Finding Our Course: Collision Course Duet

by Ahren Sanders

  “Fine? Do you know what I’m probably walking into? WE are walking into? I know you may not like my decision to go to Israel, but I expect you to respect it. Especially with my parents about to go berserk. Nate too. He may be your best friend, but I’m going to be your wife, and we need to establish boundaries right now. He’s always been protective, but he forbid—”

  “Devon, take a breath,” he interrupts. “It’s going to be FINE. We’re not walking into an ambush. I’ve already had a discussion with Nate. He’s not going to get in your face about this. Tonight is about our homecoming and figuring out our schedule. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

  I blink hard and shake my head to make sure I’m not asleep and imagining this. Bryce may be a master at conflict resolution, but there’s no way he’s going to calm my family. I’d bet my car that they’ve been stewing over this since we hung up the telephone. By now, my mom’s likely planned a way to force me home for the summer, so she can watch my every move.

  “Baby, are you insane?”

  “Yes, insane about you, and I put my foot down. Told Nate to get everyone’s shit together and let us have a nice night. Tomorrow, we can work through the details and the discussions. They agreed.”

  My shoulders relax as I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “And that is why I love you so much, Mr. Randolph.”

  He smiles and turns into my parents’ driveway. I giggle when I spot Quinn’s car in the mix. She texted this morning and promised we were prepared to argue like professionals when our families tried to shut down our trip.

  As soon as the car is stopped, the front door flies open, and Quinn comes barreling out, running directly to me. Before I can speak, she squeezes me until the air leaves my lungs.

  “No mention of Israel.”

  “Bryce said they’re leaving it alone tonight. We’re safe,” I wheeze, trying to breathe.

  She steps away and scans my face. Then she breaks out in a wide smile and kisses my cheek loudly. “Glad you’re home.”

  “Hey, Quinn, how’s it going?” Bryce comes around the car and smirks at her.

  “Very funny, lover boy. I’m still mad at you for leaving me behind.” She huffs, crossing her arms.

  “Believe me, this was not a trip for mixed company.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and she fakes gagging.

  Bryce wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads us to the house.

  “About time you guys got here. I’m starving!” Nate yells when we walk in.

  My dad pulls me into a hug while shaking Bryce’s hand. Bryce’s parents, Karen and Steve, greet us next in the same way. I slip away when I spot Quinn’s parents, Michelle and Paul, standing in the middle of the room, smiling.

  I rush to them and throw my arms around their shoulders. “What are y’all doing here?”

  “You don’t think we’d miss your engagement celebration, do you?” Michelle smiles warmly.

  “What are you talking about?” I turn and look around the room. My jaw drops.

  There’s a ‘congratulations’ banner hanging on the fireplace and several pictures of Bryce and me on the mantle. I look past everyone’s smiling faces, and when my eyes land on Bryce, his lips twitch then curl in a smug grin.

  “You knew about this?” I question him.

  “I may have.”

  “You didn’t think to tell me?”

  “Why would I do that? It was a surprise.”

  I catch Quinn’s smirk and narrow my eyes at her. “You should have warned me!” I wave my hand down my body in disgust. “I’m in cut-off shorts and a tank top!” She shrugs, completely uncaring.

  “You look absolutely fine. And besides, this is casual and all family.” My mom comes to me and tucks my hair behind my ear. “We didn’t really get to celebrate your actual engagement last week. The guys’ graduation was the focus. So Shelia and I decided we wanted to celebrate the right way. Tonight is all about you and Bryce.”

  I look at Shelia, Bryce’s mom, and my throat clogs with emotion when our eyes lock. She’s beaming.

  There are so many arguments running through my head, because in my mind, we did celebrate last week. But the only thing I can say is a quiet, “Thank you.”

  Mom nods, clearly hearing the emotions in my voice. Bryce comes to my side and puts an arm around my waist, kissing my temple. His blue eyes sparkle with happiness.

  “Forgive me?” he asks playfully.

  “Yes, but only because this is the type of surprise that includes champagne.”

  “Noted.”

  “Bryce, you’ve had her to yourself for an entire week. Think you can share for a few hours?” Quinn says sarcastically.

  He scowls at her until they both burst into laughter. A second later, everyone joins in, and champagne is served. The dread I felt in the car is forgotten.

  “Do we have any idea of the travel schedule yet?” I ask Quinn as we clean the kitchen. It’s the first time since I got home that we’ve been alone.

  “Professor Grant will be leading the program. He won’t tell us who, but he’s supposedly spoken to a few well-known journalists with Fox, NBC, and ABC who will be joining us. The group is scheduled to leave around the first of June. Once we officially accept, he’ll send us more information, including vaccination forms.”

  I nod and look around the corner to make sure no one’s coming then turn back. “How did you get your parents off your back? I was only able to because I was two states away.”

  “Told them we’d discuss it when you got back. They know we do this together. Even though Bryce said tonight was safe, I suspect our mothers are currently figuring out a way to bring it up.”

  “Bring what up?” Bryce walks in with Nate following.

  “Nothing, lover boy. We’re just catching up.”

  He hands me my phone and slides an arm around my shoulders. “Babe, your email is going crazy. May want to check it.”

  “I’ll take care of it after you leave. Don’t want to be rude.”

  He gives me a sideways glance and raises his eyebrows in question. “Where am I going?”

  “Don’t you have to go home?”

  “I guess, if you’d prefer to stay at my parents’ place, we could. But it may hurt Karen’s feelings.”

  “What are you talking about?” It’s my turn to be confused.

  “I figured we’d stay here a few days until we leave for Knoxville.”

  “Stay here together? In my parents’ house, with them here?”

  Quinn giggles while Nate looks at me like I’m an idiot.

  “Yes, babe, I talked to our parents. We did just return from a week away together. Not to mention being engaged takes us to a new status level.”

  “And my dad agreed to this?” I question in disbelief. “Sure, my mom is pretty liberal, but Dad is—”

  “Having a heart attack,” Nate tells us. “But Bryce can be pretty convincing.”

  “I’d really like to know how in the hell you pulled that off.” I glare at Bryce, who’s grinning cockily.

  “I did have to promise to keep my hands to myself,” he leans in and whispers.

  “Well, I guess I won’t be staying over tonight. Thanks a lot.” Quinn pouts.

  He doesn’t seem to care and ignores her completely. My phone dings again with an email.

  I open it and bite my lip nervously. It’s been such a terrific night; I hate to ruin it. Quinn slides next to me, pushing Bryce to the side. She reads over my shoulder, and we share a quick glance.

  “Who’s trying to get a hold of you?” Bryce questions, stepping behind me and kissing my head lightly.

  “It’s Professor Grant. He’s scheduled a video-conference in two days to discuss the Summer Expo.”

  “That’ll work out great since we leave for Knoxville the next day.” He says it so casually that both mine and Quinn’s heads snap up.

  There is no sign of anxiety or worry at all on his face. Even Nate nods and then walks out of the kitchen.

  For a group of
people adamantly opposed to this trip less than a week ago, it’s eerily calm.

  Something’s going on.

  Chapter 2

  Bryce runs his lips lightly across my shoulder, and I smile into my pillow. “Time to get up, beautiful,” he mumbles against my skin.

  “Hmmm, what time is it?”

  “Almost nine. I’m about to leave, and you have that call soon.”

  I open my eyes and sigh when I see Bryce already dressed in his workout clothes. “Why are you dressed?”

  “Because I promised your dad I’d behave while we slept in his home. When I woke up this morning, my dick was harder than fucking steel, and it was best for me to get up before I lost the battle raging in my head to ravage you.”

  “That sounds really fun.” I run my fingers up his arms.

  “Stop, babe. We’ll be in Knoxville tomorrow night.”

  “But Nate will be there,” I whine.

  “Nate will go out with the guys, have a few beers, and maybe even pick up his own woman.”

  I scrunch my nose. “Let’s not discuss that… ever again.”

  Bryce chuckles then tugs me into his chest. “He’s waiting downstairs. I need to go. We’re doing a six-mile run and then a full workout. I’ll be back in a few hours. Tonight, we’re doing dinner with my parents.”

  “Did you say six-miles?”

  “Yeah.” He leans back and looks at me. “Devon, part of my training in Officer Candidate School is physical. I’ve got to catch up. We took a week off, remember?”

  “I thought we got pretty physical.” I kiss the underside of his jaw and feel it tighten.

  “Jesus, I’m going to need another cold shower.”

  “Fine!” I turn away from him and smile sweetly. “I can wait until tomorrow, but I want to give you something to think about.”

  Without warning, I run my hand down his stomach and into the waistband of his shorts. Once I hit his erection, I rub my thumb across the tip gently. “Love you, Bryce,” I whisper and pull back, rolling off the bed.

  He exhales loudly and stares at the ceiling. “This is my punishment. Falling madly in love with my best friend’s sister means I can’t fuck the shit out of her like I want to for the next four days without threat of an ass-kicking.”

  “We’ll figure something out, or we’ll get creative.”

  He stands up and pulls me flush against him. “Kiss me.”

  I slap my hand over my mouth. “Need to brush my teeth,” I mutter through my fingers.

  His eyes darken, and he gently lowers my hand away. His soft lips rub back and forth across mine lightly. I melt into him and squeeze his hips.

  “Do me a favor,” he whispers between pecks. “Talk to your mom today and let her know we’re going to stay with my parents when we get back from Knoxville. Mom wants us there some before we both leave. You need to prepare Karen.”

  “I’ll take care of it. She’ll understand.”

  He kisses me again and steps back, turning to leave. I stare at the perfect form of his ass in the black mesh running shorts and lick my lips, tasting him.

  “Devon,” he groans. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  I shrug and wink then turn to my bathroom. “Love you. Have fun.”

  “Love you too. Let me know what happens.”

  I take my time getting ready and set up my computer, testing the link Professor Grant emailed everyone.

  “Is it safe to come in?” Quinn yells through my door as she knocks loudly.

  “Yes, you idiot.” I swing it open and scowl at her. “Bryce isn’t even here.”

  “I know. Just wanted to tease you.” She throws her purse on my dresser and crawls onto my bed, making herself comfortable. “Since we haven’t had one second alone since you got fucking engaged, please tell me we’re doing something fun after we’re done with this.”

  “It’s only been a week and a few days. I thought we’d go shopping. We’ll probably need some special gear and digital devices. Not to mention, we’ll need to find a way to get our phones to work overseas.”

  “Ooohhhh, who’s the serious, organized one today? I was thinking more along the line of pedicures.”

  “Quinn, this is serious.”

  “Bitch, remember the research I did? I know more about the history of Israel than probably anyone in our group. It still pisses me off that our parents didn’t even blink an eye. After the shit-fits they gave us, I was prepared for much more than a simple ‘we’re dealing with it’.”

  I sit next to her and position the computer so we can both see easily. “No doubt. It surprised the shit out of me, too. I’ve tried to get Bryce to talk to me, but he said it was worthless until I got the details today.”

  “What’s the deal with Bryce and Nate? Dean told me their situation with OCS was unusual, especially with their ROTC experience.”

  “It is. Apparently, Bryce and Nate were technically classified as Commissioned Officers once they graduated. Since they both studied Engineering, they asked if they could attend Officer Candidate School. It was unnecessary, but they were given special permission. I have a feeling Bryce worked his voodoo magic. According to Nate, it’s highly uncommon. I felt like an idiot when Bryce explained it to me.”

  “Wow, so they’re asking to go into intensive training for twelve weeks?”

  “Yeah, seems so. Something to do with their long term plans.”

  I log us in, dial the phone number listed, and hear a series of beeps as others join the call. The large screen shows an office and Professor Grant staring into the screen. A small box pops up on the lower right corner, which captures Quinn and I from my computer cam. A few minutes pass, and finally, Professor Grant turns on his sound.

  “Hello all. Thanks so much for joining me this morning. Usually, we’d have a meeting on campus, but since most of you are home for a small break before summer semester, this was the best option. I can see each of you, but you can only see me. If you have a question, press star-eight, and you will be live.

  “Let me recap the email sent out last week. Obviously, if you are on this call, you have been accepted to the School of Journalism Summer Expo. Each year, the school recognizes talented individuals in all areas of journalism and communication. These students are vetted through an application process and invited on a five to six week expedition.

  “Our goal is multi-fold. First, the University wants to foster the talent and academics for your long-term success. We have relationships with some of the most highly acclaimed news networks and magazines in the country who support this effort. Secondly, this is an opportunity to bring awareness to certain social and cultural issues around the globe. The school takes this job very seriously and is grateful for your commitment, so thank you.”

  He pauses and then smiles widely on the screen, changing his entire persona. “Now that the standard bullshit is out of the way, let me tell you all congratulations! I’m honored to work with this crew of young talent. Each year, the professors assigned brag they have the best group, but I’ve already told my peers that YOU are the best group to have under my guidance.”

  His excitement is contagious, and there are a few star-eights pressed, followed by a chorus of ‘hell yeah’ and ‘damn straight’. He smiles and waits for the chatter to die down. When it gets quiet, I swear his eyes are on Quinn and me when he speaks.

  “Since the original email went out, there have been some major and significant changes. Valid concerns were presented to the University President, the Dean of our School, and myself. We listened and took into account what was being said. In the end, and for the safety of our group, we will no longer be traveling to Israel.”

  My heart falls to my stomach and then begins racing. Quinn shifts so fast the computer slides to the side, and I clumsily catch it before it hits the ground. It takes a few seconds for the both of us to get settled. When we do, Professor Grant is looking directly at us.

  “Miss Harris, Miss Jackson, is there a problem?” His lip slants upwa
rd, twitching.

  “Star-eight his ass and answer him,” Quinn hisses.

  “You star-eight him. I don’t want to.”

  She hands me the phone, and I swat her hand away. She squeaks loudly, trying to press the buttons.

  “Ladies, I can see you.” Professor Grant is laughing at us now. “If you’re ready, I’ll continue.”

  Heat creeps up my cheeks, and I watch Quinn bite her lip, trying not to smile. We both nod.

  “With full disclosure, I’ll explain why we changed our minds. Within thirty- six hours of announcing our location, we received mounds of calls expressing concern. Most of your parents called, emailed, or in some cases, made personal visits to our offices. The arguments were compelling, to say the least.”

  Quinn grasps my hand, and we communicate without words. This was us. Somehow, someway, our families orchestrated this sabotage. It probably wasn’t hard if the other parents were as upset as ours. But how the hell did they pull this off? There are sixteen people in our group. How did they get the names?

  Then it hits me like a ton of bricks, and my blood runs hot. No wonder Bryce was so calm about the whole thing, and my parents nonchalantly mentioned me being gone this summer.

  The eruption of massive proportions from everyone never came because they all knew. We weren’t going to Israel— they made sure of it.

  “We shared this with our sponsors, and the decision was made to change our location. Lucky for us, there was a project readily available that would support our numbers.”

  I ball my fists and beat lightly on my knees. Quinn’s eyes are wide as she looks back and forth between me and the screen.

  “I’m going to kill them. Could this be more humiliating? Everyone has to know it was us,” I snip to Quinn, and she nods, giving me a nasty glare.

  “Where should we start?” she asks under her breath.

  “I’m assuming my pushy, overprotective fiancé. He’s probably the one who spear-headed this. He’s the only one who knew, outside of me and you, until we told our families.”

  “I see irritation and uncertainty crossing some of your faces. Let me assure you, this was the best decision with the current unrest in certain parts of the country. We were already questioning backing out, and that’s why it was so easy to change our course.” Once again, he’s looking straight at us.