“It’s wonderful.” That made him smile.
When he used a key card and opened the door to our room, I was pleasantly surprised all over again. The décor was funky 1970s chic, with a hot pink, orange, and yellow color scheme and some wonderful details, like daisy-shaped throw pillows on the two queen beds and a spherical, orange pod chair in one corner.
“This is incredible,” I murmured, “and definitely not what I was expecting.”
“It’s cute, right? The owners are this amazing lesbian couple. The motel was abandoned when they bought it, and they put their hearts and souls into fixing it up and making it someplace special.”
“I love it so much. It’s like stepping onto the set of The Dating Game in 1972.”
“I think that’s exactly what they were going for.”
I kicked off my sneakers before climbing into the pod chair and crossing my legs. “I assumed we’d be sleeping in a generic chain motel, so this is a great surprise.”
“I always try to find unique, independently owned places when I travel. It’s more fun.”
When he pulled his phone from his pocket, I said, “Before we mess up the room, could you take a few photos? It’s giving me a ton of ideas for an outfit I’d like to design.”
“Great idea. In fact, we should make that the theme of this road trip—design inspiration, from sea to shining sea. I’ll post pictures and build a whole story on social media. It’ll be great!” I loved his enthusiasm, so I didn’t complain or try to dive out of the shot when he included me in some of the photos.
A few minutes later, after we’d both brushed our teeth and changed into pajamas, we climbed into separate beds and shut off the lights. We were facing each other across a three-foot divide, and I could still see him pretty clearly, since I’d intentionally left on the light in the bathroom.
Devon tucked his hand under his head and said, “You seem to be doing better.”
“I’m getting there. My initial reaction to anything unexpected is usually fear and worry, even if that thing is actually positive. But then I adapt.”
“Why do you think you react that way?”
“I think my anxiety and insecurity started after my abuela passed and we lost the house. I was so scared. He tried to hide it, but I knew my dad was scared too, and that made me even more anxious. The whole time we were homeless, and even after we moved into a tiny apartment in a terrible part of town, I never felt safe. Even now, years later, I crave things like stability, predictability, and a consistent routine, because they give me a sense of security.”
“It’s no wonder a spontaneous road trip threw you for a loop.” His voice was so gentle.
“I might have done okay with it, except that losing my job and the club so unexpectedly already had me reeling. I still can’tquite believe that happened. It felt like a family, made up of all our regulars, the performers, and my coworkers. Then it was gone in the blink of an eye.”
“I didn’t think of that, and I’m sorry, Kit. My timing sucked.”
“No, don’t apologize. This trip is going to be wonderful. I just need a little more time to get a handle on my anxiety.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Actually, there is one thing.”
I climbed out of my bed and into his, and Devon drew me into his arms. Right away, I felt safer and more secure.
7
Kit
The next morning, I tried not to wake Devon as I slipped out of bed to use the bathroom and brush my teeth. When I returned and curled up next to him, he grinned without opening his eyes and muttered, “That’s so unfair, sneaking off and coming back all fresh and minty, so I’m the only one with a raging case of morning breath.”
With that, he tumbled out of bed and spent a few minutes in the bathroom before coming back and launching himself onto the mattress. He pulled me into his arms, and as we snuggled together I murmured, “You smell good. Did you put on cologne?”
“No, just a quick dab of deodorant. I wanted to one-up your minty freshness.”
“Well, now I need to go take a shower, so I once again have the upper hand.”
I tried to get up, but he pulled me back with a, “Noooooo!” Both of us chuckled as we fell onto the bed, and he said, “Just stay here and be lazy with me.”
I caught a glimpse of the digital clock on the nightstand and pointed out, “It’s almost eleven. Do we need to check out in about three minutes?”
