“And we’ll all get to find out how delicious they taste, intact and in pristine condition, when we stop for lunch,” Aspen declared. “Parker told me about them when he dropped in yesterday. He said he’d never tasted such an amazing blend of citrus flavors as when he’d bitten into one. He was kind enough to bring over one of the samples they were passing out, the tease. As soon as I popped it in my mouth, I was doomed.”
“Is that where you went when you said you needed to step away?” Raleigh asked.
“Honey, I raced over there so fast you’d have thought they were about to outlaw sugar,” Aspen replied as we pulled out of the garage, the doors closing behind us. “I know how fast new creations sell out at that place.”
Our road trip had officially begun, and with one hell of an interesting itinerary too. I couldn’t wait to see the boys’ faces as they got to experience the sights and pit stops we had lined up for the day. As well as supper at one of the diners we’d chosen from theDiners, Drive-ins, and Divesshow.
“Have you ever watched theCupcake Championship?” Murry asked.
“I’ve not only watched it, I’ve drooled all over myself staring at the screen,” Aspen admitted.
“You’re not the only one,” I admitted. “Remember the banana peanut butter ones?”
“The ones that were topped with a piece of fried banana?” Raleigh asked.
“That’s the one,” Aspen said. “See, there is no forgetting the perfect cupcake.”
“I would have loved to taste one of those,” Raleigh declared.
“You and me both,” Aspen replied. “That was one of the few times I tried to recreate something I’d seen on television, but without anything to compare them to, I can’t say how close I got, but they were scrumptious. I’ll have to whip us up a batch when we get home, since the folks at the bakery have repeatedly ignored my suggestion that they add them to the menu.”
Murry’s indignant huff drew a giggle from Aspen. “Sad.”
“So sad,” Aspen confirmed. “The saddest of the sads.”
“What’s the furthest you’ve ever driven?” Raleigh asked as we took the exit ramp onto the highway.
It felt good to be getting away for a while, especially when I got to do it with the most important people in my life.
“From Sturbridge, Massachusetts, all the way down to New Orleans,” Aspen declared. “1307 miles of a whole lot of places I had never seen before. There was a theater down there holding an open casting call for a show I was dying to be part of.”
“Did you get the part?” Murry asked.
“I did, which meant getting to stay and enjoy the city for three months during rehearsals and performances. We sold out the theater on just about every night, and in between nights on the stage, I explored every inch of Bourbon Street as well as the streets around it, went on haunted carriage tours, explored cemeteries, and ate so many crawfish it’s a wonder I didn’t grow antennae.”
“Did you suck the brains out of the heads?” Raleigh asked. “They were sucking on the heads in this show we were watching about gator hunters; I can’t remember the name right now, but when I saw that, I couldn’t decide if I was grossed out or curious enough to try it if I ever had the opportunity.”
“You just might get the opportunity to decide if you want to try it or not,” I informed him. “I’ve been talking to some folks in the community down there about bringing a runway show to them. We’re still working out the details, which is why I hadn’t mentioned it yet. But from the way things sound so far, it’s going to happen. We’re shooting for sometime in October of next year,to allow me to design a line of gothic-inspired pet play attire, including gothic imp gear.”
“That’s so cool!” Murry said, while Raleigh cheered.
“Yay, more imp gear!”
“Let me just take a moment to reserve this seat for that occasion,” Aspen declared, patting the arm of the seat he was sitting in.
“You know that there would be no way of me pulling off an event like that without you there,” I replied, never wanting him to forget just how important of a role he played in the success of every event my gear was displayed at. “I might be the face behind the designs, but you are the heart and soul of the brand, and you know it.”
“Only because you prefer to smile and sip bellinis instead of talking to people,” he declared.
Chuckling, I wasn’t about to refute that. It would have been a lie. “You’re damn right I do.”
“I’m glad all I have to do is warble, whine, and look cute in my fox gear,” Raleigh declared.
“More like stunningly hot and distracting when you pranced around with your foxy tail swaying when you knew I could see what you were up to,” I corrected, just to receive laughter in response, because he knew damn well what he did to me when he pulled that shit.
And then he hit me with a bit of feigned innocence that wasn’t fooling a single damned person in the van. “I was just playing.”
“Uh-huh, playing, playing at trying to entice me into stalking across the room, tossing you over my shoulder, and carrying you away for a bit of tag the tail you kept wagging at me.”
