Ryan dragged himself out of bed, although he preferred to stay under the sheets with Felix, but she wasn't even supposed to be there. The conversation with Harris had killed his hard-on anyway. The cops found evidence in the charred remains of the arson site that suggested the home belonged to Felix and her criminal ex-boyfriend. Ryan chose not to say anything as they left the motel. If the cops were wrong, it would only cause Felix unnecessary stress.

Half an hour later, he and Felix were walking to the entrance of the forty-second annual watermelon festival. The first booth she made for boasted the best watermelon brownies in the county.

"Who doesn't like brownies?" she said as she shoved a sample into Ryan's mouth. It wasn't half bad, but that could have been the chipotle seasoning the vendor added to it.

They ended up eating brownies and vanilla ice cream for breakfast, and chasing it with kiwi watermelon soda sold by a woman who claimed watermelon enhanced the libido. Ryan didn't think either of their libidos needed enhancing, but he bought two bottles for the road.

Ryan insisted Felix take a nap to make up for her lack of sleep, and she managed to pass out for the first three hours of freeway time. When she woke up, she decided they needed to play Name that Tune.

"Okay, Ryan. Guess the artist of this song," she said as she turned the volume up on the radio.

He recognized the song, and he knew the band had been popular in the nineties. Unfortunately, he was busy being an idiot kid during that time. "What do I win if I guess correctly?"

She let her eyes scan his body, stopping at his crotch. "How about a blow job you'll always remember?"

Her lewd comment had his dick standing at attention, and he adjusted his hands on the steering wheel, redirecting his focus. "So, this contest would fall under the terms of delayed gratification?"

"It doesn't have to...if you think you can handle it."

The song played away in the background, but Ryan wasn't listening. He was imagining Felix going down on him while they cruised the freeway at seventy miles an hour. "Um, do I get a hint?"

Felix grinned, which managed to get him harder. She seemed eager to reward him for a correct answer. "The band was big during the grunge music scene."

Ryan knew the song was coming to an end, and he was no closer to guessing the band. He figured he didn't have to win a trivia contest to feel Felix's lips around his dick. He also knew it was dangerous to get his rocks off behind the wheel of a high-powered vehicle. With a resigned shrug, he surrendered as the song ended.

"That was Soundgarden, which I admit was a little obscure, but I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself. If you recognize a song and I can't guess it, you win. Same reward."

Ryan fumbled with the radio dial, trying to locate a song he knew. If only he could find a station playing AC/DC or Van Halen, he'd be golden, but given Felix's knowledge of music, she'd know every song from their discology. Finally, he found a song he remembered from his football playing days. One of his buddies had been into Depeche Mode. All he could do was hope Felix's musical tastes didn't go back that far.

"Okay, big shot. Who is this?"

Her response was immediate. "Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"My college roommate was a huge fan of new wave music."

"Fine. New rules," he said. "How much do you know about football?"

"I grew up with a hardcore Chicago Bears fan. What's your challenge?"

"Current football quarterbacks."

"Challenge accepted."

"Denver Broncos."

"Peyton Manning."

"New England Patriots."

Felix laughed. "Tom Brady. C'mon, Ryan. Give me a challenge."

"Okay. This guy is retired, but I'm throwing him out there anyway. Who is recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks in football history who never won a super bowl but led his team, the Miami Dolphins, to the playoffs ten times in his seventeen year career?"

Felix stared out the window, squinting her eyes like she was trying to burn a hold through the glass. She reached for the radio dial and turned off the music, sticking her bottom lip out as she concentrated. It wasn't such an outlandish question. In fact, it surprised Ryan she was having a hard time with it. Even young football enthusiasts were familiar with the legacy of Dan Marino, particularly fans of Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

"The clock is ticking," he said.

"Shut up. I know this."

"Do you?"

"Fuck you."

"Isn't that what we're playing for?"

Felix flexed her jaw as she pointed at a blue rest stop sign flying past the window. "Pull over and you'll get what's coming to you."

As Ryan rolled to the curb in front of the rest stop bathrooms, the gears in Felix's head still appeared to be turning. They had been on the road for close to four hours, so he was ready for a bathroom break.

"It's okay, Felix. I don't need to collect until we get to Chicago. Are you okay to drive for a bit?"

She looked at him, her face pinched like she had swallowed a fart. "I hate it when I can't come up with the answer to something I should know."

"Do you want me to tell you who it is?

"No, but I still owe you, even if I think of the answer later."

On their way back from the bathrooms, Felix stopped to talk to a couple walking their dachshunds. She knelt to pet the dogs as she told them about her dachshunds, the ones who lived with her parents. When they got on the road again, Felix had fallen silent as she throttled the wheel of his Impala.

"You're thinking about your dogs, aren't you?" he said.

His question apparently caused her to take stock of her stress level and her grip relaxed. "Yes. Gracie and Grover. They were brother and sister. Grover died about a year ago, but Gracie is still hanging on."

"I'm going to make sure you see your family again. I can't imagine what it's like for you, not being able to see them anytime you want to."

Felix smiled. "Thanks, Ryan. I would like that a lot."

The miles flew by, and before he realized how much time had passed, the sun had set and they were nearing the Illinois border. "Why don't you pull over, Felix. I'll take it from here."

Felix nodded her agreement and pulled into the next rest stop. They visited the bathrooms, stretched a bit, and got back on the road for the last haul. As Ryan got the Impala up to speed, Felix's phone rang. She glanced at the screen then looked at him, an expression of worry on her face.

"It's Andy."

"Maybe you should answer it," he said, although he wished Andy would disappear off the face of the earth. "Go ahead, Felix. I'm right here."

Felix inhaled as she swiped the screen on her phone and pressed the speakerphone icon. "Hello?"

"Felix? Oh, God, I'm so glad you answered. I haven't had a second of privacy, and I've been so worried about you."

"Why? I told you I can handle myself."

"I just thought... I thought Jordy had found you. He kind of fell off the radar. Shane and I have been wondering what the hell is up. Where are you?"

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Felix's face contorted like she was in pain. Was she really worried about the dickhead?

"I'm okay. It's been fucking crazy here. Donovan is breathing down our necks. He's majorly pissed. Did you hear about the house?"

"No. Whose house? What happened?"

"Awe, shit. I was hoping you'd heard so I wouldn't have to tell you."

Ryan's gut seized up when he realized what Andy was talking about, and he snuck a glance at Felix as she held the phone in front of her face to yell at it.

"Tell me what happened, Andy!"

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Our house got torched. Burnt to the ground. We think Carlos and one of Donovan's personal assistants did it."

Felix let the phone drop into her lap, and she stared straight ahead.

"Baby? Are you still there? Felix?"

When Felix didn't respond, Ryan grabbed the phone and hung up, setting it on the console between them. Felix didn't speak, and Ryan didn't make her. He just drove, even when Andy called back and Felix ignored it, even when the tears started streaming down her cheeks and she dropped her face into her hands to sob. The rest of the drive was filled with painful silence, the kind of silence that happens when you're sitting outside the principal's office after giving a guy a bloody nose even though he deserved it. You know what's coming and there's nothing you can do but accept the punishment. It didn't take long for Felix to drift off to sleep, and she only lifted her head when the lights of Chicago crested on the horizon.

"We're almost home," Ryan said. "Are you good with Italian leftovers or do you want me to stop for food?"

"Leftovers are fine. I love me some Italian sausage."