This story contains male weight gain.)
“I’m sorry, Mr. Daniels, but we can’t get a tow truck out to a location that remote any sooner than two hours from now. Try to find some place where you can take shelter in the meantime. I realize the interior of the car may not be comfortable, but it might be the best place for you to wait right now. We’ll call you again when the truck is closer.”
Seth heard the operator hang up and put his phone away in his wet jeans with a sigh. The sun had already set on remote road he’d been driving along, up until he’d missed the signs warning of a sudden turn, causing his front fender to become quite well acquainted with a large boulder, before it was crushed along with the rest of his car. How Seth had escape from the crash with little more than a few scrapes, he still wasn’t sure. Part of him wondered if there was a guardian angel watching over him, before he wondered why that angel hadn’t stopped his car hitting the rock in the first place.
Not that it mattered much now. It was night, the rain was coming down, he had no sort of jacket or umbrella to keep him dry, and after crawling out of his driver-side window, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get back in the car to take shelter. Even if he could, he wasn’t sure the back seat would be any less unpleasant than standing outside getting soaked.
“I’m amazed you’re standing, stranger.”
Seth turned around to see a tall, slightly older, slender man standing behind him with an umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other, aimed at the ground in front of him. The man’s eyes seemed to convey a combination of concern for Seth and joy that Seth was okay.
“Me too. But I’ve just been told that the tow truck won’t be here for another two hours to take me and my car to a garage. Not that I see them saving it from this kind of damage.” With a sigh, Seth continued, “Which leaves me standing out here in the rain for two hours until it arrives.”
A chuckle wasn’t the kind of response Seth expected from the man, and certainly not the kind he appreciated. Until he heard the words that followed: “You think I only came out here to compliment your survival?” After putting the flashlight under his armpit to hold it, the man reached in his pocket and pulled out another umbrella. “Here,” he said before tossing it to Seth.
“Oh, th-thanks,” Seth said, before opening the umbrella and wiping the remaining rainwater off his face. He was still soaking wet, but at least he wasn’t getting wetter.
“Of course. My house is right there,” he said, motioning to a rather small abode a short walk down the street, the kind that Seth could see a man like him living alone in. “After I heard the crash, I saw you crawl out and talk to someone on your phone, and figured no matter how the conversation went, you might appreciate the chance to spend some time indoors.”
“Oh, more than you could ever know,” Seth said, finally feeling some semblance of optimism. “You really don’t mind?”
“Not at all! Come on,” he said, beckoning Seth to follow. “It’s the least I can offer after what you’ve been through.”
Following behind the man, Seth finally remembered his manners and said, “Oh! I’m Seth.”
“Zephyr. Nice to meet you.”
“‘Zephyr’, you said?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, his voice carrying the slightest hint of annoyance.
“Got it. It’s a beautiful name. I, uh, I hope you don’t mind me saying so.”
“Not at all,” Zephyr replied with a renewed joy in his voice.
