AN: I should get around to writing different characters one of these days but in case anyone hasn't noticed, Doc is my favorite character, and when I'm hit with an idea I like I just run with it.
It was possibly the worst place to end up with a flat tire.
Worse than the place he found himself in, was the fact that it had to be at least 3 AM.
He really didn't care what time it was, it was the fact that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, or that the only spare he had was one of the four dirt track tires in the trunk.
He couldn't change just one tire. The whitewalls were a different size than the racers, if he was going to change one he had to change them all.
"You have got to be kidding me-" Jesse grumbled under his breath, swearing lowly as he dug around blindly for the jack stand.
He glanced around the Hornet when he saw headlights coming from the opposite direction before turning his attention back to the trunk of the car. He noticed the red flashing light go on at the same time he noticed the outline of one of Moon's old barrels of moonshine propped up against the wheel well.
Jesse hissed lowly, not two miles back he'd seen a sign proclaiming that whatever county this was, was a dry county.
He went to step back and smacked his head roughly on the trunk door.
"Ow-! Son of a-!"
"You alright?" The officer asked as Jesse slammed the trunk shut just in time.
"Been better." He nearly growled with a wince. As if he hadn't dealt with enough hits to the head in the recent past.
Michael Carwood had drawn the short straw for third shift patrol that evening. He hadn't actually expected to come across someone.
"Where you headed?
"No idea."
"Well." He looked at the barely visible silhouette of the Hornet and gestured to his cruiser. "No use in messing with this now. I'll take you in to town. You can come back in the morning for the car."
Jesse hesitated, looking over the Hornet uncertainly, uneasy with the idea of leaving it in the middle of nowhere.
He sighed, a horrendous and throbbing headache setting in quickly. "Yeah...alright..."
Police cruisers were something he was used to avoiding.
Michael turned the cruiser around and went back the direction he'd come from. "I'll make a call from the station and you should be able to stay at The Cone for a few hours at least."
Jesse was surprised to see how close he'd been to entering a town. A single light at the intersection illuminated different businesses and store fronts, the cruiser pulled up to the station front and the officer left him in the car. Jesse turned in the passenger seat in an attempt to see a sign indicating where he was but was left disappointed.
The driver's side door opened. "You're in luck. She wasn't real happy that I woke her up, but she's going to meet us at The Cone and get you a key."
Jesse obviously didn't know who she was, but appreciated the effort.
He hadn't even realized the place was a hotel when they'd passed it the first time but with the lights on in the lobby he could see a young woman behind the desk.
She looked up, bleary eyed, as the men entered the building and blinked a few times before speaking.
"You're lucky I'm in for Vera, there's no way she would've come in this late...or early..."
"I know." Michael commented.
"Alright...what's available..." She commented to herself as she pulled a manila folder from the desk.
Jesse waited patiently, eyes squinting in confusion when she paused and looked toward the officer.
"I got it from here, Michael. Thank you."
"You're sure?"
It was obvious he was afraid to leave her alone with an unknown man at 2:50 in the morning.
"I can handle myself."
"If you say so." He threw up his hands as he turned to leave.
She waited until he had left the lobby before looking toward Jesse. "Sorry about that, he's leary of new people."
"Understandable." He commented in exhaustion. "It is a strange hour."
"We can do the paperwork now or wait till later?"
"Is it possible to do now?" He planned on sleeping the next twelve hours. He'd been driving much longer than he should have.
"Sure." She pulled a blank form from the folder and turned it toward him to fill out before getting him a pen.
"Then you'll just need to sign this one for me, Jesse." She continued as she added another form.
His face paled as he paused in filling out the form. He hadn't told her his name.
"Sorry?" He glanced up at her.
"You don't know who I am?"
He blinked. "Should I?"
"My brother was one of your biggest rivals in Piston. Well, he liked to think he was."
When she could tell he still didn't understand, she continued. "Alex."
"Alex-" He repeated, brows lowered. "Your brother is Alex? Alexander Piston?"
She nodded, smiling.
Alexander Piston considered himself the best thing since sliced bread and because he was a member of the Piston family, the biggest family behind the sport (hence the name Piston Cup with the clever logo of a vehicle's piston) he'd held an unhealthy grudge against Jesse Hudson for years.
"You're-"
"Emily Piston." They said in unison.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" He asked, his attention going back to the form.
"Could ask you the same thing." She asked, but continued when he ignored her, reaching for a key.
"Mom has her own little restaurant a few doors down. Not nearly as big as the V8 but she didn't want anything too big. The Mrs. Piston? She's originally from this area and wanted something to occupy her time while Daddy's on the road promoting Piston Cup."
Jesse had stopped filling the form out, listening to her. "I've...never seen you...and how'd you end up here?" He tapped the counter with the pen, indicating that he meant the hotel at such an awful hour.
"I'm filling in for the owner while she visits her kids in Flagstaff."
"Ahh..." There was a brief silence. "I uh...I'm not interested in broadcasting-"
"That's why I waited until Michael left."
Jesse nodded in thanks, going back to the form.
"I followed your career, which drove Alex nuts."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah, and I have to say you're better looking in person."
"Ah huh-" He stuttered in embarrassment, smiling as he rifled through his wallet for his license. "Thanks?"
She grinned at the blush that dusted the bridge of his nose and spread to the tips of his ears. "Pictures don't do your eyes justice, either."
"You're extremely forward, you know that?"
She shrugged. "Tell it like I see it."
"I can appreciate that." He grinned.
She passed the key across the counter. "Number 6."
Jesse set the pen down before going for his wallet again. With a frown, he asked what the room would cost.
"I...don't have any cash." He checked his pockets. "Is there a bank in town? I can get to the bank when it opens and-"
"I'll cover it for now."
"I don't want to inconvenience-"
"I already have been. It's 3:20 AM."
"True."
"Don't worry about it." She reached for her purse under the desk.
Jesse watched her quietly, swinging the key chain of the room key on his finger. "I'll pay you as soon as I can..."
"I know you're good for it."
"Actually." He grinned and caught the key in the palm of his hand, stopping it from spinning on his finger abruptly. "Can I buy you a drink tomorrow evening?"
She hesitated in making change in the cash register and looked up at him. "Sure. I'd like that."
"Great. I'm gunna go sleep for ten hours."
He jumped and nearly fell off the bed when there was a knock at the door. Jesse had pulled the blackout curtains closed before falling asleep and just the strip of light under the door was enough to set the headache off again.
Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes before going to open the door. He leaned against the door frame and used his forearm to shield his eyes from the bright morning sunlight.
"Morning." Emily stood on the step with a plate of breakfast courtesy of the V8. Her chipperness offset his scowl.
"It has not been ten hours."
"No, but your car is gaining attention and I thought you'd want to get that taken care of."
He grabbed the bacon and a slice of toast from the plate she held before getting his shoes back on and starting down the road.
"You can take my car..."
She stopped him when he went for the passenger side.
"I don't know how to drive."
His brow furrowed. "But it's your car?"
"It's Daddy's actually, and he thinks driving is not meant for young women...women in general really."
Jess huffed as he switched sides with her. "Your family is really backwards you know that?"
Emily didn't reply, getting into the passenger seat.
She leaned against her father's car and straightened the wrinkles out of the skirt of her dress, watching as Jesse set the jack under the Hornet and set to work on changing the first of the four tires.
"Why do you have to change them all?"
He looked up at her, covered in dust. "Track tires are smaller, in diameter and width. The car won't be balanced."
"Is it even a mile, though? Would that hurt it that much?"
"I'd rather change them."
She rolled her eyes, racers were all the same.
"You want to use the garage behind the restaurant? At least until you've gotten different tires."
He paused and looked at her again, appreciative of the fact that someone else understood his wish for anonymity.
"Thanks."
She kept him company until all four tires were changed. Looking between the two vehicles parked on the shoulder of Route 66, she bit her lip. How would they get the second vehicle back?
Shoving all the tools back into the trunk, Jesse came around the back of the Hornet as she explained her dilemma.
"Well." He replied. "If you don't want anyone else getting involved, I can drive you back in my car and walk back out to get yours."
"You'd do that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
She bit at her thumbnail and looked between the vehicles. "Ok...but I'll walk back out with you."
He raised a brow and shrugged. "Whatever you want."
She nodded and got into the car, grinning as he started it.
"Then after I get some more sleep, you can learn how to drive."
Oh, she hoped he would stay for a while.
