by T. M. Haught
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A ghost of a chance
They had arrived at the motel about noon and checked in, then Robert parked the SUV in a space between the two rooms they had booked. Those rooms weren’t side by side, since they had to take what was available on short notice, but there were only two other rooms separating them so the distance was not far. After inspecting the rooms and taking the luggage inside, they went to the motel restaurant for lunch.
In the afternoon and early evening, they drove over to the Downtown Disney area at the eastern edge of the park complex and spent hours just walking around sightseeing and browsing in the shops, then ate dinner at one of the more affordable restaurants and took in a bit more of the area as they returned to the parking lot. They were back at the motel a little before 9:00 p.m.
As they stood on the sidewalk between their two rooms, Rebecca said, “Well, that was fun.”
Robert nodded. “It was, wasn’t it?” He was silent a moment, then he checked his watch reluctantly. He glanced in the direction of the room that was his and his daughter’s. “Well, I know this is a little vacation of sorts, but I trust there’s still homework to be done...?”
Penny nodded grimly. “It’s probably waiting in my email, as soon as I can check it.”
“Afraid so,” agreed Jonah.
Rebecca gave him a motherly pat on the shoulder. “Alas, some responsibilities we can’t get away from. I’ll keep the TV off so it won’t bother your working.”
“It wouldn’t bother me,” said Jonah.
“Well,” said Robert, “good night, then.”
“Good night,” said Rebecca.
“Good night,” said Penny, but her gaze was really focused on Jonah.
Jonah replied, “See you tomorrow.”
They all stood there a moment longer, then Robert and Penny turned and headed for their room, and Rebecca and Jonah walked to theirs. One of the rooms between had lights on inside that shone through the closed drapes at the front window, but the other room was dark and quiet at the moment.
Once inside, Jonah went to his suitcase and got his laptop out, setting it up on the small table in the front of the room. There was a regular bed farther back, and a sofa bed in the front. The sofa bed was his. The furnishings were pleasant but Spartan and lacking the comfortable surroundings of his room at home, Jonah thought. It was lacking something else even more important, but....
He turned on his laptop and waited while it booted up and connected to the room’s Wi-Fi signals, then logged in and checked his email. There were several messages there from his teachers with work assignments, no doubt, and a few spam messages, too. He downloaded the ones from his teachers. There wasn’t that much work involved, and it would only take an hour or two to complete. Jonah signed. He almost wished there was more of it, to keep him busy and his mind occupied, not that it would help that much. There was the book he had brought, of course, if there was still time to fill before sleep. Assuming he could sleep.
His cell phone made a soft beeping alert sound---not loud enough to reach to the back where his mother was---letting him know of an incoming text message. He grabbed the phone and worked the screen. He smiled as he saw that it was a message from Penny:
MISS U!!!
There was an emoticon of a sad face, followed by one of a heart, followed by another sad face. It almost brought tears to his own eyes. He quickly texted a reply to her:
MISS U 2!!!
He added a sad face with tear emoticon and three hearts. He thought a moment, then added:
I’M HUGGING U IN MY MIND
He waited, and a reply came back almost instantly:
GOOD!!! DON’T STOP!!!
He quickly worked the keys, typing and sending another reply:
I WON’T!!! DREAM OF ME?
Her reply came back in a flash:
OF COURSE!!!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
GOTTA DO HOMEWORK NOW
He texted back:
ME TOO. C U TOMORROW.
He waited for a long while, just in case there was another reply, but there wasn’t. Jonah sat his phone down and reluctantly started on his homework. He sighed after the third time he had reread the same line, then did his best to focus on the work at hand. It wouldn’t be easy....
* * * * * * * * * *
Jonah awoke with a start the next morning. When he peered out from beneath the covers of the sofa bed he saw that his mom was already up and dressed, and had turned on the TV to check the news and weather report. As he put his glasses on she looked around and saw him.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Rebecca said with an amused look. “I was wondering when you’d wake up.”
“Morning, Mom,” he said. “Sorry.”
He remembered finishing his homework and emailing it back to his teachers, then reading a chapter of The Prisoner of Zenda, all the time waiting to see if another text message from Penny might show up on his phone. None had, and even after he had pulled out the sofa bed and tried going to sleep, he had stayed awake for nearly two hours. He realized that he must have finally gone to sleep after that and slept so soundly that he hadn’t even heard his mother moving around until she turned on the TV.
Jonah quickly got up and headed for the bathroom, taking some clean clothes from his suitcase with him. Once he had cleaned up and gotten dressed, he headed back to the front of the motel room and put his laptop away in his suitcase, locked it and stuck it in the closet. He stood there for a long moment, watching the TV image.
“How’s the weather look?” he asked.
“So far, so good,” Rebecca said, her eyes still on the TV. “No rain in sight. Should be a nice day for the park.”
“Hope so,” said Jonah, but it wasn’t the Magic Kingdom he was thinking about.
Five minutes later there was a knock on the door. Rebecca went to it and peered out through the peephole first, then she smiled, removed the chain and opened the door. Robert was standing there, wearing clothes that were more touristy then anything Jonah had seen him wearing before---casual slacks and a colorful patterned shirt.
“Good morning,” said Robert. “Glad to see you guys are up, too. Are you ready to go get breakfast?”
“Yes,” said Rebecca. “Not having to cook is nice.”
Penny peeked around her father’s shoulder, briefly smiling at Rebecca, but as her gaze locked on Jonah her smile broadened. Then her look became more carefully conservative... her “safe” mode. She said nothing out loud, but her eyes were saying a lot to him.
Rebecca and Jonah stepped outside and Rebecca closed the door, making sure it was locked. The morning air was fresh and cool and filled with the scents of plants and chlorine from the swimming pool nearby and food smells that drifted over from the motel restaurant’s ventilation system.
Now that he was outside, Jonah could see that Penny was wearing a short sleeve knit top and an above-the-knee plaid pleated skirt instead of the usual blue jeans that she wore to school, all in shades of blue. She was still wearing the little strappy sandals with the thin soles that she had been wearing for the past few days---the ones he had told her didn’t provide much support---and he briefly wondered if perhaps she was wearing those so her own slight height advantage wouldn’t be so noticeable next to him.
“You look nice,” he told her softly, cautiously.
“Thanks,” she replied, eyeing his jeans, Star Wars T-shirt and sneakers. “You, too.”
The four of them headed on over to the motel restaurant, which was buzzing with activity. Some vacationers might be sleeping in late, but there were plenty who also wanted to get an early start. There was a brief wait in line to get seated, then they went in and ordered breakfast, all the same---scrambled eggs, bacon and blueberry muffins. Orange juice, too.
“Your room okay?” asked Robert while they ate.
“Fine,” said Rebecca. “Probably a carbon copy of yours.” To Penny she said, “Homework done, Penny?”
“Y
es, Mrs. Nash.”
Rebecca smiled. “Good. And I suppose you sent text messages to your friends?”
“Only one or two,” Penny said, throwing a knowing glance to Jonah, who kept a straight face.
They briefly discussed which areas of the park they wanted to see first, then they finished their meal and paid the bill. They exited through the adjoining gift shop, then Penny remembered that she needed a new deodorant stick and doubled back while the others waited outside. They made a quick stop at their rooms, then piled into the SUV and headed up the highway to the entrance to the park complex....
* * * * * * * * * *
They had parked the SUV in the huge lot, near the middle, and taken the tram to the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom, bought their tickets and gone through the gate. But rather than stick to their talked about plan to head directly to the locations with the shortest lines at this hour, they couldn’t resist slowly working their way through the shops lining Main Street and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the area.
Tomorrowland was next, and by the time they took in those rides and attractions and their attendant lines, it was close enough to lunchtime that they grabbed a bite to eat at one of the small restaurants at the border with Fantasyland, where they spent the next few hours strolling around and taking some of the rides there. They eventually worked their way through the castle and ended up in Adventureland.
It was late afternoon by the time they reached the Liberty Square area. There were a number of things of possible interest there, including the riverboat. They stood for a long moment in the open area, looking around.
“This has been great, so far,” said Penny at last. “What do you want to do next?”
Rebecca surveyed the options, then said. “Well, how about the Hall of Presidents? I’ve always liked that one, and it would be a chance to sit down and cool off. What do you think?”
Robert nodded. “Sounds good.”
Penny looked in that direction, then made a slight face. “Well, it’s okay, I guess, but... it’s kinda too much like history class at school. Why don’t you guys all go there, and I’ll go on the Haunted Mansion ride instead?”
Robert frowned. “By yourself?” Reawakened concern was etched on his features. “Why don’t you take Jonah along with you. I’d worry less that way. He can look out for you. Okay?”
“Well... okay,” said Penny. She turned to Jonah with as innocent a look and tone of voice as she could muster. “What do you say, Squirt?”
Jonah shrugged and feigned mild annoyance. “Sure, why not.”
“Let’s all meet back here,” suggested Rebecca. “Then we’ll decide what to do next.”
They separated and Robert and Rebecca headed for the end of the line waiting to get into the Hall of Presidents, and Penny and Jonah walked briskly toward the area where people were queued up waiting to go on the Haunted Mansion ride. As they approached the end of that line, Penny glanced back in the direction of the plaza where they had left her dad and Jonah’s mom. Between the distance and the number of people milling about, they seemed safely out of sight.
“Pretty smooth, huh?” said Penny. She took Jonah’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I love this place, but it’s been frustrating, being with you all day, and yet not being with you, if you know what I mean.”
Jonah agreed soberly. “I know exactly what you mean. Having to be careful how we act around each other is difficult, too.”
“Tell me about it!”
“At least we can spend a little time together, just you and I, this way,” said Jonah.
“Exactly,” said Penny. She leaned toward him and whispered conspiratorially, “Besides, one of my gal pals from the old school once told me this was a great place to make out with her boyfriend.”
Jonah flashed her a worried look. “Not that I’m not dying to kiss you, but I’ve heard that they have cameras all over the place, especially in the ‘dark’ rides.”
Penny shrugged. “My friend said she didn’t have any problems. And there are only one or two places during the ride where the riders can see each other. So if we’re careful...” She wiggled an eyebrow at him for emphasis.
As they were working their way through the back and forth line leading into the building, Jonah enjoyed holding Penny’s hand in his, their fingers interlocked. But his features clouded a bit as he reflected on the day’s adventure thus far.
“Your dad still seems a little shaken up,” he told her. “He hides it well, but he seems a little quieter than usual.”
“Yeah,” agreed Penny. “He didn’t say much in the room last night, and what he did say was kinda like just going through the motions. Your mom seems a little quiet, too, although she’s always a little hard to read.”
“She didn’t used to be,” said Jonah. “She’s been through a lot, though. You should have seen her six months ago. She was pretty grim all the time. Guess I was, too.”
Penny nodded, reflecting on her own life. “Yeah... been there. Done that. That’s why I don’t want to take anything, or anyone, for granted.” She smiled at him. “Especially you.”
Minutes later, they had entered the building and the creepy music started, then the narrative as they worked their way through the foyer and then the so-called “stretching room” that brought them down to the boarding area where the “doombuggys” slowly moved past the platform. Penny stepped into their car first, followed by Jonah, who sat on the left. The safety bar lowered into place in front of them, and with the flat black paint of the high-backed cars, the people ahead of them and behind them were quite invisible.
Once the cars on the conveyer system moved past the boarding area and into the first section of the ride, everything was dark except the display areas that were dimly illuminated by controlled lighting. The spooky music and narrative continued, and Penny seized the opportunity.
She squeezed closer to Jonah and planted a careful kiss on his cheek, then as he turned his head toward her, she kissed him again, full on the lips. Her third kiss was longer and more passionate, and then she snuggled against his head and shoulder.
“Isn’t this nice?” she whispered.
“Very nice,” he whispered back. “I missed you last night. A lot.”
“Me too,” she said with a sigh. “We still have tonight to get through, too. But this helps.”
They kissed again, and kept it up during the next several minutes, then as their car neared the point where the conveyer track loops around the séance table, Penny whispered a warning.
“Gotta stop now,” she said. “We’ll be visible.”
He saw what she meant. The doombuggy reached the séance area and the cars all turned to face the center of the loop to better see the crystal ball. The riders were also visible to each other here briefly as they rotated around the table. Penny and Jonah sat quietly motionless, side by side but safely apart.
Then as the doombuggy moved past the track circling the séance table, it started moving in a straight line and the riders could no longer see any other riders. Penny gave Jonah another kiss and whispered in his ear, “We have about six minutes.”
“Not enough,” said Jonah, not wanting to stop kissing her anytime soon. Then he felt Penny reach over with her left hand and grab his right hand. She pulled it toward her and brought it quickly under her skirt in the direction of her groin. “Hey,” whispered Jonah. “Definitely not enough time for that!”
Penny kissed him again and brought his hand closer still, until it made contact. Jonah’s fingers were now pressing against bare skin in a delightfully familiar spot. His eyes widened in realization.
“You’re not wearing panties,” he said softly in her ear.
“Took ‘em off in the ladies room an hour ago.” Having guided his hand to that spot, she now let go of it and reached back to him. She slid her palm down into his pants, deftly moving beneath the layers of fabric until her fingers reached his manhood. She gave it a little squeeze and felt it start to grow.
; “Now? Here?” Jonah could feel his heartbeat increase. And more than that, the fingers of his right hand could also feel Penny’s private parts start to moisten. “We can barely get started in six minutes... more like five, now. And it will get messy,” he whispered in protest.
She rubbed her face against his. “I’ve got a bunch of paper towels in my bag, but it probably won’t go that far.”
“Probably?”
“I’m just having a little fun,” Penny whispered. “Isn’t this fun?”
Then there was another voice, between them and behind them, coming through the speaker mounted in their car with a slight crackle of static. A guy’s annoyed voice that said, “Cool it, kids! This ain’t Lookout Point!”
They both jumped in surprise and exchanged startled glances. They immediately withdrew their hands and returned them to their own laps.
“That’s better,” said Speaker Guy in the control room. “Now put all four hands on the safety bar where I can see ‘em. Keep ‘em there and I won’t stop the ride and haul you both out of there.”
They both did. At once.
“Yes, sir,” said Jonah, chagrined but still frowning. “Can... can I at least kiss her?”
There was a brief pause, then from the speaker came, “Sure, kid. I would. But I’ll be watching.”