Status: Just starting out
New Kid in Town
Chapter 3
Sasha placed the last of their bags in the cab of the truck and got in the passenger seat, Jared already behind the wheel. "Hopefully we don't hit any traffic on the way into Myrtle Beach. And it's not a fancy place at all, it's a lot of rednecks. You'll just have to go with the flow", he joked.
"Da, I see. By the time this season is over, I am going to turn into a redneck, ya'll ", he laughed.
Jared laughed as he backed the truck out of the driveway and turned, the radio tuned to a county station playing Ain't Back Yet by Kenny Chesney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNP1I6MfZHQ
I heard a song 'bout a ramblin' man
Bought a guitar and I started a band
I got a gig at the local Am Vet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
'69 bored, out and jacked up
A quarter mile that was all it was
I burned the cool off of that Corvette
And I was gone and I ain't back yet
Lookin' back at the moments, black and white
I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life
For the worse, for the better
Man, I was gone, gone forever
She was a cut offs pepper sauce queen
Man, we were matches and gasoline
First taste of love never will forget
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
Lookin' back at the moments, black white
I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life
For the worse, for the better
Man, I was gone, gone forever
The laughs, the smiles, the trials, the tears
It's hard to hate what got me here
What got me here
She was a straight out of Hollywood smile
We missed it all by a country mile
Went out one night for some cigarettes
And I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back
Ain't back, ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
"Chesney's one of my favorite singers, I got all his albums and Eric and I saw him in Winnipeg last year", he said.
Sasha just shrugged knowing the other stations were the same. "Like you said, I will have to get used to it", he replied.
Jared followed the sings towards I-40 going east as it took them past more of Raleigh's suburban sprawl, turning on the exit for Route 17 going south. The two men drove in a comfortable silence except for the country music on the radio with Jared behind the wheel. They steadily made their way southwards along the coast of North Carolina, the sky slightly overcast and the surf relentlessly pounding the beach as the tangy sea air enveloped them. Seagulls flew overhead or perched on the piers as they either rested or waited for their prey, their beady black eyes regarding the ocean calmly.
The traffic started picking up a bit when they approached the outskirts of Myrtle Beach. The highway had widened by one lane and the sides of the road were adorned with massive billboards advertising various hotels and shops and restaurants, virtually all of them offering deals that were up to half-price with all sorts of discounts.
Sasha couldn't help but gape when he saw the sheer size and tackiness of Myrtle Beach, unlike anything he had ever seen in Russia. It seemed as though every inch of real estate was crowded with hotels, restaurants, souvenir ships and hordes of tourists. The architecture itself was as outlandish as the resort, all the buildings painted in bright colors with big kitschy fiberglass statues outside in every shape imaginable. Every second building sold tacky souvenirs ranging from cheap t-shirts with lewd slogans, coffee mugs, magnets and all sorts of sundry junk along with beer and soft drinks.
"Cool, huh? You can send something to your folks back home", said Jared.
"Da, okay", he replied dubiously.
Jared chuckled as he drove into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn, parking near the entrance and getting their bags. The lobby was clean but it was also half-full with families and groups just coming in from the beach, wet and and wrapped in towels as they waited for the elevators. "Howdy and welcome, how can I help you?", asked the woman at the front desk in her heavy Southern drawl.
"Hi, we got reservations here, Jared Staal and Alexander Semin", he said.
"All right, here are your keys. And yours is room #468, here are your tickets for the breakfast, we got a breakfast buffet each morning. Enjoy your stay", she said as she handed him the keys.
"Thank you, ma'am", he replied as they walked towards the elevator.
"Howdy, you are gonna have a good time here in Myrtle Beach", said the middle-aged man who waited at the elevator as his two young daughters stood by impatiently.
"Hello, sir. I am looking forward to that", said Sasha.
"Are you Russian, don't think I ever met any Russians before", he said.
"Da, I am Russian. I am Alexander Semin", he said as they shook hands.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Semin. I gotta get the girls back to the room, we're gonna go to the Opry show later and they gotta get ready", he said as the elevator dinged.
Jared and Sasha got off at the fourth floor and took the bags down the hall to their room. "It's not bad for a Holiday Inn, I've stayed in worse", said Jared with a shrug. The double room had two large beds covered with green quilts separated by a nightstand facing a big-screen TV, a small writing desk near the window and a tiny balcony overlooking the pool. "And it's got a minibar, but the bar downstairs is better", he added.
Sasha nodded as he quickly unpacked and connected his laptop, seeing Jared unpack his own stuff. "We're early, do you want to go to the pool or the beach?", asked Jared.
"What is the beach like?", asked Sasha.
"It's not bad, but it can be crowded. But the pool is full of kids and their moms, unless you're into MILF's", he joked.
"What is a MILF?", asked Sasha as he unpacked the toiletries and arranged them in the bathroom.
"Uh, that means Mom I Want to Fuck, it's from American Pie", he explained.
"Da, that is a rude thing to say about your mama. If somebody say that, I kick their ass", he growled.
"I gotcha, I was just kidding. And lucky I got this", said Jared dryly, taking out a bottle of extra-strength sunblock.
Sasha just laughed as he took out a swimsuit and went into the bathroom. He had to smile when he saw Jared in his own swimsuit, the younger man freakishly pale with his red hair. "You will burn into a crisp", he teased.
"That's why I wear extra-strength sunblock, any more pale I would glow in the dark", he joked.
"Da, I see. By the time this season is over, I am going to turn into a redneck, ya'll ", he laughed.
Jared laughed as he backed the truck out of the driveway and turned, the radio tuned to a county station playing Ain't Back Yet by Kenny Chesney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNP1I6MfZHQ
I heard a song 'bout a ramblin' man
Bought a guitar and I started a band
I got a gig at the local Am Vet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
'69 bored, out and jacked up
A quarter mile that was all it was
I burned the cool off of that Corvette
And I was gone and I ain't back yet
Lookin' back at the moments, black and white
I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life
For the worse, for the better
Man, I was gone, gone forever
She was a cut offs pepper sauce queen
Man, we were matches and gasoline
First taste of love never will forget
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
Lookin' back at the moments, black white
I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life
For the worse, for the better
Man, I was gone, gone forever
The laughs, the smiles, the trials, the tears
It's hard to hate what got me here
What got me here
She was a straight out of Hollywood smile
We missed it all by a country mile
Went out one night for some cigarettes
And I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back
Ain't back, ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone and I ain't back yet
I was gone, gone and I ain't back yet
"Chesney's one of my favorite singers, I got all his albums and Eric and I saw him in Winnipeg last year", he said.
Sasha just shrugged knowing the other stations were the same. "Like you said, I will have to get used to it", he replied.
Jared followed the sings towards I-40 going east as it took them past more of Raleigh's suburban sprawl, turning on the exit for Route 17 going south. The two men drove in a comfortable silence except for the country music on the radio with Jared behind the wheel. They steadily made their way southwards along the coast of North Carolina, the sky slightly overcast and the surf relentlessly pounding the beach as the tangy sea air enveloped them. Seagulls flew overhead or perched on the piers as they either rested or waited for their prey, their beady black eyes regarding the ocean calmly.
The traffic started picking up a bit when they approached the outskirts of Myrtle Beach. The highway had widened by one lane and the sides of the road were adorned with massive billboards advertising various hotels and shops and restaurants, virtually all of them offering deals that were up to half-price with all sorts of discounts.
Sasha couldn't help but gape when he saw the sheer size and tackiness of Myrtle Beach, unlike anything he had ever seen in Russia. It seemed as though every inch of real estate was crowded with hotels, restaurants, souvenir ships and hordes of tourists. The architecture itself was as outlandish as the resort, all the buildings painted in bright colors with big kitschy fiberglass statues outside in every shape imaginable. Every second building sold tacky souvenirs ranging from cheap t-shirts with lewd slogans, coffee mugs, magnets and all sorts of sundry junk along with beer and soft drinks.
"Cool, huh? You can send something to your folks back home", said Jared.
"Da, okay", he replied dubiously.
Jared chuckled as he drove into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn, parking near the entrance and getting their bags. The lobby was clean but it was also half-full with families and groups just coming in from the beach, wet and and wrapped in towels as they waited for the elevators. "Howdy and welcome, how can I help you?", asked the woman at the front desk in her heavy Southern drawl.
"Hi, we got reservations here, Jared Staal and Alexander Semin", he said.
"All right, here are your keys. And yours is room #468, here are your tickets for the breakfast, we got a breakfast buffet each morning. Enjoy your stay", she said as she handed him the keys.
"Thank you, ma'am", he replied as they walked towards the elevator.
"Howdy, you are gonna have a good time here in Myrtle Beach", said the middle-aged man who waited at the elevator as his two young daughters stood by impatiently.
"Hello, sir. I am looking forward to that", said Sasha.
"Are you Russian, don't think I ever met any Russians before", he said.
"Da, I am Russian. I am Alexander Semin", he said as they shook hands.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Semin. I gotta get the girls back to the room, we're gonna go to the Opry show later and they gotta get ready", he said as the elevator dinged.
Jared and Sasha got off at the fourth floor and took the bags down the hall to their room. "It's not bad for a Holiday Inn, I've stayed in worse", said Jared with a shrug. The double room had two large beds covered with green quilts separated by a nightstand facing a big-screen TV, a small writing desk near the window and a tiny balcony overlooking the pool. "And it's got a minibar, but the bar downstairs is better", he added.
Sasha nodded as he quickly unpacked and connected his laptop, seeing Jared unpack his own stuff. "We're early, do you want to go to the pool or the beach?", asked Jared.
"What is the beach like?", asked Sasha.
"It's not bad, but it can be crowded. But the pool is full of kids and their moms, unless you're into MILF's", he joked.
"What is a MILF?", asked Sasha as he unpacked the toiletries and arranged them in the bathroom.
"Uh, that means Mom I Want to Fuck, it's from American Pie", he explained.
"Da, that is a rude thing to say about your mama. If somebody say that, I kick their ass", he growled.
"I gotcha, I was just kidding. And lucky I got this", said Jared dryly, taking out a bottle of extra-strength sunblock.
Sasha just laughed as he took out a swimsuit and went into the bathroom. He had to smile when he saw Jared in his own swimsuit, the younger man freakishly pale with his red hair. "You will burn into a crisp", he teased.
"That's why I wear extra-strength sunblock, any more pale I would glow in the dark", he joked.