The
sun had disappeared behind forbidding clouds and a moment later the
rain burst from the grey skies soaking the young woman as she made her
way from her rural home towards the nearest, and only, bus shelter on
the outskirts of the small hamlet where she lived.
"Oh damn!" she cursed as she tried to use her bag as a makeshift umbrella as she started to run towards the shelter which was still a ways off in the distance. "Bloomin' rain!" she squealed as she grasped her lapels under her chin and ran faster - well, as fast as her high heels would allow.
"Oh damn!" she cursed as she tried to use her bag as a makeshift umbrella as she started to run towards the shelter which was still a ways off in the distance. "Bloomin' rain!" she squealed as she grasped her lapels under her chin and ran faster - well, as fast as her high heels would allow.
The bus shelter itself was cut haphazardly into the side of a secluded road and was surrounded by thorn bushes, spiky hedgerows, fauna and weeds. To use it you had to look hard to find it. Soaked to the skin, Lindsey Bell - an outgoing nineteen year old light brunette - skipped nimbly around a puddle and scampered into the dry confines of the rusting bus stop out of the rain to find there was someone already there taking shelter too. Surprised, for it was rare to see anyone using the shelter at all, she stood in the doorway for a moment whilst dripping rainwater and looking dishevelled as she unconsciously reached up and tried to fix her shoulder length hair that hung limply around her pear shaped face. She must look a sorry sight and no mistake. "Oh." she said. "Hello."
The man looked at up her. "It never rains but it pours." he smiled, moving aside so she could sit on one of the metal seats he had vacated that were bolted solidly into the cracked concrete floor. "Last all day I reckon." he observed in a deep voice that bore a hint of a Northumbria accent.
Lindsey made a face and shook herself like a dog. But it was no use, she was totally soaked through and her clothes would take an age to dry out. What was worse it had to happen today of all days. Just typical. Today was the day of her big job interview in the city and she was dressed to impress in a cream jacket and skirt with white blouse. Nitwit! She should have at least had the foresight to have carried her umbrella. So much for it being "a sunny day with the odd light shower." Too late for that now she thought ruefully.
She glanced at the man who had returned to reading his newspaper. He was a great bear of a man. Possibly in his middle fifties she mused noticing his angular features and metal grey hair, which was nicely cut and trimmed giving him the impression of being someone who knew what he was about. He was wearing a dark windsheeter coat, blue shirt and jeans and had a big black hold-all at his feet. She also noticed he had labourer's hands. Big, gnarled and rough. She swallowed and stepped cautiously forward. "I guess so." she replied as she began to sit down then stopped due to the damp tightness of her skirt restricting her movement. She grimaced and sighed. "I'm so wet through I can't even sit down."
She looked out of the shelter as the rain continued to fall incessantly creating great big puddles along the roadside verges. Where was the bus? She looked at her watch. It wasn't due for another 10 minutes at the earliest. She turned to find the man looking up at her curiously. "I think I'm a bit early. Nerves I guess."
The man's eyebrows raised slightly. "Nerves?"
She nodded. "I have a job interview in a couple of hours. In the city. The weatherman said sunshine and the odd shower and now look at me. I look like a drowned rat and there is no way I'll be able to dry off before then. I knew I should have hired a taxi." She tried to sit again but as soon as she started to thrust out her rear she squelched and jumped back up muttering darkly under her breath as she bent forward slightly trying to squeeze out some of the water from her knee length skirt. It was sodden and clung to her cream stockinged legs no matter what she tried to do. Forgetting where she was, she reached around herself and with her free hand slapped her skirted bottom twice - the resultant crack echoing wetly around the confines of the metal shelter and causing a spray of rainwater to explode from each impact. "Ouch." she winced despite herself. It was then she remembered….
She turned to find the man staring at her - her bottom actually - with a bemused big grin on his face. She blushed scarlet and started to stutter an apology. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just wish I wasn't so wet." she explained, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. What must he think of her? "I hope I haven't offended you or…"
The man raised his hand stopping her rambling. "Of course not my dear. I've seen worse I think." he laughed. "Besides, you should be complimented on finding such a novel solution to your problem of how to get dry."
Lindsey blinked. Explained like that it didn't sound so bad. He bum still tingled where she had slapped each cheek. Solution? She nibbled her lower lip considering what he had said. Was he talking about what she thought he was talking about? She felt her heart flutter. Spanking herself dry? He was looking out at the rain so she secretively reached around behind herself again. Surprised, she noticed that the material of her tight skirt seemed a wee bit drier in patches where she had slapped herself. Maybe if she did it a few more times her skirt would no longer be wet.
She was still clutching her bottom when he turned and looked at her again. He had a knowing look in his eyes. She turned even redder and gave him a weak smile in return. "Ah." she wondered licking her upper lip. "I hope you don't think me forward Sir but if the solution you're thinking about is the one I think you're thinking about - " she took a deep breath. " - I think perhaps you're the one who can help me with it more than I can myself. Does that make sense?" She stuck out her hand whilst leaving the other rubbing her bottom. "If you're willing I think formal introductions are called for don't you?" The bus wasn't due to arrive for another 10 minutes or so. Just enough time she calculated to do the deed. "Hi, I'm Lindsey." she said by way of introduction.
The man looked at her for a moment then shook her proffered hand. "Well, I think that is a splendid solution to your problem Miss Lindsey and it will be my absolute privilege and honour to lend you a good firm hand so to speak. You can call me Farmer Jack."
Pitter patter whispered the raindrops.