**** Chapter Ten - The Enigma ****

I stayed at Max’s because it was comfortable, I wanted to stock up on his bourbon and he accepted cash payment. Zero traceability if you so desire.

Zero traceability was a good thing in my life right now, and Max’s bourbon was even better. What I hadn’t counted on was Sonya announcing she was staying with me. Arguing got me nowhere. I was told in no uncertain terms that, because of our sudden departure, she absolutely had to travel with me; far too much was still left undone. Her final argument was that, as my PA, she would be spending about 50% of her time on my ranch anyway just to keep up with business.

The room at the pub had a magnificent king-sized bed and a mediocre couch. I was just standing there staring around when Matilda came through the door with a pillow, some sheets and a blanket. She dropped them on the couch and then pointed at me and then the couch. She then exited the room. I had been put in my place, and I resigned myself to waking up with a bad case of couch back.

I freshened up and went down and ordered dinner. After dinner, bourbon was ordered and it was delivered by Max himself. We shared his latest casking and he made a point to let me know that I had three casks and two cases waiting for me when I left tomorrow. That was more that I had asked for but he didn’t offer me time to argue so I took my full belly up to my couch and went to sleep.

Morning came early.

My back hurt from sleeping on a cheap couch, and I arose to see Sonya slumbering joyfully on that huge bed. I rang the kitchen for breakfast and coffee, then grabbed a shower. I had just finished dressing when Matilda came into the room (she never knocked anymore) and laid out my morning breakfast and coffee. Sonya had come to life – probably while I showered – and took over the bathroom whilst I ate; I then when down to prep the truck for the beginning of the road-trip. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the addition of a traveling companion.

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I backed the truck up to the rear door of the pub and loaded my new bourbon trove into the bed; I had a really good start on my future wine cellar. I also bought a couple of cases of beer for drinking while I camped my way across the continent, as I didn’t need whisky hangovers on the days I was driving. Everything was loaded and I went in to settle up the tab. As I walked in Sonya was coming out, and she let me know she still had a bag left up in the room. I told her the truck was unlocked, and to go ahead and get settled in. I went up to the room, grabbed her suitcase (what is it with women and bricks in their suitcases?), gave the room the once over and out the door I went.

I loaded the last suitcase in the bed of the truck; it was getting pretty full now, but it would all be transferred to the trailer in just a couple of hours. I climbed into the driver’s seat and buckled up. I spent a minute firing up the big diesel and checking and adjusting everything, basically going through my pre-trip checklist. When I looked up to adjust my rear-view mirror, I was shocked to see Matilda sitting calmly in my back seat; she appeared to be knitting. I was well and truly stunned.

I looked over at Sonya, who merely shrugged and turned back to her laptop with a little smile on her face. So I chose the most obvious reaction I could bring to mind at that moment, turned in my seat and started blathering at Matilda. Matilda for her part merely glanced up at me and then went back to her knitting.

“No Matilda. Get. Out.”

She merely knitted.

“This isn’t a bus Matilda. You can’t have a ride.”

Click-clack went her knitting needles.

“I’m on a long journey Matilda.”

She finally spoke, “Si,” was all she said.

On I went for another five minutes, but all I got out of Matilda was another “si,” and a lot more knitting. Truth be told, getting two words out of Matilda in less that ten minutes was something of a record, but that was beside the point.

Every minute that went by brought a bigger smirk to Sonya’s face and I could feel my frustration grow. I decided that the best thing I could do was start driving and think about this new problem.

So off to San Diego we went.