Better Luck
At first, Simon thought he was hallucinating when he saw the girl standing on the side of the road waving at him to stop.
The scene itself was normal enough - a car on the shoulder with its four-way hazard lights activated and the hood up. It was the very fact that it was a woman asking for help from a stranger, something that didn’t seem to happen anymore.
Slowing down and bringing his car to a stop, Simon could see that she had a young, pleasant face although it was partially hidden behind the glasses she wore and her oversized sweatshirt with the name of the local university printed on the front.
Cautious that it might be a trap of some kind, Simon remained behind the wheel as he pressed the button to roll down the passenger side window.
“Everything okay?” he asked as she walked up to his car.
“Hey,” said the woman, slightly out of breath. “Do you know anything about fixing cars?”
The truth was that Simon did know a bit about car repair. Some of his happiest memories had been helping his dad tinker with their family wagon out in the driveway.
But there was nothing to be gained and everything to be lost by getting involved with this young woman’s problems. Besides, he had a bottle of Macallan 25 in the trunk calling his name.
“Not really,” said Simon, shaking his head.
“Dang it,” said the young woman. “The lights on the dashboard started flashing, and then the engine just conked out. I just can’t figure out what happened.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said Simon.
“Yeah, me too,” said the woman. “Anyway, I tried calling for a tow, but I just couldn’t get a signal.”
“Yeah, reception is pretty spotty out on these mountain roads,” said Simon. “You might have better luck if you hike up to a higher elevation.”
“Oh,” said the woman, pausing as if to consider his words. “That makes sense.”
“Yep,” said Simon, anxious to get going even if the young woman did have a remarkably attractive face.
“Can you give me a lift into town?” said the young woman.
“To town?” said Simon, confused.
The nearest town was close to fifty miles away. This part of the state was very rural, which is exactly why his grandfather had built his hunting cabin there, Simon’s destination for the next few days.
“Yeah, to a garage or service station,” said the young woman. “I forgot my coat, you see. And it’ll be dark in a couple of hours. I don’t want to risk hiking up and down the mountain trying to get a phone signal.”
“Oh dear,” said Simon with a sigh. “The nearest town is an hour away, and I’m not going that far.”
“You’re not?” said the young woman, a puzzled expression on her face. “Then where are you going?”
“Um, to my family’s cabin,” said Simon, a little irritated by her question.
“I just don’t know what to do,” said the young woman, looking around. “My friend told me this road was a shortcut to the interstate.”
“Oh gosh, no,” said Simon with a little chuckle. “The interstate is about twenty miles back that way.”
“Shoot!” said the young woman. “I just was not prepared for this, you know? I thought I’d go home early and surprise my folks for when they get back from their cruise.”
“Right,” said Simon.
“Now I’m stuck here with a car that refuses to work,” said the young woman, gesturing at her vehicle. “I didn’t bring any water, snacks, nothing. I’m screwed.”
“Well, um, if you like, I can give you a ride as far as I’m going,” said Simon. “Maybe you can get a phone signal along the way.”
“Oh, you would do that for me? Thank you!” said the young woman, her face lighting up.
“Um, sure,” said Simon, not quite sure why he had offered to help her.
Maybe it was just knowing that his dad would’ve done the same thing. Of course, his dad had grown up in an era where people trusted one another and often left their front doors unlocked.
“Hold on one second!” said the woman, dashing over to her car and getting her purse out of the front seat, giving Simon an unexpectedly pleasant view of her small but well-shaped backside.
Ashamed of his transgression, Simon kept his gaze straight ahead as the young woman climbed in beside him. He then put the car in gear, carefully checked his mirror, and then eased back onto the road.
“So this road really doesn’t connect to the interstate?” said the young woman, glancing at her phone.
“Nope,” said Simon. “Nothing out here but logging trails and hunting camps. It’s one of the last wild corners of Colorado.”
“Dang it,” said the woman, shaking her head. “I guess that’s what I get for trusting a guy I met at a chess club party.”
For a long moment, Simon said nothing, but then he began to laugh.
“What?” said the young woman, turning to look at him.
“Nothing,” said Simon, trying and failing not to smile. “It’s just I don’t think I’ve ever heard those three words together before - chess club party.”
“Yeah, it’s a real hoot,” said the woman, joining in on the fun with a grin. “We sit around and drink Kool-Aid while replaying famous matches from history.”
“Yep, sounds like a blast,” said Simon, glad to see that his newfound passenger had a sense of humor. “My name’s Simon, by the way.”
“Danica,” said the young woman, giving his outstretched hand the briefest of shakes, but it was enough to give him a pleasant shock when he felt how soft the skin on her hand was.
“So, you said your parents were on a cruise?” asked Simon.
“Yeah, one of those seven-day extravaganzas across the Caribbean,” said Danica. “They’ve never been on a proper vacation before, so they were really looking forward to it.”
“I can imagine,” said Simon, thinking back to his father who had never been one to take vacations either.
“So, what about you? You said you were going to a cabin?” said Danica.
“Yeah, my grandfather built it as a hunting cabin almost fifty years ago,” said Simon. “It’s small and rustic, but it’s surrounded by 100 acres of old-growth forest.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing,” said Danica. “So you’re going hunting? I’ve never met a hunter before.”
“Me? Oh no, not the right season now, anyway,” said Simon, gesturing at the snow-capped mountaintops in the distance. “Just getting away for a little me time, I guess.”
“Now I'm jealous,” said Danica with a little sigh. “I wish I had a cabin like that I could run off to. Between my schoolwork and all the social pressures, college is kicking my ass.”
“Ah,” said Simon, nodding. “I saw the logo on your shirt. You a freshman?”
“Yep,” said Danica, nodding. “My parents agreed to let me skip my last year of high school, but I don’t know. The coursework is bad enough, but I’m having some difficulties fitting in with everyone.”
“Wow,” said Simon, glancing over at her. “You must be pretty smart then.”
“Yeah, but not smart enough to get on the right road to the interstate,” said Danica with a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Simon. “It’s easy to get turned around in these mountains. A long time ago when I was around your age, I used to ride my motorcycle in this area, and one time I went up this old logging road and got stuck in the mud. Had to spend the night there camping out underneath a fir tree.”
“Hmm, interesting,” said Danica. “But you’re not that much older than me, are you?”
“Why?” said Simon, grinning as he looked over at her. “How old do you think I am?”
“Honestly?” said Danica, regarding him for a moment. “I’d say 25, 26.”
“Woah,” said Simon with a laugh. “Try adding another decade to that.”
“Really?” said Danica, her eyes going wide. “You’re 36?”
“35,” said Simon.
“Gosh, well you look young,” said Danica. “You must be eating right.”
“I do try to take care of myself,” said Simon, surprised by how pleased he w by her compliment.
“And you spend time in the great outdoors,” said Danica, nodding. “Yeah, it all makes sense. You’re Mister Nature Man.”
“What?” said Simon, chuckling. “No. Most of the time I’m stuck in an office just like everyone else in America. In fact, I haven’t been out to my cabin in over a year.”
“Interesting,” said Danica. “So what’s the occasion?”
Simon hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should divulge such personal information to someone he’d only just met. But then he realized that she would be on her way soon, so it didn’t really matter.
