Lucy hears a clunking sound and immediately pulls her car over to nearest auto station that happens to have a bar next door. She pops open the hood herself to see what the problem is and under the hot desert sun, the steam from her engine fills her face. Her car is done for right now. And it’s her fault.
She’s pissed off. She was already pissed when she left her place earlier that afternoon and getting into the car during peak rush hour probably wasn’t the best idea. But she couldn’t stand being at home anymore. It wasn’t her home anymore and she needed to go somewhere. Else.
“Lucy, you’ve had that car forever, maybe it’s time for an upgrade.” Lois says.
Lucy rolls her eyes. “I like this car. It’s my car.” It’s her first car, that she paid for with her own money after saving all her stipends. “It’s not my fault you live 5 hours away.”
“It’s literally a half hour flight,” Lois argues. “I told you I’d be willing to pay for your flight.”
“We are in the same state,” Lucy rolls her eyes. She sees the mechanic waving her over.
The mechanic says they’ve got too many trucks to work on that day to get to her car. She has to stay overnight and she finds her way into the bar next door. She doesn’t even know where to stay in this seemingly barren area. Her phone is about to die and she’s a fool for forgetting her charger when she was leaving in a rush.
It feels like a western walking into the bar. The setting sunlight against the old wooden floors and bar top make it a serene scene. There’s old classic rock playing on the juke box and clinking of ice against glasses.
There’s a blonde woman at the bar pouring an ice cold glass of beer.
Lucy slides into a stool two seats down. She looks around, unconsciously observing everyone. Interesting range of truck drivers, some bikers, two different couples that are just passing through, and strangely enough a student working on her laptop in the corner. She looks back at her phone and realizes it’s about to die.
There’s a low thump that catches Lucy’s attention. She looks over to find the blonde woman standing before her, pushing a pint of beer over to her before reaching under the bar to pull out a charger to place before Lucy.
“Uhm---” Lucy stares at the two items before her. “I didn’t--”
“If you don’t mind staying in a small room for the night, we’ve got one upstairs,” she adds much to Lucy’s convenience.
“How did you know?” Lucy asks quickly.
The woman smiles and she smiles like she knows Lucy. Like she understands Lucy. “Sometimes people end up here when they don’t know where they’re going.”
Lucy takes a moment to let the words settle in. And feels the anger and frustration she left home with lift from her chest. Where am I even going?
“My name’s Kara,” she interrupts Lucy’s train of thought. “Let me know if you like that beer.” She shoots Lucy a wink before going to the couple at the other end of the bar.
Lucy stares after Kara. Somehow in the middle of nowhere, Lucy feels like she’s come across an old friend.