by A. M Burke
“It works too well,” Nora told him and turned the dial further down. The heater came to a noticeable stop. Nora glanced at Elliot who shrugged.
“One setting at the moment,” he told her. “Hot.”
“One setting?” Nora gaped at him.
“You weren’t complaining in New York,” he reminded her.
“I was freezing in New York.”
“Or any other time we had it on,” Elliot added.
“I didn’t notice before now,” Nora said begrudgingly. “It didn’t seem that bad.”
Elliot agreed but kept the opinion to himself. The continued to crawl along as the snow continued to fall at a faster and faster rate. The heat stayed off for a while until Nora couldn’t stand the cold any longer and asked Elliot to turn the heater back on. It roared back to life and Nora’s sweatshirt was unzipped again and she became very aware of the transparency of her tank top but now she no longer cared. Pushing away the unzipped sweatshirt Nora finally found a happy temperature. Now if only the weather and the traffic would clear.
Elliot was having difficulty concentrating on the road ahead. Nora had stripped down to just the thin white tank top he’d noticed her pulling on this morning when he was supposed to be turned away. Her bra was pale pink and he could see it through the flimsy material of the shirt. Just like last night he made the mistake of noticing and suddenly the car seemed a lot warmer.
The traffic was stalled. The snow was piling up and the car was too warm.
It was only a matter of time before they started in on each other.
“Tell me why you decided on the southern route again?” Nora asked him tersely.
“Because it was my trip to begin with,” Elliot reminded her.
“Did you not look at the weather while deciding this?”
“Sorry I didn’t use my meteorological degree for good rather than evil,” Elliot muttered sarcastically.
“Next exit we’re getting off,” Nora told him.
“Can’t handle the snow?” Elliot asked sounding smug.
“You wish jarhead,” Nora scowled back. “No, I can handle it just fine. I need to stop though.”
“You can’t possibly need to stop,” Elliot argued.
“I didn’t realize you were mandating when I had to go to the bathroom now along with the length of time I was permitted to use the bathroom,” Nora said in her own sarcastic tone. “I’ll be sure to get your approval from now on.”
“Much appreciated.”
“Don’t forget I have control of the car at the moment Grimmald,” Nora reminded him.
“Don’t forget the second you leave that driver’s seat I’m back in control,” Elliot shot back and Nora begrudgingly realized he was correct. But between her bladder being full and giving up control of the wheel she’d put up with Elliot driving again. There was always tomorrow after all.
They crawled along at a slow pace but at least they were still moving and if the green signs were to be believed then the exit would be up in a mile and she could pull off, use the facilities and maybe get an early bite to eat before they continued to trudge onto the hotel. A shower sounded heavenly considering how sweaty she was feeling. She was having vision of a shower followed by clean sheets, pajamas and the historical fiction she’d picked out for the trip when the flashing lights further up the road caught her eye.
“An accident?” she asked allowed. “Is that why we’ve been crawling?”
“Let’s hope,” Elliot said in a voice that suggested he wasn’t convinced. Nora couldn’t guess what else it could be. She saw the cop cars, road flares, and bundled up police officers directing traffic off toward the exit Nora had been aiming for but she realized then that everyone was getting off, no one was moving around the roadblock.
“The accident must be a bad one if they’d shut down a stretch of road. I hope no one was seriously injured or killed,” Nora said with a worried sigh. “I think we’ll have to take some back roads to get back on. Hopefully they have a detour marked out.”
“I don’t think so,” Elliot said sounding disgruntled and Nora shot him a look. Sure they might have to be on the road late tonight but Nora didn’t think that was anything to sound so surly about. Traffic was backed up as cars merged into the line to get off at the exit affording a few officers the opportunity to approach cars.
“Hopefully they can tell us where to go,” Nora said and Elliot let out a heavy sigh. She didn’t get the chance to ask him just what was wrong because an officer had approached the window. Nora rolled it down, realizing too late that she hadn’t pulled the sweatshirt back on as the cold air barreled in and took her breath away.
“Evening folks,” the officer said and Elliot noticed irritably that his eyes dipped to Nora’s chest and stayed there for far too long. Elliot clamped down the urge to jump out of the car and teach the cop some manners but had enough sense left in him to restrain himself.
“I’m afraid, we’ve had to shut down the road for a stretch,” the officer said apologetically and Elliot saw Nora’s eyes widen. He wondered if it was in reaction to the news or if she had just noticed his eyes wouldn’t leave her cleavage.
“Accident?” she guessed sounding almost hopeful.
“Bad weather,” the officer explained, his eyes still floating back frequently between Nora’s eyes and her chest and Elliot found himself clenching and unclenching his hands in frustration.
“How far is ‘a stretch’?” Nora asked dreading the answer.
“Let’s put it this way,” the officer said smiling flirtatiously, “your best bet is to get off here if you want a room before Oklahoma.”
Nora ‘thunked’ her head on the steering wheel and Elliot took the opportunity to glare at the young police officer who was also taking the opportunity to try looking down Nora’s shirt at a different angle. The two men caught each other’s eyes and the younger man had the decency to look a bit ashamed, not enough for Elliot to be happy but getting into a fist fight with a cop on a snowy highway wasn’t high on his priority list. Especially in defense of a woman who wasn’t asking to be defended and whom he wasn’t entirely sure he liked beyond a physical attraction and even that could have been attributed to cabin fever.
“There are a few motels in town, you should be able to get a room still,” the officer advised keeping his eyes away from Nora’s chest and Elliot’s glare.
“I have a room in Hazelton,” Nora told him but the officer shook his head.
“You won’t be getting there tonight,” he told her. “I’d advise against the back roads.”
“We’ve got you officer,” Elliot finally spoke. Nora swung her head to look at him. “Drive,” he said to Nora.
“But,” Nora started protesting but Elliot cut her off.
“You wanted to stop anyway,” Elliot reminded her. “And you’re blocking traffic.” Nora glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the headlights stretched out behind her. He was right, plus she was getting cold. Nora smiled at officer, gave her thanks and rolled up her window, noticing he looked like he wanted to say something else but Elliot urged her on and the reminder that she was in need of a pit stop had her squirming in her seat.
“Well what do you want to do?” Nora asked as they bumped along the exit over the snow packed roads.
“You heard the fine officer,” Elliot told her. There was a bit of extra bitterness in his voice and Nora cut him a glance.
“Something wrong?” Nora dared to ask.
“Besides the obvious?” Elliot snapped back. “And would you put your friggin sweatshirt back on?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nora said defensively. “Last I checked I didn’t control the weather any more than you.”
“Just put the sweatshirt back on,” Elliot repeated and since they were at a stop sign Nora complied, not because he asked, she told herself, but because she was cold.
“Am I stopping at a hotel?” Nora asked.
“I haven’t heard that since prom,” Elliot muttered with a
smile before directing Nora into a packed gas station. Nora managed to snag a spot at a pump and Elliot jumped out to fill the tank leaving Nora to try and imagine what Elliot might be like at a prom. She tried to envision a younger, slightly skinnier Elliot in a powder blue tux holding a pink corset and smiling with a mouthful of braces. The image immediately melted away, replaced with a snapshot Nora had in her mind from a picture Claire had propped on her dresser of Elliot in his dress uniform.
That image was shattered by Elliot tapping on the window.
“Pop the cover,” Elliot called through the glass and Nora reached down and pulled the lever and Elliot moved away. Nora studied him in the side view mirror. The man really was gorgeous, the snow dotting his hair only adding to his appeal. Too bad he couldn’t just be eye candy; he always ended up opening his mouth and saying something to piss her off. Half of the problem was in what he wasn’t saying though. His silence spoke volumes and it made Nora edgy.
Elliot pulled open Nora’s door letting in a wave of cold air was a smack in the face.
“Problem?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Move over I’m driving,” Elliot told her and Nora blinked at him blankly for a moment.
“You’re serious?” she asked. Elliot gave her a look that said he was a moment away from throwing her into one of the growing snow banks. “Stop scowling,” Nora told him as she unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the center consul with minimal difficulty. Elliot raised an eyebrow to the action but said nothing as he slid in the now vacant seat. “So what’s the plan Stan?” Nora asked and got another raised eyebrow as Elliot turned the car back on. Heat poured out of the vents and Nora automatically unzipped her sweatshirt again. She heard Elliot make a noise in the back of his throat but when she glanced in his direction he was busy fiddling with the settings on the seat, adAlexg it so his longs legs could fit more comfortably. “So what’s the plan?” Nora asked again.
“We hope we can find a hotel room,” Elliot said pulling out.
“Hope?” Nora echoed. “We have a hotel room down the road.”
“Unless you want to hire a dog sled I don’t think that is happening,” Elliot told her pulling out on the main road and tossed her his phone. “Read the report I pulled up.” Nora unlocked the phone and grimaced at the flashing red highway report across the screen. The weather system they’d driven into was large but most severe in their area and while the road crews hoped to have everything cleared by daybreak, unless the storm started moving faster there was no guarantee.
“Well this kind of sucks,” Nora muttered as the phone in her hand vibrated with a message. Someone named Lydia was texting Elliot, sending a winking smiley face at him with a picture attached. Nora was sure she didn’t want to see what Lydia was sending so she put the phone on the consul between them, suddenly in a bad mood.
Elliot interpreted her sour expression as a reaction to the weather. “We scheduled in nearly three extra days of travel,” he reminded her. “I’ll get you home for Christmas.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Nora muttered.
“Then why are you glaring at the windshield like you’re trying to crack it?”
“No reason in particular,” Nora shrugged. “I guess I better call and cancel the hotel,” Nora went on, grateful for something to do to get her mind off of what was probably a dirty message sitting on Elliot’s phone. He didn’t seem one for ‘sexting’ but if he was then who was she to judge him? She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was into that sort of thing. Nora certainly wasn’t and although she didn’t consider herself a prude when he last boyfriend had tried to get her to send him such pictures of herself, well, it was sufficient to say the relationship didn’t last much longer after that.
The woman on the phone at the hotel was sympathetic and understanding and actually sounded a bit relieved. Apparently they were dealing with their own snowstorm refugees and would be happy to give up her room and refund her the difference. Too bad that wouldn’t help them get a room in the small town they’d ended up in. They stopped at three hotels before being directed to a fourth, small motel that looked like it was the inspiration for about a dozen different ‘B’ horror films. Despite the setting the small lobby was full and Nora was worried they were going to have to spend the night in the SUV.
“Do you think we’ll get a room?” Nora asked. The last hotel manager had called around and this was their last hope. The manager hadn’t been able to get through to the motel to reserve them a room but promised that if they couldn’t get a room she’d roll out a pair of cots for them in the lobby. Now that she was at the motel Nora was thinking that the cots and lobby held more appeal.
“We’ll find out in a minute or two,” Elliot answered.
“Can’t you use your special Marine powers and procure us a room?” Nora asked him at a weak attempt at a joke.
“Standard Marine training does include emergency hotel room procurement,” Elliot replied sarcastically.
“Thank God,” Nora said with equal sarcasm, “I was worried there for a minute.”
Elliot sent her a smile and then gave her the once over. “Unzip that sweatshirt and you’ll probably have better luck than me.”
The comment earned a frown from Nora who was getting a bit annoyed with his preoccupation with her outfit. If it was any other man she’d guess that Elliot was interested in her, even go as far to call it flirting. He’d been making her uncomfortable long enough, time to see if he could take some of what he was dishing out.
“You know,” Nora said calling him back. “You’re awfully interested in the status of my cleavage.” She was smirking at him when she said this so it was impossible to miss the hungry look in his eyes when they slanted down to her chest briefly before lifting his gaze back to her face. Nora fought the urge to fold her arms over herself in an attempt to cover up her already completely cover chest but caught herself and instead held her gaze on his eyes. When his eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her Nora sucked in a breath and felt frozen, trying to recall a man ever looking at her like he wanted her clothing to simply disintegrate on the spot. Oddly enough Nora had a feeling she’d have no problem with that at the moment.
“Are you two moving or what?” barked a voice from behind them, braking Nora from her suddenly lustful fantasies and she quickly turned away to hide her burning face. She was able to see Elliot settling the middle-aged man behind them with a hard glare before he stepped forward to engage with the desk manager. Nora stayed to the side and tried to quell the rapid beat of her heart and rein in her thoughts. She set about naming ever bone in the human body in alphabetical order to calm herself and had reached the lunate bone when Elliot came back to her holding a set of keys hanging from a worn keychain in the shape of a number fifteen.
“We’re in luck,” he told her showing off the keys. Glancing around the dingy lobby Nora was wondering if that was an entirely true statement but kept her opinion to herself as they collected their bags from the car, which to Nora’s disgust was covered in a new layer of snow.
“Cozy,” Elliot said letting them into the room. Cozy wasn’t the word to describe the room that looked like it had been decorated sometime before the first moon landing. But at least it was clean, mostly, and was warm which was always a win as far as Nora was concerned. She was about to agree when she noticed a glaring problem.
“There’s only one bed,” Nora commented, her face heating up as Elliot joined her after locking the door and sliding the security chain into place.
“Better than nothing,” Elliot shrugged and earned a glare from Nora for his troubles. “You’re going to make me see if they have a cot aren’t you?” he asked with a heavy sigh.
“I’ve got a feeling the floor is going to be really uncomfortable for you otherwise,” Nora said sweetly.
“What makes you think I’d be the one sleeping on the floor?”
“Because I’m a girl, duh,” Nora pointed out.
“Never say ‘duh�
�� again,” Elliot advised as Nora continued on.
“And besides, you’re a guy,” Nora said tossing her hair over her shoulder as she smiled at him. “You’re supposed to be chivalrous and what not.”
“Says who?” Elliot challenged. “Maybe I’m an absolute asshole who’d take the bed all to myself and leave you out in the cold.”
“I won’t argue the asshole thing but Claire told me your secret,” Nora said turning around so they were toe-to-toe in the small area just beyond the room’s door. Elliot had his back to the open closet where a broken luggage stand was shoved under clothes hangers that were literally soldered to the bar to keep guests from walking off with them. Nora’s back was to the closed bathroom door and there was barely enough room for the two of them.
Nora heard Claire’s voice whispering ‘weird sexual tension’ in her ear and she suddenly wished she hadn’t started this game. So what is he was looking at her cleavage. Her tank top was a little see-through and a little low cut but in her defense she hadn’t been planning on showing it off to anyone, least of all Elliot. If she could get through this trip with her dignity intact and without suffering a breakdown of her own creation she’d start dressing more conservatively. It would be long skirts and baggy turtlenecks for the rest of her life.
“And what secret is that?” Elliot wanted to know.
“Cot?” Nora questioned instead of answering, tilting her head to the side, hands on her hips. Elliot smiled down at her, folding his arms and in the confined space his forearms brushed the material of the sweatshirt. It was all Nora could do to not jump back into the bathroom and slam the door shut to erect a better barrier between them.
“Guess I better go see about that rollaway,” Elliot finally said after an extended moment. He turned so that his shoulder practically sandwiched her against the bathroom door. He looked over the offending shoulder at her as he unlocked the door. “Anything else you’re wanting?” he asked with a wicked smile.
“Come to think of it,” Nora said doing her best to keep her voice level despite the fact that his shoulder was pressing the zipper of her sweatshirt into the valley of her breasts. “We never stopped for dinner. How about a steak? Maybe a baked potato? A nice Caesar salad on the side?”