The Open Road: A Second Chance Romance

by Quinn Loftis

  “Excuse us for one moment,” said Charity, holding up a finger to Jason and then pulling Jessica and Samantha’s heads close together. The girls huddled and discussed their response in whispered tones. Admittedly, after drinking all day, their whispers were probably more like slurred yelling in one another’s faces from inches away. Looking back, Samantha had no doubt Jason heard every word they’d said.

  “We can’t let him pay for everything,” said Charity. “This is my bachelorette weekend. I shouldn’t be taking his money.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” replied Jessica. “But I don’t think he’ll take no for answer.”

  Charity swallowed thickly and raised her eyebrows. “He’ll just have to. I’m not a charity case.”

  “Your name is literally Charity,” giggled Samantha.

  “Not the point,” said the blonde, moving a waggling finger from Jason’s direction to Samantha’s.

  “On the other hand,” said Jessica, who seemed to be thinking the most clearly between the three of them, “he probably needs this weekend more than anyone. What’s he going to do if he leaves us? Just go be alone in sin city? Nobody wants to be alone in Vegas, especially not after what he’s been through.”

  “Good point,” slurred Charity, who hadn’t dropped her shaking finger. She now moved the finger slowly in front of Jessica, who had to tilt her head back to keep from getting whacked in the nose. “But I still don’t like it.”

  “Remember what Brent said,” countered Jessica, and this time she really did whisper.

  Charity’s brow furrowed. “What did Brent say?”

  “RV? Cliff?” offered Samantha, much louder than she’d meant to. Then she made a whistling sound like a bomb dropping, followed by an explosion sound, which caused her cheeks to puff up. She held her fist tightly together then splayed her fingers out wide as she made the exploding noise.

  “Oh, yeah,” said Charity, recognition dawning on her face. “You’re right. We’ve got to stay with him. Break!” she yelled and pulled her head away from the others. She turned to Jason. “Okay, we’ve made a decision.”

  He smirked. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  “We don’t need your charity. But we will allow you to pay for everything on one condition.”

  “Oh, now you are giving conditions? Okay, what’s your condition, Charity?”

  “You make a video and upload it for the people right now. Tell them how awesome we are and how much fun you are having.”

  Jason laughed. “Okay, I can do that.”

  Samantha remembered little of the video, other Jason introducing them one by one. But one thing she did recall with clarity was Charity yanking the phone out of Jason’s hand and talking loudly into the camera.

  “This is for my awesome fiancé, Brent. He’s at home right now, studying for his law school summer classes. Brent, I just want you to know how much I love you. And I want you to know how much I cannot wait to become Mrs. Charity Smith. We are going to have such a great life together. You’re such an inspiration to me. You’re just … you’re just … you’re the wind ben—”

  “Okay, Bette Midler,” said Jessica, forcibly removing the camera from Charity’s grasp. “That’s enough. he gets the picture. You two guys are great together. Match made in heaven, yada, yada. You make the rest of us sick. Bye, bye, now.” She handed the camera back to Jason.

  “There you have it, America,” said Jason. “If this crazy girl can convince someone to marry her, then there is still hope for the rest of us. I’ll try to post at least once more before I leave Vegas and begin my trek up the West Coast. Until then—”

  Samantha surprised herself by jerking the phone out of Jason’s hand and putting her own mug in front of the camera. “I’ll see you on the open road. No, wait, I didn’t like that,” she said and repeated the words slower.

  “Nope, still no good.” She squinted her eyes.

  “I’ll see you on the open road. I’ll seeeeee you on the open road. I’ll see you on the open road. I’ll see you on…” she paused a beat, “the open road. Nope. One more time. I’ll see you on the open…”—now she paused for several seconds—“…road.” She whispered to the camera. “Yeah, that’s it. I like that one.”

  “Great,” said Jason, putting his arm around her, pressing his cheek against hers to face the camera. “You nailed it. You’re a regular Meryl Streep. Good night, America. I’ll see you on the open road.” The camera clicked off to the sound of Jason’s laughter.

  I’m such an idiot.

  After that, the events of the night got even blurrier. She remembered wandering through the casinos. Though none of them wanted to gamble, just to say they’d done it, they stopped at a bank of slot machines, and each threw in five bucks, which they all lost in a matter of minutes.

  Then Jason had said he had one last thing on his Bethany to-do list from their previous trip before the first night was over—a roller coaster. Samantha was petrified. She was scared of heights and roller coasters, and she had absolutely no desire to ride one. The foursome took a car down to the casino where the coaster was located, Samantha protesting the whole way. The building was a replica of New York City. The car stopped in front of the casino, and they all ambled out onto the sidewalk. But as the sliding glass doors to the casino opened, Samantha froze in her tracks, refusing to go on the ride. No amount of cajoling by Charity, Jessica, or Jason would make her move. She might have stayed there until a security guard came and shunted her away if Charity wouldn’t have growled at her. “It’s for his dead wife,” she said before grabbing Sam by the arm and dragging her through the lobby.

  “Very couth,” said Jessica.

  Jason ignored the comment.

  Once inside, Jason bought the tickets, and they were ushered to a line of people waiting on a stairwell. The area was enclosed so that Samantha couldn’t see the roller coast, only a door at the top of the steps leading outside. But she heard the mechanical rumble of the wheels as it passed by and the squeals of the riders. It sounded as if the machine was rolling right over the ceiling above her and would come crashing down at any moment. She remembered trying to engage the others in pleasant conversation before it came their turn to ride, but she was too afraid and too intoxicated to focus on anything but her impending doom. She did recall telling Jason she was insanely scared of thrill rides.

  Oh, crap. A memory came to her. She was clinging to Jason’s arm the entire time. She remembered him trying to calm her down, telling her it was going to be a blast. Vaguely, she remembered Charity and Jessica giggling when they finally reached the top of the stairs and it was their turn to ride. As soon as the ride operator pulled back the small chain that separated them from the loading platform, her friends ran ahead and jumped in the front cart. Listening to them giggle, Samantha had a sneaking suspicion they’d only done it to ensure she and Jason had to sit together. They needn’t have bothered. Sam was so scared she could hardly let go of Jason’s arm. He practically had to drag her into the waiting coaster car.

  Samantha squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m doing this for Bethany. I’m doing this for Bethany. I’m doing this for Bethany.” She kept repeating the phrase to herself over and over.

  Apparently, Jason thought her antics were hilarious. He was giggling just as much as Jessica and Charity. Samantha squealed when the crossbar came down on her lap and the coaster shuddered to a start. Then the memory faded. She couldn’t remember anything else. Did I pass out? I must have. I can’t remember anything about last night after the coaster started clicking up the first hill.

  Samantha tried to say the word “coffee,” but only a raspy moan escaped her lips. She wanted to get up and go to the bathroom, but her head felt like it was nailed to the mattress. Several minutes later, Sam heard the hair dryer switch off and her friends’ low murmuring. Again, Samantha let out a low moan.

  “Wait a second, Jessica. I think I hear something,” Samantha heard Charity say from the bathroom. Samantha moaned once more, rolling over ont
o her stomach and trying to press her face through the pillow.

  “Me, too,” said Jessica. “It sounds like a zombie that has been run over by a truck.”

  “It does. I’d know that painful moan anywhere. That’s a wild Eastern brunette zombie if I’ve ever heard one,” said Charity.

  “Aren’t those the most dangerous kind?”

  “Nah, their groan is worse than their bite. Get a gallon of coffee into her and some scrambled eggs, and she’ll be safe to be around again.”

  “Guess, we better get started then.”

  Samantha turned her head on the mattress and saw the horizontal bodies of her two friends walk into the room.

  “What did you two do to me?” she moaned.

  “Oh, no. You did that to yourself, honey,” said Jessica. “All we did was record it for posterity.”

  “I don’t even want to know,” said Sam. She dragged herself to an upright position, pressing her palms into her eyes. Someone had thrown large rocks into a washing machine, started it on the spin cycle, and then thrown the washing machine into her head. “I think I’m going to die.”

  “I hope not,” said Charity. “We still have two days of this. Admittedly, another night like the last one and we might be end up here longer because we’ll be in jail.”

  “Again, I don’t even want to know.” Samantha pushed the blanket off her lower body and looked down, thankful to see she was wearing pants.

  “Where did I get this shirt?” she asked, examining the silky material. It looked like something a grandmother would wear. She was conservative, but even she wouldn’t normally wear something this unflattering.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Charity. “At the pharmacy.”

  “We went to a pharmacy?” said Samantha, confused.

  “She doesn’t remember,” said Jessica grinning.

  Charity gasped. She ran to the bed and took Samantha’s hands. “You don’t remember going to the pharmacy? You’re kidding. What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Samantha thought hard. The effort made her head hurt. “I remember getting on to the roller coaster.”

  “Yes, and…” encouraged Charity.

  “That’s it. Climbing into the roller coaster car is the last thing I remember.”

  “You don’t remember what happened on the roller coaster?” Charity asked.

  “Afraid not. What happened on the roller coaster?” A twinge of worry Sam’s thoughts.

  “Oh, this is too rich,” squealed Charity. She looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, Jesus,” she said.

  “You better watch this video,” said Jessica, grabbing her phone.

  “No!” said Charity. “Not yet.” She held a hand up to stop Jessica. “This must be savored. This is too good. Let’s wait until we meet Jason.”

  An hour later, the three women found Jason sitting at a booth at one of the restaurants in the hotel. He was wearing a faded red ball cap pulled down low over his eyes. A white ‘A’ in calligraphed script was sewn onto the front of the hat. The cap was stained, threadbare, and misshapen. Its owner didn’t look much better. Dark circles surrounded his hollow eyes, and Jason looked like he might lean over in the booth and go to sleep at any second. Despite this fact, Samantha couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was. The faded hat accentuated his high cheekbones and strong jawline. Charity was right about one thing—the boy was hot.

  “Still alive, I see,” said Charity as the three of them piled into the booth. It wasn’t lost on Samantha that Charity and Jessica made it a point to sit on one side of the booth together, leaving Sam nowhere to sit but next to Jason.

  “Barely,” Jason replied. His voice sounded like sandpaper felt.

  “Nothing a little breakfast won’t cure,” Charity said, opening a menu.

  “Breakfast? It’s after 1:00 p.m.,” said Jason.

  “Breakfast is a relative term in Vegas,” replied Charity. “First meal of the day, it’s breakfast.”

  “How can you be so chipper after last night?” Jason asked. “I figured all of you would be dragging as bad as I am.”

  “Oh, no, just her,” said Charity, motioning to Sam. “I’m peachy.”

  “Apparently, these two have an unusual ability to rebound from drunkenness that regular people lack,” said Samantha. “And I happen to know that that one has had a ton of practice.” She pointed back at Charity.

  “I wouldn’t say a ton,” the blonde said.

  “In high school, after the homecoming dance, she challenged the football team’s offensive line to do shots,” Samantha said. “Two hours later, they were passed out, and she was drawing penises on their faces with a black marker.”

  “They were lightweights,” said Charity. “Anyone could have out drunk those little girls. And we didn’t even make the playoffs that year, which should tell you what kind of wussies they were.”

  The waitress came and took their order. The girls got pancakes, and Jason requested a burger and fries. After the waitress had gone, Charity clapped her hands. “Okay, time for our happy surprise.”

  “What happy surprise?” Jason asked.

  “Apparently, something happened on the roller coaster last night that I can’t remember,” said Sam. “They’re just dying to show me.”

  “Oh, no,” said Jason. “Don’t feel too bad when you see the video.”

  “Don’t tell me,” said Samantha.

  “Of course not,” said Charity, “we’d rather show you. Jessica, if you’d do the honors.”

  Jessica tapped the screen of her phone and then turned it so Samantha could see. Jason’s voice could be heard loudly. “Here it is, the latest post from the ‘Jason’s Lost His Mind—North American Tour’ video channel.” Samantha saw herself and Jason sitting side by side. Jason was grinning from ear to ear. She had her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

  “Open your eyes,” Jason said. “This is going to be awesome.” He turned the camera away from himself. Charity and Jessica could be seen in the roller coaster car in front of him. “Hello, America. Jason O’Neal here. About to ride a roller coaster here in Vegas. You remember Charity and Jessica from earlier. Say hi, girls.” Charity and Jessica were in the very front car. They whipped around and smiled, waving at the camera.

  “Hi, Brent, love you,” said Charity quickly. Jessica blew the camera a kiss.

  “And here is Samantha,” said Jason, turning the camera to his right. Sam was rocking back and forth in the seat, her eyes still closed.

  “I’m doing this for Bethany. I’m doing this for Bethany,” she was saying over and over. The click of the tracks could be heard as the coaster car began to climb. Jason turned the camera so the twinkling lights of Vegas showed on the screen.

  The car reached the height of the first climb. There was a moment of quiet hesitation before it plunged over the hill and down into the trough. Loud squeals and screams of the riders could be heard, Jason’s loudest of all. “Woooo,” he yelled. The camera shook as he held it out in front of him. Over another hill they went and then down into another valley.

  “How are you doing, Sam?” Jason yelled, turning the camera again to his right.

  Samantha faced him and then opened her eyes for a second. She looked as if she were about to say something in response. She opened her mouth. But instead of words, a spray of chunky bright yellow liquid flew out of her mouth, completely covering the screen. A string of profanities could be heard from Jason and the riders in the car behind him before the camera switched off.

  Charity and Jessica burst out laughing. Samantha was mortified. “I’m so sorry,” she said to Jason before turning four shades of red.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “The most fun I’ve ever had being puked on. But the people behind us didn’t appreciate it too much.”

  “Your poor phone,” she said.

  “Ah, the case took most of the damage. No big deal. I did have to throw it away though.”

  “It was so … yellow,” she said.


  “I think that was the pineapple daiquiris we had earlier that night,” said Jason. “Looking back, we were probably asking for trouble.”

  “So that’s why I woke up wearing a different shirt.” Samantha covered her face with her hands. “I can’t believe I did that.”

  “I’m actually surprised it took you that long,” said Charity.

  “Yea,” said Jessica. “I’m starting to notice a pattern. You drink a bit, a hot guy shows up, and you puke all over him.”

  Samantha gasped, her eyes growing wide.

  Charity hissed and pointed at Jessica. “Don’t you ever call him hot again,” she said. A fury sprang up in the blonde’s eyes, like gasoline thrown on an open flame. All of a sudden, a heavy tension came over the group.

  “My bad,” said Jessica after a moment. “Sorry, Sam.”

  “Forget it,” said Sam.

  “What in the world was that all about?” asked Jason.

  “It’s nothing,” said Samantha quickly. “Just something in my past, ancient history, forget it. What’s on tap for today?” she asked, trying to change the subject. “No more thrill rides, please.”

  “No, I think today we turn it down a notch, maybe do some shopping. I don’t want any more of your bodily fluids on me.”

  “Amen,” said Jessica.

  “I need to visit that famous TV cupcake place,” he replied. “And I want to make sure and swing by the fancy casino with the fountains tonight to watch the show.”

  “Sounds good,” said Charity as their food arrived. “Let’s wolf down these flapjacks and get started.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Samantha felt great the rest of the day as they skipped around the city shopping and sightseeing. No one wanted to go as hard as they had the previous evening, so they abstained from alcohol. The four of them joked with one another lightheartedly, and Jason fit into their group as if he’d known them forever.