They stopped long enough to top up the gas tank, their “to go” mugs, and empty their personal tanks. Hallam was the first one back to the car and took the opportunity to rummage through the small carry-all he had started the journey with. He didn’t carry much in it, mostly his toiletries. There was no need to bring clothes with him, as he figured he would just buy them as he needed them. So far, there had not been much of a chance to buy new clothes, but he hadn’t been doing much to dirty what he was wearing.
Instead of grabbing the carry-all, he only took his deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste out. As he made his way back to the washroom, he saw Sam inside the station. Their eyes met for a moment, but it was long enough for her to wave. He felt a warmth deep inside and waited until he was out of view before he smiled. When he was done his daily personal upkeep, Hallam returned to where Sam had moved the car and was now sitting atop the trunk. She had a coffee in hand, and no other coffee was visible.
“Are we reduced to sharing now or have you forgotten there’s two of us on this trip?
“I’m sorry, and you are?”
He walked past her feigning his hurt. As he did, he spotted his coffee behind her and without missing a step grabbed it and continued to the driver’s side open door.
“Hey! What’s the hurry?”
“There’s a destination waiting for us and I don’t want to disappoint it. Besides, the quicker we can get there, the more time we can have, for, this.”
His hand intentionally, but nonchalantly danced back and forth between them, almost as if inviting Sam to take hold of it. To his delight, but not surprise, she firmly took hold of his hand. They simultaneously pulled each other closer. He faked being pulled off balance and clumsily stood before her.
“So, what’s this?”
She was now mimicking his last movements. Her face now bore a sheepish smile. Hallam grabbed her free hand and pulled their four hands together, his below hers. He raised her hands up to his lips and gently kissed them.
“At your service m’lady.”
He let her hands go and moved to the passenger door and opened it, then swept his hand as if to say right this way. Taking her cue, she idled into her spot in a manner befitting of a noblewoman. He closed the door gently but securely.
Hallam took his seat and started the car then put it in gear.
“Home James.”
“I asked you not to call me James in public. And by the way, where again exactly, is home?”
Sam pointed to the highway and they laughed.
“Next stop, Whitehorse. All aboard!”
Sam did her best train whistle impression pumping her arm as if pulling the cord.
Hallam pulled onto the blacktop heading northbound. We he had left Winnipeg he had not had a destination in mind, nor did he someone to travel nowhere to. Now, there was a destination, and someone to be there with.
“Two four hour shifts should get us there. Seeing as it’s your car, you get to bring us home.”
“Well Mr. Hallam sir, I do declare this sounds like an offer no proper woman should refuse.”
“A southern belle in the far north. Ain’t nothing proper about that.”
They laughed at each others poor attempt at a southern accent.
Hallam drove nearly all the way to Whitehorse, letting Sam sleep as he did. He was content with the silence of his own thoughts. The classic rock station provided ample background accompaniment to his thoughts, sometimes even being in sync with them. He found himself for the first time since commencing this journey thinking about his future. When he left, he hadn’t cared where he’d end up, or how. Now, he believed he did care and for some reason it mattered, a lot. Hallam suspected it had something to do with the Monkeywrench sleeping beside him. There was no accounting for something, someone like her. He wasn’t complaining mind you, in fact he was grateful.
Sam slept deeply as Hallam drove. She had lounged across the front seat resting her feet upon Hallam’s lap. Sam dreamt of a life together wandering across the country with this new stranger in her life. They had switched to a larger vehicle, an RV (the smaller kind) and cruised the many roads and highways. The driving duties were shared as were the cooking duties. In her dream she let out a deep sigh of contentment which had echoed in the material world.
“Must be a good dream.”
An hour out of Whitehorse Hallam tickled Sam’s feet. He was unaware of her feet sensitivity and thus found out the hard way when she inadvertently kicked him in his sensitivity. It was fortunate for them he had already pulled onto the shoulder and come to a complete stop.
“Not cool man! Very not cool.”
“Right, got it. No foot massages.”
“I didn’t say that. If I know it’s coming, I can prepare for that.”
Although now awake Hallam gave her time to wake up and adjust herself accordingly.
“you were dreaming.”
“You were driving.”
“If you had been, we’d be standing in line in heaven waiting for good ol’ St. Pete to check our credentials.”
She slapped his arm.
“No silly, you were driving in my dream.”
Sam detailed the dream to him. As she spoke, he listened making animated facial expressions at some of the locations she mentioned. Just as he bit into a Joe Louis, she asked him what he thought. He raised a finger pointing to the Joe Louis first, then his mouth, and held up his finger as if to say one minute. She reached down to the cup holder between them and grabbed his drink and held it for him until he needed it. He took a big swig and swooshed it around to dislodge any of the spongy delight and swallowed.
“Sounds like a grand escapade. I’m in. Can we at least finish this one first?
With that she got out and walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“Get out. We are not getting anywhere just sitting here talking about it.” Hallam scurried around the car, evidently still in some discomfort from his rude awakening.
Hallam conferred with his phone and discovered Dawson City now lay only seven hours from their present location. They agreed he should get some rest and she would wake him if she needed to. He requested she wake him before their destination, for he wanted to be awake when they drove in. Sam turned the radio on to hear the DJ introduce the Steppenwolf classic Born to Be Wild. With a smile on her face, she headed out on the highway, just as the song had instructed.
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