Chapter Six

We had been riding for sometime before I realized that we had passed the city limits of my small suburban town. There were trees everywhere which isn't unusual, but I thought we'd be staying in town for our date. "Where are we?"

"Sorry I didn't tell you I have to make a quick stop before we go to eat."

I looked at my watch. "It's been thirty minutes."

"You know what I mean. It's just something I have to deal with."

"Like?"

"Don't worry Java; I'm not trying to take over the world. I thought I'd wait a few years before I started that."

"Good, I'm not ready to be queen of the world."

"You actually think you'd be queen when I have to beg just for a date."

I turned looking at him. "Have someone on your mind?" I felt a sting of jealousy.

He smiled. "No...You can be queen. I have to think of the little people don't I?"

"I'm not that little."

He glanced over at me. "Nope you're not."

"You're disgusting!" I slapped his arm and he shrank away laughing. I tuned the radio to some heavy rocker song and he grabbed my hand making me stop. He liked that kind stuff, but I never got. I leaned back trying to tune out the screams and drifted into sleep.

When I woke up in what seemed like a split second later. Ram had stopped the car and we were in some parking lot next to a large white building. I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on when Ram looked at me. "Wanna stay in or come with?"

Of course curiosity got the best of me and I pulled off me seat beat. "I'm coming; you can't leave me to die in this piece of junk you call a car."

"Hey no hating on the car, especially when you don't have one." He looked at me accusingly. I sighed getting ready to open the door. "Hey wait I have something else to say."

"What?"

"Empty your pockets, and leave your stuff here."

"What pockets?"

"Don't be difficult; keep your stuff in here, the security will go better if you do."

"Security?"

"And no asking questions, this will only take a minute."

I sighed. "You're the boss." I took my cell phone and keys out of my jacket pocket and got out of the car.

As Ram got out of the car he took my hand and we walked toward the large seriously clean white building that contrast against the heavy green of all the trees. And the entire time I was thinking: A large building in the middle of nowhere that's so not suspicious. As we walked into the building there was this old kind of indifferent looking guy who wore a name tag that said Frank. Ram walked passed Frank as if her were king of everything showing his badge that I had never seen before. How dare Ram have secrets from me?

"Java, you'll stay here with Frank I just have to check up on something. I'll only be a few minutes."

I nodded being obliging. No questions Java no questions, but man was this hard! Ram kissed me on the cheek and walked off toward the only door in the eerily sterile hall and disappeared. I turned looking at Frank's booth. There was the sweet aroma of pizza coming from it; I'd say pepperoni and mushrooms to be exact. I tried to ignore the smell of the probably overly greasy pizza with deliciously gooey cheese and sat in a plastic chair on the other side of the hall.

I looked at my arm but realized I had taken off my watch in the car. I looked up at Frank who had been ignoring me for most of time and walked over knocking on the window that separated frank from the rest of the room. He looked up at me and turning down the volume on his mini-TV looked at me. "What do you want?" He took a bite of his pizza, and I was right it was Pepperoni and Mushroom.

"The time?"

"6:30"

"Thanks." I sighed looking bored and tapped my fingers. I was hopping he would offer me a tiny slice of his pizza since I hadn't eaten since lunch but it looked like he was going to be a pig and eat the whole thing. And I state for the record it was a large pizza, maybe even extra large.

He looked at me for a moment then said, "You wanna come in?"

I smiled. "Sure!"

I walked into the little booth were everything was set up like some king of house: a pillow and blanket folded away under the desk mini-fridge, mini-TV, all the conveniences of home with out the troublesome family. He offered me a seat on top of a large stereo speaker, he had surround sound too, and I was impressed. Then he handed me a slice. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I took bite hungrily not bothering about being lady-like. Frank and I were bonding.

"What kind of girl like you goes with that kid?" He nodded his head in the direction of the door Ram had gone through.

"Ram? I and Ram go way back; this is kind of like hanging out for me."

"humpf! He's nothing but trouble; him and his Dad."

The little curiosity imp wanted to know more but I knew it was better to change the subject. "Whatcha watchin?"

"Ah some good old fashion television. Nothing like that reality junk they put on today."

"Cool." I looked at his little entertainment set up and notice he had a DVD player, and DVD's some of which I'm pretty sure you couldn't get at any store I had been in. Dirty Frank....

We sat watching good old fashion television and eating pizza until Ram knocked on the window. "Come on, or You'll spoil your dinner!"

I said my good byes to Frank and then we walked back out into the bright no where and got into the SUV. "Everything cool?"

"No questions"

"Oh...." I felt a little insulted but let it slide and hoped that maybe he would come clean later and sat in silence listening to his mind numbing music and speeding back to the City limits of somewhere.