Chapter Eight.

Jason walked straight to the counter to order without glancing our way and I let out a breathe of relief, only to see he didn't catch my attention only.

Kate and Ivory were looking at him and exchanging whispers and giggles, their food and our conversation forgotten. Oh please.

After ordering his takeout, he turned to leave and he was nearly out when Zoe called out.

"Hey handsome", he turned around obviously either used to the nickname or the voice. Of course they knew each other, exactly how small is this town again?

He finally saw us and while I prayed he would suddenly have something to do and not come, he started heading towards us, smiling.

"Zee", he smiled at her. He even has a nickname for her. Gag. Barf. "Charlotte", he directed towards Kate.

"Asshole", I looked towards Kate and surprisingly saw her smiling like this was normal. "My name is Kate. K. A. T. E. You know, the name that everyone calls me"

He ruffled her blond hair teasingly, "Charlotte? Same thing." She swatted his hand.

"Hey Jason, meet our new friend, Ivy." Ivy? Whoa there, Kate moved quite fast.

"And Ivy, Jason", Jason raised a brow, smirking slightly, "Nice meeting you, Ivy", extending a hand almost politely.

I slapped his hand away, "Cut the crap, Jason" and he bursted into laughter and the girls looked surprised.

"Guys, this is my new neighbour, Ivory and Ivory.....".

"Her?" Zoe's voice chimed in glaring daggers at me. What exactly is your problem, chica? I promptly ignored her and stood up since I was done with my food.

Even Jason looked a tad annoyed, "and Ivory, this is my best friend's girlfriend, Kate and her best friend, Zoe", he finished.

Picking up my shopping bags. I turned "Oh, I should be going, thanks Kate and thanks Zoe." She raised a brow. "For the jacket, I will have it laundered and returned by tomorrow."

"Let's exchange numbers then, you know for taking you around town, sometime and maybe texting." Kate said.

"Oh, and I would need yours too, Zoe, to return the jacket too and bye, nice meeting you guys." I gave her my phone and she keyed in her number.

"Bye Zoe, catcha Charlotte, greet my man, Dylan." I turned, surprised he was still here.

"I will tell him you are still annoying as ever, little Jazzy, and bye Ivy."

He ruffled her hair, "ain't nothing little about me, Charlotte", she swatted his hand. I was surprised seeing this side of him, I mean for all his macho self.

"Bye, handsome", Zoe, unsurprisingly ignored me.

I made to go to the entrance of the cafe, and Jason stopped me, collecting my bags and holding them together with his.

"Thank you?", "Your welcome?" He replied sarcastically and opened the door of the cafe, letting me go first. His mama raised him right.

Outside, I had expected him to give me my bags and continue to wherever he appeared from, but he took them to his car, a nice black Range Rover, that looked almost out of place surrounded by less expensive rides.

Of course, he would have a muscle car, he opened his trunk and put the bags in, then went to the passenger's side of the car, opened the door and looked at me curiously.

Oh, he expected me to go in his car.

I opened my mouth to talk, but he beat me to it, "am headed home too, or you rather trek home carrying your groceries by yourself, your choice really."

I didn't need to be told twice.

After fastening my seatbelt, I turned to him, "thank you, really." Then, "so you are such a gentleman", more of a statement than a question.

He looked aggravated, "I was being nice, don't get used to it."

After a few terse seconds, he started driving "so how do you know Kate and Zoe?" I asked, trying to release the tension. He released a breath, relaxing making me realize that he was holding the steering a little tighter than normal.

"Charlotte was...."

"Charlotte?" He shrugged. "She looks more like a Charlotte than a Kate." I chuckled a little, surprising agreeing with him. "Yes she does."

"We went to the same high school, Dylan is my best friend and has been Charlotte's boyfriend since then, highschool sweethearts really. Zoe has always been in our circle too, due to her being Charlotte's best friend."

"Have you guys ever dated?" I asked, admiring how he was handling the steering. For me, there has always been something sexy about the way a guy handles his car.

He looked at me, a smirk slowly forming on his handsome face. "You mean Zoe? Are you jealous."

I scoffed "As if? Just curious. Its kind of bound to happen sometimes."

"Well, we did not date, we fooled around one time. Nothing serious but we didn't date."

"Wow, has she always been stuck up? I mean, or is it just me?"

"Zoe doesn't really react well to new people, she's a nice girl although a tad spoilt, seeing as she is the only child of the third richest man in town." He genuinely believed that, so I was a bit willing to give her the benefit of doubt.

"Oh, of course she's rich people. Rich people are just so......"

"Charlotte's dad is the second richest." That shut me up fast. "So what were you saying again, Sweetie?"

Embarrassed, I looked down. He sighed, "am sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you but I just wanted you to stop stereotyping people. Its not really nice." He said bluntly with a little edge to his voice and I wished to magically disappear.

After about a minute of awkward silence, he spoke up "we are here." I looked up and thankfully we were home.

Not wasting time, I opened the door and stepped out mumbling "thank you so much for uhm the ride." I said awkwardly, before making my escape.

He called after me but I ignored him, swiftly going up to my front door, opening it and banging it shut after me, only to realize a tad minute later. "Oh man, my groceries."

How much is the flight to Articatina again?