Powder

“Son of a bitch!” a nondescript Chevy Malibu sits at a stoplight out in the Nevada territory. It has been on a long cross country path that had lasted the last four days. Inside, sits two occupants. One, a female who looks to be in her mid-twenties to early thirties. She is blond, with eyes a pale green. Her oversized prescription glasses denotes a design popularized in the 80s now a prominent expression of the feminist movement. She is clad in a yellow spaghetti strapped blouse with a smiley face of rainbow colours across the chest area. Her skimpy jeans shorts reveal long pale legs that end in petite shoeless feet sitting on the dash.
Her companion, a Hispanic male early to mid-thirties wearing a blue fitted cap dark sunshades not unlike Ray Charles, black t-shirt and matching blue jeans. He is frantically tries to put out a joint he was smoking, which led to brushing embers and soot falling on his lap and the seat, much to his distress as the light in the turning lane just went green and the eminent approach of a cop car in said lane has him spooked.
He seemed oblivious to the fact that the midnight tint on the windows makes it practically impossible for passersby to see what’s transpiring within the confines of the vehicle.
“Chill out!” she told him “you’ll attract more attention the way your acting!”
“Shut up nobody asked you!” he snapped at her as he continues brushing the remnants off his lap. The cop car went by, took a left and disappeared in the distance.
“Wow! See how he looked at me?” he asked while looking around in his rear view mirrors as if someone was trailing him.
“You do realize that he can’t see you right?”
“Shut up! What do you know?” he again snapped at her. She hissed before taking a small Ziploc bag of coke from her bra. She scooped some of its contents into her fingernail before sticking the nail into her nostril and snorting hard, then repeating the whole process only this time alternating the nostril.
“Give me some of that!” he demanded
“The way your acting you ought not to have anything but bottled water!” she replied.
“Fuck you! I’m straight. Pass it here before this dam light changes.” He’d barely finished speaking when the light indeed changed and he was forced to drive.
As he drove he looked at her with disdain and lit the crumpled joint he’d been smoking earlier. “Puta mierda!” he quipped as he exhales the smoke. She ignored him and reached out to turn on the radio, he smacked her hand away and proceeded to change the station himself once he was satisfied with his selection he turned the volume to maximum and opened up his driver side window, ashed his joint and nodded his head to the beat of the song being played. She rolled the passenger side window down as well and stared out at the passing scenery.
“I need to use the bathroom!” she said… his being in a world of his own coupled with the blaring music heard nothing of it. “I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM!” she yelled. He turned the volume down and looked at her,
“What did you say about me?” he asked. “I gotta pee.” She replied calmly
“O ok hold on.” he replied. They drove another few minutes before they arrived at an exit to a rest stop below. He took the exit and before long they were at a service station parking lot. “Grab me some cigarettes while you’re in there.” He told her as they parked. She reached in her bag took her purse out and asked “anything else?”
“Let me hold that baggie.” He responded
She reached in her bosom and retrieved the baggie which she tossed to him before exiting the car.
He watched her swish her waist as she walked away from the car and kept his eye on her till she slipped behind the service center’s door. Then he opened the Ziploc baggie and began indulging in its contents.
Inside the store his female companion roamed the isles looking for items they needed. Her arms slowly began to fill as she grabbed snacks and other nix knacks. As she arrived at the refrigerator she struggled to get the door open due to the plethora of items occupying her arms. Within a moment a young man came over to offer her some assistance…
“Thanks a bunch, I always forget to grab a basket you know.” She said slightly embarrassed. He opened the door and asked
“What exactly would you like?”
“Just two Heinekens and a two Red Bulls, oh and a bottle of water.”
“Hope you’re not drinking and driving now.” He said quizzing as he removed the items from the fridge
“No my boyfriend is doing the driving so I’m good”
“Well for a second I thought maybe I was lucky.”
“Lucky?” she repeated looking at him “with what?” she questioned.
“It’s not often a pretty little lady like yourself enters this place alone… get so used to seeing couples I for a moment thought you must have been sent for me.. Ha-ha ….” He explained before laughing
“Well that’s quite an assumption! Isn’t it? Well at least I know why you offered to assist me … or was it to my rescue you came... Shining amour and all?” she smiled at him as she finished speaking and walked towards the counter.
“I came, I guess to assist a customer, and if possible kill two birds with a single stone ... I haven’t had any opportunity to look into the eyes of a deity before now.”
“How charming…your longue has a silver lining I see.do you guys sell blunt wraps?”
“As a matter a fact we do. 420 friendly are we?”
“Who isn’t these days?” She replied as she laid he items on the counter. The clerk was now making his way to his station and reaching for the wraps he asked
“You’re not from out here are you? What’s that accent?”
“Boston Massachusetts, east coast baby!”
“Wow you’re a long way from home, I’m Derrick by the way.”
“You don’t say I for sure thought that was your brother’s name on that shirt! Well nice to meet you Derrick. I’m Cathy.”
“So what brings you all the way out here?”
“My boyfriend has business to attend to in California.”
“And you just tagging along?”
“Yeah and its boring in Mass. you know!”
“Never been but I take your word for it.”
“Trust me you aren’t missing nothing.”
“Well if you ever want to see Nevada, I’ve lived here my whole life know every nook and cranny… so.”
“Wow you don’t waste no time do you Derrick inviting me out already are you. Best be careful my BF is rather crazy so it’s best if I get going before he gets curious.”
“Oh my bad!”
“No you ok, just don’t need any extra drama. Got enough as it is. You guys got a restroom in here?”
“Yeah it’s just beyond that half wall first door on your left… well all the doors are on the left, but yeah the first one.”
“Thank you I almost forgot I had to pee so badly.”
“You didn’t say how many wraps.”
“Three!”
She smiled and moved swiftly towards the indicated direction. As she does she glanced out the glass at the front of the store and noticed a patrol car slowly pulling into the parking lot. “Oh shit!” she exclaimed before quickening her speed.
Derrick packed all the items in two bags and awaited her return. It didn’t take long for her to come hastily back from the bathroom. “That’ll be forty eight dollars and sixty eight cents.” He told he as she approached the counter, she rummaged through her purse before giving him a fifty dollar note and suggesting he keep the change, grab her bags and made her way out the door. “Bye Derrick shouted as she slipped out of view.
The patrol car was already at the exit of the parking lot awaiting its chance to rejoin the highway. She made her way towards the parked car and opened the door. A plume of smoke rushed outwards as she entered.
“What took you so long?” asked her boyfriend “you could have got me busted!”
“Me!” she asked surprised
“Yeah you! You didn’t see the cops?” he asked her
“The restroom does not have windows!” she replied sarcastically. “What would you have me do shit right by the front door?”
“Next time just hurry up!” he said handing her the joint.
“Roll the windows down and let some air through. I don’t know how you can even breathe in here like that.” She stated as she took the joint from him. Removing the beers she opened them up passing one to him as she does. “You might want to finish this before we hit the road!” she said as he takes the green bottle from her hand. She then reclined her seat slightly and put a leg up on the open door, relaxing as she enjoys the effects of the marijuana she smokes.
“I got us three blunt wraps” she said as she passed the joint to her boyfriend.
“That’s why I love you Catherine.” He said leaning over to offer her a kiss. They share a quick moment of passion before he emptied his beer and rolled the bottle away unto the parking lot. Then he started the engine and before long they were out on the road.
Reaching into the bag to retrieve an energy drink Cathy noticed a piece of paper akin to the receipt slip. Her boyfriend keeping his attention to the road while talking on the phone notices not her discovery. She retrieves the paper and notices derrick had written his number on it. Smiling and slipped the paper into her purse.