Love, Sex, & Wanderlust

"I think so. So it's not just about using dirty words."

I shook my head.

"Not really. I mean that is nice, and that's part of it, but I think it's more about really diving into the situation. Really being there. It's kinda like a vocal stimulation, or a mental one, or something."

She tilted her head in silent contemplation. And for a moment, a question hit me that I had never thought to ask.

"What about for you?"

"Huh?" She looked back at me.

"Do you like it when a guy talks dirty?" I asked.

She just looked at me quizzically.

"Sorry, I just never asked a girl that and it was something I have wondered from time to time."

She smiled.

"It's fine. And I do. I guess for the same reasons. I guess the same thing goes; I never really thought about it..."

We drove in silence for a little after that. It was a strange awkwardness that hung in the air, so when Dani broke it, at first I was relieved.

"So what's your favorite?"

"Favorite what?"

"Dirty word?"

"'Scuz me?"

"You heard me loud and clear," she laughed. "Come on, what is it?"

"I don't know if I can tell you."

"Oh? If you don't then I'm just going to guess."

"You don't have to..."

"Is it... Tits?"

"Tits? Really? Is that one even considered a dirty word?"

"Well I guess it just depends on whose they are," she said.

"Sure..." I was filled with dread at the thought of her continuing.

"Hmmm, it's probably related to the vagina if I had to guess..."

"Jesus, Dani."

"So that leads me to think either 'cunt' or 'pussy," she said playfully, punching the 'p' extra hard.

I rolled my eyes.

"... Yeah, that's the one."

"Pussy?" She bounced in the seat filled with joy. "You like pussy!"

"Jeez, Dani. Cool it," I laughed.

"What? I think it's cool. I like pussy too."

I've lost count of how many times I nearly drove us off the road from her non-sequiturs. I barely kept in the lanes.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Relax, brother Dear. I meant as in the word. It's my favorite too," she said. Then cocked an eyebrow. "Although..."

I was thankful I wasn't drinking anything at that moment, for it would have been a spit-take. My expression alone sent Dani into a fit of laughter that lasted for a good two minutes. I joined in, letting the nervousness and awkwardness fade.

Then right as we settled and silence filled the cab once more, Dani posed another question.

"Do you ever wonder if couples talked dirty to each other during Elizabethan times?"

"What?"

"You know, like Shakespeare?"

"... I can honestly say the thought never crossed my mind."

She sat silent for some time.

"... Wonder what it would have sounded like..." she mused.

I tried not to, really I did, but found myself pondering the same.

"Hark fair wench! Thine soldier is hardened by thee!" I said out loud much to my own surprise.

Dani looked at me with wide, bewildered eyes before she burst out laughing.

"Where, the fuck, did that come from?" she said between laughs.

I couldn't help but join in laughing.

"I don't know," I chuckled. "Thy thoughts were stirred."

"No shit," she said, then added. "Good sir, back'th to the country with you. Tend to your chick, lest you mistake it for a cock."

"Oh, Shakespeare burn!" I laughed. "Though far from dirty talk."

"I guess," she said. "How about; I long to suck thy soldier betwixt mine lips."

"The lady's tongue is sharp, but can it compete with my sword?"

"It can, though I suspect I've better places for it to be sheathed."

I opened my mouth to reply but was lost in the mental imagery. She was quick-witted for sure.

"Well, shit," I said. "I got nothing."

Just like that, we came up with a new road trip game. "Shakespeare Dirty Talk".

We kept with it for far longer than we should have, especially as it was not necessarily very proper for siblings to play in such manners, but then again, we already agreed what happens in the truck stayed between us alone.

And so we drove hours longer than we should have, elated and somehow still boisterous until we found a place to spend the night in Little Rock, Arkansas. Much like the night before, we slept, woke, and Dani still did her yoga routines. This time, however, she opted to use my shirt and a pair of tennis shorts after the clothesline incident. Though the attire was far more conservative, there was something uniquely sensual, yet casual, with the way her body moved beneath my shirt as she stretched. More than once my eyes lingered too long and she would catch my stare. Her response was never to reprimand as it should be, but instead, she'd roll her eyes, or smirk, and return to her pose, though part of me felt she flexed more suggestively.

Eventually, we cleaned up, packed up, and readied ourselves to hit the road once again. Yet our wardrobe was running thin, and with the lessons learned the previous day, we opted for a late start and cleaned what few clothes we had at a laundromat before continuing westward.

Our third day on the road and already we had settled into a groove. We sang along to the radio at the top of our lungs, and we laughed and reminisced on past family trips. Dirty Shakespeare even reared its head again. Yet all this couldn't compare to the majesty of the scenery and the friendliness of the people along the way.

We stopped off in the Ozarks just off I-40 where we met a woman named Alice who was out watching birds. In Oklahoma City, we grabbed a late lunch and met an older couple who were a Johnny Cash and June Carter cover band called "Daddy Sang Bass", and just when we were grabbing gas in Shamrock, Texas, we met a guy named Buck who fell in love with Daisy. He recommended we push on to the Amarillo where his cousin owned a small motel right off the freeway. Even had a cozy dive bar right across the street. With Dani and I being in good spirits, we figured it was worth a shot.

It was well after 10 pm when we arrived in a small city on the far northern reaches of Texas. The city of Amarillo.

* * *

AMARILLO, TEXAS

"I think this is the exit," I heard Dani say as she leaned forward to read the offramp. "Yeah, that's it."

"You sure this is a good idea?" I asked as turned on the turn signal and left the lights of the freeway. A dark stretch of road lay before us cutting through what looked like an industrial district.

"Sure! Why wouldn't it be."

"I don't know. Just this area feels sketchy."

"Jeez, Richie. You got to learn to trust people. Ever hear of Southern Hospitality?"

With a heavy sigh, I relented as we continued to drive in silence with the headlights guiding our way.

"There it is! The Blue Emerald," said my sister, pointing to a small motel with a neon light that read the same.

"Blue Emerald... Aren't emeralds green?"

"Stop it! Give it a chance," she emphasized with a slap on my arm as I pulled into the lot.

As it turns out, I was the asshole for sure. Immediately after parking the car, a short older gentleman with glasses almost too large for his face quickly came shuffling out to greet us, eager to meet the owners of such a classic ride. The moment we brought up the referral from Brinkley, it was as if we were part of the family. We were showered with kindness and treated like an old friend.

"You two must be starving. Tell you what, lemme' call across the street and have them keep the kitchen open just a little longer. Don't worry 'bout the bags. I'll get them in your room for you."

He produced a small key and handed it to Dani.

"There you are. Room 14. Hurry up, now."

"Thank you so much," I said as Dani and I hurried out of the lobby. I didn't need to look over to Dani who I know had a wide "I told you so" grin.

It was a surprisingly packed bar that felt like it was ripped right out of a biker movie. Road signs peppered the aluminum paneled walls with a neon jukebox playing through slightly distorted speakers. There were tables throughout, with a small dance floor where couples dressed in road leathers swayed together. No one glared at us as we entered, or cast a weary gaze in our direction. When we sat at an empty table, a Bar Back appeared out of nowhere with a menu and a smile.

"Alright," I said to Dani after we had placed our orders. "Go ahead and say it."

She shook her head, though her eyes still held that twinkle. "Say what?"

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"You were right and I shouldn't judge people."

Her smile grew.

"There, that wasn't so hard. I'm glad we are starting to crack that shell."

I glared at her but cracked a smile. She started laughing.

Two pints of draft arrived at our table. We clicked our glasses and took a deep, soothing sip.

"So," Dani said. "Speaking of hard... You never answered my question from earlier."

I had to squint to catch what she was on about.

"The position thing?"

She nodded.

"What was it about having a girl in your lap that you like so much?"

So much for getting away from it. I took another long sip and set down the glass.

"Fuck it. Here goes," I said.

Dani immediately shifted in her seat with anticipation.

"There's a lot of different elements to it. I like that we can get super intimate if we want-,"

"Intimate how? I mean you are already doing it."

"Intimate as in eye contact and kissing, like real heavy kissing. She could rake her fingers through my hair and I could do the same to her."

"Is that something you like?"

I thought about it and nodded.

"Sometimes. Don't you?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"You want to know my preferences?"

"Well, no, I mean yes. Shit. You don't have to answer, but I mean sometimes that is nice, the hair thing. And I know there are some girls that like it as a precursor for getting a little rougher."

"Oh?" There was that sparkle in her eye again.

"I mean like passionate, but yeah I guess rough too. Like you can pull her head away just a little to nibble or bite on her neck."

"Mmmm, that is nice," she said before taking another sip.

"... Right." What was going on?

"So you like kissing. You can do that in most positions though."

"True, but in this one, both your hands are free. She can grab my back or wrap her arms around my neck and lean away. I can grab all her... stuff."

"Like her ass?"

"Yup. That. And, you know," I circled my hand over my chest.

"Her tits?"

"... Yeah. Her tits."

Dani leaned back in her chair as if deep in thought. For the briefest of moments, I swore her nipples looked hard in that dim bar light.

"Yeah, I can see why you like that one," she said, then her smile widened.

"What?"

"Hm?" she said looking back to me. "Oh, nothing. Just lost in thought," she said with a shiver.

"Uh-uh. I'm laying myself out here so you gotta do the same. Spill it."

Dani met my gaze as I watched her literally bite her tongue in the corner of her mouth.

"Okay," she said. "I was just recalling some memories in your favorite position and you are right. It's really good."

"Oh, well thanks for the validation."

"You are welcome, brother dearest." She said as we toasted our glasses once more. "... But as we are being honest with each other, it's not my number one."

"No?"

She shook her head.

"So what is it then?"

I could see her cheeks flush.

"Doggy," she said and quickly looked away.

"Doggy? As in doggy-style? Really?"

She nodded.

"What is it about doggy style?"

She seemed to shrink then, fidgeting from embarrassment but then suddenly it all slipped away.

"How detailed do you want me to get?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"I'm honestly super curious. I dated this one girl who was uncomfortable with doggy. It could have been that she was insecure, or felt like she was being used, or something."

"I get that," she said. "In many ways, it may make a girl feel super exposed, and even relinquishes control, like you're submissive. But honestly, I think that kinda factors into it a little."

"What part? Submissiveness?"

"Could be," she said shrugging. "For me, I'm not really worried about my body so I do get off letting him look it over. That kinda gives me a thrill and makes me feel like I'm being super slutty. Then there's the pounding, like, he can get super deep and hit things that just make me... Mmmm," she shuddered in delight.

"And you want to talk about eye contact?" she continued. "I love it during sex, for sure, but nothing is hotter than looking over your shoulder to watch your lover as they drive into you. Or the look on his face when I take over and push back into him. I come so hard I'm worried I'd snap his dick off. And, when I'm feeling super dirty, it gives an easy opportunity to switch things up and take him in... other places."

"Jeez, Sis. I never would have thought..."

"Of me having sex? Or the other thing?"

"Both," I said without thinking.

She smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry to surprise you, Richie, but your little sister likes sex."

She leaned forward, her voice growing softer.

"You know, some might say that us even talking like this is wrong," she said. "Brothers and sisters aren't supposed to think of each other having sex. But we are only human. We both know that we've done it. As long as it's consensual, sex can be an incredibly healthy thing, no matter the kink."

That caught my attention.

"You have any other kinks I should know about?"

Dani paused for a moment.

"... Maybe." Her tongue wet her lips. Whatever it was, she was thinking about it. "I mean, everyone has their own kinky things, right?... What did Mom used to say when we learned about Sex Ed?"

"Different people, different bodies."

"That's the one. Different people, different bodies. And, as you and I both know, different bodies have different sweet spots."

Thank god for the tables to hide my rigid state of arousal. Dani was not so lucky as anyone who cared to look at her chest would see her nubs pressing hard against her t-shirt.

"Two burgers with fries?" Said a voice to our left.

"Uh, yes, that's us," I said as I tried to scrub the dirty thoughts from my brain.

"You both had good timing. Just barely got these out before they just closed the kitchen." They said as they set the food on our table. "Are you both okay if we transfer the bill to the bar?"

"Yeah, that's not a problem," I said with a nod.

"We can open up a tab. We just need a card to put it under."

Dani gestured to me and I smiled, handing the server my card.

"Thank you so much," I said as they took it to the bar.

I didn't know until taking that first bite, but we were absolutely famished. Dani had this smug look as she ate while I made quick work of my burger and fries. I imagine it was not a pretty sight.

With our hotel within walking distance, we decided to splurge. The next round of drinks flew by quickly as we finished our meal. It was at the third when I needed to take a break for the bathroom.

"Holy shit! Dani? Is that you?" I heard when I returned.

I stopped near the table to catch sight of a fit, young blonde woman facing away from me in a tight denim skirt and jacket bouncing with joy as she embraced Dani. Beside her stood a young guy, probably early twenties. He looked like he was a captain of a crew team, fit and from money.

"Oh my god! Carly! What are you doing here!" Dani said as she returned the embrace.

"We have family over in Lakewood and flew out for our Dad's 50th birthday. Got in a couple days ago. You remember Brian?" Carly said.

"I remember you talking about him but we haven't actually met. Nice to finally meet you! I'm Dani." She extended her hand.

"Brian and same! I've been hearing your name a ton in the last few days. Carly's been hooked on your blog," he said as he shook her hand. A pang of jealousy waved through me. Where did that come from?

They moved a table over and combined it with our own and took a seat. No sooner had they sat than Carly burst into giddy jubilation.

"Holy shit! Holy SHIT! That was your truck across the street, wasn't it? You're on the trip right now!"

Dani laughed and nodded. "Well, yeah."

Carly started looking around.

"That means he's here, isn't he? Which one's Joe?"

Oh shit. I quickly looked away before her gaze swept over me and turned my attention back to the bar. Directly in front of me was the bartender who looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Um... Two pints please?" I asked.

"He's... around," Dani said to Carly. I barely turned my head and caught her eye. Did Carly know who I was? Who I really was?

"Oh my God! I can't believe the chances!" Carly squealed. "And I have been dying to meet this mystery man."

"She has," Brian chimed in, "She has hardly stopped talking about how lucky you are."

"Oh Hush," Carly responded, slapping his arm.

Two pints were suddenly placed before me with a loud THUNK. I looked up to see the bartender staring at me expectantly.

"That'd be $10."

"Thanks," I said. "I think we got a tab."

"Name?"

"Richard Campbell."

They nodded and turned to get the new drinks.

"Thanks again," I said, then taking a deep breath, I picked up the beverages and approached the table. I watched Dani's smile grow as I approached.

"Hey, Joe," she said.

Carly's eyes went wide as she looked up with an expectant grin.

"He does exist!"

"I do indeed." I handed Dani her drink.

"This is Carly," Dani said. "An old roommate of mine back in Austin."

"Oh, nice," I said as I extended my hand. "Nice to meet you, Carly!"

"Yes! It is!" she said while shaking my hand with a slight blush to her cheeks.

"Sorry. I couldn't help but overhear. And you're... Ryan?"

Why did I do that? I knew his name.

"Brian," he said, brushing off my flub either reading it as an innocent mistake or a jab that was far beneath him.

"Brian. Sorry. Loud place and all."

It was not.

"So, did you really restore that truck across the street? That thing is a beauty."

"Well some," I said as I took a seat next to Dani with our new friends now across from us. "The previous owner had done a lot of the work already so we just put the engine back with a few other minor parts."

Brian whistled.

"I am impressed. I can't believe you are driving it across the country too. That's incredible."

"I may have been filling him in on some of the details from the blog," Carly said while leaning in.

"Oh... Awesome," Dani said while taking a sip.

"You into classic cars?" I asked.

"Not really, but I can appreciate a beautiful thing," he said while turning to Dani then Carly. Boy, that was a thick line to lay on there.

"Yeah, well, it's hard work and that's not for everyone."

An awkward silence hung in the air. Seriously, what the fuck was I doing?

"So Carly says you both are 'old friends' but, I just have to know; however did the two of you meet?"

Dani and I looked at each other, our expressions hopefully hiding the uncertainty we both felt knowing the intimate embellishments she added to her story to entice her readers.

Unfortunately, we both spoke at the same time.

"Work," I said.

"Childhood," she said.

Fuck.

Dani quickly recovered.

"We basically grew up together until Joe moved away. Then we crossed paths for work and there was a spark, or sorts."

"Yeah, that was it," I said as I desperately wanted to shrink into my stool and disappear.

Carly's eyes twinkled with joy.

"That's so sweet. Oh, I just LOVE that, don't you, Brian?"

"It's great. I'd cheers to that, but I think we need a drink," he said. "Carly, want me to get you a glass?"

"Oh!" she said turning to the bar. "Let me go with you. I want to see if they have a chardonnay. Be right back, you two."

"We'll be here," Dani said as they walked away.