It was dark and foggy that night, dust motes and smoke reflected back at her from her headlights. Something suddenly ran in front of the car. Casy spun the wheel automotatically but stupidly in the wrong direction, to the right where the creature was headed. She ran into a ditch and smacked her head on the steering wheel. The car bounced out of the ditch like a toy and slid out on it's own forward motion a few yards into a field. Casey cursed and clutched her head. How could she be so stupid? All because of a cat, she realised suddenly she had seen it for a millisecond and she couldn't hit a cat, could she? Casey had always loved cats, they were the perfect little antitodes to the loneliness that being single in a world of married couples could provide. She felt guilty about the cat, she could check and see if the cat needed a vet anyway. She stepped out of the car to search for it and stepped in something and she was sliding, sliding helplessly and down she went. A needle like pain in her andle hit her as she went down and all she felt for a full minute was that pain and every other thought in her head flew out of it. Some sensible part of her brain knew that she had stepped in what was popularly known as a cow patty. Disgusted she wrinkled her nose and sat up. Wafts of barnyard smells rose with her and she realised she was actually sitting in the nasty stuff. She sat there and tried to get control of herself for a moment and feel her ankle and the bump rising on it and assure herself nothing was broken.
Could she walk on it? She wriggled her foot experimentally and it didn't hurt so bad. She got up and as soon as she put her weight on it the returning pain made her jerk her leg up and down she went again. Casey cursed colorfully and vehemently. She was in a mess and no mistake about it. She couldn't help the cat, she couldn't even help herself. Suddenly two white shoes showed up in her vision in the grass in front of her.
"Hi there." said a masculine voice and Casey looked up to see one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen. In the moonlit night, he was all in greys and pales yellows, but the beauty of his face and his tapered figure could still be seen. His face was broad and he had full lips and low brows and she could see he wore glasses.
"Need some help?" he said while she was considering this apparition that had magically appeared before her. He was looking at her with a smirky smile on his face as well he might considering she had just driven into a cow pasture.
Casey felt very much at a disadvantage, what with her rump planted in a cow patty that smelled so strongly she didn't see how he could miss it but she decided to act like she hadn't noticed his smirk and the irony in his voice.
"Yes please, I seem to have sprained my ankle." she said.
"Oh." he said and surveyed her. Casey was suddenly conscious of her skirt up above her knees and her messed up hair. She jerked her skirt down primly.
"You don't sound drunk." he said.
Casey felt anger stirring in her. Here she was the victim of a car crash and he was just standing there doing nothing.
"No, I am NOT drunk." she said heatedly.
"Don't get in a hissy, you did drive off the road. Usually you follow the little lines you know."
"I can drive thank you very much, there was a cat. Oh no, where is the cat. Please look for the cat. It might be hurt." Casey said.
"A cat." he echoed with disbelief.
"Yes, you do know what a cat is I hope. Just do it." Casey said.
He wandered off and Casey sat there waiting. Suddenly she thought of snakes. Please let there not be snakes she thought. Anything but that. After a few moments he returned unbitten to her relief.
"No cat. Now may I please call 911?" he said.
"No need for that, just help me up." Casey said. To her relief he did just as she said and she hobbled leaning on him to her car, sliding into the driver's seat.
"Thanks for the help, I'll be on my way now." she said and gave him one of her dazzling smiles she reserved for those of the male gender.
"Ma'am I think...." he started.
"No, don't worry about me, I'm fine." she said with another male neutralizing smile.
She turned the key and nothing happened.
She looked at him befuddled.
"Lady, you ain't going nowhere." he said with satisfaction.
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