The Departures area of LaGuardia International Airport was packed as the black limousine waited its turn to pull into the departing passengers drop off area. Kevin, the chauffeur, tapped the steering wheel of the car as he impatiently waited to pull in and drop off Richard Thorndyke so he could catch his plane. He looked into the rear-view mirror and saw Mr. Thorndyke arguing with his wife, Mrs. Thorndyke, and he seemed pretty angry.

The privacy glass was up so he couldn’t hear what was going on and he knew better than to stare at them. He would only give a quick, furtive glance in the mirror every so often and hoped he didn’t get caught. As he yelled at his wife, Kevin noticed that Mrs. Thorndyke wasn’t even paying attention to him anymore, instead, she was looking out the window and letting him rant and rave.

Finally, the line moved forward and Kevin was able to get to the curb and park the car. He turned off the engine, switching on the emergency flasher to signify he was dropping off a passenger, then he raced around the car to open the door for Mr. Thorndyke. Kevin knew he was already quite upset and didn’t want to anger him any more by being slow. The faster he got Mr. Thorndyke on his way, the better!

Kevin popped the trunk lid and got his expensive leather suitcases out of the trunk, loading them on a handy porters trolley and pushed them up to the front door of the airport terminal where one of the airport baggage stewards could take them from there.

Mr. Thorndyke handed Kevin a ten dollar tip without thanking him or even making eye contact - he was more interested in getting into the terminal and getting on his way than he was about being polite!

Kevin took the tip and shoved it into his pocket, shaking his head at the man’s rudeness and lack of gratitude as he walked back to the car. Sure, he was an employee - just a car driver and just barely above the social stature of a cab driver, but still, it wouldn’t kill Mr. Thorndyke to at least acknowledge his existence! Kevin had done his best, considering he got a late start and drove like a madman to get him to the airport in time to catch his flight, and Mr. Thorndyke hadn’t even bothered to thank him!

Kevin returned to the car where Mrs. Thorndyke sat waiting patiently for him to take her home. He got in behind the wheel and looked in the rearview mirror at Mrs. Thorndyke. She looked sad and defeated like she had given up on happiness. He hit the button to activate the intercom.

"Would you like to go straight home, Mrs. Thorndyke?” he asked her. Instead of answering him through the intercom, she pressed a button in the back next to her which lowered the privacy glass.

“No, Kevin, I don’t want to go home just yet. Tell me, do you have to be back at a certain time?” the attractive woman asked.

“Well there may be other fares waiting, but I can call the office and they will give them to other drivers if you want,” he said.

"That would be nice Kevin. And I will make up for any loss in fares that you have,“ she said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Thorndyke. Driving you around is a pleasure, but I’m afraid that the company doesn’t pay us drivers all that well. There aren’t many rich limo drivers out there!” he said with a smile. “So where would you like to go?"

"Kevin, are you up for some fun?” she asked.

“W-what kind of fun, Mrs. Thorndyke?” he asked cautiously.

“Well, today is Friday - do you have the weekend off?” she asked him.

“Yes, I do. There isn’t much call for limos on the weekends unless it’s homecoming or a prom at one of the high schools,” he said.

“Wonderful! Then how would you like an all expense paid weekend in Atlantic City?” she asked.

“Atlantic City!?” he said, stunned at her statement. He looked in the mirror and saw the playful smirk on her face.

“I’m sorry - did you have plans this weekend? Perhaps a girl you wanted to see?” she asked.

“No, Mrs. Thorndyke. No plans and no girl,” he said, still uncertain how to respond to her question about Atlantic City.

“Well then, how about it? We could take in a show, maybe do a little gambling, and eat some wonderful food. The beach is amazing there as well,” she said, getting more excited about the idea as she talked about it.

“Gee, I don’t know Mrs. Thorndyke. I mean you are… and I am…” he said hesitantly. This had all the trappings of a real mess if he wasn’t careful!

“Oh, posh! Right now we are two friends talking about going away to Atlantic City together! You are my friend aren’t you Kevin?” she said, with a sweet child-like tone.

“Yes, ma'am, but…” he started to say.

“Oh, please, say yes! Please, Kevin, say you’ll go with me. I’d go alone, but that’s just too sad. I need to get away from that damn house and kick up my heels. God knows I deserve to have a little fun in this life!” she said.

“Well okay, Mrs. Thorndyke, I guess I could take you to Atlantic City. But I’ll have to call the company and tell them that I’ve been chartered for the weekend so they won’t wonder why I haven’t brought the car back. They will want to know who chartered me and where I’m going. Is that okay with you?” he said.

“That’s fine, Kevin. It’s only a two or three-hour drive from here. People from New York go to Atlantic City for the weekend all the time. There isn’t anything unusual or suspicious about that!” she said. Kevin thought it rather odd that she would say something like that, but he put it out of his mind. Little did he know that her statement would soon become prophetic!

“Okay then, Atlantic City here we come!” Kevin said.

“Oh, good!” Mrs. Thorndyke said, clapping her hands in excitement. Kevin took the Grand Central Parkway and headed south towards Atlantic City. As soon as he was away from the airport and into flowing traffic, he got on the car’s mobile phone and called the office to inform them about the change in plans.

“Okay, Mrs. Thorndyke it’s all set. My company knows that we are headed for A.C. and that I have been chartered for the weekend as the driver. So we are all set… the police won’t come looking for the limo thinking it got stolen or anything!” he said, jokingly.

“No, the police won’t be looking for the limo, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be looking for us!” she said, teasingly. That statement made Kevin look up into the rearview mirror again with a shocked look on his face!

"Kevin would you be a dear and turn that drafty air conditioning off. I know that my husband likes it cool in here, but I’m always freezing! He may be a polar bear, but I’m a Southern girl - I like the warmth!“ she said.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Thorndyke,” he said, switching off the air conditioning which unlocked the power windows in the back.

“Ahh, that feels so much better,” she said as the warm air rushed into the car. “Thank you, Kevin, I needed a break from the house and the stress. And that will be enough of the Mrs. Thorndyke stuff too, Kevin. My name is Louise,” she said, smiling now.

“Okay, Louise,” he said and he saw her smile.

Kevin was quite happy to spend some time away from the busy city streets and relaxed as the limo cruised smoothly down the interstate. It was hard at times to maneuver the limo through the crowded city streets, especially in Manhattan. And finding parking for his car was near impossible!

Fortunately, most of the places he went to had special “Limousine Only” parking areas, but that didn’t mean they were available all the time! And there was always the danger of getting into an accident at some intersection.

He had been rear-ended once and “t-boned” on the passenger side front door. Luckily for him, he was by himself in the rear-end collision, and the side hit was only a minor one. Still, he worried all the time about getting in a bad accident and his passenger getting hurt.

He was glad to get away from the rat race for the weekend - and getting a free paid vacation out of it as well! He turned onto the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway I-278 headed towards Staten Island and soon passed over the Kosciuszko Bridge.

Staying on I-278 then brought him close to the water in the Upper Bay area just on the right side of Manhattan Island. He could look over and see the high-rise buildings of the Financial District across the channel. He often drove in Manhattan and was glad to see it in the distance today.

As they drove they chatted a bit. “Louise, I may be totally out of place and if I am, I apologize, but since you said we are friends, I have to ask - is there anything wrong?” he asked.

“What do you mean, Kevin?” she asked.

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice how you and Mr. Thorndyke were arguing when we dropped him off at the airport. I couldn’t hear anything naturally, and of course, I won’t say anything, but then I came back to the car and… well, you looked so sad and so depressed,” he said.

“You are so sweet for asking. Kevin you will have to promise me that this does not go any further than the two of us. This is very important and I feel I can trust you. But you have to promise me,” she said. She moved forward and reached through the privacy window to lay her hand on his shoulder.

“Louise, I promise you whatever you tell me will never go any further. One of the first things a chauffeur learns is discretion. If he doesn’t, he isn’t a chauffeur for long!” he said, locking eyes with her through the rearview mirror.

“Okay, I believe you, Kevin,” she said, taking a deep breath, “You see, Richard and I haven’t been a real couple in some time. We live together yes, and we go to social events and functions together. When we do, we are the picture of a happy couple.

"But when we get home and the door shuts, the masks come off. He goes to his study or his bedroom, and I go to my own. We hardly ever talk, except to argue or fight. It’s really horrible and it puts so much stress on me. That’s why I was so happy to hear he was going out of town this next week - at least it will be peaceful in the house for a week.

"The problem is that neither of us can get a divorce. He can’t divorce me because it’s my family that has the money and he would lose out on his meal ticket. And I can’t get a divorce because of my family’s social standing and the stigma that would come along with being divorced.

"We are an old family and the way we were brought up is that you stand by your man no matter what. Women in my family just didn’t get divorced. We made it work and we put up with our husband’s faults and eccentricities.

"Whether it be a gambling problem, a womanizing problem, or even an abusive relationship, we women made it work. So when he yells at me and punches the walls or slams the door, I just go into myself and try to ignore it,” she explained.

“Has he ever… um… hit you?” Kevin asked.

“No, never. If he did, my brothers would make sure he never did it again! I’m a Thorndyke by marriage, but I’m a Wellington by birth!” she said proudly.

“Well, I can promise you that, for the next two days, you won’t have to worry about anyone giving you any stress. This is going to be a stress-free, enjoyable vacation for you if I have anything to say about it!” Kevin said.

“That sounds wonderful, Kevin! You don’t know how nice it is to be able to have a reasonable conversation with someone,” she said wistfully.

“You just sit back and relax, Louise, we’ll be in A.C. in a couple hours. You just leave the driving to me and enjoy yourself,” Kevin said. 

Kevin left his passenger deep in her thoughts as he followed the highway signs towards Atlantic City. He had never been there before, but he knew how to get there from maps he had seen. Plus his limo had a navigation computer in it which told him turn by turn directions to where he wanted to go.

A few minutes later brought him to the famous Verrazano Narrows Bridge - the defining landmark between the Upper and Lower Bays. Crossing this bridge took them out of New York and they entered New Jersey. Now the road name changed and instead of the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway, they were on the Staten Island Expressway, although it was still labeled I-278 

Being a Friday and just before noon, the freeways were fairly busy and he had to keep his eyes on the road. But that didn’t keep Kevin from surreptitiously adjusting the interior rearview mirror so he could get a better view of the attractive lady sitting in the back seat.

Louise Thorndyke was a very attractive woman in her mid-30’s although she looked younger. Mr. Thorndyke was considerably older - in his early 50’s - and wanted a “trophy wife” as arm candy. The fact that her family was loaded was also high on his priorities, and because he was able to charm her into marrying him, he figured he was set.

Richard Thorndyke knew about her family's views on divorce before he married her, and now that he had her, he knew he could relax and didn’t have to worry about money. In fact, the only reason he went to work at all was to keep up appearances and to get away from her.

That was the reason for this business trip. Louise told Kevin that her husband had recently hired this hot young blonde to be his personal secretary. “Emphasis on personal,” Louise said. “This bimbo can’t even spell secretary, but because she has a killer body and big tits and is just as comfortable on her knees or on her back as she is in a chair, he hired her. And now they are going off to some 'business trip' supposedly”.

“Well, Louise, I don’t know your husband very well - we almost never talk, I mean, I’m just a driver. But I know if I had a woman like you at home, I wouldn’t be able to wait to get home. And I sure wouldn’t be looking at any other woman. I mean, I wouldn’t need anyone else if I had someone like you waiting at home for me,” he said.

“Thank you, Kevin, I needed that,” Louise said, “Now be honest with me, please Kevin, this is just between us, do you really think I’m good looking?”

“Honestly Louise, I think you are very attractive,” Kevin replied carefully as he maintained eye contact through the rear view mirror.

“My husband thinks I need a face-lift and bigger breasts,” Louise said angrily as she burst into tears. “Hell, I just turned thirty-four a couple months ago!” she sobbed. “Just because Candy is twenty-two, he thinks I’m old!

Kevin quickly pulled a clean handkerchief from a pocket and passed it to Louise as he watched her with concern. "I’m assuming Candy is the new secretary?” he asked.

Louise finally calmed, wiped away the last few tears “Yes, that’s the peroxide princess’s name,” she said, and blew her nose several times into the handkerchief.

“I guess you won’t want this back,” Louise said with a little smile. “I’m sorry, Kevin, to put you through this, but the situation just got too much for me.”

“It’s no wonder you were so sad at the airport,” he said.

“Kevin, dear, you don’t have any cold drinks in the fridge by any chance?”

“I’m sure there is some champagne, beer, and water in the fridge.” The chauffeur replied. Louise opened the little mini-bar and found a small bottle of champagne.

"Ahh, here it is," she said, opening the bottle and pouring herself a glass of the bubbly liquid. “I’m sorry to be drinking alone, but maybe we can get a drink together once we get to Atlantic City.”

“That’s quite all right Louise, you go right ahead, you earned it,” Kevin said.

“You are so sweet, Kevin, I’m really glad you agreed to go away with me. And who knows, if I have a few more of these you might just get lucky!” she said.

“Pardon me?” he asked.

Louise giggled. “Well, you said I am attractive,” Louise said as she downed the balance of the champagne before pulling the hem of her skirt halfway up her thighs. “Do you like my legs?”

Kevin’s eyes were riveted on Louise’s legs as he gulped and said, “They are beautiful, so shapely and smooth.”

“My sweet talking chauffeur…” she said, refilling her glass with more champagne.

Suddenly, Louise set the glass down on the bar top and with shaking hands proceeded to slip the shoulder straps of her dress off her shoulders to reveal a small pink bra covering her full 34C breasts.

“So, do you think my breasts are too small like my dick-head husband does?” she asked.

Kevin realized that the situation was getting out of hand, but he could not help saying, “I think they are just fine, Louise… just right for your body type. Please don’t get implants, most of the time they never look right and no one has perfectly round breasts. Only the porn stars and usually they look terrible,” he replied.

“You know, Kevin, you are good for a girl’s ego!” she said, smiling broadly. He looked at her in the mirror and winked, making her giggle.

By now they had left the New York/New Jersey metroplex far behind, and the scenery had turned more suburban and even rural in some places. This is the farthest south Kevin had been, and he relied on his navigation computer and the occasional road sign to keep him on track.

He knew that once he got through New Jersey and crossed the Raritan River and the Driscoll Bridge, all he had to do was stay on the Garden State Parkway, affectionately known by residents in the area as the “GSP” until he got to the Atlantic City Expressway interchange some ninety miles away. Then it was another ten minutes before they would enter Atlantic City.

Now that traffic had thinned out considerably, he was able to relax a bit and have a little look around. Having lived in New York his whole life, he had only seen pictures of this kind of country. The most wooded area he had seen was Central Park, so to see spaces where no houses, factories, or shopping malls existed, was quite odd to him.

“Wow! Look at all this empty space!” Kevin marveled.

“Yes, once you get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, you can actually start seeing what else is out there. I was born and grew up in Upstate New York in a small place called Rotterdam, right next to Schenectady, New York. It was big enough that you could go shopping and enjoy some of the benefits of city life, but it was still small enough that you actually knew your neighbors and we had block parties and kids played in the playgrounds safely. It was nice… simpler then."

"Well, I’m a Bedford Park brat, myself. I haven’t ever been this far south, and not much farther north for that matter. I am from a blue collar working family. My father was a bus driver for the NYC MTA. Growing up, I spent some time in the Bronx Park, but that’s about the closest thing to the woods I ever got - that and Central Park."

"Well then, I’m going to have to show you around more!” she said.

A few minutes later Kevin saw the sign for the Atlantic City Expressway interchange. “Well, this is our exit. Ten minutes and we’ll be in Atlantic City!” he said. Sure enough in ten minutes, they were on the outskirts of Atlantic City. From there, Louise told Kevin where to go and in five more minutes, he pulled up in front of the FantaSea Resorts Hotel.

“There’s a parking garage behind the hotel that is patrolled 24/7. The limo will be safe there. I’ll go in and get a room,” she said.

“Um, Louise, we never really talked about this, but uh… what about the sleeping arrangements? I mean…” he said awkwardly.

“I’m sorry! I thought we would share a room. I mean we are on this trip together and I just assumed… but if you are uncomfortable staying in the same room I will get you a room next to mine,” she said.

“Louise, it’s not that I am uncomfortable, it’s just that I thought you’d be uncomfortable. I mean you being of such high social calling and me being just a chauffeur… I didn’t know if…” he said.

Louise giggled, “Oh, Kevin, you’re always looking out for my reputation, aren’t you? Well, my dear, sweet man, you needn’t worry about ‘sullying my name’ or anything. You see, it is fairly common knowledge in my circles that I am, shall we say, free-spirited. I have always been one to buck the status quo and do my own thing. And it’s also pretty well-known that my husband, if you can call him that, has a roving eye and a problem with his pants - namely keeping them on. So you see you don’t have to be concerned about my being uncomfortable staying in a hotel room with you. In fact, if I can be so bold, I was kind of hoping for that,” she said, looking up at him with her head lowered slightly.

Kevin returned her smile without saying anything more. He pulled up to the front of the hotel and got out to help her out and walked her inside to the front desk. “I’ll go move the car Mrs. Thorndyke and be right back,” he said keeping up appearances of propriety.

While Louise secured a room, he took the car to the parking garage and put it in the special limousine area. Locking all the doors he came back to the ticket booth and got a ticket for the car. “We are staying in the hotel,” he said to the ticket agent.

“Very good, I will just have your parking ticket added to your hotel bill if you like,” the agent said.

“That would be fine, thank you,” Kevin said. And he took the ticket back with him to the hotel along with the keys to the limo.

Louise was waiting for him in the lobby when he walked back over and he escorted her all proper to the elevator and they went up to their room. As soon as the elevator doors shut he told her that he had parked the limousine and had the ticket whenever they needed to retrieve it.

"Well, you are on vacation too, so should we need to go anywhere we will just hail a cab. You deserve to have a break from driving. After all, this should be your weekend off!" she said.

"That would be nice. Hard to take a look around when you have to watch the road! So what room did you get?" he asked.

"Room 1502," she said. "I wanted a good view of the ocean, and the rooms at the front of the hotel are the nicer suites."

When the elevator dinged that it arrived at their floor, the door opened and Kevin helped her get out of the elevator walking her to the room. “Allow me,” he said, taking the key from her. She smiled and he opened the door. He let her go in first and then shut and locked the door behind them.

“WOW!” he said when he saw the room, "This is amazing!” He went in and looked around at the furnishings, the immense size of the room and then he looked out the big bay window at the beach and ocean below. “You were right, Louise, the view is amazing!”

“Oh, you mean the beach view?” she said. He turned around at her comment and saw an even more spectacular view on the inside of the room!