The highway ran straight and smooth. The car practically drove itself, and Vera's grip on the wheel was relaxed and restful. But nothing else felt that way. Only her hands. The rest of her body was a mass of tension. Because of the girl…
And because of the length of pale thigh that gleamed so bewitchingly in the dim light from the dashboard. How could she relax in the presence of such tempting flesh? It was like a glowing beacon that demanded her attention. So exciting! The bare thigh and everything else. So young! No longer an adolescent, perhaps, but not yet a woman. Hardly more than a child, really, and yet the little devil exuded a certain erotic sensuality. The mop of curly brown hair, the piquant heart-shaped face, the deep brown eyes now concealed by thickly fringed lids; what a paradox that such a kitten-like creature could seem so sexy.
But there was no other word for it. Sexy. Despite her incomplete development, the kid was already exquisitely endowed. Her breasts were small, but the nicely formed conical shapes jutted enticingly. And there was no hint of teenage spindliness in those lyrelike curves accentuated by the knotted trenchcoat belt. Even when the traffic grew heavy enough to require some concentration, Vera couldn't keep her eyes from drifting over to take stock.
Hmm. Take stock? The obtrusive thought made her wince. But she was doing it, just the same measuring that body and imagining it naked in bed. Asinine, to say the least. As if she had designs on the sweet young thing. After all, she was much too involved with a sweet young thing of her own not quite so young, of course, but infinitely sweeter. And her sweet Alison was a known quantity, pretty much, not a vague figure in the night like this intriguing but cryptic roadside waif.
It did make the journey less tedious, though. Delightful to look at, delightful indeed. And stirring, too, in spite of the mixture of fatigue and despondency resulting from that long conference with the lawyer in Springfield. At the moment, it was even easy to forget money problems and such. Good for morale, actually. Wouldn't it be fun to find some excuse to stop somewhere and explore the possibilities of this chance encounter?
Vera grunted in disgust, shaking her head resolutely and returning her gaze to the road. What a monstrous idea! Seducing a little girl, a child almost. She refused to let herself think about it. What was she looking for, trouble? A poor homeless hitchhiker: How awful! It made her feel like some lecherous old man, the type that hung around schoolyards and led children into debauchery. Only a lecherous old woman was even worse…
"Uh, ma'am?"
"Oh, you're awake. But you needn't call me ma'am. My name is Vera, remember? Did you have a nice nap?"
"Uh-huh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to doze. I'm supposed to stay awake and be good company for you."
"It's all right. No apology necessary."
Even though the girl's eyes were open, there was no change in her posture; the alluring leg-show remained uncovered. Now the display seemed purposeful rather than careless, and Vera wrinkled her brow in perplexity. No, this wasn't exactly a picture of childish innocence that she was seeing. More like a calculated coyness, surely. Or was that just her own overstimulated imagination?
Food for thought, anyway. Up until now she had peeked at that bare flesh and felt the desire and analyzed only herself, strictly introspective in attitude. But the time for introspection had run its course, apparently. The situation had altered somewhat, giving her the right to take a more objective view. The kid might have been feigning sleep just to exhibit her body, allowing it to be looked over and sized up without embarrassment. And if so, then what about the rest of her story? That tale of the drunken stepfather sure sounded phony. Lurid, really, the kind of melodramatic thing a young mind would invent as a cover-up for something else. Even that mention of the aunt in California had been brief and indefinite enough to be spurious.
Vera shrugged. It was none of her business, of course. Except that the youngster's odd behavior was making it so. There was more to this "homeless waif than met the eye. Although what met the eye was certainly plenty provocative in itself…
In front of her, the windshield blurred suddenly as a spatter of fat raindrops struck. It took her by surprise, coming from out of nowhere, just a big blob of water at first. But more followed, soon becoming a pattern as the car moved into it. She turned the wipers on and her vision cleared as the blades came to life and clicked into monotonous motion.
"Hey, is that rain? Funny. I could have sworn the stars were out just a little while ago."
"Uh-huh. Must be a squall, Judy. I didn't expect it myself, either. I'm not fond of driving on a wet pavement. You're dressed for it, though, in case it gets chilly. That trenchcoat should keep you nice and warm. Lucky girl… "
"Yeah. Lucky, that's me." The accompanying giggle was shrill and humorless. "Oh sure, nice and warm."
As the tinny laugh was choked off, Vera flashed a quizzical glance in time to see the pretty face go momentarily grim. She watched the road after that, adjusting the windshield wipers busily. But now she was more conscious than ever of her young companion. That mirthless snicker, almost a sound of derision. The sullen expression, the oddly sarcastic tone of voice. Why? What had brought it on? Something about the raincoat?
It took a while to sink in. And a few more sidelong peeks in that direction. Then stark realization came with a wallop, an impact that set her taut nerves atwang. Although she still couldn't quite make herself believe it. Imagination again? Underneath the coat was the kid naked!
Try as she might, Vera couldn't recall having seen any other garment. Nary a scrap of fabric, above or below. A blouse or dress or sweater would have been visible at the top. Even the smallest miniskirts would have obstructed the view of that bare thigh. But there was nothing like that, nothing at all. Just the tightly belted trenchcoat and those simple leather sandals.
Well, maybe there were some bits of underwear inside, hidden from sight. Bra and panties, quite likely. But anything more substantial would surely have showed; the light from the dashboard was bright enough to reveal that much, at least. Nude, then? Or nearly so? Incredible as it seemed, she could no longer doubt it. Her highway pickup was wearing damn little if anything beneath that coat.
Desire flared anew, hot, lustful, a thing of torment. A thing of need. Vera felt her insides churn with excitement. What kind of girl would be out at night dressed like that? Not an innocent one, oh no, not any more innocent than the deliberately bared thigh or the obviously contrived sob-story about a drunken stepfather and an aunt in faraway California. This was no Little Miss Muffet who would rise up shrieking in alarm at the approach of some predatory spider. No indeed, this kid had probably abandoned the sanctity of her tuffet ages ago.
The rain was coming down harder. Vera hit the window buttons, running the glass panes up tight into their insulated channels. It affected the air circulation immediately, walling off outside drafts and permitting an interior humidity to build up. She could smell the girl now. And herself, too. Odor mingled with odor, musky, ruttish, intoxicating, cunty…
A battery of lights blazed up ahead, vaguely recognizable even from that distance. And then the familiar restaurant sign. A big place bus stop, cafeteria, gasoline pumps, motel cabins she had stopped off there before on her comparatively frequent trips between Malvern and Springfield. It loomed out of the dark downpour like an oasis in the dry desert. A wet but very welcome oasis at the moment for reasons that she refused to admit even to herself. No matter. Weren't there some other, more legitimate reasons to pull in?
"Oh, good. I know this place. Let's see now, do we need gas? Umm, no, I guess not. But the food isn't bad here, if I remember rightly. Are you hungry, my dear? I'm going to stop and rest for a few minutes until the rain lets up, anyway. And meanwhile we'll grab a bite to eat."
"I I'm not very hungry."
"No? Just a sandwich and coffee, then. I insist. And it's my treat, of course."
"Well, uh, maybe a little something. Is it a drive-in?"
"Drive in? With carhops carrying trays out, you mean? I'm afraid not, Judy, we'll have to go inside for service. But don't worry, I'll park right up close and we can make a dash for "
"No. Thanks just the same, I'd rather skip it. You go. I'll just sit and wait in the car."
"Come now, that's silly."
"Please. I'd rather. If you don't mind."
For a while, Vera focused her attention on maneuvering off the highway and into the parking area. Then, cutting the engine at last, she pondered momentarily and got the full significance of this stubborn and somewhat irrational show of reluctance. Her pickup was afraid to enter the restaurant! Whatever the reason…
Because of the way she was dressed? Possibly. But she could keep the trenchcoat on without looking conspicuous. So it had to be more than that. Whatever the reason, the kid seemed desperately anxious to avoid the public eye. No doubt about it, she just didn't want to be seen.
And the reason, the only plausible reason? Vera went hot in delicious anticipation, despite the clammy atmosphere. This cute little youngster was evidently on the run. Some sort of fugitive. The stepfather yarn might even be true, in that case, but it didn't alter the immediate situation at all. Judy Jones was stuck. Afraid of being recognized, she couldn't risk an appearance outside the car. Nor would she dare try to hitch another ride anywhere near this brightly lit place of business. If ever a kid needed a helping hand, this one did, yes indeed and wasn't she lucky to have found someone with just the hand to offer? Wasn't it a bit of luck for both of them?
On the pretext of peering out, Vera leaned over and patted the bare knee casually. "This nasty rain. If it doesn't let up soon, I might just spend the night here. The cabins are supposed to be quite comfortable. They're out back private, you know? Oh well, we'll see. I can't make decisions on an empty stomach. Sit tight, honey, I'll rustle us up some food. Here goes… "
She slipped away hastily, aware of the stunned gaze and avoiding the questions that were bound to follow. It was something to think about, the idea of an overnight stay, and she had managed to drop the bomb without committing herself. Better yet, she no longer minded that "dirty old lecher" feeling now. It had a special thrill, this thing she was contemplating, deliberately setting out to seduce a young stranger in the night. A wicked thrill, sure, but her qualms of conscience had all been erased back out there in the car. Any girl who thumbed a ride wearing just a raincoat could only be considered fair game, regardless of age. A man picking her up would have made that assumption, certainly, why not a woman? Ah yes, it was thrilling to play the huntress on the prowl, the huntress stalking her prey. Especially when the prey was so appetizing a tidbit. Why worry about conscience at a time like this?
Conscience? Appetizing tidbit? Vera's head cleared, aided first by the rainy air and then by the busy brightness of the big cafeteria. Wasn't she getting her priorities screwed up? Such a treasure, that kid out there, a priceless nugget; how stupid to squander it on a quick thrill, a one-night stand. Why not make use of her? The seduction would have to wait. I'm thinking with my head now, not my clitoris. If the girl was afraid to be seen, why put her in danger here, why hang around and invite trouble? No motel cabins, no quickies, no sex for the sake of sex alone. A woman with money worries couldn't afford to waste her resources. Money worries and a maid about to quit, a very necessary maid, essential to her plans. Where would she ever find another Solange? And then what would happen to the Alison scheme? It would all come tumbling down like a house of cards.
Okay, then, no wasted resources. Wouldn't the little runaway make an ideal houseguest? For a few days, anyhow. Perhaps even longer. A cute little play-toy to amuse Solange and keep her from quitting. Which, in turn, would allow more time to work on Alison. So maybe the lawyer in Springfield wasn't so smart after all, maybe there was a way out…
Laden with sandwiches and coffee containers, Vera braved the elements again and returned to the car. It looked empty, giving her a panicky moment or two. Then she breathed a sigh of relief as the curly head popped up and the door swung open. Thank heaven! Nice to be able to trust her own judgment; the kid was still here.
"You're loaded. Wait, let me help."
"Thanks. I didn't see you. Watch the coffee, it's hot."
"I I was just relaxing. You took so awfully long in there."
Vera shrugged, disguising her more immediate reaction with the business of apportioning the food. Just relaxing. That too was probably a fib. The scared youngster must have ducked down to avoid the notice of any customers entering and leaving the restaurant, few as they were in this weather. Judy Jones definitely had something to hide. Even her name might be a phony.
"Mmm, good. I sure appreciate this. But, uh, about what you said a while ago. You know. Vera? Are you going to take a cabin and stay over?"
"I'm giving it some thought."
"Don't you have to get to… uh… "
"Malvern. But there's no hurry, at least not for me. What about you, dear? Must you keep traveling? I dread the idea of putting you out to hitch a ride in this miserable rain. Are you in a rush to get to California?"
"N-no, not really. Uh, my aunt doesn't even know I'm coming, so another day won't make much difference. But the rain isn't so bad now. And besides, I couldn't afford to pay for a "
"Hush. You'd be my guest. If we stay, that is. But you're right, the rain does seem to be letting up. Hmm. I wonder. If there's really no hurry about California… "
"Ma'am? I don't understand."
"Why not be my guest anyway? At home, I mean. Never mind the cabin, we won't need it now. We'll drive straight through and you can spend a few days with me. Won't that be better? Especially if that nasty stepfather of yours comes chasing after you. He might have notified the police, isn't that always a possibility?"
"Well… yes… "
"In that case, you ought to lie low awhile. You'd be safe with me, much safer than on the road. And I'll help you get started when it's time to leave again. There now, how does that sound?"
"Sounds great. You're sure I won't be any bother?"
"No bother. I've got a maid who never has enough to do. I know she'll just love taking care of you. It's settled then, okay? I'm ready to roll and wide-awake now, the coffee really worked. After you've finished eating, why not take a little nap? Just curl up and forget your troubles, my dear. You're in good hands."
"I I am kind of tired. But if you want me to stay awake and talk and keep you company… "
"We'll have plenty of time for that later. All the time in the world, hmm? Go to sleep now. I've got a lot to think about, something private and personal. I'm trying to gain some new perspectives on an old problem. Too complicated to explain, even to myself. I'll just mull it over while I'm driving."