Passion in James County XVI
Ann woke up with a horrible hangover the next morning. It was all she could do to get her shower and get ready for work. When she walked out the door, she realized her car wasn't where it usually was. At first she thought it had been stolen, then she remembered where it was. "Damn!" she thought, "It's still at the bar out on the highway!" She just managed to get to the corner in time to catch the bus and make it to work on time.
About the only good thing to happen that morning was that she learned Mr. Lewis had gone to some kind of executive retreat at district headquarters and wouldn't be back until the end of the week.
"Well," she thought after Traci Norman, one of the other girls told her where the boss was, "at least I won't have to put up with his harassment for a couple of days."
The day went relatively quickly. After she punched out, she began walking across the parking lot, headed for the bus stop. She figured she'd take the bus to as close to where her car was as she could, then walk the rest of the way. It meant a walk of more than a mile, but she had to get her car back.
A beat-up old pickup truck pulled up next to her and stopped. Ann looked and saw that the truck was driven by Lonnie Ames, a young stock clerk in the store where she worked. He was a somewhat pudgy, shy, but very nice boy. She had an idea he might have a crush on her, judging from how he looked at her from time to time. "What happened to your car?" the young man asked.
"I...ah...I left it out near the town line last night," Ann said. "I...I have to go get it."
"Want a ride?" he asked.
"You sure you don't mind, Lonnie?" she replied. "I...I'll gladly pay you for gas."
"Get in," he said. "And don't worry about the gas. We're friends, right? Just tell me where we're going."
Ann told him where her car was, and Lonnie started driving in that direction.
"What's the matter, Ann," he said, "You looked really sad all day today."
"I...I guess I was just, you know, having a bad day," Ann replied. The last thing she wanted to do was burden Lonnie with her troubles.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm a good listener," Lonnie said.
Ann was touched deeply by the young man's sincere concern. She couldn't help herself, she began sobbing. A river of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
When Ann started to cry, Lonnie didn't know what to do. He pulled to the side of the road, stopped the truck, turned to her, and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, now, Ann," he said softly. "Things will be all right. They really will."
"Oh God!" Ann sobbed. "I feel so awful! You...you can't...you can't im-imagine..."
Lonnie slid across the seat to be nearer her and put his arm around her. He was surprised and thrilled when Ann buried her head against his chest. Her soft hair tickled his face and made his skin tingle. Gently, he rubbed her back and let her cry. Finally, the sobbing grew softer, and she quieted.
Ann took a deep breath, leaned back, and looked at the young man, whose eyes showed deep concern.
"Really," he said. "Things will be all right."
Ann was confused by the feelings she began to feel as she sat there with Lonnie's arms around her. It felt good being in his arms, very good! He made her feel safe, protected, and special, almost like her neighbor, Martin, did. She was glad he'd come along and offered her a ride.
"Thank you, Lonnie" she murmured. She kissed the young man, intending it to be a friendly kiss, a kiss of gratitude. But, when their lips met, she was startled by the feelings the kiss awakened in her. Kissing him felt really good!
Lonnie was just as surprised by the kiss and burst of sensations it evoked as Ann was. This was far more than he'd hoped for. He'd been dreaming about her ever since he first saw her, and now he was kissing her! His heart continued to pound as he gazed into her eyes.
Ann leaned back and looked at the young man. She wasn't sure what was going on. He was looking at her with such caring in his eyes that it almost made her cry.
"Ah, you want to go get your car now?" Lonnie asked. His body was in total turmoil. He knew he was going to have a serious case of lover's nuts when he got home!
"I'm...I'm not sure I should be driving in the shape I'm in," Ann replied softly.
"What do you want to do, then?" Lonnie asked.
"Would...would you like to come to my house for dinner?" Ann asked. "You've been really sweet, giving me a ride and all. The least I can do is feed you. And it will give me a chance to calm down. After we eat, you can take me to get my car on your way home."
"Ah, sure, that would be great!" Lonnie replied. He was thrilled to be able to spend more time with her.
Warning bells clanged in Ann's mind as Lonnie drove toward her house, but she ignored them. She liked being with him. What harm could there be in having him over to her house for dinner?
When they reached Ann's house, Lonnie pulled into her driveway, shut the truck off and, shaking with excitement, got out, opened the door for Ann, and followed her to the house. He opened the door and held it open so she could walk into the house, then he followed her inside and looked around. "Your house is really nice," he remarked.
"Thanks," Ann replied. "The living room is in there. Make yourself comfortable while I start dinner."