Rocky Mountain Mayhem Read Free

was classic. They were determined to go to
the beach, so they stopped every few miles to pour water into the
coolant reservoir, and they ran the heater trying to pull heat off
the engine. It was mid-July. Not the smartest thing to do, but they
were determined. Indian Beach awaited. And boys.
    Vivian had known Lucy since sixth grade where
they met in band. They were band dorks but cool band dorks, or at
least that’s what they told themselves. Lucy and Vivian hit it off
instantly and have had some kind of cosmic connection ever since.
They could finish each other’s sentences, knew what the other was
thinking, and shared all the same interests; well, except Lucy was
a neat-freak and Vivian was not. As roommates at the University of
Texas at Austin they got along great, never had typical roommate
issues. Vivian kept the living room as neat and tidy as her messy
brain could. Lucy accepted it, didn’t go into Vivian’s bathroom,
and it worked.
    Vivian met Kate in the ninth grade, also in
band. Though a complete brainiac, she was lots of fun and that was
Vivian’s style. She, too, went to UT Austin, and they would see
each other from time to time, usually at parties or on Sixth
Street.
    The girls waited for Vivian’s bag to emerge
from the chute and laughed about Lucy wearing her high-heeled,
sling-back slutty shoes that were way too much for an airport
outing.
    Lucy looked at Vivian and said, “This coming
from Ms. Naturalizer slip-on clogs.”
    “I’m traveling, my feet swell, and I can
easily get these off at security. Besides, they’re comfortable, and
I can walk in them without fear of breaking an ankle. Or my
neck.”
    Lucy harrumphed and grabbed Vivian’s giant
burnt-orange bag off the conveyor belt, almost losing her balance
on her stilettos.
    Wendy, Kate and Vivian couldn’t help but
laugh. At least she didn’t fall on the floor like she had at the
Purple Peacock in Playa del Carmen.
    “Damn, girl,” Vivian said to Lucy. “You’re
looking even better than you did a few months ago. And I’m lovin’
the hair.”
    “Thanks, I’ve been training for a triathlon,
and the Colorado air does wonders for my curls.” Lucy fluffed the
auburn curls that cascaded over her shoulders and down her back.
Her flawless, fair skin made her green eyes pop, and her muscular
physique turned heads.
    The girls stilettoed, clogged, tennis-shoed
and flip-flopped out to Lucy’s four-wheel drive SUV and loaded
their stuff in the back. Vivian’s grandiose bag went in first.
Everything fit except the cooler, which they put in the back seat
between Wendy and Kate, who were dubbed the “Back Seat Bar
Babes.”
    Getting in the passenger seat, Vivian
thought, Nothing’s gonna go wrong on this trip. I just know
it !

 
     
     
2
     
     
    VIVIAN took her shoes off and put her feet up
on the dash as Lucy drove away from the airport, toward I-70.
Living in Boulder the past three years, Lucy made regular treks
into Denver for work and into the mountains to hike, bike and ski.
She was designated navigator on this trip, and all were glad they
had Lucy’s SUV and not a P.O.S. rent car like they did in
Mexico.
    Turning in her seat, Vivian tapped on the
cooler lid, and her green eyes flashed with anticipation. “Whatcha
got back there?”
    “Let’s see.” Wendy opened the lid. Her long,
silky brown hair fell across her face. “I can tell Lucy packed this
and I appreciate the organization, but it looks like an assortment
of cerveza , soda, water and…what’s this?” She pulled out a
bottle and read the label. “Fancy shmancy champagne.”
    “That’s to celebrate with at the hotel,” Lucy
said. “We have to toast to our second girls’ getaway. Don’t you
mess up my perfectly packed cooler, there’s a system.”
    “Aye, aye, cap’n.”
    “Check out the seat-back pocket in front of
you, Wendy.”
    Wendy stuck her hand in the pocket and pulled
out their four “Life’s a beach” koozies they had used in