“Theresa, maybe we shouldn’t barge in, at least they are leaving us alone…” Stephanie started until Theresa faced her. She nodded and headed towards the front of the bus, leaving Stephanie standing by the curtain serving as a door to the entertainment room. Stephanie bit her lower lip and pressed an ear closer to the curtain, curiosity growing ravenous inside her. She wanted to see what was going on but she didn’t.
“Oh, damn the consequences…” She placed a silent hand gripped the edge of the curtain and turned to find Theresa behind her again. Theresa just nodded, encouraging her to open the foreboding drape. She tugged softly, until Theresa suddenly ripped it the rest of the way open.
“What the hell?” Nick screeched from the beanbag chair, fight to get his boxers back up his thighs. The rest of the men in the room gazed away from the television set as the lights switched on. Stephanie flushed beat red and spun her head away from the sight. The three of the five were partly naked from the waist down, pleasuring themselves to the moaning on the television.
“What did I say about watching fucking porno while I’m on the bus. Jesus Christ!” Theresa walked over to switch off the TV, stunned at the sight. A short blond woman blindfolded and tied down to a bed, moaning but visibly crying as well. Theresa stood in shock watching a lean dark skinned man climb overtop of the naked woman and proceed to sexually devour her. Theresa felt vomit rise in her throat and ran from the room, immediately recognizing both parties on the tape. Stephanie turned and moved out of Theresa way, staring towards the TV to find what had upset her so much. Before she got a good look at the scene, the tape went fuzzy and switched to a new woman with a long dark braid and a blindfold on. She too felt very ill at that moment, seeing Kevin climbing over her. She felt so dizzy that she had to grip the wall to keep her standing. She made her way away from the entertainment room, even as the men tried to clean up and look nonchalant. Suddenly a stabbing pain ripped through her skull and she collapsed to the floor.
**~~**~~**
Stephanie woke within the dark comfort of her bunk, a loud argument rousing her from her sleep. She peeked out to see who was quarrelling this time, finding Theresa quietly disputing with Aj, Aj not really arguing back just taking what was thrown at him. Stephanie realized the bus had stopped and there was no one else around except the arguing pair below her. She finally decided to break apart the quarrelling lovers and hopped down from the bunk. Both looked at her in relief and come towards her.
“Thank God, Steph. You had us all worried. Are you okay? Do you feel better now?” Theresa immediately forgot her anger towards Aj as she hugged Stephanie’s small frame.
“I’m feeling a bit out of it but I’m fine. So where are we?” She asked, breaking the hug to stretch her back.
“We’re at a little rest stop so that we could all walk around for a while and get away from each other…” Aj answered, gazing towards Theresa as she pulled on her shoes.
“Get on your shoes Steph and we’ll wonder around the rest area and get something from the vending machine.” Theresa stated passing a pair of worn black flip-flops towards her. Stephanie smiled and pulled on the shoes and allowed Theresa to drag her away from Aj and off the bus. Once they were far enough away, Theresa finally slowed her pace.
“So what was that about?”
“What? Oh, well, it was an outcome of last night’s curiosity.” Theresa sighed, then noticing Stephanie’s confused face. “You know, when we walked in the entertainment room and found the guys… well you know…”
“What are you talking about Theresa?”
“Don’t you remember anything about last night?”
“Not much but we were heading out after the big ordeal. And I was reading my novel and we decided to see what the guys were up to. And then I woke up in bed.” Stephanie stated, noticing Nick staring at her from the picnic table area.
“Well, I’ll tell ya about it later. I’m gonna go raid the vending machine for chocolate. Want anything?” Stephanie just shook her head and watched Theresa march away. She looked back to find Nick still staring, now waving her towards him. She cautiously headed towards him, watching him rise from the table to his full, slightly intimidating height. She finally stood toe-to-toe with him, gazing up at him.
“How do you feel?” He asked, playing gently with a few locks of hair at her shoulder.
“Fine, things are still a bit fuzzy but I suppose I’m fine after everything that’s happened…”
“Well I had a proposal in mind, since I know you don’t want to deal with Kev on your case…”
“I’m listening.” Stephanie gazed up into the ice blues of his eyes and waited.
**~~**~~**
Theresa watched Nick and Stephanie converse secretly and wondered what he was telling her now. She realized it wasn’t anything too bad, since Stephanie was nodding and even had a slightly sinister smirk growing on her face. Then Nick did something that surprised her, he took Stephanie’s hand in his and they both headed back towards the bus with smiles on their faces.
“What are they up to?” A voice asked beside Theresa, causing her abruptly turn to face them. Brian was still staring towards the two that had just climbed up on the bus.
“I don’t know but I’ll sure as hell find out when we get to the hotel.” She insured, punching in the number for a Milky Way from the vending machine. She watched it drop and plucked it out of the bottom. “So have you gotten a hold of Leighanne yet?”
“Not yet, she went back to L.A. for another week. Or so her agent says.” Brian sighed, keeping his eyes downcast. “Maybe she’ll return some of my calls when she’s not so busy…”
“Give her some time to think things through and she’ll call you back.” Theresa tried to be reassuring, gently patting his shoulder. He didn’t look up at her but mumbled a small ‘thanks’ and walked away.
**~~**~~**
Kevin stood stone still while Aj and Howie continued their conversation without him. He had seen Nick and Stephanie talking, watched them smile and clasp hands and climb back onto the bus together.
“What the hell does he think he’s doing?” He muttered without realizing it was out loud. Howie and Aj both looked at him in mild confusion. Kevin shook his head and headed back for the bus, leaving both men staring at him.
Climbing up on to the quiet bus, Kevin’s ears picked up on hushed talking in the back of the bus. Heading back slowly, he heard something that sent a shiver rampaging through his body. He had never heard her laugh before. It was something so soft and musical, like the song of the sirens. Only the curtain stood between him and his discovery of what Nick was up to. He sighed and listened to her laughter again. If only he knew how to make her laugh like that. Well, only one-way to find out how someone else would do it.
Kevin pulled the curtain to one side and peeked in. Nick and Stephanie were seated together on one large beanbag chair, playing Mario Kart on Nick’s Nintendo set. They were both laughing as they raced, Stephanie leaning back against Nick’s strong chest between his legs. Kevin felt rage growing like a poisonous seed inside of him.
“What are you two doing?”
“What does it look like we’re doing? We’re playing video games. And if I beat Nick this round, he has to give me a back massage…” Stephanie grinned secretively, as though not telling the entire truth.
“Yeah and if I win, I get the same only I get a full body rub down, right Baby?” Nick smirked, nuzzling her neck and kissing her cheek. She blushed and nodded, trying to concentrate on the game.
“Oh really, well…” Kevin walked over and shut off the Nintendo. Both Nick and Stephanie looked up at him confused. “Now neither one of you win…”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t say that. Nick, what do you say we both won?”
“Excellent idea Steph, shall we go celebrate in my bunk?”
“Oh, perfect idea.”
Kevin stood in shock, barely able to keep his rage contained. He glared as they both stood and giggled like naughty teenagers and head to the bunks.
“Great, just fucking great!”
**~~**~~**
Everyone sharing the bus noticed the change in personalities of their friends. Theresa watched perplexed as Nick and Stephanie sat in the kitchenette, sipping tea and reading through a book together. ‘Nick never reads! What is wrong with this picture?’ Theresa silently mulled over and over again for an undetectable answer. Stephanie, too, had changed, a little less fragile in appearance, no longer in the shy shell before. But she was fawning over Nick like he was Prince Charming… Bull Shit!
Theresa turned her attention to elsewhere trying to ignore the gnawing feeling that someone was observing her every move. Her eyes clashed with Aj’s soulful brown eyes and she stopped breathing. The apology was there, all she had to do was accept. Then they could return to cuddling, kissing, and sharing beds, secretively, and acting as though he cared nothing for her in front of the audience. ‘Not this time Alexander James McLean. You’ll get nothing else from me you haven’t already taken!’ She vowed to herself, glaring into those searching eyes, feeling her heart harden to block out his warmth. She turned away from him and found Kevin standing in the doorway of the kitchenette, looking as though he were likely to kill someone if given a reason to. He looked down at her then over to the two at the table.
“What the hell is going on with them?”
“I really wouldn’t know Kev. Why don’t you ask them?” Theresa huffed, heading back to her bunk. Kevin watched her leave then turned back to the couple and gritted his teeth.
“Alright, you two. Start explaining…”
Nick and Stephanie both looked up from the book. Nick smirked and Stephanie removed her glasses to polish them on her oversized t-shirt. “Well if you must know, I’ve changed my ways and apologized to Stephanie and we have found a compatibility between us. A chemistry we didn’t realize was there.”
“Oh, Nick. Try to sound all intellectual, how cute…” Stephanie grinned, turning on his lap to kiss him sweetly.
Kevin would not have believed it, if it hadn’t been right there before his eyes. He gulped air into his lungs as they continued to kiss. He felt a sudden primitive need to club Nick over the head and drag Stephanie to his bunk by her soft hair. But he did neither. He growled in the back of his throat and headed for his back as Theresa had, to escape the scene unfolding before him.
Peeking out of the corner of his eye, Nick watched Kevin leave. He smirked in his kiss with Stephanie and propped her up against him, so that she straddled his hips, not once breaking the kiss. Finally to catch her breath, Stephanie pulled back and looked to where Kevin had been standing. She turned back and smiled brightly to Nick.
“It worked…” She giggled softly, hugging him tightly.
“It might work for now but to make sure he doesn’t catch on to the game, you better sleep in my bunk tonight…” Nick grinned, watching her swat at his chest.
“Just mind your hands, Carter, wouldn’t want to have to amputate them…” She laughed again, letting him kiss her again. They slowly rose to get ready for bed, simply crawling out of their jeans and climbing into Nick’s bunk. Though it was a tight fit, both struggle to make them both comfortable and finally slept, both with less than innocent smiles on their faces.
Next Chapter
Just Between Me & You
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