Unwanted Company

Arms crossed, weight on one leg, Emma stared off at the distant tree line. Many minutes had gone by. Emma berated herself for not bothering to check with her aunt for the bus schedule.

In the city a bus would have been by nearly every thirty minutes. It could be hours before she saw one out here though. Emma sighed and tried to remain patient.

The sound of an automobile approaching had her hopeful, until she looked down the road and saw that it was just a car. As it neared, the silver BMW slowed, then stopped and the driver leaned out of the opened window.

Emma noticed that as nice as the car was it was still many years old. She didn't know much about cars, but she could tell that this was no shiny new one. Then she looked up to the man trying to get her attention.

He was a decent looking thirty-something, or so Emma wagered, dressed in a dress shirt and tie. He looked clean cut. As their eyes met, the gentleman asked, "How much?" and sneered.

Emma rolled her eyes and instinctively said "Fifty dollars, make you holler." Then looked away. She had dealt with her share of jerks at college. Trying to educate them on how to properly speak to a woman was just a waste of her time. Emma had found that it was easiest just to make jokes until they lost their bravado.

"OK, get in." The man said.

Emma sighed, rolled her eyes again, and said, "I'm not actually a whore, asshole."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was trying to be funny. But you're right, it was an asshole thing to say. Let me make it up to you," he smiled, seeming less rude, "You're waiting for a bus into Ridgefield, right? That bus won't be here for at least another hour. Let me give you a ride."

Emma was tapping her foot now as she stared at the man coldly. "You talk to me like I'm a hooker, then want me to get in your car? Do I look that stupid to you?"

The man laughed, held a hand up defensively, and said, "We already know I'm an asshole. I'm trying to fix that. You look like a very smart woman, but a smart woman that is about an hour early for a bus. If you want, I can take you to town."

Emma couldn't believe she was actually considering it. An hour wasn't that long of a wait, but she was about bored stiff out here after only a few minutes. Then again, rides with strangers that were jokingly looking for prostitutes, probably not the best choice for a ride in to town.