Rocky Mountain Mayhem (10 page)

Eric leaned down and kissed her. Tongue was
involved.

“That was just a sneak peak.”

Damn skippy
! Vivian thought but said,
“Looking forward to the full feature.”

They moved to a cocktail table near the dance
floor, and the other girls joined them just as “Pour Some Sugar on
Me” blared through the club.

“Who sings this song?” Vivian asked.

“Def Leppard,” Lucy yelled. “You know, with
the one-armed drummer.” She took a sip of her vodka cranberry and
glanced to her right. A one-armed guy had just walked onto the
dance floor and stared right at her. Lucy spewed her drink, laser
lights shining through the spittle particles floating in the air
around them.

Eric, Vivian, Kate and Wendy couldn’t hold
back laughter as Lucy tried to recover.

Vivian turned to Eric. “Might be time to
go.”

Eric looked pleased. “Let me tab out.”

Though tipsy themselves, Wendy and Kate
gathered up Lucy and headed to the door. Eric and Vivian met them
outside, and he walked them back to the hotel. The heel taps on
Wendy’s boots had fallen off from all her dancing, and the walk
back was clanky and loud.

At the door to the hotel, the girls started
to go in but Eric said, “Sorry, ladies, I can’t. Once I’m off for
the night, it’s not allowed.”

Vivian looked disappointed.

He pulled her toward him. “But you’re welcome
to go back to my place.”

Vivian blushed and felt giddy. She glanced at
the girls. “I’ll be in later. I have my key.”

“But what about the buddy system?” Kate
asked.

“Buddy system?” Eric asked, raising his
eyebrows. “That sounds intriguing.”

“Not that kind of buddy system!” Vivian
laughed and gave him a push. She turned toward the girls. “It’s
fine. We’re not in Mexico anymore and we know where he works.”

She linked arms with Eric and said over her
shoulder, “Don’t wait up.”

ERIC opened the door to his apartment and
moved aside so Vivian could enter. The efficiency was dark, except
for the Christmas lights that ran around a wall-length mirror on
the other side of the room. They lit up the bed.

This is gonna be awesome
, she
thought.

He closed the door behind her. “Let me get a
light on,” he said and scooted past, grazing her gently as he did.
It sent tingles down her spine, slowing in all the right
places.

Her eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness
when he clicked on a small desk lamp across the room.

“Mind if I borrow your bathroom?” she
asked.

“Of course not,” he said, then leaned down
and kissed her passionately, moving his hands in a massaging motion
along her waist. After a moment he pulled back. “Right through
there.” He pointed down a short hallway. “You want something to
drink?”

“Maybe just some water. Thanks.”

She walked through the small kitchen and saw
the sink filled with dishes.
Ick
. Only a few steps beyond
was the bathroom. She flipped on the light and heard him in the
kitchen, getting her a glass of water. She smiled.

At first glance, the bathroom wasn’t too bad.
A blue towel served as a rug and another hung over the plaid shower
curtain, which was pulled to. Vivian was tempted to look into the
tub, but after the kitchen sink, she decided against it.

She freshened up a bit, including taking a
dab of toothpaste and rubbing it over her teeth. She flipped upside
down, fluffing her hair and shaking it out. It was still sweaty
from dancing, and the curls closest to her neck had kinked up. She
leaned in close to the medicine cabinet mirror. She noticed mascara
smudged underneath her eyes and looked around the cluttered sink
for cotton balls, then laughed.
Who am I kidding
? She tore
off some toilet paper and wiped it away.

Her phone buzzed with a text message from
Lucy.

Hey trashy! Wendy said to wrap that rascal
you naughty girl!

She couldn’t help but smirk. She dug in her
purse and pulled out one of the condoms she had made rubber eyes
with last night at dinner, and checked the expiration date. It was
good for another year, good to go. She clicked her purse closed,
keeping the condom packet in hand, glanced at herself one last time
and opened the door.

She hadn’t had a one-night stand in more than
10 years, and even then she’d only had a couple. She was A-okay
with it, and had one expectation: sexceptionally fun sex. No holds
barred, get crazy, grab this bull by the horns! Her previous
sexcapades had all been just that, and she hoped this night would
be no different. He lived in Colorado, she in Texas. They both knew
what this was.

Eric had turned on soft music and changed
into jersey knit shorts. Nothing else. It was still dark in the
room, but Vivian could see the shadow of his lean, muscular frame.
Images raced through her mind. She laid her purse on the back of
the couch but kept the condom.

“Hope you don’t mind. I had to get out of
those clothes.”

“Uhh, no, I don’t mind.” She traced her
fingernails up his arm and took a deep breath. He smelled good. A
mix of cologne and manliness.

He ran his fingers down the front of her
blouse, grazing her breast. “Maybe you should do the same.” He ran
his finger back up her breast and placed his fingers under her
chin, kissing her gently. His other hand slipped up the back of her
shirt. He pulled her close and swayed a little to the music. His
shorts didn’t leave much to the imagination, and she could feel his
excitement.
Not bad
.

It was just dark enough that Vivian felt
fairly confident in her body. She’d been going to the gym and
working hard to get her pre-twins figure back. She still had a way
to go, but the darkness provided enough cover that she kicked off
her shoes, threw off her clothes except for her bra and panties,
and jumped on the Christmas-light bed.

Eric followed, smoothly slipping next to her.
“Aren’t you a spunky little thing?” he murmured, his lips already
to her neck, wrapping his arms around her.

“That I am.”

***

Vivian quietly closed the door to the
apartment and slipped her shoes on.
Freakin’ walk of shame
,
she thought as she looked around. She adjusted her clothes, then
dug into her purse, pulling out an ink pen. She twisted her curly
hair around and then stuck the pen so that it stayed up off her
neck. She clicked her purse closed and cursed to herself. She
hadn’t found her new, hot-pink bra in the darkness and didn’t want
to make a big deal out of it, but that sucker cost $40.

She walked to the road and turned north,
toward the hotel. Eric had offered to accompany her but she had
insisted, no, it wasn’t necessary. It was only a few blocks.

She hugged her arms close to her body. The
temperature had dropped several degrees and she was chilled. She
heard a noise to her left and looked that way. All she saw was a
trash can.

Shit. Bears. Do bears eat at night
?
Probably. Oh my god, I probably smell good to a bear.

Pheromones. Sweat. Sex.

Holy crap, I’m going to be a sauced-up,
sex-sauced, tasty bear snack
!

She picked up the pace, looking around. It
was close to 4 a.m., and the streets were desolate.
One block
down, one to go
.

Vivian’s purse popped open and her phone
dropped to the ground. She stopped to pick it up, and again she
heard something. Her breath was loud in her ears, her heart
pounding. She heard a shuffling to her left and then a weird
click.

Fuck it
.

She wrapped one arm around her boobs and
ran.

Day 3

UGHHHHHHHHHH.”

Vivian stirred on the couch. Then she heard
it again.

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

She opened her eyes and looked toward the
groan. It was Lucy.

“Are you okay?”

Lucy just “ughed” again.

Vivian got up, went to the bathroom and
brought Lucy a glass of water.

“There’s ibuprofen in my purse,” Wendy said
quietly. “Give her some. Dammit. Give me some, too.”

“Why did y’all let me drink so much wine?”
Lucy whimpered.

Kate kicked her covers off. “It wasn’t the
wine, it was the bombers. I’m dying, too.”

Vivian handed Kate three ibuprofen as
well.

“You don’t seem like you’re hurting too much,
Viv,” Wendy said. “Did Eric sober you up?”

Vivian shook her head. “Not hardly.”

Kate tisked. “Well, that’s what you get for
being semi-slu—”

Vivian cut her off, pointing at her. “I am
not slutty, I’m opportunistic. There’s a difference. But oh my god,
it was…awful. Horrific. Terrible. And I had such high hopes.”

“He was so cute,” Wendy said. “Was it his
equipment?”

“No, the equipment was fine. He got all
‘sweet’ on me.”

“Sweet?” Kate asked.

“Yep. And cuddly. He wanted to spoon.”

“Before or after you did the nasty?” Wendy
asked.

“Both.”

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Lucy groaned again.

“Such a waste of what I thought was going to
be fantastic. He had the ultimate bachelor pad. Mirror on the wall,
twinkly lights casting a naughty glow on the bed. I thought it was
going to be amazing. But nope. He became all ‘sweet.’ Disgustingly
so.”

“Bummer.” Wendy got up and started brewing
some coffee. “And your first one-nighter since the divorce. Crappy
start.”

Lucy jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

“She thinks so, too,” Kate said.

Retching sounds emanated from behind the
closed door.

“Poor thing,” Wendy said. She knocked on the
door and let herself in, taking her bag of remedies with her.

A few minutes later they emerged and Lucy lay
down.

“I’m going to hop in the shower,” Vivian
said, reaching for a change of clothes. “Oh crap, I forgot.”

“What?” Wendy asked.

“I couldn’t find my bra last night when I
fled from Eric’s apartment. I’ve got to go back and get it. It’s
brand new and cost me forty smackers.”

“I want to see his apartment,” Kate said.

“I’ll go, too,” Wendy said. “Let’s get
cleaned up, grab some breakfast and then we’ll go. Do you remember
where he lives?”

“I think I can find it.”

They took turns getting ready. Lucy went
last, somewhat recovered after napping for 45 minutes. They grabbed
a quick breakfast at a coffee shop a few doors from the hotel and
made their way to Eric’s.

The bad replica of an alpine chalet complex
was vintage 60s and was laid out like a motor lodge, with the doors
opening right onto the parking lot. Upstairs, a balcony ran end to
end with a thin metal railing supported by oversized faux
beams.

Vivian headed up the stairs, the girls
marching behind her. “I hope I can remember which apartment is
his.” She stopped in front of 4B and knocked. She glanced down and
saw a flowerpot and said, “No, not it.”

She looked in the window to 5B. “This is it.
There’s the mirror and Christmas lights.”

“I’ve got to see this,” Kate said and pulled
out her camera.

Vivian rapped lightly on the door. “I kinda
hope he’s not here.”

Lucy giggled. “An awkward morning is better
than a boring night.”

“Yeah, but it turned out to be a boring
night, so if I see him now, it’s going to be both.” Vivian tapped
on the door again.

Eric wasn’t home. “Thank god! But how am I
gonna get my bra?”

“Try the door,” Wendy said. “Maybe he left it
unlocked.”

“Is that breaking and entering?”

“Technically, but we’re not breaking.”

Vivian turned the knob and looked at Wendy.
“It’s unlocked.”

“Great, but we need lookouts. Lucy, let’s go
downstairs and watch for him. Vivian, if we see him, we’ll use code
word ‘ice cream.’ It saved us in Playa del Carmen, it can save us
again.”

Vivian waited for Wendy and Lucy to walk
downstairs and get into position. Kate snapped a picture of Vivian
opening the door.

She walked in and immediately noticed the
dishes still piled in the sink.

“Definitely the right place.”

Kate took a picture.

Vivian kicked around a pile of clothes that
were by the bed but didn’t see her bra.

“Did you leave it in the bathroom?” Kate
asked, taking a picture of the bed, mirror and lights.

“No, I only went once and left there with my
clothes still on.”

“Check the bed.”

Vivian grabbed the navy and white striped
comforter and threw it back.

Perfectly placed in the middle bed was her
hot pink bra. Kate took a picture. Vivian picked it up and Kate
snapped another.

“Hooray!” Kate cheered.

“Let’s get the hell outta here.”

They left the apartment, closing the door
behind them, and heard Wendy and Lucy faintly talking about ice
cream.

“Oh no! He’s coming! Let’s go down the other
side and sneak around the back.”

The metal stairs threatened to give away
their presence and they moved along the back of the building,
passing a laundry room that would have given Lucy the shudders.
Kate stuck her head around the corner and saw Wendy and Lucy
talking to Eric, whose back was to her. She waved her arms, and
Wendy glanced in her direction and gave a slight nod. Kate saw them
give him a hug, then he turned and went up the stairs toward his
apartment.

Wendy and Lucy started down the street,
meeting up with Vivian and Kate, and they all hustled back toward
the hotel.

“It was about right here that I thought I was
going to be bear food,” Vivian announced as she passed a bear-proof
trash can.

“What are you talking about?” Wendy
asked.