Finally, he was getting away from the world. Somewhere along the way, the philosophy of work to live had turned on him and changed to live to work. It was time for a much needed rest. He couldn't afford to take a whole vacation at the moment, but at least things were slow enough now that he could get away for the weekend. He'd packed up a bundle of random clothes into his old tan backpack and crawled into his little SUV. He pulled away from his island home and headed upstate.
As the flat of the interstate started to turn into rolling hills, he became vaguely aware of his surroundings once more. Everywhere he'd passed through, each town looked the same. They all had the same size malls, the same configuration of shops and fast food joints. Each of the bigger cities that he crawled through, in road construction traffic, could have been the exact same as any other in America. Damn life on this planet was boring, he thought to himself.
The radio station he'd been listening to since the last big city started to crackle and fade and with a groan he twisted the knob to off. It figured, he really liked that song and it wasn't likely to be over played anymore. He reached the top of a particular hill and spotted his destination off to the right. The old set of cabins that he and his parents had come to so frequently in his earlier years. His nostalgic reverie was broken as a clap of thunder rolled through from the west and warned him of the impending storm. He was lucky that he would make it to the cabins before the dark clouds rolled in.
Driving through the winding trail into the hills he pulled up to the parking lot in front of the offices. He stepped out of the truck and stretched his legs arching back, joints protesting loudly. His ass was sore from sitting for so long, but he smiled brightly as the fresh country air and the scent of the coming rains filled his nostrils. There was a saliva-inducing waft of fresh bread coming from the little bakery on the corner. He made a mental note to stop in there after he checked in and got his cabin key. His stomach was growling harshly.
He stepped in through the double doors and glanced around in whimsical interest at all the touristy curios and novelties as he approached the main desk. He found himself smiling as that old man was still at his post at the desk after all of these years. Old Bill smiled with recognition as he approached the front desk.
"My goodness, little Jack Powell," the old man said with a delighted smile. "I haven't seen you up in these parts in...what is it now...fifteen years?"
Jack nodded and smiled. "Hello there Bill, how have you been? How's Eudora?"
Sadness lined the old man's face. "She done passed away a little over five years ago."
Jack nodded sadly, unsure of how to reply to that. He trailed his fingers over the old and chipped polished oak desk. "I'm really sorry to hear that Bill, she was a good woman." Old Bill turned and reached behind him and took the key to cabin fourteen from its hook on the wall behind him. He slid it across the desk with well-weathered hands. "How're your folks doing? Been a long time," the old man said as he checked off Jack name on the thick ledger.
"Well, Mom's doing well. Taking good care of herself. Dad, sadly, passed away last summer. It's okay though, he's no longer in the pain that he was for most of his life," Jack said with a wistful smile. Old Bill just nodded solemnly.
"Well, we've got you in cabin fourteen. The one we usually reserve for you and your family," the old man said gently. "Have a wonderful weekend Jack, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
A clap of thunder boomed close by as Jack snapped the key up in hand and moved to the door. Just as he reached for the handle a young woman stepped in hastily, soaking wet from head to toe. She was dressed in a thin gray t-shirt, well-worn jeans and sneakers. She stopped and smiled at Jack, with a look of mild irritation, having been caught off guard in the rain. She shot him an appraising glance and brushed past him on her way to the desk. Jack just stood there watching her with a bemused stare. Her jeans looked to be painted on and her t-shirt clung to her magnificent curves. Her brown hair hung in wet curly tendrils down her back and she brushed it back over her ears as she approached Old Bill.
"Excuse me sir," she said in a soft throaty voice. "I'm kinda stranded here, is there any chance you've got an extra cabin available?" Bill shook his head lightly and informed her that they were all booked up for the weekend due to the big fishing contest up at the lake. Her mild irritation turned to one of solemn annoyance. She turned on her heel and made for the exit, grumbling to herself about how this day just royally sucked.
He didn't know where it came from, but Jack spoke up without even thinking. "Miss? Um...I've got a cabin booked," he croaked and cleared his throat. "If you want, you can stay with me tonight."
Her brow furrowed and then smoothed as she looked into his eyes from behind her tangled mane. A smile curled on her lips. "Oh, that would be wonderful. Are you sure you don't mind?" She said with a sweet smile. Jack nodded graciously, as he hid the fact that his heart was pounding louder than the thunder from within his chest. His face flushed slightly. He held the door for her and led the way to his truck and drove them down the little trail to cabin fourteen.
Jack unlocked the door to the cabin and held it as he signaled that it was safe for her to leave the SUV without getting too much wetter. She stepped out and smiled, holding her face to the sky as the cool rain cascaded down upon her. She loved the feel of rain, washing down on her. Jack found himself chuckling lightly as he watched her from the doorframe. She was a vision of beauty as she crossed over onto the porch. She stood there, dripping wet. Her chilled nipples poking through the thin t-shirt. She smiled at him, wrung her hair out on the old worn porch and then offered her hand. "By the way, " she said in a voice like velvet. "I'm Layla."
Jack took her proffered hand and squeezed lightly. Her hand was warm in his and he smiled broadly. "I'm Jack."
He placed his hand at the small of her back and ushered her into the warmth of the cabin. Flipping on the lights as he lay the key on the small table by the door. He glanced around as nostalgic memories flooded in from the confines of his childhood. The place looked the same as it always had. He knew that if he took the time to look, he'd find his name carved on the underside of the dining room table.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. He watched with great interest as she picked her way through the kitchen, checking the cupboards and refrigerator. She turned and beamed at him. "You never know what will get left behind," she said with a shrug.
Jack withdrew his hand from his pocket and thumbed off to the left. "Bathroom's over there if you want to dry off or freshen up." She smiled and nodded as she moved past him to the little bathroom. He found that he couldn't take his eyes off of this wondrous creature. She almost appeared to be on a flight of fancy as she moved about the cabin with casual feline grace.
A few moments later he heard the faucet squeak from inside, followed by the rustling of the shower curtain. He leaned against the closed door and called out that he'd be back in a moment, he was going to make a quick run up to the general store for supplies.
"Okay," she called out over the steam of the shower. "Could you pick up some of that bread I smelled when I got here. It smelled scrumptious" Jack laughed lightly to himself.
His thoughts were filled with imaginations and fantasies of his impromptu companion as he came back thirty minutes later. He closed the door behind him and set the damp sack on the table. Jack looked around and smiled as he spotted her curled up lazily on the sofa. She was reading a dime store novel that had been left behind by a previous visitor. He cocked his head aside as he read the title, "Stacked Deck- a DarkWalk Investigation".
