Hotel Key
Chapter 28
6 Months Before Chapter One
Daryl would have been happy to lay by the pool and drink beer all day. But of course, RickyJo wanted to go exploring. He knew if he refused to go with her, she would just go by herself. And then he would have had to worry about her wandering around Mexico all day. Getting into god only knew what sort of trouble. So along he went.
First, she insisted on going to a cockfight, which was funny for about five minutes and then really disgusting. After that, they headed over to a huge outdoor market. She tried a bunch of weird foods, insisting that Daryl try them too. RickyJo talked him into trying something called escamoles. And then told him after he was done eating it, that he just ate ant eggs. She laughed and tried to explain they were a local delicacy while he washed his mouth out with beer.
"Where's your sense of adventure," she asked.
"Feed me any more bugs and I'm goin' back to the hotel," Daryl warned.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around him, kissing up the line of his neck with her gross ant egg breath. Two small children came out from behind the display at the shop closest to them. They stared up at RickyJo with their little mouths open. Full body tattoos were apparently not really a thing in Mexico. And with how hot it was outside RickyJo was dressed so most of hers were visible. Everywhere they went people stared at either her tattoos, her breasts, or both. She smiled at the kids, turning so they could get a better look at the big lizard she had tattooed on her thigh. They began pointing and talking loudly in Spanish until a woman Daryl guessed was their mother came out and hollered at them, shooing them back behind the large display of fruit. With the children out of the way, RickyJo saw something she was looking for in the market, xoconostle. It was a special type of prickly pear. She planned to buy some to eat, save the seeds and take them back to one of her greenhouses and see if she could get any of them to sprout.
When they got back to the hotel, they sat on the outdoor patio attached to the room, eating the fresh pears and dipping chips into the fresh guacamole RickyJo bought at the market, washing it down with lots of Mexican beer.
"I have a thang at four today I gotta go to," she told Daryl, "...but then we can do whatever." He nodded, shoveling his mouth full and making a mess on his shirt.
"When is yer speech?," he asked. She told him her speech wasn't until the next day at the formal dinner.
"That's what you need the suit for," she reminded him. Again. Daryl gave a little snort. Despite his reservations about leaving the country and being tricked into eating ant eggs, Daryl was actually having the best time. They did a bunch of really cheesy tourist activities that the hotel offered, like riding horses on the beach and swimming with a dolphin. Well, RickyJo had got in with the dolphin while he watched. And she talked to a few hotel maids and found a killer local bar where they ate dinner the night before. RickyJo was talking about going back again tonight and Daryl found himself looking forward to it.
Since she was originally planning to bring Laney with her, RickyJo upgraded the room to some kind of honeymoon suite. She forgot all about it until they got there and then had a good laugh. The place was done up totally romantic with flowers on the bed and a big whirlpool tub in the bathroom and a mirror above the bed. Everyone at the hotel kept telling them congratulations on getting married, which RickyJo thought was hilarious and Daryl thought was a little annoying.
"What are ya gonna do while I'm gone?," she asked, reaching over to rub his arm and give his hand a squeeze. Daryl hadn't really thought much about it.
"Take a nap," he said. RickyJo smiled at him, she was a little tired herself, from being out in the sun all morning. Lying down for a little siesta sounded appealing. "Ya sure ya don't wanna stay and take one too?," he asked. Falling asleep with her sun warmed body curled up next to his sounded even more appealing than napping by himself.
"I can't," she said with some regret. One of her former students was giving a talk about climate change and she would feel terrible if she missed it.
Before she could talk herself into staying, RickyJo got up and went into the bathroom to wash up a little and change into something more appropriate for a science conference. When she came back out on the porch to tell Daryl she was leaving, she looked like a different person. Her hair was wrapped up in a tight bun at the back of her head and she had long loose dress pants on. The shirt she was wearing was white and came to the elbows, covering her tattoos. She was carrying a purse large enough to hold her notebook in case she wanted to take any notes. Daryl always thought she looked strange when she dressed like that. He knew that's how most people in her life knew her, but to him she always looked like she was wearing a costume.
After his nap, they went back to the beach bar. They sat close together while they drank tequila and watched the salsa dancers. RickyJo was leaning against Daryl, her hand on his leg. He had his arm around her, feeling the bare skin on her arm and shoulder. After her science conference activities she changed into a long soft dress that had thin little straps on top, leaving her shoulders and most of her back exposed. Daryl felt her head lean in to rest on his shoulder.
"Tired?," he asked her. She sat back up and nodded. "Let's go then," he said.
The hotel wasn't that far, so they walked back on the beach. RickyJo took her shoes off and held the bottom of her dress up so she could walk on the part of the sand where the ocean was washing in. RickyJo tripped over a plastic sand bucket some kid must have left there earlier in the day and almost fell. Daryl caught her.
"Too much tequila," he said. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. There was no such thing as too much tequila. He felt her mouth against his, kissing him softly on the lips. He could feel the bare skin of her back and her breasts pressed against his chest. She dropped her shoes and dress in the surf, not caring anymore if the bottom of it got wet. Daryl let her kiss him, not resisting but not responding yet either. He felt her hand twine up into the back of his hand, pulling it gently. Then she pressed her mouth against him with more force, using her tongue to part his lips. He started kissing her back, moving his hand down to cup her ass. She tasted like tequila and limes.
From nearby, Daryl suddenly heard laughter. Some drunk college kids were walking by, probably heading down to the bar they just came from. They yelled a few choice things at the couple, mostly involving what they thought Daryl ought to do with the woman he was kissing. Pull her dress down, show us them titties! Daryl moved away from RickyJo, thinking about pounding one of their faces in, but he felt her hand on his arm. She wasn't grabbing or yanking at him, just resting it there.
"Let's go back to the hotel," she said, "...it's just some drunk kids."
He nodded and turned away from them. Daryl wanted to go back to kissing her, but it seemed like the mood had been spoiled. RickyJo was picking up her shoes and wringing the bottom of her dress out. She took his hand on the way back, but made no other move to kiss or touch him.
When they got back to the room she went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She had a queer feeling in the pit of her stomach. Daryl kissed her plenty of times before. But in the past, it always made her feel uneasy and scared of what he might want to do next. She didn't feel that way tonight. Instead, her nipples went hard and a throbbing sensation started between her legs. RickyJo looked at herself in the mirror. She felt for a moment that she didn't know the person there. Way too fucking drunk is what you are. After a little more cold water, she headed out into the room. Daryl was out on the porch smoking and she was grateful not to have to face him. She pulled on some pajama shorts and a loose t-shirt and flopped down onto the bed. When Daryl came in from smoking she was asleep. He looked down at her, trying to sort out his feelings about what happened on the beach.
RickyJo was under the sheets, her long hair spread out on the pillow. He kissed her many times before, but for some reason, tonight felt different. A little anger rose up in his throat for the men that interrupted them. RickyJo let him kiss her before. And a few times they did more than kiss. But after the panic attack she had on his birthday all those years ago, she always felt stiff and uncomfortable in his arms. Maybe he was making too much out of it, he thought. She was drunk after all and it's not like they hadn't kissed before. I didn't mean anything. He lay down listening to her soft, even breathing and closed his eyes.
The next day, RickyJo went down to one of the salons in the hotel to get ready for her big night. She hated sitting still, but the woman did a great job with her hair. She headed back to the room to get dressed. And since Daryl was nowhere to be seen, she assumed he must have got bored waiting on her and went down to the hotel bar. RickyJo opened the garment bag that had her dress inside. Speaking in front of people was something that she was used to, but doing it in a formal gown was something new. She was nervous. Pulling her dress on she was wishing she had chosen something more conservative. The dress was gold and sparkly and came up like a halter on top. It was long, but it hugged her body, showing off her curves. There were a lot of people she knew at this conference and many more that knew her. None of them had seen her out of her normal work clothes. She got her notes for her speech together and stuffed them into her tiny purse. Then she took a deep breath and headed out of the room and down to the bar to look for Daryl and a stiff drink.
Looking around the bar, RickyJo started getting more nervous. She didn't see Daryl anywhere and was now wondering where else he might have gone. However, he spotted her the moment she walked in. It did not escape Daryl that most of the other men in the place and a lot of the women turned to look at her too. Daryl held up his hand, giving her a little wave and he saw her smile in relief. She headed over to the bar and took the seat next to him. It was no wonder she wasn't able to spot him, she thought. He looked so different all dressed up. Instead of dragging him out and making him shop, she bribed Merle to do it for her. She was a little concerned about what Daryl was going to be wearing tonight. And she was pleasantly surprised by how great he looked. He was wearing a black suit and a white shirt, no tie. The truth was he had a tie but couldn't figure out how to tie it. So he figured fuck it and left it in the room.
Daryl laughed at RickyJo, making her realize she was staring at him with her mouth hanging open like those little kids she saw at the market. She collected herself and ordered a drink. It was hard not to stare at him. The last and only time she had seen him in a suit had been at her grandfather's funeral, and that was a borrowed one that didn't fit him well. He really cleaned up nicely. Daryl wasn't happy about dressing up in this stupid monkey suit. But he liked the reaction he was getting from RickyJo. She reached over and touched the hair behind his ear.
"Did you get your hair cut?," she asked. He nodded. Merle told him to do it before he left but he forgot and then remembered earlier today. "Ya look great," she told him with some enthusiasm. He laughed as RickyJo gulped down the drink she ordered and stood up. Daryl noticed a lot of other people in the bar were getting up, so he assumed it must be time for the event to start.
They had to check in, with some guy that had RickyJo's name on a list. Then they were shown over to a table up front. The dinner was okay, Daryl just watched what RickyJo did and then did the same. Normally he wouldn't care about his table manners, but he didn't want to offend her work colleagues or embarrass her. Most of the dinner conversation was beyond him so he just kept his mouth shut. After the food, a man came to get RickyJo and some of the men that were also sitting at the table with them. There was a young girl with short blonde hair sitting next to him.
"I was trying to figure out which one of you was the science person," she admitted to Daryl after she watched RickyJo walk away. He smiled at her. She was high school young, likely the daughter of the man that she was sitting with. She quieted down quickly and turned towards the stage as the first speaker was coming out. Most of the speeches were boring and Daryl waited impatiently for RickyJo to come out and for the whole thing to be over. Clearly, being a scientist did not make someone a good public speaker. Finally, the man who was repeatedly clearing his throat between each sentence got done and RickyJo came out. A few loud cheers and whoops came from a table full of young women towards the back of the large room. Then people started clapping. It was starting to dawn on Daryl that many of the people in this room came here specifically to meet her and hear her give this talk.
Daryl was expecting RickyJo to start talking about tomatoes or seeds or whatever boring shit she did locked up in her lab at the university. Instead, she started talking about women. How their brains worked differently from men and how they needed more of them in the science field. She gave some numbers and statistics about how her scholarship program was changing the field of science in the state of Georgia. Daryl heard some more cheering. He knew she gave money to people for school sometimes, but he didn't know how impactful it was. He knew now that RickyJo had a whole other side to her life. One that didn't involve him. This was a part of her he never saw before. She explained the program she started with her old college mentor and how one aspect of it was that all the girls who took scholarship money had to agree to be part of a mentoring program that went to high schools and middle schools and encouraged girls to get excited about science.
"...This year we accepted our first scholarship student that was mentored by a previous student," she declared.
This brought on another round of cheers from the back table and several other tables. Now she was talking about how people could get involved in her mentoring program. When she got done, there was a lot of loud yelling and clapping. Much more than for the other speakers. She must have been the last one to talk since the man who introduced everyone was back up giving a little closing speech. Daryl felt her hand on his back as she took her seat back next to him and reached over to gulp the rest of her wine.
"God damn, I was so nervous my hands were shakin' that whole time," she whispered. The young blonde girl leaned across and told RickyJo she thought she did great.
"I'd love to get involved in your program," the girl told her. RickyJo smiled from ear to ear. That was the exact response she was hoping for from everyone in the room.
The party moved from the dining hall over to a large reception room. RickyJo held tight to Daryl with one hand and held her wine glass in the other. Daryl was a little overwhelmed. It seemed like everyone in the place was waiting to talk to RickyJo, and some people were asking to take pictures with her. People kept asking Daryl if he was a scientist too, which made him laugh the first few times but then started to creep him out. RickyJo explained that women only made up a small percentage of the scientific community and that 95% of them were married to other scientists.
Some of the men were polite, but as they got drunker, they got more blatant with their interest in RickyJo. Interests that did not seem to be on a professional level. She seemed oblivious, but to Daryl it was clear that a scholarship program was not what they were looking for. An older man came up that she seemed to know. He had been a professor at the college in Georgia where she got her first degree and he remembered her well. The gossip around town was that she was a lesbian, but seeing her here with a man made him hopeful. He tried to lure her away from her escort for a more private conversation but when that didn't work he just started hitting on her in front of her date. When he put his arm around her waist and started trying to physically pull her towards him, RickyJo felt Daryl tense up. The last thing she needed was for him to go crazy and punch this guy out.
"I'm not feeling so well," she said loudly as she backed away from the man, "...I think it's time for me to go." She grabbed Daryl and pulled him away towards the door. A few of the people running the place came to say goodbyes and thank her for coming. She made the conversations as brief as good manners would allow and they took off for the elevator. Once they were safely inside she started laughing.
"I thought you were gonna punch him out," she said.
"That's 'cause I was," Daryl announced. This made her laugh harder. She was quite drunk and also a little high from how well the evening went. Leaning back against the wall of the elevator, she looked Daryl up and down. Some girls liked guys shirtless in tight jeans, and some liked them in uniform. She never noticed before but she guessed she liked them in a suit.
"Ya know ya look good all dressed up," she told him. He gave a little grunt. "Sexy," she added. His head snapped in her direction, giving her his full attention. He quietly observed her. She was leaning against the wall, biting her lower lip. The look she was giving him was one he never saw from her before. But he had seen it from other girls. It was a definite come fuck me look. He closed the distance between them and put his hands on the wall on either side of her, leaning close but not close enough to touch her yet.
"Sexy, huh?," he asked. She hummed her confirmation of this. Then she raised her eyebrows at him suggestively. "Ya playin' some kind of game with me girl?," he asked. RickyJo shook her head. The elevator made a startling little ding and the doors opened, letting them off on their floor. Daryl moved out first, holding the door open for her and then followed her down to their room. He liked the way her dress hugged her curves as she walked. She used the little plastic card to get into the room and then they were standing inside the door staring at each other.
RickyJo leaned in and gave him a tiny peck on the cheek, then walked over to take her shoes off and set her purse down. She knew she wanted something more than a kiss, but she wasn't sure how to go about getting it. Daryl kicked his shoes off but he was still standing by the door staring at her. He wanted her, but he was also nervous. The few times they got close to having sex she freaked out and made him stop. He would be happy to go along with anything she wanted to do, but he wanted her badly. And he was scared he might not be able to stop once they got going.
She moved closer to him slowly, giving him time to back off if he didn't want her there. Then she put her arms around his waist and tipped her chin up to kiss him. When he kissed her back, he felt her body press against him.
"I'm ready," she said quietly into his ear. He pulled back from her a little so he could see her face.
"Ready for what?," he asked. Daryl had a feeling he knew what she meant but he wanted to be sure. RickyJo looked down, the color rising in her cheeks. If you can do it, you can say it, she told herself. She also understood Daryl needed to hear her to say it before he could go any further.
"Ready for you," she said. She tried to think of something smart and sexy she could say. But she was drawing a complete blank. Finally, she looked up at him and simply said, "I want you inside me." That was all Daryl needed to hear. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her hard and pulling her across the room towards the bed. When they got there, she pushed him down and stepped back, unfastening her dress and slipping it down and dropping it on the floor in a puddle. The dress was backless and so she wasn't wearing a bra, just wispy little panties that she pushed down and stepped out of.
"Are ya gonna get naked or do ya need a written invitation," she asked.
Daryl looked down at himself, realizing that he was just sitting there on the bed staring at her with his mouth open. He stood up and started yanking at his stupid dress clothes, whipping the jacket off and tugging at the buttons on his shirt. RickyJo took his hands and pushed them down, moving to unbutton the shirt herself before he ruined it by ripping the buttons off. He touched her lightly, stroking her hips and stomach while she undressed him. She got the last button undone and he pulled the shirt off and then yanked his undershirt over his head. This was an awkward moment for him with most girls, since he knew once he took his shirt off they would see his scars. RickyJo already knew they were there so he didn't have to worry. He unzipped his pants and shoved them down roughly along with his boxers. Then he sat down and took his socks off.
Once he was completely naked, he caught RickyJo around the waist and pulled her down onto the bed with him, kissing her and holding her close to him. She pushed him onto his back and leaned over him, kissing him on the mouth before she moved down to kiss his neck and stomach. He was torn between wanting to take his time with her, and wanting to hurry up and get it on before she changed her mind. For now he lay back, forcing himself to relax and let her do whatever she wanted to do to him.
RickyJo ran her hands over his body. She had seen him undressed before but she had never touched him. Not like this. His body was hard and much hairier than a woman's body. But she liked it. RickyJo had never been with a man but she guessed they liked about the same things that women liked. To be touched and kissed and to have someone care about what felt good to them. She also wanted a chance to make herself a little more familiar with a certain part of his body before she let him put it inside her.
Starting at his knee, she kissed and rubbed slowly up the inside of Daryl's thigh, stopping at his hip and moving to the other side. When she got up to his hip this time she moved her mouth over, taking one of his balls into her mouth and sucking it gently then doing the same to the other one. She flicked her tongue over the sensitive spot behind them and then ran it up the back of his dick. Honestly, she wasn't really sure what to do with any of Daryl's various man parts. But from the way he was responding and the noises he was making, she knew what she was doing must be alright. She gave the tip of him a little kiss and took his dick into her mouth. She was wondering how much of it she should be trying to get into her mouth when she felt herself grabbed and pulled gently up the bed so that her head rested on his chest.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking at him with some concern, "...did I hurt you?" Daryl held her tightly to him and tried to get himself under control. The truth was he pulled her off because he was about to shoot his shit.
"Naw, I just don't wanna come yet," he told her. She wasn't sure why he didn't want to come. Maybe guys could only get off once? How sad for them if that was true, she thought.
"You liked it?," she asked. He laughed and pushed her over onto her back so he could get on top of her and kiss her.
"I liked it too much," he said, kissing behind her ear and down her neck.
Behind the ear must be her sweet spot since she moaned a little, pulling him closer. He moved down and kissed her breasts, tasting her skin. Daryl touched her breasts a few times, but he never got his mouth on her before. Not like this. Her breasts were full and soft and they smelled like soap and tasted like heaven. She had her arms up over her head now, grasping the top of the pillow she was laying on. Her eyes were closed and she was biting down on her lip again, waiting for him to take her nipples into his mouth. He blew on the first one, then took it into his mouth sucking hard. When he went for the other breast he felt a shudder rip through her body and she arched her back. She was moaning and taking short little gasping breaths.
For a second Daryl thought he might be hurting her, but then he realized she was climaxing. He had never seen a girl do that before just from getting her titties sucked. He wanted to be inside her when she came but he was worried. This was her first time and he wanted to make sure she liked it. Because he cared about her. And especially because he knew if she didn't like it she probably wasn't going to let him do it to her again. Taking a second to calm himself, he moved down and started kissing her stomach and hips. The little star tattoos she had down there were sexy. Plenty of times he rubbed one out thinking about kissing them and now he was doing it. She opened her legs for him, not feeling nervous now. This was the kind of sex she was used to. When he put his mouth on her, the little tickle of his facial hair made her gasp. That she wasn't so familiar with.
"Are ya okay," he asked her. She jumped a little and gasped. RickyJo smiled at him.
"Yer beard tickles," she admitted with a soft little laugh. He laughed a little too, feeling relieved that nothing was really wrong. Daryl leaned in and rubbed his facial hair on her thighs and hips, making her giggle more. Then she felt his mouth on her and she wasn't feeling like laughing anymore. He moved his tongue back and forth across the little nub above her opening until he felt her hips start to move. Then he slid his fingers inside her. She was wet and he guessed he was right about her coming before when he was sucking her breasts. Sliding his fingers into her, he thrust hard a few times before he felt her release again. This time he was sure she was orgasming. He felt the sudden rush of warmth as her muscles clenched around his fingers.
Moving up, he got on top of her, nestling his hips between her thighs. She caught his head and pulled him down to kiss him. There was nothing sexier to her than when she could taste herself on someone's mouth when she was kissing them. RickyJo felt Daryl's hand between them and then he was pushing inside her. Her cousin told her a long time ago that the first time would hurt. But whoever Jessica had sex with must have been doing it wrong, because this didn't hurt at all. It was a new sensation for her, but it wasn't painful. And she liked how close Daryl was to her, almost like they were one person. She kissed him until he had to pull away and gasp for air. Now he was pushing in harder and faster, rubbing against a spot deep inside her that she didn't know was there until now. Her hips were rocking in time with his movements and when he came she came with him, crying out and digging her nails into his arms. He pushed in a few times, then withdrew and lay down next to her to catch his breath. RickyJo felt a sudden wetness between her legs, she assumed it was whatever he shot into her must be leaking back out. But other than that, she felt amazing. Shifting her weight, she pulled the sheets back and climbed under them. Daryl followed her example and snuggled in close. He liked the feel of her skin against his. RickyJo had soft smooth skin and she always smelled so good. As he lay there, thinking about what they just did, a rogue thought crossed his mind.
"Do ya think we shoulda used somethin'?," he asked her.
"No," she told him, reaching behind her to fondle him a little, "...I think the equipment you have is more than enough." It took Daryl a minute to understand what she was talking about. Then he turned and started laughing into the pillow.
"Not a dildo you fuckin' perv," he told her, "...a condom so you don't get pregnant." RickyJo exploded into peals of laughter.
"Can ya get pregnant from only having sex one time?," she asked. She supposed it was possible. Thought maybe not probable. But some thoughts and wishes she kept shoved down deep inside her were already starting to bubble up to the surface. Ever since Jessica had her girls, RickyJo wanted a baby of her own. She never told anyone. Or even really admitted it to herself. But now she was letting herself get excited. Not too excited, just a little bit. There was nothing more she wanted in the world than to have a family of her own, and no one she wanted to have it with more than Daryl.
"I dunno," he said, "...I guess you could." Instead of being worried, Daryl heard an undertone of excitement in her voice when she asked him that. That made him start thinking about it. Maybe they didn't need to worry about using protection. RickyJo had more money than god so it's not like they couldn't afford a baby. And he loved her to pieces. She rolled over to face him and then she was kissing him all over his face, bubbling over with all the happiness she felt inside. He pulled her against his chest and they both fell asleep that way, each of them thinking their own thoughts about the future and the possibilities it now held.