Nomad's Baby

Friends Like These

"Can you get ready for dinner?" Vicky asked. "Come on."

"I am." Sera glanced at the clothes on the bed.

"This is what you're wearing. Pants?" Vicky questioned.

"Is it a five star place where we're headed?"

"We're headed out to be out. We're still celebrating your freedom, remember?"

It was hard for her to get the scumbag bartender out of her thoughts. And it was hard to let go of that feeling.

The threat.

She only went in there to ask about a job.

Vicky glanced from Sera to the outfit on the bed. "Nope. I have something else you can wear."

"Vic-"

The girl waved her off.

"Sera. Are we going to keep having this back and forth? Or are you just going to give in and have a good time?"

Sera huffed closing her mouth against the protest, denial or whatever else she could come up with. She'd been trying since they arrived here to write a decent letter to Sylvie. It all just kept coming out wrong. There was no telling how many papers she'd ripped up.

Vicky crawled on the bed and reached for her hands. "We're gonna hang out like we used to hang out tonight."

The warmth from her friend's touch engulfed her palms.

"The last seven years never happened." Vicky peered at her. "Who are you?"

Sera felt herself being dragged into a moment, a memory lane that didn't exist. But she knew Vicky would only persist if she didn't go along with it.

"Sera Hunter ... I'm a stunt driver in Hollywood."

Vicky snorted with laughter. "Yeah?"

"And I'm a costume designer, with a specialty in couture."

"Couture." Vicky's eyes flashed. "I love it. You're making my wedding gown."

"You're getting married?"

"Hush," the answer was quick and flat.

A twisted grin formed on Sera's mouth.

"You are so famous and so talented and so loved." She paused leaning forward. "So loved," she added again quietly. " You know that right?" A tight squeeze enveloped Sera's hand, it contrasted with the softness of Vicky's voice.

She felt the edges of her eyes burn. It didn't help when she tried to smile. "Yes."

*

"A top heavy girl in a strapless dress. Vicky, I get your style has a purpose but-" Sera emerged from the bathroom in the dress and the heels. "I feel like a gangster's girlfriend and no the irony is not lost on me."

Jonas' brows raised and he quickly looked away, finding something to scroll on his phone.

"This is it!" Vicky folded her arms on a slow nod of approval. "Jonas is going to have to beat them off you with a stick all night."

He looked up. "What?"

Sera raised her hands. "I have my own stick, Jonas. It's cool."

He nodded once. "Good woman. I got a few items on me though if you need backup. I wouldn't let anybody fuck with you."

"Good man" she responded back.

"I think that's an actual smile." Vicky's brows rose. "Yeah baby look, you got her to smile."

Sera rolled her eyes. "God."

"Get your bag. We're gonna dance all night and get drunk as fuck!"

Her boyfriend shrugged. "What else is Tijuana for?"

**

"This fuckin' lane," Jonas murmured.

Sera kicked off her shoes in the back seat, letting them rest on the floor. Nothing but a bunch of headlights were in front of them and they were moving at a snail's pace.

"Damn Friday night traffic."

The sun was gone and the city was lit up under the night sky. Sera stared at it all from her window. Truthfully a part of her could have tuned everything out and just watched the night unfold from here.

"There's a gap, just merge. We can get off on the next off ramp." Vicky suggested.

Jonas pulled the Escalade out of the line and was able to get into some decent moving traffic. A short while later they were speeding down the road.

Vic knew she loved it over the top, glowing lights were under her seats and lit up Sera's bare feet as well as the too high red pumps she had to put back on.

The base in Vicky's sound system vibrated the seats, and a low rumbling caught Sera's ear. At first she thought it was Vicky's car, but it soon grew louder.

A flash whizzed by her window.

"Shit." Sera lurched a little.

Someone was on a motorcycle driving like a lunatic.

Then he slipped in their lane a few feet in front.

Between the seats Sera eyed him through the windshield.

He raised an arm out pointing to the right.

"Holy shit!" Vicky shouted.

Then the rider took off like a bullet weaving between the cars.

"What the fuck was that?" Sera asked.

"Uh..." Vic turned toward her, poking her head between the carseat and the door. "That's your date."