Be happy and well friends. On with the show!)
~Feline~
My alarm goes off at 5:10 am, and I am up and outta bed in a flash. Nature calls, and then I head down to the kitchen.
I creep down the stairs in my long, black pajama pants and matching top with the long sleeves. The character embroidered on the top is Emily Strange and her adorable little black cat. It’s soft and thin, and it’ll be perfect to travel and nap in the back of my car.
Pat’s just about to fix himself an Americano when I come into the kitchen and touch his arm, showing him the text I got from Shawn on the staircase:
“Tell Pat I got his Americano, and I got his girl, what you get. ETA 12 minutes. With breakfast even!”
“Fuckin’ rights.” Pat nods and puts the coffee beans away and pulls me in for a sleepy hug.
“Ready to get blasted off into outer space, sister?” he winks at me, releasing me to check out what’s in the fruit bowl.
“Yes. Yes I am.” I say firmly, nodding. Angie comes down the stairs, looking sweet and shy. Hair super disheveled.
‘O Pat, you ravished her last night!’ I think to myself. ‘God, she probably loves you now. O dear.’
Girls fell hard for my brother. I could understand why. He’s a fun, exciting, good-looking man. And he tends to be pretty affectionate with women in general. I don’t know about other girls, but I know that I thrive off Shawn’s affection. I can’t imagine it being much different.
I head over to the foyer, prepared to head out to the garage and get my case of wine Mom and Dad said I could have, and there’s the case! Planted next to my big backpack. A selection of whites and reds. Mom and Dad are the best. There’s a cute note on top:
“Have fun kids! We love you so much! Be safe and have a great time. TAKE PICTURES! Xoxo Mom and Dad.”
They’d still be asleep for another 90 minutes before they got up for work.
I run upstairs and take care of the last minute stuff: make my bed, brush my teeth, splash my face, pack my toothbrush and toothpaste and floss. Then I grab my pillow and my b.c. pills and the 2 hoodies I was taking. Shawn’s black zip up UC Berkeley one that makes me look like a child, it’s so huge on me. But fluffy and warm and comfy! And smelling like him. And then I take one of my hoodies too. No logos. Nothing on it. Just a plain pullover black hoodie.
I head downstairs and wait on the bench in the foyer with the front door open, shoving my pills into one of the pockets of my backpack. Shawn pulls in 5 minutes later.
I run out to him, launching myself, and he catches me and swings me around and around in his arms.
“Fuck!” He laughs. “I’ll never get bored with your greetings, Feline. Never ever.” he crushes me to him and I sigh.
Then Shawn tells me to get into the car. The back seat has a nice big blanket all tucked in and tight, and Shawn’s pillow is off to one side. It looks so comfortable and inviting.
“Just get comfy, baby girl. He’s your coffee, he pulls the cup out of the holder and hands it to me after I jump in the back of Kylling. Then he hands me a little bag filled with 2 bacon and egg croissants and 2 little hash brown patties with ketchup from a local trucker stop that’s open for breakfast 24 hours. He winks at me and tells me to relax.
A few moments later Shawn comes out of my house, my backpack on his back, wine box under one arm, my pillow and two hoodies in another hand, a bacon and egg croissant half-eaten hanging out of his mouth. I laugh as he puts everything down and opens up my cars’ trunk.
Shawn casually munches away and places the rest of my gear in the back and shuts the trunk.
“That it?” he questions like he can’t believe that’s all I had. I’m nodding and we both hear my brother.
Pat and Angie, now looking much more presentable, come out of the house with their bags, pillows, and various other things they are bringing. Shawn helps them load up Pat’s bright blue Jeep with gear and boards, andwe are ready!
I get a really sweet kiss from my lover before he puts my car in reverse, and we head out of my driveway, Pat following. Chad and Jess are waiting next door, pulling out after us.
We’re meeting everyone over at Chris’ and leaving town together by 6 am. We get there at a quarter to.
Shawn and Pat help the guys load up the last of everything we need. All our friends are here. All 16 of us. God, this was exciting!
The girls all mill about my car, all of us sipping our coffee or tea. We watch our men work and admire their toned bodies. Not one of them will let us help.
“No way!” Nate says. “Ladies don’t need to sweat this early in the morning. Unless it’s between the sheets.” and he winks at his girl, Jen.
I’ve got Angie in the back seat with me. She’s so adorable and shy. I really hope that she isn’t hopelessly in love with my brother. I hold her hand and tell her she looks pretty in her sundress.
“You think?” she giggles then, her light brown shoulder-length hair shining in the sun now starting to come over the hills behind us.
“I think.” I wink at her.
Jess is casually leaning against my car, sipping her coffee and eating up Chad as he helps Benny and Pat get the 3 folding tables onto the roof rack of Chris’ SUV.
She pulls her sunglasses down, so she can get an unencumbered view of her man’s ass as he bends over and lifts the last table up to Pat as Ben ratchets down the roof straps.
I smirk watching her. And think about how much I like to watch Shawn do, well, anything.
The man is psychic. Here he comes, hair flowing, tight white t shirt outlining everything about him. He knows when I am thinking about him. I swear. He has this smile, like he’s caught me with a thought bubble above my head with his face in it. His jeans look so good on him. I really dig the denim pants he buys. I don’t know where he gets them, but it’s like they are made just for him!
At last! We’re all piled into our cars, Nate and Jen are the last, and they jump into my brother’s jeep. Ben is first to leave, leading the way.
I curl up in the back seat. Tummy full of warm food and coffee. Shawn passes me a blanket he took from the back of his couch at home. I throw it over myself and snuggle in.
“Love you baby.” I say sleepily.
“Aw, Kitten. Fucking love you.” He reaches back and grabs my knee, squeezing it before placing his hand back on the custom stick shift he gifted me.
“You gonna sleep?” Shawn asks. I nod.
“Mm Hmmm” I snuggle into Shawn’s pillow and take a big breath. O, he smells so good!
“OK, you mind if I play some music, not loud. Promise.”
“Baby of course.” I poke him in the side, and he chuckles and turns on something soft. Boards of Canada. God, I love this man so much! He knows who Boards of Canada are!
I pass out to Music has the Right to Children.
*******************************************************************
“Baby Bear.” I can hear Pat.
“Kitty Cat.” Shawn.
I crack an eye.
“Are we here?” I ask, all groggy and sleepy still.
“Nope. We’re about an hour out. We’re getting groceries. Want to come? Or, do you have a list?” Pat asks me, Angie at his side as he wraps his arm around her and kisses her cheek, making her smile.
“Ya!” I grin, stretching. “I want to come!”
Shawn already has my black flip-flops out on the pavement of the parking lot for me. He’s the most considerate, observant man!
I slide out the back of my car and into my sandals, not even caring one whit that I am still in my PJ’s. Shawn says it’s cute, so why should I care what anyone else thinks?
There’s about 7 of us. Everyone else stayed camped out with the cars and gear. They trusted us to get what was wanted or needed.
Everyone has their own list and splits up. Pat, Angie, and I let Shawn lead the way. He’s just so fast and efficient.
We’re all having steak for dinner tonight. And I want prawns, so Shawn buys every last prawn in the deli. Butter, salt n pepper, condiments. Weenies and marshmallows, buns, hamburgers, coffee, soda, so much chips and candy and pop. Beef jerky and pepperoni sticks. All kinds of yummy and bad little packaged food. Candy bars. And then breakfast stuff. Enough bacon to have 10 heart attacks. Eggs, bread, hash brown patties. Tons of fruit. Shawn and I went buck wild in the fruit section. Everything is in season right now. We piled in 10 bags of cherries alone, to share. And an entire flat of peaches!
I see everyone’s carts and I think to myself we’re going to have so much food and munchies left over after this. Then I remember, surfers will eat non-stop, given half the chance. I don’t know what I am so worried about. Shawn and Pat pay for everything with everyone’s combined cash.
It’s mental how much our group is spending on this trip. For 2 or 3 days. I tried not to think about that and just enjoy that this was happening at all.
And then there’s a cart full of beer, coolers and pre-mixed pouches of margarita, Piña colada and daiquiris that were to be kept frozen. Slushy drinks. Stuff Jess likes, and I am fast appreciating as well. Nothing hard is put in the carts. I told everyone I have lots of wine. I’m definitely going to suggest having a good portion of it tonight over our prawns, steak and roasted potato, corn on the cob and giant salad dinner.