The day seemed to drag slowly as Phillip continued  with the task at hand.  He grabbed a new tire off of the shelf and rolled it over to where the old tire laid.  A customer had brought it in for repair earlier that day.  He surveyed the damage of the busted rim and proceeded with his mundane job.   

     Phillip felt very confident in his work for he had been doing it for almost two years now.  In between the noise of the garage and the tire deflator, he heard the front door bell chime up at the front office.  He clumsily made his way to the front office almost tripping over the inflator hose.  He smacks the door to the office with his hand trying to catch himself from falling.  As he opens the door he notices an attractive dark haired woman  standing at the front counter.  His mood suddenly changes as he wipes his hands on the rag that he is holding.

"How can I help?"  He says in a low tone.  "Well, my car broke down about thirty miles back up the road", she says as she tugs at the material at the bottom of her dress.  From what Phillip noticed, it looked as if she had been walking for quite awhile from the dampness around her waist and the sweat beads that had formed on her forehead.

    "This day just seems to get better by the second", he whispered to himself.  Phillip could not help but to stare at her damp shapely body.

   "Well, do you have any idea what could be wrong with your car, ma'am?" Phillip exclaims.  "My name's Liz", She says abruptly.  "I bet your name's Phillip, isn't it?"  Phillip was so caught up in how beautiful she was, he didn't realize that he had been standing there staring at her for a few uncomfortable moments.   He looked around confused, trying to figure out how she knew his name.

"At least that's what the front of your shirt says", she laughs as she points above his front left shirt pocket.  "I sure could use your help.  I was on my way to Braxton City and I think I took a wrong turn and now my car won't start."  Liz says in almost a seductive voice.

"Well let me tell my boss that I will be going to take a look at your car."  He says as he steps back into the shop.  Once the door to the shop closed, Phillip jumps in the air in a small celebration dance.  "Heck yeah, I'll help you with your car", he says in a whisper.  The entire day he had been slaving away changing car tires and dealing with crabby customers.  Phillip knew he was deserving of a small break.  He also knew that his boss, Ike wouldn't go for it.  Ike, being a shorter heavy set man with light red hair.  He had started balding just the year before last and it seemed to have given him a bit of a complex.  Now he adorns the company hat to cover it up.  Since Phillips first day he has known that his boss is a bit of a scoundrel when it comes to breaks and time off.

"You got those 35R14's changed on Ms. Wellington's car yet?"  Ike says as he slams a car door on the vehicle he is working on.  "Boss, something has come up, is there anyway that I can get the afternoon off?"  Phillip says earnestly.  "Phil come on! you're gonna leave me here to do the rest of these cars?"  Ike steps back with almost a puzzled look on his face.  " Alright, alright... already, you haven't taken a day off in months."  Ike painfully exclaims. "Get your butt out of here."  "But under one condition."  Ike hesitates and then bites his lip.  "I'll see you here at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow."  Ike storms away in disgust.  Phillip looks around to make sure no one sees him do a small celebration dance.  "And she is fine", he says to himself. Phillip had always thought of himself to be handsome and has always seemed to have his way with the ladies.  He credits his handsomeness to his father who he gained his taller muscular build from.  He got his dirty blonde hair and dimples from his mother's side of the family.  Growing up he never seemed to be without a girlfriend of some kind.

Phillip meanders to the front office once more this time careful of the inflator hose.  He strolls through the door only to notice the woman was no longer there.  He anxiously looks around for her only to notice she had made her way outside and is now wiping off her hands with a paper towel she had picked up from the bathroom alongside of the garage.  Phillip caught himself once again starring at her through the front window.  Her backside was facing the front window and it dawns on him.  "Oh yeah, I am off for the afternoon aren't I?" he mutters to himself.

"Let's go fix your car!"  He says as he makes his way out of the entrance to the office.  She touches his shoulder.  "It sure is nice that a big strong handsome guy like yourself would help out little ole' me" she says seductively.  Phillip tries to control the butterflies that are starting to flutter in his stomach.  He grabs for his toolbox that was sitting inside the front door of the office and gently places it into the back of his pickup next to the small red half full gas can.  He opens the passenger door of the truck for Liz.  She gracefully slides into the passenger seat.

Phillip backs slowly out of the drive and makes his way onto the highway.  Thinking to himself that this all seems entirely to perfect.  He wonders if the day can get any better.  "My car is about twenty minutes that way", "I sure hope it is nothing real serious" she says as she points down the highway.  Phillip runs his hand through his hair while steering with the other.  Liz's wonderful vanilla smelling perfume is now permeating throughout the truck.  Phillip trying so hard to concentrate puts both hands back onto the steering wheel.

"So what brings you to Braxton City?"  Phillip blurts out not knowing what to say. "Well, I decided about a year ago to open my own flower shop and I found that Braxton City would be the perfect place" she says as she looks at the oncoming traffic through the passenger side window.  Phillip thought to himself that Braxton City really wasn't a happening place.  That  by the looks of Liz,  she would have been from more of a contemporary city like Plainsville.  Liz sighs and leans a little towards Phillip.  "So what brings a guy like you out to this area?"  Awaiting his answer she looks down to adjust her dress on her lap.  "Oh, after graduating from high school here, I guess I decided to stick around."  "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do as a career"  Phillip says.  Liz looks quizzical at Phillip as she point towards the windshield.  "I am about five minutes down I-39, you'll have to turn here."  Phillip turns the steering wheel sharply towards the turning lane.  He guns the truck a little as it makes its way over.  "Boy, you really were heading the wrong direction weren't you?"  Phillip says as the truck turns sharply onto I-39.  "Believe it or not I am kind of glad I had troubles with my car.  Because if I hadn't, I would have never met you"  Liz said with a gazing stare.  This was seeming all too easy to Phillip.  By this time he knew that if he was going to make his move for her, he would have to do it quickly. 

"So are you seeing anyone right now?"  He says with a smile.  "No, not at the present time" she says as she cast a smile back at him.  The traffic thickened as they continued down I-39.  Phillip now leans back in his seat.  His mind working double time.  Should I ask her out, he thinks to himself.  Wait, be patient, lets just see what happens next he thinks.  Phillip notices outside that they had come to a rural farm area on I-39.  Cows are grazing in a green pasture off to the right hand side and a small weathered red barn was off to the left side of the road.  Once more Liz points forward towards the windshield.  "Should be just a little further now" she motions forward.  

"So tell me, Phillip are you seeing someone? Surely a good looking guy like you has got to have a special woman in your life, don't you?"  Caught off guard, Phillip pauses a moment.  He wasn't prepared for Liz to make such a forwarding remark.  He feels himself blush a little.

 "No, not for awhile now. Guess I haven't found the right girl"  he says frankly.  

       "There it is!"  Liz says as she once more points at the windshield.  Phillip spotted a small brown sedan  parked on the side of the road.  It's hazard lights flashing repeatedly.  "I have to be honest with you Phillip, I just got into my car and decided to take a drive.  Driving seems to help me think and I just wanted to see where it may lead me.  Before I had realized it, I had driven for half of the day."  Liz tilts her head to the side a little.

 "Have you ever done that?  Liz says earnestly.  "Oh yeah, all the time" says Phillip.  

"Everyone just needs to get away now and again"  he says with a half smile.  He pulls the truck to the side of the road as they make their way to the brown Sedan.

By Mikel Nation

Copyright 2010 www.mikelnationstudios.com