Chapter 8
"Are we there yet?" Kelli complained from the passenger seat of her BMW 335d. "My butt is numb."
"Oh don't complain to me missy, this was your crazy idea. I mean really, Philly?" I responded.
It was summertime, which for me usually meant spending all my time in a hot sweaty diner or serving drunken men in a crowded bar while Kellie soaked up the sun down at the beach, but this year was different. This summer Kellie had somehow convinced me travel nearly three thousand miles with her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
"The monkey boys are in Philly." Kellie said simply. "Don't you want to show your sweet, sexy cousin your support?"
I rolled my eyes. "Benny knows very well that I'm his second biggest fan."
"Only his second?"
"His mom's the first."
"Oh, right. Well Jackson's in Philly." She argued. I couldn't help but smile and blush. "So what's up with you two anyways?"
"I don't know Kells. I mean we had this amazing sex, twice, and then he just up leaves for Philly like two days later. It's like he couldn't get far enough away from me fast enough."
"Jackson's working in Philly; he has a movie he's filming." She reasoned.
"Yea but, it's just that…well, he left kinda fast and he was just like 'Yea that was fun. Thanks. I'll call ya sometime.'" I mimicked in my 'guy' voice.
"And has he called you?"
"Well yea… a few times. We don't really talk very long and we certainly don't talk about us or what happened." I sighed. "I don't know Kells. It's just that, with Jackson, it felt different. It didn't feel casual. It was almost natural, like maybe it was supposed to be."
"Well, it's not like this would be the first time you've had casual sex Me-Me."
"You make it sound like I'm a whore."
"No just a slut, whores get paid for sex." She said matter-of-factly. I responded by slapping her leg a few times. "But really Me-Me, take it from me…"
"You mean a person with a lot of experience on this matter." I interrupted.
"Exactly." My insult had no affect on her. "Maybe you're making it out to be more than what it was supposed to be. Maybe it was just sex?" She smiled apologetically and I frowned slightly. "Or maybe I'm completely wrong and what you felt was chemistry. Maybe you and Jackson are destined to be; maybe you're madly in love with each other and haven't realized it yet. Maybe you'll get married and have lots of amazing sex and make lots of little Jackson babies."
"Yea and maybe Benny will find out and go on a monkey murdering rampage."
"Maybe or maybe he'd be really happy for you. There's a world of possibilities Amy, and you never really know what's going to happen until it happens." We were both quiet as I contemplated her words."But for now, will you just hurry up and get there. I have to pee!" She added with a slight plea.
*~*
A half hour later, after four days of cross country driving, we finally arrived at the new Monkey place in Philly. I phoned Benny as we pulled up and when Kellie and I walked through the front door it was to find him, Ben G., and Jerad sitting around the kitchen table with pad and paper; Jackson was apparently still at work. Benny got up to greet us, but Kellie brushed him off.
"Yea, yea where's your bathroom?" She said hurriedly.
"Down the hall, second door on the right." Benny responded and Kellie rushed off. "Nice to see you Aims."
"It's good to see you too." I said as we embraced. "Hey guys."
"Hi." Jerad smiled.
"Pull up a chair." Ben G offered.
"Uh, I've been sitting in a car since eight this morning; I think I'll stand for a while." I replied. "But thanks anyways."
"Yea, those cross country road trips can be hellacious can't they?" Benny joked.
"I still don't understand why Kellie insisted on driving all the way out here when we could have flown."
"Because then we wouldn't have a car when we got here, duh." Kellie said as she joined us in the kitchen.
"It's called a rental, duh." I replied.
"Yea but… it wouldn't be my car." She pouted; I rolled my eyes. "Oh, what are you working on?" Kellie asked the guys.
"Just writing some new stuff." Jerad responded.
"Oh, new songs, awesome."
"I see how it is. You guys sit around and do all the hard work, while Jackson gets all the credit." I said.
"Pretty much." Benny agreed with a laugh.
"I have something for you by the way," I told Benny. "Well something to show you rather, it doesn't have to be now though."
"Ooo, you have something for me too." Kellie piped in. "You said I'd get it in Philly, and we're in Philly so can I have it now?"
"Chill, Kells. I have something for guys as well but you will all get it at the same time, and they all have to be here first."
"Eh, it's just Jackson. You don't have to wait for him. He gets all the glory anyways, right?" Ben G smiled.
Just then Jackson came through the front door. "I heard my name. Who was taking about me? I hope it was all good stuff." He said.
"Well first there would have to be something good to say about you." Kellie replied.
"Ooo, what did I do to you?" He placed his hand over his heart.
"You haven't done a damn thing to me Jackson, and that is the problem."
"Well, ah, I have some free time now. Why don't you say we ah," He clicked his teeth and nodded down the hall.
"Hmmm, as tempting as that sounds I think I'd rather have my present." She turned to me with wide eyes.
"Present?"
"Shit, you know what I think I left it in Cali." I teased.
"You liar." She pushed my arm playfully.
"Alright, it's in the car. I'll go get it." I walked out to retrieve two thin packages from the car and Jackson followed.
"Are you going somewhere?" I asked.
"No, I just left Annabelle in the car." He replied.
"Annabelle?"
"My guitar." He pulled her from the backseat and held her up.
"You named your guitar?"
"Yea, doesn't everybody?"
"What is it with guys and naming things?"
"It's all about building up the male ego. If you've noticed, all the names are usually female. So if we start throwing off different names, Annabelle, Stacy, Luanne, unless people know otherwise they'll just think they're women we've slept with."
"Right. Makes perfect sense. After all, guys are supposed to sleep with lots of girls and yet the girls are supposed to remain virgins. How that works out, I'm not really sure."
"Yea, well…" He trailed off. "You better get back inside and give Kellie her present."
"One of these is for you too; well you have to share it with the rest of the guys but still."
"I love presents. What is it?" He asked as he held the door open for me.
"You'll have to open it to find out."
When we walked through the door we saw that the guys had migrated to the living room. I handed one package to Benny and the other to Kellie; her eyes widened with excitement. Kellie began to gently break the tapped edges but Benny ripped the wrapping off and pulled out a glossy magazine. He scrunched up his eyes as he read the title.
"Optometry?"
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!" Kellie squealed as she finally removed the same magazine. "No way no way no way!" I knew Kellie would enjoy it more, but then again she was a scientist as well; Benny looked confused.
"Turn to page 298." I said, barely containing my own excitement. Both Kellie and Benny quickly flipped to the instructed page.
"Hey that's you." Benny said as he found my picture.
"Ahhhh!" Kellie screamed as she jumped up and threw her arms around my neck. Benny still looked confused.
"It's the research project I've been working on all year with Dr. Sivadone." I explained. "That's him in the picture with me; he was my advisor. See, part of the project requirements is that you have to type up a report as if you were going to submit to an appropriate journal. And well, with Dr. Sivadone's encouragement I actually submitted mine. Which was me totally going out on a limb because they never accept an undergrad's article, mostly they like to stick with the professionals and the doctors, but they accepted my report and published it."
"So she's like a real scientist now. She has her own published article; it's like getting a song on the radio." Kellie added.
"I don't know if it's that great Kells. I mean only a hundred people will probably ever read it and only thirty will actually care about it."
"Don't be so modest Aims. This is really great. I'm proud of you." Benny said as he wrapped me in a hug.
"Yea," I bit my lip. "It is pretty freakin' awesome." The other guys congratulated me as well, though Kellie still seemed to be the most ecstatic. Ben G left shortly after to pick up dinner down at the local Chinese restaurant and Benny and Jerad got into something or another. Jackson went to sit on the now vacant couch, and Kellie took over the arm chair as she began to read my article.
"Optometry huh?" Jackson asked as I went to sit next to him.
"It's the science dealing with…"
"The eyes, I know. I've had to go an optometrist before; you know color blind and all."
"Amy wants to be an optometrist." Kellie blurted out.
"Really?" Jackson sounded curious.
"Yea, which means back to school for me. Yay."
"Well that sounds very enthusiastic." Jackson said with sarcasm.
"It's just the whole prospect of school."
"Yea, I hear ya. So, will you be sticking around Berkeley for another few years then?"
"No, she's going to Houston." Kellie butted in again.
"Actually I haven't decided yet." I corrected.
"The University of Houston?" Jackson asked.
"They have the best Optometry School around." Kellie explained.
"Berkeley has a good program too." I said.
"What do you have against Texas?" Jackson asked.
"I don't have anything against Texas." I blushed slightly. "It's just, going to Houston means starting all over, a new school, new professors, new apartment, new job, new friends. I have it made in Berkeley."
"Yea, but you really want to go to Houston. I can tell." Kellie added.
"Houston would be great, but I have until the fifteenth of July to decide."
"Just, make the choice that's right for you Amy. Don't let anyone influence your decision, no matter what it may be." Jackson advised as he gently squeezed my knee; feeling his hand on my leg sent a surge of heat through my body.
*~*
After Ben returned with diner and I ate my Moo shu pork, Kellie claimed she was ready to get to the hotel and unwind.
"Where will you be staying?" Benny asked me as he walked us to the door.
I glanced over at Jackson and met his eye. "The Doubletree Hotel off of South Broad Street, the King's Suit D." I looked back to Benny before he noticed anything. "It's a nice little suite with two bedrooms, a living area, and kitchenette; Kellie and I each have our own bedrooms with locking doors."
"Sounds nice."
"It better be." Kellie said.
"We'll see you guys tomorrow night at the show; maybe I'll actually remember this one." I said.
"Alright, drive safe." Benny hugged me yet again as I said good night. I tossed Kellie the keys and slid into the passenger side. I took one last look at Jackson, who was still watching me, before we pulled out of the drive.