Chapter 17a: Flying J's

The sedan curved along the graded embankment that was the offramp and they proceeded to enter a vast parking lot. It was primarily full of parked tractor trailers and trucks pulling fifth wheels. A scattering of vehicles of every age, make and model peppered the rest of the black and potholed parking lot.

Selecting a spot, Kennedy slowed the car to a stop and turned off the ignition.

They gathered their various belongings: a jacket for Kennedy and a day bag for Megan. They exited the car and Megan felt a cool rush of wind around her body which was in contrast to the heat from inside their car.

“I forget how different weather can be after a few hours drive.” She said, shivering slightly as she reached her arms up towards the sky, feeling her muscles and sinews stretch.
Similarly, from across the car, Kennedy had the same idea. He placed the palm of each hand across the back of his hips and twisted. Two loud clunks could be heard as he bent forward, then arched his back.

“Feel like a new man?” She inquired, noting that she, herself used to do that to ease the tension across her lower back during volleyball training sessions.

He nodded as he threw on his jacket. Reaching inside he grabbed the key fob as well as the brown paper bag that was now completely empty of ‘scarns’. Crumpling it up, he turned his head towards the large building that served as bathroom and fueling station to its vehicular patrons.

They chatted a little as Megan took in the various license plates from all across the country.

“Sometimes I forget that people do this every day, travelling.” She said, nodding her chin and pointing at various registration plates.

“America sure does love to travel.” He intoned, stifling a yawn.

They approached the doors of the building. Kennedy made to grab one to open it, but it had a large ‘X’ taped in blue that ran along it. It was starred and broken but remained in place.

“Rough place?” Said Megan raising one eyebrow.

“Maybe some old grandma lost control of her scooter?” He shrugged, selecting another door that opened with a horrible squeak, making them both wince. Megan made a mental note not to use that door when they exited.

The place was vast but mostly empty owing to the time of the day. Many of the restaurants were of the generic well-known kind and the woman behind the kiosk was leaning against the counter, slack-jawed thumbing through her phone. Her nametag was askew, telling the anyone who cared that she was ‘Brenda’.

Megan laughed inwardly at Middle America living and spied the gift shop briefly on their way to the dining section of the rest stop. On its many shelves was merchandise and bric-a-brack of the local state and city. Hats, scarves, pull overs, teddy bears, travel mugs and keychains: Omaha.

“So, where do you want to eat? I’m good with whatever is cheap and quick. I think we can get another few hours in before we need to stop. It’ll make tomorrow’s drive that much easier so that we can arrive in Rhode Island by tomorrow evening. The following day is when we have to report in.”

Megan nodded. By her calculations, if they logged another few hours, Kennedy could pick out a hotel and book it and they could literally drive in, sleep; and head out the following morning and really run down those remaining miles.

They walked up and down the length of the rest stop, deciding on which food would fill their bodies. Finally, Megan suggested that they should pick ‘Flying J’s’, which looked like a diner of sorts.

“It looks like the food will be fresh and quick and the ‘Flying’ in ‘Flying J’s’, might be a good omen, no?”

It was agreed and the stepped up to the ‘Order Here’ sign.

“Welcome to Flying J’s: home of Omaha’s best beef burger. What can I get you folks?” Said an elderly woman with smudged glasses and a kind face.

They had pre-scanned the menu and knew what they would like.

“Uh, can I get the Jay Burger Double Cheeseburger, but with onion rings instead of fries. And can I get them to hold the ranch sauce?” Asked Kennedy.

She nodded, punching his order into the keypad. “And for you, Miss?”

“Guess I will have the same,” Said Megan, who abandoned her idea of ordering the chicken salad wrap. She was feeling a little impulsive and the thought of stopping at a place like this was not part of her normal routine. Besides, Megan had always been food-conscious and one poor quality meal wouldn’t be enough to ruin the hard work she’d sunk in over the last few days.

“What kinda cheese will ya have?” Said the server, pushing her glasses further up her long nose.

“What’s it come with usually?” Asked Kennedy.

“M’erican.” Said the woman.

He laughed, “That’ll do just fine.”

“Drinks?” She asked.

“Diet soda?” Asked Megan.

The woman looked back into the cooking area and bellowed. “Reggie! Do we have any diet soda? These people want some. You fix the compressor in the back yet!?”
Megan had to turn her head away and stifle a laugh at small town drama.

Kennedy had spied the small drinks fridge from across the counter. “How about we save Reggie the trouble and get two bottles of chocolate milk?”

“Sure, hon.” She said, before muttering, “good fer nothin’ layabout, Reggie…” under her breath.

She rang them up and Kennedy insisted on paying to Megan’s objections.

“Okay, then I get the next gas bill.” She said firmly and he agreed.

The woman gave them a number on a plastic placard and told them to take any seat and that their order would be brought out to them. They took the drinks an picked a table that had the least amount of wobble to it.

Setting down her bag and Kennedy his jacket, they proceeded to stretch and twist their bodies once more to further limber up before sitting again.

“Driving always gives me a stiff back.” Said Kennedy as he rotated his hips once again. This time, no popping was heard.

“Try this move.” Offered Megan, who showed him a different technique that she found helpful. She demonstrated and several popping noises could be heard from her spine, providing her immediate relief.

“Dang.” He said, his eyes wide.

“The trick is not to jerk your body, but to ease into it, like this.” She put a hand on his bony hip and helped him rotate his lower back, taking note of his toned torso which was solid when she touched him. As expected, Megan heard a few pops and saw his face ease in relief.

They chose to take turns going to the bathroom to wash their hands. Not that they had any mistrust in a small place like this, which was well lit. But you never knew, did you?

Megan went first and walked the length of the building, feeling the pressure mounting in her bladder. She pushed open the bathroom door and saw what she expected. Several out of order signs hung across many of the doors. One was off its hinges. One sink was running a steady stream of water and the floor was wet everywhere.
Using her foot, she pushed open several stall doors before finding one that looked suitable. She bolted it and noted the graffiti that adorned its hallowed walls. Someone was looking for love, their phone number listed. Another was a biblical verse that foretold End of Days. Surprisingly, there were several large penises with accompanying hairy testicles which made Megan laugh aloud.

Relieved and refreshed, she stepped out the bathroom and headed past the convenient store and picked up a few bottles of liquid energy drink for the road. She paid with the cash her father had handed her at the beginning of the trip, took the change and walked back over to their table to swap out with Kennedy.

He was standing next to their table, his hands on the back of the plastic chair and she could tell he was glad of her return. He bobbed from foot-to-foot and she guessed his bladder was fit to burst.

“You doing the ‘Pee-Pee’ dance? You know you didn’t have to wait for me, you know.” Megan said with a laugh and the tilt of her head, a hand on one hip.

“Yeah, well, what if some vandal came and gobbled up our food with neither of us to stand guard?” He said with a wry smile, already walking in the direction of the bathrooms with a speed walk shuffle that would rival any power-walker.

Megan shook her head and laughed, and he did a quarter turn, a smile was on his face, too, as he disappeared. While she waited, Megan sent a few reply-texts that had come in that she had missed while she was sleeping. She let her parents know she was okay. Thanked her uncle a thank for you for his Wings of Gold and sent him a photo of Flying J’s with the wings held up in view and sent some messages back and forth to Cassidy who took no trouble in reminiscing about their time at her pool as well as sending her several enticing nudes.

“Everything good?” Said Kennedy coming up a few minutes later.

Megan was spaced out, looking at the racy images and had a comical ‘O’ on her face when he had asked her the question.

“Ah-buh. No. Nope. All good here.” She stammered, gently turning her phone face down.

He sat across her and tapped the table with his knuckles in rhythm with the overhead music. He fished out his phone and sent a few messages of his own while Megan took in their fellow patrons. A few families old and young. Single diners and old couples.

A few minutes later, a man with a stooped over posture came bustling up to their table with a tray in one hand. His age was indeterminate, and Megan guessed he could either be the counter woman’s husband or her son. She had to stifle another laugh.

“Might you be Table 12?” He asked with a wheeze.

Megan looked down at the placard that clearly had a twelve across it, white lettering on a black background. "Yes, that’s us.”

He rearranged the tray to make to begin setting down their food and nearly spilled its’ contents in the process. Kennedy helped him steady it while Megan unloaded their meals. He muttered a thanks and tottered off.

“Quaint little place we found. Has a lot of character.” He added before tucking into his burger.

The smell was amazing, despite the less than stellar appearance of the food. Megan lifted up the lid of her bun and noted that there was indeed no ranch sauce. She picked up the burger and noted it’s weight as she brought it to her lips.

“Dang.” She said aloud as she chewed and swallowed the first few bites.

The meat was tender and juicy and seasoned well. The char from the grill added a hint of smokiness and the fixings on the burger tied it all together. Even the bun was not bad.

She spied Kennedy across the table. He was half-finished his own burger, his cheeks flushed red with hunger. He placed down his burger, shook then untwisted the cap of chocolate milk and took a long pull. Megan noted the taught sinews of his neck muscle and his strong Adam’s apple as he washed the burger down.

She too mimicked his movement and enjoyed the cold drink. They ate in silence going between burger and onion rings, which were also surprisingly crunchy and not bland nor undercooked which had been Megan’s constant experience with diner onion rings.

Finally sated, she leaned back and dabbed at her greasy lips with a napkin and put a hand across her abdomen. She felt distended, her shirt stretched across her belly. She had eaten rather quickly and noted that the earlier breakfast and snack of scones they had shared was hardly sufficient for a woman of her athletic needs. Her stomach gave a gurgle, and she soothed it by rubbing it under the table absentmindedly, feeling her body begin to work to break down the food in order to fuel and nourish her body.

Kennedy was a slower eater and had about half his onion rings left.

“Want any?” He offered, looking at his wristwatch.

“They’re not bad. Shame to throw them out.” She said casually and helped him by taking the last two.

He cleared their plates and nodded back to the counter where the woman stood hoping to catch her eye with a nod of thanks. But at that moment, there came a shout as apparently Reggie had done something to displease he. He had an arm raised in protest as she shouted at him while swatting at him with a rag.

“Definitely a married couple.” Said Kennedy, “I know a defeated man when I see one.”

Megan nodded with a smile as they headed towards the front entrance. “Want any snacks before we go? For the road?” She nodded with her chin at the little shop where she’d bought her energy drinks. She knew that they would be driving for another few hours and by the time they pulled into the hotel, they couldn’t bank on places having any snacks they would like; and said as much.

“Good thinking.” He replied as they headed over.