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Thirty five minutes later, Parker made it back to the car park. The stereo hadn't been that far away, but she had circled back three times before finding the damn thing in a field off the highway. Stupid upper arm strength. It was getting dark now, and she was as relieved as she was anxious when the lights of the diner shone up ahead. Shoving her hair from her face and feeling sweaty, she imagined how good a cold beer would be. Sighing with exertion, she picked up the pace and jumped when Eliot stepped into the path from God knows where. Seriously she had no clue.
"Did you just camouflage yourself as pavement?" She spun around trying to locate his hiding place and then stilled as he advanced. Not pleased. He was hedgehog spiky and very very not pleased.
Having practised her apology, she threw herself into it, shoving the rescued stereo up in front of her.
"I have impulse control issues and I am sorry." He was so close that she could hear his inner growl. Thinking, screw it, she flung her arms about him too, the stereo over his shoulder as he stepped in. Then he froze. He always froze, so that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was his heart rate. Interesting. She may have actually achieved the heart attack the team constantly insisted she was about to cause in all of them. Unsure of the whole hugging thing anyway, and frankly, her own heart jacking a little too, she began to move, only for his hand to cup her head lightly as he bent down to her ear. A rush not at all unlike adrenalin shot down her spine, and an internal free-fall began, which was extremely disturbing. His hand remained light, but firm and she stopped trying to move. Her reward was a terse "Parker" in her ear.
"I have impulse control issues and I'm sorry." Repeat till it sticks she decided, whilst starting to get a little warm. Eliot really was a force to be reckoned with after all.
"Do you know how many people disappear off this highway a year Parker?"
She shook her head mutely. His hand rubbed the back of her head as a result.
"It's a worryingly high number. I have no idea why the authorities have not installed a better lighting system or pay phones at every- never mind. Point is Parker, that most folks travel highways in cars. Do you know what they call a woman walking along a highway after dark?"
"No." He was quite serious about this she thought, and felt a little bad for getting a buzz off his proximity. Bad thief.
"Jane Doe, Parker. They call her Jane Doe six months later when they find her." Wow he was effective when focussed. Now she was consumed with guilt and felt stupid for being so lapse in her judgement.
"I got the stereo." She waved it over his shoulder, and it seemed to jostle him from the intent concentration he was eye-balling her with. He let her head go, and stepped away, and she dragged the stereo to her chest. She forced herself to meet his eyes, and for a long second neither spoke.
A car horn blared as it left the car park and she glanced at the diner, craving pancakes. Craving something. Eliot had spoken to her at least. Sure it was warning about being serial killer bait, but this was Eliot. That had forgiveness all over it. He was mad, but about her safety now, which was a much better position for her to work with.
"Dinner's ready." He issued the words like bullets he begrudged shooting, and span on his heel toward the diner.
Okay then. She followed, wondering how long it would take for the slow ass brunette to get around to serving her now she was Eliot's dining partner. Women were weird like that. Got mad at strangers for irrational reasons. Sophie was always berating women because of Nate. Though to be fair she yelled at him a lot too. So it ended up even. Mostly they yelled a lot. If that was a relationship with sex and love trying to co habit, Parker figured she was better off without.
Inside, she scooted to the booth Eliot was sat in, sliding on the red plastic seating opposite. A plate of pancakes sat on her side, and he was already eating what looked like steak on his. So they were for her? Surprised, she became suspicious and placed the stereo on the table beside the plate. It was the cover really, but you know, had all the important bits on it, which thankfully were all in place.
"Eat." He barked between mouthfuls.
"Did you put razor blades in it?" She watched him closely, but he didn't look up as he replied.
"Yes Parker, I asked for the ripped throat special. Com'on, just eat your food."
The clock above the counter was showing eight thirty. For the first time she considered asking where they were going, if only to know how long she had to be quiet for, since the whole talking thing was not working. Well, she corrected on reflection, it wasn't the talking that had made her go postal on the stereo. Maybe talking wasn't the problem. Whatever it was, she wanted to know how much longer she had to endure it. Except, asking felt like she was implying that she didn't want to be in the truck, and that wasn't true, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Eliot was tough as houses but took the team dynamic seriously. He still hadn't forgiven Sophie over the whole David thing. Not the having it, but that she had apologised to him last. It mattered to him. Or his ego, which ever. Personally Parker knew why she had saved him till last, I mean, he was the loyalist of the group. So apologising for betraying the team would be hard going with his cold eyes watching. Weighing up her need to know and how it would sound, she chose pancakes instead.
"We need a few rules."
"Rules?" She managed to swallow just before the word popped out, but it was close. The pancakes couldn't have been sat here long, they were still hot. She wondered if Eliot knew magic.
"That's right. The road trip rules."
Taking a mouthful of the soda he had ordered her, she nodded sagely.
"Oh those. Yeah. I hear ya."
"One: No messing with my stereo." She nodded. Like she would try that again? Huh. Dude was crazy.
"Two: You go to sleep now, and we'll switch in a few hours."
"You'll let me drive?"
"Three: We do not, I repeat do not, talk about anything personal. I am not a therapist, and would need one after, so no. "
"You'll let me drive?" It made her proud. He wasn't that impressed with her getaway skills on a daily basis. She drove to the store like half the ATF were after her, but only in the secret hopes she would be the breaking news story that cut into programming one day. The glory! Obviously she'd get away clean. Those amateur whack jobs were giving real bad ass driving a bad name.
"I swear to God Parker if my truck ends up on the news because of you-"
"How d'you know that?" Truly shocked she leant forward, and he laughed, putting his fork on his plate and wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Nobody knows that." It was a secret ambition. Secret.
"Parker why would someone behind the wheel be looking up? You look for those damn helicopters the way other people look for change in their pockets, all excited then deflated when you come up empty."
"I'm just being security conscious." She continued with her pancakes, disturbed by his mind voodoo.
"Really? You have a tell Parker. When you are disappointed you have a tell. Don't kid a kidder darlin'." Now he looked smug, but lets face it she thought, he had every right to be. Stupid tell. she really needed to get on that.
"What's my tell?" He raised an eyebrow at her, never divulging that little fact and she wanted to growl herself.
"Four:-"
"There's a four? Eliot I'm gonna need this laminating, I can't remember all this-"
"Four," he carried on ignoring her outburst," we do not steal on the trip."
"Why?" That stumped her. What if they needed something? Her nerves stretched.
"Why? Parker, we don't need to. Why would we?"
"Well, because, you know, if anything-Eliot I am a thief. I already know I could clean this place out in thirty seconds." His face paled, but not from awe. "Not that I would," she added hurriedly, not liking that look. It hurt somewhere uncomfortably and unfamiliarly deep.
"Darlin', you are not just a thief. You are more than what you do, though in our cases, one informs the other I'll give you that." His tone became weary and he ran his hand over his face. "We're perilously close to breaking Rule Three here Parker."
"Right." She chewed her lip, finished with the pancakes. "Thanks for not leaving me behind and getting me pancakes." She said it thoughtlessly, since she was mulling his rules. She was pretty sure she could do three, but the fourth was a bit strange to think about. It occurred to her that she stole a lot. All entirely necessary of-course. Maybe if there was no need, she wouldn't miss it anyhow. That made sense.
"Parker." Lost in thought, she hmm'd, looking into the forecourt, and wishing people didn't make it so easy to steal from them. There were about five mobiles, four wallets and six rigs he could whisk away without breaking a sweat out there right now. Not that she needed them.
"Parker." He used the voice and she whipped her head around, annoyed that he interrupted her casing. Appraising. Oh crap.
"What?" She hissed, feeling exposed, what with his mind voodoo and laser eyes.
"I would never leave you behind."
"Sure, I know." She turned back to the forecourt, only to have him interrupt again.
"Parker." Insistent now, like he was mad.
"What?" Now she was irritated, and felt like people were watching. Oh God was this a scene? Sophie would be horrified and proud all at once.
"I would never leave you behind." He spelt each word out, and seemed to want an acknowledgement that she understood. She thought she had, but obviously not. Had she offended him with that comment? She hadn't meant-oh man, this was hard. Dealing with people was hard.
"Eliot I know. I didn't mean anything by it, I just liked my pancakes."
"As long as we're clear."As mud, she thought, frustratedly. Of-course he wouldn't leave her behind, any of them. The fact he felt the need to make the point showed a lack of understanding very unlike him. Did he really think the team didn't know how much he had their backs?
"Pretty sure this is a violation of rule three there boss," she used her new southern drawl, that still gave her a kick when it worked. It made him smile and tip his head at her.
"Touché. Com'on, we need to drive through New York, which sucks ass. so we better get going."
"Are you kidding me?" Parker turned and looked at the waitress picking up the cash Eliot laid on the table for the meals. She grabbed the woman's wrist, feeling frantic. "Is he kidding me? I can't tell. Is he?"
Eliot smiled, and she knew it was because she was using his line. So freakin' what. It applied.
"Problem Parker?" He hefted the stereo, and held it, watching her as he waited for her to stand. The waitress snatched her hand away and smiled at her like was a confused child. Eliot slipped her another note, probably to stop her calling the white jackets.
Fuming, she slid from the booth and stalked out. Eliot kept a few paces back but she had the door open the instant he unlocked the vehicle. The floodlit car park was not conducive to the grisly murder she wanted to commit.
Eliot let her simmer, and they started back on the road trip to hell. Hell. Parker could not believe he would be so, so, mean. He knew it too, she was sure of it. The grin he was failing at hiding felt like brand on her skin. Bastard.
"You think it's funny Eliot? Hadeehaha."
"No idea what you are talking about darlin'." Liar. Big coconut smelling hair liar.
"Oh really? You make me promise not to steal on this stupid trip before telling me we are going through New York? Happy coincidence? I think not Mr Spencer."
"Ah," acting surprised, pah, she doubted it. "What's the big freakin' deal? The collections in the museums there get moved anyway, you probably robbed half the-"
"Not the art Eliot. Something better. So much better." He waited, cocking a brow at her in curiosity.
"What then Parker? What's got you all het up?" Het up? Het up?She wanted to respond to that but temper would have gotten the better of her and the stereo had only just been put back together.
"Tiffany's Eliot. It's on my bucket list."
"Seriously Parker? You have crimes on your bucket list? That is five miles of crazy right there. Right there."
"Well what's on your bucket list?"
"Nothin'. I did it all. Now I get to do it all again." He grinned and she couldn't help laugh at his cockiness. Then she remembered Tiffany's. All the pretty pretty things. It had never been the thing to just rob jewellers. Art works and historical items got ordered and traded and never really owned by anyone, hence the chess game with them. A business like that had never been a legitimate target other than greed. And banks were better for that. No Tiffany's was all about the sparkly things she had so long secretly yearned for. Man just imagine her Christmas tree if she could loot that place. It gave her honest to God chills.
"I can not believe you are taking this from me." He reacted with a throw of a hand in the air in surrender. He was all stormy and crackly and it bugged the hell out of her.
"I can't believe you thought you could crack Tiffany's on the fly." Then he caught her guilty expression and swore. "You already have a plan don't you?"
"Yeah," she nodded, thinking he was adorable. "I have plans for breaking into everywhere Eliot. The I am a thief thing? Not just a story." Her voice became a whisper at the end and she almost wanted to pat his cheek, but stopped herself. Deciding that no words were going to help ease her pain, she curled up in her seat, head facing the window, though nothing was visible in the dark but shapes. May as well sleep now. She would have her shift soon. Even the thought of driving made her sour. A cushion slipped its way beneath her head and she lifted to give it access, then a few moments later a blanket covered her. Warmed by the act despite her anger, she croaked "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Sweet dreams Parker."
"Whatever, dream stealer." Then she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Though between Eliot's annoying crackly heat and the lure of Tiffany's calling her, it wasn't easy. At all.