Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Summer Roadtrip by Jefferson Copyright (C) 2003 by Jefferson This story is
a work of fiction.  All events and persons, living and dead, are fictional.
Any resemblence to an actual person or event is purely coincidental.  This
story was edited by "Consonant Smile" with my deepest and eternal
gratitude.

   Chapter 1 - DAY 1 Saturday North/South Carolina Border To Northern
Florida When I woke up the next morning I showered in the small shower in
the RV, dressed and went out to look around for a few minutes.  There
wasn't much to look at.  I went back inside and cooked myself some
scrambled eggs, toast and a cup of orange juice.  Once I finished, I
cleaned up, packed up and left without incident.  I continued south,
determined to visit Florida first and hook up with some friends.  I drove
through the morning and pulled into a truck stop for a quick lunch.  I
ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a coke.  As I sat there eating alone, I
heard some kind of scuffle at the other end of the place but I wasn't
paying much attention.  Then I noticed her.  She was a nice looking girl
with a white flower print halter top on and some tight fitting denim
cut-offs.  She had long straight sandy blond hair and was quite flat.  Her
breasts barely made bumps in the loose fitting halter-top.  Her tummy was
nice and flat except for the diamond stud piercing her naval.  The denim
cut-offs displayed her tiny little ass and her long white legs.  She had a
pair of flip-flops on her feet and was carrying a small backpack.  I
couldn't make out what she was saying but I could hear her partner.  From
what I caught she had been riding with him and he was now kicking her out.
He didn't give a reason but indicated she knew why!  It was apparent that
she was trying to convince him not to abandon her.  He simply brushed her
aside and left the restaurant followed by two other men.  I watched them
each go to their respective big rigs, get in, start them up and drive away.
She stood staring out the window at the scene at the other end of the
restaurant.  When they were gone, she pounded the window with her fist and
yelled, "Damn!" She then stomped to a nearby table, tossed her backpack on
the table and flopped down on the hard bench.  That's when things got
worse. The waitress, an older woman with red hair and a nametag reading
Claire moved over towards the abandoned girl and handed her a check. 
Claire had a knack for understatement.  "Your friends didn't pay their
bill," Claire said and then walked away.  The girl stared after her. 
Looked at the bill, threw her head back and hollered, "Shit!" She stayed
like that for a few minutes apparently trying to figure out what to do
next. I went back to eating keeping one eye on the girl.  She just sat
there.  When I finished eating I asked for my bill.  Claire brought it
over. I couldn't resist asking; I spoke softly so the girl wouldn't hear.
"What's wrong with her?" I said motioning towards the girl.  "Her friends
left her.  I think she hitched a ride with them.  They left her with the
bill and I ain't sure, but I don't think she has the money to pay it.  She
don't doesn't want admit it though and is waiting for something to happen
to slip away," Claire said.  "How much is her bill?" I couldn't resist. 
Curiosity and my chivalrous side were taking over.  "About fifty dollars.
Four of 'em ate," Claire said.  I handed her a couple of Travelers Checks
and Claire went away for a few minutes.  I sat there drinking the last of
my coke.  After Claire brought my change I stood up and headed out.  I had
to pass the girl on my way to the door.  I couldn't believe it, but I was
feeling real sorry for her.  I stopped in front of her.  "Are you okay?" I
heard myself ask.  I couldn't believe what I was about to do.  She lifted
her head and opened her eyes.  They were big, beautiful and bright green.
Her face was long and narrow and her hair hanging down emphasized it.  Her
nose was skinny and long and turned up slightly at the end and her mouth
was small and her lips a pretty shade of pink.  I smiled at her as she
looked me over.  "I just lost my ride," she said and closed her eyes,
confident I could do nothing to aid her.  "Where are you going?" I asked.
"Anywhere south, preferably Daytona Beach," she said without opening her
eyes.  "Are you going to give me a ride?" she asked in a snotty tone,
confident that I was some dumb local who wouldn't or couldn't help.  "I
don't know.  Are you going keep the attitude?" I said with the same tone
she had used.  This seemed to get her attention.  "What?  You're going give
me a ride?" She asked rather surprised.  "Depends," I said as I sat down
across the table from her.  "Are you going to pay your bill anytime soon?
I'm leaving!" I said trying to get her to admit she didn't have the money.
"Well now, you've nailed my big problem.  Those truckers took my money.  My
purse was still in the truck.  So was my bag.  So now, I'm stuck with
nothing but the bare essentials in this one bag and I'm broke!  Any other
questions?" "I'm trying to help.  Try to be grateful." I reached across the
table and picked up the bill.  $48.64 was the total.  I called Claire over
and handed her the bill and a fifty-dollar Travelers Check.  I told Claire
to keep the change, stood up, looked at the girl who was now staring at me
with a stupid look on her face, and asked, "Are you coming?" I didn't wait
for an answer.  I went around the table and out the door.  I was almost to
the RV before I heard her flip-flops coming up behind me.  "Hey," she
yelled at my back.  "I ain't sleeping with you!" I just laughed and slowed
down so she could catch up.  When she did, I looked at her.  "Did I say
anything at all about sleeping together?  I don't remember it." "Well, I
ain't got no money.  Ain't got nothing to pawn.  I can't even split the
cost of gas," she said as we reached the RV.  "Did I ask you to?" I said
staring into those beautiful green eyes.  "If you want a ride, get in.  If
you don't, go away so I can get out of here," I told her and opened the
driver's side door.  I got in and closed the door.  She was still standing
there by the door staring at me.  I took out my keys, put them in the
ignition and started the engine.  That's when she started moving.  She
walked in front of the RV so I couldn't drive away and opened the
passengers side door.  She yelled over the engine, "Try anything with me
and I'll nail you in the balls understood?" I didn't answer, just nodded
and smiled.  She got in and closed the door.  I put the RV in drive and
pulled out of the parking lot.  "I'm Jason," I said as we pulled out onto
the street.  "Erin," she said, still suspicious.  "Nice to meet you Erin."
I stuck out my hand and she shook it.  "How far are you going?" She asked.
"All the way.  I'm heading for Daytona myself.  I've got an extra bed and
enough food so we should be okay.  I do need to stop for gas first though,"
I said as I turned the RV into a gas station.  I made sure to take the keys
with me when I got out.  I filled both gas tanks, paid and got back in. 
She was still sitting there.  "You might be more comfortable in the back."
"I'm fine," was all she said.  I shrugged and pulled out again.  We got on
the highway and headed south.  She stayed quiet most of the time we were
driving.  It took me a while to get up the nerve but finally I asked her to
go back and grab me a soda out of the small refrigerator.  I told her to
get one for herself if she wanted.  She apparently wasn't interested, but
did get me one.  I drove for the next six hours.  We pulled into a campsite
in Northern Florida that night at about seven.  The sun was starting to go
down.  I parked the RV, paid for the night and hooked up the water, cable
TV and electricity.  I then pulled out a couple of deck chairs and sat
outside.  She stayed in the RV the whole time, never moving from that
passengers seat.  She hadn't spoken in hours.  After the sun was down, it
was getting chilly outside; I packed in the chairs and went inside.  "You
hungry?" "No thank you," she said without even turning to look at me.  I
was getting sick of this.  "Listen Erin, I offered to give you a ride.  Why
are you being so..." "I'm waiting to see what you want in return." "What I
want in return?  For the ride?" She finally turned in the seat and looked
at me.  "Yeah, for the ride, for the food, for the money.  So, what do you
want?" I wasn't sure what to say for a moment.  I went to the refrigerator
and took out a package of steaks and started unwrapping the frozen steaks.
Once they were in the small microwave defrosting I turned back to her.  "I
paid your bill at that restaurant, I gave you a ride, I offered you my food
and you accuse me of wanting something.  That takes guts lady!  Now I see
why that trucker abandoned you.  What do I want?" I asked as I moved
towards her.  "What I wanted, emphasis on wanted, was a little company on a
long drive.  Now, I'm not even sure I want that.  If I thought you had a
chance in hell of finding another sucker to take you in for the night, one
that wouldn't rape you or murder you or such, I'd kick you out of here
right now.  I paid your bill, I gave you a ride, and now I'm thawing out a
steak for you, out of the kindness of my heart and out of some misplaced
sense of chivalry and nobility.  I apologize.  Tomorrow I'll drop you off
somewhere and be done with you." I turned away and went back to the
microwave.  She remained quiet as I took the steaks out of the microwave,
seasoned them and stuck them in the oven.  I got out a can of peas and a
box of mashed potatoes and started preparing them.  "The trucker," she said
from out of the blue, "picked me up late last night.  It was cold and I
needed a ride real bad.  He drove through the night and was planning to
sleep at the truck stop while rush hour traffic cleared.  He left so I
wouldn't try and get him to change his mind.  He wanted me to..." She
stopped talking for a moment.  I could see tears in her eyes "He wanted me
to be his teddy bear.  That's how he put it anyway." "You could have said
that first.  I may not have been quite as offended," I said as I continued
to fix our dinner.  "As for me, I have a teddy bear, a real one.  He's
brown, furry and very cuddly.  I've had him for years.  I'm not going to
make you do anything you don't want to do." I turned to face her, leaning
against the cabinet.  "Don't get me wrong, you're a very pretty girl, I'd
love to get you in bed.  It's what got my attention initially.  But I'm not
that type.  You needed help, I wanted company for the drive and we both
happened to be going the same way, headed for the same place.  It was a
happy twist of fate that we met at that truck stop.  You can relax, I don't
want anything from you except maybe a little friendship or at the very
least companionship." She hung her head and I turned back to the food.  It
was a few minutes later that I heard her coming towards me.  "You don't
have enough milk in those potatoes," she said as she came to stand next to
me.  I looked at her.  "You cook?" I asked "What?  Doesn't it fit my
character?  You're right.  I don't.  I reheat.  Boxed mashed potatoes are
easy." "I see," I said as I poured more milk into the potatoes.  "I'm
sorry," she said.  I looked over at her and our eyes locked.  I was getting
lost in those big green eyes.  I had to pull my eyes away before I kissed
her.  "Okay, let's forget about it, start over and eat," I said trying to
break the tension.  "Okay.  Thank you by the way, for the ride, for paying
my bill and for the compliment," she said.  "You're welcome.  Steaks should
be done.  Stick those peas in the microwave for two minutes." I bent down
and pulled the steaks out as she put the peas in.  Dinner went well.  We
sat at the table, ate and talked.  She told me how she had ended up
hitching to Florida.  She had started in upstate New York.  She and her
boyfriend were driving to Florida.  They had a fight their first night into
the drive and he left her.  The girl had a knack for getting herself
abandoned.  She hitched that day and got to Virginia.  There she got the
ride with the trucker and the next morning we ran into each other in that
truck stop.  Then, I told her my story and we got to know each other. 
After dinner we sat and watched TV for a few hours and then climbed into
our beds.  She slept in the bed over the cab and I slept in the master bed.
It was the biggest and the most comfortable.  She was a good four inches
shorter than I and seemed to fit the bed rather well.