After the news and weather, I reach out and mute the radio, one of my foibles, I can’t drive in the rain with music on, why? I don’t know, it’s just part of me I suppose.

The rain fall increases and I have to slow down, on the unlit country road visibility is down to about 25 feet and these turns seem to come out of nowhere.

The water is like a carwash and now, after almost running up on the grass verge on the wrong side of the road twice I am crawling along.

I am beginning to wish I had not agreed to meet Dave, but how could I not? After brushing past him in the pub after work last Thursday and feeling the lump between his thighs move against me. No, not an erection, not anything visual but the weight of the flesh that I felt as I moved past him in the crowded pub, it was like a rolled beef brisket had been pushed against me. I was beginning to rethink my choice to go and enjoy that brisket, but remembering the feel builds my curiosity and excitement, and I feel myself moistening.

Shit! I hit the brakes as I turn a sharp bend and see a woman in the middle of the road. She looks at me with fear in her eyes as I come to a standstill just before hitting her. The fear turns to relief and then a imploring look appears in those eyes and spreads over her face.

I understand her unspoken request, how could I refuse? No one, and I mean no one would put a dog out on a night like this and with a jerk of my head toward the passenger seat I reach over and open the passenger door. I look back up towards her and see she hasn’t moved, I lean over again and push the door so it opens more, “Come on, get in,” I call out to her.

The woman walks around to the side of the car and opens the door fully and gets in, I get the impression that if you wrung out her clothes you could fill a bath with the water. I adjust the heating controls to warm her side of the car.

She whispers a thank you after sitting, she tries to clip the seat belt catch, but I see her hands are two cold to manage, so I take the end and push it closed as I introduce myself, “Hi, my names Mandy, I can’t take you far, but at least you’re out of the rain for now.” She does not reply but wraps her arms around herself.

“Do you need to ring someone to fetch you, you can use my phone if you want?

“N’ no ... theres no one to call, my dad, he just died.”

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that?” I reply feeling bad for her. The shhh of the wheels through the wet roads punctuated with the whirr of the wipers is the only sound for some time, I can’t abide the silence, but I cannot think of anything to say except to ask about her father, how he died.

“He died from a broken heart, my mum, she was a cheating slag and the last bloke she went with killed her.”