Chapter 5

Saturday morning’s newspaper called for late afternoon storms, typical in this area in the summer. I went to the home supply store and loaded the trunk of my car with bags of mulch. Dark, angry clouds started to gather as I was spreading the mulch I brought home, so I got cleaned up and made myself an early dinner.

While I ate, I checked the weather forecast for Sunday – supposed to be nice. I headed back to the store to buy more mulch, hoping to beat the storm. The sky looked ominous, but loading was under roof, so rain wouldn’t be a problem. I wasn’t getting that much, so it could stay in the trunk of the car overnight if necessary.

On my way home I passed the diner. Loud thunder and sudden wind gave short warning of the downpour that made me slow to a crawl. About a half mile farther on I saw a waterlogged girl in a white dress slogging down the sidewalk in the deluge. I knew from the back it was Cat. I pulled to the curb and rolled down my passenger side window. “Get in.”

When she recognized me she came over to my car. “Hi, Tom.”

“I’ll drive you wherever you’re going.”

“I can’t get in a car with a strange man.”

“You know my name.”

“Right, but ... ouch!”

A few pea-sized hailstones hit my windshield.

“Get in the car, Cat. You can’t be out in a hailstorm.”

“I’m all wet.”

“The seat will dry off. Please get in the car.”

It took a couple more stinging hits by little ice balls to convince her, but then she complied with a grateful smile. I rolled up the window and rummaged in the console for paper napkins she could use to blot her face dry. Her white uniform, now translucent, clung to her equally translucent simple white bra. She covered her breasts with her hands.

“I guess I’m pretty exposed.”

I forced my eyes toward the road.

“The hail stopped, and the storm seems to be slowing down. I think it’s safe to drive. Put your seat belt on. Why are you out in this weather, anyway? It’s not safe walking in a storm like this. Where are you going?”

“Home. My brother Charlie was supposed to pick me up, but he had to work late. I thought I could beat the rain. Turn left at the stop sign. It’s the sixth house on the right.”

She shivered.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I’m fine now that I’m not out in the storm. Just a little waterlogged.”

At the stop sign I dared to look at her again. Hard dark pink nipples made peaks in the front of her sodden uniform. Shit. I didn’t need to see that.

She started to cover herself again but then stopped.

“I don’t know why I like you looking.”

She blushed wildly but shifted in her seat, turning her upper body slightly toward me. The horn of the car behind us brought me back to reality. I made the turn onto the road where she lived.