Alice's Vacation

"What are you girls doing!" Linda called out as she entered the room just as the flash light the room again. Wasn't it obvious? Danni looked stunned at her mom's unreasonable tone and explained that I just wanted to get a few shots to check my camera out. "Get dressed, both of you, it's far too late in the day to be lounging around in your night-shirts!." Danni cheeked her mom and got shouted at further, I said gave a smile "sorry" to Danni and left to get dressed.

Danni and I spent the day at the stables, with Ash joining us too. We took it in turns to ride the two horses as we followed a wooded trail. I was falling more in love with this place by the minute. We found a beautiful opening where the sun streamed in, and rested the horses as we lay on the grass half sleeping, half chatting. fully relaxed. We told Ash about Linda's attitude this morning, and Ash suggested that it was lack of good sex. Danni and I burst out laughing and told Ash of the conversation we'd had the day before. This time with Ash's input we again pondered the sex lives and affairs of our parents.

As we neared the stables on our return leg of the trail we could see the white Jeep that belonged to Linda. We made no rush for her, taking our time in grooming the horses and packing the equipment away.

"There was no need for you to come, Ash has her car" Danni called to her mom as we approached her.

"That's OK, I wanted to pick you guys up." came the call back from Linda as she got out of the Jeep.

We were standing by Ash's car saying good-bye, see you soon sort of thing. Ash hugged Danni and smiled "I hope she found what she was needing" she said as she got into the car.

Good sex or not, Linda was back to her self again. I was glad to see Danni held no grudge for this morning once she saw her mom again, Danni was no sulky teenager, it was just a case of moving on.

"Have you got any arrangements for this week?" Linda asked Danni, meaning arrangements for doing things with me. Danni said she hadn't, not yet.

"Great!" smiled Linda. She explained her had been at the supermarket again, picking a few things up, as tomorrow Linda was taking me on a trip. "That OK with you guys."

"You'll love it, mom knows all the best places" Danni assured me.

"Yea, if it is no trouble" I said thanking Linda.

"No trouble at all, none at all."

I got up on the Monday morning around the same time as the rest of the family. Danni and I chatted as she got herself ready for school, she told me of what I could expect to see on the trip with her mom. When this trip had been first mentioned I thought Linda was talking about a day trip, but had been reminded that Linda didn't do anything by halves. On the Sunday evening I'd prepared a bag of clothes to take with me.

"So you sure you've got everything you need?" asked Danni, "OK, you'll only be gone for 3 or 4 days, but away from the desert here you'll find it can get pretty cold."

"I think I'll be OK with what I have, and I've got loads of film for my camera." I reassured Danni.

"You'll need it, you are going to see some awesome sights Alice." Danni was excited for me, with no hint of jealousy either in seeing the sights, or in me going away while she was at school.

Linda wanted to make an early start on our trip, so we packed our bags into the Jeep and I joined Danni and Paul on their way to school.

"Have a great time, and don't lead mom astray." Danni said giving me a hug, "Have fun!" she said to her mom giving her a kiss. Paul waved good-bye, Linda blew him a kiss and we headed back out into the traffic.

We headed out on the freeway, Eastbound against most of the traffic. I smiled to myself as we passed by sights that reminded me of films and TV shows, as I thought that my friends back home were at the end of their working or college day, and here was I at the start of mine and on the edge of an adventure of a lifetime. I took my camera out and held it between my legs, anxiously waiting for the next photo opportunity.

The miles were eaten into quickly as the freeway opened up, leaving behind the enclosed concrete blocks of the cities, for the vast dusty desert, losing more and more traffic each few intersections. Linda told me much of the history of this part of the World, the local history of the towns and cities, the bigger picture of California, warned me that the desert got very boring to look at after a while. But I loved this, it was unlike anything I'd experienced before.

4 hours into the drive and I was becoming bored with the desert, the landscape had changed slightly after crossing the Colorado river, but I just need a complete change of scenery. We passed an advertising billboard, we'd passed several similar ones in the last hour, a woman advertising some car that I'd never heard of, I stared at this particular board longer.

"You OK" Linda inquired, checking out me and glancing at the billboard.

"Danni said you used to be a model" drawing reference to the woman in the advert.

"A long time ago" responded Linda, and not giving any more away.

"How did you start that?" I asked, just making conversation.

"Because once I was young, and once I was attractive." she said, trying to make herself seem really old.

"What was the most famous thing you did?"

"It wasn't like that, I suppose the fashion and model industry has changed so much since I was in it that it is difficult to comprehend now. All I did was shoots for some LA based magazines, catalogue modelling, nothing grand. I never walked a cat-walk except when I was just starting out. I was just another model on an agency's books, when they had work, I had work, and to be fair it was a good agency, they got me a lot of work."

"Did you ever want more - like New York, London, Paris, or Rome?" , excitedly adding "or Rome" as I thought how glamorous the life would be.

"The sun shines in LA, my friends were here, I don't think I was quite what the fashion industry was looking for back in the late 70's."

"Did you meet Matt through your work?"

"Matt! God no!" Linda gripped the steering wheel and laughed at the thought, not my question. "Matt and I are a long story."

"This is a long drive." I smiled, wanting her to tell me.

"And we have a few more day's of long drives to come, so lets save that one. Hey look, 24 miles to a Taco Bell." Linda pointed out another billboard. "We'll be there in half an hour if you want lunch."

Having fed and watered ourselves and the Jeep, we settled back into the cooling seats. Linda studied the map and said we were more than half way to our destination of Sedona. Checking that I was ready for the next leg of the journey we headed of again.

The next 4 hours were peppered with gas stops, rest stops, changing music tapes and, for me, sleeping. I'd slept longer than I'd realised as when I wakened I saw a sign, "Sedona 32 miles."

"We've made really good time Alice" Linda said realising I was back with her, "I'll be glad to get out of this driver's seat for a while."

I was amazed at the scenery in this area, we stopped for a few photos before heading closer to the town and finding a motel. It was only just after 5 p.m. by the time we checked in and collapsed on the beds.

I wanted to get a few pictures before the sun faded for the day, so Linda and I went back out to roam the streets and view the surrounding hills. The light was fading so we slowly walked back to the motel checking out possibilities for dinner that evening as we did.

"I need a shower" Linda said as we got back into the motel room. She got what she needed from her bags and left me to see what TV channels we had.

A few minutes later she came back from the shower-room with one towel wrapped around her body and one wrapped around her hair. She sat on the edge of the bed and channel flicked, not believing what I found was the best on offer.

"Oh, my back" she said, stretching and curving her spine, "I really need a massage after sitting in the car for so long."

"The shower not any good then?" I asked.

"The shower was great, but Matt normally gives me a good massage after hours in the car. Being able to give a good massage is one way to keep a marriage full and fun!" Linda smiled, "When you meet someone, make sure you can massage them, you hear!."

I told Linda I hadn't given or received one ever, she said it was easy.

"Practise is all you need, I'll get my oil and you can soothe me." Linda got up and brought a small bottle across and, she held one of my hands, poured some oil onto the palm and told me to rub my hands together. She got down on the bed, , head resting on her crossed arms. I massaged her shoulders and upper back. Whether this was any good or any use to her I don't know, but she encouraged me to keep going. She opened her towel and pushed it down to just above her bum and asked me to do her spine. Linda kept me right, "harder there," "a bit more oil," "mmm, just right."

"That was great" she said after a bit and rolled over, only just keeping her towel on. She sat up and oiled her legs and arms, "You going to have a shower too?" she asked. I left Linda to get dressed as I went for my shower.

I dried off, dressed and reapplied my make up in the steamy shower room before going back to where Linda was.

"Don't you want a massage?" She said with a surprised tone as she saw I was fully dressed. I told her I didn't need one, "The words of one who has never experienced one" she laughed. "Ok, lets think what we want to eat!."

We found a place to have pizza not too far from the motel, we didn't rush over our food, instead we enjoyed conversation as much as we enjoyed the pizza. Much of the talk now was about me, about England, my parents. Time marched on as we did. On leaving, Linda bought 2 six-packs of beer and a bottle of wine from a store - not all for tonight she said as we took them back to the motel.

"You want a beer?" Linda asked as got back to the room "Here take these, you'll find an opener in the shower-room" she said handing me two bottle and gesturing to the room.

"Ahh, that feels good" I said as we sat on a bed and took the first drink.

"Time to relax - would you mind if I got ready for bed?" Linda asked. She changed in the shower room, returning in a lovely long night-dress, noticeably without taking her make up off. "Why don't you get ready too?" she asked. I did and we sat watching TV, having another beer, crawling under the covers of our separate beds to keep warm.

Eventually Linda got up to take her make up off. She brought back with her two glasses of water and placed them on the bedside tables. Finishing my beer I went for a pee and to clean my teeth.

"Shit, Fuck, Shit" I heard Linda call from the main room, with my toothbrush in my mouth I went back to see what was up. Linda was hanging over my bed, rubbing at it with a towel. She turned around with a big smile on her face "I knocked the glass of water all over your sheets." We laughed as we tried to towel dry it. Linda insisted that she slept there, but I said no, then she said the beds were big enough for two anyway so I should crawl in beside her.

The beds were huge, so I did crawl in, at first it was "Sorry" this and "Sorry" that as we got ourselves a fair share of covers and pillows and stopped placing cold feet on each others legs. Eventually, the hilarity died down and goodnights were said.

It took me a few seconds to get my bearing as I awoke early the next day.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh, it's OK, you were only dreaming" Linda spoke softly as she rubbed one of my arms as I lay beside her. "You are awake now. You had a bad night, tossing and turning."

"Did I?" I asked, not doubting Linda, just unaware that I did, I felt fine. "My neck does hurt a little.," probably from using too many pillows. "Hey, what time is it."

When Linda told me I knew it was too late to get up and out for some decent sun-rise pictures so we just lay there, both on our sides, my back to Linda. She touched my neck and said I should loosen it up before going back into the Jeep. Then I realised she was gently massaging my neck, it felt nice and I tossed my head back as if to say "keep going."

"Come on, let's do this properly, on your front" Linda commanded as she got up to kneel on the bed. She pushed the covers down and began to massage my neck and shoulders through the night-dress. It was very pleasant, Linda spoke to me, "Just relax," "let all your worries go," "does this feel nice" as she ran her thumbs and palms over me. "Get you night-shirt off and I'll get the oil" she said getting off the bed.

I looked around, I really wasn't sure if I needed anymore, but Linda asked what I was waiting for as she returned rubbing her hands together. I didn't get up as I pulled the night-dress over my shoulders, quite a struggle when almost flat out on the bed. Linda laughed at me doing this and the proceeded to give me a wonderful massages, from the back of my neck to the hollow of my back, from my arm pits to my waist. I was so relaxed at even as her hands drew down over the sides of my squashed chest I didn't stir, she seemed to know what she was doing. She patted my shoulders and asked if that was OK, I told her it certainly was.

Both having showered and dressed we discussed what we'd be doing that day. A look around Sedona, then a drive to the Grand Canyon. I was so excited by this, Linda assured me that we'd catch it at the best possible times - sun-down and sun-rise.

As we packed the car I took a picture of Linda, then pretending I was some fashion photographer I asked Linda to give me a few more poses. She insisted she didn't look good enough to have her picture taken, but she looked great and poise of a model really came across as I quickly framed each shot.

"Come on, make love to the camera! I joked as I followed her back into the room.

"What did you say?" she turned on me "Don't be such a stupid girl, put your camera in the Jeep and don't point it at me again!"

"I was only joking" I said, totally stunned by this change.

"Well I don't think it is funny, now if you've got all your bags can we get out of here."

We drove in silence for a few minutes until we reached the center of town. Linda parked the Jeep and said she wanted 15 minutes alone, she'd be back at the Jeep then and if I wanted to meet her or keep looking around town then either was fine by her. I didn't debate the options, I just wandered around and found plenty of photo opportunities. I didn't bother about the 15 minutes, I didn't care how long I kept Linda waiting.

It seemed she didn't care either. As I came out one side street onto the main shopping street I saw Linda and she saw me. "Sorry" was the first thing she said and handed me some more rolls of camera film as if to say take a picture whenever you like. She handed me another bag and said that was a present to be opened the next time she shouted at me.

Friends again, we started the drive to the Grand Canyon. Most of the time we drove in silence, an easy silence, two friends that didn't have to speak to fill the time. Then, Linda's story.

"Matt and I." she said with a sigh, answering the question I had asked the day before. "Matt was the brother of my best friend at school, I've know him for 30 years, since I was 12 and he was 15. I liked him like he was my own brother, I never fancied him at school, but he had a thing about me. I had other boyfriends, he rarely had girlfriends, too academic for that, not that he was a geek, he just never hung with the crowd. He went off to college up-state, never saw much of him for years."

Linda filled me in on the history of her and her best friend, Matt's sister, she told me how she got into modelling through a play at school, about how she got all these dates lined up, how Matt made a special trip home just to see her, to take her out.

"Not exactly the date from hell" she laughed, "No, not the date from hell at all, but we knew each other too well, he was too good and kind to me, when I thought that all boyfriends wanted was fuck me because I was a model, some kind of trophy. That was never a possibility with Matt on the date."

"Then the modelling agency. Some new guy came along to run the accounts I worked for, he was a real sleaze ball, I found that out pretty quickly but didn't know it straight off. By this time I was like 20. He was really pushing for me to do some glamour work, you know, soft porn. I was kinda intrigued, kinda flattered so I considered it. When it came to it I couldn't do it. The sleaze ball showed some compassion and said I might be able to do it with a woman-photographer. He found me a girl photographer and I was able to perform for her."

"Is that what this morning was about?" I asked referring back to the "make love to the camera" joke I'd made.

"Some of it, but not all. We tried another session, just me and the photographer, and we ended up in bed together."

"What, you and the woman?" I said in some surprise.

"Yes, me and the woman. But she just used me, no love or feeling. I was devastated after it happened, I briefly ran away from home I was so confused."

"You went to Matt's?" I guessed.

"Yes, I don't know why, but I did. Matt was great, he just held me in his arms as I sobbed . He looked after me the whole of the next day, taking time off his studies, the next day he was going to put me on the bus back home, but before he did we made the most beautiful love I'd ever had with a man."

Linda continued "We'd see each other each weekend, and the holiday's, or whenever I wasn't working I'd go and spend time with him. After he started work and got his first promotion we got married, I was still only 22 and wanted to keep on modelling, Matt was OK about this. Well he was, until on another assignment I worked with another female photographer, we kinda got it together on and off for about a year. Matt knew, without me ever saying anything. Then along came Danni, Matt begged me to stay at home, give up my career, so I did."

I moved in my seat as Linda finished her story, I wasn't wholly at ease, what could I say to that? I now wondered about this road trip, about the events over the last few days - rubbing my bum when Quad-bike, even getting me to hold on tight, the way she held me when we were bowling, the massage, why she went mad when I was taking pictures of Danni in the bedroom.

As before, most of the drive was then in silence, probably not the same ease about the silence now. Linda may have been regretting telling me, I may have been regretting being there with her, I wasn't sure of my own thoughts, I know I just wanted something else to happen that would change the subject.

"Bang!" it did, it was almost right on cue. A tyre blew out on us, Linda kept control of the Jeep and slowed down on the side of the road. We were so fortunate. So fortunate that a state trooper rolled by just minutes later as Linda and I were getting the spare tyre off the back of the Jeep. Our knight in shiny shades and badges did the hard work for us and escorted us along the freeway until he either felt confident in his tyre-fixing abilities, or got another call for help, he shot off leaving Linda and I alone on the road.

Having dropped the damaged tyre at a garage we reached the Grand Canyon shortly after 2 that afternoon. It was truly fascinating, my jaw really did drop as I caught my first properly glimpse across to the North Rim. It felt like we had 101 stops for photos before we actually made it to the main visitors area.

I stood outside in awe of this natural wonder, smiling to others in joint appreciation, I was so excited by this.

"We're in!" Linda called as she stepped out of the building "We've got a room here tonight, we're lucky we know a nice man with a good credit card. Come one, lets get something to eat from the car and then go exploring."