It was hot. Hotter than hell. As I drove down I-10, with the top down on my Jeep, I was desperately trying to remember why I had decided to drive from New Orleans to San Diego in July. What was I thinking? Usually, I’m a very smart person. This was definitely not a smart move. I was in the middle of Texas, God only knows where. At least I had remembered to dress for it. I had dressed cool in a white tank top and a pair of jean shorts. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail and my Saints baseball hat was pulled down over my forehead. Smashmouth played loud on my speakers. All in all, I was crazy.
As I drove down a particularly lonely and desolate stretch of I-10, I noticed a woman in the distance by the side of the road. As I got closer, I realized she was hitchhiking. Not exactly the best of places to be doing it. I was tired of driving by myself and felt the need to be a good person. I slowed down and pulled to the side of the road.
“Where ya headed?”
She was going to Santa Barbara. Her car had broken down and she had gotten tired of waiting for someone to stop and help her, so she had started walking. I told her to climb in. Since I was headed to San Diego, she could ride the rest of the way with me if she wanted. I didn’t need to ask her twice. She hopped in, telling me her name was Karly.
As we drove, I felt suddenly a little calmer. I hadn’t realized I needed company. We talked and found that we had a lot in common. Both had gone to school back east and had family in Southern California. As I drove, she casually slipped her short blonde hair back behind her ears. She was about the same age as me and very pretty. She unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt and tied the shirt tail in a knot at her waist.
We drove for a couple more hours and then decided to stop and grab a bite to eat. It was getting dark and I really didn’t want to drive at night. Something about breaking down in the middle of the night in Texas brought to mind images of Deliverance. We pulled into a hotel near a Cracker Barrell and I checked into a room. They were booked solid except for one room with a king size bed. I took it and Karly and I headed over to Cracker Barrell for a relaxing dinner.
When we got back to the room, Karly went to shower while I called home to tell my parents they could probably expect me in another couple of days. I wasn’t going to hurry the drive along. Karly stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel as I hung up the phone. Her hair was wet and tucked again behind her ears. She wore the towel tight around her. As she started to dry off, I headed for my turn in the shower.