\u201cThanks for an interesting evening.\u201d Jim Porter raised a hand as he and his wife Marcia stepped out onto the peterson\u2019s wooden porch on a crisp October Saturday evening.
\u201cGlad to meet you.\u201d Bill Peterson replied as he and his wife Francie stood in the doorway. Then he added, \u201cWe\u2019ll have to get together again soon.\u201d
Jim and Marcia nodded as they walked down the wooden steps.
Bill and Francie watch as the other couple got into their electric blue Toyota Prius, then they shut the house door.
\u201cNice couple.\u201d Jim remarked as he drove slowly down a steep dirt drive. He braked at the bottom and turned left onto a narrow dirt road. It was dark, after nine in the evening, and Jim sighed a little as he knew they had a long twisty trip back to town.
\u201cSeem to be,\u201d Marcia remarked. Then she repeated what she had told him earlier.
\u201cI thought it would be a nice gesture to get to know the new girl at work. You know how boring office work can be.\u201d
\u201cYeah, I get it.\u201d Jim took his left hand off the steering wheel to scratch his cheek, then quickly gripped the shell with both hands as a sharp curve rolled upon them again. He teased as he swerved with the road, \u201cGetting sea sick yet?\u201d
\u201cThat might be funny if this crazy road wasn\u2019t so narrow and treacherous,\u201d Marcia replied.
She sat still in her seat, as still as the swirvy road allowed, right hand gripping the arm rest above the door handle, left hand gripping the knee of her brown slacks. Again she raised her brown eyes to the rear view mirror. She caught a glimpse of the front corner of something behind them as they moved left again. She stared. Waiting. Finally the vehicle straightened out as they had and seemed to be approaching. She took a breath. \u201cJim.\u201d
\u201cI see it.\u201d Her husband replied. \u201cLooks like it\u2019s gaining on us.\u201d
\u201cWhat can we do?\u201d
Jim shrugged his shoulders.
Marcia continued in a smaller voice. \u201cThere aren\u2019t any street lights out here. It\u2019s dark and\u2026\u201d
Jim interrupted her musings. \u201cSee if your cell phone has service.\u201d
Marcia pulled her purse up from the floor and rummaged inside for a moment.
Jim glanced quickly to his right and saw her power on the device.
\u201cNo service.\u201d She reported glumly.
Jim muttered. \u201cWhat the hell is that guy doing?\u201d
A horn began to beep, lights flashed at them, blinking hight, then low, then high, then low.
This time Marcia\u2019s voice went high and shrill. \u201cHe\u2019s gaining on us. What do we do?\u201d
Jim blinked his blue eyes rapidly trying to focus in spite of the glare in his rear view mirror. \u201cNo place to pull over. That pick up is bigger than we are.\u201d
\u201cWhat does Bill Peterson drive? Do you know?\u201d Marcia suddenly asked.
\u201cNope.\u201d Jim replied. \u201cThey had a two car garage and we didn\u2019t discuss cars.\u201d
Jim was watching the sides of the narrow dirt road for anywhere to pull off or turn off, but there seemed to be no end to the single minded track. Woods on either side of the road offered no answer to their dilema.
\u201cOh God!\u201d Marcia cried.
Jim tightened his grip on the steering wheel as a red pickup truck loomed on the left side of his back bumper. Without warning Jim stepped on the brake to suddenly stop their car.
The red truck pulled alongside and stopped too.
All went still on the quiet country road.
Then a man got out of the pickup from the driver\u2019s side and walked around the back of his truck to approach Jim\u2019s side of the little car. A fist knocked on Jim\u2019s window, then it motioned for him to lower the window. The man leaned down so that Jim could see his face. He held something up with one hand.
Jim opened his window just a crack. \u201cWhat are you doing, Bill?\u201d
\u201cSorry, Jim. I didn\u2019t mean to scare you two. Cell phone doesn\u2019t work out here so I couldn\u2019t call. Marcia forgot to take her briefcase, so I tried to catch up with you two to give its back.\u201d
Jim\u2019s blond head turned to stare at his petite wife who was now wriggled sideways staring with her mouth open in relieved surprise.
\u201cOh, thank you, Bill.\u201d She managed.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThanks for an interesting evening.\u201d Jim Porter raised a hand as he and his wife Marcia stepped out onto the peterson\u2019s wooden porch on a crisp October Saturday evening. \u201cGlad to meet you.\u201d Bill Peterson replied as he and his … Continue reading