I moved everything out of the back seats into either the cargo area or the passenger’s seat in the front. I folded the rear seats into the floor and made the cargo area that much bigger. After clearing enough space, I used two blankets and Eric’s sleeping bag to make a bed for myself. I tucked a small duffle full of towels and washcloths into the top of the bag for a pillow. I thought, “I can at least, stretch out and sleep warm. Things will work out.”
I thought, “I’m going to burn a tea candle, have a can of hot soup and go to bed. Things will be better in the morning.” The car rocked in the wind. I couldn’t help being a bit frightened, but I thought I would be okay. I had given up on rescue, but this wouldn’t be the first night that I had spent in the cold.
My next thoughts were about how much trouble I would be in when I needed to potty or tinkle. Those weren’t pretty thoughts. I said, aloud, “Cross that bridge when you come to it, girl.” I put those thoughts out of my mind, but I decided I didn’t need to drink water for the rest of the night.
XXXXX — Rescue
I hadn’t even opened my soup when a large white military vehicle of some kind rumbled up and came to a halt on the road beside me. I rubbed the frost off the inside of my window so I could see better. A tall man dressed for foul weather got out and moved toward my car. I turned the ignition switch on and lowered my window a bit, as he approached. He did a foot slide down into the ditch and stabilized himself by putting his gloved hands on the roof of the car just above the driver’s door. He leaned down and his face was at the window. His hood was tied fast over his head and he was wearing a ski mask. I couldn’t see anything of him except his eyes.
I said, “You are the most beautiful human being that I have ever seen.”
He chuckled and said, “Well, thank you.” Then he added, “You are something of a looker yourself.”
I tilted my head and looked at him sideways.
He laughed again and said, “I know what you meant, Ma’am.” After a short pause, he continued, “We should probably introduce ourselves before we start flirting with each other, anyway.” He said, “Captain James Walker, United States Army, Ma’am.” He added, “My friends call me Jim.”
The sound of his voice turned me on. It was deep and throaty. It radiated masculinity. I reflexively moved my left hand out of his sight. I didn’t want him to see my rings. Looking back, I think that subconsciously, I already knew that I was going to wind up in bed with him. I hoped at that time that he would be the one to open negotiations along those lines, but if he didn’t, I knew that I would.
I replied, “I hope I can call you Jim. I am Viki Wright. Please call me Viki.”
He said, “Jim will be fine.” Then he asked, “Are you hurt?”
I answered, “No, I’m okay. I was barely moving when I slid off the road.”
He asked, “How long have you been stuck here, and have you tried to back out of this hole you are in?”
I answered, “I’ve been here for almost three hours and I did try to back out, but I couldn’t make it move.
He asked, “Do you mind if I try?”
I said, “Of course not. Come in.”
He had to move some snow before he could open the door. While he was occupied, I took my rings off and zipped them up in a pocket of my Parka. I tossed everything that was in the front seat into the back on top of my bed. I crawled over the console so that Jim could sit in the driver’s seat.
He got the door open, sat down beside me, and closed the door behind him. He pushed the hood of his white coveralls back and pulled the ski mask off his head. My first assessment of him was correct. He was indeed a beautiful man. He had brown hair that was actually brown. If I had seen it on a woman, I would have assumed that the color came out of a bottle. His eyes were the same color, but maybe a shade or two darker. He appeared to be at least my age, but he could have been a bit older. His face had that slightly weathered look of someone who spent time out of doors. He was clean-shaven, with a square jaw and both cheeks dimpled when he smiled. His haircut was in the military style, but it wasn’t too short and it looked good on him. His body was hidden in his heavy clothing and would remain a mystery for the time being. I could hope for a pleasant surprise later. He moved as if he were in command of great strength.
Fear incites and enhances sexual energy in me. It always has. Scary movies and carnival rides have aroused me as far back as I can remember. I had been afraid to one degree or another for the last several hours. Even before the wreck, I had been scared while driving in the hazardous conditions. This man was drawing this energy out of me. I felt myself getting wet. I was vibrating inside. I had only known him for a few minutes and I was ready to give myself to him. I needed him to hold me and protect me from the storm.
I thought of my husband and my mind snapped back to reality. My feelings weren’t on a subconscious level anymore. I had never cheated on my husband before, but I knew without a doubt that my previously unblemished record of fidelity was in great jeopardy.
Jim couldn’t make the car move either. It started right up for him and went into gear as it was supposed to, but when he tried to back up, he just spun the wheels.
I said, “Right after I got stuck, the engine started to overheat, but I turned it off when the needle got to here.” I tapped on the temperature gauge where the green and amber colors came together.
He replied, “Okay, we need to watch that, but this isn’t going to work.” He turned the front wheels hard to the left and tried to move forward. That didn’t work either, for more than a few inches. He said, “I’m going to have to pull you out with my winch.” He moved the steering wheel to put the tires back in the straight-ahead position.
I thought, “Kiss me, Jim, and then we can just stay here all night and snuggle. We can both fit in my sleeping bag if we get out of all our heavy clothing.” I forced myself back to reality. I asked, “How can I help?”
He answered, “After I get out, move to this seat. It will take me a few minutes to hook up. I will honk my horn when I am ready. Slip the gear shifter into reverse. I intend to let my winch do the work. It will pull you slowly backward and you can give the car a little gas. If the wheels spin, let off and try again, slowly. You will be looking for traction. You won’t find much, but any little bit might help.”
I said, “Okay, I can do that.”
He gave me further instruction. When you get on top, steer to align yourself with the road and stay right in the middle.” He continued, “I looked at your tires. They are street tires and they are probably the main reason you got into this fix. You must be very careful to stay on top of the road’s crown. That means right in the middle. We don’t want you to slip into the ditch again.”
I answered, “I can do that too.”
He smiled and said, “Watch the temperature gauge. It has just come off the peg. If it gets to the top of the green arc, honk to get my attention. I will stop pulling. You can shift to neutral and shut the engine down. There is no need to damage it by letting it get too hot. I will get you out anyway. If need be, I can tow you to my place and we can at least, get out of this weather.”