She slide him a look from the corners of her eyes.
"Mm. For the *car's* protection." She agreed with a soft smile. She gave him a gentle nudge toward where they'd left
the bike. "And I did bring clothes for roughing it, didn't I? Suz will never forgive me if she finds out I repainted this
dress in shades of barbeque."
She was still feeling - subdued inside. Not defeated, just - quiet. A half step away from everything. But Hector. She
couldn't stay close enough to him. And a part of her mind was still thinking over the conversation with her family.
Because - there was always more going on than first glance gave away with them.
"So what," she wrinkled her nose at him, "are 'collared greens'? The sound like criminal vegetables that have finally
been apprehended."
Hector laughed. "Collard. It's a type of green leafy vegetable. In the cabbage family I think." He said as they got back
to the bike. "Coulda left it here, it's seriously just down the street. But you wanted them to see you ride off on the Bad
American's motorcycle, didn't you?" He teased, eyes glimmering with it. Nothing wrong with sticking it to them one last
time for one last view for the day.
She laughed quietly.
"My clothes are in the saddle bag." She reminded him. Leaning up into him to kiss the tip of his nose and than slip a
more lingering one against his lips. "Bad American." She murmured it against his lips with another soft chuckle.
Actually liking the sound of it even as she teased. It went well with 'evil' and 'incorrigible'. "Now I really don't know how
you expect me to resist asking. How bad?"
Hector laughed. "Well, let's see...I'm banned from my own family parties, apparently Liselle has some fear about me,"
and from what he had gathered, that was rather impressive as egocentric as she was, "and still got my ass kicked by
a kid at Battleship." He said with a chuckle. "Guess it depends on your definition of bad. Which one do you want?"
"Oh." Her voice was sympathetic and it almost hid the laughter under it. "And here you were doing so well at being
fearsome before that last admission. It’s probably just as well you hired me on as your thugee." She kissed him again
just because and then leaned against him while she took her change of clothes out of the bag. Jeans, tank top,
sneakers. One of his button up demin shirts. Of course Suz had packed her enough clothes. More than enough
really. But - she liked wearing his.
"I think Liselle was trying to help." She added softly.
He gave her a doubtful look. He didn't know Liselle, but to him, she wasn't being overly helpful by insulting him and
making all sorts of insinuations.
"Well, we don't have to deal with them. The place we're eating isn't anywhere they'd be caught even on their worst
days." He assured her, taking out his own more casual clothes. He'd learned last time, that dealing with families could
sometimes mean spontaneous road trip, so he tried to be prepared.
"Every time they offered something that was supposed to be attractive she said something to remind me how much I
hated living with them. And she got me so mad. Usually I'm much nicer to Robert and Bea. But I was so mad..." Her
brows were down and she looked up at him. "She was terrible to you. She's always been bad to men but she was ugly
with you." She slipped back under Hector's arm as they started walking again. Walking was good for her. It always
helped - settle her inside. As if the motion helped her clear out her head as well as her lungs. "So if she thought that
was 'help' the comment about not having seen the last of them might have been a warning."
Now that made sense to Hector, with what he knew. If Andi didn't take her Grandmother up on the deal, the money
which was supposed to go to her would go to the others. That was definitely incentive to 'help.'
"I could handle it." He assured her about Liselle's comments. "I've got a pretty thick skin, comments from people who
don't know me don't even begin to penetrate. But I'm serious, if they come onto my property again, I'll have their
pompous asses arrested. It's called trespassing you know, in these parts it's frowned upon."
They'd upset her, and shaken something up in her, and that wasn't going to allowed. Or forgiven.
"Could you?" She asked in surprise. Torn between finding the image of her relatives being put in to police cars
hysterically funny and horrifying. Though granted it was mostly the thought of all that attention going on in her front
yard while the neighbors watched that was embarrassingly horrifying. Not the thought of her relations packed into a
trolley. Then she was laughing quietly against him, managing to turn her face into him while still walking in a straight
line. Easier to do when his arm was around her the way it was.
"I don't think Mum would see the humor but I think Da would pay money to see the look on their faces if it happened.
If he hadn't already loved you before..." she shook her head with a smile. Simply hoping it didn't come to that. She
was fairly sure she'd seen more than enough of that side of the family for the next few years at least.
"Absolutely. I'll videotape it for your dad too." Hector said. "Bet your mom would watch it privately too."
He could see why Jeanette had run off all the way to Africa with Sean. And wondered if they had had to run this
gauntlet also, for it was plain that continents and time zones meant nothing to these vultures. He led her into the
diner, which had a totally different atmosphere than the last restaurant they were in. Lively music was coming from
the speakers, people at the bar were watching a NASCAR race, waitresses were casually dressed and chatting with
the customers.
"Okay, meet you out here." He said, directing her to the women's room, while he headed to the men's room to change.
He was being a bit of a shepherd, she thought as he guided her around. It had the edges of her lips curving as she
fought to keep a straight face but she nodded solemnly at his instructions. Leaning up to steal a quick kiss before
she disappeared into the ladies room. Perhaps she should find it annoying but his protective streak made her feel
safe. And cared for. Being carefully watched over was new to her. And she found she both quite liked it and found it
immensely reassuring.
Thoughts of her family and what had just happened she shrugged off as she shrugged off the dress and changed.
What was done was done. And she wasn't going to change her mind. Not for all the money in the world. What was
that compared to Hector? Cassie's words earlier bothered her more than what her own family had just said to her. But
what they'd said about Hector... She caught a glimpse of her narrowed eyes in the mirror and shook her head. He
was an amazing man. And more, they knew it. Which gave her even more satisfaction than finally being able to tell
them to sod off.
Raking fingers absently through her hair with one hand she folded up the dress and heels and tucked them in the
crock of her other arm as she exited. Letting out an exhale. Ready to move on with things.
Hector met her outside the restrooms, his own clothes tucked under his arm just as the hostess spotted them.
"Well, hey y'all." She drawled out in a friendly manner, though she didn't know either of them from Adam. "Let's get
you two a table. Want a bag for your clothes there?"
"Please." Hector said with a chuckle, sliding his arm around Andi's shoulder as the hostess dug behind her counter
until she produced the bags and handed them to her.
"Just follow me." She said, weaving around patrons and servers. "Here ya go. Our special today is blackened catfish.
And honey fried ribs." She said as she handed them the single sheet menu. Jenny's your waitress, she'll be here in a
minute. Enjoy!" She said as she headed back off.
"Remember, blackened doesn't mean burned." He said with a chuckle. "Unless I'm making it or distracting you."
Andi scooted in close to him, comfortable with a wall on one side and Hector on the other and than peered at his
menu, ignoring her own. When he made his comment about 'blackened' she nudged him lightly with an elbow to the
ribs. Laughing almost silently.
"Bad American." She reprimanded with a grin. Then, eyes smiling, she commented: "I probably shouldn't have
reminded you. Will you order me something? And then I'll eat your food anyway."
Hector laughed when Jenny showed up to take their orders. "We'll have the rack, collard greens, some corn, sweet
tea for me, lemonade for her."
"All right then." Jenny said, a co ed in between classes, already deciding this table was too cute for words. Besides
the guy. The girl and the guy together were getting up there on the cute meter, and she found that adorable. "Be
back with your drinks." She said.
"One big meal between the two of us. That way you don't have to technically steal my food." He said with a chuckle.
"Well, where's the fun of it if you're going to share?" Andi asked but she raised her face with a smile and touched the
tip of her nose to his. "You were right." She agreed, voice softer. "This is much nicer." Not that she'd doubted. A
burned dinner of crow's feet would have been nicer. But this was good for her. Curious, she looked around the dining
area. Noticing the type of people and the servers and smiling at the music.
"Have you come here often before?" She asked, turning her head to look at him.
"A bunch of times, not a regular though." He said. "This place has been around forever, I came here with my
grandparents, they came here with their kids, that sort of thing. It's always had some of the best down home food I've
ever had though." He laughed. "Even if you don't think I'm discriminating when it comes to food."
She chuckled against them and then thanked the waitress as the young girl set the drinks in front of both of them.
"I don't know. I haven't seen you pull out your hidden bottle of tobacco sauce yet but the food also hasn't arrived
either so you might just be waiting."
If he'd come here with his grandparents it must hold good memories for him. A safe place from his childhood that he'd
brought her to now. And she couldn't help but wonder if he'd had that planned as well. She wouldn't put it past him.
"I'd like to learn to cook some of this. So I could cook 'foreign' food, you understand." She told him with mock
solemnity.
"No, no tabasco sauce, I promise." He said. "Though I do have a bottle, in case we were stuck there for dinner after
all. Having no idea what Cole ordered and all." Since he hadn't been paying attention to the other man at the time.
"It's easy. Hit Tommy up for the how tos next time he comes over to set fire to my backyard...I mean use my grill."
She chuckled at that.
"You tell me to ask Tommy and then mention he sets fire to everything in the same sentence. Maybe I should just go
down the road a few houses and ask Mrs. Johnson instead. It certainly sounds safer. Besides," she grinned up at
him, "as I've already been reminded in the past fifteen minutes, I'm already very good at setting things on fire. With
the proper distraction that is."
"Well, cooking in the dark isn't highly recommended anyway." He said with a chuckle, kissing the tip of her nose. "Can
lead to all sorts of distractions you know. That's the beauty of eating out. Don't have to worry about such distractions
inviting the fire department into your home!"
Jenny meanwhile had gotten her friend Mel and they both caught the grin and the nose kiss from where they were
watching across the room. Both girls gave mock dramatic sighs now and then laughed.
"See? Told you." Jenny said with a grin of her own. "Too dang cute."
"I wouldn't mind some 'cute' in my life." Mel agreed. "Wonder what they're talking about with their heads so close
together like that."
"Keep that up and I may never cook again." Andi chuckled. Since Hector has still proved himself good at distraction
and there had been several times since they'd come to the States that she'd either borderline burned whatever she'd
been trying to cook or had barely remembered to turn the burners off completely and had come back to half cooked,
cold food. "It’s either that or I resort to peanut butter sandwiches all the time."
"Hey, I grew up on that stuff." Hector said. "Obviously it doesn't stunt growth or anything, right? Or, shit, maybe in my
case it did...isn't that a scary thought?" He glanced at the waitresses and nodded to them with a grin. "I think we're on
display. It's amusing, I've never been on display before."
Andi looked over in time to see the waitresses 'suddenly' getting to work and laughed softly. Snuggling in closer to
rest her head on his shoulder with a soft smile. She'd be worried about any woman under the age of eighty that didn't
at least stop to look twice at Hector.
"No, never." She agreed. "Unless you count the last time we were at a restaurant. Or the time before that when you
were reading on the plane to three rows of people. Or when Cara and Potter wouldn't give us any privacy."
"The infirmary doesn't count, because like you love to tell people, I was on drugs." He said with a chuckle. "The
plane, not my fault people are nosy. I wasn't reading to them, they were eavesdropping. Those over there, they're
just plain ogling." He laughed and drank some of his tea, then turned his head a bit to look at her. "You want to talk
about the other restaurant?" Meaning her family and all that had gone down there.
She offered a weak smile but it was all right now. They'd made their bid, she'd refused. If things followed to pattern it
would just be a slowly tapering off of effort on their part. She supposed what was so sad was that their offer, the best
they could come up with, hadn't even been the least bit tempting. Which truly did say something about everyone
involved.
"What do you want to hear?" She asked, resting her hand on his chest. "That's my Mum's family. It’s what she came
out of. And they sent a fairly full coverage of personalities. They used to still see me as partially theirs when I was
younger. I would stay in one of the family houses sometimes with Grandmother's group during the summer for a
month. I grew up with Bea. We used to play hide and seek and try to stay out of the adults attention as long as
possible. Sometimes we could go days without anyone but the staff knowing what we were up to. I was always chided
for being too big and too clumsy and too loud but nicely enough, I had no skill with any instruments or dance or
needlepoint or 'acceptable' sports. So they gave up trying to civilize me. I drove off three speech coaches before they
finally gave up on refining my English. But it wasn't all bad. I was used to my freedom and the adults tended to forget
about you if you weren't right in front of them so I got to explore wonderful places." Her fingers shifted against the
fabric of his shirt and she exhaled. "Tean we had a - fall out. They said something to me and my Da took it bad.
Words got flung around and - we stopped hearing from them all together. That was a good fifteen years ago. I really
hadn't heard from any of them except for Robert and maybe one or two of the others when we've run into each other
by accident over the years." Her lips shifted. "It’s not as if we exactly run in the same circles."
"Well, they're not as smart as they pretend to be." Hector decided. "After all, if I'm a gold digger, the best course of
action is to offer ME money, since I've obviously got you completely fooled and all." He had to laugh at that, digging
for gold he didn't even know she had. "Well, you don't have to see them any more if you don't want to. I'm more than
willing to play the heavy on this one and put up all sorts of land mines, barbed wire...secure a perimeter...maybe a
moat with some alligators."
She gave a quiet chuckle and lifted her chin to press a kiss to his jaw. Hector loving her for money she didn't have
was one of the last things she'd ever worry about. He'd fallen in love with a tall, job obsessive African doctor in the
middle of nowhere. He'd just gotten stuck with all the rest that had come along afterwards. She made a decision and
shook her head against him.
"I really don't want to see them again. At least not for the rest of the time I'm here. And I don't want to see Cole
either." She added. He was tied into her family as far as she was concerned. And he was a cheap replacement to try
for Hector. She shifted her face to look at him. "I don't mind blowing off my family on that side. They've never really
been mine. But I don't want to cause problems with yours."
He sighed. "My family's problem mostly comes from the fact that there hasn't been anyone permanent in my life
besides them. They're used to me being at their beck and call when I'm home. Hector, come fix my sink, Hector give
me a ride, Hector watch my kids....things like that. All of a sudden there's this new person occupying time they think is
theirs. Which isn't really fair when you think about it, they get to have husbands and boyfriends and girlfriends and
lives. I get to have the same. I'm just a late bloomer is all." He said. "So do not worry about them. They'll attack, but
they'll back off once I'm out of the country again, or something else occurs to occupy their attention."
They'd back off when he was out of the country because she'd be gone too. And she got the impression that Hector
was much more central to their thoughts than he gave himself credit for. Because he was a reassurance to them.
Their one steady in the storm that many of their lives were. Just knowing he was there, even if not physically, had to
be comforting. Her fingers smoothed at a wrinkle that wasn't there on his shirt.
"Am I too protective of you?" She asked. It was possible and equally as possible she wouldn't see it simply because
she didn't want to. She could very well get in the way between his family and him when he didn't need or want it. And
she'd much rather hear about it from him so she could try to back off than assume it was just something someone
else had said that had no idea what they were talking about.
But bloody hell - she'd be damned before she'd commiserate with anyone about how bloody 'broken' he was or
started assuming he couldn't make competent decisions on his own.
"Okay, in case you haven't noticed," he said in a tone that clearly said he knew she noticed, "my family has this weird
co-dependency thing going on. And they're not overly fond of the fact that I don't participate. I love them, don't get
me wrong. But I won't micro manage their lives or let them micro manage mine. I'm an adult, and they're adults." He
brushed her hair off her shoulders.
"Either they accept that I'm adult and can run my own life, and actually run it better than they're running theirs, or
they can fume in private. Can't talk them into it or out of it, just gotta let them stew I guess."
Her lips curved and she lifted her face to kiss him. Smiling against his lips as she murmured her "I love you". Then
she drew back enough to gently brush her fingers down his cheek. Eyes still softly smiling.
"And I quite like you as an adult. I think you've managed wonderful things." Her eyes traced his face and gently she
added: "I am so very proud of you and so very proud you've decided I'm worth loving."
Jenny and Mel came over and hesitated. Carrying hot plates of food and not at all wanting to interrupt all the snuggly
feelings that were emanating from the booth.
"Huh." He said. "From my side I remember you having to be the one that needed convincing to get involved with me."
He said with a grin before he kissed her again.
Finally the plates got too hot for the waitresses and they just put them down on the table, exchanging 'awww' glances
with each other. But the sudden movement on the table snapped the couple out of their reverie a bit and Hector
laughed. "Thanks." He said to the waitresses.
He got double bright grins back from the waitresses. Sure, he was hot. But the way he and the woman snuggled in
against his side were together just brought out every sigh romance novels and movies the world over counted on. It
was sweet and it was cute. Even more so because there wasn't any groping going on. Just a lot of gently touches.
Andi thanked them too, smile a bit silly for having been 'caught'. But it was so easy to forget everything else. She got
grins of conspiracy from the girls and then they were gone and she was looking at the rather large plate in front of
both of them.
"Did they use an entire pig?" She asked, wide eyed.
"You know, they might have." He said with a chuckle. "Don't worry. If we happen to leave any extra, they'll wrap it up
for us." He reached around for the handi-wipes and opened a few, spreading them out. Never hurt to be prepared,
after all. And after being in a restaurant where you had to be on your best behavior, eating with the expectation of
getting messy was a relief. And very nearly a god send. He swore God was a ribs fanatic. "Don't worry, you can still
pretend to steal off 'my' plate if you want." Knowing she tended to eat more when she was sure no one was watching
and measuring. Wondering if her mother's side did that to her.
Andi laughed at him, leaning up to brush one more kiss against his jaw before settling in. Strangely enough, her
mother's family didn't steal her appetite away from her the way stress usually did. Mostly, she suspected it was
because if they had she would have starved to death on her 'vacations' there as a child. Though it was hard. They
always made comments about how much she ate and how it explained her overgrown height. But they weren't here
now and frankly, they didn't matter anymore anyway. So she shrugged out of her over shirt and set it to the side now.
Then she 'swiped' a rib off the far side of his plate. She'd never be able to eat as much as he would. But she could
try.
He laughed at her as she swiped his rib and picked up one of his own, after dividing up the napkins and handi wipes.
"Mm." He said as he ate his rib. "So what should we do next? Jo says I can't shoot up the town from a clock tower,
because it's so been done," he said in imitation of his friend, "so strangely enough I'm free for the rest of the day.
"You should have brought that looney doctor tonight" Andi commented, working her way through a rib and thinking
she really should have brought something to tie her hair back with. It was fun though. "He could have seen how very
well you handled yourself - there was no threats of violence, much less fisticuffs. You certainly didn't shoot up a '7-11'
when Robert was doing his persual. You've suggested calling the police if they show up again instead of chasing
them down with an M16 - we'll pretend he didn't hear the comment about land mines and crocidile moats. See? You
handled yourself much better than most people who have never been in a fight or seen battle before. Worse came to
worse, we could have opened up some of the family 'secrets' and really distracted the quack with some mentally
twisted people and their relationships."
She was tangenting but that was all right. Her mind was still thinking over his option of the rest of the evening being
free.
Hector laughed. "Sorry. A 7-11 is a convenience store type place. There's a chain of them all around the country." He
said as he put a bone in the paper bag and picked up another one. "Hmm...I'll remember that next time. I think he just
wants to be published, they might be a better, more interesting subject than me. Besides, I don't have my weapon. No
way would I have been let through customs with that, or even on the plane!"
She nodded and got sticky fingerprints on her glass of lemonade as she took a sip. Perversly enjoying that. 'Doctor'
and 'dirty' didn't really usually go together. She made a humming noise as she finally found out what a 7-11 was. She
hadn't been sure if it was slang or not.
"My family could keep him published for the rest of his life with just one branch. Of course Grandmother would never
let it happen but it would keep him busy for quite some time." She wondered in a vague sense if he had guns at
home. Her Da did but that was Africa. Her Grandda hadn't but that was England. Different places and different
personalities. She finished one rib and took a detour for a moment to try his 'collared' greens.
"Is there somewhere we could listen to music tonight?" She asked. Flashed him a close mouthed smile because she
was still eating. "I know you 'don't dance.'" She made her voice lower and gruffer to imitate a 'manly man' making a
statement. Eyes laughing. "But is there anywhere that plays live music do you think? That's one of the perks of
Louisiana, yeah?"
He chuckled and wiped some sauce off the edge of her lips. "I can't dance. There is a distinct difference." He said.
"But there are tons of blues and jazz clubs all around Louisiana, wouldn't be Louisiana without them. I'm sure we can
find something in this city that's suitable. That won't make you dare me on that dancing thing."
"All our kisses are going to taste like barbeque tonight." She didn't sound disturbed by the idea. Wrinkling her nose
at him with another smile for wiping her face for her. It made her feel young and cared for and a little bit silly. And she
didn't mind any of those.
"See?" Mel was pointing out to Karen the hostess that had seated them. "Too cute, right?"
Karen let out a soft laugh and sighed.
"Man, that's mush all right. Think we can keep them on as mascots or something?"
Andi chuckled as she went for another rib.
"You can't possibly be that bad." She disagreed, eyes dancing. "You move much too smoothly. And if we were
worried about my toes I could always just take off my shoes and dance on top of your feet."
Hector laughed. "Yeah, okay." He said, drinking his tea and going for the ribs again. "Besides, we're going to be so
full, watching and listening might be all we're up to." He reached for the collard greens, which usually didn't have the
best aroma to the uninitiated, but was thankfully covered up by the smell of smoked and sauced ribs.
"God, only if I can take him home at closing time." Mel said, leaning against the podium dramatically. "I really gotta
stop being a waitress and start being whatever....it is....that she is." Mel joked.
"I don't know." Karen agreed. "But if you find out sign me up for it too, okay?"
"I wish I could be in love the way she is." Jenny was lingering. Waiting for their drinks to get low enough to need a
refill. You just got warm and fuzzy standing in the general vicinity of that table. "Wouldn't hurt a bit of the guy looked
like him and looked at me like that either!" She added with a brighter grin.