The Masqueraded

13

Stefan got down at the petrol station, Mel tapped the upholstery of the car door impatiently with her fingers. She had no idea if this was some kind of trap they were walking into.

As long we can put an end to this.

She couldn't believe she was going for a drive with Stefan. She really disliked, if dislike was even the word for the annoyance she felt around him. For some weird reason she liked his company and trusted him as much.

Stefan opened the door, just as the driver handed out the cash to the petrol station guy. He threw in two bags to the back seat and swung himself into the seat. Mel stared at the bags.

'What's all this?' She asked, confused. Stefan smiled and opened one of the paper bags and took out a packet of chips.

'Sour cream and cheese!' He exclaimed, smiling brightly at Mel. She couldn't help laughing a little at the way he said it.

He's such a kid.

Mel leaned back in her chair with a soft smile and relaxed against the seat back. Stefan waved the packet in front of her.

'If we are going to risk it we might as well do it right', he said. Mel rolled her eyes.

'I'm just going to pretend that I'm in the car with a five year old kid', she smirked.
Stefan suddenly leaned over the bags and stared into Mel's eyes, she leaned backwards in surprise. His face inched closer.

'Hey, I'm no five year old', he said in a low, husky voice, 'want proof?'

Mel stared at him, his face was so close that she could see that his Carmel Coffee brown eyes had its darker hues in the middle reaching out into lighter hues in the corners of the iris.

Suddenly she blinked.

What the hell.

She kept a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back. She noticed that Stefan looked embarrassed now. He had done it for a joke and the joke and gotten a bit too intense. He cleared his throat softly and looked away from her.

She observed him for a few seconds as he stared out of the window before looking away with a smile. She took out a bag of nuts from the paper bag filled with snacks he'd bought from the shop and tore it open.
Stefan turned around at the sound and saw her digging into the bag. He grinned.

'Look who's helping themselves!' Mel looked up from the packet of nuts and grinned back.

'These are nice!' She waved the packet in front of him. He took it and poured some to his palm.

'You look like a chipmunk Melanie', he said. Then to her utter surprise, put his hand on the side of her head and pushed her back saying 'you sure are one of a kind!'

After a few more minutes of the sound of nuts being munched and chips breaking into pieces, Stefan put his head out of the window all of a sudden.

'We're here!'

Mel looked around, surprised. Already?
The car turned a bend and the spacious gravelly road spread out at the end into a town.

It was a small town, just like the one they live in, but even more simple. Mel took in the surroundings around her carefully as they got out of the taxi.
Stefan took out his wallet from the back pocket of jeans and took out a wad of cash and handed it over to the driver. Adjusting his blue pullover, he looked around.

'There', Mel pointed at a cozy looking, average sized diner. There was small grey sign with the words "Bella's diner". They crossed the road and walked in.
When they entered there was a friendly looking man who greeted them cheerfully. Stefan leaned into the high top table and smiled.
'Hey, can we have two milkshakes and a plate of hot onion rings or something?"