“I thought you already booked the hotels in advance.” I said, trying to find fault in her plan.
“Minor details.” She said, brushing my concerns aside. “Besides, all of our things will be in New York by the end of the week. We can just unpack sooner than planned.”
“This whole spring break, road trip was your idea.” I reminded her.
“I really don't want to intrude on your trip.” Owen said.
“I agree. It's a little hard to get laid when you have someone like him tagging along.” I said.
“Since when was this trip about getting laid for you?” Morgan asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Blame Owen. If he'd have just done what I needed-”
“Hey!” He said, stopping me. “We were interrupted, and that doesn't mean that we can't-”
“We can't what?”
“You know what, Morgan? I accept your offer!” He said, as he stood. “Pick me up in an hour. I'll text the address to Ronnie.”
“Wonderful!” Morgan gushed. “See you soon!”
I watched dumbfounded, as he walked out of my hotel room. I started to wonder how he was getting to his mom's place then, and laughed to myself. He'd probably have to stand outside waiting for an Uber. There was no way he called ahead of time, and his pride would be too wounded to come back inside to wait.
“What was that?” Morgan asked, as she plopped down onto the bed in front of me.
“What was what?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“I knew it!” She laughed. “You were pushing his buttons!”
I shrugged my shoulders. “He's infuriating. Hot, cold, and everything in between. He gave me some speech about me deserving better. I really wish everyone would just let me decide what I deserved for once.”
“I guess I'm just surprised. I never thought you were interested in random hook ups.”
“It isn't exactly random. I like him, and for the most part he's a genuine guy.”
“But?”
“But.. the way he sees right through me is disconcerting. I guess it gives me a bit of a thrill to get a rise out of him.”
“He's certainly made you bolder.” She teased.
“I'm just tired of always playing it safe, Morgan. When he was kissing me... I felt like I was on fire. I know how cheesy that sounds, trust me. There's just something about him.”
“So what's the plan then?”
“Enjoy as much of him as I can until we get to New York, and then we'll go our separate ways.”
TEN
WHEN I PULLED THE TRUCK into the driveway of the address Owen had sent me, my new found self confidence seemed to disappear. My hands were sweaty, and my heart began to race in my chest. I sat there, gripping the steering wheel wondering if I should go knock on the door. After a few minutes Morgan cleared her throat, and I turned to face her.
“Are you going to honk?” She asked.
“That seems rude. It's his mom's house.” I said, shutting the ignition off. “Maybe we should see if he needs help with his bags?”
“I've seen his muscles, he's more than capable.” She said, as she reapplied her lip gloss using the visor mirror.
I sighed before reaching for my door handle, and using the running board to climb down. The closer I got to the front door, the more nervous I became. I couldn't explain it. It wasn't like Owen, and I were dating and I was meeting his mother for the first time. We were friends. Right?
After climbing the stairs to the porch, I rang the doorbell and waited. A few seconds later a beautiful woman with dark hair, and the same green eyes as Owen answered the door.
“Hello.” She smiled. “You must be Ronnie!”
She pulled me into a hug, and I was completely taken aback. When she wasn't releasing me I hugged her back, and then she pulled away so that she could look at me.
“You're beautiful, my dear.” She winked.
“Thank you.” I blushed. “So are you.”
Owen came to the door then with an army style bag tossed over his right shoulder.
“Sorry about her.” He said, hiking his thumb in his mom's direction. “She can come on a bit strong sometimes.”
“She was no such thing.” I smiled. “Do you uh, need any help with your bags?”
“Go on back to the truck, Unicorn.” He smirked. “I'm a big boy.”
His mom chose then to elbow him in the ribs. I tried to stifle my laughter but I couldn't help it, and when his eyes caught mine he smiled back at me.
“I apologize for my son's lack of manners.” She said, extending her hand. “I'm Marisol.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Marisol.” I said, placing my hand in hers.
She immediately turned my palm over, and began to run her pointer finger over it. I looked over to Owen, silently asking him what she was doing, but he gave nothing away. She continued to move her finger along the lines of my hand, and when she had finished she looked up at me.
“You're a rock. People count on you to stay strong in difficult times. You're reserved, and prefer a small group, but open up in one on one settings. A creative thinker, who can imagine many possible outcomes to any situation.”
“She dabbles in palm reading.” Owen said, catching my attention. “I wouldn't read too much into it though.”
“That's amazing.” I said, smiling up at Marisol. “How did you-”
“It's all in the lines, my dear. The head, heart, and life lines. You've got a good head on your shoulders.”
“Would you mind telling my mother that?” I teased.
She smiled. “I shouldn't hold you up any longer. Thank you for helping Owen get to New York.”
“Of course.” I said before waving goodbye, and heading back towards the truck.
When I climbed back inside of the cab Morgan was filing her finger nails, and chewing on a piece of bubble gum.
“What was that all about?”
I began to tell her about my
