Thorne stretched himself with a contented sigh. After Cinder's surprise visit and the subsequent trip to pick up Cress, luck was on his side again. He was tired, sure, but much more relaxed than he had been before. Things were finally looking up again - thanks to Señora Santiago. Magic hands, indeed. It was hard not to be in a good mood once more.

He only felt slightly bad for leaving Cress for so long, but maybe she had taken a much-needed nap. She had been completely out of it during their short trip to the motel, so it was likely that she had just fallen into bed. No need to inform her that he would be gone, especially since he didn't know for how long he would be out with Señora Santiago.

It had been more difficult to sneak away so that Señor Santiago wouldn't notice. Apparently, he had something against his wife just wandering off with strangers - although Thorne was sure it happened more often than not. That wasn't his business, though.

He waited until Señora Santiago's curvy figure was out of sight before he climbed out of his car to jog over the parking lot where the rooms were located. Knocking at Cress's door, he wasn't surprised when she didn't answer right away, so he knocked a few more times.

No response.

He debated asking for the second set of keys, when Señora Santiago reappeared next to him, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Your girlfriend is at the bar."

Thorne didn't bother correcting her about his and Cress's actual relationship status (what was one more person thinking they were together, after all?). He was much more surprised that Cress would be at the bar. She didn't seem to be that type of girl. Maybe she had gone looking for him?

Thorne nodded thanks, walking in the direction Señora Santiago pointed at when she asked him: "You're going to leave tonight then?"

"Yes. If we leave now we will arrive in L.A. in two hours. We have an important day tomorrow, so I'd rather make that drive now if possible."

"You remember what I told you?" she asked him in a reproachful tone that made him laugh.

"Yes, yes. No worries. I'll be a good boy." He took her hand and kissed it with his trademark bow.

She petted his cheek in return and left.

Whatever Thorne expected to see upon entering the bar, it wasn't ... this.

Holding herself up against a billiard cue that she used as a make-shift microphone, Cress swayed (it was hardly dancing) to the background music, singing an old Nancy Sinatra song:

A bad mistake I'm making by just hanging 'round
I know that I should have some fun and paint the town
A lovesick fool is blind and just can't see, oh lonesome me
Oh, I'll bet she's not like me, she's out and fancy free
A flirtin' with the boys with all her charms ...

Granted, she sang astoundingly well, especially given her slurred speech, but her uncoordinated movements bordered on comical. What was more hilarious though is that none of the guys in the room were paying her the least bit of attention. They continued playing pool or drinking beer, completely unperturbed by the drunk girl putting on a show for herself.

When Cress circled her billiard cue for the third time, each time stumbling over her feet, Thorne decided to approach her, clapping his hands.

"Bravo, Cress." He looked around the room. "Wasn't she great, guys? Come on, a round of applause." Reluctantly, the other man chimed in with a few claps and which Cress acknowledged with a happy bow - in the wrong direction but the sentiment was still there. Thorne didn't think she had noticed him yet, so he went over to the owner first.

"Dude, you should have cut her off. Look at her, this is irresponsible." He pointed unnecessarily towards Cress, who was starting to sing a new song. He only noticed now that she wasn't singing along to the radio which was playing a totally different song.

Señor Santiago and the two guys sitting with him laughed. "Cut her off? I've barely even sold her anything. A light-weight, this one."

"How much did she drink then?"

Señor Santiago pointed at the empty spot on the counter where an empty chips bag and bowl were lying next to one beer bottle and two almost empty glasses. Thorne grabbed one to take a sniff, instantly recognizing it as whiskey.

He looked at Cress, who was now singing with herself in a duet and back to the owner. "That's all? Two whiskeys and a beer?"

With a bored nod, Señor Santiago grabbed the bottles and glass and started to wipe the counter. Thorne wasn't done yet, though.

"Why didn't you send her to her room then? There was no need for her to stay here, drunk as she is."

While the owner didn't seem to care to give him an answer. It was one of the men sitting at the counter who chimed in.

"She was fun. Good singer, too. Much more entertaining than the game and she seemed to be enjoying herself. What are you, her babysitter?"

Thorne knew it would be pointless to argue, so he grabbed Cress's purse, checking if her wallet and money was still there (it was) before approaching Cress.

"Cress?"

She looked at him, her good mood instantly vanishing as she sang angrily into her billiard cue/microphone:

Now he's gone I don't know why
And 'till this day sometimes I cry
He didn't even say goodbye
Didn't take the time to lie ...

Okay. She was definitely mad at him. He tried to grab her elbow to lead her away but she danced out of reach, slapping his hands away.

"Cress, come with me. We have to go."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, you left me. I was alone and unhappy and you had fu-un." She pursed her lips blowing a raspberry at him - at least, that's what Thorne assumed she tried to do. She mostly just blew air at him, her breath noticeably smelling of alcohol.

It didn't matter. Thorne wanted to leave and she was making it difficult for him. He also didn't think she was in any position to blame him. Cress could have stayed in her room and slept instead of getting drunk.

Sighing, he took her billiard cue, setting it aside and, waiting for the right moment, he heaved Cress over his shoulder so she hung around his back, praying that she wouldn't throw up all over it.

"Hey!" He felt her tiny fists against his back. "These boots are made for walking!" she hollered. She also wiggled her (very much boot-less) feet in front of him.

"Alright, Nancy," Thorne muttered as he carried her over the parking lot. He was not in the mood for drunken arguments.

"Na-aancyyy," Cress singsonged in a mocking voice. "I'm not Nancy. Was that her name? Nancy Magic Hands?"

Damn, she was drunk. "What are you even talking about? I meant Nancy like Nancy Sinatra. You're singing her songs, aren't you?"

Cress didn't seem to hear him, instead she poked and pinched at his back. "Let me down."

"Not ... yet." She wasn't heavy but her constant movement made it hard for Thorne to keep his hold on her. He fished for his keys with one hand, the other still firmly gripping her knees. It was difficult but he managed to open his car and dumped her in the passenger seat. He leaned against the car, watching her.

Leaning against the headrest, Cress was suddenly peaceful and quiet. Forlorn even. He wasn't sure what to make of the change, but then she broke the silence.

"I can't believe you left me. For Naa-ancy."

"There is no Nancy. I called you that."

"I'm sure you called her all sorts of things." When he didn't answer, she made a lewd gesture with her hands. "Miss Magic Hands."

Miss Magic -...? Did she mean ...

Oh.

"Her name is Señora Santiago and she ...-" but she didn't let him finish.

"Señora Santiago? Like, as in the owner's wife?" Cress looked at him with pure disgust and it been a long time since someone had looked at him like that. Thorne tried not to let it bother him, least of all in this ridiculous conversation. "You told me you were a womanizer but this," she continued, "this, is just all sorts of wrong. And disgusting." She added a long "boo" and gave him a thumbs-down for emphasis. As if she needed to make her point any clearer.

Thorne clenched his jaw at the insult. She had been appalled when they had talked about it before Jina and the others had interrupted them, but even then he had just laughed it off. It had seemed harmless but apparently, she had been seriously offended by what he had told her.

He didn't even know why he had told Cress the whole truth in the first place. She could seriously hurt his reputation if she decided to go public with it. But Thorne had just trusted Kai's friend. He had even thought that Kai might have told her everything about him already. Apparently, he was wrong. Thorne should have known better. Kai would never say anything negative about his friends or colleagues. And now Thorne had to take care of it himself.

But while he couldn't care less about what she might or might not think of his womanizing ways, Thorne did not appreciate being accused of something he didn't do.

He tried to be reasonable though - she was drunk, he wasn't.

"Cress, look around where you're sitting."

Her eyes comically wide as if it would help her see better, she took in the seats, the dashboard, then her feet (making her giggle in delight as she wiggled them) before she gasped, "The Rhubarb."

What the -? "The Rhubarb?"

Cress nodded before she mimicked driving a car. "Yes, when you went eeek, and then whooo." She moved dramatically from side to side, more like in a roller-coaster than in a smooth car ride. "And then bang - total crash." She beckoned him closer and, when he complied, whispered conspiratorially in his ear, "You're a terrible driver." Another fit of giggles before she proudly declared, "The Rhubarb 11.3."

Cinder so owed him for this. Crazy-bride pass or not. "You remember the model number but not the name?"

She shrugged. "I like numbers."

"Hm. It's the Rampion. Fixed and good to go." He paused. "And I'm an excellent driver."

She didn't hear the last part or chose to ignore it.

"Oh, we walked so far? Miles and miles?" Her nose crinkled. "No wonder my feet hurt."

Thorne, by nature, was not an impatient man. He wasn't quick to annoy either. In his book, almost every situation could easily be met with humor and a smile. It was a good trait for his profession, especially when things got stressful – which happened a lot before and during weddings. But he couldn't remember the last time his patience had been tested like this – and he never expected it from a five-foot nothing who was so naive that she didn't even recognize a pot brownie when it was offered to her.

Taking a deep breath, he pointed toward the motel that was only a few yards away. "We just walked over the parking lot. And I carried you," he added.

Cress, who had started to sing a lullaby to her feet, stopped to squint at him with an annoyed look. But then her expression changed as she drew herself back into her seat.

"I thought you had forgotten about me," she said so quietly Thorne almost missed it.

There was a seriousness to that statement that made it hard to for Thorne to just brush it off with a joke. He considered Cress for a long time, who was silent except for a few hiccups.

A lot had happened today and Thorne hadn't taken time to reflect on any of it. He had easily brushed off everything she had mentioned about his interviews, not thinking much of it. Of course, having believed all those interviews he gave to various bridal magazines, she had probably been disappointed to learn that he had lied in all of them. But still, despite everything, he had assumed that she hadn't taken everything he had said to heart. She had trusted him when Jina offered to take them to the motel, hadn't she? But now here she was, thinking he would actually abandon her to fool around with another woman ... which, granted, he had probably given her reason to believe after everything he told her.

But he had promised Cinder that he would pick her up and return her safely to L.A. More importantly, she was Kai's friend. And personal feelings aside, that meant something to Thorne.

And that's why he didn't answer but instead, grabbed the box from the backseat and handed it to her.

"Here, I thought you might be hungry. I didn't know what you liked, so there's a cheeseburger, hamburger, a chicken sandwich, chicken nuggets and some fries. And a salad, in case you don't like meat. And some apple pie and a diet coke. Not that you need one, obviously, but you never know." After the Rampion had been repaired, he had bought everything at the first fast food joint he could find along the road. He had downed a few burgers himself on the drive back but had chosen a whole array of things for Cress. Who knew when the last time was that she had eaten something? "I haven't forgotten about you."

"Food!" In an instant, her somber mood was gone and she unwrapped the first burger she could get her hands on and bit into it with relish.

Apparently, she wasn't picky. And she seemed awake enough to continue their journey to L.A.

He took the room key from her purse and went to get her luggage and pay for her room. In full, as Señor Santiago insisted, of course. As if they had stayed the whole night. On the way out, Thorne discreetly gave Señora Santiago a generous tip for her service. This had been an expensive trip for Thorne.

By the time he got back to the car, Cress had polished off the burgers and was now shoveling in the chicken nuggets she had dumped over the salad. She stabbed her fork into her make-shift chicken salad, thankfully looking less drunk than she had a few minutes before. Nothing like greasy food to absorb alcohol.

Thorne got seated and started the motor. He exited the parking lot and drove towards the highway. He kept in mind that he would have to find the correct exit ramp towards L.A. this time.

"Are you ready to finally get to L.A.?"

Cress nodded, then swallowed her bite to ask a bit more sober than before, "How is the car working again? It seemed in pretty bad shape before."

"Yeah." To be honest, Thorne had no clue what had been wrong with the car. As long as it was driving now ...

He quickly changed the subject. "I think this is a good opportunity to clarify something." He cleared his throat. Thorne didn't like explaining himself and saw seldom reason to. But he kept in mind that he and Cress would have to work together for the next few weeks, so he would rather not have any bad blood between them now.

"You seem to be under the impression that I left with Señora Santiago …"

She interrupted him. "Didn't you?"

"Yes, but not like that. Despite what you might think, I don't sleep with every woman the moment I meet her."

"You said you were a womanizer."

"Ladies man," he corrected her. "And I also told you I had priorities." He put his hand up, counting, "Money, then women." He paused. "Scratch that. In this situation it was my car, then women."

"So, you didn't sleep with her?" Cress looked doubtful as she placed her plastic fork and bowl back into the box, taking a bite of the apple pie now.

"Nope." Remembering what she had said earlier, Thorne added with a grin, "I wasn't interested in her 'magic hands' like that."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wrinkling her nose. "What was that all about then?"

"Remember when Jina and Nils told us that the owner of the motel could maybe help us with my car?"

Forehead now wrinkled too, Cress looked as if she was trying hard to remember that conversation through her alcohol-induced haze. "I think so?" She squinted at him. "But he never left the bar. He just gave me peanuts and alcohol. So much alcohol. Whiskey, gin and brandy, with a glass I'm pretty handy ...," Cress hummed under her breath, before taking another bite.

Refraining from mentioning that the alcohol she had consumed amounted to just one bottle of beer and two glasses of whiskey, Thorne just grinned. "Well, he wouldn't have been much use to us anyway. The owner who is good with cars wasn't Señor Santiago, but his wife."

When Señora Santiago had approached him after he talked to her husband, he hadn't expected her to offer her services to repair his car. Not unlike Cinder, who had restored an odd little VW Beetle back to former glory, Señora Santiago was also quite skilled when it came to cars. They had driven in her car back to where he and Cress had left the Rampion and she had managed to get the motor running again - though she had reminded him several times that he would have to get the Rampion to a repairshop as soon as possible. The car would hopefully make it to L.A., but wouldn't run for much longer. It was unfortunate with so many things to do before the wedding but he couldn't risk the Rampion breaking down again. He would probably have to get a rental for the time being.

At least they would make it home tonight. Thanks to Señora Santiago and her "magical hands" with cars.

It was about time because when Thorne looked over to where Cress sat, she was already sleeping. Thorne reached over to take what remained of the apple pie from her hands and put it away. He then fumbled in the backseat until he found one of his sweaters he kept there and covered Cress with it. She snuggled herself into it.

Rubbing his eyes, Thorne had to admit that he would love to sleep too. It was already dark and it would be late into the night when they reached L.A. He also had no idea where to drop off Cress. Was she staying with Kai and Cinder? Had she booked a hotel?

He considered asking Kai but Thorne doubted he was still awake at this hour after that important fundraiser. Like it or not, he probably would have to take Cress home with him. That would spare him the extra trip to wherever she stayed.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Especially since tomorrow was a big day. He and Kai and Cinder had agreed (and he assumed, Cress too) that they would meet to pitch and discuss ideas. He would present his ideas and Cress hers and then Kai and Cinder would decide whose idea they preferred.

It would be his first opportunity to see how Cress worked. He had visited her website, but if Thorne were honest, after today he had no idea what to expect. He was no step closer to understanding how they would be working together. But he would find out soon enough.

Things were bound to get interesting.

A/N: So, that ends our little (*cough*) desert adventure. I thought it was a good way to set things up between Cress and Thorne and establish their relationship even before they start working together. And did anyone remember Señora Santiago? She was mentioned in "Scarlet" while Thorne browsed the "heavily-filtered pictures" on that guard's portscreen. :P I hope you enjoyed this chapter and take your time to review.

I might want to add, and I know I stressed it before, but I'm no native speaker of English, so I can't write as fast as other writers can. I really try but it is harder if English isn't your first language. My chapters are long and I'm absolutely dependent on lovelunarchron to beta them for me. So, I hope you are patient with my updates even if it takes awhile. I do my best. :)