Disclaimer/FAQ: This story is not a depiction of reality. It is instead a fictional tale partially inspired by real people and situations in history that were observed by the author. The depiction of said people and situations in this story is not meant as anything more or less than an honest (and dramatic, tragic, and comedic) tribute to them. I hope you enjoy reading this story. Please send feedback on it if you can- the dude needs support! Thank you to all who contributed to the inspiration and forging of this tale. Thanks especially to the original creators of the stories who inspired it, who of course retain all rights to their work. I hope no one minds how I view it herein- I try my best to show all appropriate aspects I perceive and be fair and honest in my judgments. Time will tell how well I do. This story is my creation and may be posted anywhere on the Net that has asked and gained my permission and is free to access for the average adult viewer. This story, like everything I have ever written, contains adult situations and themes. Therefore it should only be read by adults who are able to judge it in a fair and mature manner. I will leave it up to each individual reader if that includes them or not. Thank you for reading this story, whatever your opinion upon reaching the end.
Author's Notes: Many thanks to Deman for another inspiring request. Hope y'all enjoy this.
************************************************
Desert Angel
August 2006. Odessa, TX.
"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to be out of the rain. In the desert, you can't remember your name, cause there ain't no one to give you no pain. La da da da da da...."
Jack Killinger grimaced and turned his radio's volume down. I like this song, he mused, but right now I'm not in the mood. Maybe some country... nah, never mind. He clicked the radio off, trying again to concentrate on the road. He had been living and working on the West Texas plains for nearly three years. His family had wanted him to go to college, make something of himself, but Jack hadn't really been interested. I didn't do that great in school, he had explained at the time. I don't want to keep going to class. I want to get out and see the world.
Pretty lousy place I ended up in, he sighed, looking around. There's nothing to do out here, it's so quiet and dead. If it were high school football season, I could catch a game, but that won't be for months. And the local oil fields aren't putting out right now, even though prices are high. I have a job driving this tanker for one of them, it pays well enough to keep me going, but it doesn't really spark anything in me. I keep having doubts. I can't get close to people, at work or socially. Every time I try, they push me away. It's so frustrating. But maybe tonight things will change.
He eyed his image in the rearview mirror. Pretty good, he thought. Dark brown hair slicked back, skin clear, and my eyes don't even look red tonight. They're their usual hazel shade. And I'm dressed well enough to draw some glances. Jeans and checkered shirt are clean, boots are shiny. He adjusted the black Stetson on his head and grinned. Maybe after I get this truck back to the main office, I can go out to a bar and meet some girl. I do that a lot. I don't drink as much as I used to, it was making my loneliness worse, but I still have fun being in such places. Sometimes I take home the women I meet in them. There's a lot of nice girls looking for fun out here. Especially on a lonely summer evening like this, with a full moon and nothing to do. The people who live in this area often tell me it's a desert. We got flat plains, dust storms, hardly anything for miles and miles. It's not a real desert, you'd have to go farther west for that, but it comes close. He slowed down as the highway began to curve.
What am I thinking? he shook his head. The girls out here may not be interested in me tonight. And if I try to get them interested, I might start drinking heavily again before I could stop myself. I don't want that- the cops let me go last time, but I don't know if I want to risk driving home tipsy again right now. During football season they're busy, but... Wait, what's that?
A car was pulled off to the side of the road, an expensive-looking black Buick. A woman was standing beside it, a cell phone in her hand. She looks pretty harried, Jack thought. I bet she's in some kind of trouble. I really should keep going, but... He shook his head, recalling that he hadn't seen another car for miles that wasn't driving so fast they probably wouldn't see the woman. Okay, fine, I'll help her. He downshifted and began to pull over, carefully watching his mirrors as he went off the pave. I'll give her a ride to the nearest gas station, Jack decided. Or maybe fix her car if it looks easy enough, I was a mechanic a while back. Haven't done it in years, but it's like riding a bike. He shrugged, shut off his engine, then got out of the truck and walked back towards the car, hoping it wasn't more than it seemed.
"Thank you!" the woman greeted him as he approached. "I've been stuck here so long! I can't get a signal and no one's stopped!"
"You'll be fine," Jack said, looking her over. Pretty, he thought. Brown skin, long chestnut hair, nice figure under those jeans and white blouse. Sunglasses are hiding her face, but it looks familiar. He blinked, looking at her again. Nah, he thought, couldn't be. Has to be someone else. Lots of Latinas look like her. "What happened?"
"My car just started chirping," she explained, taking off her glasses. Jack blinked again. "Then it died. I got it started again, but then it started chirping again and... Is there something wrong?"
Jack shook his head. "You look like someone I've seen in a few movies. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Hitch, Training Day..."
"I am that woman," she cut him off, smiling. She extended her hand. "Eva Mendes."
"Jack Killinger." He shook her hand, trying to return her grin. "I'm a fan. What are you..."
"I read a book called Friday Night Lights," she explained. "It talked a lot about this Texas town called Odessa. I decided I had to come see it for myself."
Jack smiled. He had been drawn to the area by the same book and found it every bit what the writer had talked about. "You're a little early for the football."
"Well, I can wait," Eva shrugged. "I'm between movies right now and need a vacation. This looks like a quiet place to take one. Reminds me of Melbourne, but not quite as far out."
"You were in Australia?"
She nodded. "I did a film there. Ghost Rider. Heard of it?"
"Yeah, that comes out next year. I'm looking forward to it. I like comics." He looked at the ground, then back at her. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too." She looked at her car. "Do you think you can help me?"