Smolder Lane: Road Trip V
*Sequel to Smolder Lane: Las Vegas. The eight friends head on an adventure across the country.*
***
“I will get it!” Taylor springs up from his chair.
“You’re in your underwear,” Rob reminds him.
“I have nothing to be ashamed of!” Taylor smiles and saunters to the door.
“Really?” Jlyn frowns. They watch anxiously as Taylor opens the door.
“Well, hello, friend!” He smiles widely.
“May I come in?” The voice asks.
“Oh no…” Evie feels her eyes widen.
“Hell to the no!” Caroline throws her hands up as Taylor lets Chris in.
“Taylor!” Rob chastises him as he quickly gives everyone their clothing back.
“Were you all playing strip poker?” Chris raises an eyebrow at them.
“Maybe!” LOTSLove huffs as she buttons her shirt.
“What are you doing here?” Brendan growls.
“I need to speak to Evelyn,” Chris meets her gaze. Brendan lets out a very loud laugh. They all openly stare at him.
“Chris is going to cause Brendan to turn into one of those crazed evil villains,” Jlyn whispers to Evie.
“Not helping,” Evie gives Jlyn a glare.
“Perhaps this is something we can assist you with?” Rob asks, trying to ease the tension.
“It is personal,” Chris informs him.
“What? Are you pregnant?” Jlyn asks.
“Men can’t get pregnant!” Taylor tells her.
“I bet he could,” Jlyn whispers to Evie.
“Like he is so good looking he could impregnate himself?” Evie whispers back. The stare at each other for a moment and burst into laughter.
“Ladies?” Rob frowns at them.
“It’s nothing…” Jlyn composes herself.
“Not even that funny really…” Evie mumbles as they begin to laugh again.
“Anyway…” Brendan flashes Evie a look. “Good bye, Chris.”
“Evelyn,” Chris looks at her. “Just a few moments. Please.”
“Why don’t we just let them talk by the kitchen? We can stay here and make sure everything is okay,” Craig offers.
“Brendan….” Evie looks at him. “It will get him to leave.”
“My foot in his ass will get him to leave too,” Brendan tells her.
“Brendan!” Evie chastises him.
“I am all for a man fight!” Jlyn grins.
“Jlyn!” LOTSLove smacks her arm.
“What?” Jlyn shrugs. “Shirts optional?” LOTSLove smacks her again.
“Why don’t we open some more champagne and start a different game? Those two can have a quick chat.” Orlando offers.
“Five minutes,” Brendan growls at Chris and sits down.
“Thank you,” Evie sneaks a quick kiss on Brendan’s cheek. She walks into the kitchen area with Chris.
“Anyone have really good hearing?” Caroline asks as they all sit back down.
“Taylor, I believe that would be you,” Jlyn tells him.
“Hey! I am not a dog,” he tells her as he scratches his ear.
“No, not at all…” Jlyn rolls her eyes.
***
“Chris, this is inappropriate..” Evie crosses her arms with her back to the others.
“I just need some help,” he sighs and rakes his hands through his hair.
“With what?” Evie frowns.
“I think I lost her…”
“Who? You’re girlfriend?”
“Yes,” he sighs and leans on the kitchen counter.
“Every couple has fights…” Evie tells him.
“I think she found someone else,” he looks at her.
“Then prove to her why she should come back,” Evie responds.
“And why should she?” Chris asks.
“Remind her of everything you can offer her in a relationship,” Evie explains.
“And what is that?” He questions.
“Are you fishing for compliments?” Evie raises an eyebrow.
“Of course not,” he grins back. “Just reminding you of what you are missing,” he whispers back.
“Chris…” Evie whispers a caution. As if in response, a loud crack of thunder echoes in the room. Evie and Chris turn to the sound of Taylor
screaming.
“Damn!” Jlyn covers her ears. “Warn us before you howl.”
“I hate thunder,” Taylor hugs himself.
“Just pretend it is God bowling,” LOTSLove smiles.
“That is cute,” Craig smiles and sneaks in a kiss to his wife.
“It is just a storm, Taylor,” Rob tells him as he passes out the cards.
“I hope everyone knows how to play rummy?” Orlando smiles.
“I don’t, but you can teach me,” Caroline smiles. Thunder booms again, followed by lightening. Taylor screams and the lights go out.
“Aw bloody hell!” Rob growls, as they all fumble for their phones.
“Sacred of the dark, Evelyn?” Chris takes out his phone.
“No,” Evelyn scowls at him.
“Anyone see any candles?” Craig calls out.
“I am sure room service will bring us some,” LOTSLove offers.
“The doors are automatic,” Orlando frowns.
“Fantastic,” Brendan grumbles. “We are stuck with our new guest.”
“Something just touched my legs,” Jlyn grasps Rob’s arm. Rob takes his phone and looks under the table to see a cowering Taylor. Jlyn screeches.
“Do you scream as much as your friends?” Chris raises an eyebrow at Evie.
“Are we done here?” Evie asks.
“For now…” Chris gives Evie a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Taylor! Get up!” Rob grabs him by the shirt and hoists him back in his chair.
“There are candles in the gift basket,” Chris announces as they join the others.
“How would you know that?” Brendan glares at him.
“I have one in my room,” he smiles and takes a seat next to Taylor.
“I think the spirits hate me,” Brendan frowns.
“Maybe we can take all his money,” Craig offers as he checks his cards and LOTSLove lights the candles.
“Not such a bad night…candles and champagne…” Evie smiles at Brendan.
“Will this be another clothes less game?” Chris asks.
“Wouldn’t be much fun in the dark,” Rob laughs. As if in response, the lights flicker back on.
“Oh come on!” Brendan looks out the window. Then there is a knock at the door…again.
“What is this? Grand central station!” Jlyn huffs as Taylor goes to answer the door.
***
“I will get it!” Taylor springs up from his chair.
“You’re in your underwear,” Rob reminds him.
“I have nothing to be ashamed of!” Taylor smiles and saunters to the door.
“Really?” Jlyn frowns. They watch anxiously as Taylor opens the door.
“Well, hello, friend!” He smiles widely.
“May I come in?” The voice asks.
“Oh no…” Evie feels her eyes widen.
“Hell to the no!” Caroline throws her hands up as Taylor lets Chris in.
“Taylor!” Rob chastises him as he quickly gives everyone their clothing back.
“Were you all playing strip poker?” Chris raises an eyebrow at them.
“Maybe!” LOTSLove huffs as she buttons her shirt.
“What are you doing here?” Brendan growls.
“I need to speak to Evelyn,” Chris meets her gaze. Brendan lets out a very loud laugh. They all openly stare at him.
“Chris is going to cause Brendan to turn into one of those crazed evil villains,” Jlyn whispers to Evie.
“Not helping,” Evie gives Jlyn a glare.
“Perhaps this is something we can assist you with?” Rob asks, trying to ease the tension.
“It is personal,” Chris informs him.
“What? Are you pregnant?” Jlyn asks.
“Men can’t get pregnant!” Taylor tells her.
“I bet he could,” Jlyn whispers to Evie.
“Like he is so good looking he could impregnate himself?” Evie whispers back. The stare at each other for a moment and burst into laughter.
“Ladies?” Rob frowns at them.
“It’s nothing…” Jlyn composes herself.
“Not even that funny really…” Evie mumbles as they begin to laugh again.
“Anyway…” Brendan flashes Evie a look. “Good bye, Chris.”
“Evelyn,” Chris looks at her. “Just a few moments. Please.”
“Why don’t we just let them talk by the kitchen? We can stay here and make sure everything is okay,” Craig offers.
“Brendan….” Evie looks at him. “It will get him to leave.”
“My foot in his ass will get him to leave too,” Brendan tells her.
“Brendan!” Evie chastises him.
“I am all for a man fight!” Jlyn grins.
“Jlyn!” LOTSLove smacks her arm.
“What?” Jlyn shrugs. “Shirts optional?” LOTSLove smacks her again.
“Why don’t we open some more champagne and start a different game? Those two can have a quick chat.” Orlando offers.
“Five minutes,” Brendan growls at Chris and sits down.
“Thank you,” Evie sneaks a quick kiss on Brendan’s cheek. She walks into the kitchen area with Chris.
“Anyone have really good hearing?” Caroline asks as they all sit back down.
“Taylor, I believe that would be you,” Jlyn tells him.
“Hey! I am not a dog,” he tells her as he scratches his ear.
“No, not at all…” Jlyn rolls her eyes.
***
“Chris, this is inappropriate..” Evie crosses her arms with her back to the others.
“I just need some help,” he sighs and rakes his hands through his hair.
“With what?” Evie frowns.
“I think I lost her…”
“Who? You’re girlfriend?”
“Yes,” he sighs and leans on the kitchen counter.
“Every couple has fights…” Evie tells him.
“I think she found someone else,” he looks at her.
“Then prove to her why she should come back,” Evie responds.
“And why should she?” Chris asks.
“Remind her of everything you can offer her in a relationship,” Evie explains.
“And what is that?” He questions.
“Are you fishing for compliments?” Evie raises an eyebrow.
“Of course not,” he grins back. “Just reminding you of what you are missing,” he whispers back.
“Chris…” Evie whispers a caution. As if in response, a loud crack of thunder echoes in the room. Evie and Chris turn to the sound of Taylor
screaming.
“Damn!” Jlyn covers her ears. “Warn us before you howl.”
“I hate thunder,” Taylor hugs himself.
“Just pretend it is God bowling,” LOTSLove smiles.
“That is cute,” Craig smiles and sneaks in a kiss to his wife.
“It is just a storm, Taylor,” Rob tells him as he passes out the cards.
“I hope everyone knows how to play rummy?” Orlando smiles.
“I don’t, but you can teach me,” Caroline smiles. Thunder booms again, followed by lightening. Taylor screams and the lights go out.
“Aw bloody hell!” Rob growls, as they all fumble for their phones.
“Sacred of the dark, Evelyn?” Chris takes out his phone.
“No,” Evelyn scowls at him.
“Anyone see any candles?” Craig calls out.
“I am sure room service will bring us some,” LOTSLove offers.
“The doors are automatic,” Orlando frowns.
“Fantastic,” Brendan grumbles. “We are stuck with our new guest.”
“Something just touched my legs,” Jlyn grasps Rob’s arm. Rob takes his phone and looks under the table to see a cowering Taylor. Jlyn screeches.
“Do you scream as much as your friends?” Chris raises an eyebrow at Evie.
“Are we done here?” Evie asks.
“For now…” Chris gives Evie a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Taylor! Get up!” Rob grabs him by the shirt and hoists him back in his chair.
“There are candles in the gift basket,” Chris announces as they join the others.
“How would you know that?” Brendan glares at him.
“I have one in my room,” he smiles and takes a seat next to Taylor.
“I think the spirits hate me,” Brendan frowns.
“Maybe we can take all his money,” Craig offers as he checks his cards and LOTSLove lights the candles.
“Not such a bad night…candles and champagne…” Evie smiles at Brendan.
“Will this be another clothes less game?” Chris asks.
“Wouldn’t be much fun in the dark,” Rob laughs. As if in response, the lights flicker back on.
“Oh come on!” Brendan looks out the window. Then there is a knock at the door…again.
“What is this? Grand central station!” Jlyn huffs as Taylor goes to answer the door.