Once Upon a Road Trip (7 page)

Once the drinks had been poured, Sandra gently shook Rob awake and he joined them at the table, looking refreshed..

Angie listened as the family launched into a scholarly back-and-forth about the sights they thought she might enjoy during her stay. Mark went on for some time about the science museum, then his father steered the conversation toward his enthusiasm for the architecture on the driving tours of Detroit’s historic neighborhoods. Sandra let the men go on for a time before suggesting the following day’s weather would be perfect conditions for visiting the Detroit Zoo.

Angie looked up from the crab leg she’d been prying at and seized the idea while there was a rare lull in conversation. “I haven’t been to a zoo in a long time. That sounds like a good way to work off my driving legs.”

“Excellent!” Mark said, gathering up his silverware onto his plate as he stood. “I’d been meaning to see what they’ve done with the penguin enclosure. I’ll look up the feeding schedule and determine an optimal departure time.” Rob wasn’t far behind him in excusing himself.

Sandra gave the tabletop a light pat. “Don’t feel rushed, now. They’re quick eaters.” She chuckled airily. “I’m just about to make a pot of tea. Would you like some? I’m sure you have things to take care of—”

“Things can wait. I’d love some tea.” Angie smiled, waiting until Sandra had collected dishes and gone into the kitchen before she hurriedly downed the remainder of her food.

By the time she’d cleared her place and went looking for the dishwasher, Sandra was already carrying out a ceramic tea tray, complete with an ornate kettle and matching teacups. She hurried back to the table and sat down across from the woman, accepting a cup and honey-spoon.

“I know it’s summer, but I find hot tea comforting year-round,” Sandra said, pouring them each a cup before easing back into her chair. Her dark eyes alighted on her guest with undivided interest. “So, where are you headed next on your grand adventure?”

Angie blew at the steam rising from her cup. “If all goes according to plan, my next stop is Toronto. Hopefully after a quick detour to see Niagara Falls. Then on to Ottawa for a few days… And then New York City.”

“Oh, New York.” Sandra sighed. “I hope you spend a while there. There’s so much to see.”

“I should have a week, so I think I can hit the highlights. I’ll see what I can manage without inconveniencing my host there.”

Sandra nodded. “What about those two girls you went to visit in Ohio the last time we saw you? Will you be staying with them again?”

“No, not this time.” Angie shook her head in regret. “They’ll be working all summer.”

The older woman’s brow crumpled slightly in thought. “If you don’t mind my asking... Do you plan on staying with any other girls on your trip?”

Angie read the woman’s tone and expression as concern, on what she guessed to be a maternal level. She took a slow sip of her tea, considering her answer. “Well, there was supposed to be Sarah in Pennsylvania, but she got the chance to visit her family in England, so I had to scratch her off of the list. Aside from her, I guess there’s just Antonio’s sister in Miami, but I don’t really know her that well. So, yeah, it’s pretty much all guys and their families hosting me.” She paused. “Does that sound bad?” 

“Oh, no, I wasn’t trying to imply that at all—” Sandra laid a hand flat on the table top between them, seeming to grope for the right wording. “I’ll admit, I’d be more worried about you staying with single men. You know how things are…it’s just safer that they all still live at home. I’d hate for someone to try to take advantage of you.”

Angie smiled, grateful the woman would risking offending her rather failing to voice her legitimate apprehension. “I understand. I tried to be as careful about this as I could. I know the statistics—one in four women being sexually assaulted by the age of twenty-four and all that. Most of them by someone they know. But I have no intention of becoming a statistic. I taught a few self-defense classes last semester, and I’m about to be a black belt in Aikido. I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.

“Besides, even if I were some fragile dessert flower, these guys are all computer geeks and mamma’s boys. Nothing to worry about,” she assured. “Plus, I’ve already warned everyone that I have Mono. That should discourage anyone from getting too close.”

Sandra seemed to relax a bit. “Mono…isn’t that the one they call the kissing disease?”

Angie winced. “Yeah. But I happened to get it from sharing a smoothie with a friend—against my will. I think I lose glamor points for that.”

Sandra emitted a soft chuckle, abating her look of concern. “Tell me, why a road trip? Aren’t most girls your age dreaming of touring Europe?”

“Maybe the ones with money to burn.” Angie tucked her chin and laughed. “Not that I don’t like the sound of it. Languages, culture, art… But my family never traveled much, so I figure there’s plenty I haven’t seen on the continent I actually live on. I might work my way up to Europe after I get a degree, if I can save up enough. Or maybe Japan. I might look into one of those programs where you go somewhere and teach English for a year.” She shook her head, pensive. “I don’t know. I’ll see how this goes first.”

“Oh, to be young and unattached.” Sandra cast her a wistful smile. “Well, our little corner of the world may not be the most fascinating, but we’ll make sure you get a good feel for it.”

“I really appreciate you putting up with me. The company is a lot more important to me than the scenery,” Angie stressed.

And she meant it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the time Angie pushed herself away from the computer in the downstairs study, it was late. She’d meant to go to bed sooner, but two things delayed her: her inability to locate her long-distance phone cards, and an unsettling email she’d received from her host in Ottawa. Zak’s message came in reply to one she’d sent the day before, letting him know she was still on schedule for her original arrival date. The message was as brief as it was cryptic:

Umm...about that. I know what I said, but I kinda didn’t ask my mom yet. And I don’t see her taking this well, so you might want to have a backup plan.

-Zak

Stunned, she’d written and re-written several replies before deleting them. She decided to call Zak the following day to sort out the issue.

This wasn’t good. She was supposed to spend four nights in Ottawa, and it was too late to rearrange her arrival times at other destinations.

Why would he tell me his family was fine with me visiting? What kind of jerk is this guy?

She thought back to the many playful conversations she’d had with him in the past. Zak had always been friendly, even borderline flirtatious at times. He was one of the first from the online community she’d seen a picture of. She’d gotten the sense that the nineteen-year-old wasn’t quite as mature as his appearance would suggest, but she’d never thought that he might leave her stranded. She had half a mind to chew him out when she did call him.

Frustrated, she swiveled around and stood, scanning the entertainment room behind her for any signs of Mark. At his insistence, she’d spent several hours watching one of his favorite TV series with him. Anything that warranted Mark’s interest also seemed to require his exhaustive understanding of it. As a result, along with the watching came his frequent, although unsolicited, background commentary. He’d seemed content to continue watching for as long as consciousness would allow, but Angie had finally been forced to pardon herself.

It wasn’t that the show was uninteresting. She simply didn’t have his capacity for devoting so much time to a single activity. Now it seemed, in the absence of someone to share it with, Mark had given up and gone to bed. 

She hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings, but at the same time, she couldn’t imagine how it would help his social skills if she were to encourage his every excess. From what she understood, Mark had spent his entire educational life attending a private school for the gifted and talented. She was beginning to wonder if that sort of environment had been artificially tolerant toward certain areas of weakness. Not that she could imagine public school resulting in anything but total immersion in the opposite, soul-sucking extreme.

Quietly, she made her way across the lower level of the house. Godot laid curled up on the welcome mat at the front door. The contented animal only bothered to half-open his eyes when she passed.

As she rounded the corner to the base of the darkened stairs, she was suddenly able to make out the seated form of a person. Had she noticed any later, she would have tripped over them. The abruptness of that revelation caused her to jump back in reflexive alarm. She wasn’t sure what had unsettled her more, the stillness of the form, or the oddness of the location given time of night.

Her body relaxed then, a moment before her brain caught her up to the recognition that the statuesque figure was Rob. The man had apparently fallen asleep there, his right shoulder inclined against the slatted wooden railing of the staircase. His elbow rested against his thigh, forming the support for his palm to hold up his chin. She remembered Sandra once mentioning that Rob had never been able to spend more than three or four hours in bed before having to roam the house. Perhaps he hadn’t made it to the roaming part yet.

That’s going to take some getting used to
.

Angie managed to slip past without disturbing him, continuing up the stairs to the guest room.

June 13
,

I got into the city without any trouble, and I’m doing fine so far. Tired, but fine. I enjoy Mark’s family very much. Although, Mark himself tends to leave me a little intellectually exhausted. I appreciate the stimulus, but it’s a bit too much sometimes. I always feel like I’m fighting to remain on an equal level with him. I’m probably just trying too hard. I need to focus more on having fun.

I’m not sure how this will all pan out anymore. Zak sent an email that made it sound like there’s a big problem with me coming to Ottawa. I keep thinking it’s early in the trip...I could still go back home. But giving up so soon would feel like a huge failure. We’ll see how I feel after a little longer in Detroit. Maybe I’m going about this all wrong. My attitude is pretty pathetic at the moment.

I haven’t heard from Don at all. Part of me wonders if I should just leave him alone. All I can do is pray for the best. But for once, I’m going to try choosing hope over realism. Since my personal sense of realism tends to be nothing but thinly veiled pessimism, I figure I’m not losing anything in the venture. But for now, I sleep.

Mileage Log: 890 miles

~Ang

Chapter 5

Angeli heaved a sigh as she set the house phone back into its cradle on the nightstand. It was late in the morning, and Mark had been fidgeting in the doorway for the last five minutes of her conversation with Elsie. He was clearly more determined than she was to make it to the zoo before any animals had been fed.

“I don’t know why I thought talking to her might make me feel better. She’s all excited that she just got another letter from Anne Rice. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.” Angie griped to herself as much as she was explaining the reason for the delay.

“Anne Rice? As in…  ‘Interview with the Vampire?’ That Anne Rice?” Mark gaped at her, seeming to have forgotten the schedule he’d plotted out for the day.

“That’d be the one.” Angie nodded, pushing off from the edge of the bed where she’d been sitting. “And I wouldn’t have believed it either, if I hadn’t seen the lockbox under her bed with each letter sealed in its own little plastic bag. Elsie claims that they’re pen pals, but I figure the lady must just be really nice to some of her fans.”

“That’s impressive,” Mark said, still marveling.

“Well, you know, Elsie is a pretty great writer. She wrote her first fan-fiction novel when she was fourteen. Maybe her talent is just being recognized and encouraged.” Angie paused to consider before admitting, “Or, she’s become so dedicated to a fantasy that she’s forging letters to herself from a famous author. I can never be completely sure with her.” 

Mark emitted a low chuckle. “Well, if anyone could manage to get the attention of a respected author, I suppose it would be her. She seems like quite the character herself.”

Understatement of the year
.

Glancing to the oak dresser beside the door, Mark grabbed Angie’s journal off the top of it and began inspecting the tome. “Speaking of writing—”

Before she’d fully processed the impulse, Angie lurched forward and snatched the slim book out of his hands. “That’s…personal.” She kept up a light tone in an effort to counter the defensiveness of her action. While she didn’t believe she’d written anything negative about him, she didn’t want to risk hurt feelings.

Mark looked all the more intrigued. “You keep a diary?”

Angie shook her head, removing the pen that marked her last page. “It’s just a journal, for keeping track of things while I’m on this trip.” Hoping to satiate his curiosity, she flipped it open to the back page where she’d maintained a record of identifiable road kill using categories and tally marks. “See? So far, the raccoons are winning. But the deer aren’t far behind.”

Mark peered over the list for a long moment. “Well, it’s not exactly something out of Robinson Crusoe, is it?” he said, unabashed in candor. He groomed his fingers through his beard in an exaggerated gesture of contemplation. “So then, does your journal have a title?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it.” Angie shrugged. She snapped the book closed and tucked it under her pillow.

Mark snapped his fingers. “Oh, I know! You could call it: The Chronicles of Peril,” he said, looking proud of himself. “…You see the double entendre?”   

“Yes, that’s very clever.” She sighed, miming a courtesy applause before shooing him out of the room. “But I think that would be right up there with naming my car ‘Oh no’ —  just asking for trouble.” She pulled the door closed behind them as an additional measure, having observed Mark to be somewhat oblivious when it came to personal space.