“Hello,” the voice on the other end responded.
Marti hesitated a minute. Joey never said ‘hello.’ “Where are you?” she asked, suddenly very concerned. The call ended abruptly. Her heart thumped erratically. Something was wrong. He wouldn’t hang up on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure rushing up on her. It was Joey. He was completely out of breath. “Why’d you hang up on me?”
“Did you just call my phone?” His eyes were wide. His forehead was sweaty.
“Yeah. And you hung up on me. Keep up,” Marti joked.
Shaking his head, he grunted. “Wasn’t me. We left the phone in the food court. Someone took it.” She could see the panicked look in his eyes. His phone was his lifeline with the world. “Relax, we’ll get it.” Marti held her phone at the ready. “Come on.” Once they were in the food court again, she looked around. It was nearly empty, save for a few people eating in one corner, far from where they had been sitting. “Is your ringer on?” she asked.
His hand was on his chest as he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“We’ll get it back. If not, who’s your carrier?” She rubbed his arm to comfort him while she spoke.
“AT&T.”
“Awesome. I’m sure they even have one here in the mall. We’ll fix this.” Smiling, she started calling his phone again with hers on speaker. “Watch and listen,” she urged.
Faintly, in the distance, they heard his ringtone. Since he used the generic iPhone one, it didn’t mean anything. Still they watched. No one seemed to be answering a phone. Then as Marti watched, the man cleaning the tables reached into his apron and pulled out a phone. Pointing, she nudged Joey. “Isn’t that yours? Same Otter Box?”
Immediately, Joey started toward the guy holding his phone. In a panic, the man dropped it on the nearest table and ran. Sighing in relief, Marti waited for him to return to her side after reclaiming his phone.
“I think he was gonna steal my phone. Why else was he running?” Joey asked.
Laughing, Marti shook her head. “You may have just scared him, but yeah, it seemed pretty shady.” Looking down at the time on her cellphone, she smiled. “And you were afraid we wouldn’t find a way to kill an hour. Let’s go get the car.”
Soon they were on their way, driving down to The Keys. Marti loved the gator crossing signs. The view was unlike anything she had ever seen before. So much blue water and white sand. The Keys were just gorgeous. The drive was leisurely, though not by choice. The speed limit forced them to take their time as they made their way to the farthest key.
“We’re not going to get to the hotel until after dinner,” Joey grumbled. “Might be closer to bedtime.”
“So we’ll get to see the sunset while driving in a convertible through The Keys. Sounds amazing. We’re so lucky,” she murmured happily.
She could feel him staring at her. Somehow, she would teach him to relax, encourage him to enjoy the moment. This was fun. Every bit of it. Sometimes, the beauty was in the journey. Marti didn’t want to miss a moment of it.
“How do you do it?” he asked quietly.
Turning to meet his gaze, she grinned. “Do what?”
“Make everything better.” He sighed. “I just want everything to be perfect.” He frowned.
“It is!” she exclaimed. “I’m having an amazing time. Really.”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “If you say so.”
Around dinnertime, Marti started to wriggle some in her seat. “Can we eat soon?”
“Sure. Hungry?” He patted her thigh.
“Need to pee. Might as well maximize our stops.” She could feel her cheeks warming and was certain they were a full-blown red to his eyes.
“Of course.” He squeezed her thigh and left his hand there.
Another forty-five minutes passed. They had seen nowhere to eat, nowhere to stop. Her bladder was beginning to ache fiercely. She bit her lower lip because she didn’t want to stress him out or complain. Who could whine in a place this beautiful?
He must have sensed her discomfort. “There has to be some place. Maybe we just need to get off the main road, drive down one of these side roads. I bet there’s some little restaurant or bar on the beach which would be just perfect.”
It was a good plan. Marti had nodded in relief. She was completely complicit. They had traveled just down to the end of the first side road. It came to a dead end in a condo community. With a frustrated sigh, Joey worked to turn the car around when there were lights behind him. “Are we getting pulled over? I’m barely going. It can’t be speeding. What the hell.”
Sure enough, a police officer stepped out of the vehicle behind them and walked up to the side of the car. “License and registration,” he demanded.
While he reached for it, Joey spoke. “Can I ask what I’m being pulled over for?” Finding his license, he passed it to the officer along with the rental papers.
“You’re not from around here,” the officer noted.
“No. We’re not. Here on vacation.” He stared at the officer.
“What are you doing here?” The cop looked at him sternly.
“Vacation,” Joey repeated slowly.
Shaking his head, the man started to speak again. Marti sensed this could go on for hours and jumped in. “I’m pregnant. I needed to pee and eat. We thought there might be a restaurant down on the beach so we left the beaten path and turned down a side road. What’s the problem?” Instantly, she regretted the way she ended the sentence. It sounded belligerent. She chewed on the side of her cheek with downcast eyes.
Still, it seemed to appease the officer somewhat. “The problem, as you put it, is this is a private community.”
“We didn’t know!” she assured the officer. He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m sorry. Could we just speed this up before I ruin the upholstery in this really nice rental car?”
Sighing, he straightened. “I’ll let you off with a warning. Stay on the main road. There’s great food down in Key West. Not a lot in between at the moment, I’m afraid.”
After he went back to his car, Joey looked at her. “I’m sorry. I really have to pee,” she whimpered.
Chuckling, he murmured, “I understand.”
Slowly, he drove back up the road and turned onto the main drag headed toward Key West. Half a mile down the road, Marti spotted a gas station ahead. “Can we go there?” she asked, about out of hope.
“Sure. You can pee and we’ll figure out what to do about food after that.” He was back to patting her thigh.
When he stopped, Marti realized it had a convenience store in it. “Let’s grab food here,” she suggested.
“We’re on vacation and you want gas station food for dinner?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes.” By now, Marti was certain she wouldn’t last until Key West. From where she sat, the gas station seemed pretty perfect. When they finally reached the hotel, she’d probably be ready for bed.
Reluctantly, Joey gave in to her. “Okay, but let’s consider eating a real meal later,” he begged.
After using the restroom, Marti picked up a hot dog and a bag of Doritos to go with the lemonade she picked. Feeling much better, she bounced over to Joey who waited for her at the register.
“Are you sure you want that hot dog?” he questioned. “It could have been there all day.”
Eyeing it, she turned to the cashier. “Has this been there all day?”
The young man behind the counter laughed. “I dunno. I’ve only been here for two hours.”
“See,” Joey warned. “It’s been here longer than this guy.”
Taking a bite, Marti chewed thoughtfully. “Eh. I think it still has a little life in it yet.”
Shaking his head, Joey paid for their food and they returned to the convertible. “Why do I think you’re going to regret eating that?”
“Because you worry too much,” she teased. “I happen to have an iron stomach. I can’t remember the last time I was si
ck.”
It only took her minutes to finish the hot dog, devour the Doritos, and wash it all down with the lemonade. “I’m exhausted. I can’t wait to get to the hotel.”
Joey nodded in agreement, but he seemed distracted. Deciding to let him think, she simply laid back and enjoyed the scenery. They’d be back to New Hope soon enough.
They pulled into the hotel around eight in the evening. Marti was strangely quiet the last part of the drive. He had eyed her curiously, wondering over the cause. It could be something as simple as his little Energizer Bunny was finally worn out. It could be she was finally starting to feel the effects of the pregnancy. Experience suggested she’d tell him in time.
“Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel,” Marti murmured in wonder. Her eyes were wide.
“Wanna come inside with me to check in?” he asked as he stepped out of the vehicle.
Shaking her head, she declined. “I’m going to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. My tummy is yucky. Too much travel.”
Walking over to her on his way into the front desk, he planted a kiss on her forehead before going through the doors. Already Joey regretted the distance. As late as they were arriving, the registration process was incredibly fast. “Everything has been set up for your special weekend, Mr. Masters,” the clerk announced with a smile while handing him the room keys.
“Thank you,” he replied absently. At the moment, he was more consumed with returning to Marti. Turning on his heels, he headed back out to the parking lot where he was surprised to see her leaning over beside the car. “Nauseous?” he asked as he rubbed her back.
“Uh huh.” Slowly she stood. “Let’s get to the room. I bet I’ll feel better after I lay down for a minute.” Marti smiled weakly at him.
They grabbed a few sodas to settle her stomach from the vending machines on the way up to the room. Then, with Joey balancing everything, they made it to the room. Throwing the door open wide for her, Marti slowly walked in. For a moment, she stood there, taking everything in. He had only seen the place on website photos. It could go either way, but this place seemed even better than it promised. It was absolutely beautiful. Set up like a hotel condo, there was a full sized kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a dining area and living room. Off of the main area was the bedroom and bathroom. When he dropped the luggage off in there, he discovered the bed was an incredibly inviting king. Possibly the best feature, however, was the balcony which overlooked the water.
When he turned, Joey saw the roses on the counter. Ah, yes, the special touches. Opening the door to the fridge, he found there was a sparkling grape juice inside and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries. Just perfect, just not for tonight. Poor Marti.
“Babe, what do you think?” he asked. Regardless of what he felt, it was her opinion that mattered.
“The flight, the drive, totally worth it. I could live here.” She smiled and let out a blissful sigh. Marti was sipping on the soda he bought and seemed to have perked up some.
“What if we go for a dip in the pool before bed?” he asked. While they were driving, he had concocted this whole engagement idea. Initially, it was rough concept, but then when he saw the towel animal in the bathroom, he knew just what to do. They’d go hang out in the hot tub. Joey would use the towel animal to propose.
While he was in there and she was still standing in the living room, he had set up the towel elephant with the ring balanced on the trunk. In his mind, she’d go in there to change for the pool. She’d see the ring and squeal in delight. It would be his cue to walk in and pop the question, while down on one knee, of course. Now, he just had to get her in there.
“Maybe in a little bit,” Marti murmured. “My stomach is still churning. I’m sorry.” She looked at him sadly.
“What’s wrong?” Joey asked as he walked over to feel her forehead.
“No fever,” she assured him. “I just hate disappointing you.”
“Hey,” he began earnestly. “You could never disappoint me.” Ever so lovingly he pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair. She smelled so good, so fresh. Joey loved everything about this woman.
For a moment, she rested against his chest, then she pulled back some and gazed up at him. Leaning down, Joey prepared his lips to graze hers. Just as he was about to connect, Marti flew out of his arms and sprinted away from him.
Following after her, he called out, “Was it something I did?”
She was making a beeline for the bathroom. When would he learn to be careful what he wished for? Well, she was in there. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, but he could work with it. Standing in the doorway, he waited for her to notice the elephant, or the glint of the ring as she leaned over the sink, standing inches from where it stood on the vanity.
Looking at her face in the mirror, Joey’s head tilted to the side. There was something wrong with the lighting. In here, Marti looked positively green. “Babe?” He took a step towards her. Suddenly, she sidestepped his advance, dropped to her knees, and leaned over to puke in the toilet. Immediately, he reacted by holding her hair back for her.
When she finally stopped retching, Marti reached up onto the vanity. “Towel,” she mumbled. Joey started to turn around and grab one off the rack, but apparently she couldn’t wait for his help. No, his independent little cupcake grabbed the first towel her dainty little fingers could grasp and effectively dismantled the damn towel animal. Oh, but that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part came when while she dried her face. The elephant, now down two front legs, toppled over. The ring flew through the air, just as she reached out to flush the toilet. His eyes followed it, determined to catch it before it landed. Given the angle, the velocity, and the trajectory, it was headed for...not the fucking toilet! He closed his eyes.
Joey couldn’t even watch. Slowly, Marti stood and turned. Somehow, the ring ricocheted off the towel in her hand instead of hitting the toilet, dropped and bounced off the tile floor. She glanced around a moment before meeting his eyes, probably trying to figure out what happened. When he saw where it landed, Joey gently covered it with his foot.
“So sorry,” Marti mourned shyly. Then after a brief pause she smiled. “I’m feeling much better now,” she announced brightly.
“Good.” His heart was pounding. Though he was genuinely pleased she was feeling better, and even though she had no idea what she’d done, the moment was lost.
Passing him in the small space, Marti started to leave the bathroom. “You coming?” she asked as she lingered in the doorway.
“Yeah, I’ll be right out.” He nodded, hoping she’d give him a minute, heck thirty seconds, just long enough for him to pick up the solitaire and hide it until he could contrive another opportunity to ask her to marry him.
It worked. “Okay, I’m gonna go sit on the balcony.” Then offering him a gentle smile, she left the room.
Scooping up the ring, he tucked it back into his pocket. Time to take care of Marti. There was plenty of weekend left for the proposal. Smiling, he wandered out to the living room. Looking through the sliding door, he saw her sitting outside, just like she told him. Her bare feet were kicked up on the railing. In her hand was the soda she sipped casually. As he watched her, his heart was so full. Eager to be in her presence again, his hand was already on the door when Marti turned to face him.
Standing a bit unsteadily, she grabbed the handle from her side. Together they slid it open. “Hey,” she greeted him. Though she grinned, the normal light had left her eyes.
“You’re tired,” Joey noted, hugging her gently against him.
“No, I’m fine,” Marti murmured against his chest.
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Listen, you don’t need to paste on this brave face for me.” Bending, he lifted her up into his arms. “What if we forget I tried to talk you into swimming. I have an even better idea.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” She smiled at him expectantly.
Damn, if she didn’t look just
precious in his arms. Nuzzling her cheek, he whispered, “We’ll go lay in bed and watch TV. We’ll talk about what you’d like to do tomorrow. Then we’ll fall asleep all intertwined like kudzu.”
Pulling back, she burst out laughing. “You and kudzu.” It looked as though Marti could barely keep a straight face. “Recently you compared me to it. I was your beautiful weed, remember?”
Feeling flustered, he muttered. “That was your take on the analogy. The point I was trying to make was you were choking me out. I hated you then!” He almost dropped her, he was so unhinged. “You’re like an elephant!”
Marti stiffened up and popped herself right out of his arms. Hands fisted at her side, she spoke in a low voice. “Tell me you did not just compare a hormonal pregnant woman to a pachyderm.”
Tempest Torn Page 21
