"Road Trip"
Part 2


“Water pump.”

“The water pump?” Kevin asked, although he’d distinctly heard what the tow truck driver had said.

“Yep,” he confirmed, wiping his hands on a greasy rag that he pulled out of his back pocket.

“You can fix this today, right?”

“Nope.”

Once again, Kevin counted to ten as Nick struggled to keep a straight face. “Why not?”

The mechanic looked at Kevin as if he’d suddenly grown two heads. “Just can’t.”

“Look-“

“What’s the problem?” Nick managed to ask, trying to intervene before Kevin exploded.

“This here car’s so old ... I don’t know where ‘bouts I might even find a part to fit it.” He shook his head, clearly wondering why anyone would undertake a trip in a rattrap that was this ancient. “Might take a couple of days.”

“A couple of DAYS?”

“Kev, come on man, nothing we can do about it but wait.” Nick shrugged his shoulders in acceptance of their fate, but grinned as he tossed out his final commentary. “Cool, huh? That’ll give us more time to bond.” He slapped Kevin on the back and climbed into the tow truck, looking like a little boy who’d been granted a ride on the town fire engine. “You comin’?” he tossed over his shoulder.

Kevin scowled and opted to ride into town in the car. If he was going to die out here in this godforsaken place, it might as well be in his favorite car.

What further pissed him off was the apparent running conversation Nick kept up with the driver. He talked animatedly, bouncing around in his seat the entire twenty-five mile drive into Bumfuck, Nowhere. Brushing the dust off his hands, he finally climbed out of the car and looked around. Miles and miles of miles and miles.

“I’ll call around and see if I can find you a pump. Check back in the morning.” The truck driver/mechanic wandered off toward what appeared to be the only garage in town.

“The ‘morning’?” Kevin barked, his face approaching a lovely shade of purple. “And just where the hell are we supposed to stay tonight?”

“Missy’s place, I reckon.” He spat in the dust and pointed off in the distance. “She’ll probably have a room. Tell her Mike sent ya.”

“A room? We need TWO damn rooms,” Kevin growled, settling his glare on Nick who was still unfazed by it all. “I am NOT spending the night with you without killing you.”

* * * * * * *

“What do you MEAN you only have one room?” Kevin shouted at the poor teenaged clerk, who had chosen a very bad day to offer to fill in for her Aunt Missy.

Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to stammer out an apologetic explanation. “Well, Sissy Anne Long is gettin’ married tonight and all the family is here and-“

“We’ll take it,” Nick said with a smile, handing over his credit card and patting the girls’ hand sympathetically. “I’m sure it will be just fine.”

“It better have two beds,” Kevin mumbled.

“Oh yes, sir, of course it does,” she gushed. “And Uncle Dewy just repainted it, too.”

“Oh goody,” Kevin groused, finally clamping his mouth shut at the look Nick was giving him.

“It’s almost our best room,” she said proudly, taking the key off the hook and inviting them to follow her.

“Almost?” Nick asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Well, the only one better is our Honeymoon Suite,” she said with a typical teenage girl-type sigh. “And you’re so lucky, you’re right next door!”

Kevin closed his eyes and leaned on the wall. “Please tell me Sissy Anne and her new husband won’t be staying here tonight.”

“Don’t be silly!” she giggled.

For just a moment Kevin heaved a sigh of relief, until the next words fell from her lips.

“Of COURSE they’ll be here. Everyone who gets married in Dalton stays here their first night, it’s tradition!”

Nick distinctly heard Kevin whisper ‘shoot me now’ and the door to their home away from home creaked open. Not too bad … two beds, a bathroom, a TV and a window unit air conditioner. “Thanks, this looks fine,” Nick said, handing the girl a nice tip and picking up their bags from outside the door. Once inside, he turned on the a/c, relieved when a cool stream of air blew across his face. “See Kev? Not so bad after all.” With a smile he stretched out on the bed closest to the wall, closing his eyes. Suddenly he was more tired than he’d realized.

“You got lucky Nick,” Kevin said with a sardonic smile. “Air conditioning AND two beds. Damn good thing,” he affirmed, flopping onto the remaining bed, which promptly collapsed beneath his weight.


part 3
"Road Trip" index



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