Free Throwaway by Heather Huffman Page A

building labeled “Phil’s Barbeque.”
    It was dark and fairly empty given the early
hour. There was nothing exceptional about the place, causing Jessie
to wonder why Gabe was so excited about bringing her here.
    “Hi folks,” a lanky man with bright blue eyes
greeted them from the kitchen before his face lit up in
recognition. “Hey Gabe. Long time no see, sir. How you been?”
    Gabe smilingly responded and the two
exchanged pleasantries, the other man leaving the kitchen to join
them in the empty dining room. They took a seat towards the back
and Gabe ordered them a couple of beers after introducing Jessie to
the man, who turned out to be the owner.
    Jessie wasn’t sure she was in the mood for a
beer until she took a sip of the large draft set in front of her
and decided immediately it was the best she’d ever had. So was the
fried chicken sandwich and french fries she had for dinner. She
could practically feel the calories attaching themselves to her
hips as she ate, but she didn’t care. It was decadently
amazing.
    Between the enormous beer, the sheer number
of calories consumed, and the easy conversation, Jessie felt a
little dazed by the time she stood stretching in the parking lot,
waiting for Gabe to unlock her door.
    She had no idea where he was taking her as he
hopped back on Highway 44, but she didn’t really care. The sun was
shining and it was a perfect 82 degrees, so they took the top off
the Jeep and turned the music up. Miles of blacktop flew by
beneath, taking the couple further and further from all that stood
between them.
    Jessie leaned back in the seat, watching the
lush green hills pass by. Warmth radiated from her neck where
Gabe’s free hand rested lightly when he could spare it. She’d begun
to wonder if he’d forgotten her request to stop for clothes when he
pulled into a large outlet mall.
    “We used to get our school clothes here when
I was a kid. My mom swore by the place. Sorry, it’s all I could
think of,” he offered a little helplessly.
    “No, it’s perfect,” she straightened and
stretched the kinks out of her back.
    Gabe was a saint, walking patiently through
each store with her as she scoured sales racks. As soon as Jessie
settled on her first purchase, she went to the restroom to
change.
    “What you had on was fine,” Gabe pointed out
to her when she emerged in a new outfit.
    “People were staring at me.”
    “Honey, people would stare at you in a gunny
sack. You’re beautiful.”
    “Thank you,” Jessie flushed, looking anywhere
but at him.
    She happened to disagree with him about the
reason for the stares. She felt much less self-conscious now that
she was wearing a plain gray t-shirt and a pair of denim capris.
Three stores later, she had a sufficient wardrobe for the week,
along with some tennis shoes and a leather bag to use as a
suitcase. Gabe watched her with amusement as she bent over in the
parking lot to transfer her clothes from the large plastic bags to
her new satchel.
    Two minutes after they climbed back in the
car, he was pulling into a gas station, pronouncing it the last
chance to use the bathroom or grab a fountain soda. Although Jessie
took him up on both offers, she assumed he meant last chance until
they reached their destination.
    But when he took a back road instead of
getting on the highway, Jessie wondered if maybe he’d meant it was
literally the last chance in the foreseeable future. They wound
through what was surely wild country. It was lush and beautiful;
there was a certain rugged air to the place. Red and black cattle
dotted most of the fields. They passed so many horses Jessie
wondered if they were an acceptable mode of transportation in this
part of the state.
    It couldn’t have been more different from her
world. Funny, she hadn’t thought Gabe looked out of place when
she’d met him. But he seemed to fit here. There was an ease about
him already.
    “Where are we going?” she asked for the first
time.
    “Nope, sorry