Kay didn't know if a Chevy Lumina could actually run on sheer willpower, but if she didn't spot a gas station in about five miles or so, she suspected she was going to find out. She glanced down at the gauge again for the tenth time in the last two minutes, but it thankfully continued to hover right on the line marked 'E'. "Come on come on come on," she chanted over and over, the quiet prayer of the weary traveler. This was not a time of year or a part of the country she wanted to run out of gas in. Not for the first time, Kay cursed her fear of flying.
She should have stopped an hour ago, she really should; but she thought she had enough gas to make it to the Twin Cities, and she figured she'd be stopping for the night anyway, and why make two stops when she could just drive straight through? But she hadn't counted on a long detour due to road construction (who was still doing road construction in November in Minnesota? Well, obviously the highway department, Kay didn't think there were many freelancers in that line of work, but why? Weren't they supposed to be shut down for the winter?) And that left her easily an hour away from even the southernmost suburb of the sprawling metropolis, with bleary eyes, a growling stomach, and most importantly...very little gas. "Come on come on come on..."
The needle dipped a little. By this point, Kay was watching it almost more than the road. It was a little bit below 'E', now, but they always made the gauge look a little bit more empty than the tank really was, right? It kept people from doing stupid things like driving until they were clean out of gas, right? Stupid things like Kay was doing right now...right? "Come on come on come on..."
The sign with the words, 'GAS FOOD LODGING' written on it proved to be about the most welcome sight Kay had seen since leaving Kansas City. She flicked on her turn signal, despite the utter lack of traffic around at this time of night, and exited at the turn-off. Another sign, this one placed by the gas station instead of the state, promised 'Barb's Gas and Auto Repair' would have 'full service, clean restrooms, and friendly staff'. At this point, Kay would settle for gas and directions to a motel, but she had to admit, full service sounded nice.
Must be more common out in the boonies,
she mused.
I don't think I've even seen a full service station in years.
Barb's Gas and Auto Repair turned out to be a set of pumps in front of a small house on the side of the road. The lights were on, thankfully (Kay hadn't even considered the suddenly-terrifying possibility that they would be closed) and she could see that the living room had been converted into a small store, while the attached garage had a few cars parked next to it in various states of disrepair. "Obviously not a chain," Kay said wryly to herself as she pulled up to the nearest pump, turned the engine off, and gave the horn a light tap.
After just a moment, a man trotted out wearing a grease-stained pair of coveralls and a baseball cap on his head. He waved cheerfully and jogged over to Kay's car, then tapped on the window to let her know that she should roll it down.
"Hi, s..." Kay said as she rolled down the window. "Ma'am," she finished, swallowing the 'sir' she'd been about to utter. The woman might have been dressed in unisex clothing, heavily tattooed, and well-muscled enough to look like she could probably lift Kay's car with one hand, but there was no mistaking the hand-embroidered 'Barb' on the chest of those coveralls. "I need a little...whoa." Kay coughed a little, as the overpowering smell of gas hit her. The fumes were so strong that she wondered if it was entirely safe. Was there a leak somewhere?
Barb grinned. Kay almost expected a missing tooth, then felt a little guilty about it. "What can I do you for, ma'am?" she asked. "Motor problem, or do you just need a little gas?"
"Fill her up, please," Kay said, trying not to breathe in too much. Some of it was Barb, she realized. Those coveralls looked like they'd seen plenty of hard use, and it smelled like they were practically saturated with gas. "And could you give me directions to the motel?"
Barb reached over to the gas pump and casually flipped open the cover to the tank. "Sorry, ma'am, but the nearest motel's about twenty-five miles down the road." She slid the nozzle into the opening and started to pump, sending another wave of gasoline fumes up around them.
"But the sign said 'GAS FOOD LODGING'!" Kay replied plaintively.
"I'm sorry, hon," Barb replied sympathetically, reaching over and patting Kay on the forearm. "That sign's out of date. Motel closed about a year ago, and the restaurant about six months after that. Ain't nobody out here now but me, and I mostly keep the place open out of charity. Never know when someone might pass by running on empty." She gave Barb an almost maternal smile. "What's the matter, hon? Starting to feel a little run down?"
Kay closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again. "No, I'll be able to make it to the motel, I just..." Her head swam for a moment as the gasoline fumes swirled around her. "I'll be fine," she said, trying to make her voice sound firm and confident.
"Here," Barb said, opening the door to the car. "Why don't you get out, stretch your legs for a moment? That always helps me when I'm feeling real sleepy." Kay got out, feeling a little self-conscious at the disparity between the two of them--she barely came up to Barb's shoulder, and her petite form looked even more feminine next to Barb's square-shouldered frame.
"Thanks," Kay said. She leaned back a little, and stretched her arms all the way up, as far as she could reach...then lowered them abruptly as she felt herself blush. She didn't want to make any more snap judgments tonight, not after being zero for two, but Barb looked like...well, she looked butch enough to be the kind of woman who might enjoy seeing another woman stretch out her back and thrust out her breasts a little too much, maybe. Kay didn't want to give the wrong idea.