by Ali Spooner
The next adventure was around the corner for Alex. She could feel it in her bones.
†
“So what’s your story, darlin’? Not that I don’t think you can’t take care of yourself” —Rosie let her eyes once again roam over Alex’s body— “with those rippling muscles and your impressive height, but why are you hitchhiking by yourself? Henry was right to bring you to the truck stop and catch me before my long haul to Atlanta. No offense, but there’s a lot of ignorant rednecks lookin’ to fuck up, um...”
“A Mexican dyke?” Alex shot Rosie a wry look. “Hey, don’t worry about it. There isn’t a lot of love for brown people, what with us all coming from shithole countries. I’m used to the slurs.”
“Somebody chasing you or something? You don’t have to worry about me. You can consider this truck a rolling, sanctuary city. I don’t believe in that stupid wall or sending people back who lived their whole life here.”
“What makes you think I wasn’t born here?” Alex’s jaw clenched and her tone had a clipped edge to it.
Rosie shrugged. “Look, I don’t mean to rile you up or anything. I’d be sensitive too if the President started talking about the Irish like he talks about Mexicans. My grandparents came from the Emerald Isle. Immigrants who worked their asses off in the factories. None of us ever went to college, but I make a good living driving a rig. It suits me.”
“Fixing things suits me, but it’s hard to get a job without references. I’ve only ever worked in the family business and then on a kind of ranch in Nevada.” Alex turned away and looked out the window. “I liked it there. Got to use some other skills, too, until...well turns out that no good deed goes unpunished. Felt bad about not giving my notice, but hey, it was time to leave.”
“I can tell you’re a good person, so if you’re running, I suspect the jerk chasing you is some asshat that got his knickers in a twist for some shitty ass reason.”
Alex returned her gaze to Rosie giving her an appraising look. “Thanks. I appreciate you giving me the benefit of the doubt. So who’s the woman that captured your heart but hasn’t seen the light?”
“A friend. She’s Catholic and they don’t get divorced. Married to a real son of a bitch. I’ve wanted to kill the bastard so many times but she won’t let me intercede. She’s afraid he’ll take it out on their daughter. She’s a grown woman now, so I don’t understand why she won’t let me help. Wish the fat bastard would keel over and die of a heart attack. I bring him food sure to clog his arteries every chance I get. The stupid asshole thinks I’m being nice.”
Alex chuckled. “Keep it up and maybe you’ll get your wish. Does she love you back?”
Rosie shrugged. “I think so. We haven’t been, uh, intimate with each other, but yeah, I know she loves me in that way. I catch her looking at me sometimes and I know it’s longing I see in her eyes. Some days I want to make love with her so bad, it nearly kills me not to touch her.”
“So, then how do you, ya know, take care of your urges? Surely you aren’t keeping yourself from having sex because she’s a devout Catholic. Remember those skills I told you about, well I might as well confess that my last employer was Stacey’s Ranch. They do a pretty good business and you’d be surprised how many women ask about having a sensual experience with another woman. I could help you release some of that tension. It’s the least I can do since you’re giving me a ride and all.”
Rosie laughed. “No thanks. I’m an old fashioned kind of gal. I can’t ever see myself making love with someone I’m not in love with. You’re a very handsome, tall drink of water that I’m sure most lesbians would jump at the chance to bed. But, I’m not one of them. I’m not giving you a ride so’s I can have myself a quick fuck, but thanks for the offer. Stacey’s Ranch, huh? Never heard of it.”
“Well, you know prostitution is legal in some parts of Nevada. The Ranch is like a high end spa that offers a few extras. Fifteen percent of their business is middle aged women wanting to check out whether they’ve been missing out on something all their lives. They aren’t sure if they’re a lesbian or even bi-sexual, so Stacey’s is a safe place to explore. I was developing quite a clientele until one night someone followed one of my regulars. Her husband started beating on her. I wasn’t going to let the bastard continue using her as if she was his own personal punching bag.”
“Let me guess. He took one look at you and called in a few favors with his redneck buddies.”
Alex nodded. “Worse. His brother was an INS agent. I got lucky because someone found out they were coming for me and tipped me off before they could make a grab. So now you know the whole sordid story even though I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Look, I didn’t mean to pry. There’s a lot of that going around and it was an easy assumption to make. Sorry about that. I’m no better than the rest when I start making guesses based on the color of your skin. Are your parents still alive and do they live in the states or were they rounded up as well?”
Alex turned away again. She looked down at the white lines in the middle of the highway after Rosie had changed lanes and began to pass the slower eighteen wheeler. She tried to let them hypnotize her into a state of calm. She didn’t want to open that old wound. So far she hadn’t made enough money to pay the exorbitant fees to help them cross the border again and start a new life somewhere else. “I’m guessing they’re in Mexico right now and not doing so well. Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure, sure.”
About the Author
Ali Spooner
Ali Spooner, a native of Florida, is currently living and working in Pensacola. As an “indie” author, Ali has been writing for many years as a hobby, and with the assistance of the Affinity team has taken her love of storytelling to a new level.
Ali’s characters range from cowgirls and psychics, to a healthy dose of supernatural beings. She has written stand-alone titles and series. Ali is an avid reader, and her other hobbies include photography, outdoor activities, and watching college sports.
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