September 23rd, Early Evening by Littlewing1957
Along about 4:00p.m., Jack was hungry and exhausted. He packed a few sandwiches and had a cooler of drinks, but ate all the food miles ago in a fit of nerves. He still had quite a few hours to go before reaching Riverton, but in addition to being hungry, Jack needed to stretch his legs a bit. And to top things off, his eyes were blurry from all that squinting through the rain. Time to stop.
A rest stop was just 2 miles away, according to a billboard Jack passed about 15 minutes ago. He hated to stop, wanted to make good time to see his friend, but Jack also needed to take care of himself. Just one more mile and he could take a breather, order a burger, and walk around a bit.
The rain feel in sheets as Jack approached the rest stop. So much for walking around! He parked his truck among several other big rigs, campers, pickup trucks, and ran for the tiny diner that was situated right next to an old fashioned filling station. The diner was practically empty, which suited Jack. He seated himself and was given a menu by a handsome woman who wore jeans and a t-shirt. Jack ordered a burger, fries and a coke and looked out the window; took in the scene. There was not much to see – truckers entering and exiting the area – all trying hard to avoid getting drenched.
The waitress brought Jack’s order and decided to engage him in a little small talk. He didn’t mind, as it took his thoughts in another direction, comforting him. He invited the woman to sit with him awhile and shoot the breeze. It was so good to enjoy a truly decent burger while having pleasant conversation. Jack felt refreshed as he paid his bill, left a large tip and ran back to his truck.