#Gas Line Installation New Orleans

[nationaleconomy999]

Are you making these water line New Orleans mistakes

Small mistakes can be break your water line New Orleans system within minutes so there are concerned about how to get best results as well as fine repairing water lines affordable price near New Orleans area. There a licensed professional never do mistakes to design or repair unwanted issues when you inspection in residential or commercial area confidently. More details visit here:-https://nationaleconomyplumber.com/

[nuadox]

Next US energy boom could be wind power in the Gulf of Mexico

- By Michael E. Webber , Hugh Daigle , University of Texas at Austin , The Conversation -

With passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains US$370 billion for climate and energy programs, policy experts are forecasting a big expansion in clean electricity generation. One source that’s poised for growth is offshore wind power.

Today the U.S. has just two operating offshore wind farms, off of Rhode Island and North Carolina, with a combined generating capacity of 42 megawatts. For comparison, the new Traverse Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma has 356 turbines and a 998-megawatt generating capacity. But many more projects are in development, mostly along the Atlantic coast.

The Biden administration has identified two zones for offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Mexico, which up until now has been firmly identified with oil and gas production. As part of his climate strategy, President Joe Biden has set a goal for the deployment of 30 gigawatts (30,000 megawatts) of offshore wind generating capacity by 2030 – enough to power 10 million homes with carbon-free electricity.

As energy researchers based in Texas, we see this as an exciting new phase in our nation’s ongoing clean power transition. In our view, offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico presents a unique opportunity for a geographic region with a strong energy workforce and infrastructure to help meet society’s need for reliable low-carbon energy.

Why go offshore?

Wind power on land has seen remarkable growth in the U.S. over the last 15 years, including in Texas, the top wind-generating state in the nation. Wind power’s comparative ease of permitting and siting, affordable installation costs, abundant resources, free fuel and low marginal operating costs have reduced electricity costs for consumers. And wind power avoids significant amounts of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and water demand for cooling – impacts associated with power plants that burn coal, oil or natural gas.

But onshore wind has downsides. Winds often are weakest in the hottest hours of summer, when air conditioners are working hard to keep people cool. And many of the best wind energy zones are far from electricity demand centers. For example, most wind farms here in the Lone Star State are located on the high plains in west Texas, and were only built after the state spent billions of dollars on long-distance transmission lines to move their power to where it’s needed.

Many of the best U.S. land-based wind generating areas (dark blue zones) are far from coastal population centers, but those cities could be served by offshore wind farms. NREL

Solar power and batteries can solve some of these problems. But generating wind offshore also offers many benefits.

Just as onshore wind lowered electricity costs for consumers, offshore wind is expected to do the same.

More than half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast, so offshore wind sites are close to electricity demand centers. This is especially true in the Gulf of Mexico, which is home to major cities such as Houston and New Orleans and a large concentration of petrochemical facilities and ports. Power companies can use subsea cables to bring wind energy to industrial facilities, instead of building hundreds of miles of overhead wires, with associated right-of-way and land access disputes.

Importantly, offshore wind complements onshore wind. As air speeds slow in west Texas on a hot summer afternoon, coastal winds pick up, helping to meet summer peak demand and improving grid reliability.

The offshore wind market is already robust globally, but until now has been practically non-existent in the U.S. Abundant land here has spurred growth of onshore wind, but inhibited a rush to the water.

That’s changing with tighter setback rules in leading wind states like Iowa that limit how close to homes turbines can be placed, which are driving up construction costs and limiting the availability of acceptable sites. Transmission capacity limits on the U.S. power grid are also making it harder to move wind-generated electrons to market.

Constructing offshore wind farms requires specialized ships, port facilities and labor. Many of these resources are already available along the U.S. Gulf Coast, a major offshore oil and gas production region.

Welcome to the Gulf, y'all

Thanks to these development trends, plus measures in the climate bill that increase support for offshore wind, it looks as though a U.S. offshore wind industry is finally ready for prime time. We see the Gulf of Mexico as an especially attractive place to do business.

Compared to cold and bitter conditions in regions like the North Sea, the North Atlantic and coastal Japan, where offshore wind generation is already happening, the Gulf’s shallower water depths, warmer temperatures and calmer waves are relatively easy to manage. Water depths up to 160 feet – currently the maximum depth for fixed-bottom wind turbines – extend nearly 90 miles off the coasts of southeast Texas and southern Louisiana, compared with only about 40 miles off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in the Northeast.

The Gulf’s seafloor topography features a more even and gentle slope than areas already under consideration for development off the coast of Virginia. This means that fixed-bottom wind turbines can be used in more places, rather than floating systems, which reduces complexity.

Importantly, the Gulf Coast has a robust offshore industry that was established to serve oil and gas producers, with many specialized companies offering services such as underwater welding, platform manufacturing and helicopter and boat services to get people and equipment to sea. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production supported an estimated 345,000 jobs in 2019.

Wind farms in the Gulf can leverage existing infrastructure. There are nearly 1,200 miles of existing subsea power cables that could transfer wind energy to shore. Wind generation could also be incorporated into a larger energy system that includes green hydrogen generation and storage and carbon sequestration.

A boost for workers and vulnerable communities

We also believe that offshore wind energy can help advance environmental justice goals. Generating more clean, carbon-free electricity will help to displace refineries and plants that process fossil fuels and generate power from them. These facilities disproportionately harm the health of communities of color in cities like Houston and across the U.S..

Wind power development in the Gulf also offers an opportunity for a smooth labor transition as the U.S. gradually reduces its reliance on fossil fuels. Louisiana is already moving to set rules for offshore wind in state waters, and is seeking federal funding together with Arkansas and Oklahoma for a regional clean hydrogen hub.

Green means go

Permitting for energy projects is notoriously slow at the federal level, and wind energy projects in federal waters may require multi-year lead times. But projects in state waters – extending up to three nautical miles from shore in most areas, and nine miles from shore in Texas – could proceed more rapidly.

Much depends on whether energy states like Texas and Louisiana see opportunities to extend their reputations as energy leaders into offshore wind. As we see it, an offshore wind boom in the Gulf would be good for the region, the nation and the world’s climate.

Michael E. Webber, Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources, University of Texas at Austin and Hugh Daigle, Associate Professor of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

--

Read Also

Wind electricity generation by US state 2020-2021 (infographic)

[neconomyplumbers-blog]

There are some benefits of natural gas line installations that can get these benefits after hiring a New Orleans plumber. If you want to find out about the benefits of the gas line, you can click here. https://nationaleconomyplumber.com/10-advantages-of-natural-gas-line-installation-they-dont-want-you-to-know/

[rjzimmerman]

We’ve had a Generac backup home generator for about 10 years. It’s a large capacity one. Our A/C, refrigerator, the pump for our hot water/radiator heating system, and about half the outlets are tied into the Generac. We bought it and had it installed after a series of storms brought down trees and power lines in our neighborhood or broader utility service area, disrupting our power feed, including a couple of times in the winter during blizzards and ice storms. One of those disruptions last four days in the middle of summer. (As an aside, I knew exactly how the folks in New Orleans felt after Hurricane Ida took out their power. Four days in summer humidity was miserable.) Since then, it’s done its job several dozen times, including six or seven times this summer. I hate to have to use it; it’s powered by natural gas, so we spew greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when it runs, versus getting our power from Commonwealth Edison which snatches about 60% of its power from nuclear (emission-free) plants. We suspect we’ll be using it more frequently in future years as the climate continues its relentless change. When we first installed it, we felt a little guilty when it was running and making noise. It was the only one around. Now, when the power goes out, we hear a chorus of generators singing away.

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Demand for backup generators has soared over the last year, as housebound Americans focused on preparing their homes for the worst, just as a surge of extreme weather ensured many experienced it.

Hurricane Ida left over a million people in Louisiana and Mississippi without power for days in sweltering weather late last month. Over the summer, officials in California warned that wildfires might once again force rolling blackouts amid record heat and the threat of wildfire. In February, a deep freeze turned deadly after widespread outages in Texas. Even lower-profile outages — last month, storms in Michigan left almost a million homes and businesses in the dark for up to several days — have many American homeowners buying mini power plants of their own.

The vast majority are made by a single company: Generac, a 62-year-old Waukesha, Wis., manufacturer that accounts for roughly 75 percent of standby home generator sales in the United States. Its dominance of the market and the growing threat posed by increasingly erratic weather have turned it into a Wall Street darling.

Generac’s stock price is up almost 800 percent since the end of 2018, and its profits have roughly doubled since June 2020. The company recently opened a new plant in Trenton, S.C. — its third producing residential generators — while demand and pandemic-related supply chain snarls have pushed customers’ wait times to roughly seven months.

[neconomyplumbers-blog]

To Know the advantage of gas line installation in New Orleans.

[stlwindowsanddoors-blog]

10 Ways to Get the Wrong Window Replacements

There is no getting around it. Window replacement is a major renovation to your home. Besides including remarkable visual appeal, especially in an older house, window replacement has instant possible to conserve on electrical, gas and oil expenses. There is also the advantage of almost 100% recuperative worth of the expense must you choose to sell your house. 

So become informed of the ins and outs of window shopping, so you do not "break" your budget plan, and prevent these ten window wrongs. 1. Changing One Window At a Time Over the Next 10 Years. This renovation ought to not be done piecemeal. It's better to do all the windows that require replacement at the same time, and ideally all the windows in your house. Space by space window replacement is more affordable and it can be simpler if done slowly, a few at a time, but visually, your house will not convey an arranged, serene and cohesive design unless all the windows match well. What if materials are terminated or ended up being briefly unavailable, or expect there's not sufficient money to finish your home? If you can't afford them all now, don't begin up until the cash exists. But don't stress over purchasing replacements due to the fact that when finished, they should not require replacement once again. 2. Altering That Custom Window Space to Standard Window Space. There is no need to downgrade that unique customized window such as an arch, a small French door, or any uncommon configuration. Installing plain single glazed panes, because custom windows are too pricey, doesn't do justice to the unique functions of your house with its various lines, corners, and areas. Don't refrain from tailoring your windows to fit the character of the home merely to conserve money. One cost reliable way to get a custom-made appearance without the customized cost is to take several basic stock windows and combine them into a distinct style which enhances that unique space. The cost of personalizing a window versus combining standard stock windows is vast. Although the alternatives are more restricted, the client doesn't lose on their designer detailing. 3. Not Matching the Functions You Need With Available Options. You've been living in this home for 10 years so what's required is apparent, so put some brain power into the problems and document the features that are essential before checking out the websites or the display room. The choices readily available are truly endless with as lots of fashion statements on the market as any Parisian boulevard. Bare it down to the bones first. Those multi-paned, lever-operated, jalousie windows in the living room are not just an eye sore, but a thorn in your side. They do not belong in your stately Victorian on the very best street in New Orleans. Make a list of the functions you truly want and develop a principle of the perfect dream windows. Do this before browsing over the options so the focus remains on the requirements of your home first, before the glitter impresses you away. 4. The Easiest Thing Is To Buy All Vinyl Windows Within and Out and Be Made with It. Those TV commercials 25 years ago which showed how easy those replacement vinyl windows were to clean and open, did disappoint the vinyl after 20 or thirty years in a difficult sun. It holds true, vinyl replacements have enhanced, and are very energy efficient supplied the vinyl does not degrade. Nevertheless, I do not recommend all vinyl replacements at all and prefer instead a combined vinyl and wood replacement over an aluminum frame. It has the simple maintenance benefit of all vinyl, but does not depend upon the heat sensitivity of the vinyl for effective operation. Some individuals like wood at any expense. Although it needs a great deal of upkeep and regular repainting, absolutely nothing breathes and seems like wood in any home restoration. For our cash, we recommend an aluminum frame with wood on the interior side, and a vinyl covered aluminum frame outside for the maximum benefits of energy efficiency, visual appeals and maintenance ease. 5. There Are Some Good Deals On Dual Pane Windows. And if you fall for those lots you'll get a rude awakening. Something like two pieces of glass of questionable quality, without any unique coverings or surfactants, glazed together to form one window. Slightly longer than one year later on when that sub basic guarantee goes out, condensation develops between the panes and a black spotty poisonous mold begins growing all around the sides. "What a pity", says the brand-new glazier shaking his head. "This rot is anything however dry. You must have pertained to me previously." If only it truly was a bargain. The maker does not even return those calls and the specialist has left the state. Real double paned windows are pricey, and the choices are various. There is a brand-new cutting-edge version where the 2 panes are in fact blown together into a single system with a safe insulating gas sealed between them. This completely eliminates fogging, condensation, and drafts. Other types need proper sealing and ought to carry an excellent low u-factor. The U-factor is a toughness test which determines just how much interior heat gets away from the window. Conversely, a low Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient, or SHGC informs the consumer how much heat from the sun penetrates your windows. If you negotiate away your consumer protections, don't be shocked if that big restoration goes sour. 6. Customizing Into Complacency. Even the finest windows from the very best makers could position operational troubles and style flaws. Not that they were the top of the line to start with, but those advertisements for vinyl replacement windows revealing the easy tilt down cleansing system proved tough for lots of individuals to use. Don't buy any windows that you have not subjected to strenuous tests of your own. Even if a window is tailored, does not automatically make it user friendly. There isn't a maker in business that hasn't made windows with design flaws and particularly troublesome are those customized functions. Work them personally; don't simply observe the demonstration. Have the family work them. Ask concerns to the salesman. Any sticky wickets? Leave the windows at the store or at least those complex systems. Operation will only make them stickier. 7. Buying Windows Without NFRC Rating. NFRC or the National Fenestration Score Council screening has actually become an industry requirement in examination of energy efficiency and efficiency. It's a pity to acquire windows without the score considering it doesn't cost you anything however the manufacturers depend on it to sort out those less then perfect quality windows. Also makers who are less expensive however disavow their warranties after 1 year typically are those windows which don't perform well versus their better quality competitors. In fact, many states now require the NFRC scores in order to get a permit for window replacement of any kind. Contact the local council about constructing code requirements for your house. 8. All Window Hardware Is Basically The Exact same. The hardware set up with your windows figures out the ease, security, and toughness of operation. In fact, your windows are just as great as the hardware holding them together. Window hardware can conceal low-cost metal products in the locking system or sash. Attempt to get hardware that adheres to California's comprehensive anti theft and forced entry standards. They require that any closed window is a locked window and has the ability to remain locked under heavy lever type pressure. 9. Who Needs Two Warranties? You require two warranties to cover you in any eventuality and here is the information. Initially, there is the maker's guarantee. This covers the windows from manufacturing flaws, unforeseen wear, replacement parts or anything to do with the windows themselves. It is a prolonged service warranty that is released with premium windows for 10 to twenty years and often longer. It needs to not professional rate the advantages with time due to the age of the windows, and must be totally transferable should you choose to offer your house. Second, there is the assurance from the specialist who sets up the windows. This typically only extends over one year, although a professional who is sure of their work and has an excellent reputation may be encouraged to provide more protection, in some cases as much as 2 years. In any case, this service warranty is limited and covers just the work of the specialist relating to setup and nothing to do with producing flaws of the windows themselves. For example, if the surfactant is mottled on that western exposure image window in the bedroom, do not try to redress the problem with the professional. Call the maker. However, if mold is establishing on the inside of one brand-new window sill, get the contractor back over there as soon as possible before that guarantee expires. Try not to get included if there is a conflict over responsibility. Make them work it out. 10. It Will Save A Package If My Painter Installs The Windows and I Will Assist Fine, if you have the time and the painter has appropriate expertise however sadly, a lot of mistakes take place when attempting to streamline window installation. Since window replacement is a more costly and huge undertaking than it seems unless it's only one or 2 windows we're talking about, or you have actually done it previously, it's finest to leave this to a specialist. Setup is the least of the expense of window replacement so it does not pay to cut corners here. One essential tip, when you work with a professional to install those brand-new windows, besides doing all the basic evaluations of his work, such as seeing his jobs over the past three months, getting reliable referrals, not paying up front for the task, and so on, if there is a little additional money to spare, think about employing an engineer to evaluate the installation. It's a relatively affordable way to buy a lot of comfort. Even if you can't manage one, try asking the professional throughout the interview if he minds if you hire an engineer to evaluate precaution and setup. If he gets upset or declines, don't use this professional. The reason speaks for itself. If he states he doesn't mind or heartily welcomes the chance, then this contractor trusts his own work, and will no doubt work much better knowing that an expert will exist, even if he isn't. If an engineer is worked with, bring him when at the start, and once prior to the last couple of windows are finished to check for compliance before the last checks are written. Armed with these suggestions, you ought to get more for your money, and years of satisfaction looking out your brand-new "quite as a picture" replacement window.

[cleanairservicesmi]

Facts About Duct Encapsulation in Biloxi and New Orleans

Most individuals opt for installing an advanced HVAC system to ensure optimum temperature indoors regardless of the freezing conditions or extensive hot environment out of the home. It is essential to ensure proper maintenance of the entire system and keep the filters and air duct free from contaminants and dirt/dust. Professional cleaning and repair/replacement of the malfunctioning parts is advised by experts as well. One may have to think about duct encapsulation in Biloxi and New Orleans alongside as well.

The term is relatively new and makes the consumers inquire about its efficacy. Well, it suffices to know that encapsulating the air duct involves adding a quality sealant to its inside. It saves the air duct from being repaired endlessly and replaced often enough. The same air duct is definite to last for an extended period as a result. It saves both time and money for the consumer but the HVAC system functions flawlessly, making the users happy and satisfied.

Sealing the fiberglass lining or duct board with a superior sealant will have the HVAC system functioning as new. The problem of leaking air ducts will be eliminated for good too. Some of the benefits of having the air ducts sealed well and proper via encapsulation include:-

Increased Comfort- The temperature remains optimal regardless of the weather conditions. There are no hot and cold spots in the entire area once the ductwork is sealed effectively. Turning on the HVAC system ensures cooling or warming of the room within seconds. One does not have to be inconvenienced waiting for the temperature to become perfect.

Improved Air Quality- The air ducts may allow fine particles of dust, mold spores, assorted debris, and pollutants inside one’s home when the ducts tend to leak. One can watch a line of dust swirling in the room. Breathing the contaminated air can aggravate health issues and trigger allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory problems. The need for visiting a doctor is reduced sharply once purified air circulates within the room, courtesy of the sealed air ducts.

Safety Guaranteed- A household is sure to operate many essential appliances simultaneously. Gas-operated appliances such as furnaces and water heaters release deadly gases like carbon monoxide. A leaking duct would allow entry of these toxic gases inside the home instead of expelling them. The risk of catching fire and poisoning is increased as a result. Having the duct sealed off effectively eliminates the risk substantially.

Money Saver- Eliminating the possibility of leaking air can go a long way in ensuring the efficiency of the existing HVAC system. With its usage being decreased considerably, energy consumption has become low too. This gets reflected in one’s utility bills that enable one to save money every month. Upgrading the existing system can be done affordably as the sealed system will enable one to opt for a smaller model with excellent dehumidification.

HVAC experts recommend regular AC vent duct cleaning in New Orleans and Slidell to ensure efficiency and keep energy consumption down.

[nationaleconomy999]

Immediate Assistance for Water Line Repairs in New Orleans - 24/7 Service

Need urgent water line repair in New Orleans ? Our team is available 24/7 to address any water line emergencies promptly. We employ advanced techniques to provide lasting solutions for your home or business. Visit our website: https://nationaleconomyplumber.com/

[neconomyplumbers-blog]

How to Water Heater Installation & Repair

Repair of water heater and proper equipment maintenance are important because ensuring access to hot water in a home is so important that one house is comfortable. When it comes to using shower and bath facilities at home, hot water is the most important. https://nationaleconomyplumber.com/

[duraservcorp20]

Tips in Developing Your Warehouse Food Safety Plan in Texas

A warehouse or distribution center that caters food is very sensitive that mandatory requires utmost care and protection.  

The pieces of equipment to be installed in a food warehouse or distribution should be assembled particularly for this specific purpose only. Otherwise, your food will be subjected to food contamination.  

A contamination risk has always been experienced by the different food manufacturers including the functions that carry or load food products. This undertaking should always be in line with the guidelines being observed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to be considered compliant. This process is been formulated to prevent the proliferation of foodborne illnesses. 

With the serious observance of FSMA, it elevates the safety level of these facilities into a safe zone against contamination. For instance, in the presence of a broken door in Texas, the owner of the facility must undertake a corresponding spring repair in Texas. 

DuraServ is the leading service provider in the loading dock, door and equipment industry across the United States and Canada. 

What is a warehouse or distribution center?

A warehouse or distribution center is a specialized demand-driven building that is engineered to integrate a refrigeration system or air-conditioning, which stocked goods for redistribution purposes to the retailers and wholesalers.  

This facility is designed for perishable goods only and a special door is highly recommended to be installed to sustain and promote the freshness of the products.  

What is STHAF rule? 

The Sanitary Transport of Human and Animal Food (STHAF) is one of the reforms being advocated by FSMA and as a matter of fact, it is one of the latest regulations being undertaken to get hold of the enforcement phase.  

What kind of roll-up door suitable for the warehouse or distribution facility? 

There are several types of roll-up doors designed for this facility. The best ones are being offered by DuraServ Corp and they are as follow but not limited to: 

1.       Wayne Dalton – Model 800 Rolling Steel Service Door The Wayne Dalton Model 800 Rolling Service Door is designed to meet the tough requirements of virtually any commercial or industrial application. Model 800 offers flexibility in substrate materials with choices of galvanized or prime steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. 

Common Applications ·         Distribution Operations ·         Retails Outlets ·         Industrial Operations

2.       Wayne Dalton – Model 900 Rolling Steel Service Door

Wayne Dalton’s Model 900 Rolling Service Door is ideal for jobs where an economical solution, as well as durability and strength, are needed. This door offers flexibility in curtain materials with choices of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. 

Common Applications ·         Warehouse and Industrial spaces ·         Manufacturing facilities ·         Food and Beverage facilities 

3.       Model 625 Stormtite Insulated Rolling Steel Service Door

The Model 625 rolling steel doors are an insulated, heavy-duty rolling service door that is an ideal choice for applications requiring a moderate level of thermal protection. 

·         Designed in sizes up to 30’4″ wide and 28’4″ high (9246 mm and 8636 mm) ·         Constructed with a CFC-free ·         Foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation ·         Vinyl weatherstripping on the bottom bar ·         Exterior curtain-side guide ·         Hood baffle provides additional protection against air infiltration. 

Common Applications ·         Distribution Operations ·         Safety and Security ·         General Warehousing ·         High-Security Facilities 

4.       Overhead Door- Model 640 Rolling Fire Counter Door

This fire-rated counter door features 22-gauge primed galvanized steel and is​ ideal for applications where safety is as important as style. A host of standard and optional features further improve the performance of these doors beyond the norm in fire-rated applications. This fire-rated counter door has exposed components made of primed galvanized steel. ​ 

Common Applications ·         Grocery Store ·         High-Security Facilities ·         Manufacturing ·         Safety and Security ·         Food and Beverages ·         General Warehousing 

For the complete list of commercial rolling steel doors, click here.

DuraServ Corp offers comprehensive loading dock, leveler, and door service coverage. Fully trained and certified technicians. 24/7/365 availability. We deliver service on a national scale to customers with large facilities, often in multiple locations, across the United States, and in Canada. Some of our key employees have over 40 years of experience and represent some of the most knowledgeable people you’ll find in the loading dock and door industry. 

We carry a wide array of high-quality products including the commercial door and fire doors in Texas. Also we undertake the fire door repair, ramp service in Texas and emergency service in Texas. 

Our company is the best option in cases your need arises to get hold of the emergency parts and service of roll-up doors including the broken spring in Texas.  

Further, we undertake a professional repair service of a broken overhead door in Austin.  For more details, please visit our official website to learn more.  

If you have a question about our products and services, you may contact us at the telephone number 800-994-2361. You may also reach us online.  

We have several service centers to provide you with the utmost assistance. Service areas include Fort Worth, TX, Houston, TX, Austin, TX, Dallas, TX, San Antonio, TX, Shreveport, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, New Orleans, LA, Atlanta, GA, Savannah, GA, Orlando, FL, Tampa, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Fort Myers, FL, Naples, FL, Miami, FL, Charlotte, NC, Angier, NC, Farmville, NC, Greater Hickory, NC, Sterling, VA, Baltimore, MD, Jamesburg, NJ, South Windsor, CT, Phoenix, AZ, Philadelphia, PA, and Toronto, CA. 

[gulfcoastlantern]

Essential things to look upon while selecting Gas Porch lights?

The gas porch light is a form of outdoor lighting that accentuates the impressive look of your place with grace of beauty and additional fixtures. Moreover, you need to pay attention to the size and style of lantern, mounting type, power source, accessories, and its colorful dispersion. If you look for its practical functions then you must pay attention to Wall Mounts, Ceiling Mounts, and Post or Column Mounts to get an appealing outlook. Thus, consider all these points while buying Gas Porch Lights which will draw the attention of your guest and visitors making your place as a center of attraction. Here we have discussed some of the essential points to look upon while selecting gas porch lights.

Check out the fabricator used in outdoor lanterns

Various outdoor lighting is available with a different fabricator that ensures a different set of benefits. Moreover, if you select Coppersmith lantern for your outlook then it will help you in increasing your identity to a greater extent. It is basically a kind of copper fabricator that significantly contribute in producing custom based designs that do not affect the environment and maintain the factor of sustainability under a cost effective rates. In fact, you can look for some custom based modification that suits perfectly to your décor. You can select the best and most elegant piece out of the extended product line of outdoor lightings. Thus, look for exterior gas lanterns and add appealing value to its installation with a fine blend of elegance and grace.

Determine the style and specifications of accessories

While purchasing any lanterns, you must ensure that it has followed the specifications and offer aluminium based mountings that works perfectly for any kind of atmosphere. Along with that, they are suitable especially for an environment where the winds are harsh, rough, and salty. Select the most suitable accessory that will prevent it from breakage of glass and simultaneously maintain durability at any point in time. Gas Light Fixtures comes with strong and robust tops folded up with elegance and mesmerizing design that prevent the risk of breakage and continue to last for a longer period of time.

Determine the efficiency of fuel source

When it comes to purchasing a right and most efficient new orleans gas lights you need to check out the fuel source for smoothness in working. There exist some lanterns that are made up of flame simulation, possess nature of electricity, socket-based, multiple or dual-socket style ad more.  The effectiveness and stability of performance is based upon fuel and power. As a result, you need to read the product descriptions well before purchasing it so that it add value to its usage and reflect gracefulness with the process of installation. Check out the replacement options for better insight. In fact, it must ensure a guarantee for some period by promising over its quality.

Therefore, you can contact Gulf Coast Lanterns now in order to purchase a perfect Gas lantern.

[rememberthattime]

Chapter 51. The Move III. Home

What a month. December 2019 started in Sydney, but in just four weeks, took me through New York (Chels was in Hawaii), Dallas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Seattle, and finally London.

Somehow this was our LEAST busy holiday over the past three years, but it flew by nonetheless.

The month began with an international move... obviously challenging, and further complicated by EY’s mobility team. Movers, cleaners, and interested Gumtree buyers cycled through the house, while Chelsay and I balanced enjoying our final days in Manly with UK visa applications.

Eventually our Aussie apartment was empty. Just four massive bags remained - they held our only belongings until our shipment arrives in London sometime in April. Those four bags would be heading in opposite directions for the next 10 days though: Chelsay’s followed her to Hawaii, while mine were heading to New York.

I’m extremely jealous of Chelsay’s trip to the North Shore. Not only did she get to hang with Sumner, Chris, Miles, and Orly, but she enjoyed a few post-Sydney surfs, Island vibes, and beautiful weather.

Meanwhile, I had intense work meetings in New York, which required staying an extra few days for the biggest presentation I’ve given to-date. I was at least able to stroll around Manhattan between meetings, with highlights including Gramercy Park, East Village, Greenwich Village, and snow in Times Square.

Our Christmas Break really began once Chelsay and I finally made it to Dallas, though we were only home for one day before embarking on a family road trip.

Chelsay and I have traveled to around 50 countries, yet there are so many places we haven’t explored in our own backyard, including the Deep South. With plenty of time in the US this December, we decided to take a short road trip through Louisiana and Mississippi with Jeff, Liv, Matt, and Emily.

Some highlights:

A foggy visit to Evergreen Plantation. Although the plantation was a primary filming site for fictional Django Unchained, its slave past was very real. Despite our tour guide’s best efforts to portray a “different narrative”, the slaves’ conditions were pretty clear... “Remember: snakes, gators, mosquitoes, yellow fever.”

Jambalaya, Beignets, and Hurricanes in New Orleans’ French Quarter, paired with our over-the-top Southern accents (“There’s been a muwduh!”)

Strolling Barataria Preserve, a swampy bayou coated in Spanish moss... but with zero bathrooms along the trail. What happened in the bayou stays in the bayou. 

Touring antebellum homes in charming Natchez, though the biggest highlight was Jeff trying to understand how their 1980′s occupants got cable. 

Friendly and entertaining strangers throughout the entire trip. Zippy the gas station attendant (“Energy drink, for the guy that’s gotta push the car”), our Uber driver Mahogany (“Reroute me”), the Mississippi McDonalds cashier (“Y’all wan’ dat wit pe-can sauce!?”), and a New Orleans man training his pet raccoon.

The road trip was great siblings trip - no doubt one that we’ll laugh about for a long time. But after covering Sydney, New York, Louisiana, and Mississippi in just two weeks, it was time to settle down for a bit.

Luckily we had almost a month to relax: 23 days before our one-way flight to London, split between Dallas and Seattle. I hardly worked and Chelsay was already well into sabbatical-mode, which meant we had zero responsibility while home... It was a return to childhood.

Some highlights:

These aren’t in any order, except for this first one: Matt’s quizzes. It’s become a Kern tradition that Matt puts together ~15 ten question quizzes. They’re all creative categories, with our annual favorite being “Synonym song title & band”. Matt’s past four annual quizzes were all excellent, but this Christmas’ installment, Kern Family Quizzes 5: The Moscow Incident, was by far the most impressive. It included an audio/visual component, and categories ranging from “Name this platinum song being played on recorder” and “Name the two actors’ whose faces I’ve merged into one”. Matt could make millions if he sold these games.

Speaking of games, the Kern’s and Wright’s combined to complete four escape rooms. Perfect 4/4. Grandma Helen calls them “Crazy rooms”, which is absolutely understandable after a T-Rex roared at us for 20 minutes in one of our Seattle escape rooms.

Continuing in the friendly competition category, the Kern’s love bocce... especially bocce with a wrinkle: wild bocc’ (aka free-range bocce). Most bocce is played in a walled rectangular arena. Not for the Kern’s though. We drive to the Trophy Club Park and set up our “course” through trees, along hills, across sidewalks, and between the small children panicking as we hurl 3 lb balls towards them. Like a windmill in putt-putt, these obstacles make the game more challenging, especially the scared children. Plus we all just like getting outside.

One last friendly competition: giant jenga at Jeff & Liv’s new house. Their “starter” home is so big that they have an entire room for giant jenga... and we needed the space. This genuinely could’ve been a Guinness record for longest game. For at least an hour -- every single turn -- we were sure the tower JUST HAD to fall.

The next four bullets are all cowboy related. Chelsay and I have been together for 10 years, and every time we go to Dallas, she insists on visiting a dude ranch. We’ve never had enough time... until this Christmas. Chelsay finally got her wish when we drove an hour outside Fort Worth to Beaumont Ranch. This day trip could’ve had its own post, but I’ll have to summarize in a few short stories.

First, the main event was a cattle drive on horseback. Our instructor, a true Texan cowgirl, led us into the 800-acre plains in search of rogue longhorns. Chelsay was the first to come across wayward cattle and, despite her metropolitan upbringing, instinctively started yelling in an extremely southern accent: “Go on, git! Heeyah!” Our Texan instructor had to be insulted.

Second story: Matt is very good at lassoing. I was not. This video pretty much tells the story.

Last story from our cowboy day. The ranch had its own replica western town, so Chelsay had the idea to make a “duel” video. We talked about the dialogue for under 10 seconds, but the result was pure gold. Oscar worthy (at least better than The Irishman). You might think that we added the music afterwards to sync with our actions... Nope, that was just my mom holding her phone close to Chelsay’s camera. That should at least be up for Best Sound Editing.

My parents, Chelsay, and I fell into a nightly routine of Dark from Netflix Germany. Phenomenal show, despite watching an English-dubbed version. We finished two seasons in under 10 days.

Obviously we hit all the favorite food spots, led by Feedstore, Mi Cocina, Anamias, Christinas, Costa Vida. We also added a new favorite: HG Supply and their tasty impossible whopper bowl with quinoa and chili. 

On the topic of food, I must have eaten 100 cookies while home. We had the traditional Kern Christmas cookie bake-off (A+ humor, but C+ presentation), but Chelsay also picked up a baking addiction. It was 11 pm and we’d all be heading to bed, but Chelsay was still laser focused and meticulously decorating her cookies. Her efforts showed though: A+ flavor, and A+++ presentation. 

Next up was our return to Seattle. On Chelsay and I’s first full day, we decided to go on a long hike. We actually didn’t hike much when lived in Seattle, which we now realize was dumb. I definitely took the Northwest’s landscape for granted — every time we visit, I’m blown away by the sky-scraping evergreens, fresh scent, crisp air, and looming mountain ranges that surround the city. Anyway, we’ve been trying to catch up on our hiking whenever we visit, and the closest trail to the Wright’s house is Mt. Si, a semi-challenging 8-mile hike. It’s the medium-well steak of hikes. Danny, Chelsay, and I endured a sweaty couple hours -- just to give you an idea of the hike’s height, the peak was snow-capped, but the views made the steep ascent worthwhile. 

On the same ‘missed PNW opportunities’ line: when I lived in Seattle, I ever took advantage of the many nearby mountain villages, especially the Bavarian-themed Leavenworth. Tucked in the Cascade Mountains, you would never believe Leavenworth is just two hours from bustling Pike Place. Gothic-lettered storefronts line the half-timbered town’s main street: Munchen Haus, the Sausage Garten, Ludwig’s, and Starbucks (it’s still America after all). Danny, June, Chelsay, and I enjoyed a quiet walk on Blackbird Island, threw snowballs for target practice, and warmed up with hot cider and big (BIG) game of Uno. We also built up our shaka inventory with our Leavenworth friends Alex & Charlie.

It's also worth mentioning that I went to a Hawks game with Hanan. It was a rivalry game and the stakes couldn't be higher: SEA vs SF. Sunday Night Football. Last game of the 2019 regular season, and the winner took the NFC West. The 49ers went up 16-0, but the Hawks stormed back and had the ball with a chance to win on the last play. Russell Wilson hit Jacob Hollister close to the goal line, but a 49er tackled him quickly. Hollister reached for the goal line as he fell, but came up an inch short of a game-winning touchdown. Even though the Hawks lost, it was still a great time.

Speaking of great times, we hosted New Year’s Eve at the Wright’s house in Woodinville. What an incredible night. Midnight seems to get later and later every year, but Chelsay and I stayed up until 3 am catching up with Devon & Babs, Martiin @ Michelle, and Austin & Kels. Danny, June, and Chels were such amazing hosts - I kept telling them my friends didn’t deserve their hospitality.

We may have been in the US for five weeks, but it felt like only five days. Although it fly by, these stories and pictures are proof that our time was well spent. 

And even though we were boarding a one-way flight to London for the next few years, there’s no question where our true home will always be. 

[nationaleconomy999]

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N.A.A.C.P. Tells Local Chapters: Don’t Let Energy Industry Manipulate You

When utilities around the country have wanted to build fossil-fuel plants, defeat energy-efficiency proposals or slow the growth of rooftop solar power, they have often turned for support to a surprisingly reliable ally: a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.In 2014, the top officials of the N.A.A.C.P.’s Florida division threw their organization’s weight behind an effort to stymie the spread of solar panels on residential rooftops and cut energy efficiency standards at the behest of the energy industry. The group’s Illinois chapter joined a similar industry effort in 2017. And in January 2018, the N.A.A.C.P.’s top executive in California signed a letter opposing a government program that encourages the use of renewable energy.Most Americans know the N.A.A.C.P. as a storied civil rights organization that has fought for equal access to public facilities, fairness in housing and equality in education. But on energy policy, many of its chapters have for years advanced the interests of energy companies that are big donors to their programs. Often this advocacy has come at the expense of the black neighborhoods, which are more likely to have polluting power plants and are less able to adapt to climate change.The activities of the N.A.A.C.P. chapters, which operate with significant autonomy, have so unnerved the group’s national office that it published a report titled the “Top 10 Manipulation Tactics of the Fossil Fuel Industry” in April. It is also sending its staff to state and local chapters to persuade them to fight for policies that reduce pollution and improve public health even at the risk of losing donations from utilities and fossil fuel companies.From New Orleans to San Diego, consumer and environmental groups have criticized power companies for using their largess in minority communities to get church pastors, nonprofit groups and organizations like the N.A.A.C.P. to back industry objectives.“The utilities have essentially asked communities of color to be props for them,” said William Funderburk Jr., an environmental lawyer and former board member of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “It appears utilities are turning back the clock a hundred years.”From 2013 to 2017, 10 of the country’s largest utilities gave about $1 billion in donations. Those contributions often went to groups representing minority communities, and many of the recipients promoted the interests of utilities in front of government regulators, according to the Energy Policy Institute, an environmental group.The N.A.A.C.P. has a long record on environmental issues, including fighting to reduce the health threats posed by lead paint and asbestos. But its national office has been slower to stake a clear position on climate change and the pollution caused by power plants. It established a group dedicated to environmental justice only a decade ago. Derrick Johnson, the N.A.A.C.P.’s president, said the group had established a department dedicated to that work that is larger than any of its other programs, with 11 full-time staff members and three consultants.“We care about the education of our children,” Mr. Johnson said. “But if the children are in unhealthy environments, we know that it impedes their learning. We care about health and access to health care, so we must care about the decisions that create mega health impacts.”

‘If we wanted the money, we had to do it.’

As solar panels and other renewable energy sources tumbled in price in recent years, making them attractive alternatives to coal and natural gas in power plants, electric utilities in Florida began pressing regulators and lawmakers to limit their growth.Rooftop solar in particular posed a threat to the utilities. When the electric grid was designed, engineers did not foresee that consumers would generate their own power and even sell it to the utilities. That could reduce revenue for the companies.Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy and other utilities argued that as more affluent homeowners installed solar panels and reduced their reliance on the electric grid, lower-income residents would be forced to pay higher rates to maintain power lines. Many energy experts have disputed that argument, saying energy-efficiency programs and increasingly affordable solar panels can reduce electricity costs for low-income households. But utilities have successfully made their case around the country, often with the help of the N.A.A.C.P. and other nonprofit groups that are advocates for communities of color.In Florida, utilities found a ready partner — for a time — in Adora Nweze, the president of the N.A.A.C.P.’s Florida conference. She and her staff repeated industry talking points in newspaper opinion articles, written comments to state regulators and testimony in public hearings.Utilities often sought the group’s support around the time that the state conference was in the middle of raising money for programs and its annual gathering, held in September, Ms. Nweze said.Invoices obtained by The New York Times show that Florida Power & Light gave the N.A.A.C.P. at least $225,000 from 2013 to 2017 and that Duke Energy gave $25,000. Florida Power & Light’s annual donations doubled in 2014 just as the utility was pressing state regulators to restrict rooftop solar power and weaken the state’s energy efficiency goals.For example, the N.A.A.C.P.’s Florida conference issued a $50,000 invoice to the utility on Sept. 11, 2014, a couple of months after Ms. Nweze wrote an essay in The Tallahassee Democrat opposing a solar-energy rebate program and in support of a utility-backed change to state efficiency goals.“In many cases, nonparticipants tend to be the poor, creating a shockingly inequitable situation in which high-income households capture all of the benefits while low-income households shoulder all of the costs,” the essay said. Ms. Nweze said her staff wrote that article and similar ones, often copying verbatim from text sent by Florida Power & Light and other utilities.In addition to the article, the conference filed comments with the state Public Service Commission. The commission later cited those comments in ruling for the utilities. The commission reduced the state’s energy-efficiency goals by about 90 percent.The utilities’ policy victory in the 2014 case has had a lasting impact.Florida utilities have some of the country’s least ambitious energy-efficiency goals. The Sunshine State also trails several states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, in how much electricity it gets from solar panels.Florida Power & Light declined to answer questions about its work with the N.A.A.C.P.’s state conference and other civil rights organizations. The utility said its primary focus had been to keep electricity rates as low as possible.“We are proud of our longstanding relationship with the N.A.A.C.P. and of our ability to constructively work together on issues that benefit customers,” said Alys Daly, a company spokeswoman.In an interview, Ms. Nweze said she had signed on because of the utilities’ financial support to her group, and because she believed what executives had told her about solar panels and energy efficiency. “I felt that if we wanted the money, we had to do it,” she said. “The shortcoming on my part was that I didn’t have the necessary knowledge to know that it was a problem.”Ms. Nweze, 77, said she decided about two years ago that her advocacy for the utilities was wrong. That was when the N.A.A.C.P.’s national office worked with her conference on a report about the impact that climate change and pollution have on low-income families. The report concluded that seven power plants had a disproportionate impact on people of color. It also found that Latino adults in Florida had the highest prevalence of asthma at some time in their lives and that African-American adolescents were the most likely to have ongoing asthma.

A turning point at the national office

Jacqueline Patterson played an important role in Ms. Nweze’s conversion. Once focused on becoming a teacher, Ms. Patterson, 51, became interested in environmental issues while in Jamaica as a Peace Corps volunteer, in New Orleans as a relief worker after Hurricane Katrina and in sub-Saharan Africa as an official of a nonprofit group that works on health issues. She often found that local residents were not involved in the discussions when officials debated and decided environmental and energy policy — white men frequently had the final say. “What struck me after all of that was the number of rooms I went into where I was the only person of color,” Ms. Patterson said. “Too often, we’re just completely not there.”As Ms. Patterson began recognizing the need for more African-Americans in the climate-change debate, so did the N.A.A.C.P.The organization saw a growing need to address climate change and clean energy when it was drawn into a debate over a climate bill in Congress in 2009.A lobbying firm working for the coal industry, Bonner & Associates, had sent out letters opposing the measure that seemed to be from the N.A.A.C.P.’s chapter in Charlottesville, Va. The group’s national office, in Baltimore, felt it had to make clear that it supported the legislation, which would have established a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Jack Bonner, the founder of Bonner & Associates, declined to comment.Then the organization began digging deeper, creating an environmental justice program and appointing Ms. Patterson to lead it.Under her leadership, the group began connecting the dots between climate change and the impact of disasters like Katrina on African-American communities. The group also took a closer look at how rising sea levels and more intense storms might affect low-income, minority neighborhoods. And it started examining how air pollution from power plants affected nearby residents, many of them black.“Seeing all of those intersections and more, we really saw this as a civil rights issue,” Ms. Patterson said. “The N.A.A.C.P. is now engaging around pushing for policies and pushing for access to clean energy.”One of her priorities, Ms. Patterson said, is to educate state conferences and chapters. A milestone was the 2017 report with its Florida conference, which got the state organization to reverse its position on solar panels, energy efficiency and other clean-energy programs. “I looked at it differently than I do now,” Ms. Nweze said. “The more you look at the issue, you realize this isn’t really working.”But the national N.A.A.C.P. message has not found traction in every state. The president of the group’s Illinois conference, Teresa Haley, said that her group typically got $5,000 to $10,000 a year from the energy industry and that the money did not influence the group’s activities. “They do have their lobbyist who contacts us and says, ‘We need your support.’”Ms. Haley added that her group’s local branches held votes on which initiatives they support, sometimes backing utilities and sometimes opposing them. In 2012, for example, the Chicago branch successfully fought to close two coal-fired power plants in minority neighborhoods.In California, the N.A.A.C.P. conference has more consistently taken positions that align with those of the state’s largest utilities.Alice Huffman, the president of that state conference, has signed letters opposing government-run electricity providers known as Community Choice Aggregation, which allow consumers to choose solar power and wind with lower rates while leaving billing and transmission in the hands of investor-owned utilities. Ms. Huffman and the heads of other nonprofit organizations joined the utilities in sending a letter to state regulators contending that those programs could shift more of the grid’s cost to those who could least afford it. Studies have found that those in community choice programs typically have lower electric bills, but that state fees charged for grid maintenance could hurt low-income customers.California’s three investor-owned utilities have donated about $180,000 to the N.A.A.C.P.’s state conference and its local chapters over the last five years, the companies said. Ms. Huffman and her conference did not respond to requests for comment.Mr. Funderburk, the environmental lawyer, said the utility donations pressured nonprofit organizations to support the industry in ways undisclosed to members and the public.“The only way to get real equity is to make things much more transparent,” he said. Ms. Patterson said the N.A.A.C.P. was working on alternative revenue sources for chapters that stood to lose financial support from utilities.In Florida, Ms. Nweze said that she realized that reversing support for fossil-fuel interests could jeopardize the state conference’s funding, but that she could no longer ignore the effect of climate change on her members.“I’m not naïve,” she said. “I’m concerned, but I’m more concerned about the impact on the lives of the people throughout the country and this state in particular.” Read the full article

[clary-jace]

all the lonely people ( chapter 2 )

She’s on a long journey back to her roots; he has no intention of returning. “Home” is both the departure and the destination, but neither Riley nor Lucas are quite sure they know what it means, or if they know where it actually is. But when fate brings them together on the open road, both of them come to realize that perhaps the destination doesn’t matter so much–and that maybe home isn’t something, but someone.

aka, the rucas soulmates road trip fic no one asked for but we’re certainly delivering on || ( read on ao3 ) ( read on ffnet )

Chapter: 2 ( austin tx - new orleans, la ) [ riley ] 

Previous Chapters: 1 

Word Count: 9,7000+ 

A/N: this is my first chapter of Maggie ( @friarlucas ) and I’s collab fic! as Maggie said in her first chapter, we’ll be alternating, so as she wrote chapter one, here I am with chapter two. we’re very exciting for what’s to come. thank you so much for reading, and hopefully you enjoy this installment. 

By the time Riley hit Texas, she was tired.

It was hardly like she had driven without stopping. She had made it a point to stop in a few major cities along the way, doing some sight-seeing, and it was hardly like she could live without food. Yet for some reason, it wasn’t nearly as exciting as she had dreamed it would be when she came up with the idea months ago.

Mostly though, she was lonely.

Riley had never minded being by herself, in fact there was a point in time where she actually preferred it to spending time with people and socializing, but something about being alone in a car was much different than hiding away in your bedroom. Maybe it was that at least when she was alone in her bedroom, the option to speak to someone else in person was always there. Now her only conversation partner was Siri.

Who, shockingly, was far from an exciting conversationalist.

Part of Riley was beginning to regret this trip, she was tired and lonely and really just wanted to sleep in a bed that wasn’t covered in sheets that probably hadn’t been washed in weeks. But it was too late to turn around and go back to California, and her lease was up anyway so she would have nowhere to go. Besides, she really was not ready to face her parents. There was a reason she had waited until August to drive home despite having finished school almost three whole months ago.

She was on the road for the long haul, so she supposed to might as well try and enjoy it as much as she could. She was hitting major cities that she had always wanted to visit and hopefully, when all was said and done, she could say that she had a good time. Hopefully.

Stopping on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, was the first stop that hadn’t been planned. She was low on gas and was trying to get to New Orleans as quickly as she could. The town that she stopped in was probably one of the smallest towns she had ever seen in her life, it seemed like really all there was was the main drag, not much to look at. Not that she minded of course, they had a gas station and that was all she cared about.

Once her tank was filled, she decided to take a small walk around the block, just to stretch her legs and get some fresh air. She would be on a road for a long time before she hit New Orleans, so a quick walk would probably do her some good. Besides, she wouldn’t lose that much of her driving time.

It didn’t seem like there was much to see in this town, anyways.

It’s official, she had finally gone completely crazy. That was really the only explanation for her actions as she crossed the town line and officially entered the next one over.

Riley never talked to strangers--well, she said hi to them on the street sometimes, or waved to them across campus--but that was a completely different ballgame than inviting one to join her in her car. This was so completely off-base from the kind of cautious she usually was, she really didn’t know how to explain what had led her to offer this stranger a ride.

To this stranger’s credit, he looked pretty uncomfortable and nervous in her passenger seat, his hands were twitching in his lap and his leg was jiggling. It brought her a weird sense of relief that he seemed to be just as nervous as she was, she only hoped that he wasn’t nervous over thinking about where he was gonna hide her body after he killed her.

At least he was cute. She supposed she was a little more okay with getting murdered if her killer was cute.

God, what was she doing? She didn’t even know this guy’s name.

“Riley,” she said suddenly, immediately wincing at the tone and volume of her own voice. The car had been completely silent up until that point that she was pretty sure she saw her car companion jump in his seat at the sound of her voice.

“My name.” She shook her head, mentally cursing herself for not being able to form a sentence properly. “I’m Riley, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

“Lucas,” her companion said after a couple beats of silence between them. She flicked her eyes to him, and their eyes met for a second, which caused a small smile to cross her lips. “My name is Lucas.”

“Lucas, I love it.” Cringing, she shook her head slightly, keeping her eyes on the road. “I mean, Lucas, nice to officially meet you.”

Clearing her throat, mainly in an effort to keep them from slipping back into silence, Riley gestured briefly to the radio. Now that she knew his name, she hoped that they could have some flow of conversation until she dropped him off. She wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, but however long they would be together, she was going to try and capitalize on the company.

“If you want to change the radio station, or get too hot or something, feel free to adjust it. Or whatever.” She didn’t want to draw her attention away from the road, but she saw him nod out of the corner of her eye.

“I’m good. But uh, thanks.”

Focusing her attention back on the road, Riley racked her brain for some kind of conversation topic. What do you talk about with someone who you picked up on the side of the road? She wasn’t even still one hundred percent certain that he wasn’t going to murder her. She also still didn’t exactly know what it was he was running from back there, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to, or if he would tell her if she asked.

“So, Lucas. Are you from Texas?” she asked, adjusting herself in her seat so she could see him more clearly out of the corner of her eye. She thought she saw his spine straighten at her question. She hoped she wasn’t crossing some kind of line, but after a moment he nodded.

“Yup, born and raised.”

“That’s cool. I’ve never met anyone from Texas before.” She smiled. “I probably could have guessed that though, the accent is a pretty dead giveaway.”

“Well, trust me, it’s pretty easy for me to tell that you’re not from Texas.” Riley gasped slightly, unsure of whether or not she should be offended by his words. But when she looked away from the road momentarily, she caught his raised eyebrow, which caused her to laugh.

“Fine, fine. You caught me. I’m just someone passing through.”

“I figured as much. No one uses the Sundance strip as a destination.” She looked at him briefly, a weird feeling settling in her stomach when she saw a strange, far-off look in his eye. He must have realized she was looking at him, because the next moment he was shaking his head and looking down at his lap. “Where are you coming from?”

She sighs, her mind flashing back to hugging Jade goodbye on the stoop of their apartment. “California.”

“You from there?” She shakes her head, a familiar feeling of melancholy filling her. She clears her throat in an effort to cover up the weird discomfort that’s come over her.

“Nope. Just there for school.”

“What did you study?” Riley grins, surprisingly grateful for the question. It’s strange, how she knew that she was getting lonely when she was by herself, but now that she had someone else in the car with her, that earlier loneliness seems so much more dissatisfying.

“Creative writing.” She pauses for a moment, waiting for his reaction. While she didn’t care one way or another what this random guy thought about her major, she had been laughed at more than enough times because of it.

“That’s cool,” he says after a moment. He gives her a small smile and Riley releases a breath of relief that she had no idea she was holding in the first place.

“Most people think it’s sort of silly.”

“I don’t think so.” Lucas shrugs, staring out the dashboard window before glancing at her, offering her a smirk. “Figure if you’re brave enough to follow your dream, you must be pretty bold. But you did offer a complete stranger a ride, so I guess I’m not surprised.”

Riley rolls her eyes, returning the smile and turning her attention back to the road. She knows he’s only teasing, but there’s a weird energy between them that she can feel. She’s not really sure exactly what it is, but she’s not quite sure she wants it to go away just yet.

Two hours later, Riley finds herself pulling into a bus station off the highway. A small sigh escapes her lips as she parks next to the only other car in the parking lot.

As she turns the engine off, Riley turns her head to look at Lucas next to her, getting the first good look at him since they ran into each other back in Austin. There was something about the way his eyes stood out against his skin that made her palms sweat, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was about them.

“Do you know where you’re going to go?” she asks. She can see him hesitating slightly as he gathers his stuff together, and he shrugs.

“Wherever the bus will take me.”

For the second time in the last twenty-four hours, Riley does something crazy without thinking and only further reinforces the idea that she’s completely lost her mind.

“You know, I’m going to New York,” she says, threading her arms through her steering wheel and studying him. His eyebrows crinkle together in confusion and she wonders if he can see the gears turning in her head.

“That where you’re from?”

“Yeah. But I’m really in no hurry to get home, I’m gonna be hitting a bunch of stops along the way.” Lucas still looks confused and Riley smiles. “I’m trying to say that, if you don’t have a destination in mind, you can keep coming with me. If you want to, of course.”

Riley watches as Lucas’s eyes widen and she can tell that he’s taken aback by her suggestion.

“I don’t know. I’ve already bothered you enough. I’m happy that you helped me get out of Austin and all, but I don’t need to be in your hair any longer.”

“You’re not bothering me if I ask you to come,” Riley says, rolling her eyes slightly. She’s hardly trying to force him to come with her, especially because it’s still only been about three hours since they met, but she can’t help but pray that he’ll say yes.

“Why do you even want me to come with you?”

“Because I’m in no hurry to get home, and you said so yourself that you don’t know where you’re going. It might be fun. I promise that you can leave at any time.” She thinks she sees him slowly changing his mind in front of her and she grins. “Besides, I could really use the company.”

“Fine.” Lucas says after a long beat of silence. “But I probably won’t be with you very long. Just until I figure out where I want to go.”

Riley nods, feeling relieved when she watches him slightly relax in the passenger seat, his backpack falling to the floor of her car with a small thud.

“This is gonna be fun,” she happily chirps as she turns the car back on and begins to pull out of the parking lot.

“Where’s our first stop?”

“New Orleans. We got a lot of ground to cover,” Riley says, sending him a small smile across the console as she waits to pull back onto the highway. “You ready?”

“Let’s go.”

With that, she nods and pulls out onto the open road, ready for whatever is about to come her-- now, their--way.

The drive to New Orleans is sufficiently less awkward than the drive to the bus station. It’s not like she and Lucas are suddenly not strangers, but there was something decidedly less uncomfortable about the whole situation now. She wasn’t sure exactly what had shifted between them, but she was grateful that something now made it possible for her to look at him without her heart beating itself out of her chest from nerves.

However, he still refused to touch anything in her car, keeping his hands to his legs, occasionally tapping his fingers against his knee. She didn’t know what to say or do to get him to be more comfortable, so she just hoped that as time went on he would begin to feel more at ease.

They rode along in relative silence until an unsettling beeping noise interrupted them from the console between them. Riley cursed under her breath and she could see Lucas’s eyebrows crinkling in confusion from the passenger seat.

“My phone’s almost out of battery,” she explained, not taking her eyes completely off the road. She knew that Lucas was uncomfortable touching anything that wasn’t his, but she was gonna need him to do her a solid and touch more than one item that wasn’t his. “Can you do me a favor?”

She saw him nod, slowly but surely, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Can you reach into the second pocket of my backpack and grab my car charger? I don’t necessarily need my phone, but my mom might call and she’ll worry if I don’t answer her or at least give her some kind of sign that I’m alive.”

Lucas laughed softly, looking miles more uncomfortable than he did before she asked her favor, but he shifted slightly in his seat so he could snatch her backpack from the backseat. She tried not to watch him too intently, mainly because she didn’t want to take her eyes off the road, but also because she didn’t want him to think she was staring.

“Got it,” he said after a minute, pulling the cord from her bag. She grinned appreciatively at him, sighing in relief again when he plugged the cord into the charging port.

“Thank you.” She took one hand off the wheel to use it to plug her phone in.

At the same time, Lucas maneuvered in his seat to toss her backpack into the backseat, brushing their hands together in the process. She inhaled a sharp intake of breath, the physical contact between them coming as a surprise more than anything else.

“No problem,” he replied softly, pulling his hands back into his body, shoving them into the pockets of his hoodie. Afraid, again to touch anything that didn’t belong to him.

A blanket of silence settled between them once more, and Riley groaned when she noticed how low the sun was hanging in the sky. She had been hoping to get all the way to New Orleans today, but with the detour in Austin and the bus station and other things along the way, she had lost some driving time. Not to mention that it had been silly of her to think that she could cover all that ground in one day.

Looks like they were going to have to stop somewhere, and she briefly wondered if that would be when he left.

“So, I was trying very hard to not look at anything in your bag.” That piqued her interest and she eyed him quickly. “But why do you carry around a stuffed purple cat in your backpack?”

Immediately she could feel her face flush in embarrassment. Of all the things he had to see in her backpack, that was the thing he decided to bring up. She would have rather he pulled out her tampons. It wasn’t as if she was ashamed of carrying around a stuffed animal, she just knew that it was weird as a twenty-two year old to not only have a stuffed animal, but to carry it with you.

He must have seen the look on her face, because only a moment or so later he was clearing his throat and she could catch him adjusting in his seat out of the corner of her eye. She was about to open her mouth to say something but he beat her to it.

“That wasn’t meant to come out like a bad thing, there’s nothing wrong with that.” She smiled softly. “I just, cats aren’t usually purple.”

She nodded, laughing lightly as she looked at him. “I wish that they were,” she joked. That caused a smile to spread across his face and she could tell that there was laughter hovering on his lips. “Cats are my favorite animals and purple is my favorite color.”

There was a beat of silence between them, and she racked her brain to think of something to keep the conversation rolling. Things were slowly getting less and less awkward between them, and she thought that maybe learning things about each other would help push them in the right direction.

“I’ve had Violet, the cat, since I was a kid. My grandma gave her to me when my brother was born, kind of a consolation for no longer being an only child, I guess. I named her Violet and she hasn’t left my side since that day. She’s always kind of brought me good luck, been a good omen. I know that’s kind of silly, but I guess I don’t ever want to risk anything.”

She realized when she took a breath just how long she had been talking. She didn’t even want to look over at Lucas, he probably was looking at her like she was a crazy person.

“Anyway, I’ll stop now. I didn’t mean to ramble, you probably don’t care.”

“You could have kept going. I wouldn’t have minded if you had kept going.”

Glancing to him, she felt her face burn with blush at his words, the blush only deepened when she saw the small smile on his face. She wasn’t used to someone putting up with her rambling, that was definitely a new one.

“What about you?” she asked, trying her best to direct the conversation away from herself. The last thing she needed was to annoy him to death talking about herself. Not like anyone really cared, anyway.

“What about me?”

“I told you my favorite animal, and my favorite color. Now I wanna know yours.”

“Why?” He looked skeptical, one eyebrow slightly raised. It was almost like he couldn’t understand why she wanted to know anything about him at all.

“Because, you can tell a lot about a person based on their favorite things,” she said with a smile, nodding in his direction. “Just answer the question.”

“Fine, fine.” Riley smirked when she could hear the amusement laced in his tone. “My favorite color is blue, and I would probably say that my favorite animals are horses.”

“It’s official, I’m buying you a blue, stuffed horse before you leave,” Riley joked, causing Lucas to laugh. “What about your favorite food?”

“Hm. Macaroni and cheese. And not the stuff that comes out of the box, like the real stuff,” Lucas said, not a hint of joking in his voice.

“You take your mac and cheese pretty seriously, huh?”

“The entire South does.” The small laugh threatened to escape her lips and she had to bite down on her bottom laugh to keep it from letting it out. “You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.”

“Hey, I believe you,” she remarked, and if she wasn’t so focused on keeping herself on the road, she would have held her hands up in surrender. “My favorite is anything with sugar, which makes me sound like I’m five years old.” Riley laughed, trying to avoid feeling any kind of embarrassment.

“Sophia loves anything with sugar.” Lucas’ voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear him, but she was almost certain that he said what she thought he did. Riley crinkled her eyebrows together. He didn’t elaborate on anything, merely giving her a small grin. “Sugar’s just too much for me.”

Riley couldn’t think of anything to say, so she merely nodded. For some reason, hearing the name Sophia threw her through more of a loop than she had expected. It shouldn’t have surprised her, but for some reason it did. She tried to reason with herself, maybe it was his sister or something. She would understand if it was his girlfriend or something though, he was cute--it was actually weirder for her to imagine that he didn’t have a girlfriend.

God, Riley. You barely even know this guy, why does it matter to you who Sophia is?

Leaving that subject at that, she and Lucas sat in silence once more. It startled her how fast the car was getting smothered in darkness, the sun was practically gone. She also could feel herself getting tired, she didn’t even realize how long the day had been.

“Do you know any places around here where we could stop for the night?” she asked, figuring that since Lucas was from around here--she still wasn’t exactly sure where--he might know the closest place. “I was going to try to get all the way to New Orleans, but we’re still a few hours away and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired.”

There was slight apprehension in her voice, something that confused her. Maybe she was scared that stopping would mean that he would leave. But they had only known each other for less than a day, why should she care?

She was really losing her mind. She needed sleep.

“Um, yeah. If you pull off up here on the Beaumont exit, there should be a motel about a mile from the exit,” Lucas noted, pointing ahead a little bit. She wondered how he knew about this place, but was once again very grateful for his presence.

Giving him a small smile, she put on her blinker and pulled off the highway, entering the town of Beaumont.

She had no idea what to expect, but Lucas hadn’t given her reason yet not to trust him.

Fifteen minutes later, she’s pulling into a small motel just off the main road in Beaumont, Texas. The motel is just like every other motel she’s stayed at thus far, but something about it seems more comfortable. Maybe it’s the promises of free wifi and HBO on the sign, or maybe it’s the half-filled parking lot. Either way, she’s not nervous as she puts her car in park and sends Lucas a smile.

“How did you know about this place?” The place is kind of off the beaten path and she wonders if he’s stayed here before. Or maybe he heard through the grapevine.

“Just word of mouth,” he says with a small shrug, adjusting his stuff together in his backpack. They sit in awkward silence for a moment or two before she clears her throat and gathers some of her stuff together.

“So, I’m going to go in and check in.” She pauses, her hand gripping the door handle. “Are you, um…” she trails off, unsure of where exactly she was going with her question, but Lucas just nods, giving her a tight smile.

“Yeah, I’m all good,” he mutters, playing with the strap of his backpack. Riley can tell that there’s something going on, something wheeling around in his brain, but she doesn’t comment on it. They are definitely not close enough for her to be asking him questions like that.

So, with another small smile and a light sigh, she pushes herself out of her car, looking back at him briefly in the passenger seat before turning and making her way to the front office.

The motel office is just as she would expect, some vending machines in the corner, a couple of couches in front of a mid-sized TV.

What she doesn’t expect is the wide beaming face that’s greeting her from behind the counter. The sight shocks her for many reasons, one being that it’s dark outside and she can’t help but wonder just how many people come through here at this time of night, and another being that she doesn’t think the smile is anywhere near fake.

“Well, howdy!”

If the smile wasn’t enough to shock Riley, the sheer volume of the employee’s voice definitely causes her to jump about six feet into the air. Flashing a small smile in return, she walks up to the counter, trying her to best to capture even a fraction of the energy that he has.

“Hi.” The boy, who looks to be around her age, maybe a couple years older at most, flashes her another wide smile, leaning forward on the desk. The amount of attention he seems to be giving her makes her stand up a little straighter. “Um, I need a room for the night.”

“A room for the night!” he exclaims and her eyes widen. “I think we can do that for you here.” He finally directs his attention away from her and begins typing away on the computer. “Any kind of room that you’re looking for? We got two beds, one bed, a room with a lovely view of the parking lot, or a room with a view of the beautiful field behind us.”

“Ah, one bed should be just fine,” she says, giving him a smile. He nods in understanding, typing on the computer once more.

“So, what brings you here to Beaumont? We’re thrilled that you’re here, but curious as to what made you stop.” She can see him scanning her room key and realizes that he’s just making conversation with her.

“Just passing through. I’m on my way to New Orleans,” she says, gesturing outside, like New Orleans was just past the window panes of the door.

“Very cool, well please feel free to stay as long as you please. I put you in a nice field view room, no extra charge.” He winks at her and she laughs lightly. The longer and longer she’s around his energy the most infectious it becomes. “If you need anything, the name’s Dylan and I’ll be here all night.”

She smiles, pulling her bag from the counter and grabbing the key to her room. “Thank you, Dylan.”

As she’s gathering up all of her stuff, she can hear the door opening behind her and she doesn’t need to turn to know that it’s Lucas. What she does catch though is the wide grin, even wider than his earlier one, appearing on Dylan’s face.

She wonders if Lucas and Dylan know each other, and maybe that’s how he heard about this place. But she doesn’t dwell too much on it, instead pulling away from the counter and giving Lucas a smile as she passes him.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she says, and he gives her a small smile. As she pushes her way out the door, she turns back to look through the glass at the two boys. She can see Dylan pulling Lucas into a hug, a sight she hadn’t expected.

When she finally manages to tear her gaze away and begin her trek to her room, the only thought lingering on her mind is that maybe she just saw Lucas for the last time.

She can only hope that that’s not the case.

The next morning, after a good night’s sleep and a hot shower, Riley is feeling refreshed and ready to complete her journey to New Orleans

She had pretty much convinced herself that this would be the end of having Lucas as her company, though. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something about that moment between him and Dylan felt important, almost final.

So when she exits the lobby, having just returned her key (admittedly, a little disappointed when Dylan wasn’t behind the counter), bag in hand, she was surprised to see Lucas standing next to her car. He looked a little uncomfortable, his bag sitting nonchalantly on the ground next to him. The sight makes her happier than she would have thought and she practically skips over to him.

“Morning!” she chirps when he’s within ear shot. He looks at her, a small grin on his lips. However, despite his smile, she can see the nervousness in his face and the fidgeting of his hands.

“Hey.” He pauses, and she’s almost certain she sees him gulp. “So, I know that you said that I could stay as long as I want. But that offer about a ride still stands. Right?”

She almost laughs, but realizes that this is a serious situation and that laughing would probably not be the right reaction. Especially considering the softness of his voice and the nerves that are etched all over his skin.

“Yeah, of course,” she says, nodding her head. The relief that floods over his face pulls at her heartstrings in a way that she never would have guessed something could, but she’s not exactly sure why.

Wordlessly, they climb into the car, his backpack dropping to the floor with a definitive thud and hers landing in a clunk as it gets thrown in the backseat. Throwing him a grin as she starts the car, they stay silent as she pulls out onto the road and begins their journey back down the highway.

“So, it’s about four hours to New Orleans from here, so we should get there by lunchtime.” Riley says once they’ve left Beaumont behind. “Do you wanna be dropped off between here and there?”

“Um…” She bites her lip, trying her hardest not to look away from the road to look at him. “Actually, I was thinking I’d just stay with you until there. Is that okay?” He sounds hesitant and she breaks into a smile.

“Of course. You can stay with me as long as you want.” She blushes when she realizes how those words sounded coming out of her mouth. “I just meant that, if you wanna stick around past New Orleans, that’s cool. But if you wanna stay there, that’s cool too.”

Lucas merely laughs softly, nodding at her words, before there’s a quiet comfort between them. It’s weird to her that she feels so comfortable around him. They’ve only known each other for a day, but she ultimately supposes that it’s something that she shouldn’t question.

“Honestly, I kind of thought that last night was going to be the last time I saw you,” she admits after about twenty minutes of silence. She can tell that he’s not expecting those words to come out of her mouth, because his head turns quickly to look at her, a confused expression on his face. She shrugs, hoping he doesn’t question her reasoning too much.  “Don’t ask why, it just felt very final.”

“Beaumont wouldn’t be much of a destination,” he replies, his voice soft. “I know some people around there, so I probably could have stayed there, but I felt like there might have been something more exciting for me if I left with you. So that’s what I did.”

The weight of his words hits her harder than she could have anticipated and somehow, despite never experiencing something like that, she knows exactly what he’s talking about.

“Sometimes I think we just need to get out of our own ways and do something for ourselves. Instead of something that everyone else expects us to do.” The vulnerability in her voice surprises even her, but when she glances out of the corner of her eye at Lucas, he’s got a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, I guess we do.”

Not for the first time, Riley peels her eyes away from the road to meet his gaze, and they share a small smile.

However, this time something changes. The gravity between them shifts and she’s shocked that she even notices it. She’s not sure exactly what it is, or even how she would begin to describe it if someone asked her about it. But all she knows is that she doesn’t want him leave.

She can only hope as they cruise down the open road that this is simply a beginning, rather than the beginning of an end.

True to her word, they pass the New Orleans city sign right around one in the afternoon. Riley’s stomach is grumbling, and it’s then that she realizes how long it’s been since she ate an actual meal. She had resorted to vending machine snacks for dinner the previous night and had been so wrapped up in leaving for New Orleans that she hadn’t eaten breakfast.

She assumed that Lucas wasn’t hungry, considering he never said anything. But she was beginning to think that he could be bleeding out from a bullet wound and not complain.

“Are you hungry?” she asks as she begins to survey the passing restaurants. The sky overhead is cloudy and she can hear the wind picking up outside the window, which makes her crave something warm and familiar.

“Um, not really. But if you are, we can totally stop,” Lucas says, flashing her a small grin. She returns the grin, now concentrating on scoping out a place for them to stop.

She’s pretty sure that Lucas thinks she’s lost her marbles, a common theme, when she practically runs off the road from squealing in joy at seeing an Applebee’s on the upcoming corner. There was nothing more warm and comfortable in her opinion, and in an unfamiliar city, with a somewhat stranger by her side, it seems like the best solution.

“Of all the places in the entire city of New Orleans, this is where you want to go?” Lucas lightly teases when they step out of her car. She can sense a weird hesitance from him, but she decides not to think about it too much.

“Applebee's is basically my favorite restaurant and the reason I survived college,” she comments with a shrug as they make their way across the parking lot. “Besides I’m treating, so I get to decide where we eat.”

“I said I wasn’t hungry. I’m just coming in because it would be weird to sit in the car,” Lucas argues and Riley resists the urge to roll her eyes. She doesn’t care what he says though, she’s buying him some food and he’s going to enjoy it.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re getting some anyway.” She nods in thanks when he holds the door open for her. That Southern hospitality, she supposes. He doesn’t get a chance to reply though, as the hostess begins speaking to them and goes about seating them.

“Besides, consider it all a thank you,” she says once they’re sitting across from each other in a booth tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. She briefly wonders if the waitress thought they were on a date, considering how far away they are from every other patron in the establishment.

“A thank you? What are you thanking me for?” Lucas asks, fiddling with the menu in front of him. “Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you, you’re the one who’s been driving me around for the last twenty-four hours.”

She’s not quite sure what the tone in his voice is supposed to mean, but she’s not a fan of it, considering how negative it sounds towards himself.

“I was lonely and bored out of my mind until we met, so I’m thanking you for keeping me company. Besides, if we don’t see each other again after today, I want to do one last thing for you.” She doesn’t want this to be the last time they see each other, but she’s slowly coming to terms with what might become her reality soon enough.

Lucas merely nods in response. Luckily their waitress comes to their table before things can get any more awkward than they already were. Riley smiled at the waitress as she ordered herself the same thing she always did.

“Can I have a cheeseburger, no onions, with a huge side of fries, please.” Handing the waitress her menu, Riley smiled in thanks before directing her attention to Lucas, who looked even more uncomfortable than he had a couple of seconds ago.

Ultimately, Lucas sighed and ordered himself a small--side order, to Riley’s disdain--of mac and cheese. Well, she supposed that was better than nothing.

“You really are a mac and cheese fanatic,” Riley commented once they were left alone, once more. A smirk fell onto her face, and Lucas gave out a breathy laugh, the weird awkward tension that had existed between them only moments ago falling away.

“I have a reputation to uphold on this trip as being the master of mac and cheese, don’t I?” Lucas remarked, a small grin appearing on his face. Riley could only laugh, shaking her head.

They spend the rest of the meal in casual conversation, talking about menial things like the weather in Texas compared to the weather in New York and Riley swears she almost startles the whole restaurant with her gasp when she finds out Lucas has never seen snow before.

“It never gets cold in Texas.” He shrugs, picking at a piece of his mac and cheese. He had been moving his food around his plate the entire time they had been eating, only occasionally taking a bite. She wanted to say something but also knew that it was far from her place to do so.  

“Still, I just can’t fathom how you’ve never seen snow before. You haven’t properly lived until you’ve seen snow. Especially in New York. New York during a snowstorm is one of my favorite things in the entire world. The whole city gets kind of quiet and all the dirtiness gets covered by the beauty of the snow.” She sighs, blushing when she realizes how long she had been rambling. “Sorry, I’m doing it again.”

“It’s okay, really. I don’t mind it.” Lucas said, a small smile gracing his lips. Riley didn’t know exactly what it was, but Lucas smiling at her was something that she could definitely get used to.

That warm and familiar feeling she often feels when in a place like this is joined by something unfamiliar, but a good kind of unfamiliar. One that she wants to stick around.

Thirty minutes later she and Lucas are on the road again. It been a little awkward again when Riley had paid for their food, mainly because Lucas had tried his hardest to look at anything but her, but for the most part the meal had been casual and comfortable, which is just what she could have hoped for.

“I didn’t expect it to be this beautiful,” Riley comments softly as she slows down. The streets are much narrower than she had expected and the last thing she wants to do is cause some sort of accident. Especially with someone else in the car.

Lucas doesn’t reply, but when she sneaks a look at him she can see a soft smile on his face as he admires the streets around them. She hadn’t been kidding when she said it was beautiful, the architecture of the buildings was like nothing she had ever seen before and it took her breath away.

However, it was when she and Lucas got out of the car and started walking around that she really started to feel the magic that was radiating around her. She was sure that she had never felt a magic this powerful before and it brought a smile to her face.

“It’s kind of crazy,” she said after they had been walking in relative silence for about an hour. She could practically sense the confused look that was on Lucas’s face as he looked at her. “How a city can have this much energy to it.”

“Says the girl from New York City.” She laughs, shaking her head slightly. Riley really didn’t know how to describe it, so all she could do is sigh. Lucas continues. “I get what you mean though, this place is pretty cool.”

They stop, pausing on the small bridge that they were wandering across. Riley closes her eyes, taking a deep breath as she takes in the energy swirling around her. She can feel Lucas’s eyes on her, and she turns her head to smile at him before looking back out towards the horizon.

“I’ve always believed that magic was real. Even though there aren’t witches and wizards, not that we know of at least, there is definitely magic in the world. Whether it exists in people or things or places. Magic is real.” She sighs, smiling, her eyes staring off into the distance. “What about you?”

Riley turns to look at Lucas, who seems to be lost in his own thoughts. “What?” He asks after a moment, shaking his head and focusing his attention on her. She feels herself blush in spite of herself.

“Magic is real. Agree or disagree?”

Lucas gets a small smile on his face, pondering her words, before nodding slightly. “Hm, agree.”

They connect gazes, soft grins on both of their faces. Riley feels something running through her veins and while she doesn’t know exactly what it was, it definitely feels magical.

Finally, after a long day of wandering and driving and exploring, Riley is ready for bed. Despite the good night’s sleep she had gotten the night before, the long day she’d had wiped her out good and she was ready to sleep once more.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be only one cheap motel in the area, and they only had one free room.

“Well, looks like you two will be the lucky ones to snatch up the last room,” the kind woman behind the counter said to them, a smile on her face. Her eyes were warm and she reminded Riley of a grandmother.

“Oh well, that’s fine,” Riley assured her with a smile, sharing a look with Lucas. She could see the discomfort in the corners of his expression and while she was trying her hardest to keep the smile on her face, she couldn’t help but feel the same uncertainty deep in the crevices of her soul.

She knew she sounded dramatic, but despite how well they had gotten to know each other in the last twenty-four hours, she was definitely not ready for the level of intimacy that sleeping in the same bed required. And it looked like, seemingly, Lucas agreed with her on that.

“It’s one of our double rooms, so it has two beds, will that do okay?” The woman squinted her eyes at her computer momentarily, before flashing them another kind smile. Riley was pretty sure that she and Lucas let out identical sighs of relief.

“That’s actually perfect, thank you so much,” Riley said, handing her card over. She could sense Lucas eyeing her, but decided not to comment on it. Chances are he would say something to her about her paying for their room, but she really didn’t care that this point. Honestly, she would take payments from him in the form of his company.

No other words were spoken as the receptionist handed their key cards over, a twinkle in her eye as she gave them one more grin. Riley returned it, slapping one of the keys into Lucas’s hand, somewhat unwillingly on his part, and pocketing the other one in her backpack.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when they stepped back outside, the air around them cool and less humid than earlier in the day. Riley took a deep breath and sighed, grateful for the chillier temperatures. She loved summer, but heat and humidity was definitely something she could live without.

“Hey, let’s stop in there real quick. I wanna grab some water,” Riley said, spotting a small general store just across the street from the motel. Without waiting for Lucas to respond, Riley jogs across the street, glancing behind her just enough to see Lucas coming up behind.

They make brief eye contact as Riley’s hand hovers on the door. Lucas gives a small shrug and Riley nods, pulling the door open, shivering when she’s immediately hit with a blast of cold air. Lucas seems unaffected, merely shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans and beginning to amble through the aisles.

“Oh, hello,” a voice chirps from behind the counter, nearly making Riley leap in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed someone was there. Behind the counter a girl about Riley’s age stands, glasses perched on her nose and a purple cardigan wrapped around her body. She has a pencil in her hand and is giving Riley a shy smile.

“Hi!” Riley replies cheerily. She can tell her enthusiasm surprises the girl as she gives Riley another small grin before turning her attention to the piece of paper she has on the counter next to her. All Riley can do is shrug as she makes her way to the fridge and grabs two water bottles.

When she makes her way back over the counter she sees Lucas fiddling with something in his hands by the candy bars and she raises her eyebrow curiously. Before she can even begin to question him, he’s shoving the candy back onto the shelf and walking towards her.

“Hello, handsome,” the girl behind the counter says as Lucas appears by Riley’s side. Riley can tell by the look on Lucas’s face that that was the last thing he was expecting this girl to say.

“Your total is two dollars and ninety-nine cents,” she says to Riley, the flirtatious nature gone from her voice. Riley isn’t sure if she should be relieved or insulted. As Riley begins to dig around her purse for her cash, she is aware of the conversation happening between Lucas and the girl behind the counter.

“So, where are you travelling from?” There is absolutely no doubt in Riley’s mind that this girl is flirting with Lucas, and while she can’t exactly blame her, the sight makes Riley’s stomach swirl. Not that she has any idea why.

“Uh, Texas,” Lucas says with a nod. Riley clears her throat, causing the girl, who had been leaning over the counter and batting her lashes at Lucas, to jump and stand up straight again. There’s a small smirk on Lucas’s face and Riley feels her face blush.

Handing over her cash, Riley catches a glance of the piece of paper resting near the girl’s elbow on the counter. It seems to be a series of long and complicated math problems, with variables and numbers scrawled all over the page and a small diagram that Riley doesn’t understand etched in the corner. She smiles softly.

“How long are you in town for?” the girl asks once Riley has pocketed her change. While the question is general, Riley can tell she’s directing the question to Lucas, who has returned to having his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Just for the night,” Riley answers, grabbing the bottles off the counter. “We should get going.” She says, mostly to Lucas, who nods. Riley offers the girl a smile. “Thank you, have a good evening.”

“You too.”

She gives them a small wave, returning to the work in front of her once they’ve disappeared out the door. There was something that pulls at Riley’s heart about that interaction, but she really can’t figure out what it was.

About an hour later, she and Lucas are laying in their respective beds, the only noise in the room being the soft rustling of the curtains coming from the light breeze floating in through the window. It’s still fairly early, only about nine according to the clock on the table in between their beds, but it’s been a long day and Riley is wiped out.

“Hey, Lucas?” Riley whispers into the darkness, not wanting to wake him if he’s already drifted asleep. He doesn’t reply for a moment, her question hanging in the silence.

“Yeah?” he mutters back after a couple of seconds. Riley sighs, flipping her body over in bed so she’s looking at his frame. He’s laying on his back, and his hands are folding on top of his torso. Even in near sleep, he looks like he’s afraid to rustle anything too much.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Lucas sounds confused and even though his face is clouded in darkness, she can still practically see his eyebrows knitted together.

“Just for coming along with me. Keeping me company.” She shrugs, even though he can’t see her. “Not many people would willingly come along to a completely different state with someone they don’t know just because they want some company, so I really appreciate it. It’s been fun, having you here.”

There’s a long beat of silence in the room, and Riley wonders if Lucas had fallen asleep, or if he was just trying to craft his reply.

“Not many people would offer a stranger a ride into another state,” Lucas says again, a slight hint of amusement present in his tone. “So thank you for offering me one.”

“No problem.” She smiles, nuzzling her head into her pillow. She yawns, her body shivering from the sensation. She can feel sleep overtaking her muscles, and knows it’ll be only minutes before she’s completely knocked out. “Goodnight, Lucas.”

“Goodnight, Riley.” The softness in his voice sends a shiver down her spine, but she doesn’t have too much time to think about it as sleep overtakes her only a couple minutes later.

When Riley awakes the next morning, her fear of Lucas leaving and staying in New Orleans seems to have disappeared. Mainly because he had given no indication that he wanted to stay. Sure, he had made some comments about liking the city, but nothing seemed final, at least not yet.

She and Lucas prepare for the day in relative silence, exchanging the common “how did you sleep” kind of questions as they repack their respective bags. Riley realizes that Lucas is wearing nearly the same outfit as he had been wearing the day before, and wonders if that’s another part of his reputation.

“Is the outfit a style choice or a comfort choice?” she asks when they’re making their way to her car, which was parked on the street across from the general store, and in front of the motel. Another reason she asks is because he’s wearing jeans and a denim jacket when it’s nearly ninety degrees outside. She feels like she’s melting in her shorts and t shirt.

“Hey, don’t knock the denim. It happens to be very popular in Texas,” he comments, a raised eyebrow being thrown in her direction. She holds her hands up in surrender.

“Never knocked the denim, I was merely curious.” She laughs, stopping at the driver’s side of her car. But before she can bring herself to get in, she feels a weird tug. There seems to be some weird gravity, tugging her in the direction of the general store from the night before. “Hey, I’m gonna run in there real quick, grab some snacks for the road. Do you want anything?”

If Lucas had any kind of answer, she didn’t hear him as she was already halfway across the street by the time the last of her question left her mouth. In the bright sun of the morning, she could now notice the sign that hung above the front door. Smackle’s General Store.

When she entered the shop, for some reason she expected something to be different, but in the aura of the morning, everything seemed exactly the same. Even the girl standing by the counter was the same, except today she was donning a green cardigan instead of a purple one.

“Oh, hello again,” she said when she noticed Riley hovering by the door. “Can I help you with something?”

“Nope. Just looking around,” Riley said quickly, now embarrassed that she had even come in here in the first place. She began wandering up and down the aisles, not really looking at anything in particular. After about ten minutes of wandering, she heard the girl behind the counter clear her throat.

“Not to interrupt your clearly very thorough shopping, but I’m fairly certain that cute boyfriend of yours is going to melt in the heat outside if you keep him waiting any longer.”

The girl’s comment was casual and blasé, but Riley nearly choked at her words.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she manages, as mangled as it sounds coming from her mouth. “We’re just friends.”

It seemed weird to label Lucas as a friend, considering now their time knowing each other was only at just about forty-eight hours, but she supposed there was limit on how fast you could make a connection with someone.

“Doesn’t change the fact that he’s cute,” the girl noted, a small smirk on her face. “Or the fact that he’s probably going to melt.”

Ignoring the comment about Lucas being cute--not that she was wrong but Riley did not want to focus on that right now--she instead flicked her gaze to Lucas outside, who was in fact looking sweaty and hot in the morning sun.

Riley began to move more quickly around the store, grabbing a couple bags of chips and a bag of trail mix. As she moved to the fridge to grab some more water, her attention was instead directed towards the fridge just down the aisle. The girl must have sensed Riley’s diverted gaze and without looking up from her work, merely commented, “I recommend the whiskey.”

“What?”

“The whiskey. From the alcoholic selection. I recommend the whiskey.” The girl shrugged, briefly snapping her eyes up to look at Riley. “Especially if you want to make that cute friend of yours become a little something more.”

The tone in her voice made Riley shiver, but she ignored it. She definitely did not think of Lucas like that and she doubted that some alcohol would change her mind. However, she hadn’t drank in a while, and maybe it could be fun, so without second-guessing herself she grabbed a bottle from the fridge and made her way to the counter.

As the girl began to ring her up, Riley’s gaze went to the candy bars that were lining the counter, and one of them stuck out to her--the one that Lucas had been eyeing the night before. It was just a plain chocolate bar and with a small smile, she grabbed it and threw it in with the rest of her purchases.

“So, are you from around here?” Riley asked, genuinely curious. The girl didn’t remind her that much of other folks that she had met in the last day, this girl seemed almost like she could be a New Yorker.

“Yes, born and raised, in fact. Literally.” When Riley looked confused the girl clarified, pointing to the small sign on the counter that was a replica of the sign above the door. “Smackle, this is my family’s shop.”

“Do you like it here?” Riley asked. The girl shrugged, biting her bottom lip momentarily before sighing.

“I’ve lived here all my life, I kind of have to like it,” she said, a small smile falling upon her face. It was quiet as the girl packed up Riley’s stuff, which is when she caught another glimpse of what the girl was working on. She was surprised, but also impressed when it looked like a whole new set of equations and diagrams were scrawled on the paper.

“Your total is twenty dollars and sixty-six cents.” Paying the girl, Riley smiled when she was handed the brown bag of what would be their supplies for the next two days or so.

“Thank you, uh...” Trailing off, Riley shook her head. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

This seemed to surprise the girl, like no one had ever bothered to ask her her name before. “Isadora.”

“Thank you, Isadora.” Riley smiled, turning to walk out of the store. She paused when she reached the door. There was something else she just felt like she had to say to this girl. “Isadora?”

Isadora popped her head up, another confused expression crossing her face. Riley wondered if this was the longest conversation she had ever had with a customer before, not that Riley cared. She was known for dragging things out.

“I think you would really love New York. You should check it out sometime.”

With that, Riley gave Isadora a small wave, and pushed her way out the door and back into the heat of the outside.

Lucas looked relieved when he saw her again. There was sweat sprinkled across his face, but she noticed that he was still wearing his jacket.

“You all set?” he asked once she had deposited her purchases into the backseat, along with her backpack.

“Yep, let’s go.”

It felt nice, not to have to ask him if he was coming along. She only could wonder how long he intended on staying. Just because he was staying past New Orleans didn’t mean her next stop wouldn’t be where he decided to part ways.

“So, what’s the next stop?” he asked after they had settled into their seats and the AC was blasted through the car.

“Tennessee!” she exclaimed. Tennessee had been somewhere she had always wanted to visit, not that she was quite sure why, but she was excited that she would finally be able to go there. “You ever been there before?”

“No, I have not. But I don’t think I’m nearly as excited as you are,” Lucas says, sending her a smirk, which causes her to roll her eyes. “I don’t think anyone has been as excited to go there as you are.”

“Ha ha,” she comments, sticking her tongue out at him, leaving him to merely laugh softly to himself. After a moment, she sends him a smile across the console, a sense of peace between them.

Pulling out of the parking spot, she begins driving towards the city limits, a mixture of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming adventure to come filling her from head to toe.