Highway Song: A Smokey's Roadhouse Novel (18 page)

We didn
’
t talk as I finished stuffing my meager possessions into the duffel. He took my elbow to guide me after swinging the duffel over his other shoulder, and we made our way around the boardwalk to the parking lot where the bus waited.

As soon as we ducked inside, I smelled the familiar skunky herb scent of pot. The thick cloud inside the bus drifted into our nostrils. It had been awhile, but I thought what I was inhaling was probably from good stuff. I breathed deeply. Rex, on the other hand, went ballistic.

“
What the fuck? This bus is
leased
, you idiots. Where
’
d you get the weed, anyway?
”
he yelled.

“
Chill, dude,
”
said a deep voice. I thought it was probably Cole, but I couldn
’
t see the speaker.

“
Chill? You
’
re telling me to chill? Fuck that shit! Let me see you, every one of you.
”
I looked at Rex, unable to understand his agitation. Didn
’
t everyone in their business smoke pot? What was the big deal?

Axel tumbled out of his bunk right away, but the rest were slow to respond. Ike was the last, and he had a small glass pipe in his hand when he did. I stole another quick glance at Rex, who looked ready to explode. He pointed at Ike.
“
What the fuck is that?
”

“
Jesus Christ, Rex. It
’
s not like you haven
’
t done your share. What the fuck do you think it is, and why the righteous act all of a sudden? Your girlfriend a virgin?
”
Ike asked.

I knew he meant not a user, but he couldn
’
t have known what I
’
d just shared with Rex. His question was offensive in so many ways, I couldn
’
t count them. In two long strides, Rex was in his face, and he slapped the hash pipe out of Ike
’
s hand. It struck the paneled wall and bounced, landing at Cole
’
s feet. Cole bent to pick it up, and straightened.
“
Hey, this is mine! I
’
ve been looking for it.
”

“
Rex, it
’
s okay,
”
I said. He whirled and glared at me.
“
Hey, it
’
s just pot. I don
’
t care.
”
I couldn
’
t let his concern for me interfere with his relationship with his band. From what I
’
d seen, it was already on shaky ground.
“
Guys, he
’
s overreacting because I just told him I used to be a tweaker. Rex, that thing looks nothing like a meth pipe, and pot doesn
’
t make me want to use meth. Let it go.
”

Five male faces turned to stare at me, with various expressions of curiosity, speculation, and, in Rex
’
s case, rage.
“
Why?
”
he asked.

“
They need to know. Don
’
t you think it
’
s time to tell them? We
’
re pulling out of here later, aren
’
t we?
”

Axel was the first to recover, probably because he hadn
’
t been smoking.
“
We?
”

Rex
’
s shoulders slumped. It was past three a.m., and we were too tired for this. But it was going to happen now, anyway. He said,
“
All right. You start.
”

I knew he was giving me the chance to censor what I told them, and I was grateful. I
’
d already been through the gut-churning story once tonight, and it was enough. I
’
d only been intimate with Rex, so only he needed to know the worst of it. Without a lot of background information, I gave them the bare bones.

“
It
’
s been nine or ten years, but I had to do a long rehab to kick it. Rex is probably worried I
’
ll relapse, but trust me, I
’
ve been around enough pot since then to know it
’
s not an issue. Over to you, Rex.
”

By tossing the ball back to him, I forced him to tell the band what he evidently hadn
’
t before
—
that I was leaving with them. The reactions were as varied as the expressions had been after my bombshell. Axel looked happy, though why he should be, I didn
’
t know. I still wasn
’
t going to sleep with him. Mark was exasperated. I figured he was thinking about having to come up with the money to feed me. He
’
d be happy to know I
’
d brought my own, and I
’
d be feeding them.

Cole looked sleepy, and Kirk looked to Ike. Ike looked like a thundercloud. Rex hurried to explain.

“
She
’
s got reason to believe some of those bikers are ready to jump her as soon as we leave. That
’
s all you need to know. We
’
re not leaving her here for that to happen. She
’
ll ride with us to Salt Lake. And Ike, in case you
’
re about to open your pie-hole and make me stick my fist in it, she
’
s paying her own way. So shut it.
”

Ike closed his mouth with a snap of his teeth, but it was plain to see he still had objections.

Rex
 

I
waited for Ike to say another word. He
’
d been simmering with anger for the entire time since we left Omaha, and it would have to come to a head sooner or later. He
’
d challenge me for leadership of the band, and one of us would go. That would mean the breakup of the band, with Ike and Kirk going one way and me going another. It remained to be seen who
’
d end up with Axel and Cole. I hoped it was me.

It looked like it wouldn
’
t be today, though. With a disgusted snort, Ike climbed back into his bunk, and Kirk rolled into the slot underneath. The show was over. Axel, Cole, and Mark disappeared in the next couple of seconds, leaving Amy to question me with her eyes.

“
You
’
re with me,
”
I said. Despite my mixed feelings, there wasn
’
t anywhere else for her to sleep.

I felt like a shithead, actually. None of what had happened to Amy was her fault. Damn her family for driving her out into the world to fend for herself at such a young age, and damn that pimp to be ass-fucked in hell for what he
’
d done. My heart went out to her, but my dick just wasn
’
t interested. Not right now. Maybe not ever. If I had to guess, I
’
d say it was because I did have some old-fashioned values left. Having sex with her as a trade for taking her with us sounded like a win-win situation when she proposed it. Now it felt like I
’
d be violating her all over again.

And how could I tell her that? The bus was so quiet, the guys would hear the softest whisper. She hadn
’
t shared everything, so I knew better than to discuss it in their hearing. Even if she understood my reluctance, it would still hurt her. She
’
d been through enough. So I boosted her to the top bunk, shed everything but my briefs and climbed in after her, hoping she
’
d be too tired to expect anything. As soon as I settled in, bare skin rolled into me. Either she slept naked, or my hope was unfounded.

I curled my arm around her, and she snuggled closer, her hand idly stroking down my chest. After a few minutes, she let it drift lower, to cover my dick. Her hand went completely still when she found me unready.

“
Rex?
”

“
It
’
s late, sugar. Let
’
s just go to sleep.
”
Miserable coward that I was, it was all I could say.

“
Oh.
”
The small syllable of disappointment stabbed me in the gut.
“
Okay.
”
She turned over, rolling away from me, but then scooted her ass back to rest in the curve of my groin. Sometime during the night, with my conscience asleep, my body reacted to the weight of her settled there. I woke up with a morning erection fit to bust.

I listened for the sounds of the others stirring, and heard nothing. Was it too early to expect them awake? Or had we slept late? I fished in the alcove where I usually kept my watch and cell phone, coming up with the latter first. Opening one eye, I peered at it. Holy shit! Eleven a.m. Why wasn
’
t the bus an oven? I lifted my head and detected a steady noise. Raining. What else was going to go wrong?

Then I reconsidered. We had the bus to ourselves, and my mind had resolved all of its misgivings during the night. If she was willing, so was I. I dropped a kiss on her shoulder.

“
Mmmmm,
”
she purred. I put my hand on her near arm and stroked, hoping to wake her gently. She rolled over with wary eyes.
“
Morning.
”

“
Hey, sugar. It
’
s nearly lunchtime. I think we missed breakfast.
”

“
You
’
re hungry?
”
she asked.

“
I could eat.
”

A lazy grin parted her lips, as her hand found what it hadn
’
t last night.
“
You horny?
”

“
I could fuck,
”
I said, in the same offhand tone. She squeezed.
“
Hell, yes, I
’
m horny.
”

“
Well, then, let
’
s take care of that first.
”

Forty-five minutes later, we went into the bar together. No need to keep it under wraps anymore. My band knew, and Smokey knew. No one else mattered. Mark noticed us first.

“
Well, look who woke from the dead.
”

The others acknowledged us, all but Ike, who was still cranky from last night
’
s, or rather this morning
’
s, confrontation, I assumed. Speaking of which, I still didn
’
t know where they
’
d gotten the weed. Before I addressed that, I wanted some breakfast and a report from Mark on the ETA of our new bus.

I sat down at the table, expecting Smokey to come out and take our order. Instead, Amy asked what I wanted.

“
I thought you quit.
”

“
I
’
ll quit when I leave. Smokey needs the help. Just tell me what you want, and I
’
ll take care of things,
”
she answered. Feeling like a shitheel for letting her wait on me now, I asked for a couple of eggs and some toast. She headed for the kitchen, and I asked Mark for a report.