Excerpt: Shades of Gray

“Hey there, need a ride?” She called to him when he was close enough to hear her.
“What the heck does it look like? Think I’m out here for my health?” He kept on trudging past her car.
“Well, it’s up to you. You can be civil and I’ll drive you, or you can darn well walk.”
At that he turned and came back. “What is a lady like you, an obviously conservative lady, doing offering rides to strange men on the highway. That’s just plain stupid.”
The conservative part stung. She had been accused of that all her life. Well, never again. “What, if I may ask, has you deciding I am so incurably old-fashioned?”
“Dark gray Volvo sedan probably paid for in full ten years ago. Car has conventional written all over it.”
“At least its engine is running. You want to walk or you want to ride? You have about half of one minute to decide.”
“I’d be a fool to turn down a ride out here in the middle of summer. Hope your air conditioner works.” With that, he made his way slowly around to the passenger side of her sedan and climbed in. Once his seatbelt was fastened, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
Curiosity made Hazel ask, “Were you really going to try to walk for help?”
“Nope. Figured sooner or later someone would come by.” He opened his eyes and turned his face toward her. “Sorry. Name’s Rob. Robert Benson.”
“Hazel Richards. Glad to meet you, Rob.”
“Well, now that that’s out of the way, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere on your own?”
She pulled her eyes away from the road long enough to take a glance at her scruffy passenger. He was lean and tanned, rather athletic appearing, despite his obvious age and neglected hygiene. Rob’s eyes were closed again. “Taking a long drive. You?” She waited for his answer so long she began wondering if he had drifted off to sleep.