“Looks like it's my lucky day!” The hitchhiker looked through the open window of the car and grinned at the driver who had stopped for him. “That's a nice ride you got there!”, he said, patting the roof. The driver leaned forward, turned down the jazz music that was playing on the stereo and said, “Thanks! Where do you want to go?”. The young man took off his sunglasses, so that he could get a better look at the stranger behind the wheel, and asked with a wink, “Where are you headed?” “Austin!”, the driver replied. He was in his mid-30s, very good-looking, and judging from the car and his attire, he was doing well. “Sounds great to me!”, the young man exclaimed. “Hop in then!”, the driver replied with a nod towards the front seat. His manner was friendly, but reserved.
    “Thank you, much appreciated!”, the young man said. As he climbed into the car and threw his bag and leather jacket onto the back seat, he noticed that the driver eyed him furtively. This didn't surprise him, because he was accustomed to attracting attention, and he enjoyed it. He was often told that he had a strikingly pretty face, he recently got a fashionable new haircut with blond highlights, and he was wearing his favorite mesh t-shirt, which offered more than a glimpse of his slender, but well-toned body. He briefly checked his appearance in the mirror, running his fingers through his hair, which was slightly damp with perspiration. Satisfied with himself, he turned to the driver and said with a smile, “I’m Danny, by the way!” “David!”, the man replied, while he glanced at his wristwatch, and then unlocked the handbrake. “Do you mind if I finish my cigarette?”, Danny asked. David shook his head, “Nah, I used to smoke myself.” Danny made himself comfortable none too discretely by arranging his tight jeans near the crotch. He saw that David noticed, but turned away quickly to look over his shoulder, before he set the car in motion.
    They drove on in silence for some time, while Danny smoked his cigarette. The heat and the music made him drowsy, but studying the man next to him kept him awake. David had jet black, slightly curly hair, large dark eyes with long lashes, a sensuous mouth with a marked cupid's bow, a deep tan, and judging from his forearms, which were bare because his sleeves were rolled up, and the close fit of his shirt and trousers, he was very athletic. He looked like a model from a men's magazine, the type Danny jerked off to as a kid before he discovered porn. And the stranger’s reserved manner made him even more intriguing. Danny couldn’t help feeling a hint of disappointment when he noticed that David was wearing a wedding ring.
    Danny finally decided to strike up a conversation, so he flicked his cigarette out of the window and asked, “You on a business trip?” David nodded, “I'm a freelance accountant, on my way back home from a client in Tucson.” Danny's eyes widened, “From Tucson to Austin, that's quite a drive! Why don't you fly?” David hesitated briefly,  before he replied, “It's nice to have some time to myself once in a while.” Danny couldn’t resist asking, while he pointed to his own ring finger, “A vacation from your wife?” David laughed somewhat sheepishly and said, “Yeah, and two kids.” After a pause, David prompted, “What about you?” Danny responded tersely, “No commitments of any kind at the moment. Just having fun.” David frowned, “But surely you must have some plans for the future?” Danny rolled his eyes, “Hey, I just turned 21, what's the rush? My parents want me to take over the family construction business someday, but I don't want to end up like you.” David shot him a look, to which Danny replied, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude.” David thought for a while and said, “You don't look like you're hard up. So why hitchhike?” Danny shrugged, “I thought it might be an adventure.” David said drily, “If you were looking to meet a serial killer, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Danny laughed, and David smiled, apparently pleased to have lightened the mood.
    After another long silence, David suddenly asked, “Could you spare a cigarette?” Danny was amused and replied, “Sure! Want me to light it for you?” David hesitated slightly, but then said, “Um, since I’m driving, yeah, thanks!” Danny squirmed around in his seat and rummaged through his backpack until he found a packet of cigarettes and his lighter. He lit a cigarette and took another puff himself, before he handed it to his companion. David thanked him with a faint smile, as if he was embarrassed about his sudden craving. But after he had taken his first drag, he let out a long sigh of satisfaction that ended in a soft grunt. Danny chuckled, “How long has it been?” David took another drag and inhaled deeply, before he said, “About a year. Longest time I managed to quit so far.” Danny turned around further to David, slid down on the seat with the back of his head snuggled against the window, spread his legs and said suggestively, “Sorry for tempting you.” David glanced at him briefly and then turned his attention back to the road. While Danny watched him drowsily, it seemed to him that this calm, composed man suddenly looked flustered. When David took another puff of the cigarette, his hand shook slightly, and he appeared to be blushing. Danny closed his eyes, sighed contentedly and smiled to himself, as he thought that with a cigarette in his hand, the handsome stranger looked even more like a magazine ad.
    They continued on in silence again, until the sun began to set. Danny had dozed off, when he suddenly heard David say, “Hey, Danny, are you asleep?” When Danny stirred, David continued, “Sorry if I woke you. There’s a decent motel up ahead. I'd like to grab a bite to eat and get some sleep myself. And I imagine that you must be hungry as well? If you're not in a hurry, you're welcome to ride along with me the rest of the way tomorrow.” Danny stretched, yawned and mumbled, “That would be great, thanks very much!”
    The motel turned out be very nice indeed. It was situated at a good distance from the road, so it was quiet, it had a pool surrounded by palm trees, and instead of the usual diner, it had a proper restaurant. Since David went to the trouble to put on his blazer, button his shirt and straighten his tie, Danny slipped into his leather jacket, even though it was still hot outside. They took their bags and headed for the motel. The woman at the reception, a middle-aged, corpulent, but still very beautiful Latina, greeted David warmly. “Good evening, Mr. Shire, nice to see you again! How are you?” While David returned the greeting with, “Fine, thanks!”, the woman looked Danny up and down. After a slightly awkward pause, she asked David, “One room or two?” David turned to Danny and suggested, as if he had thought about it beforehand, “If you want to save some money, I don't mind sharing a room — with separate beds, of course." Danny hid a smile by rubbing his nose, as he replied, “Yeah, let's do that.” Turning to the receptionist, he added, “I needed a ride, and Mr. Shire kindly helped me out.” The woman smiled sweetly and handed a key to David. He thanked her with a nod and then said to Danny, “I'm starving! Let's go eat before we retire.”
    Danny was famished as well, so he dug into his food so ravenously and was so expressive about how much he enjoyed it that it made David smile. Since they had already had a drink before dinner came, and the place was almost empty except for the staff, they began to relax. “You look like you haven't eaten a proper meal in a year, as if you just got out of prison or something!”, David teased. Danny mumbled with his mouth full, “The food is fantastic! I’m just giving it the appreciation it deserves. You should have seen yourself when you had that cigarette! It’s possible to give up smoking, you know, but nobody can abstain from food completely, no matter how hard they try.” David said drily, “You could actually give up eating, but in contrast to smoking, that would end your life rather than prolong it.” Danny was impressed, but said mockingly, “Oooh, a stickler for logic, eh?” David explained, “I studied philosophy and worked as an assistant for a professor that I admired, but I switched to accounting when my girlfriend got pregnant and we got married.” That sounded like a lifetime of regrets in one sentence, and David's expression turned somber, while he looked deeply into his glass, as if he was searching for something at the bottom of it. Danny said gently, “I'm sorry! I seem to have a way of putting my foot in my mouth, as if it weren't full enough already.” David laughed and emptied his glass. Since they had finished their meal and it was too late for coffee, he suggested, “They don't have mini bars here, so let's take something to drink up to our room with us.”
    They picked up a six-pack of Mexican beer and a bottle of tequila at the bar and then headed for their bungalow. But the night air was so pleasant that they decided to  stop along the way and sit down by the pool for another smoke. There was only one cigarette left, so they shared it. They just sat there in silence, enjoying the stars, the sound of the cicadas and each others' company, until Danny suddenly said, “Man, this is nice! Thanks so much.” David looked at Danny squarely, smiled more warmly than he had all day and replied, “My pleasure.” It was beginning to feel as if they were sharing a moment, but David looked away suddenly, threw away the butt of the cigarette and said, “What say we turn in now?”