Someone's bound to get burned

‘’Listen guys, if there is no way I’m getting home right now, can I at least know where we are heading? You know, just so I can text someone if you end up behind creepy-we-enjoy-kidnapping-adventures people?’’ asked Chloe, making a painful face as she investigated her bloody right knee.

-You have no idea who we are? Asked Patrick, turning on her seat to face her, surprised.
Chloé looked up, puzzled, as Patrick fell back on his seat. ‘’And there go you douchy feelings, Kaner’’ said Jonathan, laughing at his friend disappointed friend’s face.
-No but seriously, who are you, guys? Undercover Brad Pitt!? Asked Chloé, now looking at them, curious.
-We play hockey, said Jonathan calmly.
-What.
-For the Chicago’s team, continued Patrick, duly. ‘’The Blackh...’’
-The Blackhawks. I know. Shit. I’m so stupid. Shit shit shit shit, was muttering Chloé.
-See, she looks confused, you’re sure there is no chance of concussion, whispered Patrick to his buddy.
-You know the Blackhawks? Asked Jonathan, lookin briefly at her in the rear-view mirror as Patrick turning toward her.
-Of course I know the team. You even were on my Fantasy Hockey Team last year, said Chloé, looking at Patrick, flushing.
-Oh, I am on MANY women fantasy teams, bow chika wow wow, responded Patrick.
-I see your self-confidence was quickly fully restored, mocked Jonathan, a half-smile on his face.
-Don’t party yet, following this morning events, I am trading you ASAP, snapped back Chloe, under the heart-felt laughers of Jonathan.

***

Jonathan glanced at the girl sitting in the back seat of her car. She wasn’t the typical running girl he used to see around town, dressed in over priced lululemon from head to toe; she was wearing loose neon blue T-shirt and a plain pair of black tight shorts. He noticed her curly hair as she tousled them before getting them tucked in a low bun. She looked okay, okay like any ordinary girl you could encounter on the street of Chicago. The poor girl was drenched in sweat (and now blood) and looked embarrassed in the back seat, trying to touch the less inches of back seat leather as possible. When their eyes met in the mirror, he quickly looked away. She had killer eyes, though, he tough. A color between green and blue, vivid against the flushed skin of her cheeks and her fair skin.

‘’Are you okay, back there?’’ Asked Jonathan.
-Yeah. Just a bit thirsty. I dropped and forgot my water bottle back there, answered Chloé, feeling her dry lips with the back of her hands.
-How long had you been running before we picked you up? Wondered Patrick.
-Picked me up? That is not how I’d tell this story, said Chloé sarcastically. ‘’Almost 20 kilometers’’
-Wow. TWEN-TY kilo-ME-TERS. Wow, said Patrick.
-You so have no idea how far it is, said Jonathan.
-No idea. Who is using that anyway, come on, kilometers!
-What about, almost all the world, except the United States? Responded Chloé.
-It is almost 13 miles, said Jonathan to Patrick, smiling.
-WOOO-AHHH. Pull over there, Jonny, in front of this market. I’ll get the girl some water. Or Gaterode? What do you prefer?
-Anything is fine, you don’t need to...
-It is my treat. I need to be back in your good grace if I don’t want to get traded from your Fantasy Team, said Patrick, winked at her.
-Well... I usually have chocolate milk to recover... you know... there is a lot of proteins... said Chloé.
-Chocolate milk for our chocolate lover runner, coming right up! Laughed Patrick, getting out of the car.

Jonathan and Chloé were waiting in the car in an awkward silence, only disrupted by some random music that she did not know playing on the radio. With the run and the adrenalin rushed following the fall consuming energy all morning, she was now exhausted. Her elbow carefully put on the window seal of the door, her forehead in her palm; she closed her eyes, the sun warm on her skin. She was about to doze off when a voice quickly brought her back to reality.

‘’So, you know hockey and kilometers. Are you Canadian?’’

-Yes, good guess, answered Chloé, rubbing her eyes. Moved her from Montréal a few weeks ago.
-Yeah, I recognized the Québec accent. What brought you here?
-I got a great job offer and couldn’t refuse. I was ready for a change and Chicago looked like a great city. Still working on blending on my accent though, said Chloé, smiling.
-Don’t, the exotic factor might work for you. What do you for for a living?
-I worked in a research lab. Research coordinator actually.
-Impressive. Sounds nice.
-I bet you are intimidated, added Chloé jokingly. Curing cancer during the week, getting my knee destroyed on the weekends. Living the thug life!
- You also almost succeeded intimidating Kaner. It is something. Never do forget that.
-He’s probably more used to women throwing themselves at him than throwing women to the ground.

Patrick was finally coming back to the car, running. Opening the back door, he handed a paper bag to Chloé, all smiles. ‘’There you go!’’

Chloé looked inside the bag for a few second before looking back to Patrick. ‘’You’ve got to be kidding me.’’

-What?!
-TWO LITERS of chocolate milk!? Cried Chloé, taking the big bottle out of the bag under the despair look of Patrick and Jonathan laughs. What about buying me a cow, while we’re there? Relax dude, I am NOT GOING TO SUE YOU!

Notes