Susan knew everyone would declare her crazy. They were right. It was insane going out alone in the dark. But this inner voice urged her to go on. The road was in a rural area, with no streetlights, so she used the flashlight on her phone to guide her. Shoved into the ground was a stake with a red aluminum plate. The reflective coating shimmered in the beam of her flashlight. Bold white letters read: 'private property, no trespassing'. Thinking those signs were hostile, she looked up the driveway and saw a black pickup truck. A dark-colored bumper sticker with something white caught her attention. She walked a little farther, praying they wouldn't mistake her for a burglar. This was no doubt a town where everyone was a proud member of the NRA and thus well stocked. A closer look confirmed what she already suspected. Taking a deep breath, she tried to shake off this feeling of pending doom. She could still turn back. In her head, she heard the words 'Stand back and standby'. There was no other choice. She had to do this. Lights were visible behind the windows of the house. A dog barked. Great, another thing to worry about. At the front door, she knocked and quickly stepped back, ready to duck if someone would point a gun at her. The dog went berserk and the barking sounded louder. 'Please God, let it be a person who asks questions first'. Susan heard somebody remove a bolt and turn a key inside a lock. A man with broad shoulders and a half smile opened the door. "Yes?"

His bright blue eyes sent a shiver down her spine. With no gun in sight, Susan let out a breath of relief. "Eh, my car, the tank is empty, and my phone is dead. I was wondering if I could use your phone to call a taxi or an Uber. I need a lift to a gas station."

"Your car and your phone?" After he studied her from top to bottom, he smiled. "Do you have a gas can?"

"Eh no. I'm sorry. This has never happened to me before."

"I can give you a ride to the gas station."

Before she could answer, he walked back into the house. She heard the jingling sound of car keys. Still out of sight, he asked: "Are you afraid of dogs?"

"Depends." She raised her voice to make sure he heard her.

He came back holding a dog by its collar. "Molly here's still a pup and I can't leave her. Mind if I bring her along?"

She looked down and saw a cheerful dog looking at her while wagging her tail excessively. The dog tried to get past her master, but she only managed to get her head between his legs. "How old is she?"

"Almost a year. Sorry, she's jumpy but friendly." He picked up her leash, which was hanging next to the door, and attached it to her collar. "Come on, my truck's over here."

She followed him and the pup to the pickup truck she'd seen earlier. The back contained all kinds of pipes, lumber, and tools. "Are you in construction?"

He laughed. "No, I'm helping out a friend."

She nodded. If not building, what did he do for a living?

He opened the door, picked up the pup, and set her in the car. With his arm, he signaled her to follow the dog. She grabbed the handle and pulled herself up. Sitting in the car, she wondered if she had done the right thing. What if he took her to his torture den? She swallowed. Wasn't the puppy a sign of his good character?

Chad walked around the truck and got into the driver's seat. This girl who rang his bell must be incredibly gullible, to knock on the door of a total stranger and jump into his car. He petted his dog. She probably thought that him having a dog meant he wasn't dangerous. He smiled. Was this his lucky day? The gas station was a twenty-minute drive, at least the one he decided on. That gave him enough time to have some fun. "What's your name?"

"Susan."

He nodded.

"And yours?"

"Chad."

"Nice to meet you."

Was it? He thought to himself. "You're not from here?"

"No."

Maybe she wasn't as gullible as he thought. She obviously didn't want him to know where she came from.

"This isn't a busy road. Did you have to be someplace around here?"

"I'm a bad navigator and, despite Waze, I still ended up on the wrong road."

Or she was an idiot, or she truly had an awful day. He couldn't believe someone having this much bad luck. He didn't mind. He was lucky, either way.

Susan looked outside. "How far is the nearest gas station?"

"A while, so you better get comfy." He saw the first signs of her unease.

"Eh, maybe you can bring me to a mall or a supermarket or something. I can contact the triple-A from there. They have a service to pick you up. I forgot about it. I could call them and they'll take care of everything."

She sought an excuse to get out of his car. Let her sweat a little more. "It's okay. I don't mind driving you for a bit. I had to go to the gas station, anyway."

He saw how she swallowed.

It dawned upon Susan she'd made a mistake. Most likely more than one. Going to Pennsylvania was her first mistake. Her anger over everything she saw on the news had got the better of her. She wanted to do something, anything. But what if he turned out to be a serial killer or a normal killer? Dead people couldn't vote. Acting on an impulse, she had told no one of her plans. Of course, her biggest mistake was walking to an unknown house and getting in a car with a stranger. What had come over her? He seemed nice. She trusted her gut, but her gut had misled her more than a few times. What should she do now? She'd lied about her phone being dead. Could she covertly send a message to Erin, her best friend? But what would she write? She didn't know where she was or where he'd take her. And she only knew his name was Chad. She should ask more questions. Establish a connection. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a lawyer."

Surprised, she turned towards him. "Really?"

He laughed. "No, just kidding. I work at an office, nothing fancy. And you?"

"The same." She didn't like how he evaded her question. And she was certain she wouldn't go back with him. Did he believe her story about the triple-A? Didn't matter. She had to stick to the story. "What town did I get stranded in? Er, so the triple-A knows where to pick up my car."

"You don't even know where your car broke down?" Chad scoffed. "I hope you have a SIG tucked away or a black belt or something."

"What?" Did he just threaten her? She looked around the cabin and her heart missed a beat when she saw the rifle hanging in the back.

"That's for hunting."

"You hunt?"

That's the thing she was worried about? He loved hunting. He smiled. Tonight, she would learn a valuable lesson. "So you're a city girl?"

"Not really. I love the outdoors. I hike a lot."

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

At least she didn't tell him everything. But what good would it do her once he threw her on the ground? Being petite, she had little muscle strength. She was beautiful too. Big blue eyes combined with dark blond hair were exactly what he liked. Wearing her hair in a ponytail, he could easily imagine the long thick strands dangling over her shoulders. Too bad she made such poor decisions. "You're a vegetarian?"

"Just because I hate hunting doesn't necessarily mean I'm a vegetarian." Her chin went up as she folded her arms in front of her. "But yeah, I'm a vegetarian and try to be a vegan too, but that's much harder."

"Remind me. What's the difference again?" He approached a stop sign, so he had to keep his eyes on the road, but he bet she was doing an eye roll.

"A vegan eats nothing from an animal. No milk, no eggs, not even honey."

"That can't be healthy."

"You know what's not healthy? A steak every day."

"No reason to be upset. I'm just stating the obvious. And I don't eat steak every day. Do you know what that would cost? I alternate with hamburgers and chicken." Another eye roll. The longer he knew her, the better he liked her. "Wait, you also believe the China flu is bad for you?"

She turned so suddenly the pup woke up from her nap. "The China flu?" she asked. Not taking his eyes from the road, he smiled. He had known it would fire her up.

"It's called Covid-19 and it is dangerous. Don't you know how many people already died?"

"Where's your mask?"

She paled a bit. Really? Did she forget her mask? For the first time, he felt something was off.

She looked in her pockets, found a mask, and put it on. "This is a rural area, and I was afraid you'd shoot me if I was wearing a mask."

He regretted mentioning it. Her face was now covered with something that looked like his granny's undies. He saw she too, felt uncomfortable. "You know it's just a hoax?"

"It isn't, but I understand you have to believe it, because..."

He glanced sideways and noticed how she shook her head as if she knew what she wanted to say was BS.

She finished her sentence with a vague, "that's what you want to believe."

"I don't only 'want' to believe it. I know it's the truth."

"Okay."

The tone of her voice sounded snarky. She was dying to tell him everything she thought she knew about a simple flu. The fun was over. He stretched his arm and motioned to a point next to the road. "We're almost there."

She looked outside. "I see."

He parked his car.

"Goodbye."

He nodded. But something irked him. He searched his car for some paper. Scribbled down his phone number. "Here." He gave the paper to her. "In case something goes wrong again."

"Like when the triple-A isn't coming to this remote area?"

"Oh, they'll come alright. But with your luck, anything's possible."

She nodded her head. "You're right. Thanks." She jumped out of the car and walked to the store.

Not knowing why, he also got out of the truck.

She turned around. "Thanks a lot. Do I owe you something?"

And before he knew what happened, he said: "A date."

She was silent for a moment, then she smiled. It was a genuine smile because it reached her eyes above the mask. "I'd love that. I'll send you my number when I've charged my phone."

"Great." He stood there, waiting, unsure of his next move. She wasn't in a hurry, either.

After a while, she said: "It's late and I still have to drive home, so..."

"Yes, of course. Take care." He still didn't leave. He couldn't let her stay here all by herself. Could he? She was so naïve. The only lucky thing for her today was that she knocked on his door. His neighbor would have shooed her off, threatening her with a gun, too. He regretted he brought her to this gas station. He wanted to teach her a lesson, but this place... he shook his head. Better to stick around long enough to make sure she was okay. "I just remember I'm out of gum."

"Gum?"

"Yes. Come on. The diner next door has great burgers. Are you hungry?"

Surprised, she didn't know what to answer.

"They may have veggies too."

"You mean veggie burgers?"

He laughed. "No, but maybe a salad?"

Susan felt her stomach rumble. "Okay, but I pay. It's the least I can do."

Chad carried Molly out of his truck. "It's cold, let's go inside."

Together, they walked to the entrance. Before he opened the door for her, he said: "Better take off your mask. They are not too fond of lefties around here."

She frowned. "I'm not a leftie."

"Then take off your mask."

A big sigh and then she did what he asked her to do.

A bell jingled and a waitress walked over. "Sit wherever you like. I'll bring you the menu."

"Do you have some water for the dog?"

Her hand waved in the direction of a gumball machine. "There's a water bowl over there. Help yourself."

He nodded, making a mental note to go there before he'd go home. "Thanks." He steered Susan in the direction of a booth in the back.

Before she sat down, she unzipped her parka. Underneath, she wore a gray hoodie from a college in the north.

"What did you study?"

Confused, she looked at him. He pointed at her hoodie.

Understanding gleamed in her eyes. "I've studied, eh, law."

She looked embarrassed. "So you're a lawyer?"

"Er, yes."

Nobody liked lawyers and she knew. "Any important cases?"

"No, just boring ones. And at what kind of office do you work?"

He smiled. "A boring one. Let's discuss something more interesting."

"Such as?"

"Any hobbies?"

The waitress came with water and the promised menus. He didn't need one because he always ordered a burger here, but now he searched for something with veggies to help her.

"Do you think the pasta bolognese has meat in it?"

"I'll ask." He signaled the waitress. It was a slow night, so she came immediately. "Is the pasta sauce with meat?"

"Yes."

"Do you have something without meat?"

The waitress scowled at Susan. "We have a salad."

"Oh, well okay. If that's the only thing you have." She gave the menu back to the waitress.

He ordered a hamburger, annoyed the choice for her was so limited. He searched his brain for something to cheer her up. "I can bring you back."

He saw a slight frown while she was weighing the pros against the cons, then a big smile when she said: "Yes please if you don't mind."

"Not at all." He loved her smile.

                                                                                      #

Back at her car, he emptied the gas can into the fuel tank.

"Okay, that's it. You're good to go."

"Thanks." Susan looked at him. Why did she feel so nervous?

He opened the trunk of her car to store the canister. Should she already go and sit behind the wheel? Of course. What was she waiting for?

Coming around the car, he smiled. He knew why she was waiting. With a finger, he swept away a strand of hair that escaped from her ponytail. It gave her goosebumps. She shivered. He leaned in and before she could think this over, she kissed him. His lips were firm but soft and demanding. She felt her heart banging against her chest. She closed her eyes and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer to her. They lost track of time. It was Chad who carefully pulled away. "It's late. Better to start driving or..."

Susan needed time to regain her senses. She was nodding her head without understanding what he was trying to tell her. "Yes, you're right. I, er, have to go."

"Of course." His voice. Did she say something wrong?

Then he smiled. He had a beautiful smile.

"You have my number. Let me know when you're home."

"I will." She opened the car door.

He kissed her once more. A normal kiss on her lips, but it felt as if her lips were on fire. With her fingers, she touched them. "Bye Chad." And with that, she got into her car, started the engine, and drove away. Navigation could wait until she was out of sight.

On her way home, Susan knew her biggest mistake: His kiss, that soul-burning, heart-crushing kiss. She was all in for the cause, but she had to draw a line to protect herself. How could she be so stupid? In the diner, she had given him her phone number. Would he call? Susan didn't like those butterflies in her stomach right now. He was a Trump supporter. She should feel disgusted, not this warm and fuzzy feeling. Not this hope that he would call. Susan slammed on her steering wheel, only to regret it when she almost lost control of the car. Knowing who he was and what he believed he wouldn't call. He was playing with her. Why was that thought so painful?