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DOMINIC EASED OFF THE gas pedal, allowing the rental car to slow down. He pulled off of NM247, carefully maneuvering the car from the pavement onto the dirt road, just past mile marker 17. “Are you sure this is right?” He put his foot on the brake, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop.
“It’s on the map,” Tonita said, feeling a bit nervous.
The dirt road stretched out over the desert, running for miles ahead of them. They could see that it ran straight, then turned, climbing up a small hill, then twisted again and vanished into the distant desert.
“Wow! Kinda like the ‘Yellow Brick Road.’” Dominic pursed his lips and whistled a few notes. “This is it?” Dominic asked once again.
Tonita quickly turned back to the map. “This is it. But where is it?” she said, as she attempted to fold the map back up.
“That is a very good question.” Dominic stepped on the gas and slowly moved the rental forward. “There’s only one direction, so I guess we head that way.”
“And how do we know when we get to...wherever, there is?”
“You know, Tonita? I don’t know. I’ve never been here and you’ve never been here, and I don’t know anything more than you do,” Dominic snapped.
Tonita shook her head and turned away, staring out the window, watching as dust picked up and clouded behind them. “Okay. That was a little ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of you.”
Dominic breathed out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. That was unnecessary...I’m sorry. Really.”
Tonita turned back to him. “I’m sorry, too, Dom. I’m sorry that I got pulled into this scheme and that I don’t know where I’m going, or what I’m doing or who I’m doing it with...Really!”
Dominic slammed on the brakes, sliding the rental to a dusty stop. He jammed the gearshift lever forward, threw off his seat belt, grabbed Tonita by the shoulders, and kissed her.
He kissed her...and she responded.
She struggled with her seat belt. Tossed the map to the floor. And wrapped her arms around Dominic’s neck. Returning the kiss.
Dominic leaned into her and she fell back against the passenger door.
She could feel the sun beating down through the tinted glass, contrasting with the cool air blowing out of the vent in the dash of the car.
A moment later, his hands found her breasts, and through her clothes, he caressed them.
She pulled him in tighter to her. Her hands ran up and down his back, along his sides, and into his hair. She felt as though the earth below her was moving. She opened her eyes briefly, and saw that the sky above was moving. There were no clouds to speak of, only small wisps of white punctuating the vast openness of blue. But the white wisps streaking the sky, were in motion. “Dom?” Tonita started, then paused.
Dominic breathed out heavily and said, “I know. I want you, too. Just as badly.”
“No, Dom.” She brought her arms underneath him and pushed him up a few inches. “We’re moving.”
“What?”
“The car. It’s moving.”
Dominic pushed up, and then scrambled to get back into the driver’s seat, while Tonita tried to right herself. “Oh shit,” he said, as he pushed his foot down onto the brake, stopping the car. Then slid the gearshift into park. He looked at Tonita and grinned. “I thought I put it in park?” He laughed. “Guess I got a little ahead of myself.”
“Guess you did.” Tonita laughed with him.
“Look, we don’t know where we’re going out here anyway, so why don’t we just head back into town, grab a bite and a room.” He paused a moment, grinning at Tonita.
“You were saying,” she said, without a hint in her voice that she had picked up on his line.
“Then we can do some research and head back out here tomorrow,” Dominic concluded.
“Best plan I’ve heard in a long time.”
Dominic put the car in gear, turned it around, and headed back out to route 247. Leaving the dirt road behind him, he turned left on a heading into Corona.
“What was that you said about a room?” Tonita placed her hand on Dominic’s leg.
He floored it.