Veronica
His seat was reclined a little more than half way back. One arm lay across his stomach and his fingers rolled in and out of a denim belt loop, his forefinger and thumb pinching the material. The other arm lay extended just behind his head that was resting on its side, his eyes gazing out the window drowsily, his chin resting on his bare arm. Two fingers on that hand were wrapped with flesh colored tape, but he didn't seem to favor the hand at all. The southern mid summer heat had forced him into a sleeveless Nike t-shirt, one of his favorites and most comfortable. There were two ripped holes the size of a finger tip on his left sleeve, as if someone had grabbed onto his shirt too roughly and put part of their hand through it. He shifted his large legs every so often uncomfortably. My car wasn't small, but it wasn't large either, at least not large enough to seat his extra large southern appendages with no discomfort. He shed his Air Jordans only
twenty minutes into our journey: destination nowhere, destination anywhere.
His breathing was steady, his stomach rising up and down calmly. We had been driving for over two hours now. We still had no idea where we
were going. He hadn't made mention of it since we had gotten in the car.
In fact, he had hardly spoke. The only thing he had really said, besides the occasional affirmative or negative grunt for more or less air condition, was, "What was your name again?".
I could hardly look at him when I told him, hardly believe what was
happening. One minute I was tearing out of the rainy wet parking lot of a concert, heading the hour home to my warm bed where I had wanted to spend my entire weekend. My friends would travel onward, in another car, for a few more stops of the tour. I had left the show early. Then, out of nowhere, as I stopped at the corner to make a right out of the parking lot, there he was, standing at the driver side window, a sweatshirt hood pulled over his head, rain soaking through it. Despite the guard of the clothing, he was soaked, his face, his hair. He resembled a madman. Rain droplets all over his fair skin.
His eyes searched mine inside the car and I gasped, shocked that he stood there, this person I knew so well yet hardly knew at all. His eyes told me to roll down the window. I did so despite the rain. He had power over me and he knew it and I knew it and there was nothing I could do to stop myself. I knew that opening the window was opening the door to something I could never quite prepare myself for.
"Where are you going." He croaked out at me. Never saying hello, more
commanding me to tell him an answer rather than asking a question.
"Home." I looked up at him, trying to be defiant, but unable to, sounding more like an unsure pathetic little creature than the strong woman I thought myself to be.
"Take me somewhere." He said, his voice beginning to falter, fading away into the thunder that crashed only miles away.
"Where?" My voice was hardly audible. I didn't need to ask the question because I already knew the answer.
"Anywhere." He answered. "Anywhere but here."
He didn't wait for me to accept. He just crossed in front of the lights of my car and got into the passenger seat, moving it back as he stepped in.
"Just drive." He said as he shut the door. "Just drive til I tell you to stop."
I did as I was told. I didn't really have much of a choice. I had given myself up to him far too long ago to argue now.
*****
Nick
I was tired of pretending I was sleeping. So I began to just look out the window at the trees and the rain and the wet pavement. I just wanted to be somewhere else, to be someone else, if only for a few hours. I just needed to feel normal, like everyone else felt normal.
I hardly knew this person who sat next to me driving, keeping quiet, doing as she was asked. I knew she would. I had planned it that way from the beginning, when I had seen her that afternoon outside near the buses. I took advantage of that fact, but I had fully planned to repay her someday, somehow. I never forget people who treat me well. Perhaps I would explain it to her eventually, perhaps not. Who really knew? I hardly knew where we were headed, how long our journey would be. The only thing I knew was that I couldn’t do it any longer, couldn’t live in the prison that was my life. I didn’t feel real. But deep down I knew that some day I would, that somehow if I ran far enough and fast enough that I would find it.
And until that day, I needed to search my soul for something I needed to find that I wasn't quite sure of. And I couldn't do it at home in Tampa with my friends, or even with my parents. I wasn't sure of any of them, wasn't sure what they were in it for. I wasn't really sure of anyone, not fans, not the group, not myself, especially not this girl driving the car. But I did know that she would do as she was asked.
We had passed Lakeland, Orlando, Daytona Beach and were now heading North on I95. It was after midnight. If I had had my choice, we would have driven through the entire night. My stomach, however had another idea.
*****
Veronica
His voice interrupting the long silence made me jump. "Hey, could we stop? I need to use the restroom and wouldn't mind getting a bite."
He had turned to face me, finally, and was watching me closely. "Uh, sure, I guess." I said, glancing toward him for only a moment and then back at the rainy road. Once again, I didn't really have much of a choice. I was just doing as he said. I drew in a deep breath. "There's a, uh, rest stop in about 2 miles."
"I know." He added, now looking forward, bringing up his seat. "I've been watching."
I exhaled. He was being so nasty, so cold. It sucked because I knew he could be so warm sometimes. But that night wasn't the night. "You mind telling me where we're headed?" It was a stupid question. I knew he didn't know. I knew he was running away. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be with me.
"I'll look at a map at the rest stop." Nick was rubbing his eyes now. "I can drive after that if you're tired."
My eyes remained on the road. "OK." Was all I said.
*****
Nick
I finally pulled off the road when we reached Brunswick, Georgia. The girl, the fan, snapped awake, sitting upright quickly. "I'm gonna stop somewhere and get a room." I grunted. My vision was starting to blur and my eyes had been burning even more than usual. I rubbed at them as she watched me, leaning her head against the seat, inspecting me as if I was a piece of art in a gallery. It was a little weird to me. That way she seemed to be a fish and I was the bait on the end of the hook. It was disconcerting, but at the same time, comforting. Comforting that someone could love me that way without even knowing me. But creepy, all at the same time.
I found that I felt that way about a lot of them. The fans, that is, at least the real hard core ones. They could be trusted and I was used to them and I knew how they'd react to stuff. But they bothered me a little too. Like, I didn't understand exactly why they were so hard core, why someone like me would mean so much to them.
Fame's weird. I usually try to accept that. I was having trouble
swallowing it that night...didn't know if I exactly wanted it anymore.
Wasn't sure if it was one of the masks I wanted to wear anymore, at least not for a little while.
For some reason, I'm not sure why, at that moment, I felt like just being mean. I didn't give a rats ass what I said or who heard. I had felt like that for weeks. "What?" I looked back at her with an annoyed expression.
She didn't answer, only kept looking. "What'reya lookin' at?" I asked
again. I peeled off of the 95 at the exit in Brunswick, Georgia and saw a sign that said a hotel or what appeared to be one in the picture, was 4.5 miles. It looked as if it was the only thing in the entire two horse town. Southern Georgia. I should have guessed, should have known. But I could smell the salt in the air and knew the water was close. Maybe the place would be on the ocean, so I could look out and feel almost home. I was driving fast, even in the rain.
"You know?" She said, turning her head toward the front window. She was shaking it. "You're a big jerk." It sort of sounded like she was choking back tears. I didn't care, was glad someone else was hurting. Took the pain away from me a little.
"Thanks for the observation." I snapped back at her and continued driving.
*****
Veronica
I was yawning when I asked the question, "Where the hell are we?"
"This looks like some type of Inn or something. A, whatdoyacall those
things? Bed and Breakfasts?" Nick was pulling into the driveway of a large Victorian house.
"I thought there were hotels." I was rubbing my hand through my hair,
stretching.
"Apparently not." He grimaced. "Looks like this is pretty much it. You comin'?" One of Nick's eyebrows was raised.
I was wishing the rain would let up a bit. It was really coming down
roughly. "Uh..." I sighed. "Lemme get something to put over my head."
"Whatreya worried about ruining your hair or something?" For a person who hadn't been talking much before, he sure was talking a lot now.
"No, I'm worried about catching a cold...You know? When your head gets wet and cold, there's a chance of catching something called a head cold." I had a sweater that had been in the backseat for when it got chilly at the office. I put it over my head and looked back at him, expecting a frown, a remark, perhaps even yelling. I was surprised because Nick was looking at me although he was admiring something. He was grinning.
"Ahite?" He raised both eyebrows. "Ready to go?"
I nodded. The two of us ran as fast as we could.
There was no way to see the loose dirt. I lost my footing and my ankle
twisted about ten feet before the door to the B&B. As I fell I thought to myself, "Perfect Veronica, just what I should have expected...face in the dirt with the man of your dreams." But I didn't go face down. My legs buckled and the right one hit the gravel, but before the rest of me could go down, hand grabbed me firmly and hoisted me back up. The rain was soaking him, but Nick looked down at me, still holding my arm. "You OK?" He yelled in the night air, above the rain.
We were still heading to the door, almost there. "I think I twisted my
ankle." I told him, the sweater on my head falling to my shoulders, the rain drenching my long curls.
"We'll take care of it." He told me, curving a steady arm around my
shoulder. I stumbled as I began to walk. "Don't be stubborn. Hold onto me." He commanded, and I listened. "Come on, you're getting wet, aren't you?" His eyes looked down into mine, sternly, fatherly. I wrapped my own arm around his sturdy waist and leaned much of my weight on him. We opened the door and entered the bed and breakfast.
*****
Nick
The carpets were old and warn, but I was somewhat aware that the two of us were dripping on them. We must have looked a sight, the way we both stood there, grasping each other, gasping for air from our quick sprint to the lobby of the inn. I never really expected anyone to be at the front desk, but there was an older gentleman there, smoking a pipe, reading an old torn up book.
"Hey," I said, looking up at him, letting my limbs hang by my side to let them drip out a bit. The dude just nodded so I figured I could continue. "We, uh, need a few rooms for the night."
"You'll have to pay full rate." He had this real rich Georgian drawl and the words sounded a bit funny, even to me, being used to loads of different accents.
"Uh, yeah, that's fine." I told him, looking at my watch. I had completely lost track of time. I looked down at the rolex I had bought myself for Christmas at the urging of my Mom. It was just after 4:30. "We'll prolly take the room for a few days." I needed some rest.
"OK, but we only got one room." Now the guy looked up and put his pipe down on the ashtray that sat on a bar behind him. "But you kids are gonna love it."
Veronica went to interject, but I squeezed her side that I was still
holding. We'd have to deal at this point. And actually I didn't mind. I hated sleeping alone. Just having someone in the bed next to me was
comforting. She only whimpered a little, and then sighed. She was tired too.
"This is our best room. We call it Romance of the Sea." The man motioned for us to follow him and we did. He turned around and looked at the two of us. "Gonna need your credit card." I reached into my pocket for my wallet and pulled out the American Express Platinum. The Inn-Guy, or whoever he was, set it down near the ashtray and picked up his pipe once again. "You kids got any luggage?"
We both shook our heads. Looked like we were gonna have to spend the
evening wet, either that or naked. I wouldn't mind the latter part. I'd rather be naked than any other way. I looked at the water logged traveler beside me. She raised her eyes in an expression that was confused, tired, perhaps even a little angry. I looked up at the ceiling, feeling a bit guilty. I'm sure that a cross country jaunt hadn't been on her agenda. I would offer to pay for the car in the morning and...well...someway of getting her home. This was my thing, the thing I needed to do.
"You two are gonna love this room." The graying man inhaled on his pipe, then held it between his two teeth. We up a flight of warn carpeted stairs.
The place was old, but it smelt like vanilla and there was this homey feel to it. It was modern enough, had central AC for the warm summers. We walked down the second story hallway to the end, and our room was on the right. Oh yeah, the Romance of the Sea suite. "This room was room of the year by Waverly Fabrics & Country Inns magazine.
"What year?" Veronica muttered to my rear. I choked back a giggle as he opened the creaky door. But I couldn't hold out any longer as we entered the suite, decorated with an array of fishnet and nautical decorations.
There was a queen size bed with a canopy, also draped with fishnet in the middle of the room. I laughed loudly at the motif, I had never been in a place quite like it.
”There a problem?" The Inn-Keeper glared at me. Veronica was beginning to giggle as well.
"Nah, nah, no problem, sir. We're just tired is all. This is gonna be just fine." I reached into my pocket and grabbed a soaked ten. It would have to do for now. He seemed impressed, despite our laughter.
He nodded with his head, "Through there you got your veranda and terrace. If you want, you can take your breakfast out there in the morning." I nodded, looking around the room, probably not looking like I was paying attention, one of the many talents I had acquired through years of show business. "In there's the bathroom. Ya'll got your own." He seemed proud of the fact. I was glad I didn't have to share a public bathroom. "There's a hot tub and robes and all that ya need."
"Robes?" Veronica said and limped into the bathroom.
"Thanks again, sir." I said to the grey-haired man as he was about to leave the room.
"The names Mitchell. I'll be downstairs if ya'll need anything else." He took the pipe out of his mouth and bobbed his head politely. "Ya'll have a pleasant evening...or morning rather."
"G'nite." I told him. He slammed the door at the very same time Veronica slammed the bathroom door.
*****
Veronica
The two of us looked like something out of a bad porn, but really, what porn isn't bad? We were both clothed in white terry-cloth robes that had the initials BI on them, I suppose the initials for the Brunswick Inn, although it seemed quite tacky to me. "Lemme just look." Nick said to me as I sat there, my legs squeezed together so as not to expose anything I didn't want shown, at least not at that moment.
This whole situation was surreal.
It could have been a dream.
It wasn't.
I knew that when he grabbed my throbbing ankle and forced me to push back and let him stab a look at it. I scooched up onto the queen sized bed, looking up at the canopy laced with fishing net and sand dollars. The whole room was like that. Nautical. Perfect for Nick, I supposed, but it really did nothing to me. How had I ever fallen in love, or rather lust, with that man? Besides for the fact that I really didn't know him at all, we really had nothing in common even on the outside, even on the things he said in interviews and the way he acted in public. We were like day and night.
He was caressing my ankle now. My eyes watched the top of his head as he examined it. "S'fine." He commented, swinging my leg over the other, almost as if he had known what I was thinking. Nick had also changed into a robe, one that was much too tight and too short to be his own. Tiny fine blonde hairs stuck out of the top of the robe, matching the tiny coarse ones that stuck out of his chin.
He had circles under his eyes which I hadn't noticed before. But he was being nicer now, especially since I had hurt myself.
I was utterly perplexed at what was happening. All I knew was that I was in Brunswick, Georgia. And that I had to be at work on Monday morning, in only about 25 hours. It concerned me, but I could hardly think about it. I was already falling asleep, lying there with my head against the pillow, somewhat aware that there were lobster traps and buoys on the walls. I hated fish. I hated sea life. What was I doing here?
I struggled to keep my eyes open and saw Nick standing at the window.
"Where are we going?" I asked. The question was not only of physical
nature, but also metaphorical.
"I don't know." He said very quietly. He was rubbing at the back of his neck where the newly cut hair was so short that I could see some of the razor burns. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Go to sleep now." He told me. And once again, I did as I was told, whether I wanted to or not.
Day 2
Runaway
NinasFiction
NinasFeet
