Chapter 55

We found ourselves alone in the dining room after our joint shower.

“It’s yucky out there,” Liz said as she stood at the window and looked out. I turned on the television and found a weather station.

“It’s supposed to rain most of the day,” I said. “Then clear out overnight and be nice again tomorrow.”

“I don’t see a single reason to leave the hotel today,” Liz said.

“Svetlana?” I asked.

“She’s down here shooting a catalog,” Liz explained. “She was tied up all day anyway.”

“Well, if you want to go out to a club with her tonight, I’m in,” I said.

“Really?” Liz asked.

I shrugged.

“I got some time to think about it,” I said again. “I enjoyed dancing with you. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone else. The music was...”

“Terrible,” Liz finished.

“Not my style,” I corrected, “but the rest of it was ... sort of fun.”

“I was thinking about seeing if you want to try the hotel bar tonight,” Liz said. “It sounded pretty low-key. I glanced in as we went to dinner and a band was setting up. I meant to look when we came back but ... I was a little drunk.”

“I heard that!” I said.

“It was when I was shaking my hiney at you,” Liz said, grinning.

She frowned as she read a text on her phone.

“They flew Svetlana out last night before the storm came in,” she said. “I guess it was a bikini shoot and had to be done today. They flew across to Cozumel last night. That sucks. I wanted you to meet her!”

“I will,” I replied.

I called down for breakfast and it was just arriving when Jill, Skye, Dom and Brian found their way in.

“Ugh!” Jill said, looking at the food.

“My sentiments exactly,” Skye agreed as she sat down.

“No sangria today?” Liz asked in a bright voice.

“You have got to stop being so fucking chipper in the mornings,” Jill said.

“Blame Travis,” Liz said. I pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and handed them across before heading to the back for the pain relievers.

“I’ll need more than two,” Jill insisted when I gave her a couple of pills.

“Some water and some food will help,” I told her. “If your head still hurts at noon I’ll give you more. Remember, I worked at a hospital. I know how to dispense medication.”

Jill nodded and swallowed the tablets before tilting her head at me.

“You are so full of shit,” she said.

“Can we just chill today?” Skye wondered.

“That was our plan,” Liz said, giving her friends quick hugs. “I knew you two lushes couldn’t hold your liquor.”

They each gave her a finger while Brian and Dom fought back chuckles.

I opened up the balcony door to let in some fresh air and saw the concrete was still dry despite the heavy rain.

“Breakfast al fresco?” I wondered.

The rest agreed and we moved the proceedings out of doors.

The fresh fruit and iced coffee seemed to put Jill in better spirits and she was almost back to her normal self by the time she’d finished.

“You two must have fucked like bunnies last night!” she said. “Good God, I had to stop Brian from going in to check to make sure you weren’t killing each other. The floor was shaking and the headboard kept banging against the wall.”

Liz rolled her eyes.

“That wasn’t the bed,” she said. “It was the end table. A couple of times, it was the top of my head.”

“The table?” Skye asked.

“I was a bit ... excited,” Liz said without a hint of embarrassment. “I just pulled my dress up and bent over. It was pretty hot.”

I covered my eyes and shook my head.

“Travis is a good lay,” Jill said, seeing my discomfort. “Or, so the tabloids say.”

“I read that,” Skye said. “It said something about being hung like a donkey.”

“I think it said ‘smells like a donkey, ‘“ Liz corrected. “And acts like a horse’s ass.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Skye agreed.

“The truth is that I’m such a good lay that the guy can be terrible and it’s still hot,” Liz confided. I was thankful that my cell phone rang. It gave me an excuse to go back inside.

“Hey, Rick,” I said. “How are things at home?”

“OK,” he said. “I just called to give you your daily ration of shit.”

“I’m already taking it so you missed your shot,” I told him.

“Too bad,” he said. “Can you hook up to a computer?”

“Give me a second,” I said. “OK, what am I looking for?”

“Go to TravisRocks.com,” he told me.

“Oh fuck,” I muttered.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Rick said. Liz must have seen me put my head in my hands because she materialized at my shoulder.

“Oh, hey!” she said, reading the screen. I heard her voice pointed toward the outside. “Hey, Jill, come here. I guess you were right. Travis is a good lay.”

“It doesn’t say that!” I said.

Liz handed my tablet across and Jill chuckled.

“You paid for a taxi for some dumbass college kids?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I admitted ... and Rick laughed in my ear. I put him on speaker and sat the phone down.

She read down the site that had popped up over the past couple of days. There were pictures of me and Liz (of course) but also some of me by myself. Someone had scanned a minor league baseball card and posted it. The kids from San Diego had offered a testimonial.

“Read the one from ToledoMom,” Liz said, reaching over to pinch my cheek.

“Oh, too fucking cool!” Jill said brightly. She shifted into the newscaster voice that she had used in Los Angeles. “I’ve known Travis and Liz since we were kids. Travis and I dated in high school. He doesn’t seem to have changed a bit. He was a great boyfriend to a spoiled, immature girl. Now he’s a great boyfriend to a successful, talented woman. I wish them all the happiness in the world. They both deserve it.”

“OK, I don’t hate her anymore,” Liz said.

“You know who posted this?” Jill asked.

“Oh, yes,” Liz said, rolling her eyes.

“Tell us!” Rick said through the phone.

“There was this bimbo with huge jugs that Travis used to slobber all over,” Liz said. “She was little Miss Perfect ... cheerleader, trendsetter. You know the type.”

“Me!” Jill said brightly.

“I figured you for a gymnast,” I noted.

“I was,” Jill said.

“You look pretty flexible,” I replied.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?!” Jill retorted.

“I know I would,” Dom said, laughing.

“You’ll just have to come to the gym with us today,” Skye told him.

“What the fuck?” Liz muttered.

“We talked last night about working out today,” Jill replied.

“Huh?” Liz asked, looking up from the tablet. “Oh, yeah, that’s fine. I can’t register under my own name! Someone has already registered as Liz Larimer. Such bullshit.”

“What’s she doing?” Rick asked.

“I’m trying to sign up for the site you told us about,” Liz said, grinning. “I wanted to tell Deb Sutton that she’s right – and that I got him.”

“Oh Jesus,” I mumbled.

“There,” Liz said. “I registered as The Real Liz Larimer. That’ll show them! Now, take a picture of us so I can prove I’m me.”

She handed her phone to Dom – who was closest – and then climbed on my lap. She kissed me on the cheek and motioned for Dom to take the picture. He complied. Liz uploaded the shot to the tablet and then posted it as part of her profile.

“Hey, Deb,” she read as she typed. “Thanks and you’re right. He is just as sweet as you remember.”

She looked to the rest of the room.

“I know because I tasted him this morning,” she said with a grin. Even Rick got a chuckle out of the comment. Liz returned to typing. “I hope life is treating you well. All the best, Liz.”

“Tell me that you did not post your e-mail address,” I said.

“Of course not,” Liz said. “I used yours.”

“What?” I asked incredulously.

“I have a throwaway box from the label that I use for shit like this,” Liz said. “I hope the members all send an e-mail to it tonight. They’ll have to hire 30 people just to answer the mail.”

I shook my head.

“Hey, she wrote back,” Liz said. “God, it must be a shitty life if she has time to just sit and watch this site.”

“Uh, you are,” I said.

It earned me a high five from Jill, but Liz only stuck her tongue out.

“Good to know,” Liz read. “I’ve wondered about him a lot over the years. It’s nice that time hasn’t affected him. Nice pic. I was going to upload our homecoming photo once I get home from work. Take care, Deb.”

“Ah, isn’t that sweet,” Liz said. “A homecoming photo. What do you want to bet her dress is cut so low it shows her fucking navel? I swear, that girl had tits like torpedoes when she was 12.”

“They weren’t that big,” I protested. “They just looked like it because she was so small.”

“Uh-huh,” Liz said, winking at me. “So, Rick, how are things going on the building hunt?”

“Good,” my friend answered. “Your property guy got here last night. We’re meeting with him at four. Eric has been handling things for us on this end.”

“Great,” Liz said. “Is Amber doing OK?”

“Yeah,” Rick said. I could hear the smile in his voice. “Susan said she’s doing really well. She loved the room. The rainbow was a big hit and so were the stars on the ceiling.”

“How are Mary and Joe?” Liz inquired.

“Not good,” Rick answered after a long pause. “The doctors say probably by the end of the week.”

“Damn,” Liz muttered. “If you guys need anything just let me know.”

“Will do,” Rick said.

“And, hey, give me a call if something happens to her,” Liz added. “I ... I wish I could do something.”

“It’s why we love you,” Rick said. “I’ll let you know. The Cabo thing was a really good idea. You both look like you’re having fun and relaxing.”

“We are,” I said. “Are you picking us up at the Marina Sunday?”