It was the long school break and Cathy and I were hitch-hiking to the Gold Coast. We figured that if we got luck with our rides we could get there in three days. We were both eighteen, tired of studying, and wanting to have some fun and relaxation in the sun, surf, and sand.
By the end of the second day we were well into New South Wales and I was quietly confident that we'd make Surfers Paradise the next day. Cathy was certainly going to, the bitch. We'd stopped at this motel for the night and there was this cute guy there with a sports car. The next thing I know Cathy had dumped me, hopped into his little car and taken off, saying she'd meet me when I got there.
I was fuming. One of the reasons we were together was for safety. Now I was going to be stuck hitching a ride on my lonesome, with all the accompanying perils. Quite frankly, I spent a restless night, worrying about what might happen.
I got over my funk in the morning. It's not as though I had much choice. It was a case of grit my teeth and start hiking, hoping for a sweet little old grandmother to pick me up.
I was having zero luck rides wise and an hour later I was still trudging down the road. I'd had one offer but I'd have to have been insane to accept it. A young guy in a hotted up car and smelling of alcohol. Yeah, like I was going to get in his car. Where he got the booze that early in the morning is beyond me. Maybe he stocked up the night before.
So there I am, trotting along the side of the road, and a truck pulls up alongside me. Well, not a complete truck. Just that front bit. I think they're called prime-movers. Standing next to it, it looked enormous. The wheels were my height. This guy leans out the window and asks if I wanted a lift. He was on his way to Brisbane. Well, yes, I'd love a lift. Just not with you.
Not that I had anything against the guy. He was a big, burly, man in his thirties, just the sort of guy you would imagine to be a truckie. I couldn't see the driver but I imagined he'd be similar.
"Ah, thank you, but no thank you," I said politely.
"Why not?"
"A young girl going for a ride with a couple of men in a truck? I think not."
"Last time I counted there was just me here," he said. "I don't need a co-driver when I'm just taking baby home."
"Same difference," I told him. "I'd be asking for trouble if I got in with you."
"Scared that I'd rape you?" he asked, and I could tell he was laughing at me.
"It's a possibility that I have to consider," I acknowledged.
"Not really. I wouldn't force you. Well, I might, but only if you said no to a bit of friendly fucking."
Oh, yes, he was definitely laughing at me.
"Then I'm sure you can see why I'm not getting in that truck."
"Not really. Sex is good for you. It's healthy exercise. You should practice it regularly and enjoy it."
"Maybe, but rape is bad for you so I'd just as soon avoid it."
"That's easy fixed. Just agree to having sex as the price of the ride."
"You have got to be kidding."
"Not really. I'll do you a deal. Brisbane is nearly a day's travel away. I assume that you're going to Surfers and will want to be dropped off as we pass it. I'll give you a lift all the way and I won't fuck you during the first hour. You'll be free to abandon ship at any stage. If you stay on board after the first hour I will feel free to fuck you once we come to a nice secluded stretch of road."
I dithered a bit at that. I could get a long way in an hour's driving. I'd be well inside Queensland and could probably catch a bus or train the rest of the way. The catch, of course, was that the guy wanted to fuck me. Not that he was a gargoyle or anything like that. It was just the principle of the thing.
"If I say I want to get out you'll stop and let me out?"
"Not a problem," he assured me. "I can't see myself driving through some town with a teenager leaning out the truck window screaming blue murder. I'm assuming that you are eighteen. I'd hate to have an underage lass in my truck."
"Yes, I'm eighteen. Would you like to see my driver's licence?"
"Not necessary. What I would like to see is you taking a snapshot of the rig and sending it to a friend so they know what vehicle you're on."
I felt like a real idiot. So simple to do and it almost guarantees my safety. Anything happens and the police would know exactly who to talk to. I did as he suggested, taking a shot of the rig and a shot of him, sending them to my brother.
So I climbed up into the cabin. I'd never been so high off the road before. You could see for yonks. I wasn't seriously worried that he'd try to molest me. He was driving, after all, and the cabin was quite spacious. I was too far from him for even a casual grope. If he pulled up anywhere I could always jump out and run. I'm smaller and probably faster and there would be other traffic. The photos were the main security, though.
We took off down the highway and it was the most comfortable ride I'd ever had. Gavin proved to be a congenial companion, keeping me amused with stories about things that had happened on the road. He told me about the time he was at a red light next to a beach and this guy was in the park tossing some bread to the seagulls. Next thing he knew the man had walked over to his truck and opened the door and thrown bread inside. About a dozen seagulls flew into the cabin and the guy slammed the door, leaving him in the truck with all these seagulls.
I totally relaxed, listening to him ramble on. He did like to talk. At some stage my restless night caught up with me and I fell asleep.
When I woke we were in one of those truck rest areas you see at the side of the road. Looking around I could see that we were right up the top of a hill. Quite a high hill, too. Looking forward I could see the road vanishing into the distance, surrounded by trees. Looking behind me I had a similar view.
"Um, why are we stopped?" I asked, feeling distinctly on the nervous side.
"We had a deal, remember. One hour free ride. After that. . ."
He paused for a moment while I digested that. Then he continued.
"Actually, your hour was up an hour ago but you were sleeping so peacefully I didn't have the heart to disturb you."
"What? So you think you're now free to, um, free to, ah," I wasn't quite sure how to phrase what he might feel free to do. "You didn't give me a chance to get out after my hour was up," I protested.
"True. I won't hold you to the hour on a technicality. You can hop out now if you like."
My hand was already reaching for the door handle when reality nudged me. I could see for miles in both directions but in all those miles I couldn't see any sign of a town. Or a village, or a shop, or a lonely house.
"Um, how far is it to the nearest town?"
"Thirty odd kilometres behind us. If you want the nearest town in front of us it's about seventy kilometres."
Ye gods. If I got out here I'd be totally stranded. I couldn't even see any cars on the road. I bit my lip. There was no way I was giving in to his crude attempt at coercion. I reached for the door handle.
"You have guts," he said, "but I couldn't square it with my conscience to let you get out here. I'll drop you off at the next town if you insist."
"Oh. Thank you," I muttered. "Ah, where are we?"
"A couple of hundred kilometres inside Queensland. Surfers is about another three hundred."
So by the time we reached the next town that would leave me about two hundred and fifty kilometres to go. Assuming that I got another lift.
"Question for you. Are you refusing to let me fuck you because you're genuinely scared of me taking advantage of you or because you just don't think it's the correct thing to do?"
"I'm not scared of you," I protested. A little nervous, possibly, but not scared.
"So it's only because you don't think it's the correct thing to do. Are you married or a virgin?"
"What? No. Not that it's any of your business."
"Yes it is. I don't poach on people wives or hassle virgins. Being neither, you are fair game. Do you expect to meet any boys while at Surfers?"
"What's that got to do with things?" I asked, blushing. Of course I expected to meet and flirt with boys while there. That was part of the reason for going.
"Then you'll probably finish up going to bed with at least one of them. Especially if they have anything to say about it."
"So what?" I asked defensively.
"So why not with me? I know you were considering it. Your main reason for refusing was that it would feel as though I was forcing you to submit. It should be obvious by now that I won't."