Illinois
Route 53
April 12th
5:09 pm
After three days of pushing his car to the breaking point.…… Tthe car finally gives to the abuse.driving hard the car decided that it had had enough and stopped at the side of the road. Connor growled and got out of the now dead car and opened the hood. He was met with a plume of white smoke. Looking at the inside of a car was like looking at the abyss, to Connor it meant nothing.none of it meant anything.
He looked up and saw that the sun was low enough for him to risk the walk to the nearest town.
After twenty minutes Connor reached a rest stop with a repair shop. Thanking whatever deity that listens to vampires he walked towards the garage. He noticed an old tow truck outside and a worn sign that read Russo's Garage
As he entered his nose was assaulted by the smell of motor oil, cigarettes, and sweat. He looked around for someone to help him but found no one. "Is there any one here who can help me?"
Connor heard foot steps come from the end of the shop and turned around. tThe voice that answered responded surprised him. "Depends on what you need help with." aA young woman stepped into view from behind a car. She was small, maybe five three, so that Connor towered over her. Her dark, motor oil covered hair, was pulled in a pony tail behind her. She was wearing a beaten a too large t-shirt that was to large for her small figurethat had seen better days, a pair of jeans, with a tool belt, and heavy black work boots.
But even with the dirt and too large clothinges Connor could see that if she wanted to she could have gotten into the most exclusive clubs in any city. Under the grease he could tell that her skin was fair and clear. Her body was well toned and muscled from years of hard work. While her hands were covered in hard earned calluses and dirt, he could see that her fingers still possessed the slenderness and beauty of a woman in her primewere long and slender. Her face, though covered in gunk, contained a beauty that no scalpel or face cream could ever duplicate.was slender and fine boned. Overall she was what Connor would have calledcall an old world beauty.
Conner continued to take in the beauty that emanated from her, not realizing that his eyes have remained transfixed upon her luscious curves. The woman, annoyed at Connor's stare, asked "Is there something I can help you with or are you going just stare" At this, Connor blinked bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Yes,… my car broke down about three mile down the road"
"Alright, wwhat kind car is it"
"A black 1969 mustang." At this the girl raised a single eye brow and whistled, "tThat's a nice car." Looking Connor up and down, she noticed his seeing the black Jos. A. Bank hHerringbone topcoat, over his tight black stripe snap Armani shirt with matching pants. tThe top two buttons on his shirt were left open so people she could see his well muscled chest. His hair was cut short and stylized to match the models from Vogue Magazine and stylish h. And to finish the ensemble, he was wearing a pair of jet black Gucci shoes. After her examination all she could say wasair cut she said, "You'rer not from around here, huh?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because the nearest town is Jonesburg and the only people who dress this nice there are gay, and since you were staring at my chest a little while ago I'm guessing your straight"
Connor's mouth gaped open, "I wasn't looking at your chest."
The girl smiled, showing her white teeth, "So you are gay."
"What? No I'm not."
"So you were looking at my chest?"
"NO, I wasn't"
"So which is it, your gay or you were looking at my chest?" Connor had survived lived three hundred eighty-seven years and has never been talked into a corner this quickly.
"Listen, can we just get my car." tThe girl smiled and nodded her head, "We sure can mister….." Connor looked at the girl and thought before answering, "Connor, you can call just call me Connor. Mister makes me sound old." The girl nodded and headed out of the shop. "I'm Sasha, and please don't try any of that suave, sophisticated, crap on me, it won't work and it wastes both are of our time."
Connor looked at Sasha's back as she walked away. It had been a while since he was entertained with another's presence. He chuckled as he walked outside to meet her.
He saw that she was already in the driver side of the old tow truck. She signaled for him to get into the passenger side.
They drove the three miles until they reached the dead car.
Sasha got out of the car and whistled, "You walked all that." Connor simply nodded. "Wow that's impressive., iIs that how you stay fitso tonnedtoned?" She asked as she walked to the car and opened the hood.
Connor smiled thinking about the fight at the motel "Amongst other things, yes."
Sasha looked up from her work and smiled coyly, "Hmm rich, cute, well dressed, and straight. I might just let you see me naked." Connors eyes widened and blinked repeatedly.
Twice in one day this girl, no older than twenty-three, left him speechless.
Sasha looked up from her work and said, "Here's the problem, too much sand in the engine. I'm gdoing to have to clean it out and replace the spark plug.s" lLooking at the nearly dark sky she shrugged and said "I can have it done by tomorrow." Connor sighed and shook his head. He had wanted to leave and keep what ever lead he had on his pursuers.
"Is there any way you would could do it faster?" asked Connor. Sasha smiled sadly and started to hook the mustang's front wheels to the truck for tow. "Sorry, your cute, but not that cute. It's getting late and I've been working all day. Don't worry there's motel right by my shop. And if you played your cards right, I might just join you."
Sasha dropped him off at the motel by her shop. He checked in at the motel which was clean much unlike the last motel he stayed at. After leaving, he dropppinged his bags in the small room. hHe decided to go to a dinner not too far down the road, which he had he had seen on the way up here.
He reached the dinner and sat in a booth at in the back. Years of constant fighting had taught Connor to sit with his back against the wall and his front facing the door, just in case. He looked over the menu the waitress had given him upon entering. After glacingglancing at it for a moment he was distracted by the sound of someone entering through the door. He was looking it over when he heard the door open.
Connor looked up to see a freshly showered and changed Sasha heading for the counter. She sat down and greeted the man behind the counter and before she ordered was presented with a fresh cup of coffee and a slice of pie.
A waitress came to his booth and asked for his order. "I'll have the steak with a baked potato and a glass of water" The woman didn't look up as she wrote it on her pad, ", aAnd how would you like you're steak"
Connor grinned "Rare, very rare."
"Ok, rare."
With that the waitress took the menu and headed for the kitchen. His food arrived shortly after that. Human food wouldn't nourish him enough to survive on it alone but it provided enough to quite the hunger.
The door again opened and in stepped three large men reeking with the smell of cheap alcohol. They walked to the counter and sat next to Sasha.
"Hey, Sasha when are you ganna let me work on your engine?" slurred the drunken man closest to her, and winked to his friends.
"How 'bout I pencil you in for a half an hour after hell freezes over?" she said not looking up from her coffee. The man's friends laughed briefly before they were silenced by the seething glance from their comrade. but the laughter die with an angry look from the first man.
"Oh, come on, baby, why are you so nasty to me?" said the man as he reached under the counter and grabbed her leg. Sasha picked up the man's hand and dropped it on the counter. "Don't ever touch me, again," She said in a bored voice. With that she finished her coffee and stood up to leave. The man had other plans in mind.
He lashed out and grabbed her arm. "Don't you talk to me like that you little, bitch!" Sasha looked down at the hand, her aggravation rising to dangerous levels. "Let go of me, Fred. I'm warning you." Aat this, the man laughed and looked at his friends who joined in. Connor would never understand why assholes always needed theirre friend's approval for their idiotic actionsto join in on there laughter.
Fred turned back to her and sneered, "Not 'till you're a little nicer to me and the boys." Tthe men with Fred hooted in support of theirre leader. Before the drunken man knew what was happening Sasha reached for the empty coffee cup and smashed it against the side of Fred's head. He let go in shock of what had just happened. "You little bitch your ganna pay for that," he said as he got up, but Sasha was already out the door. Fred and his friends foallowed her outside as blood was now pouring from the his scalp laceration. Connor could fell his stomach grumble and his fangs elongate a little at the sight of the blood. Connor stood up, dropped a twenty on the table, and fallowed followed them outside.
As Connor walked out, hHe saw Fred swuing a meaty fist at Sasha who dodged it expertly., as Connor walked out, Sasha then delivereding a swift kick to the man's genitlales. Holdinggenitals. Holding his bruised manhood Fred went feel to the ground. The other two men rushed at her and swung the fistsfists swinging. Using her small size and inherent speed she dodged and landed a punch into the first man's stomach. As the second man reached Sasha, she lunged into his mid section robbing him of breath. Fred now stood up and raised a fist but before he could bring it down Sasha landed a right hook to the large man's nose. The impact was hard enough to splatter blood all over the parking lot.cause blood spill.
Finally the two men grabbed her from behind and pinned her to the hood of a car. Fred approached Sasha squirming form, "Now your ganna get what you deserve, you little bitch" his hands went to his fly.
Connor had seen enough. "Okay, boys leave her alone." Fred looked over to the new disturbance, "Fuck off, pretty boy," and turned back to Sasha. Connor was getting annoyed by the man's tone, "Why is it that fat assholes never listen the first time?" he said out loud. Fred turned around and looked at Connor.
"You wanna go asshole?" slurred the drunken idiot as he advanced on Connor. "No, but if you don't leave her alone I will have to kick your ass." answered Connor in a bored voice. "Fuck you, you little prick" said Fred as he swung at Connor. Easily moving out of the way Connor then delivered a swift kick to the man's knee forcing it to bend the wrong way.
Fred's friends, intoxicated with full of liquid courage, let go of Sasha and rushed at Connor. Side stepping out of the way of the first man he Conner reached out with his right fist and connected with the second man's throat. As Tthe man was falling, as his chin connected with Connor's raising approaching knee.
The man that Connor had managed to avoid turned around just in time to see his friend hit the ground, his mouth leaking blood. Turning back to Connor the man again rushed at Connor, who planted his feet wideon the ground. Connor used the man's momentum he and grabbed the man's arm and fliped him onto his back with a loud thump. Then Connor twisted the arm still in his hand until he felt the shoulder pop out of it's socket.
Turning to Sasha he offered his hand. She put her small callused hand in his, noticing a gentle squeeze of concern. large soft ones, and he helped her up. "Not bad, three guys against single small woman." Sasha smiled "Not good enough I guess., tThanks." She started to walk back towards her garage and then turned around "Hhmm cute, rich, well dressed, straight, and saved me from being raped," she smilesmiled coyly again. "Now I definitely have to let you feel me up." wWith that she walked back towardinto her garage.
Laughing, Connor walked back to his motel room. It was good to know that there were still things beyond this world that could make him feel alive.