Not many people would view being a parking attendant as a glamorous job. Certainly Nate didn't expect it to be the kind of job where he'd get much pussy. He expected, and got, long, lonely hours, a stupid shirt with a logo on it, a tiny booth, and no heater. So far the September nights had been kind to him, but God only knew what it would be like when the really bad weather hit.
Still, the money was okay and the long quiet nights gave him time to catch up with his reading and revision. Nate figured the job was better than working in McDonald's and it was helping him get through his sophomore year in college. It also facilitated one of the most memorable sexual encounters of his life.
He did a 6pm-2am shift 5 nights a week and caught up with his sleep on the weekends. The private parking lot was a standard concrete, ramped, three parking floors, away from the city center, so it catered for a day working clientele and was not busy at night. Hardly anyone started their parking during Nate's shift, so most of the customers picked up their cars, paid via the automated machine and went on their way. Nate simply dealt with the issues, and there weren't many of those.
Sometimes someone's ticket couldn't be read by the machine, sometimes they'd lost their ticket and very occasionally the barrier wouldn't work after they'd paid. None of this was difficult to deal with and Nate usually spent most of his shift reading, either his college work or the porn stash the day guy kept under the desk.
On the night in question, a Wednesday, Nate was leafing through a text book and making notes. It was even quieter than normal in the parking lot and not a single car had come or gone in the last hour. Now it was nearly eleven o'clock and he was caught a little off-guard when she came to the booth window and knocked for attention. Most people drove up to the window.
"Hello." She started when he slid the window open. "I have a little... problem." She smiled wanly at him.
The woman looked in her early fifties, very well dressed, long black hair and subtle make-up. She had a hefty black laptop bag over her shoulder and her pretty face looked a little embarrassed.
"How can I help you?" Nate asked, expecting the usual stories and ready to point to the notice on the wall about lost tickets being charged at the day rate. That thought was replaced quickly when the woman pulled out a ticket.
"I'm sorry," she began uncertainly, "I don't have any cash."
Nate was about to point out that the machines took credit cards and he'd take a check when she continued, "I also don't have any credit cards, or my check book. I left my purse at home this morning."
He was sure the problem wasn't unique, but it had never happened on his watch, and he didn't recall any instructions on how to deal with it. Nate took the ticket she'd offered him and checked the date. It was that morning's ticket and he automatically calculated the fee should be around $12. Not like that was ever going to break the bank or make anyone a millionaire. Always a sucker for a pretty face, Nate was about to offer to let her out of the lot if she drove up when she spoke again. "I park here every day. I can leave you my address and phone number, and I'll pay you tomorrow."
This last statement confirmed his belief that she was not just pulling some kind of scam to get out of paying. Nate handed her back the ticket and smiled. "It's okay, just drive up. I'll let you through."
"Oh, thank you." She beamed, "That is so kind of you. I'll be right down." And with that, she walked off briskly.
Back at his book, Nate didn't notice as the minutes passed and no car had come through. Then the woman returned, once again on foot and once again looking sheepish. This time Nate saw her before she knocked on the window and opened it before she spoke.
"Is everything okay?" Nate had always been aware of the dangers of women alone using the lot and wondered if something untoward had happened.
"Yes, well, no." She looked a little out of breath. "I... erm... my car battery. It's dead."
Nate smiled, mostly in relief. A dead battery was something he could do something about. "No problem. Let me just get the jumper and we'll get you going. He opened the small closet that backed onto his booth and pulled out the portable jump pack. Then he hung the handwritten sign that said, "Horn for service", stepped out of the booth and locked the door behind him.
The woman fell into step next to him and he asked where she was parked. They walked up two flights of stairs and emerged on the correct level. There was only one car parked on that level, a large white SUV. "That's me," she confirmed as Nate started walking towards the beast.
"Pop the hood," Nate instructed when they got to the car. She had to open the door with the key as there was no power to use the remote. Once in the driver's seat she opened the hood and he set about connecting up the jump pack.
The SUV fired up first time and Nate unhooked his cables and closed the hood. He smiled at the woman who gave him a huge, relieved smile right back. While he wound the jump pack's cables away she got out of the car and over to him.
"Thank you so much." She touched his arm affectionately. "You've been so kind. I'm so grateful."
"It's no problem." He shrugged off her effusive thanks. "Drive safe."
The woman suddenly looked embarrassed again. "I don't even have anything to give you." She stated the obvious. Nate's colleagues, when explaining about the jump pack, said that customers who needed help usually slipped a ten or twenty dollar tip to the on duty guy. He'd realized straight away that was not an option here.
"Wait." She stopped him just as he was about to turn away.
Nate turned and the woman came close to him. She was shorter than him and looked up a little to meet his eyes. It struck him that she really was attractive for her age. Her hand again took hold of his forearm. "I'd really like to say thanks. Somehow."
He was about to ask, "What do you mean?" but something about the look in her eyes suggested he didn't need to bother. When her hand slipped from his forearm down to run up and down his thigh a little, left no doubt at all. A million thoughts about the logistics of anything he hoped she had in mind ran through his brain all at once.
"I..." He struggled for a meaningful response, but thankfully she realized there was none.