(c) 2011, 2022 by Sir Render
In the early afternoon of the second day of their cross-country drive, Adam and Samantha Eastman decided they should stop for a couple of beers and some food. Both were in the prime of their lives and had taken up the long road trip partly because Adam had an irrational fear of flying and partly because they were on their way to a big family reunion at one of Samantha's aunt's homes in upstate New York.
They had taken turns behind the wheel so they could cover as much ground as possible, getting in more than ten hours on the road the first day. Now Samantha, Sam to all her friends, was driving and she pulled the car off the main highway at the first big city they found.
"Do you want a burger?" she asked her husband.
"Meh," came Adam's reply.
"Chicken sandwich?"
"Not really hungry for more fast food," Adam replied, looking aimlessly out the side window. "I could sure go for a couple of beers. We need to find a bar."
"Well gee, how about that one?" Sam said, pointing with one finger while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. It was a small building with no obvious windows but a large sign over the door bearing the name Marley's Bar & Grill. They saw one car, two pickup trucks and two diesel big rig cabs in the parking lot, which seemed to consist mostly of dirt and pebbles with some broken old patches of asphalt. Samantha continued, "They say you can tell a place is good if the truckers eat there."
Adam shrugged. "Why not? I'm feeling adventurous."
Before getting out of the car, Samantha took her compact from her purse and gave herself a touch-up in the rear view mirror. Adam wondered if she was making herself up for his benefit or for the locals.
Adam needed no makeup. At thirty years, he still had the kind of youthful face which got him carded when buying lottery tickets. He had never admitted it to his wife, but he had helped to pay his way through college by working as a male stripper and photo model.
When they'd parked the car -- there really was no semblance of striped spaces, just areas which weren't already occupied by another vehicle -- there had been nothing within six feet of them. But Adam had failed to notice another car pulling in on his side. As he swung open his door, he collided with the side of a black Chrysler 300.
The driver of the car got out quickly, hollering about damages and looking at the dent and scratches Adam's door had left.
"Oh my god man, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you pull in. There wasn't anyone there when we pulled in."
The man, a large, heavyset black man with a short afro, called him a blind dumb fuck. He howled about how much it was going to cost to get his door fixed and repainted. Adam, by now out of the car, bent forward a bit and said, "You can probably buff that out."
"Buff it out?!" the black man bellowed. "Buff it out?! Fool, are you stupid too? That there's a dent. I didn't have a dent when I pulled in here. That's your dent."
"Well look," Adam offered, "I've got insurance info here in the glove box. Give me your info and I'll give you mine and we can let the insurance company decide who's fault it was."
"Fool it was your motherfucking fault! That's where your door hit my door. Now what you gonna do about it?"