Solstice

         David was startled out of his reverie by a car pulling into his driveway. It was the detailer returning his vehicle in what he knew from experience would be pristine condition. David always wanted a clean car and clean windows any time he took a road trip. He usually loved road trips, but the destination of this one had made him a bit apprehensive. Savannah, Georgia, is the home of Jim Williams, The Lady Chablis, and Anna; Savannah was his destination. While Jim and Chablis had passed, Anna was still very much alive. The chance to meet her while in Savannah was both exciting and concerning.

         It's been five years since he moved away from Savannah and nearly six since she walked away from his veranda at sunset, accompanied by her two girlfriends. She played "Two out of Three a

Ain't Bad" by Meatloaf on his stereo and told him that's the way she felt about him, and it was time for her to move on. There was want and need but NO love. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, two ladies appeared at the corner of the veranda and asked if she was ready to leave. David had never seen these "friends" before and thought it was very unusual. It was obvious there had been a plan and the plan was coordinated between the three. He thought he had moved on as well, but the last few hours, his mind had replayed every memory he had of Anna and his time with her in Savannah.

         David could only surmise the consulting job he'd accepted in Savannah was because of Anna's influence she'd used on her father. Her father owned the largest media company in Georgia, and David had once been his Director of Sales. George, Anna's father, had wanted him to stay on after the break-up, and he'd tried but seeing her in the office at least once a week had been emotionally challenging, so he ran away. The consultancy position had arrived just days after David had tendered his resignation here in Kentucky. He knew the money would give him several months to find his dream job. David wanted a position where he could put down roots and find a sense of permanence, a job that had more than a three-year life expectancy. Was that a coincidence?

         David had bout his dream home in Savannah, a beautiful southern home overlooking a saltwater marsh. He had alligators, crabs, and beautiful waterbirds for neighbors. He could harvest Shrimp at high tide barely two hundred feet from his back door. He had left Savannah in the middle of the real estate bust and could not sell his home there. Still, a beautiful home on the marsh overlooking Tybee Island was a preferred rental, and he'd had no trouble keeping up with his mortgage and even banking a bit of cash every month. Before David decided to leave Kentucky, his long-term renters had contacted him to let him know they were moving back to California. They had rented the home fully furnished so that he would be moving back into the house he had once believed he would be living in forever. Another Coincidence?

         David carried his bags, computer, and personal items to the car and stored them in his trunk. He would eat a light meal, get in bed early, get a good night's sleep, arise early, and start the long drive for Savannah. It was a great plan, but his sleep was slow to come and fretful. He had planned on a quick shower and several hours of driving before breakfast, but with the rough night in the sack, coffee was on the agenda, and the only place open this early is Bucks out on Highway 57 but, they didn't have a drive-thru. Bucks it would be. Bucks Diner was like a poor man's Waffle House, open all night and a haven for the party crowd. The Jukebox was constantly blaring at ear-splitting decibels when you walked in, and this early morning was no different.

         David walked to the counter and handed his thermos to the waitress, and ordered an additional large cup to go. She poured his to-go cup and told him she had to make a "fresh pot" for his thermos. He took a sip of his java and noticed the song blaring out of the Jukebox for the first time. It was "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles. The irony of that song playing on this day seemed appropriate to him. The waitress soon had his thermos filled, and as he turned to leave Kentucky in his rearview mirror, the Jukebox decided to mock him. Out poured the strains of one of his favorite artists, Meatloaf's, song, "Two out of Three Ain't Bad." While Meatloaf is his favorite artist, THAT SONG is far from his favorite, one horrible memory.

         Walking out to his car, he thought about dropping the top on the SAAB but decided against it. The sun was peaking over the eastern horizon, and it was going to be a long day. The longest day of the year, today is the summer solstice. He turned the radio to the local classic rock station just in time to hear the announcer give his last dedication before he signed off. From Anna to David, "Two out of Three Aint Bad"

         Six years ago today, the longest day of the year, the woman who had him under a spell had walked out of his life with two of her friends. Two friends he didn't know, two friends he had never met before. She had not mentioned any names. She had introduced them as part of her "coven."

         There was no doubt; he had no control of what was happening. What does fate have in store for him did the end of this Road Trip? The lyrics of the song keep running through his head. "I want you. I need you. But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you. But two out of three ain't bad" He knows she wants him but, why does she want him, and for what purpose?