“Hi,” she said, propping her arms on top of the open driver’s door. She rested her chin on her arms and stared at me. “Can I give you a ride?”
I thought about ignoring her, just keep on walking, like she wasn’t even there. But as I glared at her, forcing myself to hate her, struggling to resist the urge to take her in my arms, I realized that she wasn’t to blame for any of my troubles.
Her world was just fine until Eddie burned it down.
I couldn’t blame her for wanting him dead, for wanting me dead. I didn’t kill her fiancé, but I knew Eddie was a dangerous man. Maybe if I had tried to control him more, from the time we were kids, her fiancé might still be alive.
I blew out a long breath and gave her a nod.
“Yeah,” I said, “a ride would be great.”
SANDY
We didn’t talk much at first. Rick’s deeply tanned face looked gaunt and tired. I asked how he was and he said okay. He asked how I was and I said better now. He gave me a little smile, then turned to look out the window at the free world passing by. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
I was a little relieved that we weren’t talking. I still didn’t know what to say to him, or if we could put the past behind us and start again. All I knew was that I was willing to try if he was. I’d ask him as soon as he woke up.
In the trunk was his go-bag, with his passport, money, and clothes; just as he’d left it with me.
I’d packed several suitcases of my own. There was no way I could go anywhere with just one bag.
I got on the interstate and headed south toward Baja rather than north to Bakersfield. I would take him back to Bakersfield if that’s where he wanted to go, but I was hoping that he would agree to lie on a nude beach with me for a few weeks so we could sort things out in paradise.
There was nothing left for either of us in Bakersfield.
The only thing I cared about was the man snoring softly in the seat beside me. I prayed that he felt the same.
SANDY
We’d been on the road for two hours when Rick woke up to realize that he had been kidnapped. He was an easy person to kidnap. When I told him we were headed to Cabo San Lucas for a few weeks of lying naked in the sun, he just looked at me and smiled.
“Isn’t Cabo like a thousand miles from where we are?” he asked, glancing at the exit signs for San Diego that we were passing.
“Yes. So? What’s your point?”
“Don’t guess I have one,” he said with shrug. My hand was resting on the gear shift. He covered it with his long fingers and gave it a squeeze. An old familiar tingle worked its way up my arm.
“So, we’re looking at twenty hours or so drive time,” he said, glancing over at me with a goofy look on his weathered face.
“That sounds about right.”
“And it’s getting dark,” he said, glancing out the window.
“Yes, it tends to get dark about this time every day.”
“And I haven’t gotten laid in a very long time.”
I glanced over at him. His old smile had returned. It washed over me like a warm bath. My cheeks flushed. My nipples plumped in my bra. I could feel moisture between my legs.
“I haven’t been laid in a long time either,” I said, turning my hand over so we could lace our fingers together. I glanced at the road ahead. There was a Motel 6 at the next exit.
“Shall I take this exit.”
“Please do,” he said, pulling my hand across to feel the bulge in his jeans. “Quickly.”
* * *
I had no idea what the record was for checking into a motel and stripping off your clothes, but I was sure that Rick and I had broken the old record by several minutes. I quickly checked us in, we hurried to the room without getting our bags and stripped each other naked just inside the door.