until Rory sat up completely and looked around.
“Let’s stop in that gas station there. I want to use the bathroom and then we’ll switch. I know where we need to go from here.”
“Okay.” Yamane pulled in, driving into a parking space near the bathrooms. He retrieved coffee while Rory used the restroom. When Rory came back, Yamane used the restroom himself, taking his toothbrush and toothpaste with him as he had seen Rory do. It seemed that life on the road was not nearly as new to Rory as it was to him.
Yamane rejoined Rory and sipped his coffee. “Where to?”
“I have a friend who owns a bakery here. I want to get her advice on some things. She’s a nice girl; you’ll like her.”
Yamane digested this. “Are you sure she can’t be connected to you?”
“I’m sure. She’s a friend from college when I was an undergrad. Nothing’s certain, but it isn’t like we’ve even kept in touch lately. I saw her in Mississippi last year; that’s how I know where she is. She says she makes world-class croissants. Let’s go.” He started the engine.
Yamane was exhausted, but the more distance they put between them and Amelia, the better he felt. When they pulled up next to a dainty little bakery called Hubbard’s Cupboard, Rory parked the car. Rory stamped and stretched his long legs, coming around the car to get the door for Yamane, who had already opened it and gotten out by himself. Yamane gave him a hard stare.
“Sorry,” said Rory. “It’s the princess thing. I’ll try to remember how manly you are next time.”
They entered the tiny bakeshop together. The woman behind the counter turned when the little bells on the door jingled.
Drawn Together
59
“Avery?” Rory asked.
Avery looked up and squealed. She threw the receipts haphazardly into a basket next to the register and rushed around the counter at an alarming speed. “Rory. Rory, Rory, you’ve come! I’m so glad.” She threw herself at him, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and kissed him passionately on the mouth.
Rory, whose body wasn’t prepared, slammed back against a rack of breads with a thud.
He shot a worried glance at Yamane over her shoulder, holding Avery in his arms with his hands cupped under her buttocks to keep her from falling.
“Uh.” He grunted. “Broken ribs, broken…ribs…” She jumped off him, her hands over her mouth in horror. “Oh, Rory! I’m so sorry. You look like hell.”
“Is there someplace we can talk?” Rory asked when he caught his breath again.
Avery took his hand. “In here.” She indicated the kitchen.
“Well,” said Yamane, “you two seem to have some catching up to do. I’ll just pour myself a cup of coffee, if that’s okay, and raid your baked goods. Rory says you make the best croissants.” He went around the counter and helped himself while Rory tried to disengage the girl. Rory disappeared into the kitchen with Avery. A little bit later, Rory returned with a carafe of coffee and more croissants.
“See,” Rory said lamely. “Isn’t she nice?”
Yamane looked up from his paper and then returned to it, saying nothing. While he was reading, he removed his hooded sweatshirt. Next he took off his sunglasses. Idly, he combed his fingers through the long, silky strands of his hair with one hand so that it fell over his shoulder.
He looked over at Avery, who was bringing her own coffee to the table, along with a chair from one of the other tables scattered about the small area. Yamane reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Yes,” said Rory.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Yamane said.
“It’s against the law, I’m sorry,” Avery replied. Yamane put his lighter and cigarettes down.
“Well, Yamane, you must tell me,” she said, frankly gawking. “Where did you meet Rory?”
“Didn’t he tell you?” Yamane asked. “I’m his sacred maiden.” 60 Z. A. Maxfield
Chapter Ten
Yamane took stock of
“Let’s stop in that gas station there. I want to use the bathroom and then we’ll switch. I know where we need to go from here.”
“Okay.” Yamane pulled in, driving into a parking space near the bathrooms. He retrieved coffee while Rory used the restroom. When Rory came back, Yamane used the restroom himself, taking his toothbrush and toothpaste with him as he had seen Rory do. It seemed that life on the road was not nearly as new to Rory as it was to him.
Yamane rejoined Rory and sipped his coffee. “Where to?”
“I have a friend who owns a bakery here. I want to get her advice on some things. She’s a nice girl; you’ll like her.”
Yamane digested this. “Are you sure she can’t be connected to you?”
“I’m sure. She’s a friend from college when I was an undergrad. Nothing’s certain, but it isn’t like we’ve even kept in touch lately. I saw her in Mississippi last year; that’s how I know where she is. She says she makes world-class croissants. Let’s go.” He started the engine.
Yamane was exhausted, but the more distance they put between them and Amelia, the better he felt. When they pulled up next to a dainty little bakery called Hubbard’s Cupboard, Rory parked the car. Rory stamped and stretched his long legs, coming around the car to get the door for Yamane, who had already opened it and gotten out by himself. Yamane gave him a hard stare.
“Sorry,” said Rory. “It’s the princess thing. I’ll try to remember how manly you are next time.”
They entered the tiny bakeshop together. The woman behind the counter turned when the little bells on the door jingled.
Drawn Together
59
“Avery?” Rory asked.
Avery looked up and squealed. She threw the receipts haphazardly into a basket next to the register and rushed around the counter at an alarming speed. “Rory. Rory, Rory, you’ve come! I’m so glad.” She threw herself at him, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and kissed him passionately on the mouth.
Rory, whose body wasn’t prepared, slammed back against a rack of breads with a thud.
He shot a worried glance at Yamane over her shoulder, holding Avery in his arms with his hands cupped under her buttocks to keep her from falling.
“Uh.” He grunted. “Broken ribs, broken…ribs…” She jumped off him, her hands over her mouth in horror. “Oh, Rory! I’m so sorry. You look like hell.”
“Is there someplace we can talk?” Rory asked when he caught his breath again.
Avery took his hand. “In here.” She indicated the kitchen.
“Well,” said Yamane, “you two seem to have some catching up to do. I’ll just pour myself a cup of coffee, if that’s okay, and raid your baked goods. Rory says you make the best croissants.” He went around the counter and helped himself while Rory tried to disengage the girl. Rory disappeared into the kitchen with Avery. A little bit later, Rory returned with a carafe of coffee and more croissants.
“See,” Rory said lamely. “Isn’t she nice?”
Yamane looked up from his paper and then returned to it, saying nothing. While he was reading, he removed his hooded sweatshirt. Next he took off his sunglasses. Idly, he combed his fingers through the long, silky strands of his hair with one hand so that it fell over his shoulder.
He looked over at Avery, who was bringing her own coffee to the table, along with a chair from one of the other tables scattered about the small area. Yamane reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Yes,” said Rory.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Yamane said.
“It’s against the law, I’m sorry,” Avery replied. Yamane put his lighter and cigarettes down.
“Well, Yamane, you must tell me,” she said, frankly gawking. “Where did you meet Rory?”
“Didn’t he tell you?” Yamane asked. “I’m his sacred maiden.” 60 Z. A. Maxfield
Chapter Ten
Yamane took stock of
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