Kickin' It On Route 66 ~ Chapter 1 - 6
Title: Kickin’ It On Route 66
State: Illinois ~ Chapter 1-6
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
Warning: Yummy food ahead. Proceed with napkins.
Time for a Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia!
Each state on the Route ~ Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California ~ will have its own chapter divided into parts. This is a light hearted story made up of daily adventures with the odd bit of drama but no trip goes off without a hitch or two.
Each update will be posted on Thursday. Enjoy ~ hope you don’t get car sick!
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 6:
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS DAY 4
A polite knock on the door woke up the two men. Kris opened one eye, glaring at the clock. Yup, 8am, exactly when he’d arranged for their champagne breakfast in bed.
Slipping out from under the warm blanket, and an even warmer husband, he put on his robe and answered the door. Luckily, there was a little foyer separating the door from the room so Adam’s backside sticking out of the sheets was hidden from view.
Kris took the tray, even though the hotel staff was going to bring it in, and thanked her graciously.
“Wake up sunshine, breakfast is here.”
“Mmpff,” Adam replied into his pillow.
“Adam, time to get up.”
“Don’t wanna … too comfy.” His arm reached out, clumsily patting the empty mattress beside him. “Come back to bed.”
Kris opened the veranda doors, breathing deeply the refreshing morning air. There was a table and chairs set up and a nice view of the neighborhood.
“Let’s eat out here.”
“Noooooooo,” Adam whined. “Wanna stay in bed.”
“Fine,” Kris replied, stepping into his slippers and taking their food outside. “Guess I’ll eat the pancakes and caramel bananas and pecans all by myself. Shame for this excess champagne to go to waste too.”
“Is there orange juice?” His bedhead rose from the pillow. “Can I make a mimosa?”
“Yup.”
Lazy Bones got out of bed and headed out to the veranda.
“Gimme.”
Kris snickered, “Don’t you think you should put the robe on? Little early in the day for flashing.”
Adam looked down at his naked body, hand running through his hair.
“Oh … forgot.”
After he was covered up, the couple had a wonderful breakfast and talked about the days ahead. Counting today, they were going to be in Springfield for two more days before getting back on the Route. Tomorrow they would visit the New Salem Historic Site before heading back to their RV. Today, Mrs. Willowby got her day off and the parents were taking the kids to the Knights Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure. They had a long day ahead of them but they knew the kids were going to love it.
When breakfast was over, they shared the shower and got ready to go back to the Hilton. Adam didn’t bother making himself pretty since any effort he made would be obliterated when he hit the water. They headed downstairs and checked out.
Back at the hotel, the kids were already up, dressed and full of a good breakfast. Mrs. Willowby was also ready, excited yet composed. She’d never been to a spa before and though the idea of strangers touching her near naked body made her nervous at first, she was really looking forward to it as well. Besides, her laddies had decided to spoil her further with lunch, a trip to a hair salon and then English Tea at 4pm. It was wondrous to feel appreciated and luckily, the Allen-Lamberts never failed to let her know how much they cared for her.
“I see everyone’s ready. We’ll just get our gear together and we can shove off,” Adam commented, taking their overnight bag from Kris and heading into the bedroom.
“Did you have fun on your date last night Daddy?” Joshie asked.
Kris cleared his throat. “Yeah, we did … but we’re going to have more fun today. Got your swimsuits?”
“Under our clothes,” Hannah replied, lifting her t-shirt and showing off her green suit.
“Towels, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, flip flops?”
“In their backpacks laddie.”
Satisfied the kids were good to go, Kris joined Adam in the bedroom. Fifteen minutes later they came out.
“Got your swimsuits?” Joshie asked.
Adam tugged down a corner of his baggy pants. “Under our clothes.”
“Towels, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, flip flops?” Hannah inquired.
“In our bag,” Kris replied.
“So what are we waiting for? Let’s go amigos!” Adam declared, waving his arm forward, “Vamoose!”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Downstairs, a private car was at Mrs. Willowby’s disposal. She kissed everyone goodbye and left. The Allen-Lamberts loaded their things into the minivan and got on their way as well.
The Knights Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure had been a landmark in Springfield for over forty years. Visitors could get all sweaty and then relax in the cooling waters. They had the entire day and once they parked, they laid out the map of the attraction they’d printed online and worked out their game plan. It made sense for follow the natural flow of the area, starting with the Action Park then walking up and around by the lake to the water park.
They put on their hats, applied sunscreen to their exposed skin, and got started.
“Papa!” Hannah declared.
“What?!”
“You’re toes,” she whined.
Kris looked down. Adam had removed the pink nail polish and floral decals she had so painstakingly applied two days ago. He wondered how Adam was going to handle this one.
“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t want the decals coming off in the water and floating around. The polish came off when I removed them; couldn’t be helped. But I took a picture before I did and,” he looked up to heaven and sighed, “you can put it in your scrapbook. Okay?”
Hannah smiled and hugged him.
Josh and Hannah ran off ahead and their parents called them back, stressing once again how important it was that they stayed together. This was a new place to all of them and without meaning too, you could get easily lost.
Walking together, Kris commented quietly as the kids chatted. “Good save.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t going to let ANYONE see me with pink toes. It was hard enough to take a picture for posterity but I couldn’t disappoint her completely.”
“So altruistic of you but be prepared to have a line up of 12 year olds wanting to do your nails.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
As the Allen-Lamberts drove off for a wild day of fun, their hard working nanny headed out a day of pure relaxation and pampering. They’d hired a private car with a lady driver name Zelda to take her around. Her first stop was La Vida Grand Day Spa at Inn at 835.
Mrs. Willowby met with the staff and over a refreshing glass of lemonade they discussed her regime for the day. She would start with a Swedish massage, move on a body treatment and a little waxing (exactly where was her secret) and then a facial. She changed into a white fluffy robe and followed her masseuse to the quiet, calming room.
She couldn’t help but wonder how the family’s day was going.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The Action Park was heavily geared towards sports and Adam felt a little out of his element. He was going to rely heavily on Kris for this one but he knew it wasn’t realistic to expect his husband to take care of everything so Adam promised himself he’d at least act like he was enjoying it.
Kris, on the other hand, was in his element; he was probably more excited then the kids were. He’d played all kinds of sports growing up and he was glad his kids were into it as well. Josh was his mini-me in that regard and while Hannah loved to dress up like her Papa, she was also a bit of a tomboy and liked getting sweaty and dirty on occasion.
The Big Wheel Ferris wheel was in the center of the action park and the family of four clamored into the brightly colored seats to get a bird’s eye view of the entire area. Beneath them lay the miniature golf, the driving range, the batting cages and the go-karts. Lots of blue was in sight too with all the different ways to get soaked. Stepping back onto terra firma, Josh grabbed his Daddy’s hand and led the procession to the miniature golf.
It was a trip around the world in 18 holes, complete with a grand fairy tale castle and a fire breathing dragon. They didn’t bother keeping score, just let everyone keep hitting the ball until it went in the hole. Hannah was having trouble trying to get her pink ball through the mouse hole at the bottom of the clock tower. Adam offered to help but she turned him down, declaring she could do it. Her Papa could see her getting frustrated as the ball kept hitting the wood and rolling back. He stepped up to help just as she swung back in frustration and got him in the shin with her putter. Biting his lip, he plastered a shaky smile on his face when looked up at him with wide eyes. Adam stepped away, leaving her to it, and limped towards a bench.
“Baby are you okay?” Kris asked, sounding concerned but looking like he was ready to burst out laughing.
Adam nodded and sat. He looked at his lower leg, a bruise already appearing.
A flash caught him off guard. Kris moved back, reviewing the image on the little screen then turning it towards his husband.
“Your first holiday battle wound.”
“One of many, no doubt,” Adam replied, rubbing the area and wincing.
Sucking it up, they caught up with the kids. At the end of the 18 holes, they each managed to make the volcano erupt. Asking a bystander to capture the moment, they posed in front of the billowing smoke and held their putters high in victory.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Resting on her stomach and as naked as the day she was born, save for the towel covering her lower extremities, the lady sighed in utter contentment as the Swedish massage commenced. Firm but gentle pressure was applied to her muscles in long soothing movements. After some more stroking, and kneading, and stretching, the masseuse brought out the hot stones, replacing them as they cooled. After the massage with the stones, a line of stones was placed along her spine, improving the flow of energy to her body.
And with an energetic family like hers to take care, she needed all the help she could get.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Besides the Ferris wheel, there were kiddie rides but both kids were too big for them. Their next stop was the batting cages. Adam and the kids sat back and let Kris have the first go. In his batting helmet and with his bum sticking out and wiggling to get his legs anchored, he was adorable.
“Papa, why are you smiling?” Josh asked.
Adam couldn’t tell him that he was thinking about their games in bed last night so he just replied that their Papa looked funny. Josh defended his Papa, explaining how everything he did was what you had to do to hit the ball. A sonic crack caught their attention as a ball went soaring through the air … then another one … then another one … etc.
Over the years, Adam had become really good at throwing the baseball around and hitting it but he still had no clue how to actually play the game. The kids seemed satisfied enough, happy he made some effort.
When Kris had run out of his allotted baseballs, he stepped aside and helped the kids get ready for their turns. It wasn’t safe to be in the batting cages when someone was hitting so once he got them ready, he joined his husband on the bench where they could see their kids.
Adam leaned back, fingers playing with the sweaty hairs along Kris’ ear.
“I’ve always known you were good with balls …,” Adam started.
“Behave,” Kris chuckled back.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
After the massage, a new attendant took over to give her a calorie free Devine Chocolate and Champagne Body Treatment. First, her skin was treated to a Mimosa Champagne Body Scrub and massage oils. Following that, she was cocooned in the Chocolate Truffle Body Wrap.
When the wrap came off, she felt smooth and moisturized. The smell was heavenly and even though she would later be indulging in a variety of treats at English tea, she absolutely had to have a little chocolate with her lunch.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The last stop before lunch was twofold. Hannah wanted to go on the Go-Carts; Josh was too little for them so Kris took their son to the Arcade while Adam took their daughter Go-Carting. The noise, though not nearly at the same decibel level, reminded him of his show at the Singapore F1 race where the high pitched whine went constantly for days on end.
When their turn came up, Hannah got a pink go-cart and Adam a blue one. They slid into their seats, easier for her than him, legs bent around the steering wheel, and strapped themselves in. After a tutorial on driving safety, the engines were started and Hannah was sent out first. Adam watched her take the first curve and then he was sent out. The course was the shape of a clown smile, lined with tire bumpers and orange caution cones for safety.
It was sensory overload ~ vibrating kart beneath them, heat radiating from the asphalt track, wind hitting their eyes, making them water, and the smells of burning rubber and gas exhaust. They went around the track four times each then together, they returned to the starting area. They weren’t technically racing but the young lady decided passing the checkered flag before her Papa was worth a victory cheer nonetheless. Hannah got out quickly and offered a hand to Adam when he got stuck.
“That was fun!” Hannah shouted, her ears ringing.
“Yeah!” he shouted back. “Let’s find your Daddy and brother.”
Hand in hand they retreated to the air conditioned comfort of the Arcade building. It didn’t smell as bad but it was equally noisy. They found their family then took a seat, closing their eyes and cooling off as Kris and Josh played air hockey.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry Daddy.”
Adam opened an eye to see Kris rubbing his chin.
“What happened?”
“I scored a goal,” Joshie proudly announced.
“After bouncing it off my chin.”
Adam took out his phone, moved in close and took a picture.
“Now you have a holiday war wound to match mine.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Her scalp tingled, magic fingers having done their work. The tropical aroma of lime, lemon, grapefruit, green tea and pineapple, a Citrus Rejuvenation facial, now made her want a fruit salad for dessert ~ dipped in chocolate. Dead skin cells were gently removed by the Pineapple Peel and her pampering was finished with serum and moisturizer.
It had been a wonderful experience. Mrs. Willowby thanked every person who gifted her with their expertise. After buying a few products it was time for lunch. It took a little convincing but Zelda agreed to join her. Asking for suggestions, her driver knew the perfect place.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
A few rounds of pinball and Super Mario Brothers later, they headed to Barnacle Bill’s Grill for lunch. Grilled chicken sandwiches and chicken wraps with fries and bottled water in hand, they backtracked to the covered picnic shelter between the Arcade and Driving Range and ate. When they were done, they headed towards the Caribbean Water Adventure. Passing Barnacle Bill’s again, they picked up Alligator ice, one in each flavor ~ cherry, blue raspberry, lemon lime and strawberry.
Following the path, the water slides towered to their right, laughter and delightful screams gushing with the water. Families floated along on inner tubes down a lazy river that surrounded the waterslides. They’d be getting there eventually but first they were going to circumnavigate the area and check everything out.
“Look! A pirate ship! Can I go on the pirate ship?”
“That’s part of the river ride Joshie, we’ll see it later.”
Coming up the curve, the first water adventure they planned on enjoying came into view ~ the Giant Wave Pool. A smaller pathway led them towards the 20,000 square foot pool. Back home the kids enjoyed wading into the Pacific and letting the water lift them up and toss them back.
“Can I have a hot dog?” Hannah asked as they passed a stand on the way to the bathhouse.
“You just had lunch!”
“I know but I’m still hungry.”
“The answer is no, you don’t want too much on your stomach while you play. We’ll be getting a bite before we go home.”
Even though they had their swimwear on under their clothes, they had to store their things somewhere. Getting a locker, they secured their things and started lathering themselves in waterproof sunscreen. Everyone did their own faces, arms, legs and fronts and then they helped each other with their backs. The kids helped each other then they worked as a team slicking up their Daddy and Papa. As shiny as new pennies, they headed for the pool.
The manmade waves were tamer than some they’d experienced at the ocean but lots of fun anyway. They ran into the water, sat crossed legged and let the power of the water pick them up and deposit them closer to the ‘shore’ as it passed. Moving closer to the deep end, they family lined up, backs to the wave and when one approached, Adam or Kris yelled ‘now!’ and they jumped up and backwards, falling into the swell. They probably spent about 45 minutes there before toweling off, gathering their things and moving on.
Though Adam had turned down Hannah’s request for a hot dog, he thought it would be a good time for some Dippin’ Dots. These little pearls of ice cream were a lot of fun to eat and really cold. At first when they hit your tongue, all you feel is the immense cold and then the heat of your mouth melts them and you have ice cream! The kids knew they shouldn’t play with their food but they couldn’t help themselves, and neither could their parents. If you took a spoon full and pressed them to your closed mouth, the dots stuck to your lips. Walking along the lake with the water slides now on their right and the lake on their left, they strolled towards the pedal boats, sampling each other’s dots as they went.
“Pizza! I want pizza!” their son declared, spotting the sign over by the water slides.
“Later,” both parents replied.
Sun dried, they slipped their clothes back on, applied more sunscreen to their exposed skin and walked to the pedal boats. No motors, no sails, just leg power. Even though this was supposed to be a relaxing activity, they broke into teams and decided to have a race across the lake, the winners to be treated to something by the losers at a later date.
Team JoAd and Team KrisPea put on their lifejackets and got settled in. Once they maneuvered away the dock, they met at an imaginary starting line.
“’kay, here are the rules,” Kris declared. “Both riders have to pedal to the opposite side of the lake and back to win. Most importantly, keep an eye out for other boats. We don’t want any accidents. Adam, is your cell on?”
“Yup.”
“’kay, so if there’s a problem, we let each other know. Josh and Hannah, I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 10.”
“5!”
“9!”
“It was 3. Josh, you start us off.”
They looked around to make sure the coast was clear.
“5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … GO!”
And they were off.
It was more an endurance race than a speed race. At times they each paused to let others pass by or they had to move around those actually relaxing as they stopped and took in the view. The lead went back and forth between JoAd and KrisPea. JoAd got to the other side first but had some trouble turning around, helping KrisPea to catch up. Obviously, the men were providing most of the power. Hannah kept up with her Daddy pretty well and at some point, Adam was sure that even though his boy’s feet were on the pedals, the little guy wasn’t putting much effort into it, although he made full use of his lungs cheering his Papa on.
It was close but Kris and Hannah won by half a length. They high fived and hugged. Josh was sad but felt better after Adam told him what a great job he did and that he couldn’t have had a better partner. Getting out of the boats, they shook hands for a race well fought then headed over to the other dock where they kids could feed the fish.
Adam took Kris aside.
“Have you got any aspirin?”
Kris dug in his backpack and handed it over, along with water. Adam popped two and thanked him immensely.
“Leg bothering you?” he asked, referring the putter bruise.
“A bit but I’m getting a headache.”
“I can imagine. I think everyone on the lake heard him. He was enthusiastic, wasn’t he?”
“You could say that.”
The kids started arguing over the fish food and they returned to their parental duties.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Oddly enough, the ladies ended up at Maldaner’s for lunch, the same restaurant Adam and Kris had gone to the night before on their kid-free date. Of course, neither of them knew that; imagine their surprise when they overheard two servers talking about the famous guests that had dined there the night before.
Mrs. Willowby knew if her laddies enjoyed this place, it must be good.
She’d also managed to convince Zelda to join her for English tea ~ she never took ‘no’ for an answer, working with stubborn children and all ~ so they chose something light but satisfying. Both ordered the organic mesclun, a lunch salad of greens with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, bacon and balsamic vinaigrette. While a grilled chicken breast or piece of salmon would have filled them up more, they HAD to save room for dessert ~ the Queen of Sheba, a French, flourless, chocolate cake filled with a rich chocolate ganache drizzled lightly with chocolate and raspberry sauce.
Ah … chocolate.
Once they finished, she paid with the credit card Mr. Allen had given her and they were off for her salon appointment.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
After the serenity of the pedal boats and fish feeding, if you don’t count Joshie the Cheerleader, it was time for a wild spin on the bumper boats. Once again, the smell of gas fumes filled the air. It was every man and kid for themselves. The pool was full of people, spinning and bumping against each other. Kris and Adam tried to keep their eyes on the kids but kept getting slammed by others. One enthusiastic teenager slammed into Kris at the back, sending his head snapping forward. Adam saw it and went after the kid, trapping him against the edge.
“Touch my man and face my wrath,” Adam declared, hitting him square in the face with the attached water cannon.
The teen sputtered, “Hey man! It’s all in fun! Chill.”
“I know … I’m just having fun!” he replied sweetly, right before he got a face full of concentrated water.
“Leave my Daddy alone,” Joshie called, firing his water cannon at the teen.
The kid fired back and then Hannah was there, and then another teen joined in and before any one knew it, a water war broke out. When time was up, everyone in the pool laughed, nobody was hurt, and the family moved on.
“How’s your neck?” Adam asked, giving his husband a gentle rub.
“I’m okay. Thanks for defending my honor.”
“Any time.”
Kris nearly fell over his son when the boy stopped short, staring up at the yellow and purple spiral before him.
“What’s that?”
Kris looked at the sign. “It’s called the Royal Flush.”
“Like a toilet?”
“Ummm ….”
He didn’t know quite how to answer that. It did kind of look like a toilet bowl he’d seen once at some club Adam took him to when they were dating. You had to climb a tower, slide down a curved tube, swirl around the bowl and get dumped out the bottom. He and Adam had discussed this ride at great length when planning the trip. They knew the kids would want to go on it but they were concerned it might be too much. He looked at the opening and people plopping down into the pool. He saw kids the same age and size as their own.
“Adam, what do you think?”
Adam turned to the kids. “You guys want to give it a twirl?”
“Yes!” the both replied.
He turned to Kris. “One of us can take them up, the other wait for them to be spit out?”
Kris still had a few doubts but the rest of the swimmers seemed to enjoy it.
“Okay, but just once.”
“Yay, I’m going to get flushed!”
Of course, once wasn’t enough. The kids wanted to go again but Kris put his foot down. Maybe he was being overprotective but that was how he felt. If Adam disagreed, he didn’t say.
“Can we go on that too?” Hannah asked.
She pointed to the other slide that used the same tower to reach. It was called the Devil’s Ray Water Slide and being beside it was as close as the kids were going to get.
The second to last adventure was on Pirate’s Plunge, a mass of water slides built into the side of a hill. Whether on their butts, backs or stomachs, it was a high speed ride through twists and turns before being washed into the waiting pool. They had so much fun, going down alone, or in pairs, that they lost track of time. The temperature starting cooling a bit as the sun got low in the sky.
Wiping water out of his eyes for the umpteenth time, Adam suggested they call it a day. They still had to pack as tomorrow they were leaving Springfield to get back to Winnie and the Route.
“We haven’t seen the pirate ship yet.”
“I know but …. “
“Please Daddy, one more.”
“It is a relaxing ride lover, just reclining in an inner tube, floating on the lazy river. We can get dinner before heading back to the hotel.”
Adam stared down into three pairs of puppy eyes and knew he was a goner.
“Fine, but after that we eat and leave.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
With her hair all styled, and a few grays discreetly covered, it was time for High Tea. Now being English, Mrs. Willowby had partaken tea at four o’clock every day of her life ~ sometimes just a ‘World’s Greatest Nanny’ mug full and a few biscuits; other times a full formal spread. The one she and Zelda found themselves sampling was a fine display.
Tea was served in an antique china service and a three tiered serving tower was set down, laden with dainty bite-size sandwiches and a selection of traditional cakes and pastries. On a separate plate were scones with jam and clotted cream.
Once tea was poured, they sampled one of everything. The sandwiches were unusual, very fancy ~ chicken mayonnaise and pine nut, cucumber and mint, ham and parmigiano, smoke salmon and dill cream cheese ~ and the desserts were sinful ~ mini chocolate éclairs, Victoria sponge filled with jam and whipped cream, Dundee fruit cake and Madeira lemon cake.
No dinner for her tonight.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Crossing back over the bridge that had led them to the waterslides, they found the dock for the Caribbean Wild River and climbed into their inner tubes. Surprisingly, they were quite comfortable and letting his hands and feet drift in the cool water, Adam took a nap.
His family noticed and decided to let him rest. To stay together, their inner tubes were connected and they started the last adventure of their busy day. They lazily passed other vacationers walking the surrounding pathways and the towering waterslides. Every so often, a giant sea creature came into view. Several times, the kids spotted something they wanted Papa to see but Kris told them to let him rest.
Alas poor Adam, it wasn’t meant to be. They came upon the haunted pirate ship and despite his family’s consideration, the designer of this attraction had no such loyalty. They floated by, seemingly safe, until out of nowhere water cannons went off, hitting the targets. Adam got it in the face … again. To say he was startled and a little upset was an understatement. Kris knew the language that was about to come out of his husband’s mouth wasn’t suited for little or big ears and he managed to censor him before it got started. The rest of the way, Adam stayed awake, his eyes stinging from the blast.
For dinner, they went to Shanghai Willie’s and ordered a 16” pizza pie, drinks and dessert. Awkwardly, they managed to get the food and themselves to picnic table and dug in, everyone famished. Sticking with a nautical theme, they’d ordered the Man-O-War, which was basically a pizza with the works. They sipped their pop then got icing sugar all over their faces when they ate the delicate, delectable funnel cakes.
Out of the sun’s glare, Kris noticed a problem.
“Adam, when did you last apply sunscreen?”
Slurping his drink down to the bottom, he shrugged, “On the water slides … I think. Why?”
Kris reached out and felt the heat come off his skin before he touched him.
“I think we better stop at a pharmacy for some aloe gel on the way back to the hotel. You, my love, have one heck of a sunburn.”
“Shiiii … oot,” he muttered, noticed the lobster tinge to his pale skin. “How’s my face?”
Kris looked closer. “You’ve got more freckles than you started the day with but the ridiculous floppy hat of yours seems to have done its job.”
“Great,” Adam muttered, “Opie rears his red head again.”
They finished dinner, cleaned up their mess and got ready to go. The kids ran ahead, but not too far ahead.
“Watch out for cars!”
“Yes Daddy,” they answered.
When their parents caught up to them, Joshie had his hand on the front passenger door.
“I want to ride next to Opie!”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The kids were running ahead of their parents again but it was okay, they were in the hallway of their hotel; besides, Daddy and Papa were too tired to lecture again. Hannah and Josh waited at the door for them to catch up, chatting excitedly about their day. The door opened and Mrs. W caught the whirlwinds in a hug. She spotted the two men in the distance and they waved. She waved back and took the kids inside, keeping the door open for them.
“… and I beat Daddy in air hockey and I got flushed!”
“We had a race across the lake and Daddy and I won,” Hannah added. “Papa and Joshie owe us something later.”
“Like what?” Mrs. W asked.
“Don’t know yet … we’ll think of something.”
“Sounds like your Daddy had a great day. Did your Papa have fun?”
“Heck yeah!” Joshie replied, “He got hit in the face twice by water cannons!”
Kris and Adam finally entered the hotel suite as their son talked. “It was a laugh riot,” he added drolly.
Mrs. W noticed they were dead on their feet so she told the kids to get their things from their parents and get ready for a bath.
“A bath?! We’ve been in water all day!” Hannah grumbled.
“Yes, and that water was full of chlorine I’m sure, which isn’t good for your hair.” She ran a finger over the girl’s shoulder and rubbed her fingers together. “You’re also greasy. Come on you two, off we go.” Once the kids left, she turned to Adam and Kris. “Did you have dinner while you were out?”
“An early one, though they might get hungry again in a few hours,” Kris answered.
“Well, you two can have the rest of the night off; I’m back on duty again.”
“Thanks Mrs. Willowby but we still have to pack.”
“Nonsense, you can do that in the morning. I think you both need rest more than anything else …,” she gazed at Adam’s arm as if she just noticed, “… and a little aloe I think.”
Kris held up the white paper bag. “Got it right here.”
“Wonderful. Have a cold shower first, gently wash away the day, then liberally apply. There’s cold water and drinks in the mini fridge.”
“Thanks. By the way, how was your day?”
“Wonderful. I’ll tell you all about tomorrow. Off you go.”
The boys kissed her sweetly on the cheek and dragged themselves to their bedroom. Kris shut the door and Adam dropped their backpacks by the foot of the bed. The red man looked over his shoulder, beckoning with his eyes for his husband to come hither. Kris did so and they stood there, shins pressed against the mattress.
Ever so slowly, down they went like two sequoias.
TIMMMMMMMMMBERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
They bounced. They sighed. They moaned.
“I don’t like fun,” Kris mumbled into the comforter, face half buried. His chin throbbed and every muscle ached.
“Me either,” Adam mumbled back. The bruise on his shin ached and he felt like he’d been turned slowly on a spit over a campfire.
“We should take a shower … cool off.”
“We should.”
Neither moved.
“In an hour.”
“Maybe two.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Knights Action Park Map ~ http://www.knightsactionpark.com/asapcms/media/graphics/1-attractions/knightsmap.jpg
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
BTW, I posted a “Once Upon a Time” story yesterday. May have missed it not expecting me to be posting on Wednesday ~ check it out if interested
Sweet “P” ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/53358.html#cutid1
State: Illinois ~ Chapter 1-6
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
Warning: Yummy food ahead. Proceed with napkins.
Time for a Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia!
Each state on the Route ~ Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California ~ will have its own chapter divided into parts. This is a light hearted story made up of daily adventures with the odd bit of drama but no trip goes off without a hitch or two.
Each update will be posted on Thursday. Enjoy ~ hope you don’t get car sick!
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 6:
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS DAY 4
A polite knock on the door woke up the two men. Kris opened one eye, glaring at the clock. Yup, 8am, exactly when he’d arranged for their champagne breakfast in bed.
Slipping out from under the warm blanket, and an even warmer husband, he put on his robe and answered the door. Luckily, there was a little foyer separating the door from the room so Adam’s backside sticking out of the sheets was hidden from view.
Kris took the tray, even though the hotel staff was going to bring it in, and thanked her graciously.
“Wake up sunshine, breakfast is here.”
“Mmpff,” Adam replied into his pillow.
“Adam, time to get up.”
“Don’t wanna … too comfy.” His arm reached out, clumsily patting the empty mattress beside him. “Come back to bed.”
Kris opened the veranda doors, breathing deeply the refreshing morning air. There was a table and chairs set up and a nice view of the neighborhood.
“Let’s eat out here.”
“Noooooooo,” Adam whined. “Wanna stay in bed.”
“Fine,” Kris replied, stepping into his slippers and taking their food outside. “Guess I’ll eat the pancakes and caramel bananas and pecans all by myself. Shame for this excess champagne to go to waste too.”
“Is there orange juice?” His bedhead rose from the pillow. “Can I make a mimosa?”
“Yup.”
Lazy Bones got out of bed and headed out to the veranda.
“Gimme.”
Kris snickered, “Don’t you think you should put the robe on? Little early in the day for flashing.”
Adam looked down at his naked body, hand running through his hair.
“Oh … forgot.”
After he was covered up, the couple had a wonderful breakfast and talked about the days ahead. Counting today, they were going to be in Springfield for two more days before getting back on the Route. Tomorrow they would visit the New Salem Historic Site before heading back to their RV. Today, Mrs. Willowby got her day off and the parents were taking the kids to the Knights Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure. They had a long day ahead of them but they knew the kids were going to love it.
When breakfast was over, they shared the shower and got ready to go back to the Hilton. Adam didn’t bother making himself pretty since any effort he made would be obliterated when he hit the water. They headed downstairs and checked out.
Back at the hotel, the kids were already up, dressed and full of a good breakfast. Mrs. Willowby was also ready, excited yet composed. She’d never been to a spa before and though the idea of strangers touching her near naked body made her nervous at first, she was really looking forward to it as well. Besides, her laddies had decided to spoil her further with lunch, a trip to a hair salon and then English Tea at 4pm. It was wondrous to feel appreciated and luckily, the Allen-Lamberts never failed to let her know how much they cared for her.
“I see everyone’s ready. We’ll just get our gear together and we can shove off,” Adam commented, taking their overnight bag from Kris and heading into the bedroom.
“Did you have fun on your date last night Daddy?” Joshie asked.
Kris cleared his throat. “Yeah, we did … but we’re going to have more fun today. Got your swimsuits?”
“Under our clothes,” Hannah replied, lifting her t-shirt and showing off her green suit.
“Towels, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, flip flops?”
“In their backpacks laddie.”
Satisfied the kids were good to go, Kris joined Adam in the bedroom. Fifteen minutes later they came out.
“Got your swimsuits?” Joshie asked.
Adam tugged down a corner of his baggy pants. “Under our clothes.”
“Towels, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, flip flops?” Hannah inquired.
“In our bag,” Kris replied.
“So what are we waiting for? Let’s go amigos!” Adam declared, waving his arm forward, “Vamoose!”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Downstairs, a private car was at Mrs. Willowby’s disposal. She kissed everyone goodbye and left. The Allen-Lamberts loaded their things into the minivan and got on their way as well.
The Knights Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure had been a landmark in Springfield for over forty years. Visitors could get all sweaty and then relax in the cooling waters. They had the entire day and once they parked, they laid out the map of the attraction they’d printed online and worked out their game plan. It made sense for follow the natural flow of the area, starting with the Action Park then walking up and around by the lake to the water park.
They put on their hats, applied sunscreen to their exposed skin, and got started.
“Papa!” Hannah declared.
“What?!”
“You’re toes,” she whined.
Kris looked down. Adam had removed the pink nail polish and floral decals she had so painstakingly applied two days ago. He wondered how Adam was going to handle this one.
“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t want the decals coming off in the water and floating around. The polish came off when I removed them; couldn’t be helped. But I took a picture before I did and,” he looked up to heaven and sighed, “you can put it in your scrapbook. Okay?”
Hannah smiled and hugged him.
Josh and Hannah ran off ahead and their parents called them back, stressing once again how important it was that they stayed together. This was a new place to all of them and without meaning too, you could get easily lost.
Walking together, Kris commented quietly as the kids chatted. “Good save.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t going to let ANYONE see me with pink toes. It was hard enough to take a picture for posterity but I couldn’t disappoint her completely.”
“So altruistic of you but be prepared to have a line up of 12 year olds wanting to do your nails.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
As the Allen-Lamberts drove off for a wild day of fun, their hard working nanny headed out a day of pure relaxation and pampering. They’d hired a private car with a lady driver name Zelda to take her around. Her first stop was La Vida Grand Day Spa at Inn at 835.
Mrs. Willowby met with the staff and over a refreshing glass of lemonade they discussed her regime for the day. She would start with a Swedish massage, move on a body treatment and a little waxing (exactly where was her secret) and then a facial. She changed into a white fluffy robe and followed her masseuse to the quiet, calming room.
She couldn’t help but wonder how the family’s day was going.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The Action Park was heavily geared towards sports and Adam felt a little out of his element. He was going to rely heavily on Kris for this one but he knew it wasn’t realistic to expect his husband to take care of everything so Adam promised himself he’d at least act like he was enjoying it.
Kris, on the other hand, was in his element; he was probably more excited then the kids were. He’d played all kinds of sports growing up and he was glad his kids were into it as well. Josh was his mini-me in that regard and while Hannah loved to dress up like her Papa, she was also a bit of a tomboy and liked getting sweaty and dirty on occasion.
The Big Wheel Ferris wheel was in the center of the action park and the family of four clamored into the brightly colored seats to get a bird’s eye view of the entire area. Beneath them lay the miniature golf, the driving range, the batting cages and the go-karts. Lots of blue was in sight too with all the different ways to get soaked. Stepping back onto terra firma, Josh grabbed his Daddy’s hand and led the procession to the miniature golf.
It was a trip around the world in 18 holes, complete with a grand fairy tale castle and a fire breathing dragon. They didn’t bother keeping score, just let everyone keep hitting the ball until it went in the hole. Hannah was having trouble trying to get her pink ball through the mouse hole at the bottom of the clock tower. Adam offered to help but she turned him down, declaring she could do it. Her Papa could see her getting frustrated as the ball kept hitting the wood and rolling back. He stepped up to help just as she swung back in frustration and got him in the shin with her putter. Biting his lip, he plastered a shaky smile on his face when looked up at him with wide eyes. Adam stepped away, leaving her to it, and limped towards a bench.
“Baby are you okay?” Kris asked, sounding concerned but looking like he was ready to burst out laughing.
Adam nodded and sat. He looked at his lower leg, a bruise already appearing.
A flash caught him off guard. Kris moved back, reviewing the image on the little screen then turning it towards his husband.
“Your first holiday battle wound.”
“One of many, no doubt,” Adam replied, rubbing the area and wincing.
Sucking it up, they caught up with the kids. At the end of the 18 holes, they each managed to make the volcano erupt. Asking a bystander to capture the moment, they posed in front of the billowing smoke and held their putters high in victory.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Resting on her stomach and as naked as the day she was born, save for the towel covering her lower extremities, the lady sighed in utter contentment as the Swedish massage commenced. Firm but gentle pressure was applied to her muscles in long soothing movements. After some more stroking, and kneading, and stretching, the masseuse brought out the hot stones, replacing them as they cooled. After the massage with the stones, a line of stones was placed along her spine, improving the flow of energy to her body.
And with an energetic family like hers to take care, she needed all the help she could get.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Besides the Ferris wheel, there were kiddie rides but both kids were too big for them. Their next stop was the batting cages. Adam and the kids sat back and let Kris have the first go. In his batting helmet and with his bum sticking out and wiggling to get his legs anchored, he was adorable.
“Papa, why are you smiling?” Josh asked.
Adam couldn’t tell him that he was thinking about their games in bed last night so he just replied that their Papa looked funny. Josh defended his Papa, explaining how everything he did was what you had to do to hit the ball. A sonic crack caught their attention as a ball went soaring through the air … then another one … then another one … etc.
Over the years, Adam had become really good at throwing the baseball around and hitting it but he still had no clue how to actually play the game. The kids seemed satisfied enough, happy he made some effort.
When Kris had run out of his allotted baseballs, he stepped aside and helped the kids get ready for their turns. It wasn’t safe to be in the batting cages when someone was hitting so once he got them ready, he joined his husband on the bench where they could see their kids.
Adam leaned back, fingers playing with the sweaty hairs along Kris’ ear.
“I’ve always known you were good with balls …,” Adam started.
“Behave,” Kris chuckled back.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
After the massage, a new attendant took over to give her a calorie free Devine Chocolate and Champagne Body Treatment. First, her skin was treated to a Mimosa Champagne Body Scrub and massage oils. Following that, she was cocooned in the Chocolate Truffle Body Wrap.
When the wrap came off, she felt smooth and moisturized. The smell was heavenly and even though she would later be indulging in a variety of treats at English tea, she absolutely had to have a little chocolate with her lunch.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The last stop before lunch was twofold. Hannah wanted to go on the Go-Carts; Josh was too little for them so Kris took their son to the Arcade while Adam took their daughter Go-Carting. The noise, though not nearly at the same decibel level, reminded him of his show at the Singapore F1 race where the high pitched whine went constantly for days on end.
When their turn came up, Hannah got a pink go-cart and Adam a blue one. They slid into their seats, easier for her than him, legs bent around the steering wheel, and strapped themselves in. After a tutorial on driving safety, the engines were started and Hannah was sent out first. Adam watched her take the first curve and then he was sent out. The course was the shape of a clown smile, lined with tire bumpers and orange caution cones for safety.
It was sensory overload ~ vibrating kart beneath them, heat radiating from the asphalt track, wind hitting their eyes, making them water, and the smells of burning rubber and gas exhaust. They went around the track four times each then together, they returned to the starting area. They weren’t technically racing but the young lady decided passing the checkered flag before her Papa was worth a victory cheer nonetheless. Hannah got out quickly and offered a hand to Adam when he got stuck.
“That was fun!” Hannah shouted, her ears ringing.
“Yeah!” he shouted back. “Let’s find your Daddy and brother.”
Hand in hand they retreated to the air conditioned comfort of the Arcade building. It didn’t smell as bad but it was equally noisy. They found their family then took a seat, closing their eyes and cooling off as Kris and Josh played air hockey.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry Daddy.”
Adam opened an eye to see Kris rubbing his chin.
“What happened?”
“I scored a goal,” Joshie proudly announced.
“After bouncing it off my chin.”
Adam took out his phone, moved in close and took a picture.
“Now you have a holiday war wound to match mine.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Her scalp tingled, magic fingers having done their work. The tropical aroma of lime, lemon, grapefruit, green tea and pineapple, a Citrus Rejuvenation facial, now made her want a fruit salad for dessert ~ dipped in chocolate. Dead skin cells were gently removed by the Pineapple Peel and her pampering was finished with serum and moisturizer.
It had been a wonderful experience. Mrs. Willowby thanked every person who gifted her with their expertise. After buying a few products it was time for lunch. It took a little convincing but Zelda agreed to join her. Asking for suggestions, her driver knew the perfect place.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
A few rounds of pinball and Super Mario Brothers later, they headed to Barnacle Bill’s Grill for lunch. Grilled chicken sandwiches and chicken wraps with fries and bottled water in hand, they backtracked to the covered picnic shelter between the Arcade and Driving Range and ate. When they were done, they headed towards the Caribbean Water Adventure. Passing Barnacle Bill’s again, they picked up Alligator ice, one in each flavor ~ cherry, blue raspberry, lemon lime and strawberry.
Following the path, the water slides towered to their right, laughter and delightful screams gushing with the water. Families floated along on inner tubes down a lazy river that surrounded the waterslides. They’d be getting there eventually but first they were going to circumnavigate the area and check everything out.
“Look! A pirate ship! Can I go on the pirate ship?”
“That’s part of the river ride Joshie, we’ll see it later.”
Coming up the curve, the first water adventure they planned on enjoying came into view ~ the Giant Wave Pool. A smaller pathway led them towards the 20,000 square foot pool. Back home the kids enjoyed wading into the Pacific and letting the water lift them up and toss them back.
“Can I have a hot dog?” Hannah asked as they passed a stand on the way to the bathhouse.
“You just had lunch!”
“I know but I’m still hungry.”
“The answer is no, you don’t want too much on your stomach while you play. We’ll be getting a bite before we go home.”
Even though they had their swimwear on under their clothes, they had to store their things somewhere. Getting a locker, they secured their things and started lathering themselves in waterproof sunscreen. Everyone did their own faces, arms, legs and fronts and then they helped each other with their backs. The kids helped each other then they worked as a team slicking up their Daddy and Papa. As shiny as new pennies, they headed for the pool.
The manmade waves were tamer than some they’d experienced at the ocean but lots of fun anyway. They ran into the water, sat crossed legged and let the power of the water pick them up and deposit them closer to the ‘shore’ as it passed. Moving closer to the deep end, they family lined up, backs to the wave and when one approached, Adam or Kris yelled ‘now!’ and they jumped up and backwards, falling into the swell. They probably spent about 45 minutes there before toweling off, gathering their things and moving on.
Though Adam had turned down Hannah’s request for a hot dog, he thought it would be a good time for some Dippin’ Dots. These little pearls of ice cream were a lot of fun to eat and really cold. At first when they hit your tongue, all you feel is the immense cold and then the heat of your mouth melts them and you have ice cream! The kids knew they shouldn’t play with their food but they couldn’t help themselves, and neither could their parents. If you took a spoon full and pressed them to your closed mouth, the dots stuck to your lips. Walking along the lake with the water slides now on their right and the lake on their left, they strolled towards the pedal boats, sampling each other’s dots as they went.
“Pizza! I want pizza!” their son declared, spotting the sign over by the water slides.
“Later,” both parents replied.
Sun dried, they slipped their clothes back on, applied more sunscreen to their exposed skin and walked to the pedal boats. No motors, no sails, just leg power. Even though this was supposed to be a relaxing activity, they broke into teams and decided to have a race across the lake, the winners to be treated to something by the losers at a later date.
Team JoAd and Team KrisPea put on their lifejackets and got settled in. Once they maneuvered away the dock, they met at an imaginary starting line.
“’kay, here are the rules,” Kris declared. “Both riders have to pedal to the opposite side of the lake and back to win. Most importantly, keep an eye out for other boats. We don’t want any accidents. Adam, is your cell on?”
“Yup.”
“’kay, so if there’s a problem, we let each other know. Josh and Hannah, I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 10.”
“5!”
“9!”
“It was 3. Josh, you start us off.”
They looked around to make sure the coast was clear.
“5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … GO!”
And they were off.
It was more an endurance race than a speed race. At times they each paused to let others pass by or they had to move around those actually relaxing as they stopped and took in the view. The lead went back and forth between JoAd and KrisPea. JoAd got to the other side first but had some trouble turning around, helping KrisPea to catch up. Obviously, the men were providing most of the power. Hannah kept up with her Daddy pretty well and at some point, Adam was sure that even though his boy’s feet were on the pedals, the little guy wasn’t putting much effort into it, although he made full use of his lungs cheering his Papa on.
It was close but Kris and Hannah won by half a length. They high fived and hugged. Josh was sad but felt better after Adam told him what a great job he did and that he couldn’t have had a better partner. Getting out of the boats, they shook hands for a race well fought then headed over to the other dock where they kids could feed the fish.
Adam took Kris aside.
“Have you got any aspirin?”
Kris dug in his backpack and handed it over, along with water. Adam popped two and thanked him immensely.
“Leg bothering you?” he asked, referring the putter bruise.
“A bit but I’m getting a headache.”
“I can imagine. I think everyone on the lake heard him. He was enthusiastic, wasn’t he?”
“You could say that.”
The kids started arguing over the fish food and they returned to their parental duties.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Oddly enough, the ladies ended up at Maldaner’s for lunch, the same restaurant Adam and Kris had gone to the night before on their kid-free date. Of course, neither of them knew that; imagine their surprise when they overheard two servers talking about the famous guests that had dined there the night before.
Mrs. Willowby knew if her laddies enjoyed this place, it must be good.
She’d also managed to convince Zelda to join her for English tea ~ she never took ‘no’ for an answer, working with stubborn children and all ~ so they chose something light but satisfying. Both ordered the organic mesclun, a lunch salad of greens with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, bacon and balsamic vinaigrette. While a grilled chicken breast or piece of salmon would have filled them up more, they HAD to save room for dessert ~ the Queen of Sheba, a French, flourless, chocolate cake filled with a rich chocolate ganache drizzled lightly with chocolate and raspberry sauce.
Ah … chocolate.
Once they finished, she paid with the credit card Mr. Allen had given her and they were off for her salon appointment.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
After the serenity of the pedal boats and fish feeding, if you don’t count Joshie the Cheerleader, it was time for a wild spin on the bumper boats. Once again, the smell of gas fumes filled the air. It was every man and kid for themselves. The pool was full of people, spinning and bumping against each other. Kris and Adam tried to keep their eyes on the kids but kept getting slammed by others. One enthusiastic teenager slammed into Kris at the back, sending his head snapping forward. Adam saw it and went after the kid, trapping him against the edge.
“Touch my man and face my wrath,” Adam declared, hitting him square in the face with the attached water cannon.
The teen sputtered, “Hey man! It’s all in fun! Chill.”
“I know … I’m just having fun!” he replied sweetly, right before he got a face full of concentrated water.
“Leave my Daddy alone,” Joshie called, firing his water cannon at the teen.
The kid fired back and then Hannah was there, and then another teen joined in and before any one knew it, a water war broke out. When time was up, everyone in the pool laughed, nobody was hurt, and the family moved on.
“How’s your neck?” Adam asked, giving his husband a gentle rub.
“I’m okay. Thanks for defending my honor.”
“Any time.”
Kris nearly fell over his son when the boy stopped short, staring up at the yellow and purple spiral before him.
“What’s that?”
Kris looked at the sign. “It’s called the Royal Flush.”
“Like a toilet?”
“Ummm ….”
He didn’t know quite how to answer that. It did kind of look like a toilet bowl he’d seen once at some club Adam took him to when they were dating. You had to climb a tower, slide down a curved tube, swirl around the bowl and get dumped out the bottom. He and Adam had discussed this ride at great length when planning the trip. They knew the kids would want to go on it but they were concerned it might be too much. He looked at the opening and people plopping down into the pool. He saw kids the same age and size as their own.
“Adam, what do you think?”
Adam turned to the kids. “You guys want to give it a twirl?”
“Yes!” the both replied.
He turned to Kris. “One of us can take them up, the other wait for them to be spit out?”
Kris still had a few doubts but the rest of the swimmers seemed to enjoy it.
“Okay, but just once.”
“Yay, I’m going to get flushed!”
Of course, once wasn’t enough. The kids wanted to go again but Kris put his foot down. Maybe he was being overprotective but that was how he felt. If Adam disagreed, he didn’t say.
“Can we go on that too?” Hannah asked.
She pointed to the other slide that used the same tower to reach. It was called the Devil’s Ray Water Slide and being beside it was as close as the kids were going to get.
The second to last adventure was on Pirate’s Plunge, a mass of water slides built into the side of a hill. Whether on their butts, backs or stomachs, it was a high speed ride through twists and turns before being washed into the waiting pool. They had so much fun, going down alone, or in pairs, that they lost track of time. The temperature starting cooling a bit as the sun got low in the sky.
Wiping water out of his eyes for the umpteenth time, Adam suggested they call it a day. They still had to pack as tomorrow they were leaving Springfield to get back to Winnie and the Route.
“We haven’t seen the pirate ship yet.”
“I know but …. “
“Please Daddy, one more.”
“It is a relaxing ride lover, just reclining in an inner tube, floating on the lazy river. We can get dinner before heading back to the hotel.”
Adam stared down into three pairs of puppy eyes and knew he was a goner.
“Fine, but after that we eat and leave.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
With her hair all styled, and a few grays discreetly covered, it was time for High Tea. Now being English, Mrs. Willowby had partaken tea at four o’clock every day of her life ~ sometimes just a ‘World’s Greatest Nanny’ mug full and a few biscuits; other times a full formal spread. The one she and Zelda found themselves sampling was a fine display.
Tea was served in an antique china service and a three tiered serving tower was set down, laden with dainty bite-size sandwiches and a selection of traditional cakes and pastries. On a separate plate were scones with jam and clotted cream.
Once tea was poured, they sampled one of everything. The sandwiches were unusual, very fancy ~ chicken mayonnaise and pine nut, cucumber and mint, ham and parmigiano, smoke salmon and dill cream cheese ~ and the desserts were sinful ~ mini chocolate éclairs, Victoria sponge filled with jam and whipped cream, Dundee fruit cake and Madeira lemon cake.
No dinner for her tonight.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Crossing back over the bridge that had led them to the waterslides, they found the dock for the Caribbean Wild River and climbed into their inner tubes. Surprisingly, they were quite comfortable and letting his hands and feet drift in the cool water, Adam took a nap.
His family noticed and decided to let him rest. To stay together, their inner tubes were connected and they started the last adventure of their busy day. They lazily passed other vacationers walking the surrounding pathways and the towering waterslides. Every so often, a giant sea creature came into view. Several times, the kids spotted something they wanted Papa to see but Kris told them to let him rest.
Alas poor Adam, it wasn’t meant to be. They came upon the haunted pirate ship and despite his family’s consideration, the designer of this attraction had no such loyalty. They floated by, seemingly safe, until out of nowhere water cannons went off, hitting the targets. Adam got it in the face … again. To say he was startled and a little upset was an understatement. Kris knew the language that was about to come out of his husband’s mouth wasn’t suited for little or big ears and he managed to censor him before it got started. The rest of the way, Adam stayed awake, his eyes stinging from the blast.
For dinner, they went to Shanghai Willie’s and ordered a 16” pizza pie, drinks and dessert. Awkwardly, they managed to get the food and themselves to picnic table and dug in, everyone famished. Sticking with a nautical theme, they’d ordered the Man-O-War, which was basically a pizza with the works. They sipped their pop then got icing sugar all over their faces when they ate the delicate, delectable funnel cakes.
Out of the sun’s glare, Kris noticed a problem.
“Adam, when did you last apply sunscreen?”
Slurping his drink down to the bottom, he shrugged, “On the water slides … I think. Why?”
Kris reached out and felt the heat come off his skin before he touched him.
“I think we better stop at a pharmacy for some aloe gel on the way back to the hotel. You, my love, have one heck of a sunburn.”
“Shiiii … oot,” he muttered, noticed the lobster tinge to his pale skin. “How’s my face?”
Kris looked closer. “You’ve got more freckles than you started the day with but the ridiculous floppy hat of yours seems to have done its job.”
“Great,” Adam muttered, “Opie rears his red head again.”
They finished dinner, cleaned up their mess and got ready to go. The kids ran ahead, but not too far ahead.
“Watch out for cars!”
“Yes Daddy,” they answered.
When their parents caught up to them, Joshie had his hand on the front passenger door.
“I want to ride next to Opie!”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
The kids were running ahead of their parents again but it was okay, they were in the hallway of their hotel; besides, Daddy and Papa were too tired to lecture again. Hannah and Josh waited at the door for them to catch up, chatting excitedly about their day. The door opened and Mrs. W caught the whirlwinds in a hug. She spotted the two men in the distance and they waved. She waved back and took the kids inside, keeping the door open for them.
“… and I beat Daddy in air hockey and I got flushed!”
“We had a race across the lake and Daddy and I won,” Hannah added. “Papa and Joshie owe us something later.”
“Like what?” Mrs. W asked.
“Don’t know yet … we’ll think of something.”
“Sounds like your Daddy had a great day. Did your Papa have fun?”
“Heck yeah!” Joshie replied, “He got hit in the face twice by water cannons!”
Kris and Adam finally entered the hotel suite as their son talked. “It was a laugh riot,” he added drolly.
Mrs. W noticed they were dead on their feet so she told the kids to get their things from their parents and get ready for a bath.
“A bath?! We’ve been in water all day!” Hannah grumbled.
“Yes, and that water was full of chlorine I’m sure, which isn’t good for your hair.” She ran a finger over the girl’s shoulder and rubbed her fingers together. “You’re also greasy. Come on you two, off we go.” Once the kids left, she turned to Adam and Kris. “Did you have dinner while you were out?”
“An early one, though they might get hungry again in a few hours,” Kris answered.
“Well, you two can have the rest of the night off; I’m back on duty again.”
“Thanks Mrs. Willowby but we still have to pack.”
“Nonsense, you can do that in the morning. I think you both need rest more than anything else …,” she gazed at Adam’s arm as if she just noticed, “… and a little aloe I think.”
Kris held up the white paper bag. “Got it right here.”
“Wonderful. Have a cold shower first, gently wash away the day, then liberally apply. There’s cold water and drinks in the mini fridge.”
“Thanks. By the way, how was your day?”
“Wonderful. I’ll tell you all about tomorrow. Off you go.”
The boys kissed her sweetly on the cheek and dragged themselves to their bedroom. Kris shut the door and Adam dropped their backpacks by the foot of the bed. The red man looked over his shoulder, beckoning with his eyes for his husband to come hither. Kris did so and they stood there, shins pressed against the mattress.
Ever so slowly, down they went like two sequoias.
TIMMMMMMMMMBERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
They bounced. They sighed. They moaned.
“I don’t like fun,” Kris mumbled into the comforter, face half buried. His chin throbbed and every muscle ached.
“Me either,” Adam mumbled back. The bruise on his shin ached and he felt like he’d been turned slowly on a spit over a campfire.
“We should take a shower … cool off.”
“We should.”
Neither moved.
“In an hour.”
“Maybe two.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Knights Action Park Map ~ http://www.knightsactionpark.com/asapcms/media/graphics/1-attractions/knightsmap.jpg
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
BTW, I posted a “Once Upon a Time” story yesterday. May have missed it not expecting me to be posting on Wednesday ~ check it out if interested
Sweet “P” ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/53358.html#cutid1