The Barter System (19 page)

She tried to climb up next
to Shay but her backpack threw her off balance.  “Hey now.  For days I’ve been
lifting you in and out of this huge-ass truck.  Now you’re going to try to
climb it?”  Without another word, he lifted her and set her on the seat next to
Shay in the middle who immediately grabbed her hand.

Riya whispered, “Shay, I
feel a little weird, I don’t poach and I don’t want you to resent me.”

The other woman smiled and
squeezed her hand.  “You’re being silly, Riya.  You’re great and I’ll never
resent you.  I know it’s only because of you I’m gonna finally get my chance
with Victor…can you do me one favor?  Ask him about the blow job.  I’m dying to
know inside thoughts!” 

Both of them got quiet when
Victor came around to the driver’s door.  They rode out to the house in silence
and Riya dashed up to grab her stuff.  She had everything packed in less than
three minutes and turned to head out. 

Victor was standing in the
doorway, leaning casually against the frame.  “I asked Shay to wait downstairs
while I talked to you for a minute.”  He came towards her across the room,
crowding her until the backs of her legs hit the cedar chest and she sat very
ungracefully. 

He took her bag and set it
on the floor.  Crouching in front of her, he took her hands.  “Riya, you’ve
done so much for me.  You’ve changed my life.  That was you.  I was stuck in a
rut and you pulled me out of it in the most beautiful way possible.  I will
never, ever be able to thank you for what you’ve done.” 

He lifted her hands to his
lips. 

“Victor, you have nothing to
thank me for.”  She placed her hand on the side of his face, “You are such a
good man and you deserve everything you’re about to get with Shay.  She’s going
to take good care of you.”

He gripped her in a crushing
hug.  “I think you’re stunning and brave and brilliant.”

“I’m going to leave you guys
my address in South Florida.”  She smiled brightly, “I hope you’ll come visit. 
We really could go fishing in the Keys.”  And they laughed together. 

Then he pulled her to his
chest and snuggled her head against his shoulder.  He held her tight and whispered
in her ear, “You’re a good person, Riya, an incredible person.  If you get to
any of these other men and you don’t like it, you’ll always be welcome in this
house.  Always.  I’ll get you wherever you need to go.” 

He was seriously the most
kind and loving person she’d ever met.  He added, “You’re doing a good thing. 
You’re making men open up about things we never talk about.  I bet more men
have body image issues than admit it.  Everyone thinks women are the only ones
who freak out, but we guys have our own issues.  This is good and important
research.  You’re fearless to do it.”

She rubbed her hands over
his face and leaned up to kiss his cheek.  “Thanks, Victor.  Really, really.”

He kissed the top of her
head, “And…Riya, I’m sorry our time together was cut short.  I’d intended to
take you camping and everything.” 

“Never apologize for being a
one-woman man, Victor.  That’s why I made sure I took so much last night.”  He
looked at her incredulously but Riya pretended not to notice.  “Now you’ll take
Shay camping and you’ll send me pictures.”  He nodded and they stood.  She
whispered, “One thing, with just us here, was she good to go?” 

He about passed out at the
memory, “Riya, there are no words.  None.  To the base.  I about died.  Almost
came in three seconds.”

“Shut the hell
up…seriously?  That is crazy skill.  I knew it!  Marry her quick and make
babies…don’t let her get away!” 

They were laughing and he
crushed her hard against him then turned quickly to grab her bag and head
downstairs.  She saw tears in his eyes and she loved that about him.  She went
into the bathroom to change into jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. 

By the time she brushed her
teeth and looked in the mirror, she was ready to begin the next part of her
journey…which was teaching her as much about herself as it was about her
subjects.

Chapter
Ten – The College Student

Second week of September…

Victor and Shay insisted on
waiting with her at the bus station.  Amelia came skidding to a stop in her big
truck and hopped out.  Riya was struck again by how similar she and Victor
looked.  Yet Amelia was so beautifully feminine and Victor so beautifully
masculine.  She was wearing low-hung jeans and a leather vest and boots.  Her
black hair was in pig tails.  “What, Riya?”  Amelia asked laughing, “Do I have
a booger?”

“No, I was just thinking how
wonderful your parents’ genes must have been to make two such outgoing, kind,
and beautiful people.  You’re very striking.  I swear, the more I’m out of my
house, the more book ideas I’m coming up with.”  She laughed, “That’s what
happens when you decide to stop being a hermit.”

Amelia laughed really loud
at that, “Riya, the word ‘hermit’ doesn’t come to mind when I think of you. 
We’re gonna miss you around here.  I’m gonna tag along with Victor and Shay
when they come see you…I’m going stir crazy cooped up in Georgia.”  She gave
Riya a huge hug and told her to be safe.  “I have to get to the bar, practice
swinging my bat.  Later, Riya.”  As she was tearing out in her truck, she
stopped and rolled down her window, “What book ideas?”

Riya laughed, “I’ll send you
the links on your phone.”  A jaunty salute and she was gone. 

She’d tried to buy her own
ticket but Victor had flipped out on her.  “Riya, this isn’t about your
project.  You’re my friend, a damn good one, and I’ll make sure you get where
you’re going just like I said I would.  I still wish you’d let us drive you.”

“Okay, then thank you.  I
don’t want you guys spending crazy time on the road for me.  You both work
really hard and you’ve just truly found each other.  I want you to have every
minute.  You’ll see me again in a couple of months.”

Shay held her hands while
Victor went inside the station.  “Riya, you’re so…just really amazing.  Thank
you for helping me.  I know you didn’t have to, and I wouldn’t have in your
shoes.”

“You would have, Shay.  I’m
not in love with Victor, though I’ll tell you it’s hard not to love him as a
person.  He’s that good.  You’re going to be so good together.  I can’t wait to
see you all again.”  She hugged the other woman hard and set her back before
they started crying like idiots waiting for a damn Greyhound.

Victor came back, handing
her the tickets.  He pulled money out of his wallet for food and Riya started
shaking her head, “Victor, despite appearances with my dissertation, I won’t
starve and I’m not taking your money.”

“Riya, you will take money
for food and you won’t argue with me about it.  My god, you’ve changed my
entire life in days…I can feed you, for Pete’s sake.”  He tucked far more than
she would need in her front jeans pocket.  “You also didn’t take cash out of
any ATM and who knows if they’ll take credit cards where you stop.  Please,
Riya.  For all you’ve done, let me take care of you a little while longer.”

She nodded and they turned
at the sound of the Greyhound pulling into the dusty parking lot.  They hugged
her so many times she felt bruised.  While Victor took her duffle to the bus
driver, she kissed Shay’s cheek and said, “You have what you’ve always
wanted…never forget how you felt before you got him.”  Shay nodded, blinking
back tears. 

Victor pulled her a short
distance away and hugged her again just before she got on the bus.  It was
longer this time and he whispered quietly against her ear, “Thank you for
making love to me, Riya, and teaching me about me.  Thank you for accepting me
and being so beautiful and passionate.  I’m a faithful man but I’m still a
man…I will never eat peaches again without thinking of you.  Goodbye, baby. 
Come back when you can.”  Then he squeezed her hard one more time and let her
go.

When she was seated on the
bus, she blew kisses to both of them.  They were still standing there, watching
her, as the bus pulled out of the station and went over a hill.  She hadn’t
planned on crying, but she did. 

Just a little.

The trip to Austin was long
but not unpleasant.  Victor had been right about a lot of places only taking
cash.  She got a lot of work done and wasn’t in a rush.  She made the trip in
twenty-two hours and crashed at a little motel not far from the mall where
Joshua had mentioned they could meet. 

There was still money left
from what Victor had given her and she added a reminder in her computer to send
it back, and also to send them an engagement gift.  That made her grin.

She took a long soak and
gave herself a manicure and pedicure.  Ordered pizza and zoned on television,
catching an old episode of
House
she hadn’t seen. 

When she finally fell
asleep, her body crashed hard.  There were no dreams and she woke up in the
same position she’d fallen asleep in. 

For the first time in two
weeks, Riya felt truly rested and ready to go again.  She had a few hours
before she had to meet Joshua.  She used it to work and review her notes so
far.

Spur of the moment, she also
decided to call Tawny.  They engaged in some overdue girl talk for a while and
she felt even more emotionally grounded.  She told her about Victor and she had
many lewd suggestions regarding his size and things she should have tried while
she had the chance.  When they hung up Riya was still laughing. 

She checked out of the hotel
and called a cab to take her to the mall.  A concrete bench, her bags at her
feet, offered the perfect place to read.  Khaki capris, a white tank top with
leather flip flops, and sunglasses made her look like another college student. 

It was hot in Austin and the
sun soaked into her skin.  Naturally tan thanks to her mom there was nothing
like sunshine to invigorate you. 

Suddenly there was a shadow
over her book and she looked up to see Joshua standing in front of her with a
grin.  He was adorable.  At about five-ten he was only a few inches taller than
her, on the slender side, but nicely shaped.  His heritage was mixed from what
he’d told her, Asian and African-American.  His features were even and
beautiful, exotic as only racial blends can be.  His skin tone was a lovely
dark caramel color, his eyes an almost reddish brown.  His sensual lips were
parted around beautiful even white teeth. 

Wearing long skater shorts,
a Longhorns t-shirt, sunglasses, and Vans he looked exactly like what he was. 
He held his hand out and she took it, letting him help her to her feet. 

He pulled her in for a hug
and she laughed.  Truly, he was exactly what she’d expected.  Pulling her back
by her shoulders he looked her over carefully, “You are so much hotter in
person, just saying.” 

Reaching down to grab her
big bag for her, she shouldered her backpack.  He took her hand casually, like
they’d known each other forever, and led her to an 80’s model black Volkswagen
Rabbit in perfect condition. 

“I haven’t seen one of these
in forever, it looks brand new!” she complimented sincerely. 

He smiled proudly, “Yeah, it
was my mom’s for years then sat in our backyard collecting dust and rust.  When
I got the scholarship, I wanted something paid off but reliable.  My dad and my
brothers helped me with it the summer after high school.”  He opened the
passenger door and openly watched her ass as she got in.  He stood for a
moment, not closing the door then suddenly leaned in close.  “I gotta do it. 
Sorry, Riya.” 

That he kissed her wasn’t a
surprise, the fact that he did it well was.  Yup, there was the tingle.

When he stepped back, his
smile was even bigger.  Joshua shut the door and put her bag in the hatchback. 
When he climbed in beside her he caressed her leg.  When the car started, the
speakers blasted Nickelback and she was happily singing along as he sped
through the city streets.  When he wasn’t shifting, he was stroking her knee
and thigh, using her as a place to rest his hand while he drove.