My Favorite Souvenir

by Ward, Penelope

  “Yeah, well, you’re definitely no welcher. In fact, I’ll have to remember that and make a few little wagers over the duration of our trip. There’s a lot more to see.” I winked.

  Maddie laughed.

  I really did love what our relationship had grown into. It was pretty crazy to think I’d only known her a little less than a week. Especially when I felt like she knew me better than anyone else these days.

  “Anyway, getting back to your question,” I said. “I’m curious where all of this is coming from? First you asked if I had a lot of friends, and now you want to know if I suffer from erectile dysfunction. Your mind seems to be jumping all over the place.”

  She shook her head. “Believe it or not, they’re actually related. I was thinking how I would miss my friend Felicity if I moved. Growing up, I never really had a friend I could talk to about boys. And she’s been a lifesaver ever since my engagement ended. Anyway, this morning I woke up and thought of something really random that happened with my ex. A few months ago, he came over after going out to happy hour with some people from work. He’d had too much to drink, and he couldn’t, you know…perform. That had never happened before, and I chalked it up to the alcohol and never really gave it another thought—until this morning. For some reason, I woke up remembering that night and something Felicity told me—that maybe his issue was caused by something more than just the liquor. Maybe Brady had done something he felt guilty about, or perhaps he was hiding something. She told me not to worry too much and assured me the truth would come out eventually, that I’d see it when I was no longer looking through love goggles. I was going to text her this morning and tell her I’d finally taken off my goggles, but then I remembered the time difference and didn’t want to wake her.”

  “And you just randomly woke up thinking about that night?”

  She smirked. “Well, maybe it wasn’t so random. I might’ve noticed your pants were fitting a little snug after we left that party last night. And you’d had a few drinks. So I guess it got me thinking…”

  I knew what I’d done to alleviate that problem when I got back to my room. But I was curious as hell if Maddie had done the same thing. Since we’d just agreed no question was off limits, I figured, why not ask? Though I wanted some reassurance that she’d meant what she said.

  “So…no question is off limits, right? That works both ways.”

  Maddie raised a brow. “Oh, this is going to get interesting, isn’t it?”

  I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. “It most certainly is, Mads. It most certainly is.”

  She laughed. “What’s your question?”

  I had about a quarter of a tank of gas left and could probably make it to our planned stopping point for the day without filling up. Yet I decided to pull off the highway when I saw a sign for gas. If I was going to get to ask a good question, I wanted to be able to watch her face when she answered, not have to keep my eyes on the road.

  So I waited until I’d parked at the pump before shifting in my seat and turning to face Maddie head on. “It might not be as obvious with a woman, but I’d venture to guess you went to bed a little turned on last night, too. Am I right?”

  She nodded with a coy smile. “Yeah. I was definitely a little riled up.”

  Fuck. I was getting turned on just thinking about her being turned on. Now I needed to know. My eyes dropped to her lips. They were so full and pink. I had the strongest urge to lean in and take the bottom one in my teeth and give it a good, firm tug.

  Maddie giggled, almost nervously. “If there are no other questions, I’m going to use the restroom since we stopped.”

  Forcing my eyes to meet hers again, I cleared my throat. “Oh, that wasn’t my question, Mads. That was just me clarifying what I already knew. What I really want to know is, what did you do about it once you were all alone in your room?”

  Chapter 9

  * * *

  Hazel

  How the hell did I answer?

  With the truth? That last night I’d imagined the two of us had gone at it like wild animals while I laid in the tub with the showerhead pressed between my legs? Or did I lie and say I hadn’t come so hard I saw spots for a solid five minutes after I opened my eyes?

  “Mads…”

  My eyes jumped to meet Milo’s. He flashed a crooked smile. “Sorry. Maybe I took things too far.”

  “You didn’t.”

  He reached over and twirled a lock of my hair around his pointer finger and gave it a tug. “Come on, let’s go get some sugary snacks and hit the bathrooms.”

  I nodded.

  I walked the aisles of the gas station convenience store lost in a fog. The thought of admitting to Milo that I’d masturbated really didn’t bother me. I wasn’t a prude. Lord knows my days of following rock bands for employment had made me immune to being shy about anything sexual. I’d seen and heard it all over the years. The thing that freaked me out was that I’d done it while thinking about him. And if I were being honest, I could shut my eyes and do it again right now. I was that attracted to him. And that wasn’t the only thing that freaked me out.

  It was that I was starting to want more than just his body.

  Milo walked up the aisle carrying a giant package of Twizzlers and a big box of M&M’s. He held them up. “I got chewy and chocolate. What’s your pleasure for salty?”

  I stared at the packages of candy for a solid thirty seconds, then looked up at Milo. Blinking a few times, I blurted out, “I used the showerhead to masturbate after you left. I came so damn hard that I was literally dizzy. And it still didn’t satisfy me. It took me two hours to fall asleep after that, and then this morning, you called my room to ask if I was ready for breakfast. You thought you woke me because I sounded so hoarse. But I was awake. Definitely awake. My fingers were inside of me when the room phone rang, and it scared the crap out of me. I hadn’t yet found my voice. And, since we’re being totally honest, I’d use the damn gear shifter that’s sitting between us in the car if I wouldn’t get arrested for indecent exposure in the parking lot.” I took a deep breath and my voice rose. “Because I’m still that damn horny!”

  Milo’s jaw fell open, and the Twizzlers and M&M’s dropped to the floor with a loud clank.

  The sound snapped me out my head. I’d been so caught up in my answer that I hadn’t stopped to look at my surroundings. Which I now became painfully aware of. A mother stared at me in disgust, holding her hands over her daughter’s ears. She rushed the little girl out of the store. And a man who was probably in his seventies leaned over from the aisle next to ours. He thumbed toward the parking lot.

  “I got a five speed with a fat wooden gear shifter. I can park it around back if you want.”

  • • •

  The next morning, I was the first one down at the free hotel breakfast. I scooped some eggs onto my plate and added a sausage patty before making some toast. Since it was only six thirty, I had the small dining room all to myself. I sat staring at the TV mounted on the wall and pushed my eggs around mindlessly with my fork, lost in thought.

  Things between Milo and me had gotten weird after my gas station confession. He’d laughed off my outburst before we drove another two-and-a-half hours and checked into the hotel, but the awkwardness that had set in had never been there before, not even the first day we met.

  At almost seven, I went to get a second cup of coffee, and when I turned around to walk back to the dining room, Milo was sitting at my table.

  “How did you get in here without me seeing you?”

  He sipped a cup of coffee. “A herd of elephants could’ve come through, and you wouldn’t have noticed them. You were staring at the TV like you were waiting for it to give you the answer to all of life’s important questions.”

  I sighed and sat down across from him. “Yeah. I guess I was lost in my head.”

  He drank more coffee and looked at me over the rim of the cup. “You want to talk about it?”

  “What?”


  “Whatever is on your mind?”

  I frowned. “No…not really.”

  Milo’s eyes roamed my face. “Okay. How about if I talk about a problem that’s been on my mind instead?”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Of course. What’s up?”

  “Well, I met this beautiful woman.”

  I felt a pang of jealousy in my chest. He met a woman? When? Last night?

  Milo smiled and looked down at my coffee on the table. “You can loosen your grip on that cup. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

  My brows furrowed. “I’m confused. Who did you meet?”

  “I met an amazing woman. She’s adventurous and gorgeous. And has a spitfire personality that matches her fiery red hair.”

  Oh. Oh! I smiled. “She sounds pretty awesome.”

  He chuckled. “She is. I sort of love everything about her…except one thing.”

  My smile fell. “What’s that?”

  “She just got out of a long relationship where she was hurt. It’s left her in a pretty vulnerable state. Because of that, I need to be a friend instead of pushing to a place we could both really use visiting right now.” He paused and searched my eyes. “You see, I really like her, and I don’t want her to regret me later.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded. “I get it.”

  Milo reached out and took my hands in his. “Do you, Mads? Because I don’t want you to think me keeping my distance after what you told me last night at that gas station has anything to do with not wanting you.”

  I shook my head, looking down, though I still felt weird about what I’d admitted. “Okay.”

  Milo lifted my chin. “You’re completely, out-of-my-league gorgeous, and your ex is a giant fucking idiot for not locking you down. I would love nothing more than to be with you, be inside you, Maddie. You have no idea how many times I’ve fantasized about it since the minute we met. But using sex to get over your relationship is like doing shots to get over your hangover. The only way to truly feel better is to keep off the sauce for a while so you can see things clearly again.” He paused, and his eyes dropped to my lips. “Don’t mistake me trying to do the right thing for not wanting to do all the wrong things to you.”

  I smiled sadly. “You’re really a good guy, Milo Hooker.”

  He winked. “That’s because our mother raised us right.”

  • • •

  “I’m sorry.” The hotel clerk shook her head. “We’re completely booked. There are two big conventions in town this weekend.”

  “Yeah, we heard,” Milo said. “Thanks anyway.”

  That was the third hotel we’d dragged our luggage to after parking the rental car at a lot in New Orleans. We walked away from the front desk still roomless. Milo lifted his chin to a bar in the lobby. “Why don’t we have a drink and figure out our game plan?”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll check online for some nearby hotels.”

  At the bar, Milo ordered us two hurricanes and asked the bartender to point him to the men’s room. While he was gone, I pulled up a list of local hotels and started making some calls. The first two were sold out, but the third said they had two rooms left. They were both suites, though, and pretty expensive, so I figured I’d check with my partner in crime when he came back before booking anything.

  “There’s a hotel about three blocks away, on the corner of Bourbon and Orleans, that has two suites available. But they’re a little over three hundred a night, plus tax. It’s sort of steep, so I didn’t book it yet.”

  Milo straddled the barstool and picked up his hurricane. “I think anything available is going to be expensive. I’m okay with it, if you are. We can just stay the one night.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine with me. Let me give them a call back.”

  “Why don’t we take our drinks and walk over?”

  “Take our drinks? Like, out on the street?”

  “Yeah. Everyone does it here. That’s why they gave us these plastic glasses. It’s not like the Northeast where you can’t walk around with alcohol. Walking around with alcohol is part of the charm of this city.”

  “Okay!”

  Milo and I walked to the Bourbon Orleans Hotel drinking our hurricanes. Even though they were pretty big cups, I’d guzzled mine down, since it tasted like candy and I’d been thirsty. It had gone straight to my head.

  “What’s in these things?”

  “I should have warned you to be careful. They’re loaded with rum, but the grenadine makes it taste like there isn’t any alcohol in them.”

  “Wow. Yeah. I’m a little buzzed from just the one.”

  The doorman at the Bourbon Orleans welcomed us and opened the door. Milo and I walked straight to the front desk.

  “Hi. I just called a few minutes ago to see if you have any rooms available. We’d like the two suites, please.”

  The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just reserved one over the phone two minutes ago. So I only have one suite left. It’s a busy weekend for conventions.”

  “Oh. Shoot.”

  She looked back and forth at Milo and me. “Our suites are one bedroom, but they do have a pullout couch, if that might work for you.” Before we could discuss it any further, the front desk phone rang. “Excuse me for just a moment, please.” The hotel clerk stepped away, leaving Milo and me standing there.

  “What do you think?” I asked. “Would it be weird if we shared a suite? It has a separate bedroom.”

  Milo looked as hesitant as I felt. His eyes dropped, and he did a quick sweep over my body before raking a hand through his hair with a laugh. “Does the bedroom door have a strong lock?”

  The woman came back. “I’m sorry, I have someone on the phone who wants to book that last suite. You guys are here in person, so if you’re going to take it, I’ll let her know it’s not available.”

  I looked at Milo. “What should we do? This is the fourth hotel we’ve called or stopped at. And it looks really nice. I can take the couch, and you can have the bedroom, if you’re okay with sharing.”

  He shook his head. “No. You’ll take the bedroom. And barricade yourself inside if we have too much to drink.”

  • • •

  The French Quarter is an interesting place. At a tiny restaurant that only seated about ten people, Milo and I shared amazing jambalaya for two, and then we hit a few small bars with live music. Strolling down bustling Bourbon Street, an older woman wearing a flowy black dress and colorful headdress with gray dreadlocks sticking out stepped in front of Milo.

  She took his hand. “I’ll do you for free.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up.”

  The woman turned to face me. She closed her eyes and held her hands in the air. “You’ve been scorned. But you don’t need to be so lonely.”

  I blinked a few times. “Excuse me?”

  Milo laughed this time. He pointed to the sign on the building next to us. Psychic and Chakra Balancing.

  “I’m thinking she works there.”

  The woman nodded. “I am Zara.” She waved her hand around in my direction. “And you are dimming your aura. Come inside. Let me read your cards. Special for you tonight, only twenty dollars.”

  I scoffed. “You just told him you’d do him for free.”

  The woman looked Milo up and down. “His aura is very vibrant. Very red. He’s passionate.” She winked. “Very sexy, too.”

  “So let me get this straight, he’s vibrant red and free, and I’m dark and twenty bucks?”

  The woman shrugged. “Even psychics need to make a living, honey.”

  I chuckled. “I think I’ll pass.” I started to walk away, but Milo grabbed my elbow and stopped me.

  “Not so fast.” He looked at Zara. “Can you see the future?”

  She nodded with an indignant look on her face. “Of course.”

  Milo scratched the scruff on his chin. “Twenty bucks, huh? Might be worth it to find out where we’re going next.” He dug into his poc
ket. “You know what, we’ll take it.”

  I laughed. “You’re really going to pay her to read your cards?”

  He grinned. “Nope. She’s going to read yours.”

  Chapter 10

  * * *

  Matteo

  Incense filled the air inside Zara’s little den. It reminded me of how my college dorm room used to smell. Tapestries in various colors hung along the walls. And a furry cat meowed from the corner of the room.

  We took our seats across from her. This is going to be good. Maddie and I watched as our fortuneteller dealt the cards in front of her, then arranged them on the table.

  “Your names?” she asked.

  Maddie looked at me, then back at Zara. “I’m Maddie, and this is my brother, Milo.”

  If this lady could really read people, wouldn’t she be able to figure out that our names weren’t legit—or that we weren’t brother and sister? Something to ponder.

  Zara flipped over three cards in a row. One of them featured a woman with wings, and another had an evil-looking man on it. The last image was hard to make out, but there was a gigantic sun in the background.

  She pushed her dreadlocks behind her back. “This three-card spread is known as The Three Fates. The first card represents the past, the second signifies the present, and the third, the future.”

  Maddie looked nervous as she licked her lips. “Alright.”

  Zara ran her fingers over the first card. “You were very adventurous in the past, yes? I don’t sense that’s the case so much now. What happened?”

  Maddie looked over at me, seeming a little freaked out. “I lost my way,” she said. “But I’m in the midst of an adventure as we speak. So trying to rectify that.”

  Zara moved to the second card. “This card represents indecisiveness. You’re experiencing a lot of uncertainty right now when it comes to your personal relationships.” Zara looked up. “Is this making sense to you?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Very much so.”