Disclaimer: I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog and its creators.
A/N: Nothing to add this time except, thanks to the people that are reading this. Now let's continue with the story.
Chapter 5: A Tour Guide
After Ellie pays her bill, she asks the waitress about Joel and when he gets out. The woman didn't know much English, so her answer was limited. But she managed to tell her that he probably got out at 2:00 am. Ellie doesn't know if she can wait that long, so she decides to come back the next day and ask for him. So since the bar was like half an hour's walk to the guest house, she walked back there.
Soon after she arrived at her room, Ellie took a shower and went to bed. It was still early so she decided to check the internet on her phone and look for things to do or places to see on the island. She also searched for places that can teach or rent surfboards, and even though she found a few stores that rent them, she couldn't find any that had someone to teach. She already asked a few people on the beach early in the day, but none of them were willing to teach her. So after a few hours, Ellie put her phone to charge and went to sleep.
The next day Ellie wakes up to the ringing of her phone. She rolled her eyes as soon as she saw the name contact on it. "Hi… mom… don't you think it is a little early to be calling?" she asked while moving to the side of the bed.
"Good morning to you too darling… Sorry if I woke you up, but you told me that you will call me yesterday to let me know if everything is okay there… and I never received any call."
"Mom… everything is okay here… I told you that I will call you when I can. The signal here is not so good so I can't call you too much." she said with a sleeping voice.
"That is one of my points, darling… I just worry that if something happens there you will not be able to call me or call any US embassy.
"Mom… you don't need to worry about this… it's just a vacation on an island… It's not like I'm in a war zone or anything like that."
"I know… Honey, but I read a lot of bad things about those places in South America… So I'm just a little worried about you, especially when you don't call me."
"Well, I will try to call you more… but you need to stop calling me every day… okay? I'm fine… now can I go back to sleep?"
"Sure baby… I'm sorry for being so worried about you… I just can't help myself… I love you honey… and have a good day," she said, waiting for her daughter to say her last words.
"Love you too… mom, buy," she said before hanging the call. Shit!... I need more sleep. She said to herself before grabbing the blanket and covering herself with it.
xXx
Joel got out of bed with the hope of getting someone for his tour guide job. He didn't get anything yesterday, but today is another day. He needs more money than the one he gets at the bar and the one he gets for the rides. This has been a low month and he needs to buy more food for his empty fridge and pay his bills. So as soon as Joel got up from bed, he walked toward his bathroom to start his day. He was not wearing anything while walking toward his bathroom, that was one of the advantages of living alone. After brushing his teeth, Joel opens the water from the bathtub and goes into it to get a shower. He was standing under the water with his hand on the wall trying to get his mind clear.
C'mon Joel… not be like that… I'm ready for the big waves.
I already teach you all I know and you're a good surfer, but that does not mean you're ready for that… not yet.
You always say the same thing, and I am getting tired of being held up… I really appreciate all that you have done for me, but I want to do things in my own way. I want to be famous and earn my own place in surfing.
I understand that kid… but being famous isn't everything in this sport… you need to stay alive for that and you need to be ready for all that, so you need to be patient.
Well, I'm tired of waiting for my chance… so I will go and find my own dream… This is my time of glory Joel and I'm not going to miss it just because you think that I'm not ready… by Joel.
Joel opens his eyes as soon as the image in his head stops. He shakes his head and turns off the water. Fuck!... Why this shit is on my head again? He said while covering his face with his hand for a minute. I need a fucking drink. He said before getting out of the shower and grabbing his towel.
One hour later, Joel was driving toward the port part of the island. Is a tourist area and even though it was a possibility that no new tourists will come today, there have to be some people in the hotels close to there that can use a guide or something. After he arrived at the port he saw the ferry there, but not a lot of people coming out of it. So he drove away and parked his jeep close to the plaza and started looking for potential clients.
Ellie was walking on the plaza looking again for a place where she can rent surfboards and have someone that teaches. She tries to find one on the internet but all the ones she found don't have a person to teach and the only one she found said that the teaching class was closed because the instructor was sick. After a few minutes of walking on the plaza and taking pictures, Ellie saw a man talking with a few people in the west part of the plaza. After a few minutes, she recognized the man's face from the bar last night. It was the man that helped her with the creepy guy that was bothering her and even though the owner said that it was his job, she wanted to thank him personally. Well, that was a little excuse to get close to him and know him better.
Ellie starts to walk toward him and watches how the couple walks away from him after a brief discussion.
"Hey… good luck finding one to do that price," yells Joel to the couple that was now walking far away from him. Damn, European tourists… They think that all people here are desperate for work and will accept less money for their work. He said in a lower voice while walking back to his jeep.
Ellie watches him while walking toward him. "Hi… do you remember me?" asked Ellie as soon as she got close to him.
Joel stops and looks at her. "Sorry miss, but you need to be more specific… I met a lot of people… so I don't remember all their faces."
"I'm the one from the bar last night…" she looked at his clueless face. "The one that you help… with the creepy guy…" Joel looks at her trying to remember what happened at the bar. He drinks a lot after that. "The girl at the corner table?... hmmm number 6 I guess."
"Oh… yeah… the one that still pays for the meal after all that… yeah I remember now," he said with a smile on his face. "My boss told me that you like the food… I was surprised about that… because I never get any compliments for my cooking… well it is not like I'm a real chef," he said a little nervously.
"Well, it was delicious… and you deserve a compliment," she doesn't know why, but her face starts to feel hot. She moves her hand on her back as she starts to get nervous too. "Yeah… anyway, I wanted to thank you for helping me… I saw those men before on the port and they were totally jerks."
"Well. glad that I could help you out… miss, so you're welcome," he said while looking at her with curious eyes. Well, it was a pleasure to see you again and I hope that that experience does not stop you from coming again to the bar." he said before getting ready to walk away.
"It won't… I think of going there again soon…the food was great," she said with a smile.
"Hmmm… thank you…" he said, a little nervous. He doesn't know why this girl is making him feel like that. "Okay, I need to go now… I need to find someone that needs a ride or a tour guide on the island. So see you around." Joel turns around and starts walking back to his jeep. "Good day, miss, hope you have a good day… and don't think bad about the bar… is still a good place to go."
Ellie watched him go, but soon as he got close to his jeep, Ellie ran after him. "Wait!" she yells, making him turn his head to look at her.
"Yes?" he said as soon as she got close to him. "Did you need something?"
"Did you say that you give tours on this island? I mean you have another job besides the bar thing?" she asked quickly.
"Well, I do some other things around here besides my job at night in the bar… But this tour thing is something I have been doing for a little while… well more trying than do, to be honest. But if you need one I can be you man… I mean I can take you to any place you want to see on this island… for an honest price of course."
"That is great because I was looking for a guide… So how much will you charge for a tour around the island?"
"Well, that will depend… your family or friends going to be included on the trip? I hope they're not too many as you can see my vehicle is not that big."
"That is not going to be a problem… it will be only myself."
Joel opened his eyes wide. "Are you here alone?" Joel asked with a surprised look.
Ellie quickly crossed her arm in front of her chest. "Is that a problem?"
"No, it is only that I thought that someone so young… will come with friends or family," he said with a little surprised tone.
Ellie rolled her eyes at the comment. "Well, I came here on vacation… and if you wanted to know I'm 21… and yes I came alone… So do we have a deal or not?" she finally asked him.
Joel just looks at her, not knowing if this was a good idea. "Well, I have never toured with someone this young and alone before… but if you have money… That will be fine by me." Joel said while extending his hand. "We got a deal…"
"Okay… that's great," said Ellie before shaking his hand. My name is Ellie… Ellie Willians.
"Joel… Joel Miller."
"Okay… Joel. How much is this going to cost?" she asked with a smile.
Joel smiled back and walked to the other side of the jeed and sat on the driver's seat. "That will depend on how long the tour will last, but we can discuss that later. So, do you need to go to your hotel to change or you're ready to go?''
"Well, I don't know where you are going to take me, so I don't know if I need change," asked Ellie while getting into the jeep and sitting on the passenger seat.
"Well, the island is not big, but it can take hours to drive around. I can take you to a few interesting places to start. So I guess that you will be okay with those clothes." He said while starting the engine and putting the jeep in the gear.
"I don't know much about this island… so you're the guide," she said with a smile. She won't think of doing any big tour of the island, but maybe this man can help her with what she needs for surfing if he knows the island well.
After half an hour, Joel was driving her to the south of the island. He showed her the little rocky mountain on the right of the road and the line cost on the other side. He talked about some traditional places on the island that she can visit and beautiful views. "So… I guess that this is your first time on this island," asked Joel while continuing to look at the wild road.
"Yes, this is my first time here…" said Ellie while turning her head and looking at him. "I went to Europe last year… and you? Have you been here long? Because you don't look like a local person."
Joel turned his head for a moment to look at her. "Yeah… I'm not born here, but I've been living here for a long time." he turned his head to look at the road again. "But I'm very surprised that you just jumped into my jeep without checking my background. As far as you can know of me… I can be a rapper or a killer that will just take you to a solitary place and no one will ever find you again…" Joel said with a grin on his face.
Ellie quickly looks at him, but not with worried eyes, but with an amused expression. "Ahhh that can be interesting… So you are?" she quickly asked. "Because I can tell you now that I won't be easy to kill or rape and your balls are going to be sorry if you try," she said with a serious tone.
Joel quickly looked at her. "Hey… I was just kidding the tiger… don't have to get so violent…" he said while slowing down the jeep and turning off the road and stopping in a clearance. "I think we can make our first stop here," he said while turning off the engine.
Ellie slowly gets out of the jeep and walks to the front of it. The place was a high hill edge where you can see the rookie coast of the island down below and the ocean beyond that. "Oh… wow… this is incredible," said Ellie while looking at the beautiful view.
"Yeah… it is," said Joel while standing beside her. A lot of tourists come to this island, but most of them just come for the beaches and do not take the time to see the other places here. We have a few attractions that they visited, but not many come to see the beauty of the natural place here." said Joel while moving forward to get closer to the edge. "If you see the water down there, you can see the clear water between the big rock formations. Is like a natural pool."
Ellie moves closer and looks at the ocean water that goes between the rocks. "Oh wow!" she said as soon as she looked down. "Can people swim down there?" she asked.
"Sadly no… the current is too irregular under the water there. You can easily drown if one of them gets you under. But I can take you to a few places where the water is as good as that and less dangerous."
"Oh… that will be great," she said while looking around and taking a few pictures. "I also want to do some diving… do you know any place where we can rent diving equipment?"
"Well, in the port area are a few places that give tours and teach diving… you can go to one of these if you want."
She turned her head and looked at him. "I already know how to dive… My dad taught me some when I was a little…" She stops and looks away trying to hide her sad expression. Thinking about her dad always makes her sad.
"Well, you can get on one of their tours then… There are a few beautiful places to dive around the island."
"I prefer to not go with a lot of people… So can you take me to one of those places if I rent the equipment?" she said while turning around and looking at him. "That is if you know how to dive of course… or know someone that can take me."
Joel was surprised that she wanted to do that alone, but that it was something he can do for extra money. "Girl… I was born on the ocean…" he said while laughing a little. "But you never do that alone… always go with someone and notify the port where you are going to dive in case something happens."
"Okay… dad," she said with a playful tone before walking away from the edge. "So do you know any other interesting places you can take me to today?"
"Ja,ja,ja… I know a lot of them. But it will take you more than a week to see all of them," said Joel while turning around and walking back to his jeep. Soon both of them get on, Joel starts the engine and starts to drive away. Joel takes Ellie to a few more places. One of them was an old lighthouse ruin, where she took more pictures of the place. She also asks Joel to take a few pictures of her with the background. After that, he takes her to a waterfall inside the island's national forest reservation.
Ellie was so excited about the beauty of all the natural places. She takes a lot of pictures and listens to Joel's explanation of the places. Their natural formation and their history. She was surprised at how much he knew about these places, even if he didn't look like a professional guide. Ellie looks at him to check him out every chance she gets. She doesn't know why, but she found him interesting even if it was obvious that he was way older than her.
After the waterfall and forest, Joel was driving to the west part of the island. The main roads were more concentrated on the north and east parts, so he had to take some non-official roads. "Is it getting late… Do you want to visit another place or want me to take you to your hotel?" asked Joel while continuing driving.
Ellie looked to the sky and saw that the sunset was getting close. "Are you working today at the bar?" she asks while looking at him.
"Yes… but not until 9:00 pm… Ramon, the normal cook will come today, so I only have to be the bouncer and help a little there." he said without looking at her. "I think we have time for one last stop if you want."
"Sure… I would like to see the sunset on a beach… is it one close to here?" asked Ellie.
Joel thinks for a moment before he answers. "I think that I know the perfect one for that," he said while accelerating the jeep forward.
Half an hour later Joel parked the jeep on an unclosed beach. The beach was a semicircle in the center with a rookie formation on both sides. The water was clear and the waves were calm as most of their force was stopped by the rock's formation. There were a lot of palm trees a little away from the sandy shore. Ellie quickly gets out of the jeep and walks toward the sand. The sun was setting, but as she had a little time before the sunset, she wanted to swim a little.
Ellie stops in the sand closer to the water and quickly grabs the bottom of her t-shirt and pulls it over her head and throws it to the sand behind her.
Joel gets out of his jeep and walks toward the beach. "Hey… What are you doing?" asked Joel while watching the girl pulling her jeans off too. To his relief, Joel notices that she already has a bikini under her clothes.
Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "What do you think? I'm going for a swim… I haven't done that since I arrived here." she said while throwing her jeans where her t-shirt landed.
"I thought you just wanted to see the sunset?" said Joel as soon he got closer.
But Ellie just smiles at him before running toward the water. "I do… but I want to swim too-fuck this water is so cold!" she curses as soon as she touches the water. But no matter that, she continued walking deeper into the water. "You didn't tell me that the water was so cold… here."
Joel went closer to the shore and stopped where her clothes were laying on the sand. "You never asked me and I didn't think that you were going for a swim," he said while looking in her direction. "But don't worry… you will feel better soon enough." Ellie looks at him before taking a dive and going under the water. Joel moved a little forward, worried when the girl didn't come out. He watched the water waiting for Ellie to come out. The last thing he needs is an American girl to drown on his watch.
A minute later Joel breathed again when he saw her head go out from the water a little far from her original position. "Hey… this feels great," she yelled at him. "Do you want to come in?" she asked.
"No thanks… I work tonight, remember…" he answered her fast. "Besides, I am just the tour guide… remember."
"Well… I don't see why that is a problem, but if you do not want to, it is okay." Ellie turns around and dives again.
Joel watches her for 30 minutes until the girl starts swimming back to the shore. Before she gets back, Joel goes to his jeep and brings a towel that he has on the back and Ellie's small bag. He watches her shaking the water off her head as she starts walking out of the water. Ellie grabs her ponytail and squeezes the water off her hair while continuing to walk into the sand and toward Joel. Joel looks at her body for a few minutes, before feeling shame for it. The girl told him that she was 21 and even though she is an adult it was not right for him to look at her beautiful body like a hungry wolf.
"You should try the water… It feels so great after a while," said Ellie as soon as she moved closer to him.
"You should come more prepared for a swim before jumping on the water," he said while throwing her the towel he brought from his jeep.
Ellie catches it and starts drying her hair. "Well, I didn't know that you would bring me to this beautiful place … so I can't resist… besides I have my bikini on and my clothes are still dry so I'm good with that." Joel smiles at how young people do things without thinking too much. He still feels bad for staring at her body. After Ellie dried herself, she put the towel on the sand and sat on it. She moves her arm a little back and looks at the ocean waiting for the sun to come down. Joel moves closer to her and passes her bag to her.
"Here, I don't know what you have on it, but I thought that you would need it."
"Thanks…" said Ellie after she took it from him. There is not much there, just a bottle of water and a few other things. I really don't expect to go on a trip all day…" she said while taking out the water and taking a sip.
Joel sat beside her and started looking at another small bag he had. "Did you really come here alone?" asked Joel while taking a sandwich out of his bag.
"Why do people seem to be surprised about that? I'm not a little girl and I think that some people like to take a vacation on their own," she said while taking her phone out of the bag and starting to check for a massage.
"I don't say that is a bad thing… But most people came here on vacation with friends or family to enjoy it better. So it is just a little strange that a young girl like you came here alone," said Joel before offering her one of the two sandwiches he brought with him. "Here you can eat this… not much, but I bet you're hungry."
Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "Thanks… I'm," she said while grabbing the sandwich. Joel opens the wrap of his and takes a bite. "So… how long have you been doing this? I mean giving people a tour or a ride to places?" she asked, trying to know more about him.
"Doing this? Not much. Well, give me a ride like a taxi for a little while, but the tourist thing just a few months ago." he said while looking at the water. "No, doing well anyway… you're the first customer I have in three weeks."
"That is hard to believe… because you're good at this," she said while taking a bite of her sandwich. "I think you should do it more professionally… I mean have a brochure, promote yourself more… things like that."
"Yeah… that is easier to say than done… all that cost money and license and all that shit… and I don't think that I can afford that right now."
"Well, that was just a suggestion… anyway… are you married?" Ellie looks at Joel not knowing why she just asked that. But when she notices that Joel stays quiet and eats his sandwich. Ellie knows that the question was inappropriate. "Sorry… I should not ask you that…" she turned her head and looked toward the water. "I'm not used to talking with someone this much lately, but since I came here I have been talking a lot with a few nice people." She said while looking at the beautiful sunset.
Joel turns his head and looks at her. "Is okay, I just don't like talking about myself much," Joel waited for a minute before taking out two beers and passing one to Ellie. "Here… I just hope that you don't lie about your age… I don't want to get arrested for offering a beer to a minor."
Ellie looks at him and grabs the bottle with a smile. "Holy shit! Can you get arrested for that? How is the edge limited for drinking here?"
"I'm not sure… I have never been around a minor before… but if they let you into the bar alone, I think you're okay," said Joel while drinking his beer.
"Okay… then. I won't tell anyone… so don't worry about it," She said with a smile then she took a big sip of beer before speaking again. "Speaking of that, I wanted to thank you again for yesterday and for giving me such a nice tour too."
Joel takes a sip of his beer. "About yesterday it was part of my job to keep things right there… and about this, you're welcome… I'm glad you like the tour…" he looked forward as the sun started to go behind the horizon. "This is a beautiful view… you should share it with a special person," he said while taking another sip of his beer.
I think I'm. Said Ellie in her mind. She drank from her beer while looking at the sunset. This is for you dad… and I hope that one day will be together again. She said in her mind before looking back at Joel. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure… I will try to answer if I can."
"There is another thing that I want to do here since I've been here… but it has been getting difficult to do so far…" she waited for a minute before continuing. "So I was thinking since you live here for a long time… that if you know someone that can teach me how to surf…"
Joel quickly looked at her. "Are you serious? Do you know how dangerous that is?"
Ellie rolled her eyes before answering him. "Oh… please not you too… I've been getting crap from people on the beach and any store that sells surfboards since I arrived here."
"Sorry… I don't mean to be rude… and I don't mind women surfers… I think they're great. But it is dangerous… and yeah, a lot of people around here don't like surfer women." said Joel trying to not make her feel bad. "I am not saying that you should not do it… because if you want to, that is your choice. But I don't think you will find anyone here that will be interested in teaching you. Unless is a professional teacher and the last one I know got sick a few weeks ago."
"Yeah… I read that. Well, it has to be someone on this island that is willing to earn some money… I was going to pay for the classes of course."
"Sorry but I don't know anyone else that can help you… try someone on the beach… one that has been an asshole," he said while standing up. The sun had practically disappeared on the horizon, so it was time to go. "I can tell you where you can rent a surfboard, but the rest is after you." Joel grabbed his bag and put the empty bottle in it. "We should go… is an hour driving back to the town and need to go to my other work."
"Okay…" Ellie starts to stand up and pass him the empty bottle and the aluminum paper from the sandwich. "Just give me a minute… okay?" said Ellie while grabbing her clothes.
"Sure… I will wait for you in the jeep while you dress up." Joel walks back to his jeep and put the things inside while waiting for her.
Ellie looks in his direction while putting on clothes. She found it strange that he was in a hurry to leave after she asked about the surfing. That seems to bother him more than the married question, even if he said that he is not an aging woman surfing. After Ellie put all her clothes on, she grabs the towel and walked toward the jeep.
"Here…thanks…" said Ellie while passing the towel to him. After Joel grabbed it, she sat on the passenger seat.
Joel goes into the jeep and starts the engine. After a few minutes on the road, he looked at her. "So where are you staying?" asked Joel while driving away from the beach. Ellie was looking at the surrender area. She was intrigued by the man beside her and she didn't even know why. "Hello! Are you still here?" asked Joel after she didn't answer him.
Soon Ellie was taken for her thoughts. She turns her head toward him. "What!"
"Oh… you come back… I thought that I lost you for a second when you didn't answer my question." said Joel with a humorous tone.
"Yeah… sorry I was just thinking… about something," she turned her head to continue looking forward. "So, what did you ask me?"
"Where are you staying? So I can take you there."
"Oh… yeah. I'm staying in the 'CASA DEL LAGO LODGING HOUSE' which is close to the plaza."
"Yeah… I know where it is," said Joel while continuing to drive. "Is a good place though, beautiful and not too expensive."
"Yeah… I get a great view of the bay too." Ellie added.
"Do you mind if I ask you how long you will stay here on vacation?" asked Joel with some curiosity.
"Not… I don't mind. I think it is fair after I asked you a few questions before," she said while looking at him. Anyway, I was planning to stay for 2 weeks, but that will depend on how I manage to do the things I planned…"
"Well… I hope you enjoy your stay… and it is not because I live here, but this island is great for a good vacation."
"Can I ask where you lived before here? I remember you telling me that you weren't born here and with that accent of yours… I'm pretty sure that you came from North America," asked Ellie with some curiosity.
Joel continues driving while thinking about what to say. He doesn't know why this girl is asking a lot of personal questions, but since he probably doesn't see her again he will answer. "I was born in Texas… and lived there until I was 20 I guess. After that, I traveled across the country for a few years and ended here after that."
"Oh… Texas, cool… I go to a university in Arizona. But I was born in Boston. I lived there all my life, but I have to move to Arizona when I get out of high school. I also travel a little with my…'' She stopped there. She doesn't want to talk about her dad with a stranger, even if Joel is not that now. "Anyway… Now I live in Arizona with a friend," she finally said.
"Oh… so you do have a boyfriend?"
"Is not he… is a girl and she is only my roommate…" she clarifies.
Joel found the conversation interesting, but he doesn't know if asking more personal questions will be right. So he continued driving and put some music on his radio. After another half an hour of driving, they arrive at the port town. Joel stopped his jeep at the entrance of the place where Ellie was staying and turned off the engine. "Okay, this is your place right?"
"Yep… this is me…" said Ellie with a casual tone. "Thanks for being my guide today and showing me all those beautiful places… I love them and I have a great time."
"Glad you like them… there are a lot of places to see on this island, hope you have enough time to see a few of them," said Joel while looking at her.
"Yeah… I will like that, but I see… anyway down to business, how much do I owe you? We never talk about the price for the tour."
"Well, I wasn't prepared for a full day… so I need to calculate the expenses," Joel said before starting to think.
Ellie takes out her purse and gets some money out of it. "Is $500 okay?" she asked while offering the money.
"I think that is too much… $300 will be more than enough… I don't really do much," he said while thinking how much a tour like this will cost.
"Are you kidding me? A tour like that could cost more in the USA and I think you did a splendid job."
"I still think it is too much, miss."
"Ellie… you can call me Ellie…"
"Well, Ellie… I think that $300 is okay for me."
"Okay… but you need to think about your business and how you plan to charge people if you want to get some money from this. I tell you what.'' She grabbed Joel's hand and put the money in it. "I will give you the $300 for today's tour… and $300 more tomorrow if you take me diving in a good place. Plus I can give you $1,000 more if you accept to be my guide for a week… what you said?"
Joel thinks for a moment. Is more money than he imagined to get today, but he is not sure how all this is going to work. "I need to think about it… okay?"
"That is fair." Ellie gets out of the jeep and grabs her bag. "Can you give me your cell phone? So I can put my number there. So that way you can call me tomorrow and let me know."
"I don't have any cellphone… but I have a line phone in my house."
"What! You don't have a cell phone?" said Ellie with surprised eyes. You're going to need one if you want to start your own business. "Okay… Did you have a pen and paper? So can I write you my number?"
"Sure… in the glove compartment."
Ellie opened the glove compartment and found a little notebook and a pen. So she grabbed it and wrote her name and number on it. "Here… this is my cell number and my room phone number… too just in case. So, call me in the morning and let me know okay," she said while passing him the notebook.
Joel grabs it and looks at her name and number. "Okay… I will…" he put it on the dash and started the engine. "Have a good night… Miss Ellie Willians…"
"Have a good night… Mr. Joel Miller," she answers back.
After that Joel drove away down the street and toward the bar. Ellie watches him go for a few minutes, before walking inside the building with a smile on her face.