The same familiar trees raced by closing in all around him and almost leaning into his car. Here and there the branches hung low, suggesting that they might even brush the roof of his vehicle; clearly no lorries or double-decker buses had been this way for a while.
He liked this road. It was the one on which he had first met his wife all those years ago. She had been hitch-hiking and on an impulse he had stopped to give her a lift into town.
He always said afterwards that it was on account of the heat of the day that he had stopped, although she always teased him that it was her brief cut-off jeans.
As it turned out, it had been hate at first sight; at first anyway. She had been such a brat.
“Well of course I was,” she always agreed later, “I was 19 and I knew everything.”
He smiled as he remembered that she had opened the windows even when he had explained that it would automatically shut off the air-con. Then she had objected to his music and uninvited, she had messed with the dials until she found some dreadful gangsta-rap, which she turned up to full volume.
After a tussle with the volume control, he had finally turned it off only to be rewarded with an energetic tongue poke.
“How old are you anyway?” she had sneered.
“I’m 26, why?”
“Oh, I thought you might be something really old like 36,” she had said cattily.
“Look, do you want a lift or not? I can easily drop you off here,” he threatened.
“Well fine,” she said sullenly, “Why don’t you do that? Who cares if I get murdered?”
“Murdered? What are you on about? This is Hampshire, not… not somewhere where they have murders…” he blustered.
“Oh slick. That comeback just rolled off the tongue. I’m impressed. No really. I bet you won gold at the debating society at school. I bet you looked cute in a fresh blazer that your mummy bought you.”
A look must have crossed his face because she shut up fast and almost looked contrite as he slowed the car.
“What’s that?” She said suddenly.
“What’s what?” He frowned.
“That sound; listen?” She held up one finger and suddenly looked very intense.
He was worried now. He had thought he had heard something earlier and began to listen.
The car pulled up and he got out and went to the boot. The damn bonnet wouldn’t open without a screwdriver he cursed, knowing that she was laughing at his wreck of a car.
All of a sudden she crossed over into the driver seat and drove away.
“Hey,” he called and hopeless ran after her while she laughed.
She didn’t go more than 50 meters ahead of him before she stopped.
“Come on lazy bones,” she jeered, “You are so gullible. There was no noise.”
She revved the car menacingly and he wondered if she wasn’t some hellcat or psychopath. After all she had brought up the crack about murder. He was beginning to think he was out of his depth.
As he finally closed on the car she drove off again only to stop another 30 meters ahead.
This went on for some time until he was dripping wet in the afternoon sun and began to look around for somewhere to sit down. Maybe sensing he was done in, she finally let him catch up.
“Having fun?” he panted as he drew level with her.
She sat up and put one finger to her lip as if she was puzzling out an answer to his question. Her ostentatious pose caused her blonde ponytail to shake and his eyes were drawn to the nape of her neck. She was sparky and cute and he could hate her as much as he wanted to.
“Get out,” he growled.
“Oh come on,” she whined, “I was only kidding around.”
“Oh were you?” He said pointedly.
“Well get out and I’ll show you kidding around,” he ordered in a tone that made her quail.
“Alright meanie,” she said with a pout, but she at least obeyed him.
She suddenly looked cute and repentant as she got out of the car.
“I suppose you are going to leave me here,” she suggested.
Just then a car went by and she turned watch it. As she did so he got a good view of her impossibly short shorts and the bottom that spilled from under them. She could hardly have revealed more if she had been wearing a thong. That’s when he knew he was still going to take her, although, now another idea began to form in his head.
“You are a brat, you know that?” he growled.
“I suppose,” she shrugged.
“If I let you back in the car it will be on my terms,” he said sternly as he squared up to her.
“’kay,” she mumbled chewing her lip.
He nodded emphatically and advanced on her until he was sitting on the bonnet at her side.
She didn’t move but pressed up against him as if sensing something and looked shyly at the floor.
He tipped her easily across his lap so that her exposed bottom was thrust up towards him and she squealed.
“You have this coming,” he rasped as he contemplated the target.
“Ooh,” she said, wide-eyed and blinking.
But she offered no resistance. Curiosity was in the driver seat now.
He slapped her once crisply on the behind and she yelped. But it was a half-hearted protest, so taking that for consent he spanked her again, enjoying the springy firmness and the sharp splat of the impact.
“Ouch, you bully,” she said with a pout, but any expected outrage was absent and she merely wriggled.
“So you think you’re funny do you? How funny is this?” he said sharply as he began spanking her in earnest.
She kicked and squirmed throughout the assault but her only other reactions were grunts and gasps, which she kept up until she was panting hard and her bottom was a respectable red.
“I’m sorry, okay, I’m sorry,” she wailed.
“I bet you are,” he chuckled continuing to spank her.
“Please stop,” she said in a pained voice.
“Why should I?”
“Fair point; I deserve it I suppose, but… ooh… sheesh, oh God, please…” her voice had a damp edge and she sounded genuinely contrite.
“Are you gonna behave?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
“Okay, if you’re good, I’ll buy you coffee in town,” he said, setting her on her feet.
She danced before him her hands clamped to her bottom. Her eyes were shining with a new found respect.
“How about an ice cream instead,” she said, biting her lower lip in contrition.
“Well see,” he laughed and opened the door for her.
The road hadn’t changed in 20 years, he observed, his mind back in the present. He glanced at the seat next to him and wondered where she was.
“Meet me in town,” she had whispered in his ear. “I want an ice cream to mark our anniversary.”
“But… that’s in October…”
“We met in July,” she lisped.
He grinned remembering. Now he was on the road; his favourite road.
Then up ahead he saw a girl in cut-off jeans thumbing a lift. Maybe I should pick her up for old time’s sake, he thought and slowed the car.
The girl turned and he saw that despite her comely figure, she was a little older.
“I thought you were going to meet me in town,” he said, trying to hide his surprise.
She shrugged. “I thought this would be more fun.”
“Those shorts are a disgrace. I ought to…”
“Yes…?” she said hopefully.
He grinned.
The end.
