This story is 100% authentic. It happened a long time ago, when I was about twenty-eight or thirty years old.

After an argument with my spouse, I decided to go for a drive to think about all that and escape the house for a while. I have a hot temper and my words sometimes overtake my thoughts, so it’s best that I slip away in tense moments.

I lived in the mountains but still close to the city, less than thirty kilometers away. We were served by public transport only at peak times: morning, noon, end of the day and end of the evening. It was therefore not uncommon to see hitchhikers on the road. Usually, I never picked up these teenagers but that day, there was a beautiful young woman who was hitchhiking.

I stopped the car and asked her where she was going. She got in directly, smiling, thanking me and held out her hand.

“My name is Annie. I’m going to the city but I’m in no hurry.”

It was two o’clock, and she told me she starts work at seven o’clock. Indeed, we had time! She worked in a strip club. She showed me her brand new platform shoes which she shows off proudly. It was her first day and she seemed very excited, bordering on euphoric.