Readers, it's been a really long time since I've posted anything here. Two reasons really. One, I have a few unfinished stories posted here, and decided I wouldn't do that again. The other is life... death, divorce, marriage, work... I wrote this as a stand alone story, a beginning, a middle and importantly, to me, an end. It's a long story and not a lot of sex, but it does contain sex so if that offends you, what are you doing here... Don't read it. It is entirely fictional, not intended to portray anyone living or dead and the characters are strictly a figment of my imagination.
All rights are reserved by the author. Please comment or vote. It's the only form of payment we get. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
JJ1
*****
It was hot and sunny. John enjoyed the warmth of the sun on the back of his hand, traffic surprisingly light. He always loved driving over the bay bridge, over 4 miles long, rising high with a curve then the slow tapering as it led onto the "slower" shore. The hustle of DC and Baltimore fading in the rearview.
The older pickup, smooth but with a hidden muscle, was a pleasure to drive. It went where he pointed it and often that wasn't between the lines. Fishing was his passion. Work was hectic, his wife gone in a tragic accident, the particulars he didn't like to think about, his kids were distant, living their own lives.
Now it was just John and his friends, a few minor dalliances, never enough to really call a relationship. 50 was a wakeup call. He worked off the mid-life bulge and now at 55 he realized he would never look 19 again but he stayed fit. He didn't care if he was fishing off the beach or on his boat he just wanted to be fishing. He loved the atmosphere of the marina, trading stories with the boat captains and mates, the smell of diesel fuel, dead fish and the ocean a surprisingly pleasant mix.
He saw the Mercedes on the side of the road. About midway between towns on the eastern shore, it wasn't a walk that would kill you, but it was at least uncomfortable. As he approached, the woman kicked the tire on the car then hobbled to the berm next to the highway. He laughed, made a split- second decision and slid over onto the shoulder as the truck slowed.
"Shit-fuck-Damn!" He stifled the laugh, as he thought 'that about covered it all.'
"Having a little trouble?" he asked with a smile as he stopped at the front of the car. He thought she might feel nervous if he approached her so he kept the car between them. She glared at him and the first thought he had was 'It's not my fault.' The second thought he had was, 'Holy shit she's beautiful!'
"Fucking thing just died. Just died. Everything went dead, the radio, everything. I tried to start it and nothing, it doesn't even fucking click."
"Pop the hood and I'll check a few things." John walked to his truck, backed it a little closer and got out with a Multimeter. John looked under the hood and there was a hot terminal but no battery. 'What the fuck, must be in the trunk' He thought. "Can you pop the trunk for me please?"
"Why do you want the trunk open?" She looked at him questioningly, as if her family secrets were hidden there.
"That's where I'm hoping the battery is. It isn't up here."
"Bullshit. The battery's always up front."
"Not in this car." John was getting irritated. All he had to do was get in the truck and drive away. He could be at the marina in an hour and a half and this self-righteous bitch would be a distant memory. Of course, she had to look for herself.
"Huh!"
She sure did have nice legs. Long, trim with a decent tan. John wondered why all the beautiful women he'd ever met had to have such an attitude. They led up to an equally nice ass, the rest of her body hidden in the diaphanous fabric of her Sundress.
The deck lid wouldn't open with the button so John took the hard key out of the electronic key, found the hole in the deck lid and popped the trunk. John placed the leads on the battery and barely got a reading.
"If it was American, I would say it was your alternator but with this... I just know it's dead. Calling a tow truck is really your only option."
"Shit-fuck-damn!" as if it was a single word. "Fuck, I don't know who to call."
"You certainly have a way with words." John replied chuckling. "I can find someone local on my cell if you want. I really need to get on my way but I don't feel right leaving you on the side of the highway."
She looked around, as if only now realizing that this may not be the safest place. "Can you please? I mean call someone and stay with me a while? Please?" John couldn't really tell where she was looking, her eyes hidden behind her sun glasses. She had nice cheeks, a cute nose. She was certainly pleasant to look at. The only problem was... she kept opening her mouth.
"Are you a mechanic?" she asked as they settled onto the grass of the berm to wait for the tow truck. The traffic passing on the highway was loud and made conversation difficult.
"No, mechanical not a mechanic. A motor is a motor, just the stuff they hang on it changes." They watched the cars drive by for a while, not really looking at each other. No one stopped to check on them. He glanced at her a few times leaning back on her elbows in the grass. She really was attractive, thin arms, nice shoulders, a slim body worth looking at and those legs, bent slightly. She looked somewhat familiar but John couldn't quite place her.
Finally, the tow truck showed up with a typical teenage driver, lanky, scraggly beard, his smile had a few gaps.
"Oh my god it's you!" the driver said as he approached. The gaps pronounced as he smiled.
"Doesn't matter, it's dead." She said pointing at the car.
"Aren't you her?"
"Would you please stop!? I'm just a woman with a dead car." He smiled at her, nodded, started to walk away but turned and gave her a look which said, "I know you're her!" smiled knowingly, went to the truck and got to work.
"Do you know him?" John asked.
"No." John could tell his time had run out, time to bail, head to the marina. He could still get there in time to see some of the cleanup from today's fishing trips, hear some stories, perhaps tip one back. From the way this conversation was going it would be more entertaining to clean the toilet on the boat.
"Well, it's been fun, but I should be on my way now. We should chat again sometime." The sarcasm went right over her head.
"What about me? What am I supposed to do now?"
"Seems to me you have two options, rent a car or find a hotel room."
"But... but..." She pulled her sunglasses down for the first time looking over them at John. He was dumbstruck. She had the most beautiful light blue eyes that he had ever seen. "How do I get there? Where do I get a car around here? There's nothing but fucking corn fields! Wait Wait!!" she started to run down the slope to the road as the tow truck started to pull out. "Where's he going? Shit, fuck damn!" This time three distinct words. Must mean emphasis John thought. She sunk down to her knees, her shoulders slumped, "Fuck!"
