The Long & Winding Road

To those who commented that my original version was rushed at the end, I agree. All other comments have been addressed as well. I hope this edited and extended version is an improvement even though I still left some things to the reader's imagination. I know those omissions will disappoint some, after all, this is Literotica. Those of you who just want to see how it ends can skip to the middle of page 4.

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Most of the year, Washington, D.C. is a cold landscape of government buildings accented by the white marble of its historic monuments but for a short time between the months of March and April, it becomes a magical place when cherry blossoms bloom. Those tiny pink and white petals bring out smiles hidden the rest of the year.

It was one of the few joys that I looked forward to while working there. The word "monotonous" doesn't begin to describe my life. Six days a week, I got up, followed the same morning bathroom ritual, and dressed in a white shirt, black pants and a tie. My life was so routine, the only way to remember what I did on a particular day was to think about which tie I wore. Each morning, after grabbing a cup of coffee from my coffeemaker and the lunch prepared the night before, I drove to the office following the same route. For the next eight hours I'd do paperwork and stare at the clock on my desk. It didn't make it go any faster but that's what I did. God, I hated my job. It's not that it was stressful or physically demanding, it was just sooo boring.

As a child I had dreams of an exciting life. At five it was to be a cowboy, at seven a fireman and at eight an astronaut but those dreams faded and when forced to make a decision in college, Accounting was chosen as my major. Considering my earlier choices, it would seem a strange decision unless you knew my dad. He's the type of person I wanted to be, a loving husband and father. He's also an accountant. His hours seemed reasonable except for tax time and the pay was decent so it seemed like a good idea at the time. Of course, being an accountant did absolutely nothing for my love life. Telling people what I did for a living didn't cause beautiful women to fall at my feet. Hell, my life was so pathetic that I considered not removing those pictures that come inside cheap wallets so I could pretend I had a life.

As if that wasn't enough, I worked for the government, you know, that three-letter branch that everyone hates on April 15th. The bad news was that I could never tell anyone. I did that once. Nothing kills the mood at a social gathering faster than saying that you work for the IRS. Everyone stops talking and starts to avoid you. So, from that point on, to anyone who asked, I was just an accountant.

Although I can't tell you the exact date it happened, I remember many details of the night I took a long, hard look at my life. It was during cherry blossom time and I was wearing a yellow tie with blue stripes.

After a dinner of sesame chicken and broccoli ordered from my favorite Chinese restaurant, I settled in for a night of channel surfing. Scrolling through the menu on my TV, I noticed a movie called "The Accountant" starring Ben Affleck. I was curious how they could make an interesting movie about such a boring occupation. Well, by the time the final credits rolled I was sure of one thing, the life of the main character was everything my life wasn't, it was exciting and dangerous. The only thing we had in common was our first name, Christian. Maybe I could do without the dangerous part but immediately I knew my life had to change.

I've never been an impulsive person but that night was the exception. The rest of the evening was spent packing up my things and and loading my car. It was amazing to see how little was important enough to take with me. What was left was placed in bags and dumped down the chute that led to the garbage area in the basement of my apartment building.

The next day I handed in my resignation, telling everyone that I decided to start my own company. I left the building happy, knowing I wouldn't have to deal with all the people who file their tax forms at the last minute.

Next, a few thousand dollars in travel money was withdrawn from my checking account. Between the cash, my checkbook and credit cards, I could handle anything that came up. Payments on the charges made to my credit cards wouldn't be a problem since they could always be made online.

That was followed by a trip to the post office to put a hold on delivery of my mail. In time, a change of address card would be filled out and my parents could forward anything important that was held.

Finally, my keys were left at the renting office in my apartment building. With all of that done, I kissed my old life goodbye and headed west in my 2015 Honda Civic. When the car was purchased, I was only looking for one that was practical and inexpensive but after watching that movie, I wanted more, much more. I was only thirty-two at the time and yet I was going through a full-blown midlife crisis.

Until that point, I'd never even been out of Maryland but that was easy to change. It was about 3:00 p.m. when I drove into a small town in West Virginia called Elkins. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten all day, acting purely on adrenaline. Definitely not in the mood for fast food, I searched for an alternative, eventually settling on a restaurant where my new freedom was celebrated with a delicious meal that included a New York strip steak, grilled shrimp and a baked potato.

I motioned to the waitress who had been serving me. The name plate on her blouse said her name was Rebecca.

"Yes, sir?"

"Rebecca, can you suggest where I might get some new clothes and maybe a car?"

"A rental car?"

"No, I want to trade in my car for something better."

"Well, we don't have many stores that carry fancy clothes and only a few car dealerships."

"The clothes don't have to be fancy, and as for cars, I'm not really sure what I want."

"I'll write down the names of some places and place the information in the billfold along with your check."

"Thank you, Rebecca."

It didn't take long to find the clothing stores and car dealerships that she wrote down. As I said before, Elkins is a small town. I picked out some comfortable clothes and drove to the car dealership that, according to Rebecca, had the widest selection.

A salesman slowly walked to my car the second I pulled into the dealership.

"What can I interest you in, today?"

"I don't know. I just know it has to be bigger than this," as I pointed to my car.

"New or used?"

"Used."

"Family car?"

"No. My midlife crisis does not include a minivan."

"So, something a little fast?"

I thought, "When in Rome..." and I decided on a car you'd never see in D.C.

"I want a pickup truck."

"Well then, you've come to the right place."

I came into town in a Civic and left in a dark red 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT Z71 that had a cover over the bed. I didn't know what all those letters and numbers really meant, I just knew that it looked badass and was loaded with features, a far cry from what I drove up in. Nobody would ever look at it and think that the owner was an accountant, and it was perfect for hauling my stuff.

It had been a long day and all I could think about now was taking a hot shower. Feeling the warm water as it ran over my body always relaxed me. As I checked into a hotel, I thought about what I'd done. Everything was totally out of character. While my daily routines may have been boring, they gave my life a sense of order. My new freedom was exhilarating but it was also scary. It was the first time that I'd been without a home, without a job. As much as I wanted to change, right then I needed something to battle the uncertainty I felt. I left without a plan. What I chose to do that night wasn't much but it was a start. I made a list of the cities I wanted to travel to.

Early the next morning, with that list in my pocket, I hit the road again. My next stop would be a TA Travel Center where I could fill up my tank and get a decent breakfast.

I was sipping a cup of coffee at the Travel Center restaurant when a couple walked in. What caught my attention was how different they looked. It was hard to tell but she appeared to be in her mid-twenties, dressed in an outfit that looked like it came from an Army surplus store complete with a serious hiking backpack and what looked like a sleeping bag cinched under it. I judged him to be about forty and dressed in a business suit. Definitely a strange-looking couple. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but he was talking so loudly it was hard not to.

At one point he was almost shouting. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm almost home and I can get there the rest of the way on my own."

"That's it? Not even a kiss for my trouble?"

The girl started scanning the room before running over and sitting at my table. "Tommy, I didn't expect to find you here. It's been, what, five years?"

I was startled by her sudden appearance. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the man she came in with looked very unhappy as he slowly walked to where we sat.

"Where are my manners? Tommy this is, I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"Mike."

"Oh yeah,... Mike. Tommy this is Mike and he was kind enough to get me this close to home. I was hitchhiking home from college when he stopped to give me a ride."

Now, my social skills definitely aren't my strongest trait but I was smart enough to figure out the situation. Looking at the girl I said, "I haven't talked to your parents since I left for Washington. How are they?"

"They're fine. You know, they always thought you and I were going to get married before you left town for your new job."

"To tell you the truth, that was the hardest part of leaving but we both knew a long-distance relationship wouldn't work." Looking up at Mike I said, "Thanks for getting my girlfriend home."

Then turning to the girl, I said, "Do you have anything else in his car?"

When she shook her head, I thanked Mike again and told him I'd take it from here. Mike was clearly not happy as he walked out, slamming the restaurant door behind him.

Trying to break the tension of the moment, I said, "Hi, my name's Christian but my friends call me Tommy."

She smiled at my little joke. "My name's Tracy. Sorry to get you involved in that. I didn't know how to get rid of him. I could tell he wanted a lot in exchange for that ride. Anyway, I'll just leave after he drives away."

"You came here to get something to eat, didn't you?"

"Actually, I asked him to come here so I'd have an audience when I left him. I didn't want an ugly scene."

"As long as you're here, how about joining me for breakfast before you leave? My treat."

Tracy looked sideways at me. I could tell that, after getting out of one bad situation, she was wary of getting into another. "Why would you do that?"

"It's a long story but I'll tell you if you join me."

She put her backpack on the seat next to her and requested a cup of coffee and a menu from the waitress who was serving our section of the restaurant.

After the waitress left, Tracy turned to me. "I know what's on the menu but I always ask for one. I know it's crazy. It's like the people who go to McDonalds and stare at the choices even though they've seen them a hundred times." Tracy paused before continuing. "Christian is a beautiful name but it seems too formal. Is it okay to call you Chris?"

"Sure. It may seem strange but no one has ever called me Chris. Everyone has always called me Christian or Mr. Ra..."

Tracy held her hand up. "Stop! First names only, okay?"

"Okay."

Tracy ordered the pancake combo and I don't know where she put it all. It had five pancakes, two eggs and bacon. I just asked for an egg white omelet and a refill of my cup of coffee. In between bites of my omelet I asked, "Tracy, why did you pick me?"

She put down her knife and fork and gathered her thoughts. "Look around and what do you see? Families and truckers. A family wouldn't have played along like you did and..." She hesitated before continuing. "Please don't take this the wrong way but you seemed... safe."

I sighed before filling Tracy in on my life until now and my decision to shake things up. I wasn't going to press her for her life story but she had no reservations about sharing it.

"We couldn't be more apposite. You've been much more responsible than me. I guess I'm not ready to grow up yet. I've backpacked across most of the United States, rarely staying more than a week in any one place. That story about hitchhiking home from college was just that... a story. My mom divorced my dad when I was eight and remarried when I was twelve. I never got along with my stepfather and I left as soon as I could. I've been on the road since then and have never looked back."

"Well, Tracy, we do have something in common. Neither of us has anything to tie us down or a place we have to be. I'm headed west and if you're going that way, I'd be happy to give you a lift while you tell me about your adventures. I'd rather not travel alone and something tells me you'd be good company. If we need to stay overnight, I promise that you'll always have your own room and, at any time, if you want to travel on your own, just say something and we'll go our separate ways."

"Well, I'll need a lift from this place anyway. Under those conditions, you have yourself a traveling partner and tour guide."

With a full tank of gas and a new passenger I drove west using smaller roads instead of big highways like Interstate 80. I could sense my whole attitude changing.

There was a gift shop at the next rest stop with all of the usual items, you know, magazines, souvenirs, candy and stuff for tourists. As I walked around the shop, Tracy handed me a pair of fancy sunglasses.

"Chris, if you're going to drive that awesome truck, you're going to have to do something about your image. Try these on."

I'll probably get used to it but it still seems strange to hear that I drive a truck. As I put the sunglasses on, I had a feeling this was just the beginning of my metamorphosis.

With my new look, we were back on the road again. Driving was having a very calming effect especially with my new passenger pointing out wildlife and scenery that you never see driving on the Beltway. Concrete, glass and big cities no longer appealed to me. I wanted to live in an area in which I could appreciate nature with friendly neighbors if I had any. In D.C. people kept to themselves. It was actually possible to live in a building without ever meeting some of your neighbors.

Since I never really traveled before, every time we stopped at tourist centers, I picked up brochures. Each state advertised the usual museums, adventure parks and historical locations but they also had unusual attractions. I already knew of a few but I didn't think that a two-story outhouse or the world's largest ball of string was worth a trip and although I'm not one of those people who have nightmares about clowns, I wasn't interested in visiting a clown museum either.

"Tracy, it looks like Louisville, Kentucky is a good place to stop for the night. I meant what I said. I'll book you a separate room at the hotel and you can decide after dinner if you want to continue with me or if you want me to drop you somewhere."

It was about 5:30 p.m. when we checked into our hotel. As we walked through the lobby, I watched as Tracy looked around at the luxurious accommodations.

"It's been a long time since I've been in a hotel. The last time was when I was about six years old. Most of my adult life has been spent in campgrounds, near rest stops, or in shelters. I'm not really dressed for dining here. Could we find another place to eat?"

"Sure."

After checking into the hotel, we found a BBQ place where casual dress was not a problem. Two things were obvious the second we opened the door to the restaurant. The smell of the food was amazing and everyone seemed to be having a good time. It was a far cry from the restaurants I was used to, where people went to have quiet business lunches.

As we were seated, we were each handed a menu and not long after that, a warm loaf of rosemary bread was delivered to our table. It was hard to choose from the many selections but Tracy and I both decided to order the baby back ribs with sweet potato fries, garlic green beans and coleslaw.

"Chris, I hope you're not in a hurry to get back to the hotel. I intend to eat this very slowly. I want to enjoy and remember every bite."

While we ate, Tracy talked about some of the people she'd met in her travels. From time to time, I could tell she was thinking about something but I didn't pressure her to find out what.

Back at the hotel we took an elevator to the floor our rooms were on. After opening her door with the hotel card, Tracy turned to face me. "Chris, I had a wonderful time today but I think this is where our journey ends. I like you and if we continued together, at some point I think we'd become more than travel buddies but I think we're too different to make it work. I hope you understand."

"I don't, but it's not like I have a lot of experience with women. I did say that the decision was yours so I have to trust you're making the right one."

That being said, Tracy kissed me on the cheek before disappearing into her room. I stood there stunned. I know we'd just met but there was something special about her.

That night I barely got two hours sleep. I knew I had to at least try to change Tracy's mind so, in the morning while taking a shower, I rehearsed what I'd say. Then I dressed and went to her room, all the time mumbling to myself the speech I had prepared. I must have looked strange to the people who saw me.

When I arrived at her room, I took a deep breath and knocked but got no response. My next stop was the lobby. Both rooms were charged to my credit card so the desk clerk was able to tell me she'd already checked out. I'd need some luck but there was still a slim chance I might catch her before she hitched another ride if I drove around the neighborhood so I ran to my truck in the parking lot.

I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw her standing next to the truck with her backpack. I slowed my pace and when I reached her, I forgot everything I'd planned to say. Fortunately, she spoke first.

"I knocked on your door this morning but got no answer so I looked for your truck and waited for you."

"I must have been in the shower."

"Is it too late to change my mind?"

I told her to wait in the truck while I got my luggage. I'd rushed out of the hotel without it. Only after my things were loaded into the truck and I was sitting behind the steering wheel, did I finally take a decent breath.

"What changed your mind?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Maybe we aren't so different after all."

As I started the truck, Tracy asked, "Can your heart take a little more excitement today?"

"I'm not sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I've been around the country but this is my first visit to Kentucky. I was told about a place in Louisville from another traveler. He didn't say much except that I had to go there. When I think of Louisville, Kentucky I think of horses and the Kentucky Derby but it seems they have another big attraction. It's a huge underground cavern that's open to tourists. Are you interested?"

"For me, this trip is all about being adventurous. Like most people, my entire life has been spent above ground. I think it's time we checked out the cavern."

With that being said, I set the truck's GPS to its location.

The entrance to the Louisville Mega Cavern definitely lived up to its name. It was huge. After buying two tickets, we were joined by a few others to form a small group. Our guide said that the tour would take two and a half hours and cover about seventeen miles. My first thought was that there must be an underground rail system since there was no way we could cover that distance in two and a half hours on foot. Well, I was right about not traveling on foot but wrong about how we would be traveling. Our guide told us that the tour would be done entirely on zip lines!