“Simon-Simone going to be okay?”
Manny pursed her lips as she considered the question. “I hope so. From the sound of it, she’s not going back to the most supportive environment in the world. She may decide to continue being who her family expects her to be for the foreseeable future.” She shook her head. “I just don’t know.”
“So, she was Simon when she got on the plane?”
“Had to. She’s Simon on her ID.”
Realization dawned. “Of course. That was a stupid question.”
Manny shook her head with a smile. “I asked the same thing, except directly to her. Talk about feeling stupid.”
“Ouch,” Zeke laughed. “Now I don’t feel so bad.”
“She promised to let me know how she’s doing.”
“I suppose she can text you,” Zeke said uncertainly.
“Or e-mail.”
She indicated the back of the van. Zeke turned and saw a new laptop case nestled on the bed.
“You bought a new laptop?” he asked incredulously.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Manny replied drily. “Apparently the one I brought with me simply wasn’t good enough. Angeline took me to the store and insisted on buying that thing for me. Complete with wireless and – I don’t know – a travelling Internet or something.”
Zeke laughed. “You’re so technical!”
“Whatever. Anyway, my Misfit Toys as you call them insisted they’d friend me and I’m ordered – ordered! - to post regular status updates.”
“How regular?” Zeke asked curiously.
“Preferably daily but no less than once a week.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to post. I doubt anything else on this trip is going to be nearly as interesting as Vegas was.”
“They probably just want to make sure I haven’t finally snapped and left your body someplace.”
Manny rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! You don’t spend enough time with me to go crazy!”
Zeke raised his eyebrows.
“How many hours to Nebraska?” he drawled.
Manny shifted uncomfortably. “Good point,” she muttered, and focused on her driving.
Episode 6
Day 69
The sun hung low on the horizon, the late afternoon light glinting off the van where it sat on the side of the deserted dirt road, the engine ticking as it cooled. The hood was up, the smoke and steam still dissipating as Zeke and Manny stared with matching frowns from the exposed engine to the cell phones in their hands.
Zeke met Manny’s eyes and slowly shook his head as he showed her his phone. “I’ve got nothing,” he said.
“Same here,” Manny sighed. “Please tell me you were a mechanic in a previous life.”
“Sorry. You?”
“It turns on when I turn the key. That’s all I need to know.”
“We’re fucked.”
“Oh yeah.”
~~~~~
Zeke walked back to the van shaking his head.
“Still no signal,” he called.
Manny groaned and hung her head.
“None from my side either,” she said.
They stood and looked around them. All they could see was an endless expanse of gently rolling land, a tree or two, and the immense, slowly darkening sky. The sheer size of the land and sky pressed in on them, along with the profound silence of an empty countryside.
Zeke suddenly shuddered and said, “I don’t see any lights coming on at all.”
“Me neither.”
Manny shook her head, then led the way back to the van, flung open the passenger side door and pulled a map out of the glove compartment.
“We’re about a hundred miles from anywhere,” Zeke reminded her as he squinted over her shoulder.
She frowned as she pinpointed their general location, pressing the map against the van as she began to trace their route, looking for the closest sign of life.
“No,” she said slowly, “just a hundred miles from anywhere big.”
Zeke squinted at the tiny circle Manny indicated.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
She grinned at him. “It’s better than nothing. And if I’m reading the map right, we should be able to get there by noon-ish, if we leave early enough.”
He stared at her in consternation.
“You mean you want us to spend the night out here?”
“Well, if nobody drives by before then and gives us a ride.”
“Why don’t we start walking now? Three-four hours of walking -”
“More like five or six, if I’m reading the map right. It’s also going to be dark soon, and even though we just have to follow the road, I’d still rather see where we’re going. Besides,” she glanced towards the west, “it’s going to rain tonight.”
He followed her gaze to see the dark clouds slowly building on the horizon. His shoulders slumped as he nodded glumly.
“It’s going to be a long night,” he muttered.
~~~~~
Time slowly ticked away.
Manny and Zeke threw blankets on the ground and sat in silence as the sun finished setting, staring at the gently rolling and completely deserted landscape, and watching the clouds on the western horizon.
“Remind me again whose idea it was to take the side roads?” Manny asked idly.
Zeke heaved a long-suffering sigh and hung his head.
Manny smirked as she added, “I believe the thought was we’d shave at least four hours off our time?”
“How was I supposed to know this piece of shit was going to give up the ghost in the middle of fucking nowhere?”
Manny laughed. “And in probably the only place left on this continent that doesn’t have cell phone service.”
Zeke groaned and slowly slid to the side until he was stretched out on the ground, his arms crossed over his eyes as he slowly shook his head.
“And we haven’t seen another car since we got on this godforsaken road,” he grumbled.
“Nope,” Manny agreed simply.
They sat in silence for another moment, then Manny said briskly, “Well, it could be worse.”
Zeke lowered his arms and turned his head to stare at her in disbelief.
“How?” he demanded.
“We didn’t have an accident; the van just...quit working.”
“There was smoke!”
“Well, yes, that was pretty scary,” Manny agreed. “But,” she glanced behind her at the vehicle in question, “it doesn’t seem to be on fire anymore. I suspect it was really just steam.”
“You mean you hope!”
Manny ignored the interruption. “Which means it should be safe to sleep in tonight.”
Zeke groaned again and re-covered his eyes.
“We also have food, water, a bathroom – well, of a sort - and a relatively comfortable place to sleep,” Manny continued. “I also have a couple decks of cards if you want to do something to pass the time.”
Zeke heaved a long-suffering sigh, then, “Penny a point?”
“Depends on what we’re playing,” she countered. “I don’t want to owe you my soul by the end of the evening.”
He looked at her from beneath his arms and flashed his rakish grin.
“Glad to know you recognize my skill.”
She rolled her eyes as she clambered to her feet.
“Yeah, and your ego,” she said drily as she gathered up the blankets and led the way into the van.
~~~~~
Zeke threw his cards down in disgust as Manny once more made gin.
“Who was supposed to owe who?” he griped as he began to count his points.
Manny shrugged with a smirk. “You win some, you lose some.”
“Well, I need to stand some,” Zeke said. He rose stiffly to his feet, winced as he hit head on the van roof, then headed towards the open back door of the van.
They both glanced upwards as thunder rumbled across the sky. The rain hadn’t yet started, and the doo
r was still open to allow the fresh, evening-cool air – along with, unfortunately, the evening bugs – into the van. Zeke stepped outside and stretched.
Manny shuffled the cards as she watched Zeke slowly turn in a circle, his eyes on the sky. He was dimly lit by the lanterns inside the van, his dark features half-hidden in the shadows, his hands planted firmly on his lean hips. He glanced at her over his shoulder and she blinked because he looked saturnine and dangerous and incredibly handsome with his dark eyes, messy black hair and five o’clock shadow.
Saturnine? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that word outside of a trashy romance novel. Are you sure you’re using it correctly? Or do you mean something like satyr?
Manny dropped her eyes to her suddenly shaking hands. Harvey sat beside her in the chair, looking between her and Zeke with bright interest shining in his dark eyes.
I was wondering where you were, she said drily.
Right here. Where I always am.
But blessedly silent for a change.
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Zeke said, settling back at the table across from her.
She started and stared at him with wide eyes. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow and she flushed.
“Sorry,” she said hurriedly, ignoring Harvey’s smug albeit charming grin as she dealt the cards. “I was thinking about tomorrow. It’s going to be a long walk.”
“Twenty miles or so,” Zeke nodded. He picked up his cards and frowned as he arranged them to his liking.
Manny did the same with her cards, leaning comfortably back in her chair.
“It’s going to be a long day tomorrow,” she muttered.
Zeke nodded. “And we can only hope the little hole-in-the-wall we’re heading towards will have a garage.”
“As long as it has a motel, I’ll be happy,” Manny said. She shook her head. “We should probably go to bed after this game is finished, especially if we want an early start tomorrow.”
Zeke’s gaze snapped to hers, his eyes wide.
She raised an eyebrow. “You do realize we’re going to be sharing the bed, right?”
Zeke’s dismayed expression would have amused her if it hadn’t been so insulting.
“I can sleep in the front seat,” he offered quickly.
Manny rolled her eyes in exasperation. “We can share the bed without it having anything to with sex.”
He blinked at her.
She frowned. “Haven’t you ever shared a bed with someone without having sex?” she asked slowly.
“Sure. But I’ve never shared a bed with someone I didn’t end up having sex with at one point or another.”
Now it was Manny’s turn to blink at him.
“I’m...rather scared to ask if you ever shared a bed as a child, or at summer camp,” she finally said.
Zeke laughed and shook his head. “I appreciate the offer to share the bed, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a pretty big guy. I tend to take up the entire bed no matter how large it is – and that bed over there isn’t exactly huge. I really don’t have a problem with sleeping in the front seat.”
“Thanks, but we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow,” she reminded him absently, frowning at the cards in her hand. “Trust me – you’ll appreciate sleeping in a bed. And I’m out.”
He gaped as she laid down her cards then glared at her. “Just for that, I will share the bed.”
She gave him an innocent smile and shrugged. “That’s the game, too, by the way.” She tapped the paper with the scores. “According to this, you owe me at least two and a half beer.”
He growled.
~~~~~
Manny rummaged her book out of her backpack and settled herself on the bed next to the wall while Zeke closed the door. The wind was starting to rise, the thunder was rumbling more often, and the smell of rain was getting stronger. As Zeke settled beside her, she glanced up as the first raindrops pattered then began to drum on the roof as the storm rolled in.
They glanced at each other, then Zeke checked his watch.
“Yeah, we would have been soaked,” he said.
She nodded with a smile, then opened her book. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him watching her. She looked curiously at him.
With a raised eyebrow he reached over and turned the book so he could see the cover.
She shrugged and blushed a little at his amused smile as he took in the lushly beautiful woman and surreally handsome man locked in a passionate embrace. The man’s shirt was open to his waist while the woman’s bodice was pushed halfway down her arms.
Are there pirates in this one?
Highwaymen.
Damn. Do I have to wear feathers in my hat?
That’s a musketeer.
My mistake.
“Is it any good?” Zeke asked, amused.
“For a bodice ripper, it’s not bad,” Manny shrugged.
“Bodice ripper?” he asked, puzzled.
“Oh, come on – you’ve never heard of a bodice ripper?”
He shook his head.
“They’re historical romances, usually with lots of sex. Didn’t any of your girlfriends read these things?”
Zeke gave her a smug, arrogant smirk. “They didn’t need anything like that – they had me.”
“Oh, dear God,” Manny groaned, shaking her head. She turned back to her book as Zeke laughed.
“Well,” she huffed, “if you’re bored and you’re not ready to sleep yet, the books I’ve finished are in the bottom drawer of the cupboard over there.”
~~~~~
Zeke tossed the book aside with a grimace.
“I can’t believe you read this stuff,” he grumbled.
Manny glanced up with a grin. “And yet you went through the whole thing,” she pointed out.
“Well, at least it passed some time.”
Manny nodded. She yawned as she dog-eared her place and tossed the book over Zeke and on to the floor. She adjusted her pillow and slid down under the covers, shifting to find a comfortable spot. Zeke did take up most of the bed and the fact they were both still in their jeans and t-shirts didn’t make it any easier. But she finally settled on her side, her back to Zeke and facing the wall.
“Ready for lights out?” Zeke asked.
“Yep,” she yawned again.
He flicked off the lantern.
“Zeke?”
“Yeah?”
“I snore.”
Zeke froze, then breathed, “Wonderful.”
* * * * *
Day 70
“You know, you really do snore.”
It was eight in the morning and they’d already been walking for an hour. They each carried a backpack filled with the things they couldn’t leave behind in the van along with their laptops and at least one change of clothes.
Manny snorted a laugh. “I warned you.”
“Yeah, when it was too late to go sleep in the front,” Zeke said drily.
“Like that would help. We were still in the same space.”
“True.”
“Did I wake you up?” Manny asked after a moment of silence.
Zeke glanced at her from the corner of his eye and grinned. “Just enough to roll you over. You stopped almost immediately after that.”
“That’s good.”
They lapsed into companionable silence.
“So, do you want to play Ask Me Anything?” Zeke asked idly.
Manny shrugged. “Why not? We haven’t played for a while. And as promised, I won’t ask you any questions about your personal life.”
Zeke rolled his eyes. “You’re too kind.”
“I still feel a little guilty about beating you so badly in gin last night.”
“As you should. I’ll start. When was the last time you had sex?”
Manny turned startled eyes towards him.
“You’re asking me about my sex life?” she asked incredulously.
“Are you refusing to answer?” he teased with raised eyebrows.
Zeke shrugged, his eyes focused intently on his feet and the ground in front of them. “I’m just curious about how dangerous it really was to share a bed with you last night.”
Manny smacked him hard on the shoulder. He rubbed the spot as he grinned at her.
“So platonically sharing a bed has eliminated the gag reflex when it comes to me and sex?”
“Maybe. I guess we’ll find out. You haven’t answered the question...”
Manny frowned, thinking. “A long, long time ago,” she sighed.
“In a galaxy far, far away?” Zeke teased.
“It certainly feels like it.” She mumbled to herself as she counted on her fingers.
“Six,” she said finally, nodding decisively. “Yeah. Six.”
Zeke frowned. “That’s not so bad, I guess – six months.”
“Years,” Manny clarified, laughing. “Six years.”
Zeke gaped at her. “Good grief! How can you possibly go so long without it? Are you a nun?”
Manny shrugged. “Maybe I should have been. Then again, you don’t miss what you’ve never really had.”
Zeke shook his head in disbelief. “Okay then – how many men have you slept with?”
“Two.”
“Good God!” Zeke blurted.
“Hey, now,” Manny objected, “I’ll have you know I’ve slept with every man who’s asked me!”
Zeke gaped at her. “Are you shitting me?” he demanded.
She wordlessly shook her head.
“That’s...just...” he trailed off, at a loss for words.
Manny snapped, “It’s not sad, or pathetic, or anything else, thank you very much. It just is.”
Zeke blinked. “I wasn’t thinking anything like that!”
“Yes, you were – I could see it in your face.”
Zeke walked in silence for a long moment before he slowly said, “It’s just – I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who’s lived such a – a -”
“Celibate lifestyle?” she supplied in dangerously sweet tones.
He nodded.
“Then you don’t get out much, do you?”
Zeke sighed. “Sorry I asked,” he muttered. “Okay – your turn.”
Manny pondered, then asked slowly, “Have you ever been in love? I mean, really in love?”
A Life Less Ordinary Page 15
