Romance Briefs

Romance Briefs: Realizations of the Profound Kind

Trucking Duchess

She was turning 50 in one week and it wouldn't have bothered her except for one thing; her twin sister. More to the point, her twin sister's life: 3 grown and successful children, a loving husband and to make it even worse; a successful career.

Contrast that with 2 divorces, no children and career that consisted of driving a Peterbuilt semi back and forth between the Midwest and the South. There were no regrets concerning the truck; it was her one dependable asset. It was always there for her.

This particular night, she found herself dead headed from Cleveland to Birmingham; bad planning on her part, not something she would normally let happen, but her mind was clouded by that big 5 0 looming in the very near future. As she pulled into a familiar truck stop just north of Cincinnati, she was greeted by a mechanic; one who seemed to know her.

"Sally, where's your load?" the man said as she stepped down from her cab.

"Bill, is it?" she said feeling the ground under her feet for the first time in 300 miles, "no load; Wednesday in Birmingham."

"That's not like you; have you considered changing your management?" he was smiling, clearly glad to see her.

"Don't have any; only have myself to blame. Guess I'm slipping" she said noticing that Bill (that was his name) seemed unusually attentive. She had run into him on several occasions, but usually their conversations were brief...but not tonight.

"So, what time Wednesday?" he asked.

"Late afternoon; I was planning on driving very slowly..." she said with a slight chuckle.

"Or, you could hang around here; let me by you dinner...if you haven't had yours yet."

"Bill, just what are you up to?" she said feeling a slight glow from the attention.

"Just thought it was about time; by my count, you've pulled in to this Pilot station at least 3 times a month since I started here; I figured you were just trying to get know me better."

"Is that what you thought?" she said giving him a bit of a sideways glace.

"Sure; I figure this is how you planned it. I'm just helping move your plan along."

"You know, I do seem to end up here more often than not." She mused.

"That's what I'm talking about; must be a reason."

"Could be the diesel...or the food or the location; you know, the normal reasons a girl would pick this particular station."

"That could be it" it said motioning for her to walk with him toward the diner, "and I was thinking...hoping, you just came by to see me."

"If I was, I wasn't aware...You're acting awfully frisky, what's the deal?"

"I always thought you were married" Bill said with a slight smile.

"What gave you that idea?"

"Marleen, the manager, she said so."

"Was married; that ended four years ago."

"News gets to Marleen on the slow side" he opened the door for her like a boy on a first date. She really was enjoying the unexpected attention.

They sat at a booth and let the waitress know that they were just having coffee for right now and would order later.

"You couldn't have been expecting me, Bill" she said with a coy suspicious tone.

"You're more predictable than you think. You weren't here last Monday, so I figured there'd be a pretty good chance you'd be here tonight."