Heather

Heather

“How’s our gas Jim?”

I watched him raise his sunglasses and glance at the dash.  “About a half a tank; should have enough till the next big town.”

We looked at one another with a smile, I said.“Big Town?”    That brought a snorting laugh from him. 

There was a scantily clad young woman waving a white handkerchief; Jim stopped beside her.  I rolled down my window and the hot humid air poured into the car.  “Hi Y’all.  M’name’s Heather, m’bike broke down, kin ya help me t’my job?”

Her motorcycle lay on its side in the tall grass, the rear tire was shredded and rim bent.  “It’s only up road yonder.” 

Jim looked at me and I agreed, so the girl jumped into the back seat.  Ten minutes later we’re pulling up to an all black building with two-dozen cars parked around it; no advertising or signs saying what was inside.

“Thank’ya, wanna come in fer a drink?”

Jim was smiling with a great big grin, when I asked innocently, “What do you do for a living?”  Again the snorting laugh.

“I’m in entertain’in, I’m a dancer.  This here’s the Hickory Dickey Dock Club.”

Jim parked; I slipped my feet into my sneakers and went inside.  The place was crowded and dark; the music was loud and fast.  When I finally could see, I realized that I was the only female wearing any clothes.  Heather was butt naked, dancing through the crowd.

Someone handed me a beer and asked, "You a dancer?"  I looked into his young drunk face, his John Deer cap partially covered his blue eyes; smiling I answered, “I don't like this place!”

I never moved so fast in my life and Jim barely made it into the car before I took off.