Seriously, how many people wanted a burger on a Thursday afternoon? It is past three o'clock, the lunch rush should be over by then.
Corrin pushed different ends of the button on the car door, staring ahead blankly while the window cranked up and down. Elbow resting on the centre console, she narrowed her eyes at the minivan in front of them. She could see the silhouettes of multiple little gremlins. The soccer balls pressed against the rear windshield told her all she needed to know.
A children's soccer team. No doubt their order will be large too. Not to mention that there were still three cars in front of them. It would take forever, at this pace, for them to finally reach the window.
They have already been here ten minutes. She just wanted a milkshake, and preferably burger.
The blond girl let the window crank up fully before a heavy sigh to her left came to her attention.
In the driver's seat, her ever-so-patient boyfriend stared ahead as well, unwaveringly shooting a scowl at the minivan. Unlike her, he had a vein above his head. He is very frustrated, that is clear to the eye.
Out of habit, Corrin reached to press the button again.
Xander gripped the steering wheel tightly, looking annoyed to be here above all else. "Will you stop that?"
She gave him a look, feeling miffed about his snapping. Not that she wanted to make his day that much more irritating, but she is hungry and is also impatient about the delay. She could not have predicted that the drive-thru, of all things, would be this busy, this late.
To satisfy him, though, she dramatically lifted her hand off the button and draped it on her knee.
"There, done." The girl responded, petulant.
He sighed. "This car isn't cheap, you know?"
Corrin lolled her head to the side to fully look at him. "Oh, believe me, I'm keenly aware how many years of minimum wage this car costs."
Xander hollowed his cheeks, eyes snapping from the line of cars to the menu board up ahead. His girlfriend propped her chin up and watched him, she believes she will get some entertainment out of the clueless, sheltered kid making sense out of the fast-food offerings.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her mildly amused expression and turned his head away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason." Corrin brought a hand to the steering wheel and lovingly tapped his white knuckles. "Loosen up, bud. We're going to be here for a while."
Xander shook his head. "Do we have to get food from here?"
"Well, I asked, and you're the one who drove here." She looked back. "Besides, we're tailed. We couldn't drive away even if we wanted to."
"Fine, but for your information, you did much more than just ask." He corrected with a sigh. "You wouldn't let up until I turned here."
"You can't just blame me." The girl lifted an accusing finger right back at her boyfriend. "I know you want a greasy burger as much as I do, and those crispy fries. Ugh, a cold shake to top it all off. Why does it have to be busy today?"
The long wait started to mess with her brain. All she could think of is food, food, food.
The line inched forward just the slightest bit. Xander reached for the radio and turned the music up. She obliged his wish to end the conversation, for now. Instead, her finger went back to the button and she pressed it absentmindedly.
Nothing happened.
Corrin glanced from the button to the window. Pressing again to confirm her suspicions, nothing still happened. She snapped her head to find the blond man staring dead ahead. He tapped the wheel to the beat of the music. Unaware, more like purposefully ignoring, the small dilemma at hand.
"Did you put on the child lock?" She accused.
He glanced at the girl. "You won't stop messing with my window."
"Xander!" She huffed and fell back into her seat, crossing her arms.
With nothing better to do, she looked out the window. Taking in the view of cars parked along the lot around the restaurant, she hummed. The sports car certainly is not cheap. Probably cost more than all of these combined. The minivan in front could not cost half as much.
"Your car is really out of place here." Corrin suddenly said.
The man hummed, unamused. "I know."
She looked behind at the car next in line, which is also an average car. Slumping forward, she raised a brow at her boyfriend. He had responded sharply to her with that tone of his, the one he used to be petulantly contrarian. Was that his problem? Not necessarily being in a drive-thru, but that Xander was so obviously in a drive-thru. That he stuck out like a sore thumb?
Corrin chuckled, watching him. "I bet everyone here knows who this car could belong to."
His face soured. "Now you see why I don't want to be here."
"Because people will think that Hereditary Prince Xander of Windmere eats greasy food." She waved her hands in front of her, as if the notion itself made her dizzy. "Ah, the horror! He eats fast food like every other person in this city!"
He frowned at the other passenger. "That's not what I mean."
She crosses her arms and clicks her tongue.
"I know. The public eye isn't your thing but think of it this way, the people will still see you as, and you won't believe it, a rich guy." She blew a raspberry. "I don't think anyone cares about what you eat, Xander. In fact, I don't think anyone cares about you. Period. Monarchy is long dead in Nohr, after all, Mr. Pretender."
"Not the average person." He somewhat agreed.
"Your rich, inbred buddies will just think you're bougie for dining like a peasant for a day." She shrugged. "Not a bad thing."
"Bougie or not…" He stops in his tracks and side-eyes her for giggling because he said bougie. Sighing, he continued, "Never mind."
"What?" Corrin pats his arm lovingly. "Think about it. Your carefully created image of a conscientious, cold aristocrat won't change. You may just become a bit more relatable to people."
To prove her point, she pulled out her phone. For how long they sat here, she is certain that someone would mention it online. Lo and behold, she found a video trending of his car. From the angle, it seemed to her that it had to be taken from across the street.
"Here, see." She clicked the video and held her phone between the two of them.
It played the window being cranked up and down. She stiffened as the camera zoomed in and caught a blurry image of both of their tired faces before she fully cranked the window back up. The caption below mentioned this was a #faileddate.
She hummed. "Well…."
Corrin did not really know how to spin this, but she did not have to. A small smile broke all on its own on Xander's face.
She did a double-take in surprise, but it was gone as soon as it came. No. He smiled, right? She could not have imagined it. Her brain is not playing tricks on her, is it?
The blond girl poked his cheek. "Do it again."
"Do what again?" He leaned away from her touch but she poked him again.
"Smile." Corrin poked once more. "Do it."
He gently swatted her hand away like it was a fly. "Stop that."
She smiled. "Come on. Brighten my day!"
Either way, she gave up without much fuss, dropping her hand from his face.
The line moved forward as the minivan lowered its window to order. The two of them glanced up at the loud yelling from in front. Bless whoever was the adult in that van. Neither of them would survive in that situation.
She fell back into her seat and laid her phone on her lap. "All right. We're next. Do you know what you'll want?"
"Do you?"
"Of course, I do. I come here a lot." Corrin felt the need to clarify her bad eating habits. "I come for the shakes, OK?"
Xander snorts. "I didn't say anything."
She rolled her eyes. "Have you ever gone through a drive-thru before?"
He scoffs. "What kind of question is that?"
"You didn't answer." She leaned her cheek on her fist and smiled at him. "Is this your first time?"
He looked away.
"Xander!" The girl nearly sang and placed a hand over her heart. "I'm honoured to experience this first with you."
"Shut up." The prince deadpanned.
She snorted. "It's no big deal. Do you want me to order for you?"
He tapped the wheel, opting to stare ahead. "If this minivan doesn't move..."
"They're still ordering?" She glanced at the big vehicle in front of them. "How many kids are in there?"
Right on cue, the minivan rolled forward. She beamed. It was their turn to order.
Xander pulled up to the machine. He tentatively lowered the window. She cranked the music down for him after she watched him swallow dryly. If she squints, she may have seen sweat form above his brow.
A voice came through the speaker. "Hi, welcome to Burger King. What would you like to order?"
Xander parted his lips. His voice grew quiet. All she heard was a small, "uh...?"
Corrin leaned over him.
"Let me order first." She cleared her throat and glanced once at the menu for confirmation before she began. "Can I have the number three combo, but with medium fries instead?"
A brief pause followed. "All right. The only shake we have today is vanilla. Will that be OK?"
She shrugged, resting back in her seat. "Yeah, sure."
"Anything else?" The attendant asks.
Corrin nudged her boyfriend, who is still staring mystified at the menu.
He cleared his throat. "Could you make that two orders of the number three combo?"
She raised her eyebrow at him but stayed quiet.
"Sure thing. Anything else?"
"That will be all." The aristocrat responded.
"Okay. Your total is $9.58 at the window."
Xander put the car in drive and rolled forward. All the while, she leaned closer to him with a toothy grin.
"You didn't know what you wanted? Or did you get too flustered?" Corrin asks, her voice dripping in irony.
He knocked her elbow off the console, resulting in her head ducking dramatically. She huffed in retaliation, but he raised his chin.
"Neither. I like what you like." He argues.
"Oh. So, you like what I like, huh?" She mimicked in a low voice. "Where was that exploring energy last week when I wanted you to try pickles?"
He scrunched his nose in disgust. "You caught me at a bad time."
Corrin rolled her eyes and laughed. "Great excuse, honey."
At the window, he extended his black card to the cashier. Going through the motions, as one does at a drive-thru, they eventually had the bags handed to them, which she promptly put down safely by her feet. All that matters, what she craved the most, is her beloved shakes.
As the car pulled into the streets of Windmere, Xander cranked the windows up and let the wind blow inside. All the while, she hastily drank her shake, relishing the taste.
"Oh, how I wanted you so badly!" Corrin nearly groaned in delight.
It tasted just as good as she remembered. Heaven in a cup.
Xander glanced at his girlfriend. "It can't be that good."
"You just never had a Burger King shake, you heretic." She accused. "Honestly, Xander, all that money, and you refuse to live life at the fullest. What is even the point?"
He shook his head. "The point is that I'm not driving there again."
"Too shaken up?" She throws her stupid pun.
He sighs, cringing from the attempt at humour. "No. I just value my time too much."
Corrin hummed. The brown bags of food warmed her heeled feet as she drank her shake. She looked out the window.
"Very well, tough guy. From now on, we'll only eat posh little steaks with garnish or whatever." She sipped her shake some more, daydreaming about food. "Oh, we should get chicken nuggets sometime. Oh, maybe a kids' meal with a little toy…"
"Enough." Xander demands. "For the love of the heavens, enough with Burger King."
Corrin snickered. Well, she got her milkshake, at least.