Wrapped Up In You

Journey of Self Discovery

True to his word, Zacky was out the door and on the road towards his journey self of discovery. More than anything it was a relief to be away from anything that reminded him of Meaghan. But as the minutes wore on he started to doubt his plan and considered turning back. Despite his doubts, he trudged ahead. After about an  hour into the drive from Huntington to Big Bear, Zacky pulled into the small town of Corona for a pit stop. He had seen a sign for the closest gas station and pulled off of the highway. As he turned onto the road leading to the station, he saw her walking in the middle of the empty road. He had to slam on the brakes on his BMW 325i to keep from hitting her "Son of a bitch."

The car came within 20 feet of hitting the girl but she never broke her stride. She didn't even flinch. Just continued her relentless pace toward an unknown destination

He looked in his rear view mirror to see where she might have come from but couldn't see any broken down vehicles. Wherever she came from was a mystery. He'd been praying for a little distraction from his own depressing company, so he threw open the door and stepped out onto the California road.

"Uh m'am," he said in the most non-threatening way he could as he fell in step beside her "Do you need some help?

She paused in place only for a second "Do you have a gun?"

"A stun gun," he replied jokingly. It was a lie, but he was intrigued.

"A stun gun isn't a deadly weapon."

"You could set it really high," he offered.
She shook her head "Can't set it high enough to kill unless there is a pre-existing condition."
"How the fuck do you know that?" He asked curiously.
"I read," she said quickly.
"Well then you'd know that it hurts like hell getting shot by one."
"Good point," she replied impressed "well where is it?"

"Not with me, I'm afraid," he admitted sheepishly to her hoping like hell she was joking.

"Then I've got no use for you." On she marched.

Zacky gave a confused but interested look and followed after her. It took just a few steps to catch up. "Nice day," he remarked trying to make conversation "A little warmer for December than I'd like but I'm not complaining."

She stopped and hit him with warm brown eyes. She was wearing a t shirt with a Beaver on the front advertising some type of hardware store with cutoff blue jean shorts and her short dark hair was being held together by a sloppy pony tail holder. A sprinkle of freckles lay across her clear and perfect ivory skin.Her full pout gave Zacky the disconcerting feeling that she had escaped from an X-rated nursery rhyme.

While he checked her out, she did the same. Her gaze drifted up and down his frame, taking in his long sleeve plaid button up and dark cuffed jeans. "Just my luck," she sneered "an actor."

That was one Zacky had never been called before. "What makes you think I'm an actor?"

"You're prettier than my girlfriends."

He considered and then nodded while lifting one perfectly arched eyebrow "It's a curse."

She scoffed "And you're not even embarrassed about it?"

He shrugged "Some things you just have to accept about yourself."

"Oh brother."

He laughed "My name is Zacky....Zacky Vengeance."

Her eyes narrowed "Sounds fake."

It was...but not in the way she meant. Zacky was glad that she didn't seem to know who he was.

"So what do you need a gun for?"

"To murder an ex-boyfriend," she growled.

"Is he the one that dumped you in the middle of the road?"

She stopped abruptly and turned on him "Beat it, okay?"

"And miss all the fun?" He asked seriously.

She gazed back at his sports car, the lethal midnight black BMW and gazed at it longingly.

"I could use a ride."

"You aren't going to gnaw on my upholstery, are you?" he asked pointing to her t shirt.

Her eyes narrowed. "Do. Not. Mess. With. Me."
Zacky resisted the urge to chuckle because he knew it would further upset her and she might punch him out. She was tiny enough not to do any real damage but he didn't want to risk it.
"Sorry," he said throwing his hands up in defense and tilted his head toward the car "Hop in."

Even though it was her idea, she hesitated. "How bout some ID first?"
Humored he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. Without a word, he handed her his license.
She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number. After a few seconds, someone picked up.
"Renee, its me. Do you have a pen handy? Ok I'm getting a ride in Corona from this guy..
Zachary James Baker...yeah...its a long story..." She looked at him closely before speaking again. She gave the person on the other end his license number and address and added "5 foot 9, 190 lbs. Hair dark brown. Eyes green. If you don't hear from me in an hour, call the cops."
Zacky couldn't help but smile as her preparedness.
Finally after hanging up her call, she shuffled after him and got into the car.

He pulled his seatbelt across his lap and asked "So where to?"

"About a mile straight ahead. Passed old town Spring road."

He nodded and looked at her shirt one more time. "Beavers?"

"I was doing some promotional work for Big Ben's Beaver Lumber," she huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"And when you say promotion..."

"Business is down...or so I was told. I just got to town a few days ago. This road leads to Riverbend and the highway leads to Home Depot."

"I'm starting to get the picture."

"So every weekend this guy hires someone to divert traffic....young girls in tiny shorts and tees to hold a sign help draw customers and I was the latest idiot."

"Being new in town and all."

"Exactly," she said adjusting the air vent to run directly in her face.

"I didn't see a car?" he asked as he drove "How did you get out there?"

"Owner's wife dropped me off this morning. Was supposed to pick me up an hour ago but she didn't show. I was trying to figure out what to do when I saw a certain scumsucker drive by in a Toyota Tundra that I helped pay for."

"The boyfriend?"

"The ex-boyfriend."

"The one you're getting ready to murder?"

"You keep pretending that I'm kidding," she said peering out of the window "At the church, make a right."

"If I drive you to the murder site, am I considered an accessory?"

"Do you want to be?"

"Hmmm, maybe...if I knew your name first."

She looked at him as if considering whether it was safe. After a few seconds, she seemed to deem him acceptable. "I'm Victoria...Victoria Cole."

"Victoria," he repeated trying it out.

"You can call me Vix for short."

His  eyebrows crashed together. "Like the cough syrup?"

Her nostrils flared and he was certain by that expression that she'd heard a few times before. "Exactly like the cough syrup. So are you in or not? If you're not, you can drop me right here."

He probably should drop her off and be on his merry way. But then he'd be lonely again and he wasn't ready for that yet. He knew this fiery woman wasn't capable of murder but she had an inner spark that he hadn't seen in a while. He was curious where this was going to go.

"Sure why not?"