The Road Trip

J who is still looking outside said, "Just take me home." J said.

"Give me the address then I'll take you home." Great! If he would be able to know where she grew up, he will have the chance to know her better.

But into his disappointment J said, "I thought you already knew my apartment's address?"

"No, I mean your address here. Isn't it the reason that's why you come all the way here? To spend your day off in your home here away from the capital?"

"I don't have a home here anymore. I just came here for a road trip. But now that I don't have a car, thanks to you, there's no point in continuing my road trip. Just take me back to my apartment." J said without looking at him.

"Hmm...how about we take a road trip together?" Jacob suggested.

"Definitely not," J said.

"Definitely yes. I'm the one behind the wheel so I make the decision."

J shot him a sharp look like a knife. Jacob thought if looks could kill he would be dead by now. But Jacob also finds that look cute. So, he can't help but smile, which makes J more irritated. She rolled her eyes then turned back her attention outside the window.

She seemed to remember something then get her phone and send a message to Lance. "My car and license are in the police station. Get it for me as soon as possible. Make sure to erase any trace. And keep your identity unknown."

Jacob saw in the corner of his eyes that J is texting someone. Hmm... who could that be?

"Copy that. What happened?" Lance replied.

"I crashed into another car. The police took my car and license." J replied afterward.

Lance didn't reply, instead, he called J. She glanced at Jacob first, when she saw that Jacob was focused on the road, she answered the call. She didn't know that Jacob saw who was calling. He is trying his best not to crash the car. Who the hell is Lance? Why does he keep on calling her?

He calmed down and listened to their conversation.

"Where are you? Are you ok? I'll pick you up." J heard Lance say worriedly on the other line.

"I'm fine. No need to pick me up. I'll be going back to my apartment. Just do what I told you to do." Jacob heard J say on the phone.

'Yeah right! You don't have to pick her up because she's with her husband.' Jacob thought to himself with an air of arrogance.

Their conversation ended when J finally convinced Lance that she is okay and will call him back later. She then again sends a message to someone. "I have to go back to the city. I can't make it home today." After she received a reply from Mrs. Potter, she then closed her eyes and rested her head on the headrest.

A couple of songs played on her earphones, she heard Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Brett Young, Danielle Bradberry, Luke Graham, Florida Georgia Line but she never falls asleep. She just kept her eyes closed hoping to feel the wind outside the car.

Jacob glanced at the woman beside him. She seemed to be content with a simple thing. She looks relaxed. He can't help but be amazed by this girl. He continued driving then they arrived on a highway along the shore. His instinct told him that she might like it if he opened the window and let her feel the air outside. So, he opened the window and rested his elbows on it.

J suddenly felt the window of the car open. She opened her eyes and looked at Jacob. He was focused on the road while his arms rested on the open window.

Did he read what was in her mind?

She looked back outside the window. She laid her arms and elbow on the open window and rested her chin on her arm. She continued listening to the music, closed her eyes, and let the air from the outside blow her hair.

Jacob passed by a restaurant along the highway when he remembers that they haven't eaten yet. At the thought of that, he felt his stomach grumbling. Without a second thought, he turned the car around.

J suddenly felt the car make a U-turn so she opened her eyes and looked at Jacob questioningly. She didn't have to ask because Jacob started talking "I don't know about you but my stomach is growling. I haven't eaten breakfast yet and now it's already past lunchtime."

Not long after they parked outside a seafood restaurant.

Damn this man! He found J's favorite restaurant. It's an open restaurant along the highway with a 180-degree of the ocean. They mainly serve fresh plates of seafood. She only had coffee in the morning so she felt hungry as well.

They found a corner table with a great view of the ocean.

A middle-aged woman approached them with the menu in his hands. But she didn't give it to them yet, instead, she looked at J, smiled at her, and said, "It's been a while, Miss J. Shall we serve you the usual or do you want to see the menu since you have a company?"

Jacob scanned the woman. She is wearing dress pants and a grey blouse with a nameplate pinned on it. It seems like she is the manager of the restaurant. He wondered if it is customary for the manager of this restaurant to get the order and serve their customers? And it looks like she knew J very well. She even talked to J with high reverence like she is royalty or something. Or is it just their protocol.

Jacob looked at J but he found her looking at him then said. "Let him take the order." Jacob was startled for a while and realized that the manager is asking for his order. He takes a look at the menu and forgets whatever it is that he is thinking. God this place is heaven! The menu is mouthwatering like he wanted to order everything that's in it. He ordered shrimp, lobsters, and salmon.

After taking Jacob's order, the manager looked at J and asked "How about you Miss?" J looked at the manager and said "The usual. Thank you."

The manager takes a step back then bows her head before leaving them. Jacob saw that gesture and felt goosebumps.

He looked at J with a raised eyebrow like he was a police officer inside the interrogation room waiting for the criminal to tell him the truth.

J felt uncomfortable at Jacob's gaze. She furrowed her brows and said "What?" To her surprise, Jacob suddenly leans closer to her and asks "Are you a princess from a faraway island pretending to be a commoner at Lotus City? I saw how the manager looks, speaks and treats you. It was like she was facing a VIP. No, a royalty, or something like that!"

The truth is, the manager has known J since she was a child. Elder Do is quite known in Lantana Province as a nobleman who helped less fortunate people in the province and J being raised by Elder Do receive the same reverence as her grandfather.

J held her back a little and then said "Stop talking nonsense." with an irritated look.

"No seriously. Who are you?" Jacob was about to say something when his phone rang. Damn, who could it be? Jacob answered the phone without looking at it. "You better have a better reason for interrupting me!"

"You punk! What am I interrupting?" J heard the loud voice of a woman from the other line. Jacob was startled, he looked at the caller ID and realized that it was his mom.

"Hey, mom! I thought you were James." Jacob laughed while scratching the back of his neck.

"Where are you?" The woman's voice seemed to be angry. "Mom I'm in the countryside. What's wrong?" Jacob said.

"You rascal! What are you doing in the countryside! Are you with a woman that's why you don't want to be interrupted? I told you to search for your wife, instead, you are somewhere playing with some random woman! When are you going to act like a grown-up man?" The woman on the other line almost shouted at him in anger.

Her voice was loud like it was on a speaker so J was able to unintentionally hear it.

This guy... is she really married to this guy? What kind of person is he? What kind of family does he have? Why did his grandfather marry her off to this man? She was in deep thought when their food arrived. Jacob was done talking to his mother as well.

Jacob looked at the delectable dishes in front of him and started to devour them. J's order was corn and crab chowder and seafood pasta. That's what she usually orders in this restaurant. Almost all the employees of the restaurant memorized it already. Yes, she is a regular customer of that restaurant. Whenever she goes to the Lodgepole Estate she would always drop by to eat. She loves seafood and pasta, those were her favorite.

Jacob looked at J's plate. So that's the "usual" that she ordered. She must've loved seafood and pasta.

"Why didn't you tell her about me?" J interrupted him. She is talking about Jacob not telling her mom that he already found the wife that they are looking for.

"Urgh...not yet. If I told her as soon as I found out, we're probably living in the mansion right now. And she will be doing anything and whatever it takes for you to be fit to bear a grandchild for them. I knew you wouldn't like that. Right? So, it is better not to tell them yet. Besides, I have no plan of staying in the mansion. As I've said, it's either my villa or your apartment."

When J and Jacob finished their lunch, they continued their road trip around Lantana Province. This is Jacob's first time at Lantana Province and so far, he is enjoying it because of its view and the person beside him. Although most of the time the girl is sleeping or so he thought and facing the window with the earphones on her ears.