Road Trip, Chapter 10
Title: Road Trip
Fandom : Moonlight
Characters : Mick, Beth, Josef, Simone
Rating : R, for some sexual content and strong language.
Spoilers: Post -"Sonata"
Summary: Tenth in my post-Sonata series. Josef hires an RV to take the gang across country to meet Simone's parents. Fun, humorous, and dangerous adventures await them. Told in alternating pov's of all the main characters.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; no copyright infringement intended.
A/N: At last-they reach New York! This chapter is all in Josef’s voice-I hope you enjoy it! Please forgive any liberties I've taken in the description of The Dakota and of NYC.
Chapter 10
JOSEF
It was just a peck on the cheek. It meant nothing. I am not affected in the least. She’s like my sister.
This was my mantra as I took the wheel-now fully dressed-and drove with a vengeance, suddenly anxious to get to New York and meet the in-laws. I told myself that once I met Simone’s parents, everything would be official, and I would be out from under this oppressive weight on my shoulders. This once mild attraction to Beth had exploded into something dangerous and increasingly difficult to hide, especially in these close quarters. It made me nervous and jittery, feelings I wasn’t used to and didn’t want. Compounding it all, of course, were the two people I loved most in the world-Mick and Simone, two people that it would kill if I acted on my baser vampire instincts. Or, more likely, they would kill me. It was a little disquieting to realize that they both were physically capable of doing it; especially if they banded together.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Simone and Beth, laughing over the penny ante poker game they were playing at the table. Beth must have felt the weight of my stare, for she smiled and met my eyes in the mirror. I couldn’t help but grin back, but looked nervously away from her eyes and directed them firmly on the road ahead. I ignored the jolt I was feeling more often when her sparkling eyes fell on me. This was getting ridiculous. I love Simone. I love Simone. I love Simone. There. That was a much better mantra.
****
Mick had awakened and it was his turn to drive again. It was only six at night, and I was wide awake. Beth sat beside Mick up front, and I dragged Simone back to our bed to focus on what I should have been focusing on all along-how hot Simone was, and what she could do to my body. I gave her everything I had, bringing her to orgasm three times in my desperation to focus on her completely. My hand covered her mouth as she cussed like a sailor before I too lost myself in her and fell over the edge.
Exhausted mentally more than physically, I welcomed the oblivion of satiation, and fell asleep on the icy bed, my fiancé’s head on my chest.
****
In New Jersey, we ditched the Winnebago. And while I admired the power and comfort of the vehicle, I truly was not sorry to say goodbye to it. It would be indefinitely stored in a garage, but I honestly doubted I’d ever use it again. Good riddance to the close quarters, lack of privacy, and near accidents. Well, not that the privacy thing was a big issue; at least, not for me and Simone.
Mick was having trouble saying goodbye to the motorcycles, however.
“I wish we’d had time to ride these babies more,” he was saying, watching my employees take them off the trailer and store them in their own little garage.
“That was fun,” I agreed. “You know what-why don’t I have them shipped back to LA?”
“Really?” his eyes lit up at that. “I don’t want you to go to any extra trouble. I mean, you already spent a fortune on the Whale and the expense of driving it out here.”
“Anything for you, my friend, you know that. Besides, I need yet another area in which I can lord my expertise over you.”
“Uh-huh. Well, bring it on.”
We laughed, both looking forward to that particular competition. About this time, the limo I’d ordered pulled up. The driver handed me the bouquet of lavender roses I’d ordered for Simone’s mother. I took out two single ones and gave each one to Simone and Beth.
“Nice touch,” Beth said, smiling at the bouquet.
“I like to hedge my bets,” I deadpanned, trying not to grin in return.
Simone and Beth gathered their things from the RV and handed them to the limo driver to put in the trunk. Mick and I tossed in our duffel bags. Simone seemed a little sad that this leg of the journey was over. I think she was the only one, though.
****
New York City. I had a lot of mixed emotions about that place. For one thing, Sarah was there, still in her vampire purgatory, waiting for me to get the balls to unplug her. Even though I was with Simone, I couldn’t do it. I was a pathetic excuse for a vampire and a man. I had let her down, and now I was letting Simone down with this crazy fixation on Beth.
We were finally here and my sincere hope was that now I could meet Simone’s parents and get on with my life with her. I held on to Simone’s hand as she sat by me in the limo, and we sped across the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan.
“Your parents live in the Dakota, right?” Mick asked Simone in awe, referring to the famous apartment building. “Were they here when John Lennon was shot?”
Simone shook her head. “No. They were still in California, in Reseda. I think I was born that year.” He politely didn’t comment on how extremely young she was-compared to us, that is.
“You know, John, Yoko and I used to hang out,” I told them. “He had some pretty cool parties. I remember when he was with the Beatles, and-“
“Really?” interrupted Beth excitedly. “You knew the Beatles?”
“Josef, don’t start, okay?” Mick admonished, looking annoyed. “I seriously doubt he knew the Beatles, Beth. He’s just yankin’ our chains.”
I laughed, because I actually had known the Beatles in their heyday. I guess I was like the vampire who cried wolf, and my years of lies and half truths were finally biting me in the ass. I looked at Beth and shrugged. “I’ll tell you my John Lennon story some other time, when Doubting Thomas here isn’t around.” I shot Mick an annoyed look of my own.
As the driver took us into Central Park West, we admired the view of the park, beautiful and green at this time of year. The Dakota was on the corner of seventy-second street, right across from Central Park. We stopped at the tall wrought iron gates of the rather gothic looking old building. A security man came to speak to our driver, but Simone also rolled down her window in the back seat.
“Hi James!” She called.
The guard’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Miss Walker! Your parents are expecting you, but I didn’t realize you’d arrive in a limo.”
She laughed, leaning back a little to avoid the direct sunlight. “I’m moving up in the world.” And she squeezed my hand tightly.
“Well, good to see you, Miss,” he replied, and like magic, the iron gates opened to us. The driver pulled forward and took us to the residents’ private entrance. We left the driver to wait a couple hours with the limo.
As we were walking through the lobby to the elevator, we came upon a diminutive Asian woman dressed all in black, short, black hair brushed back from her face, bejeweled black glasses falling forward on her nose. She held a red straw hat in one hand and a cell phone in the other. I stopped short in recognition.
“Yoko! How are you?”
She studied me a moment in surprise, then recognized me also. “Josef Kostan! I can’t believe it, after all these years! And, you look exactly the same, of course.” She stood on tiptoes and I leaned down to receive a kiss on both cheeks. “What are you doing here?” Her Japanese accent was still very much intact, even after decades of living in New York.
I glanced at my companions, standing mute in shock. “Please meet my friends, Mick and Beth.” They snapped out of their star struck fog enough to shake Yoko Ono’s hand. “And this lovely lady is my fiancé, Simone Walker. I’ve come to meet my future in-laws.”
Yoko laughed musically. “Finally found someone to put up with your nonsense,” she said, kissing Simone’s cheeks as well. “Congratulations. So, you are visiting your parents, yes? They mentioned you at my last cocktail party. Very good people. That mother of yours, she makes me laugh. But I must be on my way; I’m late for a meeting.” She turned to me, for clearly the others in my party were dumbstruck to make even polite conversation.
“Josef, you must visit me in my apartment. It will be like old times.”
“I certainly will. You look beautiful as ever.”
She laughed slyly. “And you, old one, have only grown more charming. I am glad time will never rob that from you.” She turned to the others, her dark eyes surveying them knowingly. “Lovely to meet you all! Good-bye now.”
My friends finally found their voices in time to call a belated farewell, as she went out the door we had entered to board her own waiting limousine.
When the door of the elevator closed, I stood smugly, waiting for the fallout.
“So, Yoko Ono knows you’re a vampire,” Mick said. Not exactly the apology I was expecting, but…
“Well, I’d tell you the story of how she and John found out, but you probably wouldn’t believe me.”
“I’d believe you, Josef,” said Simone loyally. I brought up our clasped hands and kissed her soft knuckles.
“Thank you, darling.”
“Me too, Josef,” Beth concurred.
I smirked at Mick, who only rolled his eyes in exasperation.
****
Simone had pressed the button for the sixth floor, and as we disembarked, I was suddenly overcome with nerves. But what did I have to be nervous about, anyway? I was a catch. Wealthy. Successful. Lots of friends. I mean, everybody likes me, and those who didn’t were jealous and landed in La Brea eventually anyway. These were just ordinary people. Parents. I had seen their pictures, and they looked normal enough, for humans.
As soon as things had gotten serious between Simone and me, I’d of course had her and her family investigated. That’s what cautious vamps do after all. Simone’s mother, Elise, was a high-powered corporate attorney, whose firm’s clients included Trump and Lehman Brothers. This might explain Simone’s career in law. Her father, Marcus, was a renowned artist, and was currently showing his abstract portraits at a SoHo art house.
Wealthy? Yes, especially after having both worked their way up from humble beginnings in Reseda. Even after they’d both become successful, they lived in middle class Reseda but worked in LA until Simone went to college. The Walkers then moved to New York City, where they were now truly living in the lap of luxury they had earned. I admired the self-made; I was one of them. I was counting on this similarity to work in my favor. What hung in the balance was the fact that I was a vampire, and had turned their daughter into a monster like me. If Simone decided to share this fact with her parents, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be getting their blessing. Hence, the nerves.
We reached their door, and I clutched the bouquet like a lifeline. Simone removed a key from her purse and turned the lock to her parents’ apartment. She pushed open the door and the three of us followed her inside.
“Mother? Daddy? We’re here!” she called into the gorgeous, modern parlor that greeted us. It was a study in black and white, with various paintings that could only have been her father’s decorating the walls.
Seconds later, and Mr. and Mrs. Walker appeared, encircling their daughter in warm hugs, and concerned comments on Simone’s new paleness and the coolness of her skin. That didn’t take long, I thought. The suspicions were already mounting.
“Mother, meet the man I love-Josef Kostan.”
Elise turned her critical eyes on me. I felt like a bug under her microscope.
“So, this is the man who’s taking our daughter away from us.” There was not a hint of humor in her tone; she was deadly serious. My instincts were correct. The trepidation I’d felt on my way up the elevator hadn’t been for nothing. I gulped and held out the roses.