All he had to do was reach for the pictures in his pocket and I shifted excitedly, wanting to get the best look at them as quickly as possible. “Oh…” The light shined on the pictures and my eyes lit up, my smile growing. “Is that really me? I’ve never liked myself in pictures,” I laughed in surprise, reaching out to touch the second picture.

By the last one I was practically leaning against his side, still looking at the pictures. “Peter, thank you. These are gorgeous shots. Not that I think I’m gorgeous! I just-“ A blush crept up and I laughed again, embarrassed. “Nobody else could have captured the beauty like you did. I’m complimenting you, and I can’t wait to see what else is on that camera. Thank you,” I said, curling up to wrap my arms around my legs. I thought it strange he already had them printed, but didn’t ask how at the time.

I would have been happy to sit there for most of the night, but it [i]was[/i] late and we still had a drive ahead of us. “I’m exhausted,” I sighed after a bit, uncurling myself to stretch my legs. If I were by myself I probably would have slept in the car before driving home in the morning. It was the kind of area you could do that and not worry about any trouble. “We should head back.” With an exaggerated groan I slid off the hood, landing on my feet and stretching. “So…what would it take for me to convince you to drive? I don’t know if I’ll be alert enough for these roads and I hate driving in the dark with the wildlife. It’s a straight shot for almost an hour, until we get closer. Besides, I’ll be okay to help with directions right beside you.” As I should have expected, however, I had trouble staying awake during the long road back home, curled up against the window in my fatigue from walking so much that day. “I’m sorry,” I murmured tiredly with half a grin, staring over at him with half closed eyes. The seats of that old truck were perfect, soft without a space or barrier between the passenger and driver like newer vehicles do now. It was all one seat, letting me get comfortable with my arms wrapped around my stomach beneath my breasts. Conversation was the only way I was going to stay awake.

“I work all evening again tomorrow and I know this isn’t exactly a vacation so you be out during the day tomorrow, but I was serious about coming over. Maybe the day after, I only work really late that night. Have a home cooked meal, my mother will probably want those that are like family to us to come over. Not often we have a stranger around here. She might be able to point you toward some other places to visit.” It was a simple offer, and I could barely see his face in the dim glow of the headlights outside. “Say you’ll come.” The last bit was said more of a statement than a question, the hope in my voice something I hoped he couldn’t say no to.