Chapter 13 #2
My mouth watered at the thought of a real cooked meal. My eyes watered just because. ~I don’t have a microwave.
Seth: ~I’ll heat it up here and put it in an insulated cooler. I bet that would work. Hour and a half. Thanks for letting me come.
If my sinuses didn’t stop clogging, I’d be a pathetic mess by the time Seth arrived. I replied, ~We’ll see about coming after dinner.
Seth: ~Make that an hour and fifteen minutes.
Austin: ~Drive safe.
I rolled off the bed. If Seth was coming, I needed to shower and clean up at least a bit. Working extended hours through the last-minute shopping days, I’d let my laundry pile up on the lone chair. Takeout containers overflowed the trash can.
The hot shower was a balm on my stiff neck and shoulders, but I only stayed under the spray long enough to clean all my intimate bits thoroughly.
I toweled my hair, dressed in my last clean T-shirt and the slightly-less-grubby jeans I found lurking under the dresser, and stuffed all my laundry into the bottom drawer.
My cowboy boots rubbed my bare feet as I ran a load of trash out to the dumpster in back.
In theory, the hotel had maid service daily, but in practice, I got clean sheets once a week and figured I had to be grateful for that.
Cold evening air on my wet hair made me shiver as I shoved the heavy lid open and dropped in the bag.
I jumped as someone in the shadows said, “Hey, dude, you want—”
“Not interested.” I whirled and sprinted away from the weed or pills or meth, whatever he’d been about to try to sell me.
On the balcony along the second floor, a woman screamed at a short, skinny man.
Something about his cheating and money, half the words lost in her volume.
I ducked into my room and slammed the door. Fuck, I wanted out of here.
I didn’t want Seth to see me here either, but that ship had sailed.
I’d invited him, and he had the address.
If I called back and told him not to come, even now, he’d agree.
I knew that, the same way I knew I could’ve said no to being fucked, right up to the moment he pushed into my ass, and Seth would’ve stopped.
But I also knew it’d be cruel to tell him to turn around now.
Seth cared about me. I wasn’t sure why. Guaranteed I wasn’t that good of a fuck.
Somehow, through three dozen text conversations and calls in the last month, through dumb dad jokes I think he looked up for me, and conversations about calf weaning ages, Quarter Horse versus Appaloosa, and just how dangerous rattlesnakes were, one thing never changed.
Seth always sounded glad to hear my voice, and reluctant to let me go.
So okay. We were doing this. Christmas Eve in the Bates Motel, to the sound of another screaming fight three doors down, and the skitter of rats around the dumpster. And then… we’d see.
I lay down, plumped the pillows behind my head, and burned an hour on Cake Wrecks, until a firm knock echoed on my door. “Hey, Austin? It’s me.”
Showtime. I stood, ran a hand over the back of my hair that was squished from the pillow, and padded barefoot to get my first look at Seth in a month.
He stood on my doorstep with a big cooler in his arms, frustrating my impulse to kiss the hell out of him.
I pulled the door open. “Come on in.”
Seth stepped past me and set the cooler on the dresser while I re-engaged the locks. He looked around, his expression poker-faced, then met my eyes, smiled, and spread his arms.
I’d meant to kiss him but somehow ended up burrowed into his embrace, my face smooshed against his neck. I wrapped my arms around him and hung on, breathing the scent of his skin, faintly seasoned with horses and hay. “You smell so good,” I said before I could censor the words.
“I jumped in my truck, didn’t stop to shower.”
“I like it.” I hugged him till he grunted, then backed off enough to kiss him.
Seth’s lips were cool and chapped from the winter weather, but they warmed under my mouth. He slid a hand behind my head, and his fingers were cold too, but I didn’t care. He tugged on my hair. “I like this length.”
I was going to grow it out till I stopped hearing Dad’s voice telling me it was time to get the clippers because I looked queer, but enough length to wrap around Seth’s fingers was an excellent side benefit. I kissed him some more, then said, “I want you to pull my hair while I suck you.”
“Ngh.” He grunted and arched against me. I could feel how hard he was. “Before or after we eat. Warning, even with the warm packs the food’s probably not hot.”
Just then, a woman’s voice howled through the wall from the room next door, “Ooh, yeah, do it, ooh, fuck me with your huge cock!”
Seth met my eyes, and we both burst out laughing. When the woman wailed and groaned and encouraged her man, Seth let go of me and leaned on the dresser, his arms crossed. “Is it better to eat to that soundtrack or fuck to it?”
“Neither? I think she’s a sex worker. She usually gets them off pretty fast.”
A litany of porn talk filtered through the wall, her high voice joined with a man’s deeper one.
Seth wrinkled his nose. “That happens a lot?”
“She moved in this week. It’s been three or four a night.
Not sure if Christmas Eve will be busy or slow.
” I shrugged with a nonchalance I’d gotten tired of faking.
As the man on the other side swore and groaned, I suddenly had my fill.
“You know what? I’ve worked my last day.
Paycheck is autodeposit. There’s nothing keeping me here. Maybe we can go somewhere else?”
Seth’s eyes brightened. “Just say the word. Davis will cook a big spread for dinner tomorrow, and family and guests are welcome. We can bring the cooler back for tonight. I do have a microwave. Come home?” The hope in his voice undid me.
“Home.” That word settled deep inside me.
I fought the feeling. I couldn’t like it too much.
In a week, I’d have to job hunt again. Leaving Seth once had almost killed me.
But the porn sounds intensified, and Seth’s hazel eyes were fixed on me, his lips parted as he waited patiently for my answer. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Jesus, finally.” Seth lunged forward and grabbed me in a wild, hot kiss. “Let me help you pack. The sooner we get on the road, the sooner I get you in my bed.”
“So we’re skipping dinner?” I laughed against his mouth.
“Midnight snack.” He broke free. “Let’s get going before I lose my mind and suck you off to straight porn. What stuff’s yours?”
“Cover on the bed,” I told him. “A few dishes in the bathroom.” They were Goodwill stuff and I could’ve left them but I kind of wanted to cling to everything I owned.
I’d be in a cheap motel again soon. “My saddle.” I pointed to the corner of the room, where it’d been safer than in my truck. “I’ll get my clothes.”
Seth picked up my saddle, tucking it under his arm with a practiced motion. “Shall I load this in your truck?”
“Nope.” I sighed. “Tilly gave up the ghost. Not starting. I guess I’ll abandon her.”
“Oh, man, that sucks. How’ve you been getting around?”
“Bus. Walking.”
“Mm.” Seth hesitated. “The motel might make trouble for you, leaving a dead vehicle in the lot. I have a tow strap, and the repair shop down the road looked like it might still be open. How about we drag her that far, at least. Worst comes to worst, you might get some scrap value for her.”
Stupid tears welled up and my breath caught, because yeah, I didn’t want to leave Joe’s gift, even if she was a hulk right now. I knuckled my eyes. “Okay. We can do that.”
“Have to hustle though. I bet they’re closing soon.”
“On it.” I’d accumulated more than I thought over the past month, but Seth brought in a couple of canvas bags from his truck and we got it all moved out. While I left the key in the office, he confirmed that jumping Tilly didn’t fix her this time.
We pushed, huffing and puffing, Seth reaching through her window to steer, as we worked her out to where Seth could back into place ahead of her bumper.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll get the tow strap placed.
We’ll go nice and slow, right? You ride the brakes.
Don’t let this old girl run up my truck’s ass. ”
“Got it.” I started the flashers, which worked off the battery.
Once we’d hooked Tilly up, I swung into her seat.
Seth eased his truck forward. Tilly shuddered, then followed.
Being towed was a weird feeling. I tried not to fight the steering and braked with care at each stop sign.
We were damned lucky traffic was light and the garage was only three blocks away.
Seth steered us in through their chain-link gate with the ease of a man who’s hauled a hundred trailers and bailers. A man in overalls came out of the open garage door, wiping his hands on his thighs. “Hey, there, we’re closed for the holidays.”
“Hey,” Seth swung out of his truck, his Stetson on and his cowboy drawl deepening as I joined them.
“Sorry, I don’t aim to keep you from your family and all.
This here truck gave up the ghost and we couldn’t leave ’er.
Can I park her with you and give you a deposit, maybe you can look at her next week? No rush.”
The man tilted his head, looking Tilly over. “Not sure it’s worth the bucks to fix.”
“Perhaps not, but she’s done good work for years. Worth a look, and if she’s got to go for scrap, well, so be it. Not even a workin’ truck like that lasts forever.”
I dug my wallet out of my pocket, following his lead. “Here, a hundred bucks to leave her with you and maybe get a first check-up?” I held out cash.
The man hesitated, then took the bills. “Okay, sure. Come on in and leave your info. Does it run at all?”
“Dead as a doornail,” I said, falling into my cheery salesman persona. “She was runnin’ fine just two days ago.”
“Right. Come on inside.”
We went through an exchange of info, I handed over the spare key, and Seth and I helped the garage owner push Tilly into an empty space against the fence.
“You guys make sure she’s cleaned out,” the man said, pocketing the key. “Lock the doors when you’re done. This isn’t the best neighborhood, and I ain’t responsible for any contents.”
“Understood. Merry Christmas.” Seth held out his hand.
“You guys too.” The mechanic shook hands and strode off.
Seth and I did a fast sweep, but I’d brought almost everything inside at the motel. All that was left were some wrappers, bits of trash, and those paper maps. “You want these?” Seth asked.
“Leave ’em in the truck.” Somehow, those maps were part of Tilly and our escape. I couldn’t afford another truck, so I wouldn’t need them without her.
Seth returned them to the door pocket.
As we drove out of the lot, I peered back in the sideview mirror. Tilly didn’t look like much, but leaving her wrenched me inside a little. I was glad Seth had convinced me to move her to safety, even if it cost a hundred of my precious bucks. We turned the corner and I straightened.
Seth glanced at me. “Hour and a half to home.”
I gave him the understatement of my life. “Sounds good.”