Charlette was good, although she wasn’t a professional model.  Paul’s impromptu picture-taking of her across the car’s hood proved this.  She looked at him, as if he wasn’t holding a camera.  Her face looked more natural, since she didn’t appear to be forcing it, whether that be a smile or some other look.<br/><br/>Both their backpacks stashed in the backseat, Paul climbed behind the wheel and buckled up.  She’d already performed the<i>click-it </i>task.  Local police were pretty strict when it came to wearing seatbelts.  A few citizens attempted to take that a step further by insisting that dogs should also be strapped in.  Yeah, good luck with that, he’d always thought.  Not only did the beloved pets vary in size, but they also differed in temperament.  Some dutifully sat in their seat, some lay down, and some just couldn’t keep still.  And then there was the open window factor to consider.  Again, good luck with that.<br/><br/>They’d both noticed a few dark clouds moving in, but neither said anything about it.  They weren’t on the trails yet, so if it began to rain, they had the option of waiting it out while remaining nice and dry in the car.  There were a few hooded ponchos in the trunk, so Paul would make it a point to bring a pair of them along once they got there.<br/><br/>Paul steered the vehicle in the direction Charlette had indicated.  He got the feeling that the trail she had in mind would be a first for him.  There were just so many to choose from in the area, and at times, he’d fall back on a few favorites instead of venturing out there for somewhere new.  Because of this, he was looking forward to her selected hike.  For now, their voyage remained silent, each to his or her own thoughts.