They all went about their reason for being there.
Henner took the sink at the far end of the room, as far away from the guys as he could get.
McKinnon finished first and moved to the sink. Moore followed a minute later.
“Still got another few hours before we can swap again,” McKinnon said.
“Yeah, it’s a long trip. At least we get better food on the road.”
“There’s a restaurant with sit-down service across the parking lot.”
“Sounds like a good spot to me.” Moore glanced over at Henner.
He lathered his hands with soap that smelled like chemicals. “You guys eaten at that place before?”
“Nah. We’re just passing through. First time in these parts.”
“Me too. Road-tripping with the wife.” Henner’s lie rolled off his tongue far too easily. In the past, the word “wife” would have tripped him up, glued his tongue in place. Either he was getting good at pretending on these types of ops or his attraction to May was getting the better of him.
He left the bathroom first but took his time walking out to the car, hoping to catch more chatter between the guys. The pair discussed whether they would get trucker’s breakfast platters or burgers and fries for lunch, but they didn’t offer anything valuable to Henner.
When he reached the vehicle, May unlocked the doors and whipped around to face him. “What took you so long? Did you find anything out?”
He slid into the seat. “They’re going to the restaurant.”
“Damn. There goes our idea to grab some food. It will look too suspicious if we eat there too.”
“We’ll swing through the drive-thru chicken joint and park where we can watch the restaurant.”
Her plump lips twisted in a pout. “I guess fried chicken isn’t much worse than the truck-stop specials.”
“You’re not rubbing elbows with generals at a fancy dinner these days,” he teased her.
She backed out of the parking spot and circled the building to the drive-thru. After they got their food, she parked in the front again. He opened the bag and pulled out a box of chicken they agreed to share along with biscuits and french fries.
“Are you going to tell me if you learned anything from following those kids into the restroom?” She reached into the box and pinched a chicken strip. “Is there dipping sauce?”
He rooted around inside the bag. “Ketchup or barbecue.”
“I love barbecue.”
He guessed from her choice of potato chips. He passed her a sauce. When she took it, their fingers brushed.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. And I didn’t learn much. They talked about their long drive and about getting food. Which is why we’re eating now too.”
“It just had to be greasy chicken, didn’t it?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Are you afraid your tummy is going to feel bad after more junk food?”
Holding his stare, she purposely opened her mouth and chomped off a large bite of chicken. The groan hit his lips, unstoppable, as he watched her sweet mouth working on the bite.
He didn’t even try to suppress the sound. But May thought he was groaning over the savory spices.
“It isn’tthatgood, Henner.”
He watched her from the corner of his eye as he devoured his first piece. “What happened to you calling me AJ?”