The Weird Travels of Aimee Schmidt: Seeking Others

by J. A. Schreckenbach

  Aimee immediately asked, “Dylan, why are we here?”

  “Well, I wanted to have you just to myself tonight. So, we have a reservation.”

  “But I don't have any clothes...” Aimee started.

  Dylan interrupted with a smirk, “And you won't need any.”

  Aimee popped him lightly, then commented, “Okay, but at least a toothbrush would be nice.”

  “We'll get one in the gift shop,” he replied. “Actually,” he started while he reached into the back, “I do have your toothbrush, and some other assorted stuff Sacha thought you might need.” He pulled a small bag across the console.

  “You sneaky devil,” Aimee said. He seemed to think of everything when he planned surprises.

  Before long they were inside their room. Dylan apparently had already checked in and had a bottle of champagne cooling in some ice and a small bowl of scrumptious, juicy red strawberries. Two glasses waited to be filled.

  Aimee pulled the bottle from the icy container and remarked, “You really are full of surprises. Where did you snag a bottle of champagne?”

  “A friend bought it for us,” he answered as he took it from Aimee and began to open it. “Would you like a glass? I just thought since we aren't going anywhere else, and it is a special evening, we could enjoy a bottle together. You don't have to, if you don't want some. I just thought...”

  Aimee broke in, “Dylan, that's really nice. Of course I'll try a glass.”

  “Good,” he said while he continued to open the bottle. Aimee slid off her shoes and got comfortable on the couch. In a quick minute, Dylan joined her with two glasses of champagne with a strawberry in each glass.

  Dylan informed her, “Strawberries and champagne are supposed to go together.”

  “Oh,” Aimee said. She sniffed her glass and the bubbles tickled her nose. She giggled. “It's like drinking a bubbly glass of soda.”

  “Yeah, except it has a bit of a kick,” Dylan added. “Go slow. I don't want you to get too tipsy.”

  “I thought that was the point,” Aimee said. “You get a little drunk, and then all you want to do is be naughty.”

  “Well, then,” Dylan said, “get a little drunk, but only a little. I want us to spend the whole night together.”

  Dylan clinked Aimee's glass and toasted her. “Here's to you, Marie Aimee Schmidt, the most beautiful and kind-hearted person in this world. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

  Moisture immediately welled up behind her lids. “Thank you, Dylan,” she said softly. They kissed quickly, then Aimee took a slow, but long sip of the champagne. The bubbles tickled her nose as she drank. She stopped and giggled again. “Wow, this is nice.”

  “You like?” Dylan asked.

  “Yeah, I like. I didn't like the beer we had at our Going Away party, and I've never drank wine before, other than communion wine, so I just assumed all alcohol was nasty. But I like this.” She took another long sip and then put her glass down. Dylan had already finished off his glass.

  “Would you like some more?” he asked.

  “Maybe after,” she answered.

  He grinned and put the opened bottle back in the chilled container. “Do you have something else in mind?” he asked as he sat down and scooted as close to her as he could. His hand naturally attached to her thigh on top of her dress. Aimee moved it under her dress, and he smiled and added, “I've had my mind on this all evening.”

  “Me, too,” she agreed as she moved his hand up higher.

  It didn't take two minutes and they were naked and having wild, passionate sex on the king-sized bed. The rest of the night went as planned, and they finally fell asleep in each other's arms shortly before dawn.

  **********

  “Sacha, I wanna ask you something,” Aimee said while they prepared a quick dinner together. Everyone was in the middle of finals, and they were going to eat and get back to studying. Dylan was on his way over, and James was taking a catnap on the couch.

  “What can I help you with?” she asked.

  “Well, Dylan always goes way over the top with his surprises. Gosh, he's such a romantic. I don't have that kind of money, only I want to do something really special for his birthday next week. Finals will be over and we have a couple weeks before we go to New York. He's always surprising me, so I'd really like to do something special for him. I don't know enough of his friends to do a party. What do you think I should do?” questioned Aimee. She had been wrestling with what to do for Dylan's birthday. She had a couple hundred dollars put aside for his present, but she couldn't decide what to get him.

  “You know, you love the coast, and I think you've got him turned on to it, too, so why don't you spend the weekend somewhere special,” suggested Sacha.

  “Hey, I like that idea, and I think I know a perfect place. It's really beautiful in the winter, and not crowded at all so we would have the beach all to ourselves, most likely. Thanks, Sach, I knew you could help,” Aimee said while she rinsed the lettuce for the salad.

  That night after Dylan left, Aimee searched the Internet to find a nice hotel at Oceanside. She had surfed there with her dad and Mel numerous times, but they camped out when they went, so she needed to do some research to find a nice hotel. Finally after looking at every option, she found one with an ocean view she thought would be perfect. She grabbed her wallet and snatched her debit card, then made reservations for the upcoming weekend. It was a couple days ahead of Dylan's birthday, but he wouldn't mind celebrating it twice. Unlike Aimee, he liked celebrating his birthday, and was quick to let Aimee know he hoped they could celebrate his special day on the actual day. He even made a point of telling her what cake was his favorite. Aimee figured she better make every effort to go over the top and surprise him with a really nice present. She printed her receipt and tucked it in her wallet satisfied it was going to meet Dylan's expectations.

  Her chemistry final was the next day so she figured she better try to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be tough to get through, so she quickly prepared for bed, and despite being anxious over the test, she felt she was as ready as possible. Surprisingly, she slid into sleep rather easily.

  Aimee had taken precautions over the past month to stay off campus, except to shoot into class, so she wouldn't run into Joseph again. She raced from her car to class and then back, and managed to get through the rest of the quarter without seeing Joseph since the unfortunate time she traveled in front of him. It felt wrong not telling Dylan that Joseph was in Eugene, but she figured it would create a problem if he knew. So after her chem final, she sighed in relief, not just because she was through with chemistry, but also because she wouldn't have to worry about running into Joseph, especially with Dylan. They would be gone from Eugene almost the entire time until the Winter quarter began. At some point she was going to have to tell Dylan he was at UC, but not now. It could wait until after the holiday break. With his birthday coming up in a few days, and Christmas with their families, then their trip to New York, she wanted to avoid anything that might spoil their time together.

  Aimee's phone vibrated in her console as she was driving home. She tapped her bluetooth.

  “Hey there,” she answered, “how did your algebra exam go?”

  Dylan sighed, then answered, “Okay, I think. I'm just glad to have it out of the way. How did your chem final go?”

  Aimee sighed, too, and replied, “I think I might have pulled a B, which means I'll squeak by with a B in the class.”

  “Hey, that's great. I'd be happy with a B in chemistry.”

  “Yeah, but I was hoping to have two A's my first quarter. Oh well, at least that class is over and I don't have to take another chem for my sciences.”

  “Well, what are we gonna do this weekend now that we don't have any studying?” Dylan asked.

  Aimee snickered. “I can think of something.”

  Dylan laughed, “Dang woman, is that all you think about?”

  “No, but now that we don't have to worry about school, I'd like
to spend a little more time together.”

  “Yeah, me too. Let's plan on spending every day together we can until we start back.”

  “You promise?” Aimee asked.

  “Yep, I promise. Hey, I'm almost to the dorm. I'll be by in about forty-five minutes. Do you wanna go out to celebrate finishing our first quarter?”

  “Sure, that would be nice. Hey Dylan...” Aimee began before they ended the call.

  “Yeah.”

  “Don't make any plans for this weekend. Okay?”

  “I wasn't gonna do anything, other than spend it with you, and work out at the gym. Why?”

  “It's a surprise. I can't tell you, but I think you'll like it.”

  “A surprise, for me?” Dylan asked, his voice rising on the end.

  “Yeah, and don't try to pull it out of me, or think you'll get Sacha or James to tell you what it is. They don't know, and I'm not telling, other than we're gonna spend the weekend together.”

  Dylan chuckled. “Well, that sounds fun, but I bet you'll tell me before Saturday comes. You know you're not very good at keeping secrets.”

  Yeah, right, Aimee thought. If you only knew all the secrets I have to keep, and not just from you, you'd think I worked for the CIA. “I don't know what you're talking about. Me? I can, too, keep a secret, and you won't get me to tell you anything, except I'll be by to pick you up around nine on Saturday, and you need to have an overnight bag packed.”

  “Would this have anything to do with my birthday coming up?” Dylan continued to pry.

  Aimee squealed, “Dylan! Didn't I just tell you I'm not telling you anything, other than we're spending the weekend together.”

  “All right. But you have to at least tell me what I need to pack.”

  “Okay, but that's all I'll tell you. You know you're not the only one who can have surprises.”

  Dylan laughed. “Geez, Aimee, now I'm gonna be spending the next couple of days trying to figure it out.”

  Aimee grinned to herself. She was going to enjoy making him wonder what she was planning. “Hey, I'm pulling in,” she informed Dylan. “I'm gonna take a shower before you get here. I'll see you in a bit.”

  Dylan replied, “Okay. See you in a few.”

  Aimee tapped her bluetooth, grabbed her backpack, and flew inside. She was in an exceptionally good mood since finals were over, and Dylan had made it clear they were going to spend the entire holiday break together. She knew he had some practices he had to go to since the bowl game was the Thursday after New Year's, but that would still give them a lot of quality time together.

  Aimee came through the front door singing. James looked up from the book he was studying. He commented, “Well, you seem to be in a rather jolly mood. I take it you didn't flunk your chem final.”

  “Nope. I actually think I pulled a B.”

  “Well, good for you. The way you've gone on about that class, I'm surprised you passed.”

  “I'm not a moron. I had to work my butt off to get that B, but I did it.”

  James snickered. “Yeah, you did it, but aren't you the one who always gets only A's?”

  Aimee wrinkled her nose at her brother, then stated, “Well, I'm happy with my B. So, what's your GPA, Mr. Know-It-All?”

  “Nunya,” he sparked back, “but I'm pulling a full load and working full time, and it's better than yours. Now leave me alone so I can get back to studying.”

  Aimee didn't have time to argue with James. He could really get on her nerves, but she wasn't going to let his crabby disposition spoil her good mood. She loved her brother and his fiancée, but she was looking forward to having a break from them. Other than the weekend before Christmas, when they would all be back in Medford, she would be away from the apartment. And when she returned from New York, she was seriously hoping that Dylan would have found them a place to live. She had promised herself she wasn't going to push it, but the quarter was over and he hadn't brought it up since the end of November. She was getting worried maybe he was having second thoughts about moving in together, especially since it had created a major divide between him and his dad. Oh well, she thought, I'll just have to keep praying it's gonna happen.

  After a quick shower, Aimee dressed and was brushing her hair when the phone rang. Dad lit up the screen.

  “Hey, Dad,” Aimee answered.

  “So, how did you do on your chem final?” he quizzed.

  “Good. I think I pulled a B, and a B in the class.”

  Dad spouted, “That's great, not just good!”

  “Yeah, well, I was hoping for two A's since I was taking a light load, but chemistry isn't my best subject.”

  “Well, it's over, and you did fine,” Dad remarked. “So, how did Dylan finish?”

  “He did good, too. We're both glad to be through.”

  Dad continued, “So, are you gonna come home for a while before you go to New York?”

  “Just the weekend before. I have to work as much as possible since I'm taking a week off.”

  “Oh,” Dad replied, a hint of disappointment obvious in his voice. “I was hoping you'd get to spend at least a week at home.”

  “Dad, you don't need me and Dylan, or James and Sacha, hanging out at the house. You just got married.”

  “Aimee, Hannah would love to have y'all come for a visit. We miss you, and Zonker still sleeps on your bed waiting for you to come home.”

  Aimee paused a few seconds so the lump in her throat could pass. She missed being home, especially seeing her old pal, Z Boy, but she knew it wouldn't be the same. Dad was married now. She liked Hannah, but she wanted to spend every spare minute she could with Dylan, and by themselves. Finally she could talk. “Dad, that's so not fair. You know I want to bring Zonker to live with me.”

  “I know, sweetheart, but this is the only home he knows. Besides, if he stays here, I know you'll come visit.”

  “Geez, Dad, you really are so unfair. How did you know I only come to see Zonker?” Aimee teased.

  Dad chuckled. “Promise me you'll spend as much time as you can with us next weekend. I know you have to share some time with Paul and Jill, but we really have missed you.”

  Aimee felt the lump swell again. “Dad, I promise. We'll split the time equally. I'll talk to you before we come.”

  “Okay. Tell James I'll check on him tomorrow after his last final.”

  “Will do.” Aimee ended the call just as she heard a knock at the door. She grabbed her wallet from her pack, then raced out of the room.

  “Bye,” she said shortly as she flew by.

  “Bye,” James replied without looking up.

  Aimee opened the door and before Dylan could step in, she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.

  “Hey, what's the rush?” he asked.

  “Let's get out of here. I need time, just the two of us, by ourselves. Okay?” Aimee answered in a rather imploring tone.

  “Sure,” he replied, “whatever you want.”

  As they pulled out of the parking lot, Dylan asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Yep, except my brother can really get on my nerves. I wish I had my own place.”

  Dylan glanced over quickly at Aimee. “Working on it. I've gotta get out of the dorm by the first.”

  “Really?” Aimee replied, with a new ray of hope shooting through her.

  “Yep, but we have too much going on the next few weeks, so give me a little time to get everything squared away.”

  A few weeks was no problem to wait until they could move in together. At least it was still on Dylan's mind, so she could certainly wait as long as it took.

  “All right,” Aimee agreed, “just give me a few days notice so I can let Mr. Grumpy know I'm moving, and I can get packed.”

  Dylan smiled again, then said, “Sure thing.”

  Even though it felt incredibly relaxing to not have classes, and she and Dylan spent as much time together as possible, the next couple of days seemed to drag. Aimee was excited about the upcoming weekend, and she co
uldn't wait for it to arrive. At last, on Saturday morning she called Dylan before she left her apartment. On the first ring he answered, “Good morning.”

  “You're up?”

  “I'm up and packed, as instructed. Are you on your way?”

  “I'll be there in about five minutes. I thought we would stop at the Koffee Haus before we head out of town.”

  “That sounds good. So where did you say we were going?” Dylan asked.

  Aimee popped back, “Nice try. I didn't say, and it's still a surprise.”

  “Darn,” Dylan grumbled. “I figured I could get you to talk before today. You really are good at keeping secrets.”

  Aimee snickered, then ordered, “For the next few hours, I want you to sit back and just enjoy the ride.”

  Three hours later, they pulled into Oceanside. Dylan had been snoozing since Salem. He sat up suddenly and looked around. “Where are we?” he asked through a yawn.

  “Oceanside,” answered Aimee.

  “Oceanside? As in Oceanside, Oregon?” he quizzed.

  “Yep. Have you ever been here?”

  “Nope, but anywhere on the coast is awesome.”

  Aimee grinned as she noticed the hotel coming up. “Well, I think you'll really like the beach here. I think it's one of the prettiest we have in Oregon.”

  Dylan's face was bright with excitement. “Hey,” he suddenly realized, “we didn't bring our boards or suits, or anything to surf.”

  Aimee pulled her Camry into a space, put it in Park and said, “I thought we would just spend the time enjoying the water from our room, and walking and combing the beach. Is that okay?” A big smile covered his face as he nodded. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart,” Aimee softly said as she leaned across the console, her lips ready to meet his.

  “Thank you, Aimee,” he said, “this is one of the best gifts you could have gotten me.” Their lips touched, and electricity shot through both of their bodies like a thunderstorm.

  The room was just like it looked in the picture; beautiful with an incredible view of the ocean. Aimee felt Dylan's birthday weekend was going to be even better than hers a couple weeks earlier.