I don't know what to say. I just felt like....wanted to kiss you."
"Do you love Nick?'
"What?"
"It's a simple question."
"Do you love Kim?"
"I drove for days without stopping, barely had a meal because I was in such a rush to get down here and nearly melted my tires in the desert. And Kim and I are over and happy to be friends. I love somebody alright."
Lindsay couldn't think of a word to say. He shook his head and started to walk back to the diner. She watched him silently for a few seconds before following him.