“Was Minneapolis your final destination?” Holly asked.
“Yeah. I live there. You?”
“Same. It’s crazy to think that we’re only a four-hour drive away and there’s no way we can get there tonight.” Holly looked deflated as she said it, but Mack didn’t pry. She didn’t know Holly and suspected she might not want to share her personal story as well as a small bed.
As silence fell between them, Mack became more aware of the room’s odor. The stench of stale cigarette smoke mingled with the sour smell of spilled alcohol that had seeped deep into the carpet fibers over time.
“God, it reeks in here,” she muttered. “Mind if I open the window for a few seconds? Just to air it. I suspect that hasn’t happened for a while.”
Holly nodded, wrinkling her nose. “Please do. It’s pretty bad.”
Mack wrestled with the old frame, and it finally gave way with a loud crack, but her triumph was short-lived. A gust of icy wind burst into the room, sending the curtains flying and nearly ripping the already precarious curtain rod from the wall. Snow swirled in, immediately dampening the carpet near the window.
“Shit!” she yelled, changing her mind and struggling to close the window against the force of the storm. Holly rushed to help, and together they managed to slam it shut.
“Okay, bad idea.” Mack panted, looking sheepishly at Holly, who was dusted with snow. “I guess we’ll have to cope with eau de cigarette and booze. Maybe it’ll grow on us?”
Holly laughed, brushing snow from her hair. “Yeah, nothing says ‘Christmas’ quite like the aroma of a frat party aftermath. But hey, at least now we know the window actually opens. That’s got to count for something in this place.”
Mack was relieved that Holly took the situation in stride. “Silver linings, right? I should probably head out to the convenience store to get us some supplies before it closes. I’ll add Febreze to the list. What can I get you?”
“Are you sure? I can come with you, it’s?—”
“No,” Mack interrupted her. “It’s terrible out there. There’s no need for both of us to walk through the storm.” Checking her phone, she noted the signal was still weak. “And I should probably call my family from the landline at reception to let them know I’m stranded.”
“Yeah, I’ll do the same,” Holly agreed. She pulled a few bills out of her pocket and handed them to Mack. “I’ll scan the room for other peepholes while you’re away, so if you could get me more chewing gum, that would be great. I’m almost out.”
Mack chuckled. “Of course. What else? Do you drink? Want to share a bottle of wine? Any allergies?”
“Yes to the wine. I really need a drink after today,” Holly said. “I prefer red, but I like a dry white too. And I don’t have allergies, so take your pick for the food, as long as you bring me some salted pretzels.”
“No problem. Pretzels and red wine coming up.” Mack put on her coat, her scarf, and her beanie. “Thanks again for sharing the room. I know I wasn’t exactly nice to you at the airport. I’m not normally rude.”
“Forget it. I was worse.” Holly walked over to Mack and readjusted her scarf, pulling it all the way up to her chin. “Stay warm, and if you can’t see where you’re going, just come back. We can always raid the vending machine for candy.”
The scarf thing was curiously intimate for a stranger, and Mack inched back a little, creating more space between them.
“And I promise you, I’m not a princess,” Holly added, meeting her eyes.
Mack stared at her for a beat. Holly certainly looked like a princess with her shiny, dark hair and flawless skin. She was one of those women who were incredibly beautiful without trying, or perhaps not even knowing it. “I didn’t mean that,” she said, then shook her head and chuckled. “Okay, maybe I meant it in the heat of the moment, but now…”
“Now that you’ve got a bed, I’m not so bad, huh?” Holly arched a brow and shot her a playful smile.
“No, you’re not.” Mack studied Holly more closely and felt a flicker of curiosity about her new roommate. She caught herself staring and quickly looked away, suddenly aware of how fragile their situation was. It wasn’t the time to be admiring her temporary roommate’s good looks; the last thing she wanted was to make Holly uncomfortable.
“I should get going,” she said, zipping up her coat. “I won’t be long.”
Chapter 4
Holly
Holly had just finished lighting candles when Mack walked in with a smug smile, her arms laden with bags.
“Honey, I’m home,” she called, her voice tinged with humor.
Holly laughed. “Welcome back. The Wi-Fi is still down, but I found a blurry TV channel that plays Christmas music. It drowns out the noise of the storm and the neighbors, who just woke up. They’re currently having a row over who drank more of the vodka and should therefore go out in the storm to buy more.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Mack set the bags down on the small table by the window and began unpacking their makeshift dinner. “Did you do that for me?” She gestured toward the candles Holly had placed around the room.
