The wind blew that night as Kitty drove along the winding country road through forests and farmlands. Her headlights shone against clouds of leaves funnelling across the asphalt and she had to drive slowly to stay on the road and avoid slamming into a tree when rounding a bend. Why had she taken this route when she could have driven to a major highway? Partly, it was a shortcut and she wanted to get home quickly after another lousy visit to her sister, Marlene. Plus, she was angry with her sister and wanted a chance to drive wildly through the night throwing caution to the wind. She wanted to be reckless.
Kitty hated those visits to her sibling. Marlene was such a stuck up, competitive bully of a sister; if it wasn't for their mother, who lived far away, Kitty wouldn't visit Marlene at all because she was such a nosey, opinionated princess, always prying with questions about Kitty's personal affairs and asking pointed questions. Had she met any men? Were they handsome? Had she had sex with any of them? Okay she didn't exactly ask outright, but she might as well have. The worst of it was that, although she hadn't admitted it, Marlene could see right through her—there had been no sex for months. Had she even been kissed? Kitty was at her wits end with the constant, withering line of questioning each time she ventured near Miss Perfect. But damn it, she was family, and heaven help her if her mother found out she had stopped visiting Marlene. There would be hell to pay, and Kitty wanted to stay in her mother's good books if no one else. Still, what a pain in the ass it was to pay this visit every time, like intentionally beating your head against a wall.
Rounding a curve on the dark road, she cursed her sister, who always dressed to the nines each time Kitty visited. She had felt obligated to put on a dress and heels herself. This time she'd worn a little number with a plunging neckline because she knew, yes she knew, that Marlene would attempt to destroy her ego at some point during the visit. The red dress was flouncy and sexy, and Kitty knew it. She wore such a thing despite the fact that it was a summer dress now it was definitely well past summer.
Kitty gripped the steering wheel, feeling angrier than ever. Not only had Marlene had the temerity to tell her about the exploits of Billy, Marlene's boyfriend, she also had the audacity to suggest to Kitty that she didn't have what it took to really satisfy a man, considering she hadn't found a steady guy. After all, she was years past being a teenager. Kitty had steered the conversation to less hostile topics, but now, driving along, her blood was still boiling from a slap in the face like that. She gritted her teeth, smirking at the thought of Billy. It was true he was tall and lanky and drove a big pickup truck with very high suspension, but in Kitty's experience, the bigger the truck, the smaller the balls, and she had a feeling Billy fit that category. So! She couldn't satisfy a man? Well. She'd show Marlene once and for all. Kitty would satisfy a man all right. She'd find a man and have him begging for her, and then begging again. None of this sissy stuff, none of this romantic love. Kitty was good and ready for some hot, hard, grinding sex, and she was going to find it at the first opportunity.
Harder and harder the wind blew as Kitty drove, planning which bar she would visit, what kind of man she would seduce, when suddenly the headlights illuminated a large branch in the process of falling across the road. The car careened into the branch and skidded to the edge of the pavement, spinning hard with a bump! One wheel slid over the edge of the road and spun in mid air over a ditch. She sat with her hands locked in a vise grip, feeling her heart beating wildly. It took several minutes for her breathing to slow enough for Kitty to take stock of her situation.
"Don't back up," she told herself. "Get out of the car." The engine was still running and the headlights shone at a strange angle up into the trees. Their black shapes careened about in the wind. She got out and surveyed her situation. She might be able to get the car righted, but it didn't look too good with one wheel lost in the darkness. But—what else could she do? There was nothing for it. Slipping back into the driver's seat, she revved the engine, put it in gear and tried to lurch the car forward to freedom. Instead, it slid back, threatening to disappear altogether into the darkness of the ditch. She yanked the keys from the ignition, opened the door and jumped out as the vehicle slid slowly back until it settled with two wheels pointing up, and the back half submerged in what sounded like mud.
She thanked her lucky stars her purse was still slung over her shoulder, and pulled out her cell phone. There was plenty of battery. Good. She pulled out a card and dialled the Automobile Association to send a tow truck. The wind whistled and Kitty listened. She dialled again, but all she could hear was a fast beeping tone. She tried a third time with the same result. Examining the phone more closely, she saw that there were no bars. No reception. Nothing to connect her with the outside world. The phone was useless.
Her skin went hot and then cold. She was in the middle of nowhere, there were no other vehicles on the road, and it was night. She slammed her fist into the car in frustration. The anger she had felt earlier boiled over into despair. She bit her lower lip, thinking. There wasn't only forest around here, it was farm country. There had to be a house somewhere. She would have to walk, but which way? The wind was still blowing and had parted some of the clouds. She could almost see the moon from time time. Kitty tried to remember if she had passed a farm, but her mind had been focused on Marlene. She looked ahead and it appeared as if the forest ended some distance away, so she headed off in that direction, hoping someone would drive by to rescue her.
Plodding along and buffeted by the wind, she squinted through the dark and cursed her heels. She felt a drop of rain, and then another, and in no time it was pouring. She held her flimsy coat over her head and tried to hurry along, when out of the darkness ahead she saw a faint light. Finally. As fast as she could, Kitty made towards it and indeed, it was a small farmhouse set back from the road at the edge of the woods.
As she squelched the last few yards toward the house, she felt competing emotions welling up within her. Anger at Marlene. Frustration at the situation. Lust for a man. Despite herself, she hoped she would find a man alone at home. Kitty was no damsel in distress. She was a big cat looking for a meal.
Collapsing against the door, she banged on it, breathless and dripping.
The door opened and Kitty almost fell into the room but was caught by a man with large warm hands.
"Darlin', what are you doin' out on a night like this in those gorgeous clothes, all wet?"
She was so tired from moving quickly that she couldn't speak right away. He was a about six foot three, and looked as if he was about forty, with a bald head, dark eyebrows and a twinkle to his smile that made Kitty begin to warm to him immediately. Was he alone? She looked around and sensed he was, because things weren't as neat as she would expect if a farm wife was in the picture. But she had to find out.
"I got caught out in the storm and my car was ... I hit a branch ... and there's no cell phone reception, so I ... maybe your wife could make me some tea?"
"I see," he said, still smiling. His eyes danced like diamonds as if he were very glad to meet her. "Well there's no wife. It's just me, so I'll have to be the one to put on the kettle. And you'd like to use my phone, or have me drive you into town or get someone to help you with your car, is that it?"
"Well yes, I...," she said, looking at his huge frame and glancing down at his bulging bluejeans. He was very handsome and appeared to be very muscular under the cotton sweater he wore. His biceps must be larger than her thighs, and she felt something between them stir. Something wanting.
"To tell you the truth," she continued, "I need to warm up and dry off and yes, get my car out of the ditch. My name's Kitty, by the way." She struggled out of her wet coat, showing off her red dress, and leaned over and shook his hand, giving him a view of her cleavage. He obliged, shaking her hand as he looked from her eyes to her breasts. He wouldn't be hard to seduce.
