Heading East on Interstate 20 from Dallas, TX can be painful in the evening. The bright sun burned through my rearview mirrors all the way around town. I was glad to finally be headed east, back to the East Coast where I belonged. The sun was now below the horizon, and I had my headlights on. It was totally amazing how little traffic there was tonight. I am glad that I chose to leave a bad relationship in the middle of the week.
As I cruised along, I thought I saw someone standing in the road. Paying full attention to my headlights, and slowing some, I peered into the darkness. Yes, there is a woman standing at the edge of the road, a medium sized suitcase beside her. My first thought was to speed up, not wanting anything to do with another female. As my senses returned to a more normal state, I slowed my Chevy van down to a crawl and eased off the road next to her.
I asked her why she was out on the road in the dark, especially a busy high speed Interstate.
"I'm leaving this God-forsaken state, and heading back East, where I feel more at home. I waited until my husband got home from work, and handed him the divorce papers, then climbed into my friend's car. This was as far as she could bring me."
"I see. I'm headed back east as well. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I'm not a Texan, nor am I a cowboy. I don't belong here either. You're welcome to ride with me as far as you want. I'm starting out in North Carolina, and working my way North, until I find what I want. Then I'm settling down, and enjoying the rest of my life the way I want to."
"North Carolina is where I was headed. I would appreciate the ride, and the chance to talk to someone friendly. My ex-husband thought I was a part of his exercise equipment, always punching me and beating me up. I've had enough of that kind of life. Being free sounds good to me too. Are you sure you don't mind?"
"As I opened the side door of the van and put her suitcase in, I replied, "Don't mind a bit. Don't even want any gas money from you. To be rightfully honest, I almost passed right by, as soon as I saw that you were a woman."
She climbed into the passenger seat, and asked, "Why were you going to pass by and not stop? What made you change your mind?"
"I just didn't think it was right for a woman to be alone out here at night. I saw the suitcase and guessed you were headed east, at least for a ways. I wasn't going to stop because I just left a bad relationship, and my first thought was to steer clear of anything female."
She sat; still and quiet, until I had pulled the van back out onto the road and was well on the way down the road. At first, she appeared nervous, digging in her purse, as if to use those actions as a distraction from some supposed predicament. After almost frantically digging in the bag, she pulled out a cell phone, and punched in some numbers. "Martha; this is Abby-- are you where you can talk freely? Good, I got a ride with a nice older gentleman that is going all the way to the coast. -- Yes, I'm safe. He seems to be quite the gentleman. -- What's that? Be careful of what? Is he going to put me in the hospital like Ralph did so many times? He has nothing to gain by it, and I have nothing to lose. -- Yeah, I know there are weirdos out here, but I'm starting over, remember? I don't have anything to lose right now. -- Yes I'll call you during the day when we can talk. If Ralph asks, you dropped me at the bus station, and I wouldn't tell you where I was going. I told him if I ever left him, I was going to my sister's in Tacoma. She left there a few years ago, but he doesn't know that. OK I'll call tomorrow during the day. Bye."
As she put the phone back into her purse, she relaxed considerably. She slowly and methodically began to straighten out her purse, organizing every pocket, putting things into what seemed to her to be a logical storage place. Satisfied with this chore, she placed the purse on the floor between the seats, and sighed a deep breath of relief.
"So, Abby, what convinced you that I was safe and a gentleman?"
"How did you know my name? Ralph didn't send you out here did he?" she said and sat up stiffly.
"No - I never heard of this Ralph until you were talking to Martha just now. I know your name because you started the conversation saying Martha, this is Abby. So I instantly knew that you were Abby and you have a friend that you trust and who cares a lot for you, named Martha."
Abby leaned back into the seat and breathed a deep sigh. "You scared the ever lovin' bejeebers out of me. Ralph has had his friends follow me everywhere I go, and if he didn't want me there, they would drag me back to him. I couldn't take a piss without asking his permission first."
"Well, you don't have to ask my permission to do anything, and by the way, I really appreciate what you told Martha about me. I never met the guy, but I can see that he made two serious mistakes. One he failed to treat the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on properly, and two he let her slip through his fingers. The jerk should have bent heaven and earth to keep you satisfied and happy. That is certainly not the way I treat ladies."
"Do you really think I'm beautiful?"
"You are the kind of exquisitely beautiful woman that I normally dream of just getting a chance to see walking down the street. Add to that, a very pretty face, and a sweet personality and you are the most beautiful woman ever created. There won't be another ever created either. Now, granted, there might have been another that was as beautiful, but not more beautiful."
"Thanks; it's been a long time since somebody said something nice about me."
Abby smiled, and if the truth were known, she was most likely sporting a blush. All I could see in the inky darkness was the outline of her face and figure silhouetted against the slight moonlight. Even as a silhouette, she was pretty to look upon. Not the skinny, teeny wanna-be of too many women, but about five feet five inches, and around a hundred and thirty pounds, I was guessing in my mind. A perfect Venusian body, set off by a smooth jaw line, perfectly shaped nose, and the most perfectly shaped breasts that I have ever seen Abby was more than just beautiful. To me, she was stunning.
The further we got from Dallas, the less traffic there was. There were also fewer places to stop for drinks, or rest, which was something I really needed. As the miles ticked by, I got more and more drowsy, having to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes open and my brain alert. I glanced over at Abby. She had turned slightly in the seat, and had her head against the window, dozing. She was mumbling something inaudible, sounding as if she was trying to whisper some untold secret. As my attention went back to the road, I saw a blessed sight. My headlights were lighting up a highway sign announcing a rest area just one mile ahead.