Ashley talks to Zack before bed

With dinner concluded and the battle of wits over, the party cleaned up their plates and moved into the living room. The next few hours were spent watching television, engaging in one of a thousand conversations, and playing either cards or board games. As the night wore on, exhaustion started to rear its ugly head in the room. Victoria was the first to call it a night.

“Hey all, I’m gonna get some sleep. Got a busy two weeks of fun ahead of us and I don’t want to be worn out on the first day,” she said.

“Good night, Vicky,” in one form or another, was the reply from the different members of the group.

The evening continued on a little while longer, but at a lower volume as more people made their way to their rooms. Brandon, Chloe, Gavin, and Heather all eventually turned in for the night.

“So Kurt, any idea what we could do tomorrow?” Zack asked the newcomer.

“There’s lots of stuff to do here. There’s some boats and fishing gear in the storage area downstairs. Lots of trails for hiking, but they may still be muddy from the spring thaw. Could spend the day swimming. If you’re a bit more adventurous, there are several rock outcroppings you can climb and caves to explore. There’s an old air base from like World War Two or something nearby. Great spot for pictures, as there is a handful of old planes lying around. Then there’s the town,” Kurt informed them.

“Wow. Heather didn’t tell us all of that,” Ashley cheered. As much as she liked to work on her tan, she didn’t want to spend the entire time lying around the lake or sneaking off with Brandon.

“Well, I know what Gavin would vote for,” Zack chuckled as he looked at the blonde sitting across from him.

“Airbase!” the two said in unison.

“I think we should definitely hit that up at some point, just for him. It’ll probably be the only time we get him away from his phone the whole trip,” Ashley said.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already taken care of it,” Zack informed her.

“How so?” his friend asked.

“He crashed at my place last night. While he was sleeping, I took his charger and replaced it with a broken one. The charge he has left will probably only last him through tomorrow,” Zack smiled.

“While that is a great idea, it could blow up in your face, Zack,” Ashley replied, “What if he flips out when he realizes it won’t work?”

Zack shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he had not thought about that possibility.

“I have a universal car charger he can use if it comes to that. I do suggest putting him on a phone ration plan if it does, though. Secretly, of course. Don’t want to embarrass him,” Kurt added.

“Thanks man,” Zack said.

“What’s up with that kid?” Kurt asked.

Ashley and Zack made eye contact with each other and nodded in agreement to fill in their friend’s cousin about Gavin’s situation.

“Gav’s a great kid, but very shy. When he was younger, people picked on him and beat him up because he had a slight stutter, which he outgrew. Years ago. But he still doesn't like to talk to people all that much,” Zack said delicately.

“How’s he gonna be a chef if he can’t talk to people?” Kurt wondered out loud.

“That’s the one exception. You give that kid a piece of meat and something to cook it on, you’ll eat for three days while he tells you all the ways he cooked it. I mean, you heard him at dinner,” Zack stated.

“Okay, I can see that,” Kurt said, “On that note, I think I’m going to hit the rack. Good night you two.”

“Later Kurt,” Zack replied.

“Goodnight, Kurt,” Ashley added.

Zack’s eyes trailed the college freshman until he was in his room and closed the door before he said anything to his friend.

“I thought Heather said he was a douche bag?”

“Yeah, I know, right? I hope he doesn’t have something up his sleeve,” the blonde commented, “But enough about him. What the Hell was that today between you and Heather? You having second thoughts about Victoria?”

“That all started this morning when we changed into our suits. She asked me to help tie up her bikini top and I noticed she had hung her thong off the mirror. So I figured that since I’m rooming with her for two weeks, I could either be her punching bag or her equal. I simply chose the latter,” Zack informed his friend.

“Well, whatever it was, it didn’t score you any brownie points with Victoria. If anything, it pissed her off,” Ashley filled her friend in.

With that, Ashley stood up and walked to her room. Zack watched her shake her head while she was walking down the hall way. He stared out the sliding door as he finished his beer. When it was empty, he put the bottle on the coffee table and went to bed himself.