Wheelsy AU ~ Hollywood Nights

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The airport was crowded an d bustling with tourists, the sunlight outside pooling through the plate glass windows like honey. Starla didn't mind the wait. Security meant she could meet him off the plane, but she could stake out the baggage claim where he was suppose to come out!

She was dressed simply in a blue sundress and sandals, nothing fancy, that was for late tonight at the premier. For now she was just a country girl waiting for a country boy and hoping he hadn't managed to get himself lost in the bowels of the airport.

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"Traffic is almost that crazy yes, mainly because most people are rather distracted when they're driving. Always thinking about something else." It was a nice corvette. She'd own one some day maybe. For now they had a little Ford Focus to dink around in.

"Wheelsy won't implode without you there, I promise Bill. Hell, even your houseplants should do fine."

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Bill rumbled around in a beat up truck that was at least as old as him, so he had no complaints about the Ford.

"Well the plants have a baby-sitter." He chuckled. "The town-- "

Thinking about it a moment, he smiled and relented.

"Alright, I guess the town's in good hands, too."

Bill trusted his deputies, and new they should be able to handle things for the few days he'd be gone. Which meant he could let go of his worry about home, and focus on his time with her.

"So, how you been?"

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"Ah, yeah, the girl living with you right?" Starla had them pulled out of the parking a garage and headed toward the freeway at an almost unhealthy speed. "She's watchin' the plants right? Big responsibility." Very bif responsibility for a house guest. Mrs. Hopkins next door might have been a better choice.

"Me? I've been fine Bill. It's hard work acting but I knew that coming in!" She grinned, cracking the car windows so a breeze could flow through. "And the job I got isn't some walk on bit part neither!"

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He could feel the acceleration of the car, and looked over at her.

"They set your speed limits higher than ours out here, too?" he teased.

Talking about Clarice, there was something that sounded a tad off in Starla's voice; Bill couldn't be sure if he was imagining it or not.

"Yeah, I left a list. Water the plants, don't burn the house down, things like that."

He flashed her a partially hesitant smile that grew wide when she talked about her part.

"That's great, Starla. Did I say congratulations yet? Congratulations, they couldn't've picked a better gal for it."

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"I'm gonna be that sweet girl kind of to the left of the popular girl, in a post-highschool movie you know?" She grinned and jumped the car a little faster just to tease before pulling it back to something like speed limit in the slow lane (the rest of traffic was zipping by though).

"And lists are good, easier to keep track of things that way I guess! She have a tendency toward fire or wild parties?"

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His hand gripped the door and he gave her an unamused look (which was totally not doing a good job of hiding his real amusement).

"Don't think I won't give you a ticket, Starla."

Listening to what her part was, he smiled.

"You the one that turns out t'be the better catch in the end?"

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"You don't have the authority to give me a ticket here Bill, and you either drive with traffic flow or you get off the highway." She snorted softly, amused at his door gripping. "You'd like it if you tried it. It's like taking that dip out past the Carter farm as fast as a vehicle can." Sorta anyway.

"No, not a romance really, but that's alright."

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"I'll give it to you when y'get back to Wheelsy."

There could be such a thing as retroactive ticketing.

"Whatever kind of movie it is, I'm sure it'll be a good one." And no romance meant she wouldn't be kissing anyone.

Getting back to her earlier question (now that he'd let up on the door handle some), he shook his head.

"An' Clarice ain't someone who parties. I was only teasin' her." Even though he still never knew what she'd get up to next.

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"Statute of limitations Bill," she hadn't been his friend forever without picking up some knowledge! "And you'd need a lot more to go on than "I think she was drivin' fast." So there!

"Well, you're gonna tell me all about her when you show me pictures." She nodded firmly, taking an exit. "You hungry Bill? Should we grab somethin before we get to my place?"

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"We'll see 'bout that." It was a hollow threat, and she knew it.

"I am. Ain't had but three peanuts since this mornin'."

He wasn't going to pay ten bucks for a cheap sandwich on the plane.

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"Then what are you in the mood for Sheriff? Maybe gettin' you fed will make you less inclined to throw tickets at me." She grinned, slowing them to a near crawl so he could read the signs around them.

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"Nah-uh, you're the tour guide here, Starla. I'm only pickin' up the check."

If the decision were left to him he'd pick something boring like hamburgers, and he wanted to get to know the kind of life she'd been living these past few months.

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"Bill Pardy, you are not paying for the food." She shot a scowl at him and pulled them into an old, fifties style diner. "I did say when I dragged you out here it was on me and you do not get to change that!"

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"No," he argued, "you bought my way here, but we agreed on the phone that unless you're cookin' I'm pickin' up the tab when we eat."

He shot her a look right back, intent on being stubborn about this.

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"No, I think you said that and I made noises but never said yes..." she mused thoughtfully. "Either way, get yourself out of my car so we can get you fed."

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"Noises," Bill repeated, disapproval in his voice.

"I don't think that's how it went at all, Starla."

He'd just have to try and be quick about it when the check showed up.

For now, he unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car.

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"Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree then won't we?" She was going to give the waitress her card the minute Bill's back was turned. So ha!

"And look at you! Haven't you been eatin' proper? No one knows how to feed you anymore?"

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"What're you talkin' 'bout, Starla? Lookit' all this muscle mass."

He held his arm out to prove it to her, then reached out to grab the door as they walked into the restaurant.

"Don't mistake my fit leanness for skinny."

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"Yes, yes." She patted his arm. "You're He-man and all but you still look you haven't been eatin' proper. Real meals, not take out." Said the woman preceding him into a diner but hey!

"You have to order some veggies."

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Bill smiled at the hostess and asked for a table for two.

He glanced at Starla and gave half a nod.

"Yeah, sure. Macaroni counts as a veggie, right?"

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Bill...this would be Starla swatting you upside the head for such a question. If he pretended not to have earned that, well, she'd swat him again.

"Ya'll really should think about settling down Bill, before your bachelor feeding habits ruin you."

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"Hey, ow. What?"

He ducked his head, and rubbed the back of it in innocent dejection.

Her suggestion made him pause as they reached a booth, and he was slow to sit down.

"Yeah, maybe I should."

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"Don't you 'What?' me Bill Pardy. I've known you since you were still wondering why pants was a good idea." It didn't matter in the least that she was learning that lesson at the same time, but still!

"Good."

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He barked a laugh at that, and shook his head at her.

"Alright, fine. I'll get one vegetable. Y'can't tell me corn don't count, neither."

With that out of the way, he focused on the other part of the conversation.

He had come here with every intention of telling her everything that had been on his mind and heart. Now that he was here, though, with a possible opening, flights of butterflies had taken off in his stomach, and a big rock had lodged itself in his throat.

Maybe now wasn't the time for it. Or, maybe now was his one chance.

Working his throat, he opened his mouth just to see what would come out when the waitress showed up.

"Hello, can I get you two started with some drinks?"

Bill blinked and abandoned his train of thought, answering, "I'll uh, take a Coke, please."

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"Be brave, Bill, try more than corn. How about a medley?" She might be teasing at this point but hey, who could tell?

She turned to flash a smile at the waitress and nodded. "A Sprite please. She interrupt something important Bill? You look like you were thinking hard for a moment."