Brad's Road Trip Ch. 20

"So what, you had this earth-shattering meeting with another girl?" he asked. "I mean, I know I gave you crap about not getting her number, but it actually makes this a little easier. You go meet Kelly, and you see how things go. Maybe the whole fucking galaxy doesn't explode the first time you lay eyes on her, but who cares? There's already something between you, so give it some water and a little natural sunlight, and see if it grows into something bigger. And if it doesn't, you do what your Marine buddy told you to do. Use what information you do have, go to SoCal, and find Nicole."

He was making a lot of sense, but it still didn't feel right to me.

"But how can I open myself up and expect Kelly to open herself up to me, when I know in the back of my mind that I really, really want to be with someone else, too?"

"You find a way to shut that shit off, just for one evening," he said. "Focus on what you've got in front of you, and give her a chance."

"Easier said than done, man," I lamented.

"You're a Marine with combat medals," he reminded me. "You've done harder shit than this. Stop being a pussy and handle your business."

A lot of people might bristle at that, but I just took it in stride. I was fortunate to have friends who didn't pull punches. I didn't necessarily feel like I was being a pussy - I had a legitimate problem, and not having a ton of experience with emotions, I wasn't sure what to do with it. In Tommy's mind, though, the solution was obvious, and I needed to attack it head-on. I appreciated his input, but I wasn't sure things were quite as simple as he thought.

"What about you, huh?" I asked, and he looked at me like I'd grown horns. "Collette?"

"Yeah," he said. I don't think he realized it, but his eyes dropped to the ground quickly before bouncing right back up. "She's pretty hot, huh?"

"She's an attractive girl," I agreed. "Not really your type, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"I remember you being into bigger girls in high school, that's all," I said.

"Hey, I like what I like," he fired back, getting defensive.

"Pull it back there, turbo," I said. "I like what you like, too, Tommy. I've been with some bigger girls on this trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. But I like all types of girls, and Collette's even a little too thin for my tastes. I don't think I've ever seen you date a girl that didn't have serious curves."

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Look, we can't all be you, Carver. Collette is fun to be around, and she's great in the sack. We're just having fun right now. I don't expect it to last a whole lot longer. She and I don't have the kind of chemistry you seem to have found with two different women."

I wondered if by the end of the night, that number wouldn't be sliced in half. The crewmen came into the terminal to tell Tommy they were finished. We drained our coffee cups, and after a stopover in the bathroom, we headed back to the plane.

"Let's get you back home and get you ready for your woman," Tommy said. "I hope she's as hot as you think she's going to be. Matter of fact, what are friends for? Tell me which store she works at, and I'll go up there and do a little recon for you."

"I have no doubt you would," I said. "And you'd probably get me in a metric asston of trouble along the way."

"Probably," he said as a shit-eating grin split his face. "I don't see the drawback, though."

"No need, anyway," I said. "My dad wouldn't give me any particulars, but he said I had nothing to worry about."

"Normally, I'd say that's an old man talking, and he probably thinks any girl under 40 is hot," Tommy said. "But since this is your dad, I'll take his word for it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, knowing exactly where he was going. After all, he'd been there numerous times during high school.

"Dude..." he said, pausing only so we could climb into the plane. "Your mom is fucking hot."

It was good to be home.

**********

We flew to one more airport then landed back in Pocatello a little after 5 p.m.

Time to go see Kelly.

She'd been texting me all day long, taking breaks at work to send me a quick message. Sometimes it was just a 'thinking of you' note, and other times, there were explicit descriptions of what she expected to happen tonight. I'd held back on getting dirty, but I'd answered each text, at least when we weren't in the air. I missed this X-rated banter with her, but I missed her voice even more. Only once in a 48-hour span wasn't nearly enough.

"You have no idea how much I've missed hearing your voice," she said, echoing my thoughts exactly. Her voice sounded like warm maple syrup drizzled all over a stack of steaming hot pancakes. It was at once comforting and exciting, both familiar and adventurous, and I felt better about life in general with it tickling my ear.

"Everything ok?" she asked. Apparently, I'd been silent too long.

"Yeah," I stammered. "I was just thinking of how much I agree with you."

"Listen, you have no idea how much I want to see you, but would you mind if we pushed it a bit later into the night?" she asked. "I need to spend some quality time with Tyler. I've been working so much lately, and the only days off I've had we've been with family, so I haven't had any mother-son time."

"Of course, Kelly," I said. "Your son comes first."

"It's not that," she said. "You're really important to me, too. So much so, that I haven't made a lot of plans to do anything else over the next few days... your mom made sure I got a few days off, and my mom and my aunt and uncle are looking forward to keeping Tyler for a while."

I saw where she was going with this.

"Oh, really," I said. "And just what are we going to be doing, young lady?" A few days ago, I would have strongly suggested that she build in some time for me to meet her son, but with where my head was at the moment, I was smart enough not to go there.

"You know, playing checkers, knitting scarves, discussing the theory of evolution," she said. "Things a toddler wouldn't be interested in."

"Right, right, okay. That makes sense."

"So, I wanted to hang out with him tonight for a while," she said. "I'm gonna take him to the park and have a little picnic, toss a ball around with him some and buy him some ice cream."

"That sounds great, Kelly," I said. Again, I had to fight the urge to volunteer to come up right now and be with them. "I didn't sleep well last night, so I can grab a little nap before I come up."

"Aww, sorry you couldn't sleep. Any reason in particular?"

Yes, I thought. I was worried that when I tell you I really, really like another woman too, you might punch me hard enough to break my jaw.

"My back isn't used to my nice, soft bed after all those nights in tents," I quipped instead. "Anyway, how does 10 o'clock sound? Do they have a Cracker Barrel up in Idaho Falls yet?"

"They do, but I don't want to eat," she said. "I want to meet you somewhere special, around 11. I'll eat with Tyler. Can you grab something on your way up?"

"That sounds good," I said. "Where am I going to meet you?"

"I'll text you the directions."

"All right. I'll probably leave around 10," I said. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. "Kelly? I need to talk to you about something before we go anywhere or do anything. I don't want to do it over the phone, but first thing when we meet, okay?"

"Ok," she agreed happily. I expected her to try and pry the details out of me right now, but she didn't. "I, uh, have something I need to tell you, too. But it'll keep till then."

"Ok," I parroted. The last time she waited to tell me something, I found out she had a son. I wanted to worry about what she might be holding back from me now, but I'd find out in a few hours. I could wait.

"Brad? I can't wait to see you," she said.

"Likewise, honey," I said. The pet name rolled off my tongue so smoothly that I didn't even realize I was going to say it until I did.

I pulled into the drive a few minutes later. Nobody else was home just yet. I thought about another swim, more just to enjoy the novelty of having a pool than for any fitness benefits, but I decided to crash out instead. I briefly wondered if I'd sleep restlessly like the night before, but before I could even complete the thought, my eyes were closed.

***********************************

I woke up just before 9, and after a shower and a fresh shave, I felt better than I had in several days. I threw on an orange polo shirt, white cargo shorts, and a pair of tennis shoes and ventured into the kitchen to find food. There was left over steak and salad in the fridge from yesterday's barbecue, so I made myself a plate and devoured it. I was washing the plate and silverware when my parents walked into the room.

"Didn't know you were up, Brad," my dad said. "You were sacked out when I got home."

"Yeah, I had a rough night last night," I said. "Wanted to catch up a little before I go up to Idaho Falls tonight."

"Tonight's the night, huh?" my mom asked. It should have been awkward, having this conversation with my mom and dad, but it wasn't.

"Yeah, she wanted to spend time with Tyler after all that slave labor you forced on her this weekend, so we decided to meet late tonight."

My mom just smiled, and my dad chuckled. It seemed like maybe there was something they weren't telling me, but I let it go. I had more important things to worry about.

"We won't wait up," my mom said, kissing me on the cheek before disappearing down the hall. My dad walked me out into the garage, and he put a hand on my shoulder before I got in my car.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he said.

I thought for a second. "That doesn't really rule out much, does it? But ok, dad. No orgies. I got it."

"What makes you think we don't have orgies, huh?"

I chuckled as I pulled out of the driveway. In high school, my dad liked to embarrass me by telling me about my parents' sex life. I don't even know how much of it was true and how much he was making up just to fuck with me. Either way, I wasn't the same guy now. My parents had worked hard to stay in great shape in their mid-to-late 40s. I doubted they were having orgies, but if they were still having a fulfilling sex life, good for them.

Before I even made it to I-15, I made a decision - I was going to do what Tommy suggested, with a slight change. I owed it to Kelly to tell her that I'd made a real, strong emotional connection with another woman the last day of the road trip. After that, if she still wanted to stick around and see where things went with the two of us, then that's what I would do. We'd shared way too much together over the past two-and-a-half weeks to throw that away simply because I met a really hot girl. If it pissed Kelly off and she wanted nothing to do with me, then I'd have to live with that.

The decision was made, but I still had a 45-minute drive ahead of me, and if I didn't distract myself I'd keep obsessing over it. So, I grabbed a Grover Washington, Jr. CD out of my center console and popped it into the player. Most people consider smooth jazz to be nothing more than elevator music, but I disagree. All good music tells a story, but most jazz is instrumental, so they have to do it without the benefit of words. For the next 40 or so minutes, I let the wide selection of saxophones tell me stories about another world, a world where I didn't have to disappoint one of the greatest women I'd ever known.

Finally, it was time to exit the freeway, and I pulled up Kelly's text. She wanted to meet on one of the walking trails that ran adjacent to the Snake River, which cut through Idaho Falls just west of downtown. There were parks and paths leading from the city out to the waterfalls, with trees, benches and numerous large boulders sprinkled throughout, between the walking paths and the water. I had no idea why she'd chosen this particular spot, but it was as good as any. It would be mostly deserted this time of night.

I pulled into the parking lot she'd told me to use, and after taking a long, deep breath, I got out of my car. There were four other cars in the lot, and I assumed one of them was Kelly's. She'd told me to call her when I pulled in, so I did. I'd just reached the trail when she picked up.

"Was that you that just pulled in?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "You're nearby, I guess?"

"A few hundred feet up the trail, toward the waterfalls," she said, and I started walking that direction. "It wraps back around to the other side of the parking lot, but you have to use the trail to get to where I'm at."

"I don't understand, Kelly," I said, continuing down the path. There were dim light posts every 40 or 50 feet down the path, providing just enough light to avoid running into the various trash cans and benches dotting the trail. "Why did you pick here? If I didn't know any better, I might think you were a serial killer luring a victim out into the woods."

"They're not woods," she replied with a chuckle. "Well, not really, anyway."

I walked in silence for a few seconds.

"In about a minute, you're going to curve hard right, and you'll see a historical plaque. I'm waiting for you by a tree just past it."

That would have been a good time to hang up the phone, but I couldn't hold my tongue anymore.

"Look, Kelly, I need to tell you something, okay?"

"Please, Brad," she said. "I'll let you say whatever you need to say, but let me go first."

I'd all but forgotten she had something she needed to tell me, too. I really felt like I should lead off here, but she seemed pretty emphatic about telling me first.

"First, I want to tell you something more about myself," she said. "One of our little non-sexual facts."

We'd stopped doing that a couple days ago, knowing that our meeting was imminent, but really, our little sharing sessions were one of the many highlights of my trip. I had looked forward to learning more about her every other day, when it was her turn to share.

"Um, okay?" I said, very clearly wondering why she wanted to do this now.

"I don't think we ever told each other our middle names," she said.

"I don't think we did either," I said. My pulse quickened when I saw the historical plaque she'd mentioned just 20 or 30 feet in front of me. This was an odd topic under the circumstances, but it kept my mind off our impending meeting. "Mine is Mitchell, named after my mom's father. Bradley Mitchell Carver."

"Nice, I like that name," she said. "Kelly is just a name my parents liked, but my middle name was taken from two people; my dad's sister, and my mom's uncle."

"How does that work? Your first name could be either/or, and your middle name is, too?"

"Not exactly," she said. "Remember that my mother is full-blooded Italian?"

I passed the plaque, which paid tribute to the first settlers along this river. I'd read it before, and I barely slowed down when I passed it now. She'd said just past the plaque, so I started looking around.

"Of course," I said. "That's why you're half-crazy."

She giggled, then took a deep breath that I could hear plain as day. It was like she was steeling herself to tell me something. She exhaled just as audibly.

"Well, in Italy, Nicola is a man's name. It's my grandma's brother's name. My dad's sister is just named Nicole. So, that's me - Kelly Nicole Linton."

As soon as she said 'Nicola,' I froze in place. I was maybe six or seven trees past the plaque, but I was no longer looking around.

"I should tell you something else, too," she continued.

I couldn't speak. Her next words made it damn near impossible to breathe, too.

"I can pull off an Australian accent nearly flawlessly," she said, demonstrating her words with her voice. I'd just heard this very accent two days ago, and it had been forever seared into my memory.

"But I lied to you," she said. "I'm not really Australian."

The words didn't come out of my phone, but rather from just a few feet behind me. Just as importantly, the accent was gone, replaced by the voice that had filled my dreams for the past two-plus weeks.

I spun around and there she was, standing beneath a light post at the edge of the path. It was dim, but between the lamp and the moonlight, there was no doubt - it was Nicole.

Kelly and Nicole were the same person.

A fuse blew in my brain. It took a second for my neural processors to reset, but once they did, everything clicked into place.

She was everything I wanted. I knew her personality inside-out from our phone conversations, and now I knew the physical connection was there as well. We'd had an earthquake moment on Saturday in Colorado, and we were having another one right now. A miniscule part of me wanted to ask a million questions. My racing heart and suddenly granite-hard cock agreed on something for once, and told that part to shut the fuck up.

I sprinted toward her, and within seconds I had her wrapped tightly in my arms. I pushed her up against the light post and attacked her mouth with mine, and she answered back with all the intensity of a hurricane.

"No foreplay," she stammered. "Please."

"Not even if I wanted to," I growled back before kissing her again. I pushed her shorts down her legs as she worked on my zipper. She wriggled her left leg free of her shorts and wrapped it around my back just as I felt my cock emerge into the sticky summertime air. I grabbed her by the hips and lifted her slightly, forcing her against the light pole and supporting the rest of her weight with my arms until she was at the perfect height.

I stared deep into her coffee brown eyes and saw about 50 different emotions, and I'm sure she saw the same in mine.

"I need you," I said.

"Take me," she breathed.

I pushed forward, reclaiming her lips with mine and sliding my cock deep into her smoldering pussy with one slow, steady stroke. I came instantly, flooding her tight tunnel as if I'd never cum before. Her body tensed up immediately as she matched me, screaming into my mouth as I sucked feverishly on her studded tongue.

At that moment, the entire world disappeared. There was no one and nothing else. There was no river, no waterfall, no light pole, and no walking trail. There were no other girls, no other guys, no past experiences and no road trips.

There was only me and this exquisite, magnificent angel, bonded by our bodies and by so, so much more.

"I love you," she panted as soon as I let her tongue go.

"I love you, too," I answered back, pulling out just an inch or two before sliding back in. She came again as soon as I bottomed out. Her eyes were wide open, and she bored a hole straight into my soul. I knew she'd be there for a long, long time.

My cock stayed hard, and I finally plunged into her with a stroke that didn't instantly set her off. The world slowly reappeared around us, but I didn't care - I was going to use every moment of my existence to show Kelly how I felt about her, and that started now.

I continued to attack her lips with mine as we worked into a steady pace. Somewhere in my periphery, I heard voices. I was just going to have to hope they were on a different trail, or they didn't reach us if they were on our trail, because I wasn't going to stop.

"Brad," Kelly whispered, reading my mind. "There's a little spot behind me, down by the river," she said, and I needed no further encouragement. I pulled her sexy body tight against mine, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. Somehow, her shorts were still dangling from her right ankle, so we weren't leaving any clothes behind. I was still buried deep in her pussy as I slowly trudged off the path and through the grass.

"Careful," she whispered. I had to step on, over and around a few rocks to get where she was directing me, and at night, that would have been challenging even without a 20 year-old sexpot impaled on my cock. There was a small clearing just past a patch of trees, maybe 20 feet from the river and blocked from the walking trails by mammoth boulders. Random passers-by could still see us, but they'd have to be looking hard.