“What?!? Your new job is going to require you to go all over the place. You know that, right?” Kendra buckles her seat belt in and adjusts it so that it’s not cutting into her neck. “And Viv isn’t going to let you drive everywhere. She’s going to want you to go faster than driving will allow.”

I pull out of my driveway and onto the road. “Yeah, I’m aware. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, we have about 12 hours and 28 minutes to drive. Wanna get coffee? Did you bring road snacks?”

Kendra rolls her eyes and laughs. “Ha! You kill me. Of course I brought snacks! I don’t have coffee though. And we can never have enough snacks. We could stop at Speedway. I’ve heard they have good coffee. And then you can fill up. It looks like you’re a little low on gas.”

When I look at the gas gauge, I see that I have a quarter of a tank. I feel like I just filled this thing up, but now that I think about it, it might’ve been a while. “Speedway it is. Are you going to be the navigator?”

“What’s the GPS for if I have to do it? I thought I could just be the lazy passenger.”

“Ha ha! Nope. The Garmin lost its sound a while back so if we get to talking, I stop paying attention and then we might end up somewhere we don’t really want to go. So, I need help paying attention.” I shrug my shoulders and get onto the highway.

“Ooooh,” Kendra says as she leans her seat back. “What if I sleep? Then you don’t have anything else to pay attention to.” She giggles as she closes her eyes.

“Oh no you don’t! We’re getting coffee in just a minute so you better just stay sitting up.”

“Fine!” She laughs as she sits her seat back up just in time for me to pull off the highway at the next exit.

I could’ve driven the city streets, but this was faster. And judging from how heavy both of our eyelids are, despite my first cup of coffee already, this might be a long ride.

I pull into the Speedway and pull right up to a pump. “I’ll pump the gas if you want to get our coffees and some snacks.”

Kendra opens her door and hops out. “Sounds good! Hang on though, I have the company card. I’ll get your pump started and then I’ll head in.”

I’ve got to say, I wondered how this was going to go. I just figured I would have to keep track of everything that was spent and hand in the receipts. This was works much better. I don’t have to worry about my bank account at all.

Pretty quickly, my tank is full, and we have snacks to keep us awake. She bought all kinds of snacks. From sweet to savory. We start munching as we get back on the highway without saying a word.

“It looks like we’re going to get there around 8:45pm if nothing happens.” I’m sure she can read the ETA too, but I thought I would break the silence.

“That’s not too bad, but it’s not including any food breaks. Or potty breaks. There’s no way my tiny bladder will last that long. Please tell me you weren’t going to try to push through.”

“Hell no! I-I mean, no way.” I forget, not everyone likes, or knows about, my colorful language.

“Ha, you don’t have to worry about language around me. I know you have a sailor mouth. That’s one of the things I like about you. You’re not afraid to sprinkle your words with color.” Kendra takes a long sip of her coffee and then sighs. “This is some damn good coffee!”

I glance at her with wide eyes. “What! Are you a sailor too?” I can’t help but giggle.

She laughs. “Words are words. Every word has multiple meanings, I swear. Some words are just more expressive than others. Did you know that if you stub your toe, cussing can help release endorphins so that it doesn’t hurt as bad?”

“No way. That’s bullshit.”

“For real! I read about it online.”

“Ha ha! Like everything you read online is true.” I’m cracking up and then I glance over my shoulder to pass the slow car in front of us.

She whips out her phone and starts googling it. “See? Here it is!” She flashes the screen in my direction like I’m supposed to read it.

“I don’t think I should read it right now,” I giggle at her. “But send me the link and I’ll read it later.”

Suddenly a whoosh noise from her phone is followed by a ding on my phone. She’s so fast! When I look back over at her, she has set her phone down and she’s staring out the front window. “Let’s play a game.”

We’ve been driving for maybe an hour and we’re already playing games. Oh boy. “Yeah, okay, what do you want to play?”

“Let’s play the question game.” She claps her hands together and then reaches in the backseat for some Skittles.

Immediately I’m filled with anxiety. I look behind her and then pull back into the slow lane. “What’s the question game? Or am I already playing it?” I fake a smile and hope that this isn’t going to be hard.

“The question game is where I ask you a question, any question and you have to answer it truthfully. And then, you get to ask me a question. Wanna play?”

Yep. This sounds like a nightmare. “Sure.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

She claps her hands again. “Okay! I’ll go first. Hmmm…why did you want to work for the publishing house?”

Okay, I can handle this one. “Well, I’ve always wanted to be an editor, even since I was a kid. But I wanted to be a housewife and mom more. So, when my first option didn’t work out, I decided to apply at the publishing house on a whim. Viv was hiring, I didn’t have any experience or schooling, but she decided to give me a chance. I’m not sure if that was because she was already dating my husband and felt bad or if that was later.”

“Wait, what? You never told me that part!”

“I believe your turn is over.” The smile on my face is from ear to ear and I’m trying to look like I’m serious. “It’s my turn now. Why aren’t you married?”

“Damn! Go right for my love life why don’t ya? Meh, there’s been a couple of guys here and there. I had one who I thought was the one but after he proposed and put a ring on my finger, he was a complete ass. I decided that I would rather focus on my career at the moment than settle down especially if it was with a guy who wouldn’t respect me.”

“Ooooh, I have so many more questions! I’ll wait. Your turn.”

“Okay, so, Viv dated your husband? Wait, was that Mike?!?”

I look over at her. “You really didn’t know that? C’mon. I thought everyone knew that.”

“I knew he was close to you. I thought he was an old boyfriend or something but not your husband!”

“Yeah, we weren’t married a long time but long enough. He was like that guy that you mentioned. Great until the ring was on my finger, but Mike even made it to when the marriage certificate was signed, and the DJ was paid. Our honeymoon was okay, but shortly after that was when the first hit came.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was an abuser.”

I nod my head and focus on the traffic in front of us. “Yep. The dumb thing is that I stayed. I stayed for way too long. I should’ve known that it wasn’t going to get any better. I mean, sure, there were some good times, some really fun times, but he would always end up hurting me. He didn’t care that the bruises could be seen either. And the wounds that people couldn’t see, the emotional bruises, those were deep. I don’t think I’ll ever get over those. I can tell you I will never get married again that’s for sure. It’s just going to be me and Squeaker from now on.”

Kendra sits quietly for a few minutes. The radio is playing “Two of Hearts” by Stacy Q, but the station is starting to be out of range. I reach down and push scan. A couple of foreign stations come on clear as a bell, but I would like to have something that I recognize. I find a station playing songs from the 80’s and settle on that. Finally, I look over at Kendra. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah. I guess I never knew anyone else who’s been hurt like me. I mean, he only did it once and then I got rid of him. But you, how long were you married?”

I smile at her and try to lighten the mood. “That’s your second question! But I’ll answer it. We were married three years.”

“Sheesh, that’s a long time to put up with that.”

I sigh as I remember those years like they were just yesterday. “Each day felt like a year because I was never good enough. Never sexy enough, smart enough, house-wifey enough. I couldn’t cook good enough either. Everything was just ‘fine.’ It was never ‘wow’ or ‘great’ or ‘omg I can’t stop eating this.’ I was always looking for approval and just about the time I thought I would get it, that’s when I would get hit, either with a fist or with words. Or, later on, betrayal with other women. Nope. I’ll just stay single, thanks. I’d rather not risk it again.”

Kendra quickly raises her hand to her face and wipes her cheek. I try to look at her, but she turns to face out the passenger window.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. Kendra?” I tug on her arm and try to do both; driving and console my friend.

“I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t know what I was walking into. I never experienced anything like that.”

“Lucky for you, you got out when you did. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that was the road you were headed down with that guy. What was his name?”

A small smirk comes across her face as she says, “Is that your question for your turn?”

I giggle, “Sure.”

“His name was Zach. He was a great dresser. Very stylish. Very metro sexual, isn’t that what they used to call it?”

“The guys that actually cared about good hygiene and washing their faces? Oh, and smelling good? Yeah, that’s what they called it.”

“That was him. That’s what drew me to him. We met at a bar. He had girls fawning over him, but he wasn’t interested in any of them. His eyes were like laser beams directed at me. He bought me an alligator drink.”

“What kind of drink is that?”

“Uh oh! It’s not your turn! But I’ll answer it. Ha ha! I have no clue. It was like a rainbow drink. It was all the colors of the rainbow with red at the bottom. It tasted great when it was in your mouth but had a horrible aftertaste! Which keeps a person drinking it, I suppose.”

“Interesting! Well maybe Viv’s dime will have to buy me one of those so I can experience the horror.”

Kendra laughs and nods her head. “Yes, I do believe she should buy us both some horror.”

“I’m surprised that Viv has us both going on this little hunting trip.” I pick up my cup and drink the last of the black coffee. Speedway does have some good coffee which is a bit surprising for a gas station. I guess they even have a bunch of syrups to add to it too. Those are always fun to try.

“You don’t have much information on Mr. Randolf, do you?” Kendra eyes me from her seat like she’s hoping that I know a little something about this author.

“I’m afraid I don’t. I’m also afraid to have any information on him. What are we getting into? Have you ever met him in person?”

Kendra nods her head and pops another Skittle in her mouth. “I have. He’s different. I had to do the final interview with him, so I did meet him in person. I’ve never been to his place. He didn’t want us out to his place, so he came to the publishing house. We sat up in Viv’s office and went over what he was looking to do, goals, dreams, and then Viv gave me a nod from across the room letting me know that it was good to go. I had a copy of the contract in my folder just in case and he filled it all out.”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t into this erotica stuff back then, was he?”

“No, he was into romances but nothing hardcore. Shoot! He wasn’t even writing softcore back then. I’m not sure what happened to make his writing journey go down that road. Have you read any of his stuff?” She pops a handful of Skittles in her mouth. I don’t understand why people would do that when they’re all different flavors.

“No, well, not that I can remember. I’m a bit nervous to tell you the truth. I’m not sure what we’re going to find when we get to his place. The thought of his house fills my mind with images close to a hobbit house except dark and creepy with naked mannequins. I don’t know why mannequins. Maybe because I haven’t really had any experience in that realm.”

“Mannequins?!?” Kendra nearly chokes on the Skittles in her mouth. She grabs a napkin from the glove compartment and tries her best to keep from wearing the rainbow spit dripping down her chin.

After we settle down a bit, and the silence gets to us, I say, “Who’s turn is it?”

Kendra chugs the last of her coffee and tosses the empty cup in the backseat on the floor. “Not yours! You asked a bunch! Ha ha! Okay, let’s aim for something a little less dramatic than abusers and porno writers. Hmm…are you excited for your new job?”