the drive to the country club

It was a beautiful day. Clear sky, just a few wispy clouds overhead. The drive from the hotel to brunch took them through remote farmlands with long stretches of straight (and mostly empty) two-lane roads. They had the top to the convertible down, of course, and as they drove, the wind whipped through their hair.

For nearly ten minutes, they didn't speak. Abbie glanced at the dashboard GPS system and saw that they still had about another twenty minutes to go. She glanced over at Jake. He looked straight ahead, his left arm resting on the side of the car, his right casually steering. Better boyfriend material than anyone I've dated, thought Abbie. Why don't I want that again?

"You doing okay?" Jake turned and broke the silence.

Abbie nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." She breathed deeply, absorbing the warm air of the remote wherever-they-were farmland. "Such a gorgeous morning."

"Yup," agreed Jake. "I guess Staci picked all the venues for the weekend. Someone in her family owns a bunch of land out here."

"Like these farms?"

Jake shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe."

"How well do you know Staci?"

"Not well," said Jake. "We've met at family reunions a few times. Connected on social media. I think she invited like a hundred relatives."

"I've only ever been to two weddings before. A friend from high school who I think is already divorced, and then another one when I was a kid. I've got nothing to compare this to."

Jake smiled. "I've been to a bunch, I think. Though none were all that memorable. This is probably the biggest one I've been to."

The car fell silent again. They both admired the nature around them. Abbie was at more liberty to look around, since she wasn't driving. She leaned her set back a bit, allowing the midday sun overhead to cascade down onto her face. She took off her sunglasses.

Jake was less at ease with the silence, and his urge to continue talking got the better of him. "Quite a weekend so far, huh?"

Abbie chuckled. "I'll say."

"I have to be honest, Abbie -- we've done some stuff that ... that I don't think I've -- no, that I know I've never done before."

"Mmm." Abbie offered the barest minimum of a response.

Jake laughed. "Does that mean that you have done these things before?"

Abbie gently turned her head toward him. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe some."

Jake felt a tingle in his crotch as she spoke. That she had 'maybe' done some of these things was a bit of a turn-on. "Really? Like what?"

"I don't know," she said again. "Does it matter?"

Jake thought about this. "No, I don't think it does. I was just curious."

After a pause, Abbie responded. "I've been thinking about this. Obviously I have a whole life I lived before we started ... whatever this is. And same for you. We could decide to keep the past in the past, or, you know, not."

"Yeah."

"But either way, I think we have to be clear and honest."

"Absolutely."

Silence.

"That we're not talking about it kinda says something," Jake offered.

Abbie smiled. "You think? Tell you what. Ask me anything. I'll be an open book for you."