“No offense, mi amor. But I smell
a hell of a lot better than you.”
Guess you’re right. Definitely bath
time. You up for Mammoth?
WITH LUCK
We’ll be there tonight. Sooner
is better than later. The trail mix
is stale, the jerky gone. A hot meal
is my idea of heaven right now.
I dig in my backpack, count every
penny. “Sixty-six fifty-two.
Think we could get McDonald’s?”
I hate McDonald’s. But I hate
stale trail mix even more.
Kyle exits his shell of silence.
I think we can do better. I’ve
still got a few bucks myself.
“Enough for a room, too?
Just think … a hot shower.
Soft, warm bed. Reality TV.”
He laughs. We’re living reality
TV. But yeah, we’ll find a cheap
room somewhere. Looks like
winter has arrived up there.
The resort will open soon.
I’ll put in an application.
I turn on the radio. Not much
available out here, despite
Kyle’s monstrous antenna.
Don’t use “seek,” he instructs.