Chapter Nine

Annie

"Hi," I manage to say and bring my napkin up to cover my mouth. I can't believe I shoved that big of a piece of cheese stick into my mouth just when he decided to walk over. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he obviously wanted to say hello, but the timing was so wrong. I manage to swallow it then reach for my diet soda. "Please forgive me, but that piece was still a little warm."

"I've had those before and they're really good," he says and transfers the two bags he's holding into his other hand. "I see you've got the potato soup too. What do you think?"

"I've only had a couple bites, but you were right. It's really delicious."

Then he lifts the bags up for me to see. "I've got a bowl of it too."

I may not have realized it earlier, but Brent really does have a wonderful smile along with a perfect set of teeth. His day-old beard growth isn't so bad either.

"Would you care to join me?" I'm not sure where that question comes from, but it escapes my mouth before I even have a chance to think about it.

He looks behind him, then down at the chair across from me. "Sure. I don't want to intrude, though."

I slide my drink closer to me to allow him enough room and he sets his bags down onto the table.

"I was just sitting here thinking about the ride from Reno. I mean, I knew I was going to see snow, but man, I never realized it would be so much."

He takes the lid off of his soup, then sticks his spoon into the savory, creamy liquid. I watch as he stirs in the few pieces of fried onions and they quickly disappear to the bottom of the bowl.

"It's been like this for several weeks now. The weatherman has been saying this year could break records."

"I can't imagine what it's like living here. Do you ever get tired of seeing so much snow?" I inquire just as he brings the spoon to his mouth.

"It's not fun to drive in, I'll say that much," he says between mouthfuls. "But you get used to it when you live here. The city does a decent job tending to the roads as best they can, but it's days like today when there's only so much they can do. The ice just keeps refreezing, layer upon layer. You'll be able to see in the daylight what I'm talking about. The sides of the road are an ugly brown slush."

"Is it true that some vehicles have to put chains on their tires?" I feel silly asking, but I'm dying to know if it's true or not.

Brent nods. "Yep. Many of the locals keep a set on them at all times for situations like today. I'm afraid with so much snow falling and what's predicted the next couple days, it'll be a while before they're able to clear the roads. The main roads, anyway. It's common to have to park your vehicle and walk if the roads aren't passable."

My bottom jaw drops, listening to his last few remarks. "That's pretty bad. I've got a rental car booked for tomorrow, but you're telling me the roads may not be open for me to make it to the cabin my sister rented?"

"I seriously doubt it. And even if they were, I wouldn't recommend it. Even the drivers that are used to these conditions, stay put. It's not worth the risk sliding into another car or running off the road."

I feel a knot form in the pit of my stomach. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"If you're able to stay on here, that's what I'd recommend. Plenty of places to eat, it's nice and warm, and if you just want to get out for a little while, there's lots of shops you can walk to." He pushes his sleeves up and rests his arms against the side of the table. "Speaking of being warm, I think they cranked the heat up."

I look down at his arms and a slight giggle escapes my mouth. "Oh, goodness, did you know your shirt's turned inside out?"

Brent's cheeks begin to redden. "This shirt," he begins, lifting it away from his chest. "Belongs to my father. It was inside the bag I keep in my Jeep."

"Is there a reason why you're wearing it this way? Does it have a stain on it or something?"

"If I told you there was a picture of my parents' dogs on the front, would you believe me?"

"Seriously?" I bring my hand up to my mouth. "You're kidding, right? This sounds like a story one of my students would come up with."

He shakes his head. "Serious as a heart attack. When I went to get in my Jeep to head home, I realized one of the tires was flat. There's no way anyone's going to risk coming here to fix it this late, so I used my employee discount rate to get a room for the night, and this just happened to be in the bag."

"I'm so sorry." I feel bad now for even pointing it out. Next time, I'll learn to keep my mouth shut. "At least you had something to change into."

"Yep, I learned a long time ago to always keep an extra set of clothes with me. You never know what might happen."

We both fall silent and shift out focus to our soup before it gets cold. I'm amazed how easy he is to talk to. Almost as though we've been friends forever.

"Man, that was really good." Brent pushes his empty bowl over and leans back in his seat. "It certainly hit the spot."

"I probably would've raided one of the vending machines if you hadn't suggested coming here."

"Same," he chuckles. "I was debating if I wanted to come downstairs or not. I'm glad I did now."

"I know, right? I kept thinking how good a hot bath would feel. I'm much warmer now, but man, it sure was cold earlier."

"This weather takes some getting used to, for sure. When I came back from college, it was like starting all over again. I can deal with it better now, but it was rough that first winter."

"What did you go to school for?" I know I'm being nosy, but I'm not ready to call it a night. Not yet, anyways.

"Accounting."

"Oh really? That's interesting."

"Yeah, well, and you see what I'm doing. Driving a bus." He laughs but I'm not sure if he's trying to make a joke of it or not.

"Many people go to college for one thing and end up doing something entirely different. Take my sister, Madi, for example. She started out majoring in marine biology and now she works part-time at the hospital where her husband practices."

"It probably happens more often than we realize, if you want to know the truth," he points out.

"I bet you're right. Speaking of my sister," I pause to slide my phone from my purse. "She's calling me."

Brent sits up and gathers his things together. "I'm sure you want to talk to her, so I'll leave you alone. Thanks for letting me eat with you."

"I can always call her back later," I quickly add, not wanting to cut our night short. "I sent her a message earlier so she's probably just wanting me to know she got it."

"I should probably give my folks a call too. So they don't worry about me." Brent stands then pushes his chair up to the table. "If you want to do breakfast tomorrow, I know this place that makes caramel pecan cinnamon rolls. That is, if you're an early riser."

Though I'm full from the soup and cheese sticks, gooey cinnamon rolls sound amazing. A lot better than the dried biscuits I sometimes get from the school cafeteria. "I'm in room 2810. Why don't you give me a call and I can meet you in the lobby."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Annie. Have a good night."