Page 58 of Bulletproof
Derek chuckled at the remark and gave Travis a small punch in the arm.
As soon as they entered the diner, Derek’s eyes fell on the display case full of cakes and pies.He rubbed his hands together. “Come to daddy!” He hadn’t noticed the amount of people in the diner until he heard the gasps and excited murmur of voices. It seemed that most of the people from the music venue had migrated to the diner, and a large group swarmed him. They even recognized Travis. And Derek realized that, for the first time in a long time, he had no bodyguard as a buffer. The stenchof alcohol and sweat filled his nostrils as more people closed in on him and Travis. Hands were in his hair and on his shoulders. People were talking to him and Travis at every angle, speaking over one another in chaotic circles, and a wave of panic rose from Derek’s belly. “Fuck. This is bad. I shouldn’t have ditched the bodyguard.”
“I’ll guard your body.” Travis stepped in frontof Derek and spread his arms to create a barrier. “Step back. Give Mr. MacAlister some room. Rock star coming through. Let him by. Give the man some room.”
People actually listened and opened a path so they could pass.
“You’re so funny, Travis!” a girl said, with a squeal of laughter.
Travis smiled at her. “Thank you, darlin’. But please, give the man somespace.” He kept his arms out in front of Derek, making sure no one got too close, and led them to a booth in the back corner of the diner.
A waitress broke through the crowd. “Please, everyone, give the men some privacy! I’m so sorry,” she said to Derek and Travis. “What would you like? The cook will make anything you want.”
Derek’s stomach rumbled. “I’ll have a cheeseburger.A chocolate shake. Onion rings. Chicken fingers. And cheesecake.”
Travis stared off to the side as he thought about his order. “I want meatloaf. With gravy. And mashed potatoes. And creamed corn. And a Root Beer.”
Derek laughed at the normalcy of it. “What kind of meal is that?”
“It’s a home-cooked meal. My favorite meal. I had it . . . never mind.”
The waitress left with the promise of returning with their food in a few minutes. As soon as she left, the fans swarmed the table again, all speaking quickly and loudly, asking for autographs and photos.
Travis took control. “Come on, guys. I’ll make you a deal. Let us eat, and afterward, Derek will sign anything you want. Me too.”
The people all cheered with excitementand retreated to their booths, although their eyes remained riveted on Derek and Travis.
A half dozen waiters arrived toting plates of food. One set a host of beverages on the table – soda, water, and two chocolate shakes, even though Travis never ordered one.
While the rest of the staff loaded the table with their order, Derek took a long sip of his chocolate shake.“This is fucking delicious. Why do I drink liquor when a chocolate shake tastes this fucking good?”
“Because alcohol gets you wasted.” Travis pulled his shake toward him. He closed his eyes as he sucked on the straw. “Holy shit, this is incredible. And look at this table full of food.”
Derek rubbed the palms of his hands together, ready to dig into his burger. “My stomachis about to sing.” The burger was juicy and dripping with cheese and grilled onions. As he reveled in the flavor, he watched Travis devour his meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Travis made yummy noises as he savored the food. He slid a chunk of meatloaf in the gravy, pushing it around the plate with his fork.
The arousing mix of moans and grunts made Derek stop eating hisburger. “What’s with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes? It’s not exactly the typical after-midnight snack.”
Travis abruptly stopped chewing, paused, and then swallowed. He placed the fork on the napkin and stared into his plate, a deep crease appearing between his eyes.
“Hey. I’m sorry. Don’t stop eating. You were enjoying it so much.”
Travis nodded and forceda smile. “It’s OK. It’s just . . . it reminds me of someone.”
A past love, Derek guessed. Someone who broke Travis’ heart, who made killer meatloaf.
“It was a woman.” Travis skewered a piece of the meatloaf and looked at it for a moment, then ate it. He chewed slowly, without the gusto with which he previously devoured his plate. “I lived with her for three years. She’sthe only one who really cared about me. Her and her husband.”
“She was married?” Derek asked, confused.
“Yeah. It was a foster home. I got sent there when I was 13. It was the only place I was happy.” Travis took another few bites of food, with a little more enthusiasm. “We had meatloaf every Friday night. Every time I eat it, I remember what it was like to have a family.They were the nicest fucking people I ever met.”
Derek waited for Travis to go on, afraid to pry but eager to hear more about a happy memory – the first one Travis was about to share. “What happened?” he asked, after a significant pause. “Why didn’t you stay with them?”
The melancholy and longing that washed over Travis gutted Derek, making his chest tighten and regretasking the question.
“One night, Jack, the husband, was killed in a car accident. Emily went to pieces. She had financial problems and then depression. She couldn’t handle a teenager and I couldn’t handle seeing her crying all day and night. You can guess what happened.”
