He was just dozing off when he heard something. Blinking, sitting upright, through the impenetrable fog, he spotted a set of headlights far in the distance. He instantly turned his headlights back on, flashing them, honking the horn. “Thank fuck!” The vehicle was moving towards him at a crawl, and Wade waited as it approached, barely making out the lights in the dense fog. He grew excited and figured the person had obviously seen him, so he stopped honking and flashing and watched it make its way closer, so slowly, Wade knew the road must be a muddy slippery mess. He had the slop on his shoes to prove it. It started to rain harder. Wade waited, impatiently, for the vehicle to come closer. In what felt like a time warp, it took forever until Wade realized just how slow it was moving. He stepped out of the car and shielded his eyes from the rain, waving to make sure the occupant knew he was there, and it wasn’t just an abandoned car. In the thick white gloom, the headlights gradually became clear but Wade wondered if the driver could even see him yet. Finally Wade could tell it was a pickup truck. It stopped and the door opened and legs in jeans were visible as they crossed in front of the truck’s headlamps. “Thank God! I’ve been stuck for hours. Can you help me?” Wade tried to see this man from beyond the bright halo of headlights which made him appear shadowy; a silhouette with a heavy coat and ball cap. “How on earth did you get on this road?” “No clue. I blame my navigator.” Wade noticed the man look into his car. “My satellite navigator. I’m alone.” Wade laughed nervously, thinking of horror movies and wondering how vulnerable he was out here in nowhere’s-ville. When the man began to investigate the state of Wade’s car, his own headlights shined on him. Wade could make out his features in the dim gloom. Holy shit! Are you kidding me? Horror film instantly turned into porn film in a flash in Wade’s mind. Tall, at least six-two, and young, maybe early to mid twenties? Strikingly beautiful with long dark hair coming out of the ball cap, wet and dripping on his coat’s upturned collar. “I can try to haul you out.” “That would be very kind of you. I have no cell phone reception here at all.” “No. There’s none in this area. I know that.” The young man smiled. “Let me see if I have some rope in the truck.” “Thanks, seriously. I really appreciate it.” Wade rubbed his cold hands together. Getting drenched in the damp mist and wondering if it would seem rude to sit behind the wheel of his car while this hunk helped him out. He watched him walk back to the truck, staring at his tight jeans and work boots. Damn! Wade wanted to let his fantasy run rampant, but tried to keep a lid on it. After all, this was not LA, and it was bad enough he was a ‘city slicker’ with his suit, wool coat and BMW, last thing he needed was for this guy to think he was gay. ~ Ayden was trying not to pant in excitement. His hero fantasy, helping someone in need, helping handsome men? Men in fancy black cars wearing business suits? Oh yes! Neo is here to save you! He opened the toolbox in the bed of the truck and hunted around for something to use to haul the guy’s car out. The rain was increasing and with it the blinding fog and darkness. He had a piece of fencing wire, no rope. He hopped out of the truck bed and slid on the slimy mud, catching himself on the pickup and trying to figure out how to hook this guy’s car up and drag him out of a ditch, something he had never done before. He headed towards the man, seeing him waiting in his long wool coat, his chiseled model features and his wet head of hair. “You don’t have to stand out here. Get in your car.” “No. It wouldn’t be fair. Tell me what I can do.” “I only have this wire. I have no idea if it’s going to hold. I can head back to the farmhouse and get something better, but it’ll take a while.” “Up to you. I’m no expert.” “Let me give it a try.” Ayden knelt down in the mud and tied the wire to the axel of the BMW. He tugged it, securing it, and stood back up, wiping his muddy hands on his jeans. “Right. Let me pull the rig up, and I can tie it to the trailer hook.” “Okay.” Ayden headed back to his truck, his cock thick in his pants from the handsome looks of the man. He wanted to invite him for coffee at a café…maybe have five seconds to get to know him. Get to know someone who wasn’t from the orchard, someone who had a damn brain and could talk about things. Things other than work or sports. Someone who would take the time and actually have a conversation with him, without jeering and mocking. Ayden drove the truck slowly passed where the man was standing, trying to position his rear bumper so he could secure the man’s car to the hitch. He stopped and leaned out his open window to look. He backed up, angling the truck awkwardly across the soaked narrow lane. Then he hopped out again. Using the end of the wire, wearing his gloves this time since the wire was sharp, he wrapped it up and tugged it. “Okay. Let’s see if I can get you out.” “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” Ayden smiled and wondered what color this man’s eyes were. They looked light. Blue? Like his? The guy was tall, nearly his height, and Ayden would pay money to see him naked. At this point, he’d pay to have any man naked in front of him. He climbed back into the truck and began to drive, trying to pull the car from the ditch. His truck skid in the slick mud with the extra weight and Ayden slowed down and put it into the lowest gear. Even in four wheel drive, he couldn’t budge the BMW and began sliding sideways. He stopped the truck and tried to think. He really needed to be a hero and save this guy. He put the truck into first and pushed down on the gas harder, trying to use brute force and heavy horsepower. The tires spun and his truck moved forward a few inches, then lurched completely sideways and into the same drainage ditch he had been trying to pull the BMW out of. “Shit!” The man rushed to Ayden’s open window. “Stop! You’re getting yourself stuck! Just drive me to a phone and I can call a tow truck.” “Okay.” Ayden climbed out and began unwinding the wire, once he removed it from his trailer hook, he climbed back into his truck and tried to rock out of the ditch. Now he was stuck. He couldn’t believe it. He rolled forward and back, sliding off the side of the road even worse than before. “No way! This truck never gets stuck!” Ayden spun the tires and began to inch sideways. He stopped and the man again stood at the door of his rig. “Don’t. Seriously. You’re going the wrong way. All you’re doing is sliding into the drainage ditch with me.” “You have got to be kidding!” Ayden was dying of embarrassment. “How far a walk is it to the farmhouse you were talking about?” “Miles.” Ayden took off his glove and rubbed his forehead, then realized his hands were dirty too. “Really? Too far to walk? Seriously?” “Nothing’s too far to walk, but I figure it’s going to take us a few hours. Do you have a flashlight?” “Uh no. Do you?” “No.” Ayden shook his head. “At least get in here. You’re going to freeze.” “Okay. Let me shut off my hazard lights so I don’t drain my battery completely.” Ayden watched him go and rolled his window up, putting his heater on high as he cooled off. He wondered once his family figured out he was missing if they would even think of looking for him here. He wouldn’t. It would be the last place he would look. The passenger’s door opened and the man climbed in. “Hi. I’m Wade Reed. Thank you so much for trying.” Ayden looked down at the man’s hand. “I’m Ayden Solomon. Sorry I couldn’t pull you from the ditch.” They shook warmly and Wade laughed. “I’m to blame now. I got you stuck with me.” Look at that smile! “I…I don’t mind being stuck with you.” Ayden blushed to the ears.
