I actually laugh. “That was the absolute worst movie you ever did.”
He winks. “Yet you still watched it and recognize the line.”
My god, he’s handsome.
Does he know it?
Does he know exactly how attractive he is?
I tell myself he probably does. The idea that he’s full of himself makes it easier to remember that relationships are trouble, and crushing on your landlord is always a bad idea.
He slips out the door.
I close it behind him, and then I dash to the window to peek out and watch him.
Merely because it’s so thick with falling snow that I can barely see the cars.
This is me watching for his safety.
Not me watching his ass as he braves the weather to bring in a few more supplies.
Yep.
Just watching for his safety.
And I need to get a lot better at lying to myself.
5
Cash
Fuck me,it’s slippery as hell out here.
There’s a layer of ice beneath the rapidly accumulating snow, and I almost wipe out before I get off the two steps leading down to the parking area. A snowflake blows into my eye. Wind cuts through my gloves.
But I’m all in on this mission.
We don’t have enough food, and it’ll only be harder to get back out here later, when there’s more snow.
Need to get to the extra firewood on the side of the cabin and bring more of that in too.
Don’t let Aspen know how precarious this could get if the power goes out.
Which wouldn’t be surprising, given the wind and the snow.
We’re at the end of the grid. Before this is over, I expect there will be many downed trees and houses without power.
The door opens behind me before I get to my car. I turn back and spot Aspen through the thick, blowing snow. She’s only in her oversize hoodie and thick sweatpants.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I got into the original email from when I booked the place,” she replies. “The owners say that in the event of snow, there’s a shovel in the small shed out back, and that they’ll eventually get up here to get us plowed out. They said there’s extra firewood on the side of the house if we need it too.”
“Good job. Get back inside.”
The door clicks shut behind me again.
And then I reach my car.
