She finally fucking walked toward me, her face all smiles. “We rarely get tornados here.”
“Don’t care. Get the fuck inside.” It took all my power to not yank her in the door. This damn woman was wild and got under my skin.
“Bossy.” She winked at me, the little tease, and I balled my fists.
Her attitude and complete disregard for my anger only made me crave hermore.The sirens continued, and the news said there was a tornado heading toward our city from the southwest, moving in direct path of our college town. Sweat formed on my neck, and I didn’t understand why no one was freaking out.
Weather wasn’t to be messed with. Mother Earth was a boss and didn’t stop for anyone. Using my captain voice, I clapped my hands. “If anyone wants to make their way to the cellar for a bit, we’re under a tornado warning. I’m heading down as a precaution, and you all are welcome.”
Elle stared at me with a half-smile, her cheeks all rosy, but made no moves to head down where it was safe. Sure, there weren’t any windows in the bar, but they said to take shelter in a basement if you had one. We did. Despite being inside, I swore the sirens got louder and thenbam.
The entire place shook from the strength of the thunder.
The few patrons we had glanced up, and a man rose, holding his beer. “I can drink this down there, right?”
“Not a bad idea, champ.” Elle cupped her hands around her mouth. “Anyone who heads downstairs gets a drink on the house. Come on, people.”
That got everyone moving as another clap of thunder caused the walls to tremble. Fear was healthy. Kept people from doing stupid things—like standing outside and taking pictures of clouds, but my heart raced.
My parents had died from a rainstorm. They said the road was wet, and they must’ve swerved into a median, causing the car to flip over. I didn’t have any trauma about rain from it because it was a freak accident, but this storm?
Any number of things could happen. Ripping the bar up from the ground, a tree coming in the door and hitting Elle. The entire foundation moving into the air.Fuck.I marched toward her. “Get down there.”
“I’m making sure they all have drinks.”
“No. I’ll do it.” My words came out in a pant. “Please, just go.”
The TV said the tornado was miles out from our city. Miles. Tornados moved a crazy amount of miles an hour, so that meant we had minutes. “Elle,please.”
She searched my face, the walls shaking again, and she took my hand. “Fuck the drinks.”
I nodded, and I gripped her fingers hard, like she was the only thing holding me from losing my mind. She guided us down the rocky stairs as the other patrons sat on boxes or the ground. No one seemed to complain about the lack of drinks. If anything, they all looked worried.
Thunder and wind howled from outside the bar. Someone played the radio from their phone, which announced people to take cover. If you were driving, get out of your car and find a ditch.
I swallowed and focused on Elle’s fingers. They were small, and the silver ring dug into my own hand, but I didn’t care. It grounded me. The dim lighting of the cellar did nothing to dampen her beauty or the worried look in her eyes. She stared at me, frowning, and then moved closer to me. She let go of my hand and put it around my waist. Like shecomfortedme. “It’ll be okay, Cal. I promise.”
Then the power went out.
“Ohshit.” Elle tensed, and her grip tightened. I, too, put my arm around her shoulders, needing her closer. She smelled like strawberries and sweat, a perfect combination to settle me down.
“You got a generator?” one guy asked.
“Not sure. Let’s just hang out here for ten minutes, then we can go look.” My voice had an authoritative tone even though my insides were going bananas. I could throw up or scream. It was a real toss-up. It was pitch black besides the light from people’s phones, and despite the fear, the darkness enhanced my other senses.
The softness of Elle’s shirt and hair as it tickled my chin. The fruity way she smelled. The worry in her voice and her shallow breaths. The way her fingers dug into my side, like she was asnervous as I was while she tried to help me. The taste of the damp cellar air, a little bitter from all the cement and stored bottles.
Another thunderbolt hit, and she jumped. While I focused on her, my own fear trickled away. I ran my hand up and down her spine, closing my eyes and enjoying the slow way she relaxed into me. She set her head on my shoulder first. Then, she let out a little hum of pleasure when I got to her neck. I massaged it, then traced the outline of her ear. She’d worn hoop earrings again. I had to tell her I liked them a lot. They were playful.
In a different life, I’d be with her. I knew it in my gut. I could’ve made her really happy and given her what she deserved. But it didn’t do well to think aboutthatversion, where my parents hadn’t died and left me alone.
“Think we’re good now?” a patron asked, pulling me from the melancholic thoughts overtaking my brain.
It had been a bit, time losing meaning for me. Maybe ten minutes had passed? The power was still out, but Elle nodded even though no one could see her. “Yeah, I do.”
“I’m gonna check it out. My wife’s at home with our kids, and I want to get back.”
“Be safe,” she said.
