Miss Pen

Chapter Twelve

Part One

It was Saturday, and from what I could tell based on the sun rising that morning, it was going to be a beautiful day.

I didn't find out how the rest of the morning turned out though. Rhode picked me up at the ass crack of dawn - okay, it was a little later than that - insisting that I put on the black satin blindfold that hung from his fingertips. When I asked where we were going, of course he replied with, "It's a surprise."

Well, Mr. Harper. I just so happen to hate surprises.

There wasn't even enough time for me to bathe and dress properly before Rhode came barging into my room with my mother right behind him, pretending to slap his ass while his back was turned.

Of course it was her who let him into the house to harass me. The guy could've been a murderer, but she could never turn down a pretty face. He was insanely attractive, but the woman needed some self control. My poor father just quietly watched her interact with Rhode, a pout never leaving his face the entire time.

Because of Rhode's 'charming' abilities, he was invited to dinner later in the week. There was no use in trying to get my mother to take back her invitation, and with just one flash of his pearly smile, she was ready to jump through hoops for the man.

I desperately tried to think of excuses to tell Rhode when he said we were going for a drive. From saying I get car sick, to saying I had to go to a charity bake sale, Rhode didn't believe a word of it. Was he that heartless where he would keep me from doing something for charity, even if it was an imaginary one? Yes, yes he was.

We had been driving for a while, possibly hours, but I had no idea what time it was, or where we were going. At one point, I even fell asleep from boredom since Rhode wasn't talking. I gave up on that about a half hour into the drive, settling for just listening to the radio instead. Trying to see if I could try one last time to get something out of him, my mouth opened to speak again.

"How much longer until we get to wherever it is we're going?"

"Eager, are we?" His tone was light, amused, which led me to imagine that he had a smile on his face.

"No." My jaw clenched. "I'm tired, hungry, bored, and let's not forget sore, after being cramped in a car for what I'm guessing have been hours!"

"You guessed correctly. We also have about another hour to go."

"Well, how long have we been driving for?" It felt like the entire day was spent in the same position, and my muscles desperately needed to be stretched.

"Three." He simply replied. Where the hell is he taking me? "I'll get off the next exit and we can find somewhere to eat. Sound good?"

"Perfect."

I scowled, angry at how he hadn't thought of stopping before. The ride was even worse because every time I tried to take off the blindfold, Rhode would turn to the country music station that was programmed in his car. Knowing that I hated the genre, I'd hear a snicker every time I'd groan. There was nothing worse than listening to country music while stuck in a small space with someone who got pleasure from your pain.

Ten minutes later, the purr of the car come to a cease. My skin tingled with anticipation at the fact that I would finally be able to see some light and possibly figure out where we were headed.

"You can take the blindfold off now."

The cover was ripped from my eyes, a grin taking over half of my face. When our surroundings came into view, my mood dampened. The only thing I saw was the small Greek diner in front of us, a bank, gas station, a few family owned shops, and trees - lots of them. The road we were on didn't have any nearby signs or markings that told me where we were, or what state we were in. I had no idea if we had traveled north or south, but it was clear that we certainly weren't in Jersey anymore.