Page 9 of Losing Sleep
TORY:Is it good cheese? There is always time for good cheese.
ME:I don’t know. We haven’t tried any yet. But that’s beside the point!
TORY:Enjoy the journey! We’re just sitting on the couch in the cabin, staring at each other. You’re not missing much. I think Trent is going to break out the old video game console soon.
I sighed and put my phone away, tapping my fingers on my thighs as I pondered an even later arrival time at the cabin.
“Do you ever stop sighing?” Grey asked as he stopped next to me, perusing the contents of the shelves behind me. Theycontained jams, nuts, and a few other locally sourced non-dairy treats. “Or is your allergy to spontaneity acting up?”
“I can be spontaneous,” I stuttered, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “I’m on this trip with you, aren’t I?”
“A trip that was planned weeks ago is hardly spontaneous. Honestly, the most spontaneous thing I’ve seen you do so far is pee outside of your allotted time for a bathroom break.” He grabbed a bag of taffy from the shelf behind me, adding it to his basket before turning to examine the fridges that lined the back wall of the store.
I glared at him, scrambling for a comeback as I watched him walk away. I took a moment to take in my surroundings, observing the simple layout of the small store. In addition to the shelves I stood next to, it contained a single row of freezers and some pallets against a wall. The biggest thing in the room was the checkout area, and that was because it had an ice cream counter attached.
A blonde woman in a teal romper nearly ran me over with her cart in the cramped space. I took a step out of her way and moved to browse the milk section, both amazed and wary of the variety of flavors in front of me.
“Bet you ten bucks you won’t try the root beer milk.” Grey’s deep voice rumbled in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and making me jump.
“What?” I whirled around to find Grey standing directly behind me. His basket was already overflowing with milks and cheeses.
“Root beer milk. It’s better than you think.” He waggled his eyebrows and held up a light-brown carton of milk.
“At this point, almost anything would be better than what I think of root beer milk. It sounds disgusting.” I took a step back, shaking my head as he continued to offer me the carton.
Was the milk fizzy like root beer? How would someone combine soda and dairy outside of a root beer float? My questions were endless, but I wasn’t curious enough to find the answers. I’d learned a long time ago it was better to play things safe, even in simple decisions like trying new foods.
“Trust me, it’s good.”
“I’d much rather get something safe like chocolate. Or maybe I’ll branch out to cookies ’n cream.” I reached for one of the more familiar flavors.
Grey quirked that infuriating eyebrow once more. I wanted to shave it off. “Chicken.”
“Excuse me?” I said with surprise. I didn’t want to try a new milk flavor. How did that make me a chicken?
“You’re afraid of a little carton of milk.Bock,bock.Chicken.” Grey flapped his arm not holding the basket like a bird wing, emphasizing his point.
Suddenly my mind was filled with all the times I hadn’t tried something. I hadn’t gone to friends’ birthday parties because I knew mom couldn’t drive me and make it to work on time. I hadn’t tried out for the school play because Mom didn’t have the money to pay for costumes. I hadn’t interviewed for a new job because the change in hours and location were inconvenient for Lyle. I almost hadn’t come on this trip because it was so far outside my comfort zone. Was this what I wanted, a life defined by the things I didn’t do or say?
I bit my tongue for a moment before grabbing the carton of root beer milk out of his hand and adding it to his basket. “Fine, but you’re buying it, and if it’s gross, you owe me a chocolate milk too.”
“You might be surprised! Besides, ‘not all who wander are lost.’” Grey grinned and headed to the cash register to check out.
“That still makes no sense!” I called after his retreating back, shaking my head and walking to the exit, careful to erase the smile from my face before Grey could see.
I stood by the door, arms crossed over my chest as I waited for Grey, who was taking his time chatting to the elderly cashier ringing up his purchases. I was irked that I’d let Grey get to me, doubts already filling my mind as I waited. Yes, I was afraid to try a weird milk flavor. What if it was gross and I had that aftertaste stuck in my mouth the rest of the drive? In my mind, root beer and milk were two things that had no business being combined. At least I had the gas station Pepsi to dispel the flavor if needed.
I followed Grey to his car, trying to ignore the aroma of farm that seemed to linger in the air everywhere in Logan. He had several bags filled with food, and it took him a minute to find my root beer milk. He handed me the unassuming light-brown carton with a mug icon on the front before unlocking the SUV and stashing his bags inside, slipping the cheese into a small cooler I hadn’t realized was in his trunk.
“You have to drink the whole thing, and then I’ll give you this.” He held up a second carton, this one darker brown with a chocolate bar on the front.
“Fine, but that means we’re going to be making another bathroom stop sooner than planned.”
“I’m not in a hurry. You?” Grey stood with his hands on his hips, almost challenging me to contradict him.
Technically, I was in a hurry, and it had nothing to do with not wanting to miss Tory’s birthday. It would still be her special day, even if we got there after dark. Personally, I did not want to be in the car dodging animals on the road when night fell, but Grey didn’t need to know that. No one but Mallory and Chloe knew just how much driving at night, especially in the mountains, freaked me out, and I planned to keep it that way.
Instead of answering, I took the first carton of milk and shook it, assuming it needed the flavoring mixed in. Pulling open the tab on top, I raised the carton to my lips and hesitated just a moment more before taking my first tentative swallow. Flavor exploded across my tongue, reminding me of childhood summers. I paused, processing the flavor. It was surprising: creamy and rich and far better than I anticipated.
