Jim was waiting outside of the house with his weekend bag at his feet while he packed a cooler into the backseat. They were looking at a seven-hour drive to get to the hotel in time for the antique show tomorrow. He popped the trunk for Melinda as she came out of the house with her bag swung over her shoulder.
They packed light to have enough room for a few pieces in the car, but he knew that Melinda likely planned on getting a few bigger pieces that they'd have to ship back home too. She stuffed his duffel bag inside and placed her small suitcase back there too. She came around to the passenger seat and tossed her backpack and jacket onto the seat before coming around to him.
"Anything else we have to do or grab?" She asked.
"I don't think so," he said, pulling out a water bottle. "For you."
"Thank you," she smiled and kissed him. "Let's hit the road then. I don't want to get to the hotel later than eleven."
"We should be there by nine." He shrugged, walking past her to the driver's seat. "And that's if I don't speed."
She knew he had the tendency to have a lead foot on the freeway and she sighed, looking up at him. "Don't speed too much Jim," she said. "You don't need another ticket."
"Yes, I know." He chuckled and opened the car door. "I think I'll speed a little. That way we can grab a late dinner."
"That would be nice," she smiled, walking up to him. "We should get seafood because New Hampshire has some of the best there is on the coast."
"Mmm I love me some crab," he hummed and then kissed her cheek. "You should look up some good places to eat."
"Yeah. I'll do some research." She said and went around to get in.
Melinda was silent for the beginning of the ride. They listened to the radio and held hands. They even played a road trip game where they found different road signs that began with every letter of the alphabet. After a few hours of the open road had passed them she'd turned to her phone on the other side of the car while she read up on restaurants. Her knees were pressed against the dash and she was slouched in her chair with her weight mostly on her lower back, in a position that didn't look to be at all comfortable.
The song on the radio had gotten drowned by static, and he punched the tune button to find another station. They'd crossed through the mountains and were somewhere in Massachusetts now, speeding further down the freeway toward New Hampshire.
Jim sighed as he watched the numbers whiz past without settling on anything but noise. He flipped off the radio and held the steering wheel with both hands. "So, find any places you like?" he asked, after what seemed like an hour of silence.
She turned her head to look at him, and smiled, propping it in her hand to stare out the window. "A few," she said. "I'm just double-checking the reviews. I don't want us to get sick or anything."
He nodded and turned the radio back on only to flip through the same selection of static. He turned it off and huffed. He just wanted to listen to some music. He settled back into his seat, turning on cruise control as he looked over at Melinda. She was hunched over her phone now and turned away, he sighed, wishing she hadn't dressed so comfortably in leggings and a shirt. He couldn't look at her legs too much if they were covered.
"You're going a little fast you know," she said, looking over. She was turned at an awkward angle to look at him, her shirt gaped out enough to give him a nice view of her bra. He smiled and she pulled it up as he glanced back at the speedometer. "90 miles an hour Jim? Really?"
His eyes shot to the speedometer, and he lifted his foot from the gas to press on the break. "Sorry," he chuckled. "You know I get a little lead-footed." He glanced at the road sign up ahead, which read Salem. "Ever been?" he asked.
"No?" She was eying him as if he were crazy, and he really couldn't blame her. "Why would I ever go to Salem? That's just asking for trouble."
"You mean you've never wanted to know if Bridget Bishop is haunting the famous founder's bar in town?" He glanced over at her only to see her laugh at him and roll her eyes, scrolling through reviews. "Me either, but that's a shame because it would be fun to ghost hunt for once." He was talking too loudly and too fast, but he couldn't control it. "I mean, wouldn't that be the quintessential bucket list entry for you? We're doing a disservice to us by so thoughtlessly driving past a town with a history like that."
"Should we go to the 9/11 memorial too?" She asked, her arms folding across her chest. "What did you have in mind?"
"That we take a detour. What's another hour to a seven-hour road trip?" He suggested, his lips curving up into to smirk.
Her lips pursed as she looked up at the road sign ahead; to head Salem exit 235B - 5 miles on the left. She looked over at him, seeing the smirk on his lips, and caved. "Okay," she sighed. "But we'll have to eat here then. It'll be too late otherwise."
"We can get burgers at the bar. I heard they have great onion rings." He muttered softly, hoping she'd let it slide.
"You wanted to go there all along didn't you?" She laughed and rolled her eyes. She'd stuffed her phone into her purse and pulled out today's crossword in the newspaper. She'd taken the page out and brought an old college textbook that she'd pulled out of the backseat. "Let's hope nothing bad happens. I don't want this weekend ruined."
"It won't be," he said, turning his turn signal on and moving into the other lane. He got off on the exit as it came. They were heading to the east a bit, near the ocean. She wasn't too annoyed. She loved the smell of the ocean. The wind always just felt better there. "It's probably another 50 miles. So get comfy." He glanced at the gas tank, it was just above half a tank. "Do you think I should stop at a gas station before or wait until we get there?"
"I'd kind of like to just get there. We'll be fine." She said, writing in something on the crossword. "I'm bummed about no seafood."
"We can still go tomorrow," he smiled and extended his arm over, and squeezed her thigh. He took hold of her free hand and kissed her palm. "That way there's no rush to get ready tonight and we can relax from a day of walking around looking at all the pieces."
It was late spring and not many cars were on the freeway today for some reason. The forest began to bleed in around them more. He looked back at the road as she moved their hands back to her thigh, resting them there. She smiled over at him and moved the textbook into the backseat.
"I like it when you plan things with me," she purred, moving his hand up her thigh. She gasped and slid down the seat a little, his hand bracing against her.
"What are you thinking about doing Melinda?" He chuckled, moving his hand just close enough to touch her, but he squeezed her leg instead. He pressed on the gas a bit wanting to get somewhere that wasn't this car, his heart rate raising a bit and she moved his hand up her stomach and to her breast. "Mel, I am driving you to know."
"Pull over then," she hummed, maneuvering her pants slowing down her hips enough to show him the beginning of her lace panties. She inched them down further until her leggings slipped off and they were on the floor. She extended her legs on the dash he moved his hand, brushing his fingers against her leg.
"You're bad. We need to keep driving Mel," he groaned, his eyes glancing over just long enough to swerve a little before he pulled his hand back.
He looked back, straightening as he grew harder by the second. He heard her move and he closed his eyes for a second. He could do this. He could survive another fifty miles, that was until he felt her hand touch his lower back.
"Melinda," he gripped the steering wheel as her breath crept up his neck.
She had unbuckled and pushed the center console up, sliding over next to him. "Jim," she whined, kissing his neck. "I just want to get to the hotel. I don't want to get stuck with a ghost this weekend Jim. I had to try and pretend like I didn't see a ghost in that gas station bathroom because when you turned the light on I nearly screamed."
"Oh, Mel, I'm sorry," he looked over at her and furrowed his brow. "Alright, we can forget Salem. Is there a rest stop coming up? We can turn around then."
She pulled her phone out, looking over the maps. "Three miles," she said, pulling on his ear as she kissed his head. "On the left." She ran her hand around his waist and down his leg, coming around on his inner thigh and up near his crotch. "Do you think we could park?"
"I mean… maybe… just stop it," he warned her, but a laugh crept in too quick for him to take him seriously. He gripped the steering wheel as she palmed him, reveling in the feeling of her hand against him. "Melinda, stop teasing me."
"Is that a request?" she giggled as he pulled off toward the rest stop.
He didn't answer because he didn't want her to stop, and she knew that. Was this how she felt when he did it to her?
She slipped his zipper down and her hand crept into his pants, her palm warming his thigh as she touched his bare thigh. As she distracted him, he pulled his face away after too long of a moment between them to park, and the second he did, he pressed his mouth against hers, unbuckling himself. He shut the car off and laid her back on the seat, his hand sliding up her thighs.
"You know, I'm still ovulating." She gasped as he pushed her panties aside just enough to slip his fingers into her. He kissed her shoulder, licking over to her collarbone and marking her there. Her hips slid toward her hip as she shuddered, kissing him. "And I love you so much."
"I love you," he whispered, raising his head. "And we'll do this." His other hand slid over to her stomach and he smiled at her. "It'll happen, baby. Okay?"
"Yes. We have this whole weekend," she hummed, licking her lips as a moan escaped from her throat. "Oh, Jim…"
She gasped as he sped his hand up, circling his thumb over-center then too. She couldn't hold up anymore and cried out, nearly coming right there. He chuckled, basking in his wife melting before his eyes.
God, he loved the sound of her voice anytime but there was something different about her voice when she was so close to completion. The need and want in her voice were delectable.
She arched into him and her orgasm washed over as he kissed her neck. "Oh, Jim… I want you right now." She gasped, pulling his face toward hers. "I love you."
"I love you too Mel," he kicked his pants and boxers down enough after pulling his belt off. "So much."
"Kiss me you fool," she whispered and his lips claimed hers again.
It was something to be remembered, the love they shared for each other. It was once in a lifetime and they weren't about to waste one damn second.
After more than a short pitstop, Melinda came out of the rest stop bathroom. She was refreshed and so grateful to have such a supportive and caring husband. She loved him and he loved her just as much, if not more.
They met in a hug as she came to her door and he tilted her chin up, his hands snug around her waist as they shared another delectable kiss.
"This trip," he said, pulling back smiling, "has been the best. Even with all the driving."
"I love you so much and with all of your long shifts to sock away money we don't see each other that much." She sighed and smiled at him. "I miss you Jim and as much as I like the extra money we have in our savings… we have plenty."
"Do we?" He muttered, furrowing his brow. "I just worry. I don't want us to have to struggle about that."
"We won't. I have tourist season coming up and you remember how much we made last year. Even if it'll be long hours for me for a little bit it'll be worth it." She smiled at him and he nodded, remembering the rushes he'd always see when he'd try and sneak away for lunch. She usually wouldn't be able to, but sometimes she would. "You should go back to one double a week. That's a good happy medium."
He sighed and shrugged. "I guess I can agree to that." He said. "Especially now that we're trying."
Melinda smiled and kissed his cheek before getting into the car. "Now let's go. I want to get to the hotel and order room service. We're still about four hours out."
"Yes, yes. We're leaving." He laughed and kissed her just before he shut the door.
It was not longer than an hour before Jim had pulled over, unable to find an exit to bring him back onto the correct freeway.
"Admit it, Jim! You have no idea where the hell we are." She sighed as he read a map outside the car. She was sitting on the hood, basking in what was left of the sunlight. It was almost six o'clock now and clouds had rolled in before the sun could set.
She laid back on the hood and watched him. His biceps bulged out from his tee as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I know where we are." He said, walking toward her. He pointed to a highway C on the map, dragging his finger down a line. "We're right here, so we have to go around here. We'll be there a little later than you wanted."
"Are you sure?" She laughed and squinted as she looked at the map. "Are you reading it right?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto her feet. "Because you read it wrong that one time and we ended up so lost Jim."
"No. I honestly have no clue where we are." He sighed and closed the map frustratedly. "I've never been good with maps or directions."
"I know," she smiled. "But at least you can drive well."
He laughed and kissed her before his face dropped. "I'm a terrible husband aren't I?"
"Of course not!" She said and lifted his face to look at her. "You're just terrible with directions."
A sly smile plays on her lips and she watched the corners of his mouth form a smile and he chuckled softly. He knew that was true.
"It's gonna rain," he said as the clouds rumbled above and she shrugged.
"Rain is good," she smiled.
The sky erupted and soaked them to the bone. Her bangs stuck to her face and her hair was heavy on her shoulders.
The storm was becoming heavy as the wind rustled and they ran to their doors respectively, laughing once they were inside. He kissed her and turned the hazards on, just in case any car was to come. But they hadn't seen anyone on the roads for at least twenty minutes.
"How much gas do we have?" She asked, trying to fill their time.
"Enough to get us somewhere safe," he sighed. "About ¼ tank."
A car pulled behind them as he leaned forward and their lips met again. Raindrops trickled down their cheeks and mingled against their lips until there was a knock at the window. Jim turned and turned the car on to roll it down.
"Car troubles?" An older woman asked and she held an umbrella tightly over her head as the wind blew around.
"We're a little lost actually," he chuckled. "We can't find our way back to the Interstate 73."
"Oh you're all backward," the woman chuckled. "It's about a hundred miles the other direction." She glanced to Melinda, who was also soaked, and smiled. "You kids alright?"
"We're great. Just a little lost," he said. "And now soaked."
"You two look like you need some dinner and a place to dry off. Why don't you two follow me home? I live just up the road." The woman said with a friendly smile. "It won't hurt to relax a bit before getting back on the road."
Melinda looked up at her husband and shrugged. "I wouldn't mind drying off," she said to him. "What do you think?"
"That's very kind of you." He replied and she nodded, shaking his hand. "We'll follow you. Thanks. We're lucky you pulled over."