Nicole carried down the last of the camping gear and bags from her apartment and placed everything in different piles around her Jeep. She opened the back passenger door. Stepped up onto the door jamb and used her key to unlock the cargo box attached to the roof. She stepped down and one at a time grabbed a piece of camping equipment, stepped back up, and placed it carefully in the cargo container. First the tarp, then the tent, a lantern, a zippered bag containing various utensils and plates, cleaning supplies, one sleeping bag, and then the second.  As she organized the contents of the container, her phone buzzed against her back inside the pocket of her maroon leggings. 

Josh: I'm at your garage. 

Nicole, reached from the back seat to the visor over the front driver's seat and pressed the button on the garage remote, allowing JC access. He parked his Jeep in an open guest spot. He walked around back, opened the tailgate, pulled out a black duffle bag, a black Patagonia puffer jacket, and a lumpy pillow covered in a blue and white striped pillowcase. He carried all three items to Nicole's Jeep and set them down next to one of her piles and looked on as Nicole was back standing in the door jamb playing Tetris with the items in her cargo container. 

"Morning Sunshine!" She called down to him when she heard his footsteps approaching. 

"Morning" he answered back as he walked up behind her. He couldn't help admiring the firm roundness of her backside in her tight leggings. He slapped it playfully and took a quick pinch. 

"Hey!" She snapped and turned, moving her rear end toward the door so he couldn't take another slap at it. "That kinda hurt."

"You loved it!" He chuckled softly. "What's all up in there?" he asked. 

"Camping gear. You know, tent, tarp, sleeping bags," she replied, making one last adjustment to the items in the cargo container. 

"We're really camping, huh?" He asked, slightly on edge, concerned about his packing and the stiff lower back he was sure to get from sleeping on the ground.

"Well, yeah. At least two nights in the Gila Forest. But, after you called last night, I booked hotels. Luxury accommodation just for you!" She looked down and winked at him. "Can you hand me that telescope bag?" She asked, pointing to a rectangular black duffle bag at his feet. 

He reached down and picked it up by the shoulder strap, eyeing it conspicuously. "A telescope?" he mumbled, handing it up to her. 

"For Gila. There's an official dark sky park there, and Mr. Rhodes, our Earth Science teacher, let me borrow it," she explained as she took the bag from JC and carefully placed it into the cargo container, shut the lid, locked it, and hopped down. 

"Dark sky park?" JC asked, now looking down at her. 

"For stargazing, duh," She laughed, shaking her head. She stepped around him and proceeded to the back of the Jeep, opened the tailgate, flipped the panel on the floor over, and began organizing the ice chest, her hiking boots, and her travel backpack. She reached to grab JC's duffle bag and placed it neatly next to her things. She reached down to grab his pillow and laughed wildly as it flipped limply back and forth in her hands. "Is this even worth using?" she laughed, wiggling it in his face. "It's so lumpy! How is this even comfortable?"

"C'mon! Don't hate." He whined exaggeratedly.  "I've had that thing forever, thank you very much. It's my pillow. It's like, you know, molded me," he emphasized his point by point to himself.

Nicole tossed it into the back on top of his bag, then carefully placed his jacket and her own black puffer jacket on top of everything. 

"What about these waters, and this bag?" JC asked, pointing to the reusable shopping bag and the three, gallon containers of water. 

"Snacks!" She smiled. "Keep those up front with us. Every road trip needs snacks!"

JC placed the 3 waters on the floor behind the passenger seat, then carefully placed the reusable bag between the waters and the back seat. He reviewed the contents of the snack bag a laughed loudly. 

"What?" She asked, poking her head into the back seat from the opposite door on the other side of the car. 

"Are these road trip snacks, or bong hit snacks?" He laughed again. "Hot Cheetos? Bugles! I haven't seen those in a while." He continued to sift through the bag. "Is this beef jerky and Pringles? And Reese's Pieces!" His eyes became slits and crinkled at the corners as his deep laugh echoed through the garage. "You're like a thirteen-year-old boy!"

She shook her head in response. "I have real food in the ice chest, these are just snacks," She tried to defend. "Also, who hits a bong. It's all about vapes these days, friend." 

Now it was JC's turn to shake his head. He secured the bag one last time and shut the door. He rejoined Nicole at the back of the car, as she inspected everything one more time. Satisfied that everything was packed and secure, she shut the tailgate and turned to JC. "I'm gonna back up, and you can take this spot, you can't stay in the guest spot for more than 24 hours."

"Gotcha," he replied, taking a step closer to her, and pulling her towards him before she could walk away. He used his free hand to tilt her chin up toward him, and he leaned in, gently pressing his lips to hers. She wanted to melt right there, the heat from his body and his intoxicating scent, so woody and masculine, was enough to turn her into a puddle. He deepened the kiss, but only for a moment, then pulled away. He winked at her, turned, and jogged to move his car.

Nicole blew out a quick puff of air. She was suddenly lightheaded, but she worked to shake it off. She tried to compose herself as she got into her car, and slowly backed out of her parking spot. She pulled forward, allowing JC to park. Then, in less than a minute, he hopped into the passenger seat. Nicole pulled the car out of the garage and onto the road. 

As they cruised down the street, Nicole reached up and turned the dial on the radio, before she could adjust the volume on her desired station, JC grabbed her hand, and slid his fingers between hers. Trying to maintain her focus on the road, she only allowed herself to take a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye. 

"Thanks for letting me tag along. I needed this. You know, a little adventure in my life,"  he said softly, smiling. "And" JC added, "more so, I'm looking forward to a little more adventure with you."

She had barely regained her composure from the kiss in the garage, and now he was laying it on extra thick. She willed herself to hold it together. Be cool, she silently told herself. "Well, let's see if you feel the same way at the end of the week." She tried to joke, keeping her eyes fixed on ahead on the road.  

He sucked in a slight laugh, pulling their tangle of fingers toward him, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "Oh, I will," he whispered.

* * * *

Four and half hours into the drive, Nicole surprisingly pulled off the freeway just past the California/Arizona border. The sway of the car across multiple lanes of traffic, and the curve of the off-ramp, roused JC from a deep sleep. The second the car had hit the open highway, the hum of the tires on the road and the soft vibration of the car lulled him to sleep, and he had barely moved for close to 3 hours.

JC Shifted in his seat, stretched his arms out, purposefully wiggling his fingers into Nicole's hair and spoke through a yawn, "Are we there already?" 

"No," Nicole explained, swatting, JC's hand out of her personal space. "We're making a stop."

"Yeah? Time for gas?" He asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes. 

"That too, but you'll see," Nicole answered, then added, "So far, you are the worst road trip companion ever. You've slept the entire time," she complained.

"I'll make up for it later," He smiled, reached over, and squeezed the top of her thigh. 

Nicole giggled softly, but couldn't hide the blush that formed on her cheeks. She had been sleeping with him for a few months now, so why suddenly this felt like more she couldn't understand. She cursed her body for losing control around him. 

Nicole followed the curve of the road, as the Jeep trailed along the Colorado River. There were birds spotted all along the marshland that hugged the edge of the river and merged with the side of the road. She noticed JC admiring the scenery, and offered, "Did you know the Colorado River no longer has an outlet?"

"What?" he asked her, still gazing out of the car window. 

"It doesn't meet the Gulf of California anymore. The river delta in Mexico is basically all dried up. You know, because we divert so much of it. It doesn't, like, actually make it to the ocean anymore."

"Yeah? How..." He suddenly laughed loudly and turned his head to look at her. "Why do you even know this?" he asked her. 

"I just read things." she shrugged. 

"Telescopes, dark sky parks, Colorado River facts, you're into some real nerdy shit," he laughed again, and returned his gaze out the window. 

Eventually, Nicole drove past a large metal gate and entered into a small parking lot. The lot was dotted with a series of motor homes and cars, and the far side of the parking lot contained a line of "Star Wagon '' dressing rooms, film trucks, and a craft services tent.  JC looked out of the passenger window, trying to understand where they were. Nicole Parked the car next to a second gate that contained a metal sign: "Yuma Territorial Prison." She turned off the ignition and quickly jumped out of the vehicle. She stretched her arms and shook out the stiffness in her legs. 

JC exited the car slowly. He raised up on his toes and eyed her across the top of the car under the cargo box. "Why are we at prison?" He asked her. 

Nicole shrugged, and started walking toward the entrance. "I kept seeing signs and, I don't know, a prison from when this place was the wild west, just a territory and not a state, seemed exciting. I bet lots of outlaws and train robbers were sent here."

"So, more nerdy shit?" JC asked, checking his pockets for his wallet and phone before closing the car door. 

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Maybe if you had been awake, you could have had some input." 

Nicole led him to the entrance, a small gift shop that separated the parking lot from the walled enclosure of the prison buildings. Nicole paid for the both of them, and the historical society volunteer gave them a map, explaining the layout of the prison. He apologized that their time was limited because they were closing early because of the film crew, and that also meant that the lookout tower and the exercise yard were off limits today. He then urged them to hurry so that they could see the last showing of the informational history video, which was due to start in the prison artifacts exhibit building in two minutes. 

"We better hurry then!" JC exclaimed, bouncing up and down in fake excitement. He pushed Nicole repeatedly in the shoulder, urging her out of the gift shop and into the prison compound. 

Nicole bypassed the historical movie and perused the various exhibits. She quickly scanned through diorama boxes that outlined various notable prisoners but paused for a while at the Women of Yuma exhibit. JC eased up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. 

"They had ladies here?" He asked. 

"Apparently," she answered. "Looks like they didn't really know what to do with women, most of them got pardoned. Check this one out!" She laughed, pointing to a wanted poster behind the glass, depicting a slightly cross-eyed, and very pregnant woman.

"That's Ellen Estrada," a tall red-haired woman standing a few feet away from them explained. 

Nicole stepped out of JC's embrace and turned toward the woman, smiling politely at her. The woman's eyes were a piercing blue, and they darted back and forth a few times between JC and Nicole before permanently fixing on Nicole. 

The redhead held Nicole's gaze and continued, "Elena Estrada was imprisoned for a crime of passion. She was sentenced to seven years." 

"A crime of passion?" Nicole asked with a nervous chuckle, as she began to feel slightly uncomfortable under the woman's intense gaze.

"Yes," the redhead answered, her eyes still fixed on Nicole. "She stabbed a man." The woman shifted her gaze to JC, "It was her unfaithful lover. She then cut open his chest, pulled out his heart, and threw the bloody mass into his face," she added. 

"Well," JC sighed softly, then forced a laugh. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He shrugged, then turned away from the woman, his eyes wide. He turned Nicole back to face him. "Are you ready to check out the cell blocks?" 

She nodded her reply, and JC led her away from the woman and toward the entrance to the prison yard. He held open the door and allowed her to exit out into the main part of the prison. He fell into step with her. His hand brushed against hers as they walked. He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers between hers, as they leisurely strolled up one aisle of prison cells and down the next. As they turned and walked across the main yard, and Nicole noticed a line of people waiting to view the dark cell, Yuma Territorial Prison's version of solitary. 

"OOO! The dark cell." Nicole smiled and dragged JC excitedly to the back of the line. 

The line to enter the dark cell paralleled a series of tables and tents that ran along the prison wall. The film crew was wheeling in AV equipment and lining it up under the tents. Various large black cases stamped with "Ghost Adventures'' were stacked on top of each other. Nicole watched the crew at work while they waited in line. Nicole noticed that the redhead they had talked to in the exhibition hall was seated under one of the tents, and again her steely blue eyes were boring through Nicole. 

A small group of three people entered the dark cell ahead of them, and as Nicole and JC moved into the next spot. JC released Nicole's hand and stood directly behind her. He massaged her shoulders gently while they waited, but Nicole couldn't relax. Something about the woman's stare made her feel on edge. 

JC could sense the tension in her shoulders and massaged harder. "Are you okay?" He asked her. "You scared about going into this dark cell with all these ghosts around? I'll protect you," He laughed. 

"No, it just..."

"Huh?"

"That woman keeps staring at us. The creepy redhead from inside." Nicole explained, nodding her head in the direction of the tents. "Do you think that woman recognizes you?" Nicole asked.

"Looks like she's a ghost hunter, maybe she's staring at the dead spirits whose souls are trapped in this prison yard. OOOOO!" he howled dramatically, wiggling his fingers at Nicole.

Before Nicole could respond, the small group that was inline ahead of them, exited the dark cell, and Nicole and JC were ushered in. The two stood in the center of the small 6x6 adobe and iron insulated structure. "Alight!" The volunteer announced excitedly, "We close the door for exactly 90 seconds, I hope you make it out with all of your wits about you!" he added and laughed as the door slammed shut. Everything was black.

They stood frozen in the darkness, in complete silence. Nicole was trying to see if her eyes would adjust to the darkness. She held her hand up to her face and waved it around, but she couldn't make out anything. 

Finally, JC broke the silence, "You still next to me?" He laughed and waved his arms around to the left side of him. He felt what he thought was Nicole's arm and squeeze lightly. 

Ticklish, Nicole giggled and squirmed under his touch. 

"Oh, here you are!" He announced loudly into the darkness. He placed his arm on her shoulders and tried to position her in front of him. He leaned down to kiss her, but his lips pressed to her eye. 

"What the hell?" Nicole laughed. 

"Does this remind you of seven minutes in heaven when you were a kid?" He asked her, leaning in to kiss her again, this time landing on her nose. 

"Josh!" She whined.

"I love that you call me Josh." He made a final attempt to kiss her, and this time landed mostly on her lips. 

"What am I supposed to call you?" She mumbled under the pressure of his kiss. 

JC pulled away, "Honey, you can call me whatever you want as long as you keep calling me."

Nicole was thankful for the darkness, as she felt the blush rise again on her cheeks. He kept dropping hints at a future, a future with her. Was he serious, or was this still casual? Either way, it was torture, because for the first time in a long time, she wanted a future with someone else. A future with Josh in it. 

Suddenly, a sliver of light punctured the darkness and then expanded across the floor. 

"And your time has been served!" The docent announced, prompting them to exit the cell. 

JC took Nicole's hand, and led her from the cell. "So, what's next?" He asked her. 

"Well, that's it. But before we go, take my picture over in that one cell with all the bunks," She requested and walked him to the cell block closest to the exhibit hall. 

They located the specified cell, and Nicole handed JC her phone to take the picture. She entered the cell and closed the iron gate. She picked up a tin can prop that was left on the floor of the cell and began to drag it across the bars, laughing. 

"Look like you just ripped a man's heart out," he joked, taking a few steps backward to frame the picture evenly. 

Nicole didn't laugh, though. Instead, she threw the cup to the ground and swung the iron door open, then charged past JC. Confused, he turned to follow her progress, and watched as she walked up to the same red-haired woman who was watching them in line and who had talked with them in the exhibition hall. 

"Is there some kind of problem?" Nicole asked, voice raised. 

JC, grabbed for Nicole's arm, but she shook him loose. 

"Why do you keep following us and staring." Nicole asked, sternly. 

The woman's face softened, and she smiled awkwardly. She took a few steps back, raising her hands up in an attempt to show that she didn't mean any kind of harm or discomfort. "No, no.  Oh. I am sorry. I think you have the wrong idea," the woman explained. "I'm, well, I'm here with the film crew. We are doing a paranormal investigation here tonight."

"What the hell? So what?" Nicole raised her voice again at her. 

"I'm a medium, and I sometimes have a hard time keeping spirit quiet. I wanted... to talk to you two," her voice softened, and suddenly she began to have a hint of a British accent. 

Nicole looked at JC, her face twisted in a mix of confusion and anger.

JC looped his arm with Nicole, "Let's go." 

"No, please," the woman stepped to impede their progress. "I'm sorry for being so rude, it's just spirit isn't always clear, but it's a he, and he keeps showing me the number three." 

"What?" Frustrated, Nicole shook off JC's arm and squared up in front of the woman. 

"There is a man, young, on the other side."

"Lady, you're maybe overstepping here, c'mon Nicole," JC became extremely nervous. 

"He keeps giving me three.  A third, or three people, and another person. He's showing me three."

"Well, unless this spirit has four more numbers, and they are going to help me win the lottery, then I don't rightly give shit." Nicole stepped around her and charged into the exhibition hall building.

JC stared at the woman, in confusion. Not completely sure he was processing what was happening. He took a few careful steps around her, and then went after Nicole. As he entered the exhibition hall, he saw Nicole exit out of the other door and head for the parking lot. JC managed to catch her just before she reached the car. "Nicole! Hey! Nicole, slow down." Nicole continued on her path. "Nic!" He called out to her a final time, using the familial name he had heard her friends use countless times.

She turned sharply. "Don't call me that. It's Nicole," she snapped.

JC held up his hands defenselessly. "Sorry." He reached out for her, but again she turned away. "Nicole!"

Nicole unlocked the car doors, opened the driver's door, and stepped up on the frame, to look at him from across the top of the car. 

"You alright?" He asked her softly. 

"Yeah, that lady was crazy, and I wanted to get the hell away from her. And, I want to get back on the road and make it to Tucson before it gets dark." 

"Fair enough." JC opened the passenger door and slipped inside. 

The two sat in silence as Nicole pulled out of the parking lot and followed the same road along the green space lining the Colorado River.  She stopped for gas before entering the freeway. JC motioned for her to stay in the car, and she sat quietly while he filled the tank. Soon they were back on the road, and the car eased onto the highway. The hum of the tires on asphalt was the only sound. 

"Can we listen to something?" JC asked tentatively. 

Nicole turned the volume up on the stereo, and the podcast she had been listening to before they stopped continued from where it had left off. 

"Can we listen to music? These murder podcasts you listen to are what put me to sleep. And that shit is morbid. This is vacation!" He balled his hands into fists and punched in the air in mock excitement.

She pulled her phone from the center console and handed it to him.  He held the phone up to her face, unlocking it. He opened to the Spotify app. She could see him swipe around on the screen, and then suddenly he leaned forward in his seat and turned his head in an exaggerated way to look at her with a knowing smirk.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Someone has been doing some digging," he replied, wagging a finger at her. 

"What?"

"You've been listening to some interesting music on this app here," he explained, trying to keep a straight face.

Nicole paled. She had listened to his album earlier in the week. Candace had been pressuring her to listen, and after the solo performance in her living room, she finally caved. 

"You looking into me?" he asked, and this time he sounded disappointed. 

"No, not really. I mean, last week, you were sitting in my living room putting on a private concert. You got pipes, you think I'm not going to, you know, like listen to your shit?"

JC leaned back in his seat and sat silently for a few moments. He turned to her and asked, "So?"

"So?" she responded. 

"What did you think of my shit?"

"You're a really wonderful singer." 

JC smiled and thanked her.

"And you were really horny in the early 2000s!" Nicole laughed. 

"I still am!" he clapped back. Then shook his head and continued, "Have you ever said, ‘Man, thank god they didn't have social media when I was young?"

"Yeah," she answered, confused by the question. 

"Same. Unfortunately, I had a record contract. Lesson learned, everything you are thinking doesn't need to be announced to the world," he laughed.