Rested, my hopes were high. And sure enough, I caught a couple of long rides. I don’t remember who they were, but I remember that I got dropped off outside of New Haven, Connecticut, around seven in the evening. It had been another hot July day. After the last ride dropped me off, I heard thunder in the distance. The rain started slowly at first, but by 7:30 it was getting dark early and I was getting soaked. I was only three hours away from my destination. I wasn’t going to stop anywhere. I had to hope for the best.

A tan sedan pulled over. The door swung open as I approached. I crawled in and apologized for getting the car wet.

“Not a problem,” a middle aged man said quietly.

After securing my suitcase in the back seat, I assessed the situation. I first noticed the strong smell of cigarette smoke, confirmed by the ashtray full of butts. The driver had thinning hair and was sort of fat all over. Some people have big bellies. Others, everything seems fat. He was unshaven but didn’t have a beard. His eyes were small and he was wearing khaki pants, a print short-sleeved shirt, and Dockers. I was hoping this one would get me to Pawtucket.

I let him know my destination and he told me I was in luck and that was where he was heading.

“Great,” I thought, “I’ll be there tonight.”

“Only I’ve been driving all day and I’m really tired. I need to stop for the night. But I can take you in the morning. There’s a hotel up here. We can stay there and in the morning, I’ll take you into Pawtucket.”

The rain pounded the car so hard that the wipers couldn’t keep up. I thought about my chances of getting another ride. My clothes were sticking to me. I was exhausted.

“OK.” I said flatly.

Without conversation, a few minutes and a cigarette later, he pulled into the hotel.

“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll get us a room.”

I sat in the car with the unrelenting rain pouring down. I knew this wasn’t a good idea, but I didn’t have a better answer.

He returned to the car, got in, and said, “They only have double rooms available. I’ll guess we’ll have to share a bed.”

His plan was now clear.

In that moment, I discovered the edge of my comfort.

“That’s OK,” I said quietly. “I’ll just hit the road.”

After some silence, he said, “Let me go check again.”

Alone again, I measured my options.

“I got them to give us a room with two beds,” he said when he returned.

“OK.”

I took my suitcase into the bathroom, locked the door and changed into dry clothes. I came out and crawled into the bed next to the window, fully clothed.

That night, in the dark, he asked across the room about my openness to new experiences. I let him know my preferences and he dropped the matter.

Tomorrow: The Gold Duster