8 – St. Louis
Felicity got into the car and drained the last of her bottle of apple juice. Studying the empty container, she asked, "Remember how you said you and your friends used to spin a bottle on the road to see where you were going to go next?"
Ben started the engine. "Yeah. Why?"
"I was just thinking it might be fun to try that. I mean, I know we have to basically go west, but we didn't really pick our next stop until Yellowstone." She gave him an adventurous grin. "Want to try it? We can just re-spin it if it points back east."
Ben matched her grin. "Yeah, let's do it."
- - - - -
Their spinning bottle pointed them unerringly southwest, as though it had known all along that St. Louis ought to be their next destination. They arrived in the early afternoon with the tank low on gas.
"There. There's a gas station up ahead," Felicity said, pointing to a sign labeled Mighty Mart at the corner of an intersection.
Ben pulled into the parking lot and drew alongside one of the gas pumps.
Felicity got out of the car with him. "Do you want anything from inside?"
"Um…If they have pizza, a slice would be great."
She giggled. "Better be careful about getting sauce on the upholstery, then. Mickey might never forgive us if we blemish The Baby."
He laughed and turned to the gas pump. Looking back over his shoulder, he added, "We'll just eat here. A quick pit-stop before we look for our next motel."
Felicity entered the store to get their pizza and beverages. As an afterthought, she grabbed a package of Twinkies for Ben and a chocolate bar for herself. I'm learning so many little things about him that I never even thought to question until this trip, she reflected. It's funny. He was kind of this one-dimensional crush in high school. All I really knew was that he liked track and swimming. Now I know he loves Twinkies and can't stand olives or anchovies on his pizza. And he's a light sleeper…a lot lighter than me. Her pensive smile faded. And I know that's because of his father. He said he used to wake in the middle of the night to his dad yelling at his mom, and run out of his bedroom to try and protect her. She admired the strength that had enabled Ben to get through such a childhood and become the man he was in spite of it. He's so much better than he gives himself credit for. He's wonderful, and he doesn't even realize it.
She paid for her purchases and exited the building with her smile restored.
"You look happy," he said, coming toward her across the parking lot.
She beamed at him, setting their food on a café table out front of the building. "I am happy."
"Well, that much happy deserves a picture," he determined, and caught the attention of a woman leaving the building, handing her Felicity's camera.
Felicity stood next to Ben and smiled. Before the woman could take the picture, Ben swept Felicity up and threw her over his shoulder. Felicity laughed aloud. Ben turned sideways so that the camera caught both of them, wearing identical grins, and the woman snapped the photo.
Ben swung her down and set her back on her feet, chuckling. He accepted her camera back from the woman, thanking her, then turned to their food. "You got me Twinkies," he observed, sounding pleased.
"I thought it would be good penance for making fun of your addiction to them," she snickered.
He gave her a look of mock severity. "Apology accepted." He opened the box on top to sniff appreciatively at the pizza within. He lifted his slice and took a bite. "This isn't bad. Better than the stuff we get down the street from Sean's place."
"You mean Mario's? I always thought their pizza was pretty good."
"Try saying that after Sean 'perfects' it by topping it with one of his food inventions," he deadpanned.
"Eeeughh."
"Exactly."
As they ate, Felicity noticed a number of flyers posted on a community bulletin board outside the store. "There's a block party going on tonight downtown."
Ben craned around to follow her gaze to the bulletin board. "You want to go to a block party?"
His tone made her glare at him. "I do like to go to parties now and then."
At this, Ben's doubtful expression changed to one of amused acceptance. "Okay. Let's find a motel first, then, and get checked in."
After lunch, they drove around town, pausing to see the St. Louis Gateway Arch. At length, they found a motel that would fit their budget. Weighted down with her bags, Felicity struggled to open the door.
Ben reached around her and opened the door for her, giving her a grin when she thanked him.
The door swung open to reveal an interior that hadn't seen redecoration since the sixties. "Ewww," Felicity declared, eyeing the horrible pea-green carpet and matching psychedelic bedspread. She entered the room.
"Well, at least it's not on the walls, too," Ben pointed out, setting his bags on the bed. "Besides, you can kind of ignore it if you shut your eyes."
Felicity dropped her bags into a chair in the corner. "I think, by the end of this trip, you and I are going to be experts in finding the ugliest motel rooms in the United States."
Ben chuckled and hooked an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "I don't care what the room looks like. I'm not going to be looking at the room." He bent close for an affectionate kiss.
Felicity blushed.
- - - - -
The block party, as it turned out, was sponsored by one of the local college fraternities. An entire block of frat houses vibrated with music and glowed from within like outrageous party candles. Felicity couldn't believe her eyes. "How are they doing this on a Tuesday and still managing to stay in college?"
"I don't know," Ben answered as they walked up the street.
A group of young men who had obviously begun the festivities early came blundering down the sidewalk. One of them, a beefy redhead with a black T-shirt, plowed directly into Felicity.
She staggered back with a look of surprise. Ben grabbed her elbow to steady her. The redhead babbled a semi-coherent apology before he and his friends continued past.
Felicity and Ben got several yards further away from them. Felicity sighed and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. "I guess it's universal. College guys are—" Her eyes went round as saucers. "Oh, my God. My wallet! My wallet's gone!"
Ben jerked to a halt with an angry look. "Those guys. I bet they stole it when they ran into you!" He swung around and started running after the fraternity boys. "Hey! Stop!"
Alarmed, Felicity chased after him. "Ben! No, there's too many of them! Ben!"
Years of running track paid off. Ben caught up with them in no time, with no sign of being out of breath. "Hey! I said stop!"
The group turned to face him. With an amiable drawl, the dark-haired man in front slurred, "Whazz yer problem, man?"
"Her wallet. I want her wallet back," Ben growled.
Not surprisingly, the man retorted with, "What wallet?"
"The wallet the redheaded kid took from the girl back there," clarified Ben, straightening his shoulders and jerking a thumb behind him.
The redhead came to the front of the group with a vicious glare. "Are you accusing me of stealing?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm accusing you of," Ben shot back.
Felicity came to a halt beside Ben, puffing. "Come on, let's just go," she murmured nervously, eyeing the group. There were five of them, all at least Ben's size, a couple of them considerably larger. "Please? I can cancel the cards."
"Better listen to your girlfriend, hero. We don't have no wallet," sneered the redhead.
Bristling, Ben advanced. "Empty your pockets, if you're so honest."
The redhead growled. "Get the hell out of here, man."
"Listen, we ain't out here for trouble," said the dark-haired one in front. "Run along, now, hero." An unpleasant leer drew his lips back as he advanced toward Felicity. "Your girlfriend can stick around if she wants."
Ben sidestepped in front of her, his expression changing in a flash from irritation to outright warning.
Felicity shivered. Her breath rasped and came out in a whisper. "Ben—"
"Whassa matter?" laughed the dark-haired man. "Curly Top don't wanna play?"
The redhead held something up: Felicity's wallet. "Oh, is this what you wanted? Geez, how'd that get there?" He and his friends snickered. "Here, catch!" He tossed it into the air.
Felicity moved out from behind Ben to catch it. Startled, Ben reached for her arm and missed.
The dark-haired man grabbed her outstretched arm, making her yelp in indignation. "Come on, Curly Top, let's go party!" He tried to drag her with him.
Ben lunged and drove his fist into the man's face.
The group erupted into a tangle of flying fists. Felicity screamed. Lights went on in the frat houses nearby. Someone dove for Ben and knocked her to the ground. She struck her head on the sidewalk and blacked out.