"All right." Jon rubbed his palms together and grinned as
he hunched over the wide, colorful paper unfolded across the tabletop. "So, what kinda cool stuff do ya think
we can see today?"
Jacob let out a
disapproving groan through his biscuit-stuffed mouth. "Daaaaaad...."
Jon arched a brow at his
son. "Don't talk with your mouth
full."
"Are we gonna get
there today?" Romeo piped up before
sticking two jelly-smeared fingers in his mouth.
Cate swallowed a chuckle
and raised her juice glass to hide her involuntary smirk. They were only one day into the Great
Bongiovi Family Road Trip and already Jon's boys were bored.
"To Florida? Probably not." Jon gave the boy a bright smile. "But we'll stop somewhere else and do
something fun. There are all kinds of
landmarks and historical places along the way."
"Uuuucccchhhh." Jacob
protested with a gurgling groan and an eye-roll. "Dad, can't we just drive all the way to
Disney World today?"
"It's a long way,
Jake," Cate answered quietly, her amusement now under control. "More than eight hundred miles."
"So?"
"That's about twelve
hours, not counting breaks. You sure you
want to be in the car that long?"
Cate almost chuckled again
at Jacob's scowl. She knew it wasn't
intended for her, but for his overly-enthusiastic father.
"I don't care."
Jon snorted. "Sure.
You and your brother are gonna sit quietly
in the back seat for twelve hours? I
don't think so."
"I will if you give me
my Nintendo back." Jacob fixed Jon with a stony look.
Cate couldn't hold in a
soft snort of amusement. Jake's tactic
was blunt but brilliant. He hadn't been at all happy when his father confiscated all electronic devices from his and
Romeo's luggage, declaring this family vacation a "screen-free trip."
Jon shook his head,
grinning at his son's attempted extortion.
"Nice try. But
nope."
"Aw, Dad!" Romeo chimed in, picking up
on his brother's cue. "Come
on! It's boring in the car!"
"How can it be boring?" Jon turned his attention to his younger boy,
his smile softening. "You have all
kinds of stuff to do! Crayons, paper,
coloring books... How about those travel games Cate got for you? You guys can play checkers or Uno..."
"BO-Ring..." Jacob interjected, rolling his eyes before stuffing
his mouth with the other half of his biscuit.
Jon shot a warning glare at
his petulant son. "Fine. Then look out the window. Watch the scenery. Or, how about this? Read a real book. Not a comic book on a computer screen."
"Cate got to read on her iPad yesterday." Romeo's rebuttal was a simple statement.
"Cate can do what she wants.
She's not the one with her nose in a video game every waking hour of
every day. Plus, she's a
grown-up." Jon's voice now carried
a hint of exasperation, a warning note that his patience with this discussion
was wearing thin.
"Yeah. Your Dad doesn't get to tell me what to do." Cate couldn't resist the barb. She gave Romeo a little smirk before taking
another sip of her orange juice.
Jon turned his gaze to his
wife, his blue eyes narrowing. "You
wanna back me up here?"
Cate gave him a bright
smile. "I am. You said no electronics, and I support your
decision." She knew Jon could hear
the note of subtle sarcasm in her tone.
While she agreed that Jon's boys shouldn't spend the entire trip with
their eyes glued to a screen, she also appreciated the value of the devices to
keep the peace during the long drive from New Jersey to Florida.
"Then maybe you should put away your iPad
too." Jon arched a brow with his
challenge.
Cate chuckled. "Okay.
I will. But when you want me to
Google 'Turkey Butt Battlefield' or some other obscure historical marker we
drive past... Well, I guess I can't."
Jon gave her a little nod,
a silent "touche" to her sunnily-snarky
reply. But he wasn't going to let her
off the hook. "No, I guess not."
"Thank God," Jake muttered. He looked down at his plate when Jon shot him
another stern glare.
"We don't really have to stop at another museum,
do we Dad?" Romeo's query was less
sullen than his brother's utterance, but carried the same message.
"You don't want
to?" Jon returned his attention to
Romeo, his expression now registering mild bewilderment. "Why not? Didn't you think the stuff we saw yesterday
was cool?"
Cate's smirk softened at
the disappointment in her husband's tone.
He had been so excited yesterday when they stopped at Fort McHenry in
Baltimore and later at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia. Jacob and Romeo had gamely followed their
father through the guided tours, doing their best to pay attention as Jon
peppered the guides with eager questions.
Romeo shrugged and took
another square of jelly from the little basket next to the biscuits. "Yeah, I guess." He picked at the foil seal, peeling it back and
depositing the reddish lump on his plate.
"It was okay."
"Just okay?" Jon's smile broadened, trying to encourage a
more positive reaction from his son.
"Come on! We saw the place where the Star Spangled
Banner was written! How cool was that? And you liked climbing around the fort,
right?"
Romeo shrugged again,
poking at the jelly on his plate with a finger.
"Yeah, it was kinda neat."
Romeo picked up the jelly-square and popped it into his mouth.
Cate snickered at Jon's
involuntary cringe.
"Jesus, Romey..." Jon sighed.
He shook his head, acknowledging the futility of a protest before gamely
continuing his pitch. "Okay, I know you liked the jeeps and helicopters
and Marines stuff."
Romeo nodded, reaching for
another packet of jelly. "Yeah. That was cool. Especially the part where we got to try the
obstacle course."
Cate quickly retrieved the
jelly basket, moving it to the other end of the table, out of Romeo's reach. The boy issued only a mild grunt of protest.
Jon looked at Jacob, who
was silently crumbling a biscuit half onto his bread plate. "How about you, Jake? You thought the Marine Corps Museum was cool,
right?"
Jacob shrugged. "I guess."
"You guess?
You were there for three hours,
Dude."
"Because you wouldn't
stop taking pictures."
Cate bit back a
snicker. Jacob did have a point; Jon had
been fully immersed in playing with his new camera during their tourist jaunts. He had taken over a thousand photographs
yesterday, thoroughly documenting the first day of their family vacation.
"Well, maybe we'll
find someplace even cooler today. We can
stop, spend a couple hours looking around, then stay in another hotel
tonight. Tomorrow we can go on to Disney
World." Jon grinned, satisfied with
his plan.
Romeo's shoulders slumped. Beside him, Jacob let out another unhappy grumble.
"Do we have to, Dad? Pleeeeease
can we just drive all the way to Florida today?" Romeo gave his father a pleading look.
Jon sighed and leaned back
in his chair. He reached up to run a
hand through his sandy shag, then looked at Cate. She gave him a sympathetic smile and returned
his shrug.
"We can make it today,
but it will be a long day." Cate's observation was calm. "It's about nine hours from Quantico to
the Center in Georgia, and another three from there to Orlando."
"But on the interstate
we should be able to make good time,
right?" Jon's tone was resigned.
"With normal traffic,
yes. If we don't stop a bunch of
times."
Jon looked down at his
wrist, evaluating the dial on the silver band.
"It's already almost nine.
Twelve hours driving, plus stops... Shit. We won't get there until almost midnight."
"Dad, please?"
Jon sighed again and looked
up. He pressed his lips together as he
regarded Romeo's hopeful face.
"Okay. But we're only stopping for gas and food, so don't ask for anything else. You pee when we gas up, otherwise you hold
it." Jon glanced sideways at
Cate. "That goes for you too."
She stuck out her tongue at
him, eliciting a giggle from Romeo.
Jon turned his attention
back to Romeo and Jacob. "And still
no video games." His eyes narrowed as he pointed a finger at
his sons. "You guys want to drive
that far in one day, you figure out how to amuse yourselves. And NO
fighting, NO whining."
Cate fought the urge to
roll her eyes. She knew Jon's warning
was futile; the boys would be fine for several hours but ultimately they would
get on each others' nerves. She turned
to look at her husband.
Cate's blue eyes met Jon's
and she could see he was thinking the same thing: It's
gonna be a LONG fucking day.
"Okay, folks. Here we go!"
Jon and Cate started at the
motherly waitress' cheery voice. Jon
quickly yanked the map from the table, attempting to wrestle it back into its
accordion-fold as Cate pushed aside strewn dishes, napkins, and flatware. When the table top was reasonably arranged
the waitress set down large plates filled with hearty breakfast fare.
"Can I have more
gravy, please?" Romeo requested politely after the meals were all in
place.
"Sure, honey. I'll bring you 'round another
dish." The woman gave Romeo a warm
smile. "Anything else?"
Jon eyed Romeo's plate,
already crowded with a large portion of gravy-topped biscuits. He snorted softly as his youngest son grabbed
two more biscuits from the fresh bread plate.
He reached for his coffee mug.
"Just more of this,
thanks." Jon raised his mug,
indicating a refill.
"Decaf or regular, Hon?"
"Oh, definitely regular." Jon gave Cate a wry grin. "And keep it comin'."
"Alrighty. Anybody else need anything?"
"I think we're fine
for now," Cate replied, giving the woman a warm smile.
"Be right
back." The waitress gave Romeo a
little wink before bustling away.
Jon picked up a fork and
used it to cut through his over-easy eggs.
He popped a forkful into his mouth and chewed, resting his forearms
against the table as he looked across at his sons. The corners of his mouth turned with
amusement as he watched Romeo stack a tower of biscuit halves six-high on his
plate and douse it with an entire dishful of country gravy. Next to his brother, Jacob smeared four
biscuit halves with grape jelly.
With his elbow, Jon nudged
his wife. He tipped his head at the
two plates. "Well, at least they'll be in a
carb-coma for the next four hours. That should get us through North Carolina."
Cate raised her juice glass
in a toast. "God Bless Cracker
Barrel."
Jon picked up his coffee
mug and tapped it against her glass.
*****
SIX HOURS LATER
"Quit it!"
"OW! Stay on your own SIDE!"
"I AM!
YOU stay on YOUR side, you
Butthole!"
"YOU'RE a Butthole! BUTTHOLE!"
"HEY!" Jon's bark put the argument on pause. "That's enough!"
Cate glanced sideways from
her magazine at her husband in the driver's seat. Jon's jaw was tight, his eyes narrowed into a
menacing glare at the rearview mirror, his forearms arms rigid and his knuckles
white as he gripped the steering wheel.
Her mouth curved slightly as a tiny voice sing-songed in her mind. Told ya so....
"It's not my
fault! Romeo keeps trying to put his
feet on me!"
"I am not! I'm just sitting here!"
"With your stupid feet
on the seat! And on MY side of the
seat!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"All RIGHT!" Again Jon's bellow cut through the
bickering. "Romeo, get your feet
off the seat! Put 'em on the floor where
they belong."
"But Dad!
That's not comfortable!"
"I don't care. That's where they belong. And YOU,
Jake... watch your mouth."
"What? I didn't do nothin'."
"Bullsh.... Yes you did.
You called your brother a 'butthole'." Jon hastily self-corrected before he undermined
his own edict.
"Well he IS one."
"You're BOTH being buttholes. But you don't go around calling each other
that." Jon growled through gritted
teeth. "I'm the only person who
gets to call you 'Butthole'."
Cate's giggle drew his attention sideways. "Watch yourself, Woman, or I may call you one."
Cate calmly turned the
page, her smirk fully-formed. "Go right
ahead. See where it gets you."
"Why are we going so sloooooooow?" Romeo's whine from the backseat pre-empted
Jon's snarky reply.
Jon growled before
answering. His scowl deepened as he
fixed his glare on the long line of cars ahead of them. "Probably because somebody was stupid."
"Can't we just go
around them?"
"No, Romeo. We can't.
We have to just sit here, like all the rest of these shmucks." Jon shot a look sideways at Cate. "Unless there's some other way you know
about? Back roads or something?"
Cate shook her head. "Not really, without going way out of our way. Besides, there's not another exit off I-95
for miles."
"Great." Jon sighed
heavily and let his head fall back against the seat.
"Where are we, anyway?" Jake asked in a half-mumble.
"Still in North
Carolina." Cate answered for Jon,
her smirk softening. She felt a twinge
of pity for her husband. So far this family
vacation wasn't exactly going as he had envisioned. That they had spent the past hour inching
South on Interstate 95 in bumper-to-bumper traffic wasn't helping matters.
"How much longer 'til
we get to Disney?"
Cate turned in her seat,
looking back at her stepsons. Their
expressions were identically unenthusiastic.
"A long time,
Guys. If we were going normal speed
right now we'd still be about seven hours from Orlando."
Jake rolled his eyes and
groaned. "Uggggghhhhh. That
sucks."
"Jake..." Jon sighed a pre-emptive language warning.
"You guys still sure
you wanna drive all the way tonight?"
Cate looked at Romeo, then back to Jake.
"Yeah." Jake nodded.
"I just want to get
there."
"Yeah," Romeo
echoed his brother. "I just wish we
could go fast."
"So do I," Jon growled from the front
seat.
"Okay." Cate shrugged and gave the boys a resigned
little smile before turning in her seat to face front. She looked again at Jon, then repeated her
shrug. "Hopefully once we get into
South Carolina we'll start moving."
"At this rate it's
gonna be another fucking hour just to get there." Jon dropped his hands to his lap after once
again applying the brake. He turned his
tired blue eyes to Cate's. "I don't
know if I can do another seven hours."
"I can drive for
awhile if you want." Cate gave her
husband a sympathetic smile. "Once
we get past this bottleneck let's stop, take a break, then I'll take the wheel. You can sleep."
Jon nodded and reached for
Cate's hand. " 'Kay. But first we have to get through this
shit. Without those two..." Jon
tipped his head backwards, indicating his recalcitrant sons, "...killing
each other first."
Cate arched a brow. She glanced toward the back seat before
dropping her voice to a murmur.
"Baby, you know there's a way..."
Jon cut her off with a curt
shake of his head. "Nope. I cave now, we're done. For the whole trip."
Cate chuckled softly and
nodded her reluctant agreement. Jon was
right: if he backed down on his 'no
screens' rule now the remainder of their vacation would be tainted by
electronic distraction.
"But you..." Jon gave Cate's hand a squeeze. "If you want to use your gadgets, fine by me."
She arched a brow at her
husband before replying.
"Good. Because I plan to
plant my butt on a lounge chair by a pool and catch up on my reading. Soon."
Jon chuckled and raised his
free hand to the steering wheel as he let the Navigator roll forward another
few feet. "As long as your butt is
in a bikini, I'm good with that."
Cate snorted at his comment. Jon had added his favorite of her two-piece
suits to her bag, decreeing that her more conservative tankinis were
reserved only for waterslide action.
With a soft sigh Cate returned her attention to the magazine on her
lap. Another squeeze of Jon's hand
around hers made her smile.
The car was quiet for a
full two minutes before the silence was broken, not with a whine but with a
question.
"Who's Pedro?"
Jon glanced in the
rear-view mirror to see Romeo slumped against the seat, staring out the
passenger-side window.
"What?"
Romeo turned his head to
look at Jon's profile. "Pedro. Who is he?"
Jon's brow furrowed as he
tried to comprehend his son's query.
"Pedro who?"
"I Dunno. Who is he?"
Jon's brow crinkled
more. "What?"
"Look." Romeo pointed to the window. Jon's narrowed gaze followed the direction of
Romeo's indication, scanning for a clue.
His eyes settled on a large roadside billboard that proclaimed Pedro
Sez: Chili Today, Hot Tamale. A cartoonish image of a Sombrero-wearing
man enjoying a siesta accompanied the slogan.
Across the bottom of the board was scrawled South of the Border - 23 miles.
Jon read the slogan twice,
then shrugged. "It's just a
billboard, Romey. For some Mexican
restaurant, I guess."
Cate looked up from her
magazine at Jon's comment, her blue eyes wide with surprise. "Mexican restaurant?"
Jon gave her a confused
look, then nodded toward the billboard.
"Yeah. See? Ain't that what you make of it?"
Cate snorted out a laugh,
shaking her head bemusedly.
"What?"
"Jon, that's South of
the Border."
"Yeah, I can see
that. So what?"
Jon's confusion made Cate
giggle again. "Don't tell me you've
never heard of South of the Border."
"Well... obviously
not. Why? What is it?"
Cate turned on her hip to
face him, then looked into the back seat.
She grinned at Romeo. "Oh my
Gosh. I can't believe you guys don't
know this." She chuckled at the
boy's confused expression, so similar to that of his father's. "Well, then again, I guess you guys have
never driven down this way before. Have
you?"
"We usually take Dad's
plane." Jake's reply was mildly
snarky. "It never gets stuck in traffic."
"Hey -- watch
it," Jon warned.
"Do you know who Pedro is?" Romeo asked
Cate, clearly impatient with her glee.
"Sure. " Cate nodded.
"Pedro is kind of like a ... uh... a mascot, I guess. For this place called South of the Border."
"What, like Bob's Big
Boy?" Jacob offered his
analogy. "Is there some big statue
of him outside the restaurant or something?"
Cate chuckled. "Kind of. But he's outside the bathrooms, not the
restaurant. Over by the gas station. And the shops."
"Shops?" Jon spoke up.
"What is this place? Some kinda truck stop?"
"Kinda. But bigger.
With a motel, and an amusement park, and a campground..." She looked again at Jon and chuckled at his
expression. "Oh my God. I can't
believe you've never heard of this
place! It's a landmark!"
Jon looked sideways at his
grinning wife. "Cate, when do I
have time to drive up and down I-95?"
"When you and I left
Georgia the first time. Remember? We drove to Jersey?"
"Yeah, but we didn't
pass this place. I woulda
remembered."
Cate snorted. "Actually, we did pass this place. We just didn't stop." A light flush tinted her cheeks as the happy
memory flitted through her mind. On that
trip she and Jon had both been wrapped up in the excitement of beginning their
lives together. She didn't recall much
of that drive either, other than being with him.
"Why not?" Romeo
demanded. "It sounds cool!"
Cate turned again to grin
at the boy. "It is cool. I've stopped there a bunch of times. They have mini-golf and rides and an arcade...
and a reptile zoo."
"Cool!" Jake forgot his sullenness. "Can we stop?
"Yeah! Can we?"
Jon looked into the
rearview mirror again as he guided the Navigator forward a few more feet. "I dunno. We still have a lot of road to
cover." His voice was
skeptical. "How far is this
place?"
"Twenty-three
miles," Romeo declared. "It
was on the sign."
"Christ, it may take
us another hour to go twenty-three
miles," Jon grumbled, again applying the brake.
Cate winked at Romeo before
giving Jon a smile. "Well then,
we'll be ready for a break. It's the
first exit over the South Carolina border.
Hence the name." She giggled
when he gave her a skeptical look.
"Look, we can gas up, stretch our legs, get a snack, then get back
on the road. I'll drive."
"C'mon, Dad! Please?"
"Yeah, Dad. Can we stop?"
Jon's smile betrayed his
grumpy tone. "Oh, all right.
But I don't want to hear one more word
of fighting or whining. Got it? All
the way to Florida."
"Okay Dad!" Romeo eagerly settled back into his seat and
leaned toward his window. "Maybe
there are more signs!"
Cate snickered. "Oh, I think you'll see a few more,
Romey." She knew from frequent
trips up and down the East Coast that South of the Border signs were abundant
along this thoroughfare. They were more
than advertisements; they were Southern landmarks.
"Cool!" Romeo pressed his nose to the window. "Drive faster, Dad!"
Jon sighed and shook his
head as Cate giggled.
Fifty-five minutes and
eleven billboards later the SUV crept toward Exit 1B. Jacob and Romeo peered excitedly out the
windows at the huge sombrero-topped tower and surrounding structures. Their anticipation was palpable.
"They're like
dogs," Jon quipped as he guided the vehicle onto the right shoulder of the
highway. "The second we let 'em out
they're gonna run around and yap. And
probably pee on everything." He
snorted amusedly at his joke.
"Well, hopefully not
pee on everything," Cate
grinned. "Just where they're
supposed to."
"I wouldn't place
bets."
Cate shifted in her seat as
the SUV picked up speed, bypassing the still-snarled Southbound traffic as they
headed for the exit ramp. "Believe
me, I'm ready to hit the bathroom
too." For the past torturously-slow
ten miles her bladder had been in need of relief.
Jon grinned. "Thought you said you could hold it?"
"I can. But it's been three hours since we
stopped. I've been drinking
water." Cate gave him a
fake-scowl. "Besides, you know the
side effects of my meds..." She broke off and glanced toward the rear
seat, not wanting to continue in the boys' presence.
"I know, Baby. I know."
Jon nodded, his voice softening.
He guided the SUV around a curve in the exit ramp. His grin widened as he took in the spectacle
of South of the Border, now fast approaching.
"Holy Shit! Look at this place!"
"Cool! The ferris wheel is going!"
"I wanna go see the
Reptile Lagoon!"
"I wanna ride the Himalaya!"
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Jon interjected. "We're not gonna have time to do all
that stuff. We're just doing a quick
stop, stretching our legs, getting a bite to eat, then hitting the road. We're not gonna get to Disney until the
middle of the damned night as it is."
"Aww... okay." Romeo agreed halfheartedly. "But can we at least go look at the
lizards?"
"We'll see. Depends how much you and your brother fart
around in the bathroom and all."
Cate chuckled, silently
predicting they wouldn't leave the tourist stop for at least an hour. That would probably be for the best; the boys
needed to burn off some of their frustrated energy before they resumed their
long trek.
"Jon, let's stop at
the restrooms, then I'll take the car and gas up while you and the boys look
around." Cate looked at her husband
with her suggestion. "There are a
couple places we can get food. We can
just park there, then take off after we've eaten."
Jon nodded as he turned the
wheel, guiding the SUV into the plaza's entrance. "Okay.
You know this place, I don't."
"Dad! Look! FIREWORKS!"
"NO!" Cate and Jon shouted simultaneously.
After driving through the
center of the massive complex Jon located the travel plaza bathrooms and pulled
the SUV into a parking spot. As agreed,
after making the necessary visits to the toilet facilities Cate drove the Navigator to a nearby gas station and filled the tank as Jon and the boys wandered toward
the nearby attractions. When she
completed her task, Cate moved the SUV to a parking spot near the Sombrero
Restaurant and went in search of her husband and stepsons.
She didn't have to go far,
spotting the trio inside a nearby souvenir shop trying on hats and sunglasses. When she approached Jon dropped an enormous,
festively-adorned sombrero on her head before brushing a playful kiss across
her lips.
"Dad, you need
these!" With a loud rattling noise
Romeo held up a pair of gaudily-painted wooden maracas.
"Nah, I'm
good," Jon laughed. "I got a couple sets of those."
"But not cool ones
like these!"
"Put 'em
back."
"So, what do you guys
feel like eating? The Mexican restaurant
is right there," Cate pointed through the plate-glass window toward the
adjacent building. "Or there's a
diner, or a chicken place..."
"Ice cream!" Romeo proclaimed.
"No!" Jon parroted
Romeo's sing-songy request.
"Listen, you guys better eat up here, 'cause we're not stopping
again tonight."
"Can we go to the
fireworks store?"
Jon turned to look at his
elder son. "No!" he repeated
in the same voice he used to deny Romeo.
"How about the Reptile
Lagoon? Where is it?" Romeo tossed the maracas back into a bin,
accenting his question with a loud rattle.
"It's in another part
of the park, Romeo," Cate replied.
"I don't think we'll have enough time to eat and do that."
"Nope, we won't have
time. Sorry, Buddy." Jon reinforced Cate's comment. "We gotta hit the road."
"But Dad! There's a hotel! Can't we just stay here tonight?"
Jake's protest caused Jon's
brow to lift. He turned to fix his boy
with a stern gaze. "You were the
one making all the big noise about wanting to get to Disney tonight. About not wanting to stop at any stupid, boring places along the
way."
Jake shrugged. "I meant stupid boring history places. This place is cool."
Romeo hopped up and down
excitedly, reaching for his father's arm.
"Yeah, Dad! Can we stay here
tonight? Pleeeease?"
"Guys, we don't have a
reservation. They probably don't even
have rooms available."
Cate's snort made Jon pause
and turn to look at her, his brow still arched.
"And what was that
for?"
"Jon, it's a Tuesday
night in April. I'm pretty sure they
have vacancy."
Jon tilted his head. "Oh, and you want to stay here tonight?
In a roadside motel?" His
insinuation was clear. The
accommodations at South of the Border were clearly not of Ritz-Carlton caliber.
Cate shrugged, her blue
eyes twinkling as she met his challenge.
"I've stayed in places way worse than this. And you
wanted this to be an All-American Family Road Trip, remember?" She waved a hand toward the window. "Well, this is an honest-to-God slice of
good ol' Americana, right here."
Jon smirked bemusedly. "Oh, so you want to spend a day of your
vacation here? With Pedro?"
"It's our vacation, not mine. And sure.
Why not?" Cate grinned back
at her husband.
"DAD! Pleeeeeease!??!?!?!"
Jon's gaze moved from his
wife's smile to his sons' hopeful faces.
He sighed. "Well, okay. If they have rooms... I guess we can stay
tonight. Maybe tomorrow the traffic
won't be so bad."
"YESSSS!" Romeo fist-pumped and bounced excitedly,
making his blue sombrero tilt on his sandy head. "C'mon, Dad! Let's go find Reptile Lagoon!"
"Alright, alright... settle down..." Jon laughed as Romeo
tugged at his arm. "First of all...
let's get a room. Then we gotta get our
suitcases out of the car, all that stuff.
Then we'll go look at the snakes and lizards and gators and crap... maybe
while your StepMama takes a break from you Lunatics. Okay?"
"Aw, Dad...."
Cate pulled the giant sombrero
from her head and placed it back on the shelf.
She sighed and gave Jon a bemused smile.
"I'll take care of the room.
It'll be easier if it's just me, anyway.
Take the boys, go find some stuff, and I'll call you when I'm
done."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure."
Jon paused, then
nodded. He pointed at Cate as he
addressed his sons. "Listen, you
two... You know how lucky you are to have a cool StepMama like you have? To not only tell you about, but to let you stay overnight in a place like this?"
Jake nodded his shaggy
head, a sheepish smile curving his mouth.
He looked up at his stepmother.
"Yeah. Thanks... Mom."
Cate felt her eyes moisten
when her gaze locked with Jake's and she saw the sincere affection there. Involuntarily her hand moved to cover her
heart as she marveled at just how much the boy resembled his father, right down
to his soulful indigo eyes.
"Thanks
Cate!" Romeo's happy chirp made her
heart squeeze again. Cate raised her sparkling
eyes to meet Jon's. His understanding smile
brought a lump to her throat.
"Thanks, Baby."
Cate nodded, quickly
looking away before blinking and clearing her throat. "You're welcome, guys." Her voice came out in a husky rasp. "Okay... I'm gonna go check us in."
"Let me know if you
need me," Jon stepped forward and
kissed Cate's cheek. He lingered with
his lips near her ear long enough to murmur a private message. "Thanks, Mama."
Cate pulled back and
nodded, then turned away. She hurried
out of the shop, her eyes again moistened with happy tears. When she climbed into the SUV and shut the
door she sat for a moment, taking a deep breath before softly repeating the
word that had touched her heart.
"Mom."
After another deep breath
and moment of happy reflection Cate roused herself. She started the SUV and carefully backed it
from its parking spot, then cruised the short distance to the Motor Inn
office. Still smiling, she strolled
through the doors and up to the circa-1975 front desk.
Cate was surprised when the
clerk informed her the Motor Inn was near full occupancy for the evening and
there were no suites available for rent.
The apologetic gentleman explained the situation with a wink and two
simple words: "Spring
Break." With an understanding nod
and a chuckle Cate requested the best available room. Within minutes she walked out of the office
with the keys to a deluxe room near the indoor pool.
Cate moved the car around
to the side parking lot, locating their assigned room with little
difficulty. Deciding to leave the bags
in the Navigator until she inspected the quarters, she unlocked the door and
swung it open. Cate giggled out loud at
the kitschy decor.
Immediately inside the door
was a tiny entry foyer, just big enough for a coat rack and a small table. To the left was an arched doorway, the entry
to the stucco-walled bedroom. Two double
beds sat side-by-side, covered by mauve Southwestern-print coverlets. Over each bed hung gaudy Mexican-art prints;
one of a matador in the ring and another of a flamenco dancer. The nightstand between the beds held an ugly,
carved lamp with a barrel shade. Across
from the beds a flat-screen television sat on a long oak dresser.
Cate strolled through the
bedroom, noticing a taupe easy chair tucked into a corner as she passed, to the
two doors at the far end of the room.
Cate slid aside the mirrored door on one to find what she suspected; a
small closet containing a tiny safe and two extra pillows stacked on a
shelf. Turning to the other door, she
pushed it open and stepped inside the surprisingly large but shockingly ugly
bathroom.
"Oh my," Cate clapped a hand over her
mouth and laughed to herself, taking in the bathroom's decor.
The floor was tiled in gray
slate, and a triangular glass-doored shower stall took up one
corner. In the other corner sat an
ancient-looking jacuzzi tub, formed of scratched black fiberglass with a white
tile surround. A matching black vanity
and sink and a black toilet comprised the necessary fixtures.
Most gaudily, the entire
room was tiled in white with a black tile stripe around the walls, up to the
midline. Above that, the walls were
mirrored to the ceiling, providing a 360-degree reflection of anyone standing
in the room. Standard white hotel
towels and washcloths were stacked on a rack above the toilet.
Shaking her head and
chuckling again, Cate backed out of the bathroom and pulled the door
closed. Satisfied that the room was
clean, she retreated to the Navigator to retrieve her family's bags. It took her two trips to move the suitcases and backpacks into the room, and another 20 minutes to unpack her and Jon's necessities. When her tasks were complete, Cate sat
on the edge of one of the beds and pulled out her phone.
"Hey, Baby. Did ya get us a room?"
Jon's voice in her ear made
her smile. Cate chuckled as she cast her
eyes about the rental. "Oh yeah. I
got us a Deluxe room."
"Sounds nice. Do the boys have their own room?"
"Uh... no. It's not a suite. There weren't any of those available."
"Oh. So this is... what? Just a regular room with a kitchenette?"
Cate laughed at Jon's
assumption. He really did have a skewed
sense of reality, especially when it came to travel accommodations. "No.
It's just a regular room. Two
beds, a closet, a bathroom."
"Oh..... okay. Yeah, okay.
That's fine. It's just for one
night."
"Yes. Exactly." Cate looked up at the matador print. "It's just one night."
Jon picked up on her
tone. "Cate, is there something
you're not telling me?"
"No." Cate
grinned. "It's just a room,
Jon. Nothing fancy. What do you want me to say?"
"We can stay somewhere
else if it's shitty. Drive to Florence
or something."
"Jon, it's fine.
It's clean, everything works.
I've already unpacked."
"Okay, then what's
that I hear in your voice?" Jon's
amusement came through his question.
"Something's up."
Cate giggled. "Okay.
Just... be prepared when you walk in.
It's not exactly... stylish."
"Oh. It's ugly."
"Yep."
Jon's chortle made her smile soften. "The
Chuckleheads will probably dig it then, huh?"
"Oh, probably. It's pretty spectacular."
"How about we come
check it out?"
"Where are
you?" Cate stood and wandered
toward the room's entry, where a large map of the South of the Border complex
was posted on the back of the door.
"Fort Pedro. But Jake and Romey wanna play mini-golf. Come join us?"
"Sure. Meet you there in about ten minutes,
okay?"
"Okay. What color ball you want?"
Cate chuckled
amusedly. "I don't care. Whatever.
Pick one for me."
"As long as I don't
get the blue ball." Jon snickered
with his dirty comment.
"This is a family vacation, Jon. We're all under one roof, for tonight anyway. You just may have to live with blue
balls."
"Nah, I'm sure we can
figure something out. We'll slip 'em
some Benadryl or something. Or sneak out
to the ice machine for a few minutes."
Cate laughed at her
husband's rendezvous suggestions, then made her sarcastic reply. "Gee, how can a Girl resist such a romantic
proposition?"
"I'm betting you can't."
"Yeah, well... let's
just see how mini-golf goes first. Just
keep in mind, I'm a sore loser."
"We'll see about
that."
"Yeah, Yeah. I'm on my way."
"Okay. Love you."
"Love you."
Cate shook her head,
chuckling quietly as she dropped the phone.
She retreated into the bedroom and located her wallet and keys. With one more glance at the matador, she
departed.
*****
"Holy fuck. You weren't kidding."
"I told ya."
Cate didn't have to turn
see Jon's bewildered expression. She
could see his reflection. From all
sides. She grinned.
"Jesus... this is
just..." Jon turned to find himself
confronted by another reflection. He
shook his head as his eyes swept over the white tile and black fixtures. He turned again, revolving slowly until he
again faced the vanity. "This is
the ugliest fucking bathroom I've ever seen." His lips split into a grin as he shook his
head. "Looks like a lapdance room at a crappy strip club, with all these mirrors."
And it goes so well with
the Southwest-slash-Mexican theme in the bedroom," Cate wisecracked.
"What the
fuck....?" Jon stepped over to the
toilet and gazed into the mirrored wall.
He immediately noticed the reflected image of his posterior "Why the fuck would I want to watch
myself take a piss? From behind?"
"Or from the
side," Cate laughed. "Eeewww."
"This is just...
horrible. Just... Wow." Jon turned toward the door. "Hey!
Romey, Jake! C'mere! You gotta
see this!"
"What?" Romeo called from his place on the bed. He and his brother had discovered the Cartoon Network on local cable.
"This bathroom. You ain't gonna believe it."
Jake snorted. "Dad, it's a bathroom. What's the big
deal?"
"Come see for
yourself."
Jake rolled his eyes at his
brother, then slowly followed him in climbing off the bed and shuffling to the
bathroom door. His expression turned to
one of confusion when he spied the decor.
"Ummm... what's up
with this?"
Jon chuckled at his son's
reaction. "Exactly. Pretty hideous, huh?"
"Why are there mirrors
everywhere?"
"No idea."
"It's weird,"
Romeo agreed. He pointed at the ancient
tub. "What's that?"
"It's a jacuzzi
tub."
"Cool! Can I take a bath in it?"
Cate chuckled, cringing at
the thought of what acts had likely transpired in that tub. "I'm not sure that's a good idea,
Romey. It may not even work."
"Awww..."
"We'll go to the
pool. You can get in the jacuzzi out
there." Jon gave Cate a wink,
reading her thoughts.
"Can we go
now?" Jake asked, stepping out of
the crowded room.
"Now? We just got back from dinner. Aren't you full?" Jon looked from Jacob
to Romeo. "And aren't you supposed
to wait an hour after you eat to swim?"
"No," Romeo
answered, grinning.
"I'm not sure we
should even let you in the pool, as much Mexican food as you just ate,"
Jon teased. "Jesus, you'll probably
propel yourself across the pool and back with all the beans you ate. Fart-power."
Romeo giggled. "Yeah, so?"
"Christ, you can make your
own jacuzzi. Just sit in the shallow end and let 'er
rip."
Cate snorted. "You should talk. You ate more beans than they did. And you know
what that's gonna do to you later."
Jon gave his wife a leer. "Yeah, but you get to enjoy it. Three farting Bongiovis. In one room.
ALL night."
Cate rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. I may sleep
out by the pool."
"Dad, can we go to the
pool now? Please?"
Jon nodded at Romeo. "Yeah, I guess so. Go unpack your trunks and get changed.
"Okay."
Jake started toward the
dresser, then paused. He turned around
to look back at his father. "Uh...
where are we supposed to change?"
Jon shrugged. "Right there, I guess."
"But Dad...."
Jacob raised his eyebrows and tipped his head toward his Stepmother.
"So? You ain't got nothin' Cate hasn't seen."
"Dad!"
Recognizing Jacob's
discomfort, Cate quickly intervened.
"Jake, you can change in the bathroom. Or, if it's easier, I'll change in here and
you boys can all change out there. I
won't come out until you're done."
"Oh...
okay." Jake shrugged.
"Just let me get my
stuff, okay?" Cate slipped past
Jon, giving him a quick "What the
Hell were you thinking?" glare.
She wasn't any more comfortable with the idea of seeing Jon's boys naked
than they were.
Jon chuckled softly and
followed her out of the bathroom. He
watched while Cate retrieved her swimsuit and cover-up from a drawer, then
prompted his sons again to find their trunks.
"Okay, just let me
know when you're done," Cate called out as she closed the bathroom door
behind her.
"Alright, you
Chuckleheads," Jon grinned, pulling open a drawer and picking out his
trunks and a t-shirt. "Hurry
up. We'll swim for an hour or two, then
come back and hit the hay. We still have
a long way to drive tomorrow." As
he spoke he tugged his t-shirt over his head.
"Can we ride some of
the rides again in the morning?"
Romeo asked.
"Maybe. We'll see how good you are
tonight." Jon unfastened and
stripped off his blue jeans. Kicking them
aside, he quickly stepped into and tugged up his trunks. He tied the string at the waist, then pulled
on his clean t-shirt.
"Dad, I can't find my
flip-flops. I think they're still in the
car." Jacob was still digging
through his bag, yet to undress.
"Didn't you put them
in your suitcase?"
Jake looked up and shook
his head. "No. Mom put all our swim stuff except our trunks
in the beach bag. With our towels and
the Nerf football and stuff."
Jon frowned and looked
around the room. "I don't think
Cate brought that in." He moved
over to the closet and slid aside the door for a quick check before stepping to
the bathroom door. He rapped his
knuckles against the wood before calling out to her.
"Hey, Cate? Is the beach bag still in the car?"
Her reply through the heavy
door was muffled. "Yeah."
"I'm gonna go get
it. It's got the towels and shit in
it."
"Mmmkay."
Jon moved back across the
room, to the chair where Cate had dropped her purse earlier. He rummaged inside it, looking for the keys
to the Navigator. Frowning, he retraced
his steps to the bathroom door.
"Where are the car
keys?" He waited, his ear to the
door.
"Uhhh... oh. Here."
Remembering Cate had
earlier tucked the keys into the pocket of her jeans, Jon nodded. He reached down to turn the knob to the
bathroom door. Pushing it open a bit, he
stuck his head around the door. He grinned
at what he saw.
Cate had already partially
disrobed; she was standing in the center of the bathroom clad only in her bra
and panties, her t-shirt on the floor and her bikini and wrap resting on the
vanity. She held her blue jeans in-hand,
fishing in a pocket for the keys to their SUV.
"Need some
help?" Jon gave Cate a little leer
when she looked up at the sound of his voice.
She snorted. "I got it, thanks."
"You sure do, Baby." Jon let his eyes drop to the bare swell of
her breasts, skimpily concealed by her brassiere. He felt a twitch in his groin, something that
mildly surprised him. It had been awhile
since he had experienced such a primitive reaction to something as simple as
seeing his wife in her underwear.
"Here." Cate succeeded in freeing the key from the
denim pocket and held it out to Jon. He
reached to take it from her fingers.
"Thanks. I'll be back in a minute. The boys are still changing."
"Okay." Cate tossed her jeans to the floor and
reached up to her breasts, ready to unclasp her bra.
"Oh, Baby?"
Cate paused and looked up
at Jon. "Yeah?"
He winked. "Nice rack."
Cate stared at him for a
minute, then smirked. With a flick of
her fingers she opened the hook, freeing her breasts from the navy satin
cups. Her nipples contracted at the freedom, shrinking into hard, pebbled peaks.
Jon's lips pursed, then
spread into a grin. "You're killin'
me, Baby," he murmured. Again his
groin tightened, a long-dormant sensation returning.
Cate arched a brow. "Sorry." Her smirk told him she wasn't.
Jon growled quietly. If he
didn't walk away now he might have trouble walking at all. That would be fun to explain to his
boys.
"Thanks." Jon jingled the key on its ring, then stepped
back and pulled the bathroom door shut.
When he turned around Jon
paused, then sighed. Romeo and Jacob
were both seated, one on the end of each bed, their eyes glued to a cartoon
image on the television.
"Alright! Enough with the stupid TV!" Jon strode over to the nightstand, picked up
the remote, and switched off the screen.
"Get your trunks on! I'm
going out to the car for the bag. I'll
be back in a minute."
"Okay." Romeo rolled off the end of the bed, onto the
floor.
"Get up. Get dressed." Jon looked at Jacob, who was still sitting on
the bed closest to the bathroom.
"You too. Or we're not
swimming at all." Jon strode for the exit. The door slammed shut behind him.
Jacob sighed, then slowly
stood. He trudged the few short steps to
the closet, where he had left his swim trunks on top of his duffel bag, then
back to the bed. He sat on the corner
and pulled his t-shirt up over his head.
When his face emerged from the neck-hole, the boy's gaze settled on an unexpected sight.
The bathroom door was
partially open, leaving a gap of six inches between the frame and
the door. Beyond the portal the mirrored
walls reflected an image no pre-teen boy could ignore.
Jake's eyes widened and his
mouth fell open. An electric surge bolted
through him, leaving a tingle of warmth in its wake. His lips curved as he realized his good
fortune.
He stared at the illicit
vision, his Stepmother's glorious, naked body displayed in the mirror. He couldn't take it all in at once; his eyes
raked eagerly over her form, his addled brain deciphering flashes of vivid images
like snapshots.
... The faded, shield-shaped
mark on one taut-skinned hip...
... The dark mahogany strip of
curls against creamy, private flesh....
... The luscious curve of globed
muscle at the top of toned thigh...
... The glitter of a diamond
stud at the dark center of a flat, ridged abdomen...
... The thick ropes of auburn
slithering across a familiar inked mark, then swept away...
... The tantalizing sway of
round, firm orbs crowned with pebbled, dusky peaks...
"Jake?"
"Jacob Hurley!"
bawahahahahahaha! So busted Jake!!
ReplyDeleteThis chapter made me laugh so hard!!! It is so true to a typical family vacation!!!
"You're BOTH being buttholes. But you don't go around calling each other that." Jon growled through gritted teeth. "I'm the only person who gets to call you 'Butthole'." Cate's giggle drew his attention sideways. "Watch yourself, Woman, or I may call you one." Soooooo Funny! Jon said "butthole"
I do feel a LITTLE bad for poor Jon, he gets NO ACTION and even his son is getting some... ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Thank you soooo much for the FUN update!!! We'll see you back here next Saturday ;) hehe!
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh My God need to know if Jon finds out that Jake saw Stepmama! he he he
jon really is having a typical American drive to your destination {are we there yet?}vacation, I guess it's time for the birds and bees talk jon| love this story, don't make us wait so long for the next chapter, we want too know what happens next soon.
ReplyDeleteCatte, I was laughing so hard, I'm sitting in a puddle....
ReplyDeleteJacob!!! You're in BIG trouble!!!
Jake is definitely his father's son....
And poor Cate... "Jon gave his wife a leer. "Yeah, but you get to enjoy it. Three farting Bongiovis. In one room. ALL night."
And the room... Well I'm so glad that we always stayed in Florence!
Catte, thank you for reminding me how wonderfully cheesy South of the Boarder is!
Ive never been " south of the border" but i have done enough tourist traps to get the idea. ..hahaha! Hope they done get bedbugs.
ReplyDeleteThanks catte! Jon and Cate really needed some fun...lift thd dark cloud they have been under
Oh Deary Me...lmao...that was a fun chapter..from whoa to go...& Yeah Im thinking Jakes gonna get an ear bashin but if Jon had shut the door properly in the first place...well....lets just say it may not be only Jake in trouble here...hehehe
ReplyDeleteJust re read this, once again I have laugh tears rolling down my face. I have stopped at South of the Border, I remember all the signs, just like J R's on I85. This chapter reminds me of family vacations, my dad would load the car and we would be on the road before the sun was up and stop around 9 for breakfast. Super memory filled chapter.
ReplyDeleteLol....Jake, that's your mom.
ReplyDeletehaha! Yep, I sort of gagged a little
DeleteI was thinking the same thing. That's his step-mom, WTF!?@?! That was such a weird ending and after he called her "Mom".
DeleteIt feels good to see Cate happy, lately with her unresolved case, her marital issues and her barren womb, she was too stressed and kinda depressed.
ReplyDeleteI love her softer, lighter side, she'd be a great mommy. Hopefully she won't need to see the doc after this trip, maybe Jon's "renewed lust" for his wife and her new state of mind will do the trick. Very often when there's no medical reason, the fertility issues are in your brain more than in your uterus. Sometimes making love with no other purpose than having fun, feeling closer or being more intimate with your man, works better than planned sex during the right week of the month.
P.S. : I hope the Porn camp gave you some inspiration, I miss regular posts.
Oops unsolved case LOL
DeleteP.S.2 : Ew Jake you can't call her Mom and spying her in the shower!!
He stared at the illicit vision, his Stepmother's glorious, naked body displayed in the mirror. He couldn't take it all in at once; his eyes raked eagerly over her form, his addled brain deciphering flashes of vivid images like snapshots.
ReplyDelete... The faded, shield-shaped mark on one taut-skinned hip...
... The dark mahogany strip of curls against creamy, private flesh....
... The luscious curve of globed muscle at the top of toned thigh...
... The glitter of a diamond stud at the dark center of a flat, ridged abdomen...
... The thick ropes of auburn slithering across a familiar inked mark, then swept away...
... The tantalizing sway of round, firm orbs crowned with pebbled, dusky peaks...
-------------------
what did I just read? Isn't that his step mom? I had to read that part again because I honestly thought I mis-read it and he was looking at the lady in the next room or he came across porn on TV. It reminds of the hot lady next door and she is sunbathing while the teenagers next door watch.
It makes me ill to read that whole description of Jacob looking at his stepmom. Would you have written the same thing if Cate had a daughter and she saw Jon and his glorious naked body and that is her Step-Dad? Is it OK because Jacob is a boy and it's that old boys will be boys; giggle, nudge nudge wink wink! And after there was a break through and he called her Mom.
Hi Cate, can you tell me if and where I can find the full story ( all these pics of Jon with the Giants reminded me of GBA). I've caught up with most of your stories, I think that it's your only FF that I haven't read yet.
ReplyDeletehttp://godblessamericafic.blogspot.fr/2011/06/coming-soon.html
Thank you.
Julia
Cate! We are BEGGING!!!! We NEED to find out what happens, since you grossed us all out and everything, LOL!
ReplyDeleteTONIGHT???
WTF is "porn" camp? I think I need to go. Hahahaha!
Jon always has tried to keep the children out of the spotlight. He would be so proud that Jacob is written as part of borderline incest porn.
ReplyDeleteAny chance for a new chapter tonight ? It's been almost 3 weeks, I think I need my Jon and Cate fix ;)
ReplyDeleteP.S. : I hope the "jovi mess" won't kill your muse.
I was just going to ask her the same thing!hoping tonight is our lucky night!!!
DeleteI know I'm dying!!!!!!!! Jon's going to be upset! he he
ReplyDeleteLet's just show up at her house and FORCE her to post! I'll bring the booze.... think we need handcuffs?? ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm in!!!!!
DeleteI don't want to annoy you but you said that the summer would give you more opportunities to write. You didn't post anything in quite some time so I guess you must be bored by this story or maybe you've got a writer block. If these two don't inspire you anymore you could try to write another short story, maybe a Jon/Zou story, to help you start to write again. I would love to read anything new from you.
ReplyDeleteIf it's the real life that doesn't give you the time or the peace of mind to write, please don't bother me. Take care of you.
*I meant don't mind me, not don't bother me ;)
Delete