Just Friends, Right?

The Holidays.

Jada~

"God, it's cold. How the hell did you live here?" Cody asks me as we finally got the keys to our rental car in Milwaukee.

"It's not like I had a choice and this isn't even that bad."

I unlock the car so we can put our bags in the back. He puts both of our bags in the back before holding out his hand for the keys. I look at him and laugh, "You are not driving on the roads."

"I'm a good driver."

"In snow and ice?

"I don't have the experience."

"And I do. I will drive."

He sighs before getting into the passenger side. I let the car warm up as I try to get the hot air to start blowing through the vents. I look over at Cody as he blows warm air into his hands. And I'm the dramatic one.

"You're being dramatic."

"It is freezing out."

"It is 30°."

"And that's below freezing."

I turn his seat heater on, "Why couldn't your dad pick us up?"

"Because we're not staying there. We can leave whenever we want tomorrow night."

"Why aren't we staying there?"

"Because my bed is only a full-sized mattress at the house and we already pull the covers off of each other on a queen-sized mattress."

He laughs, "Okay, that makes sense."

"We're staying downtown. It's a 20-minute drive to his house."

"We're not staying at the haunted one right?"

I laugh, "You're so dramatic tonight."

"It's creepy."

I've never had a bad experience there. "No. We're at The Westin."

"Where's that?"

"Cody, I love you but you ask so many questions when I'm trying to get out of the airport parking lot and it's stressing me out."

"Sorry."

I find the exit of the parking structure and get on the interstate. "It's like two minutes from the Pfister. Closer to the water," I tell him as I finally feel comfortable talking about something now that I know we can peacefully and safely head to the hotel.

I merge onto I-43 as we get closer to downtown before getting off at the last exit before the interchange that leads to the end of the freeway. The roads aren't too bad. But I would still rather drive than have him drive.

I've made this exact drive a few times too many than I would like to admit and that he would like to hear about. I pull into the parking garage and find a spot close to the door.

I shut the car off and we both get out. I grab my purse from my backpack as he gets our suitcases out. "I totally could've driven us."

"When you have multiple years of experience driving in snow and black ice. Let me know. Then I might let you drive in the winter while we're here."

"Might?"

"Yes."

"You are impossible some days."

"And you love me for it."

He sighs, trying to hide his smile, "Yeah, I do."

He shuts the liftgate as I put my backpack on. We walk through the doors leading into the heated lobby.