She had been driving since noon and now it was almost five in the morning and had just glimpsed the sun lighting the sky in the east before the rains began. Now she was driving in a virtual downpour that obscured everything and she was fighting to keep awake. She was on a narrow two-lane road with trees on either side and she had cut her speed to a crawl. Suddenly she realized that she had dozed off and was on the shoulder. Upstate New York gets cold this time of year and between the monotony of the windshield wipers flapping back and forth she desperately looked for someplace to pull over.
That's when she saw the narrow dirt road on the left. She swung the car onto it and began to pull in. Her left right tire lost its traction and the car slid to the side and she was hopelessly stuck. She turned off the windshield wipers and was intent on getting some sleep. That's when she saw the glimmer of light ahead. With no umbrella and only a small blanket on the back seat, she climbed out, put the blanket over her head and began to walk. Not more than a few hundred feet up the road she rolled her ankle over and from that point on her discomfort seemed to multiply. The light never seemed to get closer and the pain in her ankle seemed to grow with each step.
The rain now saturated the blanket and felt as though it weighed a ton. Finally she turned a bend in the road and saw the small house nestled between the swaying trees. The light she had seen seemed to come from a window next to the porch. She barely made it to the door and leaned against it trying to keep her weight off her foot. By now it was almost six and it seemed darker than ever as the clouds drifted overhead dumping a torrential amount of cold rain whipping against her already soaked blouse and skirt. Finding no doorbell, she turned and began to slam her fist on the door.
It seemed like an eternity before the porch light went on and the door opened. Peggy almost fell into the room and into the arms of the boy. The room seemed warm, or was it the heat from his body? She didn't care. She was safe inside and out of that deluge. Somehow the door closed and now holding onto the man, she looked up. He was young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen but with the body of an athlete.
He wore only a pair of very snug fitting cargo shorts that clung tightly to his hard thighs. That was his only covering and she snuggled closer to gather all the warmth she could from his bare chest. He helped her to a couch and reluctantly she disengaged her hold on him and sat. A fire had at one time burned in the fireplace but now it was almost out. He smiled down at her and she looked up into those dark eyes. For the first time words were spoken. He looked at her and simply stated: "god you're going to catch cold if you don't get some dry clothes on. Let me see what I can find." Than turning he went down the hallway and soon came back with a blue flannel shirt and a blanket. "This will do for the top but I don't think my jeans would be much help.
Would you like to take a hot bath while I get you something to drink and restart the fire? She nodded yes, and he took her hand and helped her up. That's when he noticed that she couldn't support herself on her left leg. I sprained it down the road. Its sort of swollen I think. With that he did something totally unexpected. He put his arm under her thighs and lifted her up as if she were a baby. She wrapped her arms around his neck for support as he carried her to the bathroom. That proved to be a surprise. It was huge and in the center was one of those spa things than was sunken into the floor. He set her down on a bench and ran the water. In moments it was almost full and the jets began to churn the hot water to a foaming swirl of steaming froth. "You get in while I get you something for that ankle."
I was tired, and aching. I felt cold and wanted to get into that tub so badly that I had no second thoughts about stripping out of my dripping clothes and climbing in. I hobbled over sat on the edge and slid in. The warm water covered my breasts and seemed to be caressing my aching body. It wasn't more than five minutes before he returned. He had brought a first aid kit and a drink.
He sat on the bench and watched me for a second than handed me a water glass half full of whisky. I didn't want to offend him, but he had enough alcohol in that glass to wipe me out. I sipped it and than looking at him I asked, aren't you going to join me? I mean have a drink. He sort of looked shyly at me and answered. "I'm not used to drinking." But one wouldn't matter I responded. O.K. he answered and left to get another drink. I thought, god if he's not used to drinking and he makes his as tall as this, he's going to be looped before he's finished.
That's when I got my first real look at him. He seemed to be about eighteen, but could have been a year younger or older. His shoulders were broad and the shorts he wore accented his buns but couldn't hide the fact that he was an amply endowed young man. I was now feeling self conscious of my own appearance. My makeup was long gone and my hair was hanging in strings and snarled. Not caring much now, I lay back and just let the water caress my body.