I hope you all aren't mad that I'm posting this before updating anything else. The epilogue for Dangerous is almost finished, and SHOULD be up today/tomorrow as well. I'm sorry for the long wait for everything! I'm doing my best with working through the writer's block. It's killer. Writing shorter stories like these lets me take a break from my usual stuff and clear my mind a little.

This is a TWO shot. The next part is written already, and will be up soon...it honestly just depends on you guys and if you like or not. :) This story is rated M for a reason, but it's not much more explicit than what I usually write.

Hope you all enjoy! Please review!

Keep the Car Running

"I hope Carl isn't offended that you chose me over him," I said, trying to juggle my phone, plane ticket, and my bags as I got out of the cab.

"Nah, you know how he is. Kids are too messy and crazy for him. You think I want to impose that lifestyle on him if Libby and I croak?" Sheen laughed on the other side of the line. "He can be the cool uncle instead."

"I'm not sure if I like your usage of the word 'croak'," I replied, and he just laughed again.

"Sure hope your flight can make it here before the snow starts. Libby's getting induced in four days and if you're not here for the birth, she might be even more stressed out than she already is," he said, with slight panic in his voice.

California in January was like a dream; sunny and still fairly warm. I didn't mind this kind of weather since I'd grown up in Texas, but Sheen and Libby were still newcomers to the snow and freezing cold scene since moving to Colorado a few years ago.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Tell her not to worry about me making it there on time, which I will unless a freak accident happens. She just needs you," I assured him.

"Damn, you been watching Dr. Phil lately? That was almost poetic."

"Very funny."

"Just know that if Carl makes it here before you, he becomes the real godfather. Sorry."

My flight wasn't supposed to leave for another two hours, so I got in line for baggage check and waited comfortably. The holiday rush was over, and with it being a weekday, the line wasn't too long.

"That reminds me," I said. "You never told me who Libby chose as the godmother."

"...You really gotta ask that? I thought you were like, the smartest guy on earth or something. Think about it for a second."

Personal digs aside, he had a point - I did know who Libby's likely choice would be but every part of my being was hoping and praying that it would be someone else. It could be a stranger, for all I cared.

"I really don't want to say it. If I say her name she might appear out of thin air," I groaned. Sheen laughed so loud I winced, and I could hear him telling Libby what I'd said in the background. Of course they thought it was hilarious. They'd probably planned it out on purpose.

There was a shuffling noise on the end of the phone and Libby's voice was in my ear in the next second. "I'm only going to tell you this once, and if I have to tell you again while I'm pushing something the size of a watermelon out of my vagina then I won't be happy," she said sternly, and I had to hold back a chuckle, especially when I heard Sheen laughing in the background again. "The two of you will get along the entire time you're here, and I don't want to hear any arguing, name-calling, bragging, screaming, or insults thrown at each other. My baby can hear that through the womb, you hear me? You'll scar Sheen Jr. for life."

"Please tell me you're not really naming him Sheen Jr."

"Jimmy," she said in a threatening voice, and I shut up immediately.

"Yes ma'am. But I sure hope you gave her the same spiel you just gave me," I replied. "You know she's not innocent in all of this."

"Oh I know," she said on a sigh. "Trust me. I've been working on her for years to lose that temper. I have a bad feeling it'll be worse than ever right now, too, with -"

"Hey, no need to freak him out," Sheen came back on the phone suddenly. I didn't know what Libby had been leading up to, but I wasn't sure if I really cared. We said our goodbyes and I told him I'd text him when I landed in Colorado Springs.

Despite the happy occasion and life-changing milestones I'd get to experience with my best friends, I wasn't looking forward to sharing it with a literal she-devil. I would follow Libby's orders and try to keep the peace for as long as I could, but there wasn't just something about her that irked me and drove me up the wall with anger and frustration - it was everything about her.

Ever since high school graduation, I'd seen her maybe once or twice, and we hadn't exactly made pleasant conversation with each other. It was still hard to be in the same room as her knowing how she felt about me - which seemed to be pure hatred. I could always be wrong about her, though. She could be nice and sweet now.

I nearly laughed out loud at the thought. Yeah right.

-0-0-0-0-0-

I hadn't been worried about the upcoming snowfall that was supposed to occur in Colorado when Sheen had mentioned, nor when I saw the news broadcasts about it in the airport as I checked in for my flight and waited near my boarding gate.

When cancellations and delays started appearing on the various screens set up to relay flight information, I cursed. If my flight got delayed now there was no way there would be another one directly to Colorado until the storm quit, which could be an entire twenty-four hours from now. Sheen was going to flip.

I started looking up flights would land in places like Albuquerque or Santa Fe so I could get there and drive the rest of the way in case my flight was suddenly cancelled. If I would've known how bad the storm was going to be, I would have just taken the hover car. It was a little worse for wear these days, and it definitely needed fixing up, but it would do in a pinch.

There was a collective groan head amongst the people around me and I glanced up at the screen. My flight had indeed just been cancelled. I stood up and made my way to a ticket desk, not wanting to waste any time.

"What do you mean it's cancelled? I just bought my ticket like an hour ago. Why would you sell it to me if you knew there was a chance it could be cancelled?"

A distinct, powerful voice drew my attention to one of the ticket desks. My attention was caught by a frightened looking attendant who was trying to calm someone down. "Ma'am, we don't get that kind of information beforehand. You can get a refund or I can rebook your flight for when the storm passes. The next available one is scheduled for Wednesday at-"

"Wednesday?! That's two days from now. I'll miss the whole damn birth of my godchild!"

The sound of the voice and the word godchild clicked inside my brain and my first instinct was to run far, far away. That would have been immature, of course, so I didn't. I also knew I'd never get away in time to escape her obvious anger. It would demolish everything at the rate she was going.

So, I decided on the opposite of my first instinct. I intervened instead.

"Cindy," I said loudly, walking up to the desk she was terrorizing the worker at. "Long time no see."

I knew my presence would probably shock her - just as shocked as I was by her being there. Last I'd heard, Cindy Vortex was living in New York City and working in a lab as biochemist. Oh, and she was also engaged. I'd heard bits and pieces about her life from people like Sheen, Libby, and my parents but I hadn't personally caught up with her. The few times I'd seen her in the past eight years had been uneventful. I spent most of my time avoiding her like the plague. After graduation, we'd went our separate ways for college. I'd chosen the west coast and she'd taken to the east. At the time, I was ecstatic that I'd possibly never see her again. Living on opposite ends of the country put sufficiently enough space between us. I should've known that was a pipe dream.

The airport worker seemed happy about the sudden interruption. All the heat and anger stored in Cindy's 5'2'' frame had been redirected off of her and onto...me. I didn't really care, but there was a line growing starting to form behind the blonde now.

"You're going to get security called on you if you keep it up," I told her quietly, and she glared at me, but grabbed her purse that she had sitting on the counter and stomped off, brushing past me.

"I'll be back!" She said over her shoulder at the poor lady working the counter. I rolled my eyes and took off after her.

"Are you insane? Don't you know better than to make a scene at an airport? They'll have no problem treating you as a threat," I said once I'd gotten caught up with her. It wasn't a difficult task. Even though she was a fast walker, I was much taller than she was and didn't have to put forth much effort to get farther.

"Well hello to you too, Neutron," she replied snidely.

"What are you even doing here?"

She stopped suddenly and turned towards me. I had to stop myself from physically running into here. "I thought it was obvious that I'm flying to see my best friend have her baby. What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing the same thing, actually."

Her glare strengthened. "Funny. Libby didn't mention you were going to be around. I should've known I wasn't going to get that lucky."

Great. Libby had been planning on giving Cindy the surprise of the century. I didn't know if that was a smart idea or a terribly bad one. Now it was up to me to break the news to her.

"I'm guessing she didn't mention who you'd be god-parenting with, either."

Realization dawned on her face for a moment, leaving her looking the least angry and hateful I'd seen her since...well, ever. But the negative emotions were back on her face tenfold a second later. "She bamboozled me. I can't believe this! Just wait until she has that baby, I'm going to kick her ass!"

I wanted to ask her why the word bamboozle was the first one she thought of to use in this context but she was already walking away again. "Where are you going?" I asked, still keeping up with her.

"Away from you!" She said, and so I stopped in my tracks. She kept walking, her blonde hair fluttering behind her with each forceful step. I wasn't sure why I'd tried to follow her in the first place, but I watched her until she disappeared into a crowd of people.

I already had a headache from this entire situation. I walked back to one of the ticket desks and inquired about flights landing in New Mexico, but there weren't any going out until the next day. At this rate it would nearly be faster - and less frustrating - to drive to Colorado from California than it would be to wait. I browsed car rentals on my phone and walked around the airport a little. I told myself it was for exercise purposes and not because I was looking for a certain someone.

I found her anyway, and she was sitting on a bench near a deserted gate. She didn't seem angry anymore. In fact, she seemed a little too still and silent, like she frozen in time. Her cellphone was in her hand, resting on her lap, Like was ready to make a call or answer it at any moment. She didn't react when I sat down next to her.

"Maybe we should start over," I said slowly. Her eyes slid over to me but she didn't say anything. "Earlier when I asked what you were doing here, I meant in San Diego, not in the airport. I thought you lived in New York?"

"I do. I was here for a work conference."

"I'm thinking about just driving to Colorado instead of waiting for a new flight."

"That's an idiotic idea," she said flippantly.

"Really? You have a better one?"

"I have more sense than to drive straight into the biggest projected snow storm of the year, and that's more than I can say for you."

I could feel my anger rising in that familiar old way, and it was like I was right back in high school again, fighting with Cindy over who had better ideas or who could score higher on the SATs. I always hated how I reacted around her, and I especially hated how she treated me.

"I don't know how you're so pissed off at me already after seeing each other for the first time in almost ten years, but I don't really care anymore. I was going to suggest we drive there together but you're right - that's an awful idea," I said as I stood up, and she finally looked at me with wide eyes. "It was nice catching up with you, Vortex. See you in Colorado."

I walked away, determined to get the hell out of dodge. I thought I heard her say Neutron to my back but I ignored it. If she hated me so much, even after all this time, then I had underestimated the power of time healing all things.

I rented a car without much fuss, and went outside of the airport to wait for the rental person to bring the car to the curb. I was getting ready to text Sheen my plan - hoping he wouldn't freak out - when I felt a presence next to me.

"You surprised me," Cindy said, looking guiltier than I had ever seen her look in all the years I've known her. Which wasn't saying much. "Old habits die hard, right?"

I didn't reply.

"Alright, Neutron, I'm sorry."

"Don't strain yourself."

"Shut up," She said quickly and then shut her eyes, sighing. "See? I can't help it."

"You're not helping your case. What do you want?"

"Libby will kill me if she finds out I pissed you off before we've even gotten to the hospital," she replied begrudgingly. "And you're right, about driving I mean."

"Can I get that in writing?"

"Is it necessary for you to be so obnoxious?"

"Is it necessary for you to be so bitchy all the time?"

Her eyes darkened and I knew I had pushed it a little too far, but part of me felt like she deserved it.

"I probably deserved that," she said quietly, as if she'd read my thoughts. "But that's the only insult to my character you get say before I fight back."

I found myself smiling, which was a weird reaction to have, to say the least. She crossed her arms, her left hand cupping her elbow, and I instinctively looked down at her hand. No ring in sight. Perhaps I'd gotten my information wrong.

"So you're saying you're not waiting for the next flight?"

"I'd like to take you up on your offer if it still stands."

She kept surprising me. The first one had been when she'd appeared out of nowhere and the next had been when she actually apologized, as insincere as it sounded. Now she was going to willingly drive nearly 17 hours with me?

"Okay, but there's going to be some ground rules." She raised a brow at me. "We split driving time equally, and since it's almost five pm now, we should probably stay at a hotel tonight."

"Driver gets to control the radio," she said. "And I get to drive first."

"Why do you get to drive first?"

"Because I called it."

I ground my teeth together. This was a bad idea. I could feel it in my bones. I was going to be pulling my hair out by the time we arrived at Sheen and Libby's.

But I couldn't exactly turn her away. No matter how badly I wanted to hate her fully, I wasn't able to. It had never been that easy for me. I knew there was a part of Cindy that was unlike the selfish, cruel, rude, and tough exterior that she wore. At times, she could be sweet and funny. Loyal. I'd seen it before, and so it was hard for me to push her away at a time like this.

"Fine," I said after I had calmed myself down some. "But I get to choose the hotel and where we eat first."

"Whatever. How much is this going to cost me?" She nodded towards the white Highlander that pulled up.

"Don't worry about it."

I grabbed my bags and started putting them in the trunk, and when I was done I noticed she hadn't moved. She had her hands on her hips now, glaring at me.

"What do you mean, 'don't worry about it'? You think I can't pay for half?"

I put my hands up defensively. "It's not a big deal."

"Neutron, you really don't think I'm going to let you pay-"

I dangled the keys in front of her face to shut her up. "If you don't start driving, I will."

She grabbed the keys and ran to the drivers side. I rolled my eyes and mentally started a countdown. 17 hours of driving, maybe closer to 20 or 21 on the road to account for stops and traffic. Eight hours to sleep, plus a few more so we could shower and get ready. That meant I only had to spend around 32 hours with her until we had other people around us to act like as a buffer. Too bad that the majority of those hours would be spent in close quarters.

I took a deep breath before getting in the car. I could do this.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Cindy was a bad driver. At first I thought it had been the rush hour traffic that was hindering her skills, but I realized as we got out of the city that she had a lead foot. She liked to stomp on the brake instead of easing into it. I could also tell she liked her music loud, and I kept turning it down. Every few seconds she would turn it back up. We went back and forth like that for awhile until I shut the entire radio off.

She glared at me instantly. "I told you driver controls the radio."

"You're going to make me deaf!"

"Don't be so dramatic," she snorted. The way she was weaving in and out of cars on the highway was making me nervous - and I didn't get nervous often.

"Do you drive very much?" I asked.

"Haven't in awhile. Since I live in the city my car just sits and collects dust in a parking garage. It's easier to walk places or catch a cab."

"I can tell."

She just turned the radio back on. I quickly shut it back off. "Do you like living in New York?" I asked in order to stave off her anger.

She shrugged. "It's alright."

"Just alright?" I was curious by her less than enthusiastic answer.

"It's not Texas," she said. I didn't know what she meant by that. "How is California?"

"I like it. I'm not fond of the cold."

"I can't say that I like it too much either."

Polite conversation about the weather - that was a good sign. I jumped as Cindy blared her horn as we passed a semi.

"What the hell?!"

"He cut me off earlier. I was just saying 'fuck you' in the best way that I can."

Why was I not surprised?

We rode in silence for awhile and I checked my phone. Sheen was definitely worried about the fact that I was driving, but I assured him it was fine. I left out the part that I had Cindy with me. It served him right for not telling me she would be coming. I'd leave it up to her to break the news to him and Libby that we were traveling together.

I jolted forward in my seat a little as Cindy pressed on the gas hard - it had to be nearly down to the floorboard with the way it felt. I saw the speedometer leap from 70 mph to almost 85. "What the fuck?"

She glanced to the rear view mirror calmly. "This guy has been following us pretty closely ever since I flipped him off. I'm just trying to lose him."

"I didn't realize I was signing up for a rendition of Fast and the Furious by being your passenger. Who do you think you are, Vin Diesel?"

I looked behind us. Sure enough, the huge truck behind us was having no problem keeping up even with our increase in speed. Cindy had her middle finger in the mirror, directly in the guys line of sight.

"Are you seriously just egging him on right now?" I exclaimed. "You're going to get us plowed over."

"Fine, I'll slow down," she said, and pumped the brake. The truck had to pass us quickly to avoid a collision.

This woman was going to give me a heart attack. "I want to drive. Right now."

"It's only been an hour!"

"I don't care, you're a crazy driver! You're lucky I let you drive for this long!"

"And what do you want me to do, pull over on the side of the highway?"

"There's an exit coming up in a mile."

The next minute of driving was spent in tense silence, and as she turned onto the off ramp of the exit I recognized the semi exiting directly in front of us as the one Cindy pissed off earlier. She didn't even seem to notice, or if she did she didn't care.

"Just get back on up here and keep driving," I told her and she looked at me like I was crazy.

"You can't just change your mind! Plus, I have to pee."

"Already?!"

She didn't answer, just pulled up to the closest gas station and got out. I took several deep breaths and then got out to sit in the driver's seat. I looked around but didn't see the crazy truck driver anywhere. Hopefully it would be smooth sailing from here.

After another five minutes, I started to get annoyed again. Maybe a little concerned too. I didn't think she would take so long, and if I knew Cindy she was probably -

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cindy full out running towards the car. Out of instinct I started the vehicle and she got into the passenger seat. "You need to drive, and fast. Let's go!"

"What's going on?!"

She pointed out the windshield where a big burly man was barreling towards us. He was clutching his nose. I frantically shifted the car into reverse and the car squealed as we took off away from the gas station and onto the highway again.

When blood stopped rushing through in my ears I looked over at Cindy. Her eyes were wide and she was poking at her right hand.

"You punched him."

"He wouldn't leave me alone!"

"And so you punched him?"

"Hey, I was just defending myself. He was getting all up in my face! I didn't see you doing anything!"

"He wouldn't have been in your face at all if you hadn't flipped him off so many times. And how was I supposed to know what was happening inside?"

She used her good hand to flip me off. I couldn't believe that the situation had escalated so quickly or that our little road trip had gone to absolute shit in less than two hours of driving. All I wanted was to get far enough to a hotel and stay away from her for the night and hopefully tomorrow would be better.

Silence only lasted for about ten minutes until I saw her flexing her hand and wincing. I felt a little bad for freaking out on her. I didn't know Cindy very well anymore, but the Cindy from high school didn't fly off the handle and punch just anyone. She probably really felt threatened by the truck driver. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she did shortly, placing her hand back on her lap like nothing was wrong.

I sighed. So much for making nice.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Cindy fell asleep soon after that. Punching people in the face must be exhausting - not that I would know.

That meant I was able to drive in peace for a few hours. When darkness fell and my eyes started to burn from focusing for so long, I figured it was a good time as any to stop. Not to mention I was starving.

We were an hour past Phoenix, but we still had a lot of driving left to do if we want to make it to Sheen and Libby's at a decent time the next day.

I exited in a town that promised a few restaurants and a hotel, and Cindy awoke as the car came to a stop at a red light.

"Are we there already?" She asked in a confused, tired voice. I chuckled.

"Not quite. Just stopping for the night."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. I could've drove more."

Sleepiness somehow made Cindy Vortex kinder than usual.

"You hungry?"

She nodded. I chose the first place we came across; a small but well-lit and homey looking diner.

Cindy didn't say much as we sat down and I was able to catch a glimpse of her hand as she read the menu. It was red and clearly swollen. "Jesus, your hand is huge. It's definitely broken."

She glanced down at it. "I'll ice it later and take some painkillers. It'll be fine."

The waitress stopped by our table with a bored expression on her face. "What can I get you?"

"Do you serve alcohol here?" Cindy asked abruptly.

The waitress didn't even blink. "We only have the basics."

I discreetly checked my watch. It was nearly eleven. Cindy smiled happily and ordered her meal. "And the strongest drink you have."

I ordered and eyed her suspiciously. "Really?"

"It's been a long day, Nerdtron."

The usage of her old nickname she'd made up for me gave me the same feeling I got when I visited my parents house in Retroville. Nostalgic, comforting, yet with an annoying touch that only Cindy could produce.

The strongest drink the diner had ended up being a mysterious clear liquid in a short glass. Our food came immediately after. I watched with fascination as Cindy downed the entire drink at once and she made a disgusted face.

"Let me guess - cheap vodka."

"Try again."

"Tequila?"

"Nope. Worse."

"What's worse than tequila?" I pondered.

"Use your imagination," she insisted. "Think bad high school decisions."

I thought about that for a moment and she rolled her eyes. The waitress was walking past our table carrying a large tub of dishes and Cindy stopped her. "Can we get two more of this delicious beverage please?"

The waitress nodded and kept walking. "Oh hell no," I said. "Absolutely not."

"Chicken," she muttered under her breath. Suddenly I had a glass of strong smelling liquor sitting in front of me. "Don't think about it, just drink it."

She lifted her glass and I did the same. She clinked them together in an informal toast and we took the shot at the same time. It burned all the way down.

"Ever clear," I said, picking up my water. "I definitely wasn't drinking that in high school."

She shrugged and started eating. "Not my fault you were boring."

Something about her tone rubbed me the wrong way. "Boring?! I was not."

"Oh please, name one exciting thing you did in high school that wasn't science or space related."

I sat back in my seat a little, feeling stumped. "Science is exciting."

"I'm not disagreeing with you on that but there's more to life than your scientific endeavors."

"Alright, I'll humor you. Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, let's start with non-academic hobbies. Got any?"

"...I've been hiking before."

"You've been hiking as in it's something you like to do and do it often or you've been hiking as in you've done it once?"

"Does it matter?"

"Okay, so the second one," she said, a sly smile overtaking her face. "Let's move on to...your love life. Got a girlfriend or anything?"

"No, but I don't see why that matters," I said defensively.

Cindy made an effort to catch the waitress' eye, who looked like she may be avoiding us. "You probably spend all of your time working and being holed up in a lab somewhere, avoiding all female attention. Or male - I don't want to make assumptions."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Very funny, Vortex. What makes you the authority on these things?"

She suddenly bore an innocent expression. "Why, I never said I was an expert on anything! I'm just offering a different perspective, is all."

"You're so fucking annoying."

She grinned, not put off at all by my language - which had slipped out unbidden probably thanks to the alcohol - or my insult.

The waitress finally came back and ripped our bill from her ticket book. "If you want to keep imbibing you'll have to do next door at the bar. We close in thirty minutes."

Cindy grabbed the slip of paper and paid it before I had a chance to protest.

"Cmon, vanilla boy. Let's get out of here before they charge us with public intoxication."

She got up and started to leave the restaurant. I had no choice but to follow her. "Vanilla boy? Are you serious?"

Once outside, she bypassed the car and sure enough - she was headed to the bar next door. I must not have been in the right mind, because I followed her without arguing.

"What about you?" I asked her as we sat down on the stools along the bar. The place was a total dive - dark, dirty, and smelled a little strange. There was a group of tough looking guys playing pool in the corner and a few others sitting at the bar like we were.

"What about me? And what are you drinking?"

"I'll just have whatever you're having." Of course, she ordered two shots of tequila. "I'm not trying to be hungover tomorrow."

"Chill out. What are you trying to ask me?"

"Since you're so concerned with my hobbies and my love life, yours must be in pretty good shape, right?"

"Of course," she said, but the way she avoided eye contact told a different story.

"Do tell. Maybe it'll inspire me to spice up my own life."

She glared at me and took the shot, wincing a little as it went down. "You're despicable."

"I'm only having one of these and then we need to find a hotel. It's already late the way it is."

"Oh, live a little, Nerdtron! We could be attacked by scorpions in our sleep and die tomorrow. You would regret not taking another shot with me," she said, and I could tell that the alcohol was already affecting her.

"I highly doubt we will be die because we got attacked by scorpions."

Cindy hopped off of her barstool. "I don't want to test our luck. We're in Arizona after all. Want to play some pool?"

-0-0-0-0-0-

I should've known that one shot was going to turn into four, and that one seemingly innocent pool game would turn into something much greater than that. The men who were finishing up their game didn't like us moving in on their territory at first but after a few minutes of flirting by Cindy, they easily moved out of our way.

One of them insisted on playing the winner. Even with a possibly broken hand, Cindy kicked my ass. In my defense, I've only played pool a few times. That didn't stop her from teasing me endlessly. When she beat the roughest looking guy in the bunch, it was hard not to be impressed.

The only reason we left was because the bar closed at two am. I knew in the back of my mind that tomorrow was going to be hell. I knew I would be hungover, grouchy, and if we got a late start with driving then it would ruin the whole day - but I could at least admit that I had fun.

Never in a million years did I imagine myself staying the night in bumfuck nowhere, Arizona with Cindy Vortex, let alone have such a fun time doing it.

Watching her charm the group of mean looking bikers was amusing to say the least. I was on their good side by default, and they kept insisting we have another drink with them.

We drifted back to the car to grab our bags for the night. Luckily, there was a small hotel across the road from the bar and we could walk there easily.

"You're not exactly what I remember from eight years ago," I told her, the words slipping out of my mouth unchecked. She gave me a curious look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you punched a trucker. You made friends with a group of bikers and you seem to be doing pretty well right now for all the tequila and ever clear you've drank."

She fluttered her eyelashes at me playfully. "I like to keep things interesting."

"You're kind of a badass, Vortex."

"What can I say, Neutron? You bring it out of me. I spend five minutes with you and suddenly life goes from easy breezy to dangerous and crazy."

She grabbed her bag and walked off at that statement.

"Hey, you better not be blaming me for all that's happened today!" I shut the trunk of the car and ran after her to the hotel.

A young, tired looking woman was running the front desk. She greeted us with a slight glance as we walked in.

"Can we get two rooms?" I asked her.

She typed at her computer for a few moments before sighing. "We only have one available."

I opened my mouth to argue but Cindy clapped a hand over my mouth. "We'll take it."

I glared at her and then we had a small argument over who would pay. When I reached for my wallet, she stomped on my foot and while I was distracted, she slid her card to the woman with a triumphant smile.

She had a great knack for fighting dirty.

We got the keys to the room and I was excited to change and finally get some sleep. I was definitely more than a little buzzed, too.

I walked into the room and dropped my bag when I saw that there was only one bed. Great. Cindy bumped into me a second later. "Why are you blocking the roadway with your huge head?" She grumbled.

"There's only one bed," I said. She peered around me to see for herself.

"So there is. At least it's a big one."

I stifled a groan. "I can sleep on the floor."

"Don't be ridiculous. You have a problem with sharing?" She sat down in the bed and raised a brow at me.

Now that we were in a more brightly lit area, I could tell she was affected by the tequila too with her pink cheeks and her green eyes slightly glossy. Her hair was still down and a little mussed up from our activities of the day. I also noticed for the first time her top was low cut. I tried to remember that she was an engaged woman according to Libby.

"You know, you never answered my question earlier."

"What question was that?" She kicked off her shoes. I plopped down on the bed next to her, leaning back into the pillows.

"About your hobbies," I said casually. "And your love life."

"My hobbies include road tripping with a boy I knew in high school who's pretty vanilla," she teased, laying down to face me with her head propped up with her hand.

I rolled my eyes at the vanilla comment. "And the other part?"

I had no idea why I was pushing her so hard. I thought the fact that she was supposedly engaged but wasn't wearing a ring or had even mentioned a significant other was just weird to me.

She looked down, pulling at a string on the blanket as she answered. "Let's just say I don't have the best track record with men. I'm starting to think I would be better off with a man who's sort of...vanilla." We made eye contact and my heart started to race as she placed her uninjured hand on my chest lightly, as if she were afraid to touch me. "Vanilla is nice. Vanilla is easy."

"Yeah, okay - I'll show you vanilla."

I threaded my fingers through her long tresses and settled my hand at the base of her neck, giving her a kiss that may her rethinking about labeling me as vanilla.

When I pulled back after a few minutes, she grinned at me. "You know, there's nothing wrong with vanilla. They call it the classic flavor for a reason and -"

I cut off her ramblings with another kiss. I quickly shut down the part of my brain that screamed this was a bad idea. She hadn't actually told me if she was with someone or not, although I was leaning towards not judging by her words and actions. Neither of us were thinking clearly.

She used the hand on my chest to push me off of her and I thought I had taken it too far. When she slipped her shirt off and climbed on top of me, I knew I hadn't.

I could taste the lime she'd used with the tequila shots as she opened her mouth, sliding her tongue against mine shamelessly. I broke the kiss to pepper kisses down her jaw and neck, scraping my teeth against her throat lightly. I took advantage of all the skin she'd revealed and ran my hands down her strong back and soft stomach, goosebumps appearing over the flesh I touched. She gasped when I unsnapped her bra with one quick hand movement. I couldn't stop the self-satisfied grin from forming on my face. She undid my jeans in retaliation, not hesitating to slide her hand down inside to pump me slowly, causing me to groan. I pushed her onto her back to regain control after a few moments, unwilling to be the one to lay back and give her a reason to call me vanilla again.

The rest of the night is a blur of warmth and the distinct pain - the best kind - of her nails digging into my back and shoulders. I didn't think about what the next morning might bring. I didn't care about consequences or regrets or complications. That almost never happened. There were only a few occasions in my life in which I ran off of pure emotion and impulse, whether it be of the positive or negative variety. Funny that they all seemed to involve Cindy Vortex.