©1999 by Bob Peale.
Author's Note:
This story may not be reproduced in any form for profit without the written permission of the author. This story may be freely distributed with this notice attached, as long as no charge is made for it and it isn't changed in any way. If it is archived or displayed, it is done so with the understanding that the author will have unrestricted access to the archive or posting.
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Disclaimer: This story is a work fiction. None of the characters or events herein are based on real people, either living or dead. It was produced for the entertainment of ADULTS ONLY, and contains descriptions of explicit sex. If you are not an adult, or if reading stories of a sexual nature upsets you, do not read any further! By reading further, you certify that you have accessed/requested access to this material willfully, and that you are an adult 21 years of age or older. You also certify that you are NOT a city, county, state, or federal law enforcement officer, official of the United States Postal Service, acting in the capacity of a representative of a telecommunications firm, and that, to your knowledge, this material does not offend the standards in your area, nor is it in violation of any of local, state, or federal law. No animals were harmed in the manufacture of this product.
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The 14-hour days were killing her; this was the ninth in as many days. At least the current crisis was over, but Vanessa was sure there was another one waiting somewhere around the corner.
This was not at all what she'd thought she signed up for when she'd sold her business to those morons from New York. Initially, she thought she was getting a sweet deal: $3.5 million for a business that had only taken her 10 years to build. With that much money, she'd be able to lounge around for a few years before the lure of accomplishing something would draw her back into the rat race.
Of course, in the eleventh hour, the "investors” realized that they didn’t know anything at all about the market or the business, so they'd restructured the deal: $3.75 million, plus 10% of the profits for the next 5 years, provided she stayed on as a consultant for the next 18 months and taught someone the ropes. It didn't take long for everything she'd worked so hard to build to start to crumble. She soon found that she was working harder than when she first started the store. With three months to go, she couldn't wait to cash out and get the hell out of dodge!
It was after 11 PM by the time she pulled into her garage. Inside the house, she walked to the bathroom, stripping off her clothes as she went. Her husband was in Phoenix on business, so after taking a long hot shower, she climbed right into bed. In a few minutes, today would be just another in a long series of bad dreams.
After 3 hours of tossing and turning, Vanessa finally acknowledged that she was too wound up to fall asleep. Growing up, she would go for long drives when she couldn't sleep, but she hadn't done that in years. Kicking back the covers, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and foraged around for some clothes. The first two things she found were an old tank top she liked to wear around the house, and a short skirt she'd worn a couple of days ago. She didn't bother with shoes or underwear; she wasn't going to be gone that long.
She drove along the interstate for a while, just happy to have the windows down, the radio playing, and the road unwinding under her. As the miles ticked off on the odometer she felt the day's tension drain away. Bored with the highway, she exited and began winding through little towns and back roads with no real destination in mind.
Driving along a particularly desolate patch, a sense of isolation washed over her. She felt the irrational need to be anywhere but there. Looking at the clock, she noted that it was 3:00 in the morning. Up ahead, the road stretched endlessly into blackness.
She turned her wheels sharply to the left and made a u-turn, speeding back the way she'd come. If she hadn't been so concerned with getting away from there, she might have noticed the speed limit sign, or at least the unmarked police car hiding in the bushes next to it. As she sped by, the car lurched onto the road behind her and snapped on the blue and red lights.
There was no way she was pulling over by the side of this road. She kept going until she came upon a roadside diner that was closed for the night, a well-lit parking lot prominent in front. The unmarked car pulled in behind her and out stepped a state trooper.
He was a bear of a man, at least 6'4", full and broad in the chest, with a chiseled jaw and shoulders you could easily rest a house on. The look on his face as he approached quickly led Vanessa to the conclusion that her best option was to take the ticket and get home as soon as she could.
