Page 35 of The Road Sometimes Taken

“Good morning to you too, sunshine!” he whispers, voicegroggy with sleep and ignoring the problem between his legs.Phew, okay, we’re both ignoring it then.

I get up from the bed and search my bag for a pair of shorts because I went to bed without wearing any and then asked him to cuddle me. Good thing I don’t inspire anything in him other than friendship because that would’ve turned out pretty steamy otherwise. I clearly need to let out some tension if I’m going to make it the rest of this trip without asking him to fuck me.Would he even say yes?Probably not. I’m not his type and he already told me no to a kiss, he definitely won’t say yes to more. It’ll be fine, everything will be fine. We’ll go to a bar and I’ll get drunk and into someone’s pants as soon as possible.

“I’m going to go watch the rest of the sunrise.” I grab my blanket, my phone, and a pair of sandals before stepping outside. I walk toward the water, and there’s a giant lake that I couldn’t see last night with the rain and how dark it was. But in the morning light it’s breathtaking. The soft orange light of dawn stretches across it, bathing everything in a beautiful golden hue. I wrap the blanket around me and stand in awe of the sight. Little birds chirp in the distance and the gentle rays of sunshine warm the water’s surface.

I hear some twigs snap and leaves rustle behind me, followed by the intoxicating blend of earthy-spicy scent of Manny. I look to the side and find him standing there, his hair disheveled and his shirt wrinkly but he looks like a walking advertisement. I smile at him and turn back around to watch the rest of the sunrise.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I ask.

“Stunning,” he replies, his voice just above a whisper. When I look over he’s not looking at the sun rising, or at the water’s changing reflection as the sun gets higher in the sky.

He’s looking at me.

I can feel my cheeks warming, surely shifting to a darkercolor and my breath catches but I won’t think more into this—Iwilllet it go. I smile at him, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear, and turning around to finish watching the sun and its slow but steady ascent.

“Where to next?” I ask.

“You’re the one with the lists,” Manny replies as he bumps my hip with his, settling my heart and stopping me from spiraling.

“You have a list of your own, hotshot. Where to next?”

“Are you ready for some whiskey?” he asks.

I snap my head back, mimicking his habit, and smile at him before saying, “Lead the way!”

16

BEST KIND OF BUZZ

I LIKE ME BETTER, LAUV

Cara

Stop 9:Louisville, Kentucky

“You two are so damn funny,”exclaims Kacey, the short and sweet woman who has been hanging out with us in the last leg of this bourbon tour. She and her husband, Keith, are on their honeymoon from Florida and we connected with them when I started talking about how I’m from Florida, too. They’ve been nice to talk to and of course, Manny has taken the lead in the conversation, and we’re all enamored with him. It’s a little past noon now and we’ve been drinking, talking, and snacking on this tour and they’ve been with us every step of the way.

It took us two days to make it to Louisville. We left the lake while the weather was perfect, so we explored and hiked instead of driving through. By the time we made it out of Ohio and into Kentucky, it was nighttime and we booked two hotel rooms so wecould shower and sleep in real beds. We explored Lexington and rode horses, and I never would’ve imagined that a giant man on a horse would be graceful until I saw Manny riding. He was effortlessly flowing through the trails like he wasn’t over six feet tall. Me on the other hand? I have a few bruises to help me tell a better story.

“Birth defect,” Manny jokes and they laugh again. I just roll my eyes and sip on my I-lost-count-what-number bourbon that is actively helping my mood. I have the best kind of buzz. I’m happy and elated and I haven’t thought about anything but the right here and right now in the past few hours.

“How long have you guys been together?” asks Kacey. “Keith and I have talked so much about us and we didn’t even ask about y’all. It must be forever because you two are so comfortable together! I hope that’s us one day,” she says.

But before I can correct her, Manny speaks again. “We’ve been together forever. Our parents are friends, so we grew up together, and one thing led to another, and here we are,” he explains, pulling me to him and tucking me under his arm.What?!

“Congrats, man. I’m sure it’s so nice to grow up with your soulmate,” Keith admires and I try to hide my panic by finishing my drink and grabbing Manny’s from his hand.

“It’s the best feeling, right bebé?” he asks, kissing my temple. I can feel his soft lips against my skin and his smile broadens as he tightens his hold on me.What is going on?

“Alright everyone, this is the last stop so you can come back with us on the bus or you can stay here. Up to you. Remember, there’s the derby-themed party tonight at Harbor’s Bar,” the tour guide shouts over the crowd, creating a massive wave of people leaving their seats at once.

“What’s a derby-themed party?” Manny asks.

“It’s just more drinking, foodtrucks at a bar by the water, face bets on past races, and people dress up like they’re attending the Kentucky Derby. I saw the flier in the last distillery we went to,” I explain.

“We’re heading back to the bus. Are y’all coming?” Keith asks, standing from his stool and helping Kacey slide off hers. We shake our heads no and they wave goodbye. They smile at each other and after a gentle peck on the lips, he places his hand on her back and guides her out.

As soon as they’re out of sight, I smack Manny on the shoulder. “Manny, what the hell?! We’ve been together forever?”

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