It was a cold, damp, gray Monday in the middle of November and Dan was doing what he usually does, driving from one city to the next in his Midwest sales territory. He had left his home in the Chicago suburbs that morning, made a stop in Rantoul, Illinois, and now was on the back roads traveling to Lafayette, Indiana. He liked traveling the back roads whenever he could, as he felt interstate driving was boring.
When he was getting in his car after the stop in Rantoul, he wondered if it would snow; it was that kind of day. He hoped if it did, it wouldn't be heavy, or would start after he got to Lafayette, where he was planning to spend the night. He was getting sick of all the traveling he did, especially when it came to the wintertime. He had been on the road almost since he graduated from college.
Dan had turned 53 a few weeks ago. He was contemplating retiring the first chance he got, which in his company would be when he reached age 55, since he had so many years with them. He figured he should be able to swing it since his last kid should graduate from college the same year. If he needed extra money, he could always get a job doing something close to home. He was happily married, but he wondered if he and the wife would get along as well if he were around the house all the time. 'I'll worry about that when the time comes,' he thought. About the only thing he would miss from his travels is his ability to get in a little playtime while on the road. When he was younger, he was able to score with women he met in the hotel lounges or nightclubs he would frequent. Now his extracurricular activities were limited to visiting strip clubs and massage parlors in the various towns he passed through.
He was crossing the Indiana State line when he noticed a few snowflakes falling. He only had about 40 miles to go, so he felt he should be OK. But the snow started to get heavier, and that's when he noticed them: a young couple hitchhiking. He was kind of surprised, as he didn't see that many hitchhikers anymore, especially this time of year. He decided to pick them up, feeling sorry for them being out in the snow. By the time he reacted, he had gone about a quarter of a mile, so he had to wait a little while for them to get to the car. While he was waiting, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He had stopped picking up hitchhikers about ten years ago after he had heard about people getting robbed, but these two sure didn't look like they posed any threat, and besides, he couldn't leave them out in the snow.
When they reached the car, the boy jumped in the front seat and the girl got in the back. "Thanks a lot, mister, for picking us up. I thought we were going to get stuck in the snow," said the boy as he took off his backpack and put it between his legs.
"Well, to tell you the truth, that's the main reason I picked you up," Dan replied. "By the way, my name is Dan."
"Mine is Rick and my sister's name is Allison."
"Pleased to meet both of you. Where are you headed?"
"Cincinnati," replied Rick.
"I have some business in Lafayette in the morning and then I'm going to Cincinnati tomorrow, so if you want to wait for me, I can take you all the way."
"That would sure be nice of you," replied Rick.
"How old are you two, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Were both nineteen; we're twins," Rick answered.
Dan thought Rick looked boyish for nineteen, but maybe that was because he was towheaded with bright blue eyes. He had a cute face, with a smattering of freckles. He looked like an All-American boy. He only had a glance at Allison as she got in the car and he wondered if they looked alike. The snow was coming down heavier now and he had to slow down, as the road was getting slick.
"Can I ask where you're coming from and where you're going?" asked Dan.
"Sure," Rick said. "We're going to visit our father who lives in Cincinnati. We live most of the time with our mother on our grandfather's farm, which is not far from where you picked us up."
Dan started wondering about what he was hearing. Why would their mother let them leave the house on such a threatening day to hitchhike to Cincinnati? He hoped they weren't runaways. He had to ask. "Your mother let you leave on kind of an ugly day, didn't she?"
"She didn't really let us leave," answered Rick. "She went to Chicago with my grandparents to do some shopping for a few days. We left a note saying where we were going."
"Aren't they going to be worried?"
"No," replied Rick. "We do this all the time."
'Well, he certainly has all the answers and gave them without any hesitation,' thought Dan. What was he going to do anyway? He couldn't put them out in this weather. Allison had not said a word during the whole conversation.
"Allison, is Rick pulling my leg?" Dan asked in a joking fashion, although he did want her to address the question.
"No," was her curt reply.
Dan decided to let the subject go. He really needed to concentrate on his driving, as the weather and roads were deteriorating quickly. They finally arrived in Lafayette. He usually stayed on the east side of town near I-65, where motels and restaurants were plentiful. It was also close to his meeting in the morning. As usual, he didn't have a reservation, as he never had a problem getting a room.
As he pulled up to the motel where he usually stayed, a question crossed his mind. "Do you have money for a room?" he asked.
"Yes," Rick said.
"I'll rent two rooms and you can pay me for one, OK?"
"We don't mind staying in a room with you to save some money. But if you don't want to, that's OK," replied Rick.
When Dan left the car, Rick turned to Allison and asked, "Well do you like him?"
"He seems nice enough, but you know I always follow your lead," she replied.
"Well he seems kinda uptight, but that may be because of the weather. If he rents two rooms we'll just have to play it by ear. Why don't you try to be a little friendlier, that may help," Rick suggested.
