It had been a few hours since they passed Syracuse when Lance decided it was time for lunch. More specifically a stop so he could walk around to get the feeling back in his rear end. He took the next exit and turned left, following the road until he saw a sign for the city of Batavia, about halfway between Rochester and Buffalo.
It was your average Middle American town. The type where children could roam the neighborhood and their parents didn�t have to worry about their safety. Front doors were left open without fear of burglars, and the neighbors were friendly to one another, as well as strangers.
Tiny shops adorned the main street, shoppers coming and going. The sidewalks were lined with old-fashioned lampposts and what looked like cherry trees. Cars aligned the street while their inhabitants chose to walk freely, conversing with neighbors and strangers alike. It was the type of town where nothing and everything happened.
It reminded Lance of Clinton, and suddenly made him feel homesick.
He pulled into the diner at the end of the street and struggled to park with the U-Haul tow. He put the car in park and looked over at Marie, who was curled up in the passenger seat, fast asleep. She had confessed earlier to not sleeping well that night and Lance had insisted she take a nap.
He sat there, looking at her for a moment, before gently shaking her. She mumbled and shifted. Lance smiled, recalling the night they met, and leaned over.
�Is the cheese in the pool?� he whispered.
�No,� she sighed.
He bit his lip to stifle his upcoming giggles. �Where is it?�
�S�secret,� she mumbled, rubbing absently at her nose.
Lance let out a soft chuckle. �C�mon, Marie, you can tell me. Where�s the cheese.�
�Up your ass,� she replied.
Lance jerked back, hitting his head against the ceiling, and Marie�s eyes opened, her mouth spreading in a wide grin. Lance rubbed the top of his head, mouthing �ow�, and looked at the ceiling as if it had come out of nowhere.
He looked over at Marie and mock glared. �That�s not funny.�
�Oh yes it is,� replied Marie between giggles.
Lance pouted and sniffled. �I�m so glad my pain is so humorous to you.�
�Give it up, hon, you�re acting sucks,� replied Marie, smirking. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. �Where are we?�
�Batavia. It�s around one and I�m hungry so I figured we�d stop.� The added, �Plus my tushie hurts so I have to get out and walk around for a bit.�
�Want me to rub it better?� offered Marie, waggling her eyebrows.
Lance winked. �Maybe later.�
~*~
Lance, despite Marie�s teasing, had worn a baseball cap in disguise. When they walked into the diner, some people turned and looked, not because of who Lance was but because they were newcomers to the town. A waitress quickly ushered them into a booth and they looked over the menu before ordering.
When two plates of steaming, hot food were placed in front of them, Marie looked up and asked, �So what�s it like?�
�What�s what like?� asked Lance, before taking a bite out of his hamburger.
�California. LA. Y�know, Hollywood.�
�Oh, um, I dunno how to describe it,� he answered. He picked up a french fry and chewed it thoughtfully. �It�s very glitzy. Parties everywhere. Famous people.�
Marie eyebrows rose. �Is that it?�
�Pretty much,� he mumbled around a mouthful.
Marie grabbed a fry off of her plate and held it up in the air. �So, Mr. Superstar, all there is to Hollywood is parties and celebrities.�
�Pretty much,� he repeated. Then added, �Don�t call me that.�
�What about the local parks or libraries?� she asked. �Stores?�
�There�s Rodeo Drive,� he answered simply.
�Rodeo Drive is for the snooty ass people that have nothing better to do than spend ten thousand dollars on a shirt that they�ll only wear once,� she replied heatedly. She stuck the fry into her mouth and chewed, trying to mollify her anger.
Lance stared at her blankly, not sure of what to say. That�s what LA was to him. A place to have fun. Hang out. Drink. Go to parties. He hadn�t done much else out there besides that. He took a drink and another bite, waiting for her to continue.
�So you mean to tell me,� she said, �that the only thing you do out there is party?� Lance nodded and she made an incredulous face. �You�ve never been to any of the parks or libraries or any of the daytime places? Just the clubs and that�s it.�
�I can�t really go anywhere other than the clubs,� he answered. �I can�t go to the mall because it�s too crowded, same for the parks. And I haven�t been to a public library in years.�
Marie blinked, aghast. �When was the last time you read a book?�
�Russia,� he answered simply.
�Wow,� she murmured. She paused for a second before continuing, �You should get out more. Methinks Mr. Superstar needs to go to some normal places.�
�I�m not normal,� replied Lance, as if on autopilot.
�Yes, you are,� argued Marie.
�No,� he said firmly, �I�m not.�
Because you don�t think you are, she thought, but let the subject drop. When they were finished they argued over which of them was to pay before Lance put his foot down and Marie relented. When they got to the car, they argued over who was going to drive and Marie relented yet again, mumbling to herself that Lance was a �stubborn jackass.� Lance just stuck his tongue out playfully and started the car up, and they were soon on their way.