A Road Trip Fantasy

I slowly pushed away from the counter and stepped toward her. The snickers were starting. Jennifer's haughty look was less sure now as if maybe she had made a mistake calling my bluff.

I knelt down in front of her, but now I was eye level with her pants zipper. I looked up her light blue button-up shirt into the swell of her breasts and swallowed. Still not appropriate. Finally, my eyes found her face as it was turning the color of a ripe tomato. It reflected the burning in my own face. No choice now but to forge ahead. I took one of her hands in mine. "Jennifer," I started before I realized that I did not appear like a supplicant on both knees, but rather more of an ardent petitioner on single bended knee who traditionally ought to be holding a small felt covered box. Although the words bubbling in my throat were a plea to stay, they were not exactly the words that should come out in the office break room in front of an audience and especially not before we'd been on a single date together.

I turned around to the rest of the room. "I did say 'we' here. Can I get a little help?"

"That sounded like more of one of those royal wes. You made that bed all on your own," Holly, another MA, crowed.

I faced Jennifer again, and her other hand was over her mouth caught between mirth and mortification. I took a deep breath and surrendered. "Sorry," I said and stood up. "I guess we'll never know." Both of us dissolved into laughter along with the entire room behind us.

Jennifer pulled her hand away from me and slapped my arm.

When I had caught my breath enough, I gasped, "I think I have some charts to finish." I hightailed it out of the room.

As the door closed behind me, Holly cackled, "I got it on video."

*****

Wednesday. I had been pacing my townhouse since 9:30 willing the time to move. At 9:59, I opened my phone, but forced myself to play a level of Soda Crush. Twice. At 10:05 I hit the call button.

"You're late." She must have had the phone in her hand to answer so quickly.

I laughed. "You've worked with me a long time. You know I always run late."

"Even on your day off? Who else have you been calling that made you late for me?"

"No one. I just didn't want to seem too desperate," I admitted.

"I was worried you'd forgotten. Or changed your mind."

"Never and never."

We were silent.

"So, any preference where we go to eat?" I asked.

"I'm good with anything."

"Okay. How about the Prado in Balboa Park?"

"Ooh. Going a little upscale are we?"

"Well, if you prefer Mickey Ds, I can do that too."

She laughed. "The Prado sounds good."

"Great, because I made reservations for 12:15. Can I pick you up?"

"That's okay. I'll meet you there."

"Okay. I'll be out front a little after twelve."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Looking forward to it."

"See you then."

"See you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

*****

Balboa Park is a large square of green located it central San Diego. It is home to beautiful architecture, the San Diego Zoo, numerous museums, and my first date with Jennifer. I arrived early and was waiting outside the Prado before noon. At 11:59, I texted: I'm not late.

It took a few minutes for her text to come back. Just parked. On my way up.

The warm California sun was reflecting yellow waves off her hair when I spied her coming up the walkway from the parking lot. She was wearing a pink sweater with white stripes and blue jeans. As she got closer I could see a necklace sparkling over her sweater between her breasts. I did my best not to let my attention linger there for long.

We embraced briefly. "You look great," I said.

"Thank you. Anything looks better than scrubs though." Jennifer brushed her hair back behind her ear. "You're looking nice and casual. It's good to see you not all dressed up for the office."

"How was you camping trip?" I asked as we walked into the restaurant.

"We had a good time. We drove up to Big Sur after work. We stayed in Carmel the first night and then camped for two and drove back down yesterday," she told me.

"Sounds fun. Who did you go with?" I hoped my question sounded casual. No boyfriends had been mentioned yet, but I also could not quite believe she was single.

"My sister and her husband and my friends Kelly and Lena," she told me.

So still no boyfriend mentioned. Maybe a girlfriend? That would be disappointing but also rather sexy. I let the matter go.

Our table on the patio was ready when we arrived. Jennifer ordered an ice tea and I a soda. "Have you been here before?" I asked while we looked over the menu.

"My family came here for a brunch once. It was good," she replied. "How about you."

"I've been to a few drug rep dinners in the past, but not for a few years. I'm not sure I've ever ordered off the menu." We both contemplated our menus a bit more. "By the way, just to be clear, my treat today."

Jennifer laughed and looked at me over the top of her menu. "Good because you owe me after Friday."

I covered my face with my hand for a second and laughed.

"That was so embarrassing," she continued. "I can't believe you did that."

"Hey," I broke in trying to defend myself. "You're the one who said, 'There's only one way to find out,'" I imitated in an imperious tone.

She opened her mouth in disbelief. "First, I did not sound like that, and second, you weren't supposed to actually get down on your knees like that. 'Oh, please stay' would have been enough."

"Enough to get you to stay?"

She cocked her head at me and thought. "No. But then it would have been over with." She scrunched up her eyebrows at me and looked me up and down. "And you know what, I don't think you did any begging."

My eyes popped wide. "I was down on my knees."

"Yes, but you never said anything. You just turned all red and then ran away." Was there a little bit of hurt underneath that comment?

I acquiesced. "You're right. I'm sorry." I pushed my chair away from the table and started to slide out of it as if to kneel. "Should I try again now?"

She reached across the table and grabbed my arm with one hand and shook a finger at me with the other. "No. Sit down."

We both laughed some more, and I sat back down. "Just let me know when you want me to."

Jennifer gave me a warning look from over her menu again and changed the subject. "What are you getting?"

Ultimately, we ordered an appetizer of grilled skewers and entrees of an arugula salad and a steak Panini sandwich to share.

We were enjoying the skewers during a pause in the conversation. She was resting her elbows on the table with a thoughtful expression on her face. It changed slightly as if she had made up her mind, and she gave me a sly smile. "So how long have you been thinking about asking me out? Was it spur of the moment or had you been thinking about it for a while?"

I pursed me lips and looked at the center of the table contemplating how much to give away. "Honestly?" I bobbed my head and made eye contact again. "Probably nine months or more. It was sometime before Gina left that I first wanted to ask you out."

Jennifer nodded. "I thought so. I kind of got that vibe from you for a while there. What took so long?"

I squirmed in my chair a bit. "Because I didn't think you'd say yes. Because we work with each other and it would have been really awkward if you said no."

"I would have said yes." Jen's smile was serious. "I felt like you wanted to, and I kept waiting, maybe one of those nights when I was closing and you walked me down to the garage, but you never did. And then it felt like you weren't interested anymore and pulled away."

I swallowed. "I don't know. I think I just tried to put it out of my mind. There was this time, we seemed to be working with each other a lot, and I was thinking about you all the time, and then the schedule changed, and you were almost always with one of the other docs. I thought maybe I had done something to make you uncomfortable, and so I tried to keep my distance a little more."

Her smile was just a little sad. "You never made me uncomfortable. I just thought I was imagining things. You're so nice to everyone anyway. So why now?"

I reached out, and she let me take her hand. "My last chance. I didn't want you to head off to Nebraska without knowing that I care about you and that I want to get to know you better."

Our server took that opportunity to bring out the main courses and extra plates and the mood was broken.

Once our server was gone, I asked Jennifer, "When do leave?"

"I drive out in two weeks."

"Drive? That's a long way. I guess you have to bring all your stuff though if you're going to be gone a year. Who are you driving with?"

Jennifer shook her head. "I was supposed to drive out with Kelly, but she just cancelled on me this morning. My parents originally thought they could help out, but since Kelly was going to, I think they probably have other plans. I haven't talked to them yet to figure it out."

"I could drive out with you," I offered. The words were out of my mouth before my brain had time to process what my tongue was doing.

Jennifer shook her head. "No. I can't have you do that."

"Sure you can. Look, I have lots of vacation time saved up. You know I never go anywhere. It would be fun."

Jennifer was still giving me a doubtful look.

"I can pay my own way. I'll be a perfect gentleman. We can get separate rooms on the way if that's what your worried about." I looked expectant, but she did not answer. I could imagine her mind behind those brown eyes trying to decipher my sincerity and intentions. "It would be fun. We'd have a chance to get to know each other better. See if this could work out between us." I tried to give her a winning smile.

"I'll think about it," she said in measured tones.

I tried to match her seriousness but my heart was racing inside with the ecstasy of the idea. "Please do. I'd be happy to help you. Even just as a friend. You shouldn't drive across the country by yourself. I really want to help out if you let me."

"I said I'd think about it." She broached no further argument.

"Okay." I ran my thumb and forefinger across my lips. "I'll say no more."

We finished lunch over comfortable small talk. After the busboy cleared the plates, neither of us wanted to afternoon to end yet. "What would like to do now?" I signed the bill and closed up the checkbook. "Would you like to go to a museum or something, or maybe just walk for a while?"

Jennifer took in a deep breath, thinking. "It's so nice out, lets just walk. I want to enjoy as much sun as I can right now."

We strolled about the park together just talking. We stopped at a coffee cart for drinks, which she insisted on paying for. The sun was warm, but there was a slight coolness to the breeze and the warm drink felt good in my hands. We ended up at the Spanish Village, a collection of small building where various artists displayed their wares.

Jennifer's phone trilled. She looked at it. "It's Emily. 'How's the date?' she's asking."

"Emily?" I said. "Isn't she supposed to be working?"

"She told me she would take a late lunch so she could be the first to get the dirt," Jennifer laughed. She texted back: Still going. TTYL. "She is going to give you such a hard time tomorrow."

"When she told me to enjoy my day off yesterday, she was a bit suggestive," I admitted. "I'm sure I'll be getting plenty of those comments."

In the late afternoon, I walked Jen back to her car.

"Thank you for the lunch and a wonderful time. I really enjoyed myself," Jennifer said. She was standing in the opening of her car door.

"No. Thank you. I haven't had this nice an afternoon in a long time. I hope we can do it again." I touched the upper half of her arm.

"I hope so too," she told me and leaned forward to give me a tight hug, the softness of her breasts pressed against my chest. We separated, but still kept holding each other's arms staring into each other's eyes. I leaned forward to give her a kiss, and she didn't pull away. It was soft and sweet and gentle and oh so good, the perfect cap to our afternoon.

Jennifer pulled back first. She brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Thanks again. I'll talk to you soon."

"I'll be looking forward to it. And don't forget, really think about my offer," I reminded her.

"I will," she promised.

*****

Two weeks later, six AM found me overlooking my driveway through the guest room window of my townhouse. A dark blue Honda Accord towing a small U-Haul trailer pulled up out front. I had packed my duffle bag the night before with a couple of changes of clothes, comb, toothbrush, shaver, some journal articles, and buried deep in the bottom a box of condoms, just in case. I was down the stairs and grabbing my bag when my phone trilled with Jennifer's text: I'm out front.

One week ago, Jennifer and I had enjoyed our second date with a hike at Torrey Pines State Reserve. We shared sandwiches at the beach and a handful more of gentle kisses while the waves rolled up the shore behind us. We had talked or texted each other everyday since our first lunch date. Eventually, after our second date, she relented and agreed to let me be her co-pilot during the journey.

Nursing school started on Monday. We planned on making the road trip over three days making it to Omaha with a day for setting up her apartment and one extra for emergencies. I would fly out of Omaha late Sunday afternoon, the last flight out I could find.

The early morning air was San Diego cool when I locked the door behind me. I could not quite make my breath mist in the air but there was a suggestion that it wanted to.

Jennifer rolled down the passenger window when she saw me come out. "That's all you're bringing?"

"I'm not the one who's moving. I didn't want to take up too much room."

"Okay," she shrugged, "I left space in the backseat. Hop in and let's hit the road."

Jennifer already had her phone mounted to the dashboard with our route programmed. She reversed with aplomb despite the trailer and pointed us northward out of San Diego.

"Was it hard leaving this morning?" I asked once we were on the freeway.

"Not too bad," Jennifer said. "My parents are planning on flying out for a weekend in a couple of weeks to see how I'm set up, and I'll be back for a break in two months. They were glad I found someone to drive out with though."

"Happy to be of service," I said with a smile. "What did you tell them about me?"

"That you're one of the doctors I worked with. That got you high marks right there with Mom, let me tell you," Jennifer said. "That we've really become good friends. Dad liked it when I told him you promised separate rooms." She laughed. "I may be all grown up, and you might be a doctor, but he's still my dad."

We spent the rest of the morning chatting about all the little random thoughts and nothings that run through your mind leading one to the next. That weaving, meandering conversation though sketched out some of the rough corners of what we had not yet learned about each other: how we grew up, our families and friends, our similarities and contrasts, our interests and pastimes. All the little details that add up to a life.

We took turns at the wheel every couple of hours as we battled the morning commute traffic into Riverside and San Bernardino before finally making the swing to the northwest toward Nevada. Despite a few traffic jams and breaks to stretch our legs, the early start let us pull into Las Vegas by noon. We avoided the Strip and downtown proper. Lunch was a quick stop at an In-N-Out Burger, because it would be Jennifer's last opportunity to enjoy the Southern California specialty for a while. Then we headed out across the desert.

We sang songs on the radio together as we drove and found that our musical tastes were not too far off. I thought Jennifer's voice was beautiful and understated, and I must admit she tolerated my considerably less than pitch perfect voice.

Despite the heat of the day, the confines of a small car and the early growing pains of getting to know one another, we managed to avoid any major landmines or pitfalls and exchanged no cross words. We joked easily with each other and the jokes never seemed to cause worse than feigned offense.

*****

Soon after the sun went down we pulled into the parking lot of a one-story motel on the outskirts of Provo, Utah. Jennifer was driving that shift and found a space off to the side that didn't leave the trailer in the way. As we made our way to the office, in contrast to the San Diego cold of the morning, my breath puffed gustily in the cool air that surged in as soon as the sun set in the desert.

The receptionist, a heavy-set middle-aged red head, gave us a sallow smile when we approached the desk.

"We'd like two single rooms, please," I said.

"Actually," Jen interrupted, "one room is fine." She looked at me and arched her eyebrows, "Two beds."

I gave her a look back but said nothing about the change in plans.

"It doesn't make sense to pay for separate rooms," Jennifer explained. "And I am paying but the way. I'd have to pay for a room anyway if I was driving alone."

"OK." I smiled back and ushered her forward with a sweep of my arm.

"A double room, please," she said.

The receptionist's smile was more of a smirk now. She typed on her keyboard. "Room 27, down the west wing there." She pointed back outside to the right. "Seventy-two dollars plus tax. Check out time is 11AM. There's coffee here in the morning and there's a diner next door that has a nice breakfast if you want."

"Thanks." Jen handed over her credit card while flashing me a grin and a wink over her shoulder. She handed me the extra room key. "And you promised to be a gentleman," she warned.

"Always, my lady," I said with a small bow.

We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant across the street. Jen ordered some tacos and a soda. I ordered the enchiladas and taking her lead ordered a soda also. As a rule I was not a big drinker anyway, but if she was not going to order tequila shots or margaritas, I certainly was not going to start either. We shared a couple of baskets of chips and salsa and talked and laughed. Despite ten hours in a box together, Jen was easy to talk to. Even the pauses were comfortable.

When the small mariachi band came to our table, the leader beamed. "¿Un canción para los novios?" Jen giggled and blushed, but our hands met on the opposite side of the chip basket. While the singer crooned, she kept looking down and then giving me shy glances under those long thick black lashes of hers. My Spanish was rusty, and I did not recognize the song, but my heart swelled in my chest just to look at her. Mr. Mariachi and company got a nice tip from me that evening.

When we left the warmth of the restaurant for the cold of the Utah night, despite her shivers, Jen stepped away from my arm when I tried to put it around her. She grabbed my hand instead and gave me a warning look, but if I were a judge there was a playful twinkle in her eyes that was not due to the stars in the clear night air. "A gentleman," she reminded me.

"A gentleman would offer an arm to keep a lady warm on a cold night."

Jennifer shook her head. We ran across the two-lane road back to the motel laughing.

Back into the motel room she flopped down onto the farthest bed and pulled out her phone. "Why don't you take a shower first. I have to make some calls and check in with the fam so they know I'm alright."

"Okay," I said with an inward sigh. Two beds. I had been hopeful after the mariachi ballad, but not surprised. I did neglect to lock the bathroom door when I went to take my shower, but if Jennifer noticed, she did not take the bait.

Jen not taking the bait though was ostensibly a good thing. Naked in the bathroom, my pent up desire from being so close to her all day was finally catching up with me. I wanted to go out there and kiss her and throw her on the bed and strip her and have my way with her. I had promised both of us to be on good behavior though. This trip was just a friend helping a friend and a chance to get to know each other and see where the relationship might grow. My problem was that I had only brought boxers and a t-shirt for bed and neither would hide a raging erection when I came out of the bathroom in a few minutes. I was a bit afraid and a lot hopeful that my traveling companion might choose that moment to slip into the bathroom. I kept my eye on the top of the door that peeked over the shower curtain and masturbated under the hot soapy shower as efficiently as possible. After that, I ended by switching to a cold shower for good measure to keep me presentable.