It was late and I had been driving for hours through the fog and drizzle. I was in the middle of nowhere, it seemed—nothing but trees and an occasional dark house. The static on the car radio made listening to the jazz station annoying and the only other station that came in was preaching about the end of time and we better give our souls to Jesus to be saved—something like that. I turned the radio off and drove in the dark silence, straining to see through the fog.
I was thinking about my life—a forty-five year old unemployed carpenter, divorced, no kids, nothing to keep me in that dinky town so I took off looking to find something new. I'd stop for a day or two checking out different places and then move on, kind of drifting. Still, I had the feeling something would come my way when I least expected it. That's the way life is—if your eyes are open, suddenly, you see what you want. It appears, presents itself and you go after it—anyway, that's what I believe except lately nothing opened my eyes, that is, until the night I found Kathy's diner.
I'd been driving on this desolate road for what seemed forever when I saw a light in the distance through the fog and as I got closer a red neon sign that said—Kathy's Diner—and under it Fresh Baked Pies. I was getting drowsy so I pulled into the empty parking lot, surprised to see a diner open so late on this desolate road-- especially when I really needed a cup of coffee. "What luck," I thought as I got out and walked up to door and entered the empty diner.
The radio was playing a twangy country western tune I didn't recognize as I sat down at the counter and looked around at the empty booths and red leather stools. No was there. Just then a young woman carrying a tray of cups came in from the kitchen, pushing the swinging door open with her hips, our eyes met—hers with surprise to see someone sitting there and me, surprised to see a gorgeous blond haired woman.
"Hey," she said when she saw me—"Be right with you."
"Just a cup of black coffee," I said, noticing her tits were barely contained by the tight yellow tank top she was wearing. Her apron was folded over in half and tied loosely around her thin waist. "Damn, she's hot!" I mumbled to myself, stunned by what I was seeing.
She put the tray of cups down underneath the counter, bending over and I saw she was wearing tight faded jeans. "Man, I'd like to fuck her," I said to myself, not able to take my eyes away from her luscious ass straining her tight jeans. She stood up,filled a cup of coffee from the glass pot and placed it in front of me.
"Anything else, mister," she asked, looking into my eyes, smiling, her dimples giving her a slightly innocent look,though her eyes were definitely not innocent.
"Maybe," I said, glancing at her tits then looking back at her, smiling, obviously flirting.
Our eyes locked on each other and she smiled coyly, nodding as if she knew what I wanted but let it pass.
"Is this your place?" I asked.
"Yeah, all mine," she answered, wiping the counter next to the coffee maker.
"I was surprised to find an open diner this time of night in the middle of nowhere," I said.
"Yeah," she nodded,"might as well stay open. You never know who's going to come in here late at night," she said, a slight smile on her lips, her eyes looking into mine,seductively. "Life's full of surprises," she added. "I live out back so I might as well be here as in my empty cabin."
"Oh you live here," I repeated. "That's cool!"
"Yeah. I like it and I do okay here during the day—enough to get by," she said. "I'll be closing at ten then hit the sack and start all over at six."
I glanced up at the clock over the kitchen door and saw it was nine-forty-five.
"Not much longer," I said, as we both looked at the clock and then at each other,smiling,knowing something was brewing between us.
"So where are you heading?" she asked.
"Not sure," I answered. "I just got laid off from my job as a carpenter so I decided to take off and see if I could find work somewhere. I've been driving and stopping in towns to see what's happening. Guess you could say I'm drifting."
"Interesting," she said. "That's kind of how I found this place." She paused. "I was between jobs and was driving by this place and saw it was closed and for sale."
She looked at me, sighed, "Funny how ideas come to you."
"Right," I answered."I know what you mean.You just have to be open for whatever comes your way and deal with it."
"That's for sure," Kathy nodded. "So I called the number on the sign. I had some money from an inheritance—not much—but enough to make the down payment and get a mortgage and here I am-- thirty two years old and the owner of Kathy's Diner."
"That is interesting," I said. "Strange how things like that happen. You see something you want and you go after it."
I lifted my coffee and looked at her over the rim of the cup. Our eyes met. I then let my eyes drift down to her tits in the tight tank top and she saw where I was looking. She smiled and our eyes met and lingered.
"Yeah--it's important to know what you want," she said, smiling back at me, our eyes letting each other know we knew where this was heading. She leaned forward and put her elbows on the counter, knowing her tits were visible. "Yeah, it's important to know what you want and then go after it," she repeated. "And I usually get what I want," she added,looking into my eyes with a little devious smile on her lips.
"Yeah. It's good to know what you want," I repeated, nodding, our eyes locked on each other's eyes. "Also what you don't want," I added, "like complications."
"Yeah, keep it simple," she nodded, brushing a loose blond strand of hair aside. "No complications."
We were both silent for a moment, aware of what was happening between us. I took a sip of coffee-- our eyes seemed to be drinking in each other.
