The sun was halfway down, causing blood-red and bright orange cascades in the sky, stretching out and fading the further it went, until the sky had passed that crystalline blue into darker hues. I had just finished my coffee, feeling the heat of the liquid course down my throat and hitting my stomach, radiating the heat outward. The advancing night around me was frigid, the breath pluming from my nose, dissipating into the chilly air. The wind had just calmed, decreasing from numbing gusts into slight puffs. I tossed my empty coffee cup into the nearest garbage can on the street, a badly dented and slightly askew metal receptacle. Around me, the town was filled with men, women, and children retreating from the cold into vehicles, stores, or nearby residences. My motel room was more than five miles away, a cheap motel on the outskirts of town. I disliked the thought of trudging through the streets for five miles, but my two friends whom I'd come here with were out doing whatever and didn't answer my calls. Sighing wearily, I resigned myself to the long walk.
My mind wandered, as it usually did, this time to the events that had brought me to this small town in which I strolled. I was a recently freed man, unshackled from a demanding, and manipulative girl named Brenda. Brenda was a 5'7", 114 pound redhead with a great body, but a bad personality. Brenda and I had been seeing each other for almost a full year of college, and had even gone so far as to live in an apartment together. She must've noticed my yearning for freedom around seven months later, because she got it in her head that she'd fake a pregnancy to keep me tethered. She doctored the pregnancy test, convincingly so, in fact, that I actually believed her. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach upon hearing the news and seeing the faked test. Unfortunately, my conscience prevented me from running, and I unhappily accepted my fate. However, when she insisted that I be absent from her doctor's appointments, I grew suspicious, and after the fourth time, I waited until she left, and called the doctor she said she'd been seeing.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have any appointments marked for the person you're asking about," the doctor admitted, "In fact, I know most my patients, and I've never heard of this woman you're talking about."
Thanking the doctor, I hung up and paced the small apartment I shared with Brenda, cursing the day I'd met her.
When she showed up an hour later, I pretended not to have any idea what was going on, playing the completely duped boyfriend.
"How's the baby doing?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Huh?" it took her a second to recover, but she did, "Oh, it's fine. All signs point to a healthy baby."
"That's great. Look, we should probably start getting some baby furniture. I saw some pretty nice stuff at the mall that would work."
"Shouldn't we wait until we know if it's a boy or girl?"
Backing her into a corner, I pressed on, "The furniture I saw was oak, good for either a boy or girl. I hope you like it, because I've already bought it. It'll be delivered within the week."
Her eyes grew wide, and she protested, "What? I wish you'd wait and let me go with you to see it before you go and buy it!"
"Don't worry, I know you'll like it. It's really sturdy, and it comes with one of those changing stations."
I kept on pushing, changing the subject a little to throw her off guard.
"Hey, didn't the doctor prescribe you any prenatal vitamins? We've got to make sure the baby stays healthy."
Blinking, she stammered, "Oh, uh, I must've left the prescription in the car."
I nodded, having expected this type of answer, "Oh, okay, well let's go get it filled. I need to get some water anyway. We're almost out."
For sure, she must have been feeling the noose tightening by then. She shook her head, "Not now, I'm feeling a bit tired. I'll go fill it tomorrow."
"Nonsense," I smiled, "We can get it filled now, and you can take a nap when we get back. I'd do it myself, but I don't think the pharmacy would fill it if you weren't there."
I kept on and on, and finally she was in a corner.
She suddenly shouted, "NO! Stop it, okay? I lied, I'm not pregnant! Just back off me!"
I admitted, "Yeah, I kind of figured that out. I called the doctor, and he's never even heard of you."
I really wasn't enjoying watching her squirm, not a lot anyway. And now that the lie was out, I wanted nothing more than to be free of her. I began packing my things while she followed behind, sobbing, apologizing profusely. I ignored her, just forging ahead. I could've kicked her out; I had every right to. However, it just seemed easier. I managed to get a dorm room again, moved my stuff into it, and went on with my life. Then one night, while I was sleeping peacefully for the first time, she began pounding on my door.
"Let me in!"
I sat up, still half asleep, "Go away, Brenda! It's over!"
"Damn you, let me in now!"
I dragged myself to the door and opened it. She made a move to come in, but I stopped her, "I didn't say you could come in. What the hell do you want?"
She pleaded, "I want you back."
"Haven't you done enough damage? Go find some other poor guy's life to fuck with. I'm done with you."
Her icy blue eyes brimmed with tears, "Please, I'm sorry. I was just desperate, and a friend of mine suggested that I try that. I just wanted you to stay."
Smiling humorlessly, I replied, "Yeah, and it worked out just great, didn't it?"
The first of her tears spilled down her freckled cheeks, and she cried out, "I'm sorry! Can't we talk about this? Just let me come in, and I'll make you feel better. I'll do whatever you want!"
Other guys might've jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of this situation. I just responded, "There's nothing to talk about. You screwed up bad, and you'll just have to deal with it."
Still convinced that she might have a chance, she asked, "Won't you just let me in for a few minutes? I'll do that thing you like. I'll put it all in my throat, and I don't care if it gags me. I'll let you do whatever you want to me."
It took a bit of willpower to stay focused on all the crap she put me through, but I managed just fine, "Brenda, it's too late. You really need to leave."
I shut the door in her face, and for once, she listened. I heard her stomp down the stairs, and I lay in bed, ignoring the arousal that her words had brought. I managed to get back to sleep. A month later, a few friends of mine suggested a vacation. They were talking about going hunting for a week, but I needed to stay close, since my next semester in college would be beginning in less than a week, so we settled on a nearby town, with access to the woods and a plentiful amount of game.
So here I was, plodding along, chilled to the bone, my coat doing little to protect me from the bitter nip of the February air, the sun below the horizon, dragging with it all the light. I was still so wrapped up in my memories that I didn't hear the car. It had apparently been following me for a block, and I jumped and whirled around when the driver honked the horn, the bleat reverberating off the closed shops. With the headlights glaring in my eyes, I couldn't see the driver, so I moved closer to the car. The passenger window went down, and the driver leaned across, calling out the open window. Her voice was throaty, rolling off her lips like silk, "Would you like a ride?"
I hesitated for a second, and then nodded, "Sure, thanks."
I opened the door and got in. The driver was rolling the passenger window up even as I closed the door, operating it from a set of switches on her door panel. The heat was rolling steadily out of the vents on the dashboard, and my chill gradually subsided. As my eyes again adjusted to the lack of light, I could see her better, dimly illuminated by the instrument panel in front of her. I could see that her hair was dark, either brown or black, wavy and short, barely past her slender shoulders. She wore a bulky parka, but I figured that her body was probably petite, considering her face and neck, and her jean-clad legs below the parka. I noticed that she appeared to fill her jeans nicely. Her eyes sparkled as they fixed briefly on mine.
"So," she began, "What are you doing out here in the cold, especially past sunset?"
I shrugged, "I was just walking back to the motel. I appreciate you picking me up, by the way."
She smiled, revealing a white set of teeth, mostly straight, "Don't mention it. It's dangerous to be out in the dark, you know? Are you just passing through town?"
Twice in a row, she'd mentioned the danger of being out past dark. I filed that in my mind, and answered, "I'm here with a few friends. We're supposed to be hunting, but they took off somewhere, so I decided to get a cup of coffee."
She nodded, "Do you like to hunt?"
I hesitated for a few seconds, and then decided to be honest, "No, not really. In fact, I usually shoot to miss."
She laughed, but it seemed not derisive, but appreciative, "I know the feeling. My father used to take me hunting, and he never told me, but he was the same way. I think he just liked being out there in the woods."
She grew quiet for a minute, and then asked, "Say, I know a bar that stays open for another couple hours. Do you want to grab a drink? I can drop you off at the motel after."
I considered the offer, and then decided to accept, "Sure, I can use a drink."
She continued to drive for a few more minutes, and then came to a stop next to a rustic lodge-style building with the typical neon beer-signs alit. She parked the car, and we both got out. As we entered the bar, the heavy aromas of beer, liquor, and stale smoke greeted us. The woman led me up to the bar, where I could now see that her hair was indeed dark brown, and her eyes a milk chocolate. Her lips were slightly pouty, complimenting her feminine cheekbones. She was almost as tall as me, about 5'8", and as she shrugged her parka off, I noticed that she was petite, with curvy hips, a generous bust, and long legs. She slung the parka onto the barstool and sat on it. It was then that I realized that I had no idea who she was. Was she a local, or passing through? I watched her curiously as she ordered a beer from the tap. She looked back at me, waiting for me to pick my poison, but it took me a second to snap back to reality. When I did, I cleared my throat and picked a beer not on tap. The bartender, a thin, bald man probably in his forties uncapped my choice and set it in front of me.
He looked at the woman next to me and asked, "You want me to set up a tab, Clara?"
She nodded, "Sure, Hank."
