More than Exist(11)

I caught my reflection in the mirror and shook off the momentary feeling of disgust before leaving the dirty bathroom to go join my friend.

“Ready, sugar?” Ginger asked when I plopped into the passenger seat.

I looked around, taking note of my purse, the bags containing our lunch, and the steaming cup of coffee sitting in the cup holder and said, “Yup, let’s roll.”

I settled back into the seat as Ginger pulled out of the parking lot, and picked up the bag to get out the food. I was suddenly starving.

“You want yours now?” I asked Ginger, pulling out a hamburger and waving it around.

“Sure.”

I peeled back the wrapper, keeping it tight so she could hold the burger in her hand while she was eating, without making a mess.

“Thanks.”

I grunted my response as I put a greasy, salty fry in my mouth and closed my eyes.

Damn that tasted good.

After I finished my food, I reclined the seat and shut my eyes, eventually falling asleep to the sound of the tires rolling over the asphalt, and Ginger singing softly along with the radio.

When I woke up and looked at the clock, I realized I’d been asleep for almost three hours.

“Man,” I muttered as I wiped my eyes with the heels of my palms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep that long.”

“You must have needed it,” Ginger answered with a grin.

She looked comfortable as she drove, on arm on the rest, with the other holding on to the top of the wheel.

“Yeah, I guess I did,” I admitted, then asked. “Are you okay? Do you need a break?”

“No, girl, I’m good for now. I figure we got another hour in us before we need to stop, unless you need to stretch.”

“I’m okay,” I replied, looking out the window to check out our surroundings. When I noticed it was actually a CD that Ginger was singing along to, I asked, “Barbra Streisand? “

“You’re not a fan?” she asked, her voice full of surprise.

“No, I am,” I assured her. “You just seem kind of young to be listening to her.”

“I’m almost twenty-six. My momma is a big fan though. I grew up listening to her, and I guess it stuck. Plus, listening to her always makes me feel closer to Momma.”

“That’s cool,” I responded as I stretched as much as I could in the confines of the car. “Do you like her movies and stuff too?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve seen everything she’s ever been in. The Way We Were is my favorite.”

“Mine too,” I agreed with a grin, then I sighed. “It’s so sad though … I always wish for a different ending.”

“Yeah, but damn, was Robert Redford hot!” Ginger said with a giggle, and I had to agree.

I turned up the volume, then leaned back and let Barbra’s beautiful voice fill the car.





Chapter 7





We ended up switching again when we stopped for dinner, so I was the one who drove us through Albuquerque. Once we were on the other side, Ginger punched in hotels on the GPS and started looking for a place to stop.

“If you can find a place with a bar in it, or a bar and grill-type place nearby, that’d be great. I could go for a drink and an appetizer or something,” I suggested as I drove. I’d eaten a light dinner, and was definitely feeling hungry again.

I waited for Ginger’s reaction, and when she said, “Sounds good,” I felt a wave of relief.

I’d been kind of worried that she’d comment on my drinking every night, but so far, she’d seem down for it. Maybe she just figured I was living it up while on vacation. I hoped that was the case. I really liked Ginger, and didn’t want her to think I had a problem.

“Here’s one,” Ginger said after a couple minutes. “It’s just ten more miles down the road, then off to the right. There’s a restaurant and bar downstairs, and they have double rooms available.”

“Perfect,” I replied with a smile, excited to have a destination locked down. “I’m ready to get out of this car.”

“I hear that,” Ginger responded, bouncing in her seat. “Maybe we can take a walk … Or, I can hit the gym in the hotel, if you don’t feel like it.”

“A walk sounds good.” I almost groaned at the thought of how good it would feel to stretch my legs.

We found the hotel easily, checked in, and lugged our bags upstairs. It seemed silly to have to take my entire suitcase inside, since we were only staying one night. I should have thought ahead and got a smaller overnight bag. Maybe I’ll pick one up before we get back on the road.

Once our stuff was put away, we took off to stretch our legs. Luckily, there were sidewalks, and the neighborhood seemed to be pretty good.