Trucker Ch. 02: Rawlins

Cody emerged from the washroom a minute later, wearing Hal's tank top. It came down to about two inches below her bum. She had washed her mini skirt and blouse in the sink and hung them to dry in the shower. She kept the tank top firmly pulled down further with one hand while walking around the room and shutting off the lights before slipping quickly into her bed.

Hal lay still, facing away from Cody, staring at the radiator under the front window. The lights of the parking lot crept sodium-yellow into the room, contrasting with the dark blue shadows. The sound of the interstate traffic faintly trickled through the radiator. All was quiet.

"Hal?" she softly whispered.

Hal slowly turned over to his other side, facing her. She'd been watching him.

"Mm hmm?"

"Do you ever get lonely?" she whispered.

Hal gazed at her and didn't say anything for a while.

"Sometimes," he said cautiously. "Why?"

She was quiet. They looked at each other, until Hal's gaze faltered.

"I've been lonely since I was five," she finally whispered.

"Why?" he asked.

Her eyes wandered around the room and then back to Hal.

"My father left our home suddenly when I was six," she said.

Hal nodded slowly. "You... miss him."

"Yeah," she said, nodding back. "But I couldn't wait to get away from my mom."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. Cody half-shrugged and didn't reply. They lay in silence for another minute.

"Thanks for helping me learn photography. Thanks for posing for me," he said.

"You're welcome," she said. "Sorry my outfit is so raggedy."

"Raggedy?"

Cody shrugged. "Yeah. Raggedy. I've never worn a skirt like that before."

"Well, your skirt looks great on you! Really, it does."

"I've never worn a mini skirt. It felt open and exposed."

"And you were in bare feet a lot today." Hal couldn't help it.

"Yeah, I was. Bare legs n' bare feet with a short skirt."

Hal's penis began to swell again.

"It was windy, too," he ventured, looking for her to confirm what he'd seen.

"Yeah, it was windy. I had to be so careful the wind didn't flip my skirt up."

"Did that happen?"

"Yup, lots of times. And lots of people tried to look up my skirt."

"Wow..."

"Yeah. Right from the moment I first slipped it on at the hostel. Guys were trying to see up my skirt on the stairs and stuff."

Hal's penis was bursting. "Do you think anyone saw up your skirt?"

"I don't know if anyone saw up my skirt but I wasn't looking at them anyway. I was too embarrassed."

"Oh," said Hal, hoarsely. They lay there in the darkness for another few moments.

"Why? Did you see up my skirt?" she suddenly asked.

Hal froze. "No. No." He laughed nervously. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, no reason," she said quickly.

Hal nodded slowly. Another minute passed while he fought down the urge to massage his penis.

"I usually get up early. Usually around six," he finally said.

"Okay. That's fine. Anytime is good."

"I'll get up first," he said.

"Okay. Goodnight Hal."

"Goodnight, Cody."

Her eyebrows arched. "What did you call me?"

Hal paused.

"Goodnight, Princess."

Cody smiled shyly.