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.

Comments

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

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?"

[noteasytobepink]

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."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"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."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

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."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Only if it don't come with peas." He could handle just about anything else, except for peas.

Bill watched the waitress go, then turned back to Starla and shook his head.

"No, I just... I was wonderin' how big their burgers were."

He'd do it later. He hadn't been in town ten minutes; that wasn't long enough to start spilling his guts.

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"Baby." She snorted and checked the menu. "Looks like cauliflower, carrot, squash, and broccoli." So there!

"And if you were wonderin' that why didn't you ask when the waitress was here?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He made a face, but he'd order it when the waitress came back.

"I was hopin' you could tell me in real life terms, 'stead of just a weight which is what she'd give me."

Opening his menu, he flipped to the page with burgers on it.

"So now, we talkin' a two hand burger, or somethin' as big as my head?"

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"Bill, I'm sure she'd tell you in terms you understand if you asked nice," she deadpanned. "I'm not usually eating burgers when I come here." She liked the chicken salad and the chicken tenders okay?

"Just imagine a weight, an how much bread that weight would take. Isn't hard right? You've grilled!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Well you're no help. I reckon' I'll just pick out somethin' else."

Turning the page on the menu, he tapped a picture.

"The chicken fried steak looks pretty good."

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"Isn't my job to be helpful." She snorted helpfully. "When have I ever made your life easier Bill? Tell me once! You're the steady one!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill made a show of thinking about it, and shook his head.

"Not once that I can recall."

He grinned, then held up a finger.

"Oh, except of course for the time y'helped me pass algebra. An' the once when y'helped me with my science project. An' of course you kept the seat next t'me warm on every grade school field trip we went on."

His grin turned into a warm smile, and then he turned his head as the waitress returned to take their order.

Bill put in for the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, and, reluctantly, included the veggie medley with his order.