Sunshine & Whiskey

by R. L. Griffin

  “Not since New Orleans, which was only a few days ago. Why?”

  “Well, Laura posted a few weeks ago about y’all and you did a fucking selfie getting ready for your trip, then add what Chad has told the Daily Report and you get your story Lottery Lolita.”

  “If you call me that again I’m going to fire you. What in the fuck is Chad telling people?”

  “Has Laura taken Facebook off her phone as well?”

  “I don’t know. She’s only doing pictures on Instagram now.”

  “She needs to stop.”

  I sigh. Laura comes out of the convenient store with Cheese Puffs, Twixes and Sour Patch Kids in her hands like she won a championship game. Then she sees I’m on the phone and slides into the car quietly.

  I put Justin on speaker. “Justin, Lo just got back in the car.”

  “Hey, Laura. Your dress yesterday was hot.”

  “Thanks Justin, how’s hotlanta?”

  “Oh My God! It’s not hotlanta!” He and I both yell at the same time.

  “Damn, calm down mother fuckers.”

  “No one from there calls it that, it’s so...passé,” he comments.

  “Whatever lawyer, what do you want? You know Megan isn’t going to pay you to talk to me about my dress or hotlanta.”

  “It’s all billable.” He laughs. “I’m just kidding,” he adds quickly. “So here’s the thing. The media has put together the following...Megan bought lottery tickets because she found Chad in a compromising position and they broke up. Then she and her really hot best friend decide to chuck it all and go on a road trip of an epic proportion. So cool it with the social media. M’kay?”

  “I don’t have extra followers on my Instagram and it’s a private account. What’s the big deal?”

  “There were screen captures everywhere yesterday of you at the restaurant where you ate. No one figured out where you were until a few hours after it was posted, but still. If you guys are trying to go off radar, then do it.”

  Laura blinks at the phone and then looks at me. She shrugs. “Whatever, that’s weird. I’m cleaning out my people. Maybe I’ll start a new one under a different name.”

  “Why?” I ask, curious.

  “Because I want to document this epic trip. I’m having so much fun.”

  “I don’t want people to know where we are.”

  “I won’t put any names so no one can search and find us,” she proposes.

  “I don’t know…”

  “Whatever you guys decide, but I just want to make sure we’re clear on what’s under the radar. So you went to Austin. That wasn’t on your schedule.”

  “It was a last minute change,” I answer.

  “Look at you being spontaneous,” he jokes.

  As you might have guessed, I’m not really great at spontaneous. “I know, it’s almost fun.”

  “So Laura, I was just telling Megan that a fried chicken chain and the Lottery wants you both to be in commercials.”

  “What? No!” Her eyes are big. “If I’m going to be in a commercial it’s going to be something good, like for diamonds or plastic surgery.” Her chest jumps up and down as she tries to contain her laughter.

  “Oh my…” Justin starts.

  “She’s just kidding. Sign her up for the commercials for Imodium and leave me out of it.”

  Laura scowls at me.

  “Well, that’s not how it works,” he comments.

  Laura opens the bag of cheese puffs and starts eating them. With my eyes I tell her if I have to stop at another gas station within an hour because she’s eating cheese puffs I’ll kill her. She smirks and shrugs while popping another neon orange puff of air and chemicals into her mouth.

  “I’m pretty sure if they were to see how we are on this trip they wouldn’t want either one of us to be on camera.”

  “Speak for yourself Megan,” Laura says, her mouth full.

  “Whatever, you’re the one who has been shitting every thirty minutes today.”

  “Okay, ladies. It sounds like we’re on the same page. No to the commercials and no to social media unless it’s under a fake name. Talk later.”

  “Bye,” I say into the phone as he disconnects.

  “I can’t believe you just told your lawyer I was shitting every thirty minutes.”

  “Attorney-client privilege?” I offer, laughing.

  “So what’re your plans while you’re here?” Danielle asks before shoving a chip into her mouth. Danielle is an old classmate of mine from law school.

  I glance around at the cool atmosphere of the place she’s taken us for margaritas and dinner. El Camino is a small neighborhood Mexican eatery with a ton of choices for margaritas and off the beaten path. We passed out last night as soon as we got to Denver, and then I texted Danielle to see if she could meet us for lunch.

  Laura and I are sitting on one side of the table and Danielle is sitting on the other.

  “We’re going to the Soulshine tour tomorrow,” Laura answers.

  “Really,” Danielle comments over the rim of her glass, looking outside. Her eyes snap to me and she puts her glass down. “Who is that again?”

  “Michael Frantie and Spearhead, Brett Dennen and Soja,” I answer and follow where her eyes are focused. My breath catches in my throat and I choke. “Shit.” I cough. Panic constricts my throat and I feel like I may die because I cannot breathe and a chip is caught there and I really cannot breathe.

  Laura hits my back, hard. “You okay?” She’s still hitting me when a shadow crosses her, and she looks to see who is making the shadow. Her hand freezes mid-air.

  “Danielle, good to see you.” His voice alone is enough to send shivers down my spine.

  Laura’s hand lowers to my back, giving me a reprieve from her beating. Look away, I tell myself. Then I start pinching the fuck out of my thigh because this is a nightmare.

  “Megan and Laura, I thought I was going crazy over there when I saw you. What are you two doing here?”

  I finally raise my eyes to meet his green ones and immediately look back down at my plate with half a chip on it like it’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen. His eyes are one of my favorite things about him because they are a mossy green with a brown ring. Those eyes made me do everything, anything.

  “Peter…” Laura starts and looks around like she thinks she’s on Punked or something. “What’re you doing here?”

  “Eating. How about you?” His tone is jovial, friendly even.

  “Eating,” Laura replies robotically.

  “Megan, you look amazing,” he says.

  “Thanks, you too.” I can’t believe I just said that. I’m a complete idiot.

  He chuckles. “Thanks. Although, I’m not sure how you can tell that since you haven’t looked at me.” Yep, he totally called me out.

  “Peter, good to see you too. Is that your girlfriend?” Danielle asks, interrupting the awkward silence hanging between us.

  “No, she’s just a friend from work. We’re meeting her husband here in a few minutes.”

  His eyes don’t leave me. I can feel them, but I’m still examining that half eaten chip on my plate, there is a drop of salsa on the plate too. Where’s this weak girl coming from you ask? This is that guy. You know the one, we all have one. The one who ripped your heart out and changed you for all men to come next. The first one you loved and had the insane notion that everything would be perfect, forever. He’s my one of those, and it actually hurts to see him because he looks like a fuckable lumberjack. He’s wearing an army green sweater that has buttons at the throat and is tight on his biceps over navy cargo pants, and I want to mount him right here, on the table, with everyone watching. I totally see all that while staring at my chip.

  “Megan…”

  I hear my name, but I’m still imagining mounting him and doing all sorts of dirty things that we used to do.

  I look up at Laura and there is pity in her eyes because she knows who he is to me. That he changed my entire li
fe...made my entire life...wrecked my entire existence.

  “He was asking us how long we are in town for?” Laura nudges me with her elbow.

  “Oh, I don’t know.” I shove the rest of that chip in my mouth so I can’t talk anymore.

  “Megan, we should get together while you’re here and catch up.”

  “Nope,” Laura answers for me.

  Peter looks at her through his sexy, long eyelashes that girls lust after. Then he looks at me. I shrug. She’s trying to help me. She knows I can’t be around him.

  “Well, they’re going to that concert at the Red Rocks tomorrow,” Danielle adds. I think she’s trying to help out, but when I see that slow sexy smile spread across his lips I know I’m fucked.

  His lips, I remember his lips all over me, are now covered by the hottest beard I’ve ever seen. My eyes drift from his lips to his hair that looks like he just climbed out of bed, but he’s been at work for hours. He looks totally different than when we were together. “I am too. Is your number the same?”

  See how I keep thinking his sexy and hot this and that? This is a problem. Mayday! I nod.

  See how I’m not saying anything because I’m afraid if I were to say something it’ll be. “I’m not wearing any underwear.” I’m totally wearing underwear, but this is why I’m not saying anything.

  “Well, we’re having a tailgate around 5:00, since the doors open at 6:00.” He waves as his friend’s husband sits at the table he came from. “Megan, do you still like Pacifico? I’ll get you some for the tailgate.”

  I clear my throat. “You don’t need to do that.” What I really want to say is “I don’t want anything from you,” but I don’t. How can this guy, who I haven’t seen in three years, make me mute and dumb?

  “We’ll get our own tailgate stuff,” Laura offers.

  “It’s good to see you Megan.” He smiles again and I close my legs in response because if I don’t I will jump over the table and knock him to the floor in an effort to straddle him.

  He walks away and his ass is as sexy as it ever was. Some things never change.

  “Earth to Megan.” Danielle laughs.

  “You need to stay away from him,” Laura comments, looking after Peter too.

  “Oh, I know.” And I do know. He is everything I ever wanted.

  “Damn, he looks good though, doesn’t he? He always looked so stiff in law school.” Danielle’s eyes follow him over to his table where he glances back at me and his eyes are so intense my skin feels like it’s burning.

  “He’s going to devour you tomorrow.” Laura takes a gulp of her margarita. “You can either drink and let it happen or stay sober and away from him.”

  “Fuck it,” I say, deciding before I have really decided. “I’m not going to be here that long, and he was always good for a fuck.”

  Huh? I’m using the big talker strategy. Do you guys ever do that? If I say it that way then maybe it won’t hurt as bad when all he wants is to fuck me. Does it work for anyone? No? Me either, but it’s a good try, right?

  “I believe I’ll have to be drunk to see this happen,” Laura replies.

  “You probably should be, I plan on it.” I smile as I remember the ways Peter could turn my body into a puddle with just his fingers. Add to that his mouth and dick and I never wanted to leave our apartment.

  Our apartment? Yep. He’s that one. The one that got away. The one that ran away. The one that changed everything.

  “What ever happened with you two?” Danielle smiles at the server as he sets the food down in front of each of us.

  “It’s a long story,” Laura answers for me.

  “It’s not that long,” I comment. Because it isn’t long.

  “You guys were so in love and then he left.”

  “That’s what happened,” I agree. I’m working really hard to not turn around and look at him. I had totally forgotten about him living here when I agreed for this to be a stop. Do you believe that? Good, it’s total bullshit. He’s been here, in Denver, since he left New York, since he left me. He’s still at the same firm, so he must like it. What? You know I’ve been following him online.

  “What do you mean?” Danielle pushes.

  “I mean we were in love and then he decided to move to Denver. Then he left five days later.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that,” I repeat.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Keep Your Vagina in Check

  The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a natural rock structure that a stage was built into and it is touted as one of the best venues for concerts in America. It’s going to be the highlight of the trip.

  “It’s located ten miles west of Denver.” Laura navigates as I drive Thor toward the mountains surrounding the city. “It opened in 1906, and do you know it was originally called the Garden of Angels?”

  “Why?”

  “How the fuck would I know?”

  “I just thought it would tell you online.” I laugh. “Wikipedia.”

  “Whatever.” She puts her phone down. “This is going to be fun. The concert will be amazing. Don’t let this…” She pauses while trying to come up with the right word. “This thing with Peter dampen the experience.”

  “I don’t think he will dampen anything except my panties.”

  “Oh shit, it’s already starting and we haven’t even seen him yet.” Laura shakes her head at me. I can’t figure out if she’s really disappointed in me, or she just knows the end will be messy and she’ll have to clean it up.

  “I’m just kidding.” I’m totally not kidding. I take a left onto a road that will lead us up to the venue.

  “You’re not. I know you.” She’s not looking at me, but out the window. “You worked so hard to get over him.”

  “I didn’t work to get over him. I got under Chad. Chad took my mind off the shambles that was my heart, my career, and my love life. Look where that got me.”

  “Ugh...douche.”

  “Yeah, well.” I did what I needed to do and this is how it turned out. You live and learn and all that shit. “Your vag still hurt?” I ask sarcastically.

  “No.” She chuckles. “I think sitting on a bag of ice for a few hours after we left New Orleans helped significantly and that was days ago asshole.”

  “Well, I don’t envy your next hook up. He’ll have to compete with ginormo dick.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Denver has some very worthy saddles.”

  “On that we agree.” I follow the guys who direct me where to park and climb out of the car. My phone buzzes with a text.

  Is that you in the crazy red mustang convertible?

  I open the trunk and pull out our cooler and bag with goodies. Popping the top off a Purple Haze beer, I turn and scan the crowd then hand the beer to Laura.

  “To remind you of Adam.” I belly laugh. The beer is brewed in New Orleans.

  “Am I supposed to insert this into my snatch? I’m pretty sure his was bigger than this,” Laura retorts before she takes a gulp.

  I laugh in response.

  “I thought that was you.” Peter’s low gravelly voice fills the spaces between my chuckles. “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh nothing,” Laura answers and looks into the bag for her sandwich.

  “We brought you guys beer and chairs to hang with us.” Peter walks to the trunk of the car where I stand. Our shoulders rub each other and it takes me back six years, when he first brushed into me during our contracts class. Isn’t it fucked up with that person who anything can remind you of long lost memories? It could be a song, a picture, a saying…anything, but it can take you right back to where your heart was bubbling over with sappiness and naivety.

  “Well,” Laura says, looking up at his face. “I guess we’ll follow you then.”

  I follow her gaze and take him all in as he smiles at her. I let my eyes touch every inch of his six foot four inch frame. He looks leaner, if that’s possible. His chocolate hair is wavy in all the right places, lik
e my hands could slip into it and I could...

  He leans his head down toward me, I step back. “You like what you see?” He smirks.

  “Just noticing you’ve aged a bit,” I answer and grab the bag out of the trunk.

  He shuts the trunk. “This doesn’t seem like your style at all Megan.” He’s talking about the car, but also me being here with no business reason. I can almost hear his brain working to figure out why Laura and I are in Colorado.

  I reach up and run the pad of my thumb down his jawline. The hair covering his skin is soft. “This doesn’t seem like yours, so we’re even.”

  “Touché.” He takes the bag from my hand, his fingers graze mine, and I try not to react. Leading us over to where four men are unfolding themselves out of chairs as we approach, I blink at the scene before me.

  “Damn,” I swear under my breath.

  “Time to get back on the horse,” Laura says at the same time, pulling up her jeans.

  These men all look like Ralph Lauren models, complete with rugged, but chiseled features. They all have outdoorsy clothes and hiking boots on and I wish Peter wasn’t here. If Peter wasn’t here I would love to have my pick of any of them.

  “Guys, this is Megan and her best friend Laura.”

  This is our introduction. Not “hey guys, this is the girl who I loved that I left back in New York, life’s funny right?” Or “This is Megan, I fucked her royally then fucked her up too.”

  All four have bright eyes and smiles.

  “Hi, I’m Henry.” A guy reaches out to shake our hands. He could be a model. Oh I already said that? There are dimples.

  “Charlie,” says a blond guy who I know Laura will be all over. His hair is shaggy, like he can’t be bothered with a hair cut because he is too busy cutting down trees and being awesome.

  “Oliver,” says one with a wedding band.

  “I’m Zach,” says the last one. He is taller than Peter and his blue eyes pierce mine. His hair is tousled and dark like Peter’s. He holds onto my hand a little too long and stands a little too close and I want to know him in the biblical sense. Is that tacky? Yeah, I thought so. Sorry about that, but if you guys could just see this man. It’s like someone created him especially for me. Don’t worry, I’m still not over my one night stand...