Thankfully, the path to the bathroom was covered so I didn’t get wet. I stepped into the poorly lit bathroom. The air was heavy and damp. As I peed at the urinal, I glanced at the cracked mirror that hung below humming fluorescent lights. Surprisingly, there was soap in the dispenser beside the sink, though no paper towels or one of those automatic dryers to dry my hands.
Russell stood at the front of his SUV with his eyes on me the second I stepped out of the bathroom. He waited for me to get closer before he turned to get back into the car.
“What is it with rest stops? Are they purposely all created so they would be perfect scenes for a murder movie?” I said as I pulled my seat belt back on.
Russell laughed as he pulled out the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups from the center console. He opened one end of the package and tipped two of the four chilled cups into my hands.
“I take it this one could have fit into a horror movie.”
“It had soap, though.”
“That’s a plus.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive for a while?” I asked right before I shoved my last peanut butter cup into my mouth.
“We only have about an hour left. I’ll be fine driving and would like you to relax.”
“Okay. My head is pounding and feels like I have a lot of pressure in it,” I volunteered.
“It’s the change in altitude and weather.”
As we drove closer to our hotel in Vail, the storm lessened. Though my head still ached, my mood and outlook improved, thus Russell relaxed.
