I sighed as the lavender scent filled the bathroom. Stop it. I had to let go. Move on. I was better off without Rich. But the tears started, and I let them. One by one, they fell in the water, and I let the damn break inside me. Sobs echoed off the walls as I let it all out. It was enough to get by. Tomorrow had to be better. Jed was right. Today had totally sucked.
There is one thing I really love about Monterey and Pacific Grove: the shops. The boutiques are little worlds of shopping. Each is a place to get lost in new experiences. I needed to supplement my lack of wardrobe and toiletries. Soaps, shoes, skirts, and blouses, oh my.
I picked up some cute numbers. I especially loved a burgundy blouse and tight, leather mini skirt. I combined it all with some lovely black leather sandals. I got a couple of shorts, a set of dress pants and sweater, and a lovely silver lace bra. I even found a fabulous set of earrings and matching sea-glass necklace, all set with silver. I was ready for come what may. Plus, I was feeling a lot better. Nothing like a good shopping trip to make a girl feel whole again.
I changed into one of the blouses, a white and black floral print, and a cute pair of tight-fitting black cotton shorts. I picked up some tortoise shell-colored sunglasses with those big lenses for the movie star look. It made you look important when you walked into a room. I wanted to look fierce as I reclaimed my life. Mission accomplished with wardrobe replacement.
I let the road calm me as I continued north. Through the Bay Area, past Mendocino, and up through the coast past Fort Bragg, the scenery helped me forget. Rich was in the past now. The only course was forward. If that meant north, so be it.
I grew less worried of attack. I knew eventually he would find me. A battle was inevitable. We might clash causing a lot of physical scars, but he had caused some mental ones I needed to mend before we met again. Healing was more than just the physical. It was more of a soul issue. But I was looking forward to charring some pieces of him off. I was thinking of one specific part in fact. But that would be too easy. He’d probably guard it the most.
As I thought of different parts of my ex-husband to char, I noticed a hitchhiker along the side of the road. He held up a sign that read: “Anywhere.” It got me to stop. After all, it was where I was headed.
“Thanks for pulling over.” His Australian accent was music to my ears. I hadn’t heard one for a while. Flashes of a trip to Sydney came back to me.
“Sure. Hop in. We’re going to the same place.”
He opened the passenger door and slid into the leather seat. He threw a duffel bag onto the back seat with his sign. “Any place where you’re going, darling, is good for me.”
He buckled in as I pulled from the curb. I looked to my right as I checked my mirror. Not bad. I hadn’t met an Australian man that looked ugly. His blond hair was warmed by the sun. His blue eyes met mine with a smile as he said, “So thanks for stopping. Not many people helping me out around here. What made you stop?”
“Your sign is where I’ve decided to go right now.” I looked him over. He was all kinds of yummy. Definitely worth stopping for.
“Glad we’re going the same direction then.” He looked me over with a smile.
I pulled the car back into traffic as he grabbed the seatbelt over his shoulder. Looking in my rearview mirror, I tried to start some conversation. Driving to anywhere was going to take awhile. “So tell me, what brings you up here? You sound like you’re from Australia.”
He fastened the buckle together with a click. “Melbourne originally. Lived in Sydney a while until I had a craving to see the world.” He leaned back in his seat. “Thought I’d do it the ol’-fashioned way,” he said holding up his thumb.
“You know it’s dangerous to hitchhike?” I said in a teasing voice.
“You know it’s dangerous to pick up hitchhikers?” He fired back at me, smirking. “But really, you don’t look like you’re going to take me into the back woods somewhere and kill me.”
“How do you know? I might be a lot more dangerous than I look. Woman in Jaguars are notoriously wicked.” I smiled as I looked him up and down.
His dimple winked at me as he laughed. “I’ve always liked a woman with spirit. You know, they have a good radio station out here. Mostly classic rock, but it usually has a beat.”
He reached up to the dash and turned on the radio. AC/DC blasted from the stereo with the chorus to “Hell’s Bells.” It was just what the doctor ordered. There was the comfortable silence that was ushered in by good rock music. With the music blasting, the windows open, and the good-looking Australian sitting next to me, I was beginning to feel things were looking up. I might even let him live after all this. The ringing of my phone interrupted the music, and I let it ring.
“Are you going to get it?” asked the Aussie.
“Not wanting to. It’s probably him.”
“Is he the sort of fella that will keep calling?”
“Yes.” I knew I was going to have to talk to the bastard eventually. Putting it off wasn’t going to help any. I hit the phone button on the steering wheel, and Rich’s voice came through the speakers.
“Catherine? Babe? You there?”
“Yes.” I was feeling sulky. I wasn’t going to let Rich talk me into going back. I had Aussie insurance now. My new boy toy would be a good distraction. I looked over at the Aussie. He did have a wicked-looking torso.
Rich interrupted with another annoying plea. “Cat, really, come back. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Nothing is going to keep your dick in your pants, Rich. You’re free to fuck who you want now. Our marriage is over. I’m not renewing our vows. Goodbye.” I hit the disconnect button. It made me feel stronger to just finally shut Rich up. Motioning to the Aussie, I pointed to my purse. “You could do me a big favor and shut off my iPhone?”
“Will do.” He scrambled through my bag, pulled out my iPhone, and hit the off button. He admired the rhinestone casing with the Hello Kitty design. He didn’t say anything after that. Wise choice. I didn’t feel like explaining it. Not yet at least.
“How about you turn the radio back on?” I added in a change-the-subject tone.
He reached out and hit the radio button. Fleetwood Mac soothed my nerves as we continued. I thought this would be a good time to talk about anything else but what happened. “So what’s your name?”
“Jeff.”
“Jeff what?”
“Jeff Phillips. Yours?”
“Catherine Banks. I usually go by Cat or Cathy.”
“Nice meeting you. Have any plans other than going anywhere?”
“Not really. Got any suggestions?”
“Sure. I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas.”
“Vegas sounds like a good change. I think we can cross over the mountains to Hwy 5 and get there through Tahoe.” I turned up the music. Suddenly, Vegas sounded like exactly what I needed.
Where Hwy 1 met Hwy 101, we headed south. A change in direction was good, and having a destination was helping my mood. A gorgeous, blond Aussie sitting next to me was helping it even more.
He didn’t say much, and when we stopped for gas, he left for the restroom. I headed into the store and picked up some drinks and snacks. I didn’t know what Jeff would like, so I got a variety, knowing something would surely appeal. I never knew a man that didn’t eat something offered from a pretty woman.
When he got back, I had the Jag loaded up and ready to go. “Vegas, here we come.”
I had my sunglasses on and thought my
Thelma and Louise
imitation was looking pretty good right now. I checked my lipstick in the mirror as he put on his seatbelt.
“Looks like we’re putting in for some distance. You planning on driving all night?”
“No, figured I’d stop in Clearlake. This lady has got to have a bath.” He gave me a long, knowing look. “I don’t mind sharing a room.” He still had a smile on his face, but said nothing. “I promised a ride to Vegas. I meant it. I just don’t want to push all night. And I do need a bath.”
“That’s kind of why I’m smiling. It’s the bath I’m imagining.”
I gave him a look. His flirting was going to keep him alive much longer. “Really, I need a bath.” I pulled out onto the road.
“It would help if you describe it more clearly. What were you thinking?”
I thought I’d play along, but kept my eyes on the road for now. “Lots of bubbles.”
“Go on.”
“Lather, and my hair up. I’ll have candles lighting the whole room.”
“What scent?”
“Rose vanilla. But sometimes,” I paused. He was hanging on my every word. I was letting him. Sort of like letting the spider play with the fly. I wasn’t sure that he was something I needed yet. But it was good to have the insurance along with me. “It’s fun to have a bubble fight, especially if I have someone to play with.” I moved my hand down to open up my blouse a little more. I caught his eyes looking as I took a big breath making my chest heave.
I decided that we could explore this direction later tonight. But I wanted to make some miles before the sun got all the way down. Rich would be more powerful then, and I wanted to shield down in a hotel before he started a search sweep for me. I changed the subject.
“Know any good stations around here?”
“Besides the classic rock stations?” He paused to think, catching onto the change of subject. There was a sense of disappointment. Good. At least there was some interest to work with later. “There is a good jazz and blues station. Sometimes plays folk music. So you have to catch it at the right time.”
“Let me see if I can find it.” I pushed the button and swept through the channels. We got through a Christian rock station, pop, and then hit the jazz station. “There, that’s better.”
The music helped the distance pass by as I turned from 101 to Hwy 20. It would be a beautiful drive until we hit Hwy 5. The turns would help ease my sense of dread of the confrontation with Rich. I was going to have to beat him, or kill him. Neither outcome was going to be pretty.
A couple of times, Jeff’s eyes drifted to look me over. I let my mind focus on the road. Redwoods soared above, creating a shady canopy. I opened the windows to let in some of the fresh air. It’s the one thing I loved about California. There are so many things close by. You could be driving the coast and then drive up into the coastal mountains, all within thirty minutes. Some parts of Hwy 1 were unique experiences, with redwoods to ocean cliffs back to forests. The extremes of Northern California mixed well with my mood. If I didn’t watch it, I’d be driving down toward Calistoga for a mud bath and wine tasting. But Vegas was calling. A new state had new opportunities.
I noticed it was also getting dark. We were near Upper Lake. Breaking the driving silence, I motioned to Jeff. “You think you could work the map in my iPhone and find a place to stay for the night.”
“Sure.” He seemed to be off in his own thoughts. “It’s in your purse still right?”
“Yeah. Go ahead and grab it out of the pocket on the inside. It’s the zippered one. By the way,” I turned to catch his eye. “It’s nice that you asked.”
“I know a woman’s purse is her most prized possession. It’s always good to ask first before rummaging through it.” He winked as he grabbed my phone. God, he was gorgeous. I scanned his biceps through my peripheral vision. His jeans fit tight in the right places, while his T-shirt hugged his chest. I noted the curve of his chest. I was getting the inkling to explore him soon.
He started looking around. “Where are we?”
“I saw a sign that mentioned Upper Lake.”
“Right.”
He launched the map app, and I kept driving. “Okay, if we follow the road for five more miles, we’ll come to a turn off for the next town. Take that turn, and it looks like there is a hotel on the right. It’s called the Twin Burrows Inn.”
“Got it.” We’d lost the jazz station in the woods, and I had tried some other stations along the way to no avail. After a while, I couldn’t drive with static, so I’d left it off for the last hour. All I heard was wind and road noise as we made a turn down a deserted main street. The place was dead quiet. Nothing much out here in the country; even the Denny’s looked closed.
“Turn here.”
I saw a sign for Twin Burrows Inn and made a right. I parked the Jag and got out. “You going to come in, or should I just check us in?”
“After you.” Jeff opened the door and motioned to the hotel. “We can always come back for the baggage.”
“I don’t have much, except for the mental kind.”
He smiled as I got out. “That’s more than what I got, love. I mostly carry my sleeping bag and a change of clothes in my duffel. A man doesn’t need much more.” He shut the door and started walking toward the lobby.
“Toothbrush?”
“Okay, maybe one of those.” The gravel crunched under his feet as we crossed to the walkway up to the main office. He opened the door for me, and I smiled. I noted his bemused look as I walked to the counter. Again, he was definitely adding points to living longer in my book. I kept looking at how his jeans hugged his ass, and his T-shirt didn’t make it hard to imagine the defined muscles underneath. My favorite part of any man was his chest. I was trying not to drool as I walked into the lobby.
“One room please.”
The man at the desk looked up. He looked over to both of us. His face blossomed with a plastic smile. He’d probably seen so many couples. We couldn’t faze him. “Double or single beds?”
“Two beds please,” I answered without missing a beat.
The man retrieved the needed paperwork, and I filled it out. “King or queen?”
I looked at Jeff, and he answered, “Whatever you got.”
“I’ll check for rooms available.” The man typed in our information and looked up again. “We’ve got a double with queen beds. Paying by credit card?”
I dug through my purse and handed him my credit card.
He continued the usual questions in a robotic manner. “Will you be staying more than one night?”
“Just one.”
“One or two keys.”
I turned to Jeff. “You want your own key?”
“You’re my ride. Where you go, I go.”
I turned back to the man. “One key, then.”