“Okay, then, so you can't do a trip either,” I sighed.
“Sorry, Ciaran. Already had plans to go to Europe with the family.”
“Nah, that's fine.”
“Cya later,” the voice intoned sadly.
“'Kay,” I replied, my voice strained. The line went dead and I grumbled a profanity. So far only one friend from undergrad was available for a road trip. Lots of my friends were either already starting the school year, starting new jobs, or otherwise occupied. The worst part was that my dad, in some kind of misguided effort, already rented this ridiculous RV that he parked just the other day in my driveway. Thankfully, Lana didn't have the destructive impulse she normally does toward such an un-car-like behemoth. That, and the nearest cliff is a hundred miles away.
“Lana,” I began as I scrubbed her windows, phone now safely pocketed. “You wreck this RV and I'm going to strip you of your dignity.” She batted her windshield wipers and flashed her lights in rebellious protest.
“Pink,” I stated vindictively. “Your favorite color. Hot. Pink. That RV is now made out of platinum and diamonds, you hear me?”
She rolled down her window and shut it in my face, nearly squashing my hand as I scrubbed. Unfazed, I continued washing her bodice, taking care to scrub extra hard over her grimy spots. Canada lived up to expectations, spattering her in a mucky, dusty brown appaloosa pattern.
Staring at my abysmal list of contacts, I thought hard on who else to call. Why not, I finally concluded as my thumb hovered over a group message to my co-workers. They were all pretty young, around my age, and most of them were suitable company.
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'Any of you up for a road trip? Two weeks starting this Saturday, destination as of yet undecided.' I posted on our facebook group chat. Yep, supernatural security company members had a facebook. Why the hell not.
I gave it three hours, taking my sweet time sudsing Lana and hosing down the worn-out RV. Checking back on the group, I had three replies.
'I'm not going to pass up a road trip' Veex posted.
'Sounds great,' Alice replied.
And then, to my great horror, 'It's better than tanning at my mansion' from a certain spidery-fingered, snobby asshole. Did Olivia actually just respond to my invitation? I did post it on the facebook group, but I figured she would be far above a road trip.
'It's in an RV, you know,' I replied back hurriedly via Facebook chat. 'It'll be awkward to shower and you'll probably lack proper hygienic facilities.'
She responded almost instantly. 'Sounds like you think I'm not up for a little road trip.' Gawking, I narrowed my eyes and considered my retort. Wracking my brain and coming up blank, I decided on blunt.
'It's just that I wasn't exactly inviting you since the last time I saw you, you nearly fought with me in the middle of our assignment and accused me of deceiving you.'
'You're saying that to the person who single-handedly flew you to the hospital, dick.'
Well, crap. I have no idea why she'd even bother doing... I groaned in realization. I forgot that behind all of her bluster, I suspected that she had a thing for me. I didn't doubt that she'd exert a bit of effort to save a possible love interest. And now that she wanted to share an RV with me, aka a single room...
Well, this would be interesting, to say the least. Lifting my hands off the keyboard of my laptop in a whatever-I-give-up gesture, I replied, 'Fine. Just no complaining.'
Her response was eloquent. 'Like I'll listen to you, bitch.'
I didn't even bother responding.