50 More Sexcapades novel Chapter 36

I was in the passenger’s seat of my best friend’s truck, driving down an endless stretch of highway. I lowered my oversized Chanel sunglasses to peek at the advertised establishments up ahead. Nothing much but some gas stations, waffle houses, an alligator farm, and a strip club.

I perched my sunnies back up and took a deep breath. Well, this sure isn’t Calabasas, California where I should have been spending my college Winter break…but I should just try to remain grateful to my friend.

I looked over at Vickie who had one hand on the steering wheel and the other, tapping rhythmically on the outside of her window to some country band she was listening to. She looked back and smiled, winking at me in that goofy way. “Don’t look so worried, Kelly. Time is going to fly out here, and you don’t have to worry about your parent’s drama…promise.”

Vickie and I met this year at college, because we were roommates, and became an unlikely dynamic duo- despite our wildly different backgrounds. I was an LA girl, born and raised in a society of glamour and privilege. Vickie was from the deep South, and would rather play with alligators than wear them as purses.

But still, no matter how many times I rolled my eyes at her country manners and no matter how many times she questioned my eclectic taste in the latest designer streetwear fashions, we had a tight bond. She was probably my closest friend in the world.

Winter term was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation for college students, mildly burnt out after a stressful tango with finals and papers. I should have been back home, lounging in our Olympic-sized pool and getting every last bit of stress zapped out of me through facials, massages, and treatments.

Those plans came to a screeching halt when my parents decided to file for divorce just a few weeks before I left school, making home the last place on earth I wanted to be. Being a child of divorce in a wealthy town was like being a walking target for gossip and rumors…no thanks.

When I confided in Vickie, she offered me her sister’s empty bedroom back at her family home and I didn’t even think twice about the offer…okay maybe I did! But only because I miss my bichon frisé JuJu and my closet full of Louboutins.

I didn’t have high hopes for a whole lot of amenities and luxury based on her description of her hometown…but hey, I was willing to try the whole rugged nature thing out and told my “friends” back in California that I was going to be spending all of the winter term at a country retreat. Screw their opinions, at least I would be with my best friend.

About 45 minutes later, we were off the highway and coming to the end of our journey. We had stopped for Chick Fil A, which I tried for the first time in my life…not bad, and finally reached our destination after another stretch of driving past different streets and rows of homes. Vickie’s neighborhood was quiet, and the houses were spread far apart from one another. It was prettier and calmer than I expected, and I found the tall trees and sing-songy birds to be rustic and reminiscent of those old black and white movies Vickie and I loved to watch on Sunday mornings.

The actual house also was a bit nicer and larger than I expected. It was a big colonial house with a quaint wrap-around porch, complete with a swing and a napping pair of cats. The lawn was well-manicured and the weather was quite warm, even for the winter months. This may not be so bad after all, I thought cheerfully- helping Vickie lug our stuff out the trunk.

The front door opened and a smiling older woman came out with two tall glasses of iced tea. “There my girls are! Don’t you two lift another finger gettin’ those bags? Come on in and rest your feet. I hope you brought your appetites!” I instantly melted at her southern drawl and even laughed when Vickie’s grandmother gave me just as warm a hug as she did her own granddaughter. The tea was refreshing and I almost moaned, getting a strong whiff of freshly-baked comfort food coming through that front door.