The Trip Ch. 03

On the drive back to her hotel, Kim's mind raced. She thought about Los Angeles and all the things she had to do when she got back home in a little less than a week from now. She also thought about Ellis and what she'd have to deal with regarding him in the very near future, but mostly she thought about her sister, Rachael. Rachael had called her cell phone and left at least a half dozen messages since she left for San Francisco. Kim wanted to talk to her but she had absolutely no idea how she was going to explain Brian and what they've been up to since before she even left LAX.

Rachael had become extremely protective of her little sister since the night of the showdown with Ellis Richards. The images of that night tried to re-emerge to the surface just as they had done with Brian a little less than an hour ago, but she pushed them back down into the dungeons of her soul. She had to talk with Rachael and she had to be calm, coherent and unbelievably convincing when she did. Rachael had to be believe everything was perfectly fine.

By the time Kim made it back to her hotel room, it was almost eight o'clock and she had decided to take a hot shower before she made the call to Rachael. She somehow felt dirty again, like Ellis had beaten and raped tonight like he did on that night all those months ago. She remembered coming home from the police station that night and standing in the shower for hours, trying mercilessly to scrub the skin clean off her body. It didn't work of course and even though nothing had really changed, she felt better after the shower. She always felt better after a shower and she was hoping for the same feeling tonight.

Kim stepped her naked body into the already pulsing shower and let the water flow down her neck and over her still quivering body. She grabbed the small bar of hotel soap sitting on the edge of the tub. She tore off the wrapper and tossed it through the shower curtain onto the floor. She held the tiny bar in her hands, almost in a praying position before she lifted her left arm and wiped the bar down the underside.

The white suds began to lather and stream down her body with the force of the showerhead guiding them. The bubbles migrated like quick moving icebergs down her soft shoulders and between her heavy, supple breasts. One bubble caught the tip of her tiny, brown nipple and clung there before popping as the warm water splattered it from above. She was lost in the relaxing feel of the water on her suddenly tired body.

She'd almost forgotten about Ellis for a moment until her hand slid over a reminder of another of Ellis's drunken tirades. Her sensitive fingers lightly danced over the long scar on her right side near her belly. She was used to it now and most times, didn't even notice it. She bent her head to look down at it, the spray from the showerhead matting her long curls to her face. She let her fingers hang there feeling the long, three inch protrusion it made on her skin. She quickly dropped her hands and tried to release it and Ellis from her mind. She did, too.

All she had to do was think about Brian.

She thought about that afternoon on the plane from LAX. That hour, that one simple hour on that plane sitting next to him was the happiest one she could remember having in a long time. She tried to think of the last time she had enjoyed anyone's (a man's) company so much and she couldn't. Brian had found that place in her again, that place she thought was lost forever. She found herself so incredibly grateful to him for doing so even if it was only for a little while.

Suddenly, new images came to the forefront of her mind's eye. She saw Brian's strapping bare back walking to the shower that first morning. How he had asked her to join him and how she wanted to say, "yes" but said nothing instead. She thought of what he did while he was there.

She closed her eyes and imagined his lean, naked and wet body. She pictured him slowly wrapping his strong hand around his hard throbbing cock, making a fist and pumping; his muscular arms flexing beneath the droplets of water pelting his lightly tanned, white skin. Suddenly, she was there with him under the waterfall, allowing him to kiss and fondle every part of her aroused body.

Her fingers slowly inched down to that aching crevice between her thighs, the tiny bar of soap almost hidden within her hand. She rubbed the stiff, slick bar against her clit and felt her body jerk in response. Her mouth and her legs instinctively opened wide.

She let her soapy middle and index fingers eagerly slide between the folds of her fuzzy mound. She rubbed the area up and down before her fingers quickly and quietly slipped into her waiting hole. First two, then three...her back arched at her finger's entry and the soap in her hand fell to the base of the tub with a clank, forgotten. Right now she was in the shower with Brian making love to him under the massaging spray of their hot and steamy shower.

Her fingers were his strong and massive cock plunging in and out of her with the force of the world behind it. She stood there underneath the shower with her eyes closed and her hand fervently violating her body in a way that sparked so much pleasure inside her she felt she could cry.

With her free hand she grasped at the showerhead to keep her balance as her climax's first wave was upon her. Her head jerked back and her throat made tiny hiccupping sounds as her fingers and her hips met each other, dancing to a beat only they could hear.

The second wave was more intense. It flung her body forward and she rested her head on the porcelain wall in front of her. Her whole body convulsed and loud gasps fell from her open mouth. She licked her lips and felt the shockwaves slowly begin to subside. Her fingers slowed their dancing frenzy inside of her and she felt her body, relax – really relax for the first time in a very long time.

Kim wiped her wet hair from her face and smiled. In her mind, she had just made love to Brian Wilson whether he knew it or not. She also thought that maybe that was the closest to making love with him that she'd ever allow herself to get.

Kim finally pulled herself from the shower at least another half hour after she came. She quickly slipped her black nightgown on over her naked body and took a seat on the edge of the bed next to the night stand.

Her cell phone was there. She knew she needed to call Rachael. She looked at the hotel's digital clock next to the phone. 9:33.

Kim sighed, picked up her cell phone and punched #3, the short cut to Rachael's cell. It rang only once before a hurried voice picked up the line. She figured the caller ID had alerted Rachael to her call before she even answered the phone. Kim braced for the onslaught.

"Kim!? Girl, where the hell ARE you? I've been trying to call you since yesterday! Are you okay?" Rachael was frantic. Kim could hear her slamming what she thought was a plate down on a table.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," her words came slow and deliberate. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, I've just been so busy with..." Kim suddenly realized she had no idea what she was going to say next. She couldn't tell her about Brian. Not now, not ever, she thought. In less than a week, Brian would be history, anyway. She was going back home to LA and Brian's home was here in San Francisco. There was no need to ever mention him to anyone.

"You scared the living shit out of me, girl! Do you know I've been calling police stations and hospitals all over San Francisco trying to find your crazy ass!?"

Kim tried to suppress a laugh. It was always all or nothing with Rachael. She was known for overreacting and this, to Kim, was certainly the crowning glory of her drama queen-dom.

"I'm sorry. Every time I picked up the phone to call you, something came up." Kim knew it was a shitty excuse, but she hoped Rachael's hysteria would cloud her reasoning as usual. She wasn't disappointed.

"Girl, shit!" Rachael paused and caught her breath. "Why do you always damn near give me a heart attack? It's like you're trying to kill me." Kim heard another clank of a dish in the background.

"I'm sorry," was all Kim could think of to say. She wanted to change the subject to her latest adventures in the bay area, subtly leaving out her charming and handsome tour guide. But then decided to wait for Rachael to change the subject instead.

"Well?" Rachael said in an almost calm voice this time.

"Well, what?" Kim asked already knowing the answer.

"You know what I've been calling you about, don't play stupid with me, Kim. You know I'm not the one."

Kim froze. Yes, she knew what Rachael wanted to know and tingle of guilt flooded her.

"Did you talk to him?"

"No," Kim said blankly and shaking her head at no one in particular. She had hardly even thought about Eric Jefferies. He was the main reason she'd come to San Francisco and he hardly held a passing thought in her mind.

"Well, then what the hell have you been doing all this time?"

"I've been taking in the sights." Kim was glad that this wasn't a total lie. Rachael was pretty good at picking up on her subtle untruths. Even over the phone. "I don't want to bother him right away. I'll visit him during the week."

"Girrrl, you better get your mind right and start taking this a lot more seriously. Ellis keeps calling here and hanging up. The caller ID always says 'unknown' but I know it's him." Rachael's breath was heavy over the phone. "He's out. I don't know how, but he is and he's looking for you, Kim," she added. "And I wouldn't doubt it if he's been by your place already."

Kim's stomach knotted. Rachael's words burrowed into her brain and blinded her with fear. It was too soon. Ellis was supposed to be in prison for at least another six months. The courts had said so. Terror gripped her and the thought of going back to LA next week suddenly made her feel sick. The words 'he's out' kept echoing through her like an empty cave. They were the most terrifying words she'd ever heard.

"I'll go see him tomorrow," she said plainly, her interest in Eric Jefferies suddenly and inexorably piqued. She felt her phone wiggle against her ear then realized it was her trembling hands that made it do so.

"I'll call him tomorrow morning, Rachael."

"You better," she said in her usual parental tone. "The shit's coming down, Kim, and you're gonna need all the help you can get."

And with that, Rachael hung up the phone.

Kim let the phone drop to her lap while she sat there on the bed for a long time with it still in her trembling hands. She looked down at a spot on the floor, mesmerized. Like it had put her in delirious trance. The words 'he's out and he's looking for you' kept swirling in her head. It was the only thing should could remember from her conversation with Rachael. It was really the only thing that mattered at this point. She kept staring at that spot, hopelessly lost in her own thoughts and fears. She stared at it for longer than she thought because by the time she looked up and over at the clock again, she was surprised to see that it was already a quarter to twelve.

****

The next morning found Brian lying cross ways on his bed, one leg hanging over the side, lightly draped over the hardwood floor below. He was wearing the pajama shirt Kim had worn just two nights ago only he was wearing the matching bottoms as well. His cell phone rang and his hand fumbled for it in his sleep. He found it and answered it without once opening his eyes.

"Hello?" Brian growled.

"Brian? Where the hell are you?"

It was John McCreary, Brian's friend and colleague.

"Sleeping! What the hell do you want?" He said in a hoarse scruffy voice.

"Umm, you're supposed to be here with me at work." John sounded slightly annoyed but even more amused.

"It's Sunday," Brian said finally opening his eyes. The sunlight burning through his bedroom window made him squint.

"And have you forgotten you promised we'd come in today to prepare for tomorrow's meeting with the board on that LA contract? We won't have time to do it in the morning."

Brian had forgotten. He lifted his head and took a quick glance at his clock. It was almost 10:00am. He let his head fall back onto his pillow with a sigh.

"Shit...," he said, barely audible through his clenched teeth.

"Are you coming or not?" John was not usually one to be a hard ass, but this account meant the life or death of his perspective promotion. A successful presentation on the Davis account meant a much larger paycheck for him and it also meant no more days of ass kissing their son-of-a-bitch boss, Cecil Barnes.

"Don't do this to me, man. I need you here today. This is a big one for me, you know what I mean?"

Brian knew exactly what he meant. It meant a possible promotion for himself as well, but he wasn't as hell bent on it as John was. Brian liked his current job and oddly enough, had no real qualms about his current rate of pay. He made just over eighty-five thousand a year which was more than enough for him to live as comfortably as he had been. He had a nice apartment, a nice car and no real complaints.

John on the other hand, was married with two kids and another one on the way. He'd just stepped into a mortgage that had somehow gotten over his head and he was beginning to swim in debt. He knew this because Brian had given him three grand just five months ago. He let him believe it was a loan, but Brian knew he'd never let him pay it back. He understood that John needed the money a hell of a lot more than he did. John also needed this promotion and Brian understood that as well.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Give me a half hour," Brian said clicking the call release button on his cell phone. He rolled over on his bed and stopped suddenly. He looked at the spot where Kim had slept just two nights before. He grabbed his cell phone again and called her. This, would be the first of several calls to her that would go unanswered that day.

When he only got her voicemail, he left her a message letting her know that he would be free this evening to take her out to dinner if she wanted.

He hung up the phone and let it rest on his chest. He thought about Kim last night and how something had been bothering her. So much so that she sat before him in tears. Again, for the millionth time since he'd last held her in his arms, his mind raced trying to figure out what it could have been. His eyes inadvertently fell on the clock on his nightstand again. His body suddenly jerked from the bed while his legs braced themselves to carry his sluggish frame to the bathroom for a shower.

****

Meanwhile, Kim had already started her day without him. She was fully dressed and sitting at the desk chair in her room when she pulled out the slip of paper in her purse with Eric Jefferies's phone number and address on it. She grabbed her cell phone, took a deep breath and dialed the number.

"Mr. Jeffries? Hi, it's Kimberly Brown, Rachael's sister. We spoke last week --"

"She's fine, how are you?"

"That's good. I'm good too, thanks for asking."

"Yes, I know-- that's what everyone says," she let out a feigned chuckle.

"Well, with the work you did with Rachael in the past – she likes you. She says I can trust you."

"I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much trouble if I stopped by a few days early. I know you're busy but --

"Yes. I really don't want to be a bother, it's just -- that my situation suddenly got more urgent. I just have some questions that I don't really want to discuss over the phone."

"Yes, that sounds fine."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so very much. I'll see you at two, then."

Kim hung up her end of the phone and turned to look at herself in the mirror in front of her. She teased her hair and rubbed her foundation more finely into her cheeks. When she was done, she looked at her reflection again as the words 'he's out' flashed through her thoughts once more.

Her body started to quiver just before she completely collapsed on the desk in front of her and cried.

****

Back in LA, Rachael was still in bed. She was wide awake listening to the spray of the shower going in the bathroom. She lay there staring up at the ceiling with her naked body covered shoulder high in bed sheets. She was thinking about Kim and what the hell they were going to do now that Ellis was back on the streets.

Her thoughts went back to that night Kim showed up at her house. The night of the incident with Ellis. She remembered how Kim looked standing at her door all bruised and bloodied. Her face was puffy and her left eye was swollen and half closed.

"What the hell happened to you!?" Rachael screamed pulling Kim inside from the hallway, not waiting for an answer.

"Ellis." Rachael said, her jaw tightening and her fists clenching.

"I did something real bad, Rachael," Kim said looking up at her.

"Where is he?" Rachael asked fumbling for her shoes. She wanted to find the bastard who had done this to her little sister. She didn't know what she was going to do when she found him, but she decided she'd figure all that out when she got there.

"He's at the hospital," Kim said staring at her through her one good eye.

Rachael froze. She already had her jacket sleeve up one arm and she held it there staring back at the punching bag version of her sister.

"Isn't that where you should be?"

Kim shook her head, walked past her sister and sat on the edge of the couch.

"I hurt him, Rachael. I hurt him real bad," Kim paused and swallowed hard. "I called the ambulance after I left the house. I didn't know what else to do." Rachael sat down next to her and put her arm around her.

"I only meant to get him in the shoulder, I swear! But he moved! He moved! He turned his head and I –"

"Calm down," Rachael said brushing Kim's hair back. "Slow down and tell me what happened."

Kim sat on the couch rocking back and forth.

"I called the hospital from the pay phone up the street. I didn't want them to be able to trace the call, you know? In case they were looking for me? They told me he was in stable condition, but –," she held her face in her hands. " I messed up his face really bad, Rach. They said he might even lose his eye. I swear I didn't mean for it to happen like that. It's just that when he –," she looked down at herself. She felt the pain in her eye, her ribs and between her legs and struggled for the words.

"They said he told them it was an accident. That he did it to himself. That he slipped and fell on some broken glass," she turned to her sister.

"Why would he say that, Rachael? Why wouldn't he tell them what really happened? Why wouldn't he want to put me in jail after what I did to him?"

Rachael figured she knew why, but thought better of it than to tell Kim at this point. She was already scared witless and the truth would have made her crazy. She believed Ellis didn't want her to go to jail. That would mean she would be safe from retaliation, at least for a little while. No, he wanted her free as a bird so he could figure out the best way to exact his revenge. That's just how Ellis worked and she was surprised that Kim didn't know that by now.

"I don't know, Kim," she said looking down at her hands. "But tell me this. Have you been to the hospital?"

Kim quickly glanced at her with fear on her face.

"No, no! I couldn't go to the hospital, not with him there! Plus, I don't want to go to the hospital. I'll be fine. He didn't do anything permanent. I'll be fine." She bunched up her jacket around her as though she'd gotten a sudden chill.

"Well, have you at least been to the police? File another report against him and put him in jail!"

Rachael could tell by Kim's silence that she hadn't gone to the police either. Her guess was that the first thing she did after calling an ambulance for his sorry ass, was come over to see her.