by J. Richards
“Mrs. Jude gave me the rest of the week off. She said I could start my vacation early.” Evie bent forward to unhook her pretty heels from around her ankles and then kicks her feet up on the coffee table and looks at me.
It should be weird that I was standing in front of my female best friend as naked as a jay bird but it isn’t. I couldn’t count the number of time she’s seen me naked. Shy and moderate are never words used to describe me, that’s for sure. “That’s nice of her.”
“Yeah, I was actually thinking we should cancel our plane tickets and drive out to Vegas. Like a fun road trip, what do you think?”
“I’ve never been on a road trip.” A smile takes over my face and I nod enthusiastically. “Let’s just do it.”
“Ermm, one thing.” Evie holds up a finger. “Do we invite Jimmy on our impromptu road trip or just meet him in Vegas?
“Shit.” My head falls back and I look at the popcorn ceiling of our apartment. “He’ll be disappointed if we don’t ask him.”
“I know.” She sighs. “Should I just text him, or do you want to?”
“I will.” I bite my lip as I drag my heavy head back up so I can look at her. “I feel weird now. I thought it would be just sex, you know, like always, but–?” I hold both my hands up at a loss of words over the situation at hand. “What the fuck?”
“I think you have finally found real human feelings, Lil.” She teases and I fake a laugh.
“Hardy har har.”
“What? Is it possible that maybe you like him a little more than just a friend?”
“You think that could be what’s making me feel sick?” My hands reach for my toned stomach.
“Maybe.” She laughs. “I mean, you two would make a smoking hot couple.”
“Fuck off.” I chuckle. “He’s gay, Evie. He wouldn’t want me.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.” Her eyebrows are sky high as she speaks and I’m so confused I don’t know what to think. My buzz evaporated as soon as Jimmy’s smooth cock head grazed against my pussy lips, maybe I’m just feeling a bitch of a hangover?
“Yeah, maybe.” I pick up my leggings and pull them up my legs then slide on my tank top, skipping my bra. “I don’t know. I’m just gonna text him, you cancel the flights?”
“Yup! I’m on it!” She sits up and pulls her laptop off the end table and into her lap. I grab my phone and step outside on to the small landing of the staircase outside our apartment door and lean my ass on the railing. Some left over snow that hasn’t fallen off the railing melts into my leggings and helps to chill the burning need Jimmy left behind. I dial his number and honestly, I’m a little surprised when he answers on the second ring.
“What’s up?” He sounds normal, not shaken up like he seemed when he left a little bit ago.
“So, Evie wants to cancel our flights to Vegas and take the next four days to drive out there, what do you say?” I could hear the sounds of his radio in his car playing but he waited a few long minutes before answering.
“Sounds good. I’ll pack up and come back over. Did she want to leave tonight or in the morning?”
“Oh, um.” I look back through the kitchen window at Evie who is clicking on her laptop and has no idea I’m staring at her. “She didn’t say but knowing her, she’ll wanna go as soon as possible.”
“Sounds fun.” He actually laughs and the sound reassures my confused heart. We’ll be okay. That almost fuck hasn’t messed us up. Well, it hasn’t messed him up, at least.
“Awesome. See you in a bit.”
“Lil?” The sound of him saying my nickname makes me freeze. The single word is packed with so unspoken questions that I’m not sure either of us know how to answer. Does he feel as confused as I do? Does he feel like it didn’t matter at all? Maybe it was only me who felt that single, earth shattering moment where nothing else existed when he held on to me.
“Yeah?”
“We’re good, right?” He pauses and I snort a little.
“Yeah, Jimmy. We’re good.” I may be lying but I’m not sure. I really don’t know what we are or why I’m having these confusing feelings for Jimmy. When he came over this morning, we were the same as we always are. We always flirt and tease but it has always been light. When he was seconds away from entering my body, something heavy settled over me. The look in his eyes and the feeling of his hand holding me so intimately snapped something inside of me. Maybe snapped isn’t right. More like something clicked into place. I felt like he was the safe place I’d always been looking for in every man that I’ve ever slept with but came out empty handed.
“’Kay. See you in a bit.” He sighs in what sounds like relief then hangs up. Forty hours, stuck with the man I might love but can’t let him find out how I really feel, and our best friend, in one car.
Jesus, let the fun begin.
Four.
Lilly
“Google Maps says it takes forty hours to get from here to Las Vegas, Nevada. If we take shifts and drive nonstop, I bet we can get there early and surprise Darius, which would be pretty awesome since he’s the one always surprising me.” Evie tells Jimmy and I as we sit around our small kitchen table planning out our trip.
“And you’ve already canceled the flights, right?” Jimmy asks Evie.
“Yup, luckily they were all insured so it only cost us fifteen dollars each to cancel the tickets. I’ll give you guys the cash to cover that but your cards will be refunded in two to four days. I have all the money for gas and food. If we stop overnight somewhere though, I’ll need help with that.” She explains.
Before today I was super excited about a weekend in Vegas. Each time we visit Darius is a blast. Because he is the Resort owner, we get treated like real V.I.P.s, free drinks, the best rooms, the works. He knows how to take care of his guests. Yet, still, I’m worried.
When Evie and Darius met, I thought it would be just a vacation fuck that she would move on and forget about, but it wasn’t. He surprised us with a trip to Denver and Evie left there with a boyfriend not just a booty call. What if he wants to take their relationship even further this time? What if he takes my best friend away from me?
I stare at the surface of the kitchen table and my fingers scratch across the smooth surface. This trip isn’t about booze and sex, I can feel it in the energy around us. This trip is screaming ooey gooey love, and there isn’t anything I can do to stop it.
“Sounds like there’s nothing to it but to do it.” Jimmy stands up and I let my eyes linger on his face. He has always been handsome to me, with his strong jaw and big blue eyes, making the perfect wing man for our many crazy adventures. His nose is perfectly straight and he has that sexy, preppy vibe about him that always draws people to him, but now, there is something new that I’m noticing about him. It’s probably the untouchable factor. I’ve always gotten what I wanted but right now I don’t know if it’ll be worth it to take it. “Are you ladies all packed?” His eyes meet mine and I look away.
“Yeah!” Evie jumps up so fast the chair she wasn’t sitting in crashes to the floor. “Oops.” She giggled and bends to pick up the turned over chair. “Yes, we are all packed. Actually, I’ve been packed for a few weeks now.” She answers with a cute blush.
It’s been a blessing that Evie met Darius when she did. I’ve watched her grow from a shy wall flower into a big bright sunflower that catches all the sun’s rays. Somedays I wish it was me who fell into the ocean and landed such a catch, okay, not sometimes, all the time.
My life is wild and crazy. A party every night. But I’m getting old and the hang overs hurt more than they used to. It’s past time for me to start thinking about growing up and finding a man strong enough to tie me down.
A man like Jimmy. No, that’s not what I meant. Or is it? He’s smart and charming and has always had my back. He already knows all of my past which would make it easy to avoid awkward pillow talk about the things and people I’ve done.
“Now all that’s left to decide is, whose v
ehicle are we taking?” Jimmy holds up his keys and the delicate tickling of the keys fills the room as we look at each other.
“I vote yours.” Evie points at Jimmy.
“So do I.” I don’t have a car, I take a cab everywhere that I need to go and Evie has a car but it’s older and always makes me think it’s plotting on crapping out as soon as we get on a deserted road where no one will be able to find us.
“Good, me too. I’ll take first shift.” Jimmy tosses his keys in the air and snatches them on their way back down. “Let’s pack it up. It’s going to be a long ass trip.” Evie darts off to her room to grab her bags and I do the same. But no darting or dashing for me. I’m moving like a slug. This weird air between Jimmy and I is weighing me down.
In my room, I shut the door and sit on the bed near my suitcases to take one last moment to myself before I’m locked in the car with Jimmy and Evie. Maybe I should just get drunk? That way I won’t have to feel this feeling turning my stomach upside down.
A soft knocking sounds against my door and I stand up before calling out. “Yeah? Come in.” The door opens and Jimmy is standing on the other side.
“Need a hand?” I smile at him and nod.
“You know I don’t like to carry my own things.” He chuckles and steps into my room. Something shifts as he enters, my skin becomes hyper aware of his presence and my nostrils flare to take in his sweet scent. He stops laughing and I know now that he feels it, too. Jimmy clears his throat and bends to lift my suitcase.
“Just this one?” His glance is skeptical which makes me laugh again.
“Yup, I’m finally traveling light. Bikinis and cocktail dresses are all I need for Vegas, baby.”
“Well, I’ll be.” He carries my one bag out of my room and I pick up my purse to follow him. The apartment is quiet and Evie is nowhere to be seen. I check all the windows and shut off all the lights. Jimmy’s left to put my bag in the car and I leave last, locking the door and praying I can get through this trip without losing one or both of my best friends.
Evie’s claimed the front passenger seat and that’s just fine with me. I can’t be that close to Jimmy right now. He’s loaded my bag with Evie’s in the back of his white Jeep Grand Cherokee and slams the hatch shut as I come down the stairs.
“Jump in, sweet cheeks.” He winks at me and my heart throbs like crazy. I clutch my purse tighter and force my face not to expose my emotions. He gets into the driver’s seat as I climb into the back and toss my purse on to the free seat next to me. I curl down into the comfort of the cloth seats as we pull away from the curb and my life as I know it. I watch our apartment fade in the distance while listening to Jimmy and Evie talk about how many hours each of us will drive before we switch. “We just need to stop for gas and snacks before we really head out.” Jimmy states.
A couple miles down the road we pull into a gas station and Evie turns back to me. “Do you want anything special?”
“No, I’m good for now but I’ll come in to pee.” I offer her a fake smile that she doesn’t return. She knows something is off, she isn’t as good at hiding how she feels as I am. I use the bathroom while Jimmy pumps the gas and Evie purchases too many snacks. I come out of the bathroom just in time for her to hand me all of her bags to carry to the car while she takes her turn in the bathroom.
Back in the car I stash all the snacks on top of my purse and catch Jimmy looking at me in the rearview mirror. He doesn’t speak and neither do I. I slouch back down and he turns up the radio a little to fill the void of us not talking. Evie bursts back into the car like a whirlwind storm of happy excitement.
“Vegas, here we come!” She claps and Jimmy laughs as he pulls away from the small store. Together they sing the songs on the radio and I pretend to fall asleep. On the highway we speed up and the reality settles over me.
Forty hours with these two nerds that I love more than I thought I did. At some point my pretend falling asleep turns to a real cat nap and I only wake up when we stop again for gas. “Bathroom break?” Jimmy asks softly. I rub my eyes and shake my head.
“Where are we?”
“A little way into New York, we’re making great time.” He answers and I notice Evie isn’t in her seat as I sit up to stretch my back.
“Holy fuck,” I yawn. “I slept all the way to New York?” He nods at me.
“You sure did. Must be because I’m such a great driver, huh?” I snort and nod.
“Yup, that must be it.” I open the door and swing my tired legs out. “Are you and Evie switching for the next part?”
“We were going to but I’m good to drive. I can do another few hours before needing one of you to take over.” He replies with a smile.
“Okay.” I shut the door and whine at how stiff my legs are already. Again, Jimmy pumps the gas and I pass Evie on the way to the bathroom.
“Hey, sleepy head, you okay?” She looks concerned but I can’t handle her feelings right now, too. I’m having a hard enough time dealing with what’s going on inside of me.
“Good as ever.” I push a smile across my lips and shut myself into the bathroom. The bathroom is clean for a gas station but I scrub my hands a bit extra in the burning water of the sink to kill whatever germs I may have picked up.
This time when I get back in the car, I turn my back towards the door and forgo buckling my seatbelt. Comfort over safety, then throw my legs over the center cup holder. I peek through the bag of snacks to find Evie bought all the good stuff. M&M’s, cheese puffs, Bugles and energy drinks.
Ripping the corner of an M&M bag, I dump a few color coated candies into my hand and pop them into my mouth. Evie is telling Jimmy about a purple vibrator Darius bought her and had her use on herself while she was at work. My brows cinch together as I listen and then I lean forward to poke my head between their seats.
“What the hell are you saying?” I ask in shock. “You, Evie Parks, did what? At work?”
“I know.” She giggles and looks at me with a red face. “It was so bad but so good. God, was it good. I’d never think that I could do something so,” She holds up her hands. “Crazy!”
“I told you.” Jimmy points with one finger. “Didn’t I?”
“What? You told her what?” I ask, hating like I’m out of the loop on their little conversation.
“On the way to Denver I told her I thought Darius had a little freak in him considering the kinds of clubs attached to his Resorts. She didn’t believe me but I tried to tell her.” He has this arrogantly smug look on his face and I look back at Evie who is rolling her eyes.
“I guess I should trust you when it comes to reading men.” She chortles.
“Damn right.” His gaze flicks to the review mirror and land on mine. I freeze mid chew and stare into the blue depth. “Women, too.”
“You’re just a know it all, huh?” She teases him. Finally, he looks away to focus back on the road. The sun has set a while ago and the night is lit up only by the tail lights of the cars in front of us and the headlights of those on the other side of the highway.
“I like to think of it as just being able to read people really well. It’s a good skill for a man like me to have.”
“What time are we supposed to get to Vegas?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“If we keep this pace, GPS says we’ll get there late Thursday afternoon.” Jimmy answers. “It’ll all depend on how many bathroom and fill up breaks we need and if you ladies wanna take turns driving or stop somewhere.”
“I’m good driving straight through.” Evie bounces in her seat.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” I shrug. “I’m just along for the ride.” Jimmy’s eyes find mine again and I lean back into my seat, plopping a few more M&M’s in my mouth.
Five.
Evie
Twenty-eight hours in a Jeep with two other people is twenty-seven too many, let me tell you. I love them both, but damn. Lilly isn’t acting like herself, which, if we are being honest is probably a good thing. If sh
e was acting normal she’d be talking our ears off and never letting us get a word in. While it’s making for a more comfortable trip, I’m starting to get a little worried. She’s quiet and keeps looking away every time Jimmy looks in her direction. The two of them are usually joined at the hip and full of giggles but after catching them almost joined at the genitals, Lilly seems shaken, even if she thinks she’s hiding it well, I got news for her. She isn’t doing a very good job.
Jimmy isn’t quite right either. He’s laughing and singing with me but when he checks the review mirror I know he isn’t looking at the road. His knuckles grip the wheel so tight that they are constantly a pale white against his tan fingers.
We still have twelve hours to go until we see the bright lights of Vegas. We’ve stopped in a few places along the way. None of them were worth writing home about. Just hole in the wall gas stations for us to relieve our bladders and restock our snack pile. I swear I’ve never eaten so much junk food in my life!
Each time we stopped, after Jimmy sat at the wheel for ten hours straight, we switched drivers. I drove for almost twelve hours while Jimmy slept beside me. I hated to give up the wheel, it gave me something to do, something to focus on rather than sit uncomfortably for seemingly endless hours of watching the scenery change from the mountains of New England to the flat miles of the mid-west. It was fun at first but grew old quickly. The country’s ever changing landscape was much more exciting while I was behind the wheel. We did however stop in Denver, just now, to refuel, and I couldn’t help but look toward the mountain where Dissolute Resort stands tall on its snowy peaks.
My cheeks turned bright pink thinking of how Darius made love to me in the hot tub on the balcony just outside of his room while the snow fell over us. It was magical, the intense heat of the water and the chill of the snowflakes kissing my overheated body. My spine tingles at the memory of his hands, his face, and the way I felt in that space of time. It was the place where he told me he didn’t just want to be friends who fucked occasionally but he wanted me as his girlfriend.