XOXO, Winter

by Bloom, Nikki

  “I will be there just as soon as I can.” I didn’t even think twice about dropping everything I was doing in order to drive down to the police station and comfort her.

  While I drove, I couldn’t stop thinking about why she was at the police station to begin with. Had something happened to her? Was she hurt? Was she in trouble somehow? All I really knew was that she had sounded really desperate on the phone. She needed me and I wasn’t about to let her down.

  I slowed my speed once I neared the station. The last thing I needed was to get pulled over for a ticket. It was agonizing to drive the 20 MPH through the school zone knowing that Winter was waiting for me.

  After what felt like an eternity, I reached the station. I didn’t even bother to lock my doors before heading inside.

  There, I was greeted by a female officer. “How may we help you, sir?”

  “I’m here to see a Miss Winter Greene.”

  “Right this way.” I was led towards an office. Even through the frosted glass, I could tell it was her. She was holding a coffee cup as if her life depended on. I didn’t bother to wait for the officer’s okay. I simply took hold of the doorknob and stepped inside. Nothing –and I mean nothing– would have stopped me from seeing her at that moment.

  “Reed…” She melted into my embrace almost as soon as I walked into the door. “You’re here.”

  “Of course I’m here,” I whispered against the top of her head. “You asked me to come and that’s what I did. What kind of friend would I be if I left you here all alone?” She buried her head against my chest and I squeezed her tight. “Now, do you mind telling me what happened?”

  “Victor–”

  “What did he do to you?” I was already seething with anger. “I swear, if he so much as laid a single finger on you, I’ll kill him myself.”

  “I’ll pretend I did not hear that,” came the gruff voice of what seemed to be a senior officer. “Now, that aside, let us get down to business.” He sat down with a notepad and a folder. “So, Miss Greene, you’re looking to file a complaint against a Mr. Victor Sigsworth, correct?”

  “Correct.”

  “Please, have a seat, this might take a little while and I wouldn’t want your feet to get tired.” The officer motioned towards the two chairs positioned on the opposite side of the table. “Now, what is the reason for wanting to file this complaint?”

  “The guy is a madman,” I blurted out, losing my composure. “He harassed her at the local library just the other day.”

  “Is this true?”

  Winter nodded. “Yes. He didn’t do anything, per se, but he threatened to do so.”

  “I’m going to need some details.”

  * * *

  It was a long and arduous process but by some miracle, we managed to get out of that police station with the promise that they would investigate the situation and get Victor’s side of the story before making any final decisions. If they deemed his actions potentially criminal –which they were– then we’d have to take this whole affair to court, and I hoped we would because that guy deserved to live out the rest of his life behind bars.

  “I hope the investigation goes in our favor. My lawyers would demolish him in court,” I said once we were inside my car. I turned on the heat hoping that it would help with her shaking. “Then, he’d never be able to bother you again.”

  “I’d rather avoid going to court…” she said, her voice impossibly small. “But I still hope that all of this scares him away.”

  I reached over and laced her fingers with mine. “Well, if he’s stupid enough to try something like this again, then I’ll be there to keep you safe.”

  “You can’t protect me all the time,” she countered. “I appreciate what you’re saying but it’s just not realistic.”

  “Well, then, I will do whatever I can to make you feel safe.”

  “Maybe start by driving a little slower,” she said.

  “Sorry, it’s a bad habit of mine.” I eased my foot off the gas and watched the needle on my speedometer drop to a more reasonable number. “You buy a fast car and it just kind of goes fast on its own, you know?”

  She didn’t respond.

  “This whole thing has you pretty freaked out, huh?”

  “Wouldn’t you be, too?” she snapped. “I just don’t understand his obsession with me. I’m nothing special.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re very special.”

  “Well, I don’t want to be special if it means dealing with a maniac. All I want is to be left alone. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Not at all. You have every right to that.”

  Winter was quiet for a little while. “Thanks,” she said.

  “Hmm?”

  “I said thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “For coming out here and promising to protect me in the future. While I hope it never comes to that, I really do appreciate what you’re doing. I’ve never had a guy show me this much…” She fumbled for the word she wanted.

  “You don’t have to thank me for anything. I care about you Winter and I just want to keep you safe.”

  Instead of going straight back to her place, I stopped at the only fast food joint in town.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m getting you some food. I already know that you’re going to tell me that you’re not hungry, but some food is going to do you good.”

  “Really, Reed, this isn’t necessary.”

  “You can’t stop me,” I countered. “Last I checked, I’m the one driving the car.”

  “I’m not–”

  “I hope you like beef because I’m getting you a cheeseburger.”

  “Reed–”

  “Or maybe a chicken tender meal. Hmm, I wonder what kind of girl you are…?”

  “Can you stop being stubborn?”

  “Absolutely not.” I grinned over at her. “Then I’d lose that element of my charm and you know you like it.”

  Winter rolled her eyes. “You’re starting to sound like Victor.”

  I held my hand to my chest. “That is the biggest insult you could have dealt me.” I was trying to keep my tone light and playful, hoping to crack a smile on her face. It seemed my overdramatic acting was the ticket to accomplishing that goal. “There we go, that’s the smile I was looking for.”

  She blushed and slapped my leg. “There’s no need for you to tease me.”

  “I’m not teasing you. I’m trying to make you feel better. It’s killing me to see you so upset.”

  She looked over at me and parted her lips like she was about to say something, but we had reached the drive-thru window.

  “How may I help you?”

  “Last chance to tell me what you want before I decide for you.”

  “Get me that cheeseburger you were talking about.”

  “Coming right up,” I said.

  Once I had our food in hand, I parked and handed her the sandwich she had ordered.

  “Bon appetite.”

  “Why did we go through the drive-thru if we were just going to eat here anyway? Why not just eat inside?”

  “Because the interior of my car is much better than the interior of that place. Besides, I hate it when you end up with a sticky table.”

  Winter laughed. “I didn’t really peg you as a germaphobe, but I guess as a surgeon it makes sense. You know all about the creepy crawlies that no one can see.”

  “Stop,” I warned.

  Her grin deepened. “Oh, I’ve found your weakness now. You’re in trouble.”

  “I’m glad to see that you’re feeling better.”

  “It's difficult not to when I’m sitting next to such a goofball.”

  “Goofball? I’m a professional.”

  “A professional, what? Comedian?”

  “You’re really gunning to wound my pride today, huh?” I offered her some of my fries and she popped one into her mouth. Or, should I say, she attempted to because she missed horribly. The f
ry ended up down her shirt and getting lost between her chest. “If you aren’t going to eat that–”

  She slapped my arm. “There’s no need for you to be a perv.”

  “Hey, don’t shoot me for wanting a boobie fry. I’m sure every guy on the planet would want one of those.”

  “Every guy that isn’t gay, you mean.”

  “Right, what you said.”

  With a smile, she continued on her burger. “Why can’t more guys be like you?”

  “Gentlemen are a dime a dozen,” I said with a wink.

  She picked at her bun.

  “Winter?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You never told me what you were doing when Victor approached you.”

  “Oh.” She looked down and fiddled with her fingers. “I was trying to get to your house.”

  “My house? Why didn’t you just call me?”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Because I needed the walk to make sure I was making the right decision.”

  I turned in my seat so I could look at her directly. “What do you mean?”

  “Times are tough for me right now. Bills are piling up and rent is one that I’ve been neglecting. My landlord won’t tolerate it any longer so she’s threatening to kick me out. Suffice to say, I need a place to stay and I remembered you mentioning that you were looking for a roommate.”

  “You want to live with me?” I asked.

  “As a roommate – not as, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  “I just want to focus on school, and I know if we started a legitimate relationship, I’d become distracted and fall behind–”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself, Winter. I’d be more than happy to have you as a roommate, as would Timber.”

  She smiled. “How is he, by the way?”

  “Settling in nicely, I’d say.”

  “He must feel like the king of the castle with that new home of his.”

  And you’ll soon feel like the queen of that same castle, I thought to myself.

  15

  Reed

  “Home sweet home,” I announced as I pressed a button on my rearview mirror that opened the gilded gates to my estate.

  “Is that…gold?” Winter asked. “The tips there, I mean.”

  “Mhm. The original owners had a simple brass gate, but I had it replaced.”

  “Why the gold?”

  “Why not? I think it adds a bit of flare that matches the grandness of the house. What’s the point of living in such extravagance if you’re not going to go all the way with it?”

  “I guess you have a point.” She drank in the sight of my home, and I swear, her eyes nearly bugged right out of her head. “You live here, and you want a roommate to live here with you for free?”

  “So long as they provide me with a bit of companionship.”

  “Speaking of which, what did you mean by that?”

  “Oh, you know, maybe we can watch a movie or have dinner together a few times a week. Nothing too crazy.”

  “And that’s all I would have to do to live in this…palace?”

  “That’s it.”

  I opened the garage door and eased inside. “So, are you set on living here then?”

  “I have a feeling that it’s going to be my best option. I mean, I’d be just about brain dead to blow off such an opportunity.”

  “Well then, let me give you the grand tour.”

  “Please do,” she said.

  I was quick enough to round the car and open her door. Like a true gentleman would, I held out my hand to help her out of the vehicle.

  “Thank you, but if you keep pampering me like this, I might come to expect it.”

  “As you should,” I said as I led her towards the door. It opened up to a mudroom that then merged straight into the kitchen. “Here we have, of course, the kitchen. All the appliances are stainless steel. We’ve got a six-burner gas stove over here, and over this way a double oven – perfect if you ever want to quit at becoming a vet and instead decide to start your own cooking show.”

  “Do you cook a lot?” Winter asked.

  “From time to time.”

  “Are these marble countertops?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I was contemplating getting granite, but it just made the whole room look a little too dark.”

  “So, did you design this place yourself?”

  “From top to toe,” I said. “I pored over every detail before I moved. The contractors I hired were fantastic. I thought for sure I would be moving into a half-completed home, but they were able to finish everything well before the deadline.”

  “I must say, this place is impressive.”

  “Oh, this is just the tip of the iceberg,” I said. “Wait until you see the living room. It’s my favorite room of the entire house.” I grabbed her by the wrist and brought her that way. As soon as we crossed the threshold, she was floored. “Now here we have a state-of-the-art entertainment system–”

  “That TV is huge.”

  “Eighty inches,” I pointed out. “Once you watch a movie on this thing, you can never go back to anything smaller.”

  “I can imagine. It’s going to suck for me when I get a place of my own again. I’m never going to look at my dinky TV the same way again.”

  “You know you can stay as long as you’d like, right?” I reached out, planning to rest my hand on her shoulder, but she stepped forward, admiring the backlighting on the TV and along every wall cubby. “I can change the color.”

  “Purple?”

  “Even purple,” I said with a nod. “There’s an app on my phone that allows me to control the lighting in this entire place.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  I ran my finger along the color dial. The light shifted through the rainbow until I came upon the purple that she wanted. “There.”

  “A little lighter.”

  I dimmed it down just a bit.

  “Perfect.”

  “So, do you like it so far?”

  “Like it? I think that would be an understatement. This place is freaking amazing. You’ve got a good taste, Reed. You sure know how to put your money to good use.”

  “I just like to enjoy the finer things in life. Which brings us to the bar.”

  “You have a bar?”

  “How else am I to entertain my guests?”

  “Do you have guests often?”

  “No,” I laughed. “But I still like the idea that if I did have guests, I’d have a place to put them.” The bar was on the lower level. It took a bit longer to get there because Winter kept stopping to admire some of the art hanging on the walls. Most of them were works by well-known artists.

  As soon as we finished descending the stairs, the motion-activated lights turned on, revealing a glittering display of glass bottles. Displayed in front of a spotless mirror, those bottles looked like they stretched into eternity.

  “Wow…” she whispered. “It’s gorgeous and I’m not even much of a drinker.” As she spoke, she settled herself into one of the bar stools. I slipped behind the counter and started to mix her a drink I thought she might like. She watched me with hawk-like eyes. “I didn’t know you were a bartender too.”

  “I had to pay my way through pre-med somehow. Bartending, for those that know how to use that skill properly, is an easy way to make money.”

  “Maybe I should consider it. I bet it pays more than working at a sandwich shop.”

  “I wouldn’t suggest it. Guys can be pigs when it comes to female bartenders – especially when they’re drunk. After what happened between you and Victor –”

  She pinched her fingers together right in front of my face to signal that I should stop talking. “It was just a joke.”

  “Right,” I added some garnish to her martini before sliding it over.

  “This is good,” she said. “Really good.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.” I grabbed a
bottle of whiskey and poured it for myself – neat. “Shall we continue with the tour, then?”

  “After you.”

  She followed me through the entire house and not once did that look of wonder leave her eyes.

  “And finally, we’ve reached the most important room of all.”

  “Which is…?” She cocked her head at the door as if that might help her look inside.

  “Yours.” I pushed back the door, revealing the best guest room in the house. The focal point was the bed – California King complete with solid-wood frame. The floor was lined with a light-colored hardwood with an accent carpet on top that matched the bedspread.

  “This place looks bigger than my whole apartment.”

  “I’m sure that’s an exaggeration.”

  “Not really,” she said as she wandered inside and ran her fingers along some of the wooden furniture. “Let me guess, gold hardware?”

  “Gold plated but yes.”

  “How can you afford all this on a surgeon’s salary. I mean, I know you must make quite a bit, but this doesn’t quite add up.” She leaned against one of the posters, chest pressed against it in a position that could only be meant to tease me. Remember what she asked. Keep things friendly. Keep things friendly. Keep your eyes on her face. It was only with this mental mantra that I was able to keep myself from staring at her rack.

  “Good business practices,” I said at last. The collar of my shirt suddenly felt much too tight. “I diversify my portfolio and watch it grow.”

  “I see.” She turned away and stepped into the walk-in closet. “Holy cow, I can put half of Target in here.”

  “So, don’t complain about a lack of storage.”

  “Trust me, there’s no way I’d fill up this whole place.”

  “You’d be surprised. The more space you have, the more things you have to fill it.”

  “Only if you buy those things.”

  “I will admit that online shopping is another one of my weaknesses.”

  “You’re making yourself awfully vulnerable to me. I might just turn around and use all this information against you.”

  “I guess I’m banking on the fact that you’ll want to.”