The Hitchhiker Ch. 06

Note from the Author:

Previously I stated that this story contained seven chapters, but with one final edit I chose to combine chapter 6 and 7. This is the final chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy the conclusion and please remember to vote.

Thank you.

Amanda found herself making good time as she drove south on I-75. She couldn't believe she'd already passed over the Zilwaukee bridge and she only had about two hours more to drive then she'd be home. She felt horrible about having to leave Sean the way she did, but she knew if she'd stuck around any longer she wouldn't have left at all.

Amanda arrived home just after midnight. She pulled up in her driveway, got out of the car and opened the trunk, removing only her overnight bag then closed the trunk and walked up to her door. Searching on her key ring for her house key she began thinking of Sean again, a tear filled her eye and she began weeping quietly.

"I have to keep my priorities straight," she said to herself as she opened her front door and walked in, set her bag down on the sofa and headed to the bathroom. "Damn it," she said loudly, looking at the clock; "I have to be up in 5 hours if I'm gonna make it to work on time tomorrow."

Amanda undressed quickly, tossed her clothes into the hamper then climbed into the shower. She turned the faucet to hot and just stood still as the hot water washed away the tenseness she felt after the long ride home. She grabbed her nylon scrubbing mitts and as she placed her left hand in the mitt snagged on something. She felt her finger, her heart sank instantly, "Oh my God, I left him and I still have his ring. He must think I'm a real gold digger now," she said, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She removed the mitt then the ring and set it on the counter beside the sink. She turned to finish her shower.

This time she started with her hair. She wet it then applied a dollop of shampoo and massaged it throughout her hair. As she rinsed, images of Sean rinsing her hair flooded into her mind. She tried to not think about him and continued with her shower.

She moved the soap covered mitt across her body and felt a familiar wetness each time she passed over her breasts as images flashed in her mind of Sean sucking on and teasing them. Her nipples became erect with the first vision, which caused the wetness and tingling below. She leaned against the cold tile of the shower wall and began touching herself as the images of Sean became increasingly vivid with each touch.

Her pussy was throbbing as she manipulated her clit with the mitt still on her hand. Amanda closed her eyes, her head tilted back as she brought herself to orgasm, rubbing fiercely. "Oh yes Sean," she moaned as her orgasm peaked.

Amanda continued to wash her body and when finished she turned the water off, climbed out of the shower and dried her skin and hair. She walked out of the bathroom with the damp towel around her as she headed toward her bed. She removed the towel and squeezed her damp hair once more before she tossed the towel on the chair beside her bed, turned slightly, reaching for her alarm clock and set it for 7:00 A.M then turned toward her bed, pulled the covers back and climbed in.

The coolness of the sheets was a welcomed change from the stiffness of the ground while on vacation and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Amanda slept through the night and when she awakened she didn't recall having any dreams. This didn't bother her because she really needed to concentrate on her job now. After a healthy yawn she stretched and then sat up in her bed. She turned off her alarm and stood up as she reached for her robe.

Amanda set her alarm later than usual because she was so tired and because she didn't get up in time meant that she didn't have time to pack a lunch or even make a pot of coffee. All she had time to do was get dressed, pull her hair back in a ponytail, brush her teeth then head out the door.

The drive to work was hectic, it was rush hour and drivers were particularly rude today, but she made it on time with just enough time to spare to grab a cup of coffee from the machine before she went into her classroom.

Amanda was a teacher and all her children had special needs. She loved her job and her children, never missing a days work except for the past week. When her children saw her they shouted, "Miss Mandy's back, Miss Mandy's back." One student in particular, ran over to her crying and said, "I thought you died or something," then added, "don't leave me ever again."

The children brought tears of joy as well as sadness to her. "Oh how could I think I would ever be able to leave these guys," she thought to herself as the hugs continued.

"Okay class, that's enough hugs for a while. We have so much to catch up on today so we better get busy," she said in her teacher tone of voice. The children calmed and class began.

Hearing the lunch bell, she assisted the kids to the cafeteria then went to have lunch herself. "Hey Mandy," one of her fellow teachers and a very good friend shouted across the teacher's lounge, "Glad to have you back. We were getting worried about you. Jim thought you found some cute guy and decided to shack up, leaving all this behind you," she said, smiling.

"Oh don't be silly Pat," Amanda replied, her cheeks turning red as she tried her best to lie to her friend. "I met some very nice people on my vacation, but nothing to write home about."

Pat saw right through her lies though, "Okay, who is he? Tell me everything," she demanded.

"There's not enough time to tell you here. Stop by around 6 tonight and we can have dinner and I will tell you what I can," she said right before the lunch bell rang again. "Lunch is over, I should get back to my classroom before the kids take over," she said with a crazed look on her face then smiled. She picked up her tray and tossed the empty containers in the trash, put the tray on the stack then left the room.

"Good to have you back Miss Wells, we've missed you," the principle said as she passed him in the hall. "I trust you enjoyed your vacation and got your car back safely," he added.

"Yes Mr. Dean, I had a wonderful time and my car is fine now," she replied as goose bumps emerged on her forearms and the image of Sean showing her the repaired car parked in his garage. "Shit! Stop thinking about him again, you've got work to do now," she said to herself as she opened her classroom door, walked in and sat in her wooden chair at her desk and waited for her children to return.

The remainder of her day passed rather quickly. The children kept her busy and fellow teachers stopped in to welcome her back. The dismissal bell rang and the children lined up single file to get their homework assignments and their coats before being taken to the bus to go home. Amanda stood in front of the school until all her children were loaded safely on the bus, they waved to her as the bus drove away.

Amanda returned to the classroom to gather her things then headed for her car in the teacher's lot. She put her things in the back seat, closed the door then opened the driver's door and got in. She started the engine and drove off, headed for the grocery store. "Oh why did I invite Pat to dinner tonight? I don't have a single thing to make. Shit!" she mumbled as she drove down the street.

Finding the nearest spot possible Amanda parked her car and ran into the store. She walked quickly from isle to isle in search of something quick to make for dinner. She ended up with some fresh mixed greens, assorted vegetables, blue cheese, cranberries, Italian bread and two pieces of chicken breast from the deli. After she paid her bill and her bags were packed and placed in her cart she walked quickly to her car and drove home.

Once home and in her house she unpacked the food, put the chicken in the refrigerator then placed the greens and vegetables in the sink and washed them off then put them in the drainer to dry while she took a quick shower to refresh herself.

Amanda was very tired after her first day back at work in over a month and decided to call her friend to cancel when the doorbell rang. "Shit, too late I guess," she muttered, disappointed. She called out, "just a minute," as she replaced the towel she had on from her shower with the robe from the back of the chair in her bedroom then opened the door to let her friend in.

"Oh Mandy, it was so good to have you back today," Pat said as she hugged Amanda at the doorway. "I thought the sub they put in your room was going to have a coronary last week, the kids were going crazy and so was he," she added as she followed Amanda into the kitchen and sat on the stool by the counter. "Anything I can help you with?" she asked as Amanda got the chicken from the fridge and placed it on the plastic cutting board along with a knife.

"Sure," she said, as she slid the cutting board toward Pat, "You cut those into thin strips for me." she added as she took the greens from the drainer and dumped them into a large bowl along with all the other ingredients. "I figured a nice salad would be good for tonight," Amanda said as she sliced some of the bread and set it on a paper plate between the two of them.

They ate at the counter in the kitchen after Amanda wiped up from the chicken and set their places. Amanda could tell Pat was eating quickly so they could clean up and she could start with the questions about her vacation. Amanda beat her to it though and with a mouthful of salad said, "Okay what do you want to know?"

Pat asked a ton of questions and Amanda answered all of them best she could, going into detail some times and only revealing what she wanted at other times.

"I can't believe you fell for a guy way up there," Pat said, astonished and continued, "What about Steve, the guy from the pool hall? Or better yet, George, the one from the concert we went to? He really liked you and he has money too! What more could a girl want?" Pat finished then stood up to go use the bathroom.

Amanda thought to herself as Pat walked away, "A woman, this woman wants true love, passion, excitement and a sexy man, that's all."

Amanda heard a scream, then "Oh my gawd!" echo from the bathroom and she suddenly remembered she'd left the ring Sean gave her on the counter. Pat returned to the kitchen with the ring in her hand, asking, "Did someone forget to tell me something about her trip?"

"Well, no, not exactly," Amanda replied looking everywhere but at Pat. "I just didn't feel like getting into it is all," Amanda said sadly then bowed her head.

"It's okay girl, I understand if you'd rather not talk about it. I won't pressure you," Pat said and with that she got up from the stool, grabbed her purse and thanked Amanda for the nice dinner and said she'd better be on her way.

After Pat left Amanda took the ring and placed it on her hand again. "It does look nice here, just like it belongs here," but she didn't leave it on her finger for long. She took it off, walked over to her dresser, opened the drawer and took out a small gold key. She put the key into the lock on her jewelry box and opened it and placed it in her jewelry box, closed the lid then locked it again and put the key back in her drawer.

Amanda returned to the kitchen to clean up the last few dishes from dinner then went into the living room and settled on the sofa, turning on the television. She flipped through the channels, but didn't find anything that interested her. She turned off her tv and went to her computer and turned it on.

She clicked the email icon and as she waited for the page to load she remembered about the promise she made to Sean about repaying her debt to the waitress at the diner. She searched through her purse and found the woman's name and the address of the diner. She opened a new word file and began to type.

"Dear Hanna, Hello, my name is Amanda. I'm not sure if you remember me. I had eaten at your diner but didn't have enough money to pay for the meal I ordered or the meal my friend ordered. You told me it was on the house and then served my friend and I one of the most delicious meals I had ever eaten in a diner. I told my friend after we left that I was going to repay you for your kindness as soon as I arrived back home."

Amanda stopped typing for a few minutes as thoughts of Sean and that day filled her mind and she had a difficult time concentrating on the letter. She got up from her chair, went into the bathroom to wipe her face with a washrag she wet with cool water then returned to her computer to finish the letter.

"I am writing to say thank you once again. I've enclosed a check that should cover both our meals and leave you enough for a nice tip," she added before she clicked the print tab on the screen. The letter printed quickly and before she signed it she added a bit more and she wrote, "The next time I'm up that way I will surely stop in again, this time with money in my pocket to pay my bill. My friend Sean was right about you when he told me you were one of the nicest people I would ever meet up that way and if I ever needed anything, just come to you."

Amanda ended her thank you letter with that then she signed it and folded it. Before she placed it in the envelope she inserted a check she wrote out to The Family Diner in care of Ms. Hanna Feldstrom for $75.00. In the memo she wrote, thank you for being so nice to me! She signed the check, slipped it in the letter then placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it. She addressed the envelope, put a stamp on it and stuck it in her purse to be mailed first thing in the morning on her way to work. Amanda turned off her computer then went to bed.

***

Hanna opened the diner early this day to be ready for the hunters who always crowded the little diner looking for a nice hot breakfast before going into the woods for the day. As she approached the door she noticed a letter taped to the front door. "I wonder what that is?" she asked herself as she pulled it off and looked at the return address. "Oh my goodness, it can't be. I have to tell James about this!" she shouted as she rushed to unlock the door.

She threw her purse on the counter and headed for the phone. As she dialed the number she heard a knock on the window. As the phone rang she glanced up and saw James standing there with a concerned look on his face. She put the phone down and ran to the door, "Get in here," she said as James walked in and removed his coat, Hanna continued, "I have something to show you."

James looked her straight in the eye; that concerned look still on his face. "What?" She asked, "don't scare me like this, tell me what's wrong James," she added.

James hugged her and began to talk, "I just have a lot on my mind these days," he said and continued, "I just can't get over Amanda leaving in such a rush like she did."

"I'm angry with her for that too, but she must have had her reasons," Hanna told James as she handed him the letter she received.

"What's this?" James asked.

"It's a letter from Amanda. I haven't opened it yet so I'm glad you are here, we can read it together," she said as she fumbled to open the letter quickly.

"Oh my goodness!" Hanna exclaimed, "I can't believe she actually did this," she said as she showed the letter to James then continued, "Look, she sent a check to cover the meals when she and Sean stopped here that one day. Remember, I told you about that." Amanda and Sean's meal together only totaled $12.50 but she sent extra for a tip and a darn good one at that.

"Yes, I remember Hanna. Sean also told me about it when we spoke and he told me he was bringing someone home with him," James replied.

"I'll keep the check and put it in the account after work tonight," Hanna said as she put it in her purse.

James picked up the letter and put it in his pocket then asked, "Do you mind if I keep this?" James didn't wait for an answer he just grabbed his coat, said goodbye and rushed out of the diner to his car. He drove back to the house as quickly as possible, parked the car in the garage then ran into the house.

"Master Sean, Master Sean," James shouted excitedly as he pounded on Sean's bedroom door. He didn't get an answer and after several knocks became concerned, so he opened the door without waiting for permission to enter. Sean was sitting on the edge of his bed, his eyes were glazed; he didn't look like his usual self.

Sean rubbed his head then laid back down on the mattress. James walked to his bedside, "Master Sean? Are you feeling ill? Would you like me to get you some water?" James asked as he sat beside Sean on the bed and placed his hand on Sean's shoulder.

"Wh-what time is it?" Sean asked as he rubbed his eyes again.

James replied, "It's 7:30 in the morning sir." James paused as he gave Sean a concerned look then continued, "You look like you've seen a ghost, sir. What happened last night?"

"I must have fallen asleep and slept hard. I feel like shit James," Sean began to speak then paused to sit up. He scooted to the edge of the mattress and placed his feet of the floor then continued, "I was still upset because Amanda left. Everything I did reminded me of her. I couldn't concentrate on anything so I decided to take a nap. I had the most horrible dream, no, more like a nightmare. I heard a woman scream. That woman sounded just like Amanda so I packed my bag and went to look for her. I was tired when I began looking for her and when I got to the main road I just couldn't go any further and collapsed right there. The next thing I know, I saw a car speeding toward me and it crashed right on top of me. I could still hear Amanda's screams and I began to pray. I don't remember any more of the dream after that. I woke up when you shook my shoulder, James."

Sean stopped talking then and just sat there on the edge of the bed in a daze for a few minutes then asked James what he woke him up for. James showed Sean the letter Amanda had sent to Hanna.

"Look Master, we have her address sir. Now you can go look for her!" James said with excitement in his voice.

Sean stood and began to put on his pants. James spoke once more, "Please wait until tomorrow when you are feeling better sir."

Sean sat back on the bed, "I suppose you are right this time James. I do feel like shit and probably look like it too," he said with a bit of a laugh. "I will wait until morning James, don't worry," he said as James got up and headed for the door. "Before you go can I see that letter Amanda sent?" Sean asked as he held out his hand.

***

Amanda didn't expect a response from Hanna and was shocked when she found one after she took her mail out of the box and glanced through the envelopes. She opened it immediately and began to read what it said.

"Dear Amanda, thank you for the nice gesture of repaying your bill although it wasn't necessary. I am thinking that my brother probably didn't tell you he is the owner of that diner, heck he probably didn't even tell you that I'm his younger sister did he?"

Amanda chuckled and continued reading Hanna's letter.

"James told me about you also. He said you were the perfect woman for Sean. Oh dear, I probably shouldn't have said anything about that. I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. Sean is devastated that you left him. He hasn't been himself since your departure last week. He tried to make it seem reasonable by telling himself that you have a career and a life back in the big city and things probably moved too fast for the both of you. James did tell me Sean said you could keep the ring and that he couldn't give it to another woman, if one happened to come along someday, because when he would look at it on her finger it would be your fingers he would see and that wouldn't be fair to the other woman.