Finally, he was getting away from the world. Somewhere along the way, the philosophy of work to live had turned on him and changed to live to work. It was time for a much needed rest. He couldn't afford to take a whole vacation at the moment, but at least things were slow enough now that he could get away for the weekend. He'd packed up a bundle of random clothes into his old tan backpack and crawled into his little SUV. He pulled away from his island home and headed upstate.
As the flat of the interstate started to turn into rolling hills, he became vaguely aware of his surroundings once more. Everywhere he'd passed through, each town looked the same. They all had the same size malls, the same configuration of shops and fast food joints. Each of the bigger cities that he crawled through, in road construction traffic, could have been the exact same as any other in America. Damn life on this planet was boring, he thought to himself.
The radio station he'd been listening to since the last big city started to crackle and fade and with a groan he twisted the knob to off. It figured, he really liked that song and it wasn't likely to be over played anymore. He reached the top of a particular hill and spotted his destination off to the right. The old set of cabins that he and his parents had come to so frequently in his earlier years. His nostalgic reverie was broken as a clap of thunder rolled through from the west and warned him of the impending storm. He was lucky that he would make it to the cabins before the dark clouds rolled in.
Driving through the winding trail into the hills he pulled up to the parking lot in front of the offices. He stepped out of the truck and stretched his legs arching back, joints protesting loudly. His ass was sore from sitting for so long, but he smiled brightly as the fresh country air and the scent of the coming rains filled his nostrils. There was a saliva-inducing waft of fresh bread coming from the little bakery on the corner. He made a mental note to stop in there after he checked in and got his cabin key. His stomach was growling harshly.
He stepped in through the double doors and glanced around in whimsical interest at all the touristy curios and novelties as he approached the main desk. He found himself smiling as that old man was still at his post at the desk after all of these years. Old Bill smiled with recognition as he approached the front desk.
"My goodness, little Jack Powell," the old man said with a delighted smile. "I haven't seen you up in these parts in...what is it now...fifteen years?"
Jack nodded and smiled. "Hello there Bill, how have you been? How's Eudora?"
Sadness lined the old man's face. "She done passed away a little over five years ago."
Jack nodded sadly, unsure of how to reply to that. He trailed his fingers over the old and chipped polished oak desk. "I'm really sorry to hear that Bill, she was a good woman." Old Bill turned and reached behind him and took the key to cabin fourteen from its hook on the wall behind him. He slid it across the desk with well-weathered hands. "How're your folks doing? Been a long time," the old man said as he checked off Jack name on the thick ledger.
"Well, Mom's doing well. Taking good care of herself. Dad, sadly, passed away last summer. It's okay though, he's no longer in the pain that he was for most of his life," Jack said with a wistful smile. Old Bill just nodded solemnly.
"Well, we've got you in cabin fourteen. The one we usually reserve for you and your family," the old man said gently. "Have a wonderful weekend Jack, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
A clap of thunder boomed close by as Jack snapped the key up in hand and moved to the door. Just as he reached for the handle a young woman stepped in hastily, soaking wet from head to toe. She was dressed in a thin gray t-shirt, well-worn jeans and sneakers. She stopped and smiled at Jack, with a look of mild irritation, having been caught off guard in the rain. She shot him an appraising glance and brushed past him on her way to the desk. Jack just stood there watching her with a bemused stare. Her jeans looked to be painted on and her t-shirt clung to her magnificent curves. Her brown hair hung in wet curly tendrils down her back and she brushed it back over her ears as she approached Old Bill.
"Excuse me sir," she said in a soft throaty voice. "I'm kinda stranded here, is there any chance you've got an extra cabin available?" Bill shook his head lightly and informed her that they were all booked up for the weekend due to the big fishing contest up at the lake. Her mild irritation turned to one of solemn annoyance. She turned on her heel and made for the exit, grumbling to herself about how this day just royally sucked.
He didn't know where it came from, but Jack spoke up without even thinking. "Miss? Um...I've got a cabin booked," he croaked and cleared his throat. "If you want, you can stay with me tonight."
Her brow furrowed and then smoothed as she looked into his eyes from behind her tangled mane. A smile curled on her lips. "Oh, that would be wonderful. Are you sure you don't mind?" She said with a sweet smile. Jack nodded graciously, as he hid the fact that his heart was pounding louder than the thunder from within his chest. His face flushed slightly. He held the door for her and led the way to his truck and drove them down the little trail to cabin fourteen.
