The front tires spun and spun on the ice, whipping up snow around her Volkswagen Rabbit. Great. Now she was stuck.
Asta turned the car off and rested her forehead on the steering wheel.
It was all for nothing.
Knowing the storm was coming, the weatherman right for once, she had prepared, waking up at three in the morning. That gave her time to shovel, and then crawl her car along the highways, blinkers flashing, to arrive safely at the prospect’s. She even made it on time.
It didn’t matter.
The company’s parking lot hadn’t been plowed. There was only one set of tracks in, a wider vehicle than hers, likely the security guard’s.
The saleswoman was here but there was no one to sell to.
Disgusted with herself for trying, Asta tossed her cute little pumps into the backseat and stuffed her feet into the ski boots. Next were the huge emergency mittens, her dress gloves soaking wet from the shoveling. Both looked ridiculous with her suit jacket but who cared? She doubted the security guard would.
She left her car there, knowing she hadn’t the strength to push it herself, and trudged to the entrance. She tugged at the door. Great. Locked. She gave the door a few slaps with the huge mittens. Nothing. She waved the snow off the glass with her arm, and peered in. Blackness. No. Blue. Denim. The door smacked her in the forehead.
“We’re closed.” A giant of a man declared.
Tell her something she didn’t know. “I’m stuck.” She blinked up at him. A good natured giant. He was smiling at her. And he looked warm.
“To the ground?” He studied her feet. “My little Nanook of the north?”
“My car,” she gritted out, the wind blowing at her back. Sure, laugh as she froze to death. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He stepped aside, holding the door open.
She stomped in, glaring at him. He was good looking, dressed casually in a denim shirt and jeans, and she was well aware she looked ridiculous.
Not that he was looking. At her. “That your car? The one stuck in the snow bank?”
The security guard position obviously didn’t require higher learning. “Yes.”
“Not the right car for a day like today.”
Asta gave him her most intimidating scowl. “It is the only one I have.”
“Then you shouldn’t be driving.” He picked a chunk of snow off her hair, squeezing it into water in his fist.
“I thought I had an appointment.”
“So important that you risked your life?”
That did sound idiotic. “The customer always comes first.”
“Ahhh…” He nodded, eyes crinkling at the corners. “A saleswoman, Missus…?”
“Miss.” Should she tell him? She crinkled up her nose. No. Not her last name. Her first name couldn’t hurt. “And you can call me Asta.”
“Asta, that’s much better than Nanook. Asta, I’m Ben.” He stuck out his bare hand. “Nice to meet you on this wintery Thursday morning.”
She slipped off a monster mitten, holding it under her arm. “I wish it wasn’t so wintery.”
“I was thinking the same thing until a couple minutes ago.” His skin was warm and rough on hers. “Oh, I see you have human hands after all.” He held up her hand to better examine it. “No giant lobster claw.”
He was crazy, this stranger, but he made her smile. “Not on that hand.” She held the other behind her back.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “And what about the feet?”
“Overly warm.” She sighed. “I guess we should call the tow truck.”
$
The tow truck arrived three short hours later. Short because she didn’t want to leave. She was having too much fun listening to Ben’s stories of his childhood, back on a farm. How he’d have to run in the middle of winter to the outhouse. And how when it was too cold, they’d bring some of the livestock into the house with them.
She told him about some of her whacky sales calls. The time a CEO of a major company changed his clothes in front of her. He shared tidbits about his side projects. He was always working, he confessed, but that didn’t bother Asta. She was the independent type
Except, now as they stood at the glass doors, watching the car get levered up, she didn’t feel that independent. “I should go out now.” If only she could stay. “You have more hours to put in?”
He grinned. “I could. Or not. I come and go as I please.”
What type of security was that? Asta decided to let that go. “You know.” She shuffled her huge boots. “I wouldn’t mind it if… well… you know…”
“You want to see me again?” The dimple in his cheek appeared.
“If you want.” She couldn’t look him in the eyes, staring at his mouth. This was so mortifying. To beg the man for a date.
He chewed on the seam of his lips. “It would cost you this account.”
Even though he was a security guard? The policy was that strict? “Oh, well.” She shrugged. “I doubt I’d get another appointment anyway. Took me a year to get this one.”
“If only I’d known.”
Asta’s head snapped up. If only he’d known? “What do you mean?”
“I would have had my company put in an order a year ago.”
His company. His company. Ben. Benjamin Shrot. Founder. CEO.
Ben caught her as her knees collapsed. “You didn’t know, did you? My little Nanook?” She shook her head. “You gave up the account you almost killed yourself to get for a nobody?”
“Not for a nobody,” she slapped his chest with her giant mittens. “For you.”
“Then I will definitely see you again, my lovely little snowwoman.” And his lips covered hers. Tender. Sweet. And warm.
