Saving Tess

Tess thought that she might be a little unhinged. Here she was, running away from an abusive boyfriend, fearing for her life, but deciding that giving herself an orgasm was an appropriate use of her time. This certainly wasn't the only occasion she had chosen an odd time to masturbate, but it was easily the weirdest. Even so, it was just what the doctor ordered. She felt relaxed and optimistic. Orgasms always did that to her.

****

Finally, the sun was setting. Tess pulled her pants down, peed, and then put her clothes back in order. Strapping her fanny pack into place, she glanced around to ensure she was leaving nothing behind and set off for the cornfield.

Proceeding slowly, it took Tess almost an hour to cross the field. It was completely dark by the time she could see the glow of lights from the convenience store.

From the edge of the field, Tess carefully studied each vehicle and every person in sight. None looked threatening. Feeling confident, she crossed quickly to the sidewalk that ran alongside the store. Stopping near the corner of the building, she scrutinized everything once again. Seeing nothing amiss, she took a deep breath and entered the store.

Everything seemed normal inside. Going straight to the ATM, Tess withdrew two hundred dollars from her account and added the bills to the envelope in her fanny pack. Then, crossing to the glass-fronted cold cases, she pulled out a bottle of water and a pre-made roast beef sandwich. After paying for them at the counter, Tess took them back outside and around the corner where she had a better view of her surroundings than from inside the store.

Tess knew she was now safe in the short term. If Tony showed up, there was little he could do in a public place. She'd call 911 and he would be arrested, booked, released on bail, and given a restraining order when the cops saw her bruise. That would give her a little time, but the order wouldn't protect her. It was only a piece of paper. She would still have to be on the run. Getting a ride, at least out of town, was the right answer.

Tess ate her sandwich and drank the entire bottle of water as she studied the license plates of the cars she could see. All had Maryland tags. She went back inside, purchased a second bottle of water, and drank it all.

Just as she was about to exit the store for the second time, a large sedan pulled up at one of the pumps. She couldn't see its plates clearly, but they weren't from Maryland. A tall nice looking man, a few years her senior, got out of the car, ran a credit card through the reader, and began to pump gas. While Tess was making up her mind about approaching him, he finished and hung up the nozzle. Before she could react, he was back inside the car. Disappointed, she realized she would have to wait for the next opportunity.

As it turned out, the man was considerate of others. He left the pump and pulled forward into a space directly in front of the store. The car had North Carolina plates. Tess was elated. Once again leaving his vehicle, he entered the store and headed for the men's room. Tess made up her mind to approach him when he came out.

Briefly taking her eyes from the men's room door, Tess scanned the gas pumps and parking area once more and then suddenly froze in place, her heart pounding in her chest. Tony's unmistakable black Porche was entering the convenience store lot from the access road off Route 50.

Bypassing the pumps, he cruised slowly through the parking area. Not interested in gas, he was clearly looking for her. Tess quickly stepped behind a rack of potato chips where she could still see what was happening without exposing herself.

"How the fuck did he end up here?" Tess whispered to herself, not believing her bad luck.

Tony slowly moved out of sight. Tess hoped he was circling around the back of the building to cover the entire lot. She knew it was her only chance. Walking briskly toward the door, she arrived just as a customer on the outside opened it and gestured for her to go through.

"Thank you," she murmured and then went straight for the rear door of the car, praying that the owner had not locked it. If the door was locked, she would have no choice but to retreat inside and call the police.

The door was unlocked. Tess breathed a sigh of relief and quickly climbed into the backseat. Pulling the door shut behind her, she lowered herself to the floor and took a position lying on her side with her face as close to the back of the driver's seat as she could manage. The parking area was brightly illuminated. Tess prayed that her dark clothing and hair would be enough to keep her concealed until the owner was seated behind the wheel.

Moments later the driver's door opened and the car shifted under his weight. Tess, who had been holding her breath, let out a quiet sigh of relief as the engine came to life. The driver had not looked in the back, so it appeared that she would now be free of Tony once and for all.

Tess was very familiar with this store. She knew there was only one way in and out from the access road. Once the car reached the stop sign at the highway, she would soon know which direction they were going. If it turned right, they would be traveling west towards Cambridge. A left turn presented several possibilities, the most desirable from her point of view being a direct run to intercept U.S. Highway 13 South, heading towards Virginia's eastern shore.

The driver left the lot, pulled onto the access road, and came to a halt at the stop sign. Tess crossed her fingers. There was a momentary pause and then the car turned left after crossing to the median. A minute later she knew they were not headed directly into downtown Salisbury. Three or four more minutes at cruising speed told her the driver was not going to exit onto 13 North. If he was going to Ocean City, or entering Salisbury from the east, she'd know in another few minutes.

The minutes came and went. The car was now headed south on Highway 13, hopefully going all the way to North Carolina. Tess gave herself a mental high five and settled in for a long ride. She had plenty of room. The big sedan was spacious and the slight hump in the middle of the floor was not too uncomfortable.

****

About ninety minutes later, Tess had to pee. The two bottles of water had taken their toll. Just as she decided to make her presence known to the driver rather than wet her pants, she felt the car slow, pull off to the right, and then come to a halt. Glancing at her watch, Tess saw that it was nearly eleven o'clock.

After the driver left the car, Tess waited a full minute and then raised her head above the seat. He was nowhere to be seen, so she sat upright, opened the door, and stepped out onto the blacktop.

"Who the hell are you?" asked a stern voice, clearly irritated.

"Oh!" exclaimed Tess. "You scared the shit out of me!" she added, wondering where he'd come from until she saw that he was holding a tire pressure gauge in one hand.

"You have thirty seconds. Then I'm calling the police," the man announced, although he was now staring intently at the bruise on her face.

Tess gave him the shortest version she could and still get her point across.

"I was desperate. I had to get out of Salisbury. The guy who hit me pulled into the convenience store and I had to make a decision. So I jumped into the back of your car. I guess I'm safe now. Where are we?"

"Just north of Cape Charles," he replied.

"Where are you headed?" Tess inquired.

"Beaufort, North Carolina. I live there."

"Please take me with you. He threatened to kill me if I left. I need to get as far away from him as I can. I have some money. I can pay you."

The stranger gave her a long look before he replied.

"That won't be necessary," he finally said as he put the tire gauge in his jacket pocket. "I'm going there anyway. What's your name?"

"Tess. Tess Holloway. What's yours?"

"Frank Meade. Are you hungry?"

"Very," Tess replied, suddenly realizing that they were at another convenience store and gas station next to a McDonald's.

"I can offer you a cheeseburger," he said with a smile, gesturing at the fast food place.

"Thank you, kind sir. I accept," she replied with a smile of her own, her first in many hours.

****

"Looks like you really were hungry," Frank said as Tess polished off the last of her extra-large order of fries and took the final bite of her second Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

"The only thing I've eaten in the last thirty hours or so was a sandwich at the store in Salisbury. It didn't come close to filling me up. I feel almost human again."

"Are you ready to hit the road? My intentions are to stop for the night on the other side of the Bridge-Tunnel," Frank said.

Tess didn't answer. Instead she was staring wild-eyed over his shoulder at something in the parking lot.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked with a frown.

"Oh my God! It's Tony! How did he find me? I don't know where I am, so how the fuck does he?"

"Tell me what you see."

"His black Porche just pulled into the parking area. I gotta get out of here!"

"Hang on. Which way is he going?"

"He's driving slowly around by the drive-thru. I think he's going to circle the building like he did in Salisbury."

"Do you have a smartphone?"

"Yes."

"Give it to me. That's how he's tracking you. Take the car keys. When he's out of sight, get in the car. Drive slowly out of the lot and go south to Cape Charles. Then turn around and pick me up next door. If he sees you, come back inside and we'll deal with him in some other way."

Tess didn't move.

"Do it now, Tess! You don't have much time."

Suddenly Tess came alive, handed her phone over, grabbed his keys, and bolted for the door.

Frank had to admire her courage. Following his instructions to the letter, she was in the car within seconds and keeping herself under control. Slowly backing out, she turned toward the highway just as the Porche reappeared on the other side of the restaurant and pulled into a parking space facing away from the building.

Frank stood and walked quickly toward the door on the opposite side nearest the drive-thru and immediately spotted what he needed. He couldn't believe his good fortune. A pickup truck with Maryland plates, a passenger, and an open bed full of surf rods, coolers, and several duffle bags was at the window picking up an order.

Frank walked behind the truck, tossed the phone into the middle of the bags, memorized the plate number, and then circled the building on foot.

Arriving at the door nearest the Porche, he reentered the building. He hoped that the truck was heading south rather than returning to Maryland, but it didn't really matter. If the truck was going north, Tony would see the reversal of direction and realize that Tess knew she was being followed. But that's all he'd know.

Tony was easy to spot. Not interested in food, he was standing in the middle of the restaurant peering at his phone. Apparently satisfied that Tess was somewhere in the building, he slipped the phone into his shirt pocket and carefully surveyed each of the patrons. Not seeing her, he focused on the ladies room and then walked over to stand near the door. The expression on his face was that of a guy who believed he was about to win the lottery.

Seconds later, the pickup rolled out of the lot and turned south on Highway 13. Frank did a subdued fist pump while Tony continued to stare at the ladies room door.

Women spend a lot of time in restrooms, so it took several minutes for Tony's suspicions to be aroused. Finally, he frowned. Retrieving his phone, he tapped on the screen a few times and then raced out the door.

Frank pulled a small notebook from his pocket and wrote down the license numbers of the truck and the Porche. Tess was now safe.

****

"Tell me what happened," Tess demanded when Frank was once again behind the wheel and they were back on the highway. Frank explained that Tony had put a tracking app on her phone without her knowledge.

"Then what took him so long to find the McDonald's? We must have been in there for twenty minutes before he showed up."

"I'm guessing he had to stop somewhere, maybe for gas or a bathroom break. He wasn't worried about losing you. He knew from minute to minute where you were, but he was probably concerned about who you are traveling with since you don't have wheels of your own. That might have made him a little cautious. Lagging behind wasn't a bad idea. Sooner or later you were going to stop somewhere and he could catch up, which is pretty much what happened."

"Where's my phone now? Can he still track us?"

"He can track the phone, but not you. The phone is in the back of a pickup truck. The last I saw of it, it was heading south on this highway, just like us."

"There are two men in the truck," Frank continued. "They have fishing equipment in the back. I'm betting they're going to the Outer Banks to surf fish. Your phone is buried in their stuff. If Tony closes in on the truck and finds the phone, he won't know when or where it was put there. Neither will the two men if they find it first."

"You really think I'm safe? How about the guys in the truck? Tony can be pretty rough."

"You're safe and they looked big enough to handle trouble. Is your phone locked?"

"Yes."

"Tony obviously has the code but the guys in the truck don't. Your phone is probably gone forever."

"Shit." Tess muttered.

A few minutes later, Frank and Tess entered the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. After another half hour, Frank pulled up in front of a Holiday Inn Express.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Tess wondered what the sleeping arrangements might be, but she was so tired she didn't care. Moments later, Frank slid back behind the wheel, handed her a room key, and drove to the end of the building.

"Our rooms are across the hall from each other. Go inside, set all the locks, and get a good night's sleep," Frank said. "Sleep as late as you want. Call my room when you wake up."

"Frank, I don't know how to thank you. You probably saved my life."

"You'll think of something," Frank responded with a smile. "See you in the morning."

****

It was well after one o'clock in the morning and Tess was exhausted, but she wanted a shower more than she wanted sleep.

Like many women, Tess was fanatical about the cleanliness of her underwear. Stripping down, she carefully washed her panties and sports bra, wrung most of the water out, and draped the garments over a towel rack to dry. The remainder of her clothing was put on hangers to air out. It was the best she could do. Tomorrow she would purchase what she needed for a more normal existence. After brushing her teeth, she stepped into the shower.

The hot water was wonderful, relieving her of some of the fatigue she felt. Tess washed everything twice, including her hair, shaved her legs, and then stood in the stream until the skin on her fingertips began to wrinkle.

Toweling dry, she used the wall-mounted hairdryer and her brush to return the lush mane to its natural state. Her bruise stood in stark contrast to her normal creamy complexion. It was probably at its worst now and would begin to fade soon. Within a week, it would be gone.

Studying the rest of her body in the full length mirror, Tess liked what she saw. High firm breasts, a narrow waist above hips just wide enough to avoid being boyish, and a pair of long shapely legs. The dark triangle between her thighs was perfectly trimmed. For the first time in ages, Tess felt liberated. Being free of Tony was going to work wonders for her.

Slipping naked between the sheets, Tess found herself thinking about Frank. She couldn't believe her good fortune. He seemed like a nice guy. He was self-assured and competent. The way he handled the situation in McDonald's was the most impressive display of quick thinking that she had ever witnessed.

Frank had saved her life, or at least spared her from severe abuse, if Tony had caught up with her. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she intended to learn a lot more about Frank Meade. If he was as genuine as he seemed to be, Tess could think of a couple of ways she could repay him for his heroism, if given the opportunity.

Thinking along those lines was causing Tess to become a little antsy. She knew exactly how to deal with that problem. Getting out of bed, she retrieved her vibrator. A few minutes later, she screamed into the pillow she was holding over her face as her fantasy about Frank reached its conclusion.

****

The clock radio beside the bed informed Tess that it was eight-thirty in the morning. She'd only had about six hours of sleep, but she felt refreshed; better than she had in a long, long time.

Fifteen minutes later, teeth cleaned, hair brushed, and once again dressed in her track outfit and tennis shoes, Tess called Frank's room. He picked up on the first ring.

"Ready for breakfast?" he asked.

"Absolutely. Should we check out first?"

"No need. There's a diner next door and we have plenty of time today. It's only about four hours from here to Beaufort."

Ten minutes later they were sitting across from each other in a booth, studying their menus. After placing their orders and being served mugs of steaming coffee, Tess sighed with contentment and glanced up at Frank.

"How much to I owe you for the room?" she asked.

"Don't worry about that right now. When your life is a little more stable, you can pay me back."

"But you've done so much for me in just a few hours. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"You can pay for breakfast," Frank suggested.

"Gladly," Tess responded.

While they were waiting for their food to arrive, Tess told Frank the details of her last night with Tony and her escape the next day, omitting the sexual assault and her use of the vibrator in the woods.

"What I haven't figured out is what took Tony so long to realize I was on the run," she said. "I've been thinking about how awful things would have turned out if he'd found me earlier. I was stationary in the woods only a few feet from a paved road for several hours."

"My guess is that he didn't check your whereabouts during the day because he didn't think he needed to."

"Well, thanks to your quick thinking, we've given him the slip."

"I'm sure we have."

Their order arrived and both dug in with relish, making small talk until nothing was left except their second cup of coffee. Frank pulled the small notebook out of his shirt pocket.

"What is Tony's last name?" He asked.

"Brunetti. Why?"

"Just filling in details. What is the plate number on your car?"

Tess recited the number. "Again, why?" she asked.

"Details again. One more thing," Frank said as he pulled out his cell phone. "I want to take a picture of that bruise. It's fading already and a photo may come in handy someday. Once it's gone, it's gone forever."

Tess looked at him quizzically, but then nodded her head. "Okay."

Frank snapped the picture and started to put his phone away.

"May I borrow that? I wasn't scheduled to work today, but I need to call my supervisor and tell her I'm never coming back. I know she's working today."

"Sure," he said as he handed the phone over.

"Well shit!" exclaimed Tess. "I don't know her number. Hell, I don't know anyone's number. Everything was programmed into my phone. I'm gonna miss that thing."

"Just look up the number for the store," Frank suggested.

"Duh. Why didn't I think of that?"

Two minutes later, Tess was talking to her boss. Frank could tell that both women were very upset.

"Good boss?" he asked when she had terminated the call and returned his phone.

"The best," Tess replied, starting to tear up. "I'm going to miss her. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to go to the ladies room."