Chapter 46

Liz was in a good mood for the rest of the day. She and Jill talked about how much fun it would be to go to Cabo again. Brian and I just did our best to sneak surreptitious glances at their forms. Liz had made her prediction into reality by turning over on her stomach and untying her bikini top. She even pushed her bikini bottoms upward to sun her buns a little.

Jill’s buns were already almost bare but she did Liz one better on the top. She unhooked it in the back and just set it to the side. Once again, Brian and I exchanged looks. If his thoughts ran similar to mine, he was wondering exactly what good deed he’d performed in a past life to deserve to share in this.

He and I both did our best to make sure the ladies’ skin was permitted to tan without burning by ensuring their sunscreen was frequently reapplied.

The only drawback to the day (aside from the conversation that started it) was when it came time to leave. California’s lengthy drought had spelled an end to outdoor beach showers. We all ran into the water one last time to wash the sand from our bodies but we were still sticky with lotion as we drove back to the hotel.

The inside of the SUV smelled like a tropical bar as the various brands of sunscreen we’d used mixed in the small enclosed space. Liz donned her hat and sunglasses again when we hit the hotel (which was also located right along the beach). Jill and Brian escorted her inside while I parked the vehicle.

The shower was already running when I got to the suite. There were two other showers nearby but I decided to use the one that already contained a woman I enjoyed seeing naked.

Liz gave me a warm welcome when I stepped in. She put her arms around my neck and gave me a soft kiss.

“I was going to wait but I figured you’d find me,” she said. “I felt a little gross. You put a little too much on my booty.”

“Sorry,” I said. “It just looked so white that I didn’t want you to burn.”

“Because then you couldn’t feel me up all the time,” Liz said.

“Well, duh,” I replied as I slid my hands down from her hips to her butt. She had already soaped it up but I could still feel remnants of the waterproof lotion there.

She gave me a little longer kiss as I soaped up her rear end and washed away the last of her sunscreen. She reciprocated on my body until we were both squeaky clean.

We usually kept our shower time to a minimal level but we dallied a little longer this time before shutting off the water and drying each other off.

“You know what’s funny?” Liz asked as she paid special attention to a certain part of my anatomy.

“What?” I asked.

“You had a boner when you stepped into the shower,” she said, laughing.

“I knew you were in there,” I answered truthfully. “You could have still had on your bikini – or a full wetsuit – and I would have been that way. I just ... I can’t seem to be around you without feeling some level of arousal.”

“Good,” Liz said, smiling at me before leaning down to kiss my little soldier. “I’m the same way. That day, at the convention center, I got aroused when I saw you standing there. Then we hugged and it was like ... uh-oh ... panty-change time.”

I blushed without really meaning to.

“It’s why I insisted you let me do my own laundry,” Liz said.

“I figured you just didn’t want to risk me stealing them,” I said, winking at her. “And, for the record, you did not do your own laundry. You put your items into the tub after I had done everything else. There is a subtle but distinct difference.”

Liz smiled at me and wrapped a towel around her torso as we went back into the bedroom. I hadn’t bothered with a towel.

“Uh, can we ... just cuddle tonight?” Liz asked.

“Sure,” I said. “What’s the downside to cuddling with you? I can’t see one.”

She smiled and gave me another soft kiss. I watched as she pulled a pair of black panties up her legs and then a pair of loose shorts before adding a sports bra and a T-shirt. I waited until she was completely dressed before picking up a pair of my plain white boxers and putting them on. I didn’t have any really casual clothing. I had been travelling for two weeks. I really needed to go back to my house – or hire someone like Jill to look after me. I settled on a pair of brown shorts and a blue pullover.

“I’m about ready to start,” Liz said when we settled on the couch.

“Start what?” I asked ... like a complete idiot. She rolled her eyes.

“My period,” she replied. “I mean, unless you knocked me up or something.”

“What?” I asked.

Liz laughed again.

“No,” she said. “I’ve already started to spot. I felt it coming on and then I noticed blood in my bikini bottom when I was changing at the beach. That’s why I wore the black bottoms with the white top.”

The female menstruation cycle was never something that held a great interest to me ... other than once when a girlfriend was late. Then it held my attention for almost three days.

“Well, I can offer to rub your back if you want,” I said.

“We know where that would lead,” Liz said as she snuggled up to my shoulder. “I’d be riding you like a cowgirl and you’d look down and think I’d Bobbitted you.”

“It’s like that old joke about the eight-second ride,” I said.

“What’s that?” Liz asked.

“You call a girl by your old girlfriend’s name while you’re doing her doggy style and then see how long you can stay inside,” I said. “That’s what it would have been like for you if I looked down and saw a bloody pee-pee. You wouldn’t have lasted more than a second or two before I dumped you on your butt.”

Liz laughed.

“Do you see what I meant when I told you that no topic is taboo for us?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s weird. I mean, when you think about it, we’re still getting to know each other. Yeah, we sort of knew each other back when but not really.”

“What else was in the box your mom sent?” Liz asked, sitting up and looking at me. “You said you wanted to wait until we were alone before you showed it to me. Well, this is as alone as we’re going to be.”

“Just some stuff she found,” I said.

“I wanna see!” Liz said in her little-girl whine.

I had kept the box in the trunk because I wasn’t certain how she’d react to some of the things. They were reminders of a past she was trying her best to ignore.

“You found our class pictures!” she said.

I shrugged.

“You totally did!” Liz said. “I want to see them! I’ll call Dom and see if he’ll run out to get them out of the trunk.”

“I can get them,” I said.

“It’s better if you let him go,” Liz told me.

“Oh, please,” I said. “I can walk out to the car without having a minder. I walked up here OK a little while ago.”

Liz gave a half smile and tilted her head at me. It was her way of telling me that I was a moron.

“At least take him with you,” she said.

“For Christ’s sake,” I muttered. “I’m going to the car. I’ll be back in five minutes!”

Of course, Liz was right. Unlike some Internet sensations that flamed out in a day or two, “Behave Yourself” seemed to have taken on a life of its own. It didn’t help that Liz was selling T-shirts with the phrase as quickly as she could get them made and shipped.

I still contend I would have gone unnoticed if the hotel didn’t have a bar off its lobby. I had to walk past it to get to the private parking area and a group of six college-aged men and women stumbled out.

“Travis!” a drunken voice yelled. “Hey, it’s Travis.”

I offered a wave but they were too drunk to notice I was headed away from them as quickly as I could.

“I told you!” he said. “I told you that was his car turning in here. That was Liz Larimer driving. I fucking told you!”

“We are totally not behaving ourselves!” one of them noted ... to the apparent pleasure of everyone around him.

“That’s between you and the local cops,” I said. “Just do everyone a favor and don’t drive tonight. OK?”

One of them ... the largest ... looked at the keys already in his hand and then at me. I didn’t want a fist-fight in the lobby of one of San Diego’s finest hotels.

“Just a piece of friendly advice,” I said. “Don’t want you hurting anyone ... not yourselves or someone else.”

“No, man, I get it,” the guy said. The doorman had walked out behind them. This wasn’t the type of crowd that frequented the bar, I would imagine. He wasn’t happy at the situation at all.

“Tell you folks what,” I said, gesturing to the doorman. “Why don’t we let our friend here call you a cab? I’ll spring for it to make sure you get home safely.”

The doorman tilted his head at me. I doubted he recognized me. I handed over $50 – all the money I had in my wallet.

“Will this get them home?” I asked in a low voice.

“It will, Mr. Blakely,” the man said. “Thank you.”

“Sure,” I said.

“Mr. Blakely will pay for your cab fare,” the man said. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll make sure you get one to house you all. Where are you headed?”

“The university,” a girl said. She pulled out the pockets of her shorts to show me they were empty before she mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

I smiled and nodded. I’d been there myself.

“You totally rock, Travis!” the first guy said.

“Tell Liz we love her!” a drunken female added.

“I’ll tell her when I see her again,” I said. “You folks have a safe night.”

“And ‘Behave Yourself, ‘“ the doorman added.

The return from the parking lot went a little better then the entrance. I made it all the way to the elevator before drawing any attention. This time it was a trio of well-dressed young women ... obviously out to sample San Diego’s underrated night life.

I stepped aside to let them exit and got a smile from the first one. The second stopped in front of me and her eyes went wide.

“Is Liz here?” she asked with excitement.

“I’m by myself right now,” I answered. By the strictest of interpretations, it was a fact. Liz was upstairs; I was downstairs.

“Oh,” the last one said. “You should totally come out with us tonight. We’re going to hit some clubs and dance.”

“Uh, no thank you,” I said. “I appreciate the offer but I’ve had a long day.”

“Too bad,” the first one said, looking up and down my torso. The women were dressed for success (at the mating ritual). The first woman had on a tube dress that was too tight for her to have put on anything beneath it. The lobby’s air conditioning made that clear at least at the top. The one that had recognized me first had on a maroon miniskirt that started two inches above her pubic bone and ended an inch below where her legs met. The last one was as tall as Liz and she had decided to highlight her long legs by wearing a pair of tight white shorts that were unbuttoned at the top. Her crop-topped T-shirt was so short the hem didn’t meet skin after jumping upward to accommodate her impressive bust. I saw the head of a dragon peeking out of her shorts at her left hip, with the flames extending back into her shorts. I could only imagine where the tattoo started and stopped.

“I hope you have fun tonight,” I said.

“Oh, we will,” the middle said. “We’re in 512 if you want to stop by later tonight.”

“Tempting,” I lied. “But, I have to be on the road again in the morning. Good night.”