The windshield wipers beat a steady staccato as they labored to clear the glass in the driving rain. It was dusk and she gripped the wheel tight as she drove along the slick empty highway, the dim light of dusk, and the long day of driving having taken their toll on her senses.
As she rounded a curve she saw the solitary figure in the distance, standing alone, back pack propped against the steel no post that guarded the narrow shoulder of the road. His arm rose as he saw her approach, thumb out, soliciting a ride and some shelter from the cold and wet.
Her first thought was to speed up, pass him by and get on with her journey. Instead her foot lifted from the accelerator and the car slowed, allowing her to get a good look at him as she passed.
She noted the khaki jacket, blue jeans, the lean body and long hair, but most of all she was drawn to the dark piercing eyes that locked on hers as she passed.
Her heart skipped and her body tensed as she felt the nearness of danger, yet she continued to slow and her grey blue eyes moved to the rear view mirror.
She saw him turn his head, his eyes following her. Her foot moved across, hovering uncertain for a moment, before pressing down on the brake pedal. She saw the red glow of the brake lights illuminate his form, she saw him turn and snatch up the pack sack from the roadside and begin jogging toward her car. The car was still moving, she still had time to change her mind, but her actions seemed to be out of her control.
"What am I doing?" she thought, her mind racing, aware of the dangers of stopping for this young stranger. The car was stopped now and her heart was pounding, her mind racing. "This is crazy," she thought, "I'm in my forties, probably old enough to be his mother, yet I'm excited about having him with me!"
She knew she should press the automatic locks and put the car in gear and flee, but instead she turned to smile at him as he opened the door. His heavy pack seemed light in his hands as he tossed it over the seat into the back of the car and then slid his tall frame into the plush leather of the front seat beside her.
For a moment she averted her eyes, her body shuddering as she felt the blast of cold damp air enter the car.
"Thank you" she heard him say in a deep yet almost gentle voice, "I've been out there for quite awhile."
She turned then to look at him, and her eyes widened as she saw his smile and the sparkle in his dark eyes. His long wet hair clung this neck, and trickles of water dripped down onto the tattered khaki jacket. She smiled back as she put the car in gear and started down the road again. He couldn't be more than nineteen or twenty she thought, her initial fear subsiding.
"How far are you going" he asked.
"To the coast" she replied again turning to smile at him.
As she did, she caught his eyes traveling over her body and immediately felt the redness come to her skin. She was an attractive woman, everyone told her that, yet she was always self conscious about her body. She was still dressed as she had been when she left the meeting at her office just before noon, white blouse, and a dark skirt that clung tightly to the curve of her hips. She knew her skirt had hiked up from being too long in the driver's seat, exposing the dark upper hem of her stockings. She felt a warmth in her body as he continued to look her up and down, seemingly unafraid of being scolded for being so bold.
"You're a beautiful woman," she heard him say in that soft sexy voice.
She stammered something, but was unsure what, as she tried to concentrate on the driving and the road ahead. The gloomy light of dusk had turned to darkness as they sped along, remaining silent for several miles.