Chapter 14: Distract me Zac…
POV: Zac
Day 2: Friday.
I was woken up by Taylor, calling me and it took me several minutes to realize my phone was on the bed, I was half asleep and all Taylor said was open the door. I sat up and then realized that I wasn’t even in my hotel room! I was completely dressed and when I looked around I saw her, laying on the other bed asleep. I called Taylor back.
“Dude, come let me in.”
“I’m not there…”
“Oh fuck! You have never stayed anywhere when you had sex with some girl. What the hell?”
“I didn’t take anyone back. I fell asleep in Gabby’s room, we were playing video games and I laid back.”
“She let you? Shocking. She doesn’t do one night stands.”
“I said I fell asleep, I never said we were naked Taylor.”
Though she’d moved and those pink thongs barely peaked out from the shorts, fuck I really wanted to wake her up with a dozen kisses and much more, way more.
“Well, I came to your room to see if you’d told her to turn her phone off, I tried calling her.”
“Her phone is here, blinking but it hasn’t gone off. Maybe she silenced it?”
“Well, her boyfriend Simon called me, said he was worried because she wasn’t answering the phone.”
Her boyfriend?
“To my knowledge she’s not dating or with anyone, but I’ll tell her when she wakes up.”
We hung-up and I wondered if that was her real reason for saying no, but she had said she was single before! I got more woken up and since she was sound asleep I ordered room service but I did notice her phone was lighting up a lot, practically non-stop. I couldn’t unlock it, so I just watched it blink and flash until she turned over two hours later.
She was good to look at, the right curves in all the right places, but even half asleep, with her hair everywhere, and clothes all wrinkled she looked gorgeous. She gave me a confused look before remembering why I’d be here and then a few seconds later she was noticing the phone blinking and ringing.
“Taylor called me and said your boyfriend Simon called him, he was worried about you.”
Her warm chocolate eyes glazed over. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
She got up and went to the bathroom, when she returned she picked up her phone and I think she erased everything without reading most, voicemails barely started before she was erasing them. She looked irritated the whole time.
“I ordered you breakfast with mine, something easy to reheat. I wasn’t sure if you had plans for today.”
“Thank you.”
She heated the plate up and ate quietly, then she got a change of clothes but she paused and this sheer evil look passed over her face, then she got her phone and went to the bathroom. What the hell was that about and did I want to really know? When my phone beeped her ringtone I questioned it but picked it up and I was still staring at the screen when she came out of the bathroom.
“I assume you like the picture?”
“I…I um…didn’t expect it.”
“Of course not, but I figured you’d like a picture of the thongs to keep. Since they snapped you in the face.”
Her picture? She’d taken one with most of her back and half of her ass showing, why she felt compelled to send this to me was beyond me, it really wasn’t doing anything to prove she did not want too.
“I sent them to Simon too.”
“Why?”
If he was her ex, why was she sending him photos?! She smiled at me and turned her phone around, Carrick had texted her a picture, I recognized his number and the picture he sent was of me, with those pink thongs on my head, thankfully from behind.
“I added this one to it.”
“You are evil.”
“So, while I was being evil I considered what anything would include, you’ve been here a few times and while I have, I didn’t really get off the bus or venture away. I’d like for you to show me around Little Rock. Whatever you think would be fun, different, entertaining anything but between sheets.”
I sighed, damnit! I was rather hoping that fun, different and entertaining could be there. She wasn’t asking for anything very hard, I had been here a few dozen times and I’m sure she was curious about the area but this didn’t feel like that. This felt more like distract me Zac from this asshole that keeps calling.
“One condition.”
“What’s that?” She asked.
“You leave your phone here.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to bring it if Tay and Ike were fine.”
Bingo! This was more distract me Zac and I smiled. “Can we stop by my room for clean clothes?”
“Sure. Actually we leave this afternoon, so I was planning to check out.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you at the bus.”
I did go ahead and pack the video game system up and took it with me, I changed first and then repacked everything and was at the bus right after she was. I texted Taylor and Isaac to let them know that she’d be with me all day. If she wanted to be entertained for seven or eight hours, then damnit I would do it. As she loaded her luggage and put her phone inside I did some searching and made some plans. Taylor told me to take the car, because they didn’t need it. The first thing I did was the trolley that did a loop, it gave her a little bit of the whole city, in a short time. She took dozens of pictures of places, it also gave me time to find the next location. Considered her eyes lingered on the Zoo as we passed, I got the directions and that’s where we went.
“The zoo?” She asked.
“Everyone loves animals.”
I paid the admissions and we were let inside, finding the park map she leaned over and pointed to the area where the big cats were.
“That’s where you want to go first?”
“Well, I mean I don’t mind seeing the ones between them on the way, but yes.”
We headed to the right and passed the Siamang monkeys, Bald Eagles, the Warthog which smelled, and the wolves which she paused at too.
“Like wolves?” I asked.
“Yeah, they’re not big cats but they’re pretty. Pack hunters.”
She got several pictures before we moved on, I was taking pictures but she was in them all in some way. When we got to the big cats that was clearly her favorite spot. The way her face lit up when she saw them was very good and really good smiles. It helped that all the big cats were helping and being nice, coming as close as possible and being good. We stayed in this area a while before we moved on to the African rhino’s. We stopped at the Café inside the zoo for lunch and she could watch the elephants from there. We then continue to the otters, bears, and then small carnivores like the bob cat and red fox.
We were coming across the back of the Zoo, she was photographing the tortoise when the beautiful peacock came up behind her, the tail feathers barely brushed her ankles as it walked by but when she turned and saw it she freaked out. I was wondering if she was going to climb into the enclosure with the turtles!
“Gabby, what is it? You cannot be afraid of a peacock.”
“I had a bad experience with them as a child.”
The peacock moved on down the path, thankfully where we had been and she stayed put until it was well away from us. She then moved down the walkway quickly for a bit.
We got the apes, gorillas, and other primate and then I looked to the reptile area, she hadn’t indicated going there and I was sure because most of the spiders, if they had any, would be housed there too. Yet I wanted to go inside!
“Do you really want too?” She asked.
“You don’t have to go inside.”
“It’s okay. I’ll um, avoid any eight legged critters.”
Going inside was cooler and I was glad I didn’t see any spiders, she got some photos of the lizards but kind of hung back near the python, which was huge.
“Don’t like them either?”
“I have a love hate relationship with snakes.”
I looked at her standing behind me, wondering if that implied one eyed snakes too and she just sighed.
“Yes Zac that included one eyed ones. Can you do anything without sex crossing your brain?”
“Not really.”
We moved through slowly, taking more time and when we got to the spider section, which was at the end of the building she just stopped.
“They can’t hurt you, there behind glass.”
“Doesn’t make them any less scary to me.”
She stayed in the center of the aisle and didn’t venture either direction until we were out.
We had time to kill after the zoo so I took her to the Old State House museum, it housed a lot of Arkansas’s history and it was inside. She found interesting topics in the 1904 World Fair exhibit and I noticed she photographed about everything. The items she seemed fascinated with were the Fair, pottery, and musical sections. None of which were boring to me either. Yet, there was a photo of a cemetery that she studied extensively.
“Do you like photos of graves?”
“I just like cemeteries.”
“You...like them?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t terribly late but I knew we had bus call soon and we still had a bit of the exhibits to go, but it was fine. I was finding that I was enjoying this, she seemed entertained and calm, happy. She chose something rather cheap for dinner, a diner but it was a good food. We still had another two hours before bus call and it was dark but on the drive I remembered passing a cemetery, what the hell? When I pulled in she gave me a quizzical look, but didn’t ask until I’d parked.
“You really are bringing me to a cemetery?”
“Yes.”
We got out and it was the Mount Holly Cemetery, she did bring her camera which I felt was odd.
“Seriously, Gabby? You’re going to photograph graves?”
“No, but sometimes I do the statues or if there is water feature. I don’t photograph names or tombstones.”
“I can’t believe I am here.”
“You could wait in the car.”
“No, I’ll stay with you. I fear Isaac’s wrath much more than I do you.”
She smiled and we walked farther into the cemetery and she didn’t really do many photos, just statues of angels. But she did sit down near the statue and I sat down too.
“You are afraid of a peacock, but not a cemetery? That makes no sense.”
“When I was a kid we went to the Zoo for a school field trip, I got separated from the group and this beautiful bird is just coming after me. To me it was trying to peck my eyes out. I avoid them now, I would have moved had I known it was around. But, cemeteries are calm, still. There is no jackass waiting to hurt you, no asshole trying to scare you on purpose. No one can hurt you here because well, they’re already dead.”
“Makes sense then, I’ve never seen anyone so afraid of a spider.”
She paused sitting there. “When I was little there was a guy that owned a bunch, he kept telling me how dangerous they were, how they’d kill me. I was four and the first time he threw this gigantic spider in my lap I was scared and he thought that was funny, so kept on. By the time I was five I wouldn’t react, I’d just sit there as still as I could until he moved it.”
“That is horrible, why would he do that? Who was he?”
She looked across the field of tombstones. “Because he was an asshole and he was my foster father.”
I blinked. “Your foster father?”
“Yeah. Anyway, it’s getting late and you have to turn the car in and we have to bus call.”
“Yeah.”
We got up walked back to the car. I went by an ice cream place first.
“We’re going to be late.”
“Isaac messages and said they moved it to 10, we have another two hours because we’re loaded already. Besides, they have the best ice cream ever.”
I slightly regretted it when she moaned on the first bite, but at least she looked happy. It was really the first time she had given real smiles in a while, but foster parents. I couldn’t imagine having such an asshole for a foster parent. She seemed to love the ice cream though and then we headed back to return the car and then we took a cab to the venue. Everyone was outside when we arrived back, it was 9:30 so we were on time!
“Where the hell have you two been?” Carrick asked.
“Pretty close to everywhere, we went to the Zoo, the museum, took a trolley.” She said.
It had been a long day, but she’d smiled and she’d laughed and why were my thoughts consumed by her? We loaded onto the bus and sat in the back, she told them about the places but by midnight they were all in bed.
“You walked me to death today.”
“I’m sure you’ll live.”
Yet a moment later her feet were in my lap. “I am sure you know what I want now.”
I really wanted it to be much more than feet that I was rubbing, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. But, I would get to touch her and I knew her hygiene level was much better than anyone else’s. She seemed relaxed as I massaged the bottom of her foot, slightly ticklish too. I wondered if I could pry some information out of her.
“Who is Simon?” I asked.
Her eyes moved from the TV to me, filled with curiosity and wonder. “Why do you want to know who he is?”
“Well, he called Taylor asking for you, claiming to be a boyfriend and it’s clear that he’s the one your avoiding.”
“He is my ex-boyfriend, there not much else to say.”
“Is he the one bothering you?”
All of her attention was now squarely on me. “He wants another chance, number three. I’m not giving him that, he will eventually get the message.”
“So, you have given him two chances?”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have the second one.”
I let my hand venture up her ankle a bit, more the lower leg than her foot. “Blonde bitch?”
She tilted her head and giggled. “You move that hand any higher and you’re going to be in the floor. Yes, the blonde bitch. Oddly, both of them were blonde bitches.”
“He’s the one that taught you the drums, right?”
“If you already know the answers, why are you asking?”
“I am guessing, Gabriella.”
“Yes, he’s the one that taught me how to play drums like a pro. It was so I could do his sound checks and he could fuck blonde groupies in the back or some random ass blonde from outside. Guess he thought relationships were too much work for him. Is that why you avoid them?”
Shit! I didn’t expect that questions at all but she had answered mine so I guess I should at least answer her.
“I don’t avoid relationships.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So then you’re just a whore? Have you ever actually been in a relationship?”
“Yes. When I was 16 and 18.”
“Long or short term?”
“They were both long term.”
“What happen then?”
“The first one couldn’t handle us being gone so much, I mean I was hardly at home at that time. The second one thought that she needed two boyfriends to be happy. She just didn’t tell either of us.”
She sat up and shrugged. “I guess women can be assholes too. I’m going to try to sleep, you should too.”
What I wanted to do was draw her to me, sink my teeth into her neck and taste those lips of hers. Instead I let her get up and go to bed where I eventually went myself.
Day 3: Saturday. –Gabby-
I had tried to go to sleep, but Simon had sent or called all day and he didn’t stop, even at night. I got dick pictures as soon as I laid down, like I cared. He just kept on, even when I told him to stop! By the time he went to bed, everyone on the bus was getting up. I wanted to tell them to be quiet but I couldn’t, so I had dozed off and on all night and when I did get up I had a migraine from hell. I fixed cereal and remained in the front, clearing all the messages. Zac got up long before me and he slid into the seat beside me when he came for a drink.
“You okay? You tossed and turned a lot last night.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
I looked at him and deadpanned, top the headache off, my period had started and I was now cramping like hell. I wanted Midol and a hammer to kill everyone.
“I’m fine.” I stated.
“Careful there Zac, PMS is no joke.”
“Fuck you Mikey.” I snapped.
“Only if you join me sweet cheeks.”
“You should just shut up Mikey.”
I blinked, that was Zac’s voice and it clearly showed the joining him comment had bothered Zac, there was clear trace of jealousy. But, that couldn’t be right. He was being super sweet because he thought it would get him in my pants. Yet, Mikey shut up and went back to wherever he had been beforehand.
“When do we stop again?”
“Driver said an hour or so, he needs to gas up.”
I laid my head down on the table, fucking cramps. Zac however sat right beside me for two solid hours, just playing some game on his phone quietly. When the driver finally stopped I raised up.
“Can I get up now?”
“Just tell me what you want, I’ll get it.”
I raised a brow, was he serious? “I really don’t think you would.”
“Well, unless you’re seeking something illegal, I don’t mind.”
Taylor and Isaac walked by, along with everyone else on the but he sat there waiting on me to tell him. He was taking this three days of catering to me seriously.
“Believe me Zac, you won’t…”
He simply waited and it became clear he was not going anywhere, I sighed.
“Fine. Chocolate, lots of it. Bottle of strong migraine medicine, preferably Excedrin if they have it. Box of Midol tablets and tampons, tampax pearl medium to heavy, one box should be fine.”
He blinked and swallowed. “Excedrin migraine, Midol, tampax pearl medium to heavy and lots of chocolate? Any specific brand of chocolate?”
“Pure chocolate, I am partial to Dove but Hershey’s is fine too.”
Was he seriously going to go inside and get that? He slid from the seat and headed inside and I just sat there stunned. Had I stepped off into the fucking twilight zone?! I was still staring at the front door of the store when Carrick sat down across from me.
“What did you do?”
I shrugged. “I’m in the twilight zone because this shit is not real.”
No man had ever gotten anything like that for me, Excedrin sure but they’d gotten the generic bullshit brand.
“Well the candy and Excedrin I can understand, but Zac has no use for Midol or tampons. Given you are the only female on the bus, going to assume he is getting them for you.”
I saw him come out and his face was certainly red but he had two bags. One of them he sat in front of me and the other he took to the rear of the bus. Carrick even stared at the bag, both of us expecting it to vanish or blow up.
“Well, either you gave in, pretty sure you didn’t, you used your three day whatever I want, which would be genius or he’s trying very fucking hard.”
I rolled my eyes.” I vote the last one.”
“Me too.”
I got the Midol and Excedrin first and took them, went to the bathroom so I could get rid of the pad I’d been forced to use and then attacked one of the boxes full of candy he’d bought. Dove and Hershey’s. Yet the Excedrin did nothing for the headache. I mainly stayed in the front area because there was less noise and less video games and loud voices. I couldn’t read or write or do anything for the headache and Simon didn’t stop. Each time I would nearly doze off he’d send something. I probably got a hundred pictures of his dick, in all states of arousal and post arousal and they weren’t doing anything to me. I had my forehead on the table when I felt someone beside me; a small glance said it was Zac. I recognized the pants.
“Are you ok? You’ve been up here all day and you haven’t bossed me around at all.”
I shrugged, I really wanted a dark quiet room and as I thought that my phone went off and I groaned.
“Simon?”
“Probably.”
“Do you feel ok Gabriella? You’re not getting sick are you?”
“No. Just hurting and my bunk is too close to the back and it’s way too noisy back there for me.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Not really. No.”
He left me alone and when they stopped for dinner I didn’t move, the restaurant was packed solid and I knew going inside would be much worse. Turns out I didn’t have too, Zac brought me dinner having ordered take out so our order was first.
“You haven’t eaten much today.”
“I feel kind of nauseous that is why.”
“Well, maybe you need to eat.”
He had gone light and sat there until I was done where he then tossed the trash into the trash can outside.
“The guys are going to use up here for a bit, um they wanna play some card games. Why don’t you come lay down in the back? Tay’s going to be reading, Isaac’s going to be up here with the guys and I’ll be playing but I will mute the TV, it should be quiet.”
I nodded vaguely, movement seemed to hurt. I followed him to the back and curled up on the corner seat, he did play but the TV was muted, Taylor sat quietly in the other corner reading. Yet, my phone kept going off, so I still really didn’t sleep. It was about 9 when Zac cut the game off and moved to the other end of the couch, but he dragged the bean bag to sit in front of him. Taylor and I both looked at him questioning, wondering what he was doing.
“Come here.”
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes. Come sit down right here.”
Taylor completely stopped reading and watched, I reluctantly moved to the bean bag, amazedly the more relaxed pose did help the cramping some. He barely moved me but I felt his hands on my shoulders, massaging my shoulders.
Taylor groaned. “Damn Zac, you could have done that for me.”
“You haven’t been hurting all day Taylor.”
I had to admit he was fucking good, the right pressure and the tenseness in my shoulders melted away. It was when he reached my neck then I started feeling sleepy though, the right pressure and when he guided me back I followed. I vaguely heard Taylor giggle but the way his fingers moved on my scalp was divine. I quickly found the cramping wasn’t that bad anymore and the pounding headache was finally easing. Not even when the phone vibrated in my hand did I care. It was a super comfortable position and I really tried to stay awake but I couldn’t, although the last fleeting thought was my head was resting against his crotch, but he hadn’t seemed to care.
I have no idea how long I slept here, what woke me up was what felt like very soft fingers on the side of my head, it took a moment to realize that was exactly what I was feeling. Fingers running through my hair. I was turned on my side and it took seconds to realizes my head was in a very bad place of his lap. I rose up carefully.
“I really wasn’t going to wake you up, you were sleeping so well. But um, you went to tuck your hand under your head and nearly slid it under me.”
I felt the blushing realizing that my head in his lap was probably what he wanted, just not quite how he wanted it.
“Sorry, I tried to stay awake.”
“It’s okay, really. I was just afraid you’d move the wrong way, yeah that would have been worse. But you needed the sleep, it’s why your head hurts. Your phone wouldn’t stop, so Taylor moved it to your bunk. It’s still gone off but he said you can turn the volume off. Do you feel better?”
“Yeah, I do really.”
I was still groggy though I tried to get up, nearly fell but he was quick. He lead me to the bunk and assisted in laying down, but I found going back to sleep was rather hard, but then I felt his fingers on my neck, gently massaging.
“Turn the volume off.”
I barely could but I barely had it laid back down when my eyes began to close. I didn’t feel the blanket he laid over me at all.