[i]Every longer story needs an ouverture, and “Black Ice” forms the upbeat for this one. Please read it as such; I’ve only allowed scoring after chapter 3, feeling you should read the whole thing before giving any scores.
I’m much indebted to Damppanties and Alex- The_bragis for commenting on earlier drafts of this story. Hope you enjoy!
PaulX35[/i]
[b]I. Black Ice[/b]
- “Fucking hell,” she said to herself.
The view out the window wasn’t promising. From a slate grey sky the fine rain drizzled down on the campus, freezing instantly as it hit the ground. Pretty as the coating of crystalline shimmering black ice looked, it wasn’t making life easy for those attempting to walk out there. Ellen Sanders hated ice rain.
She turned to place her crutches against the wall and slid her bag off her back. She opened the small red and blue zipper that gave access to the side-pocket where she kept her cell phone.
Ellen leaned against the wall and looked up a number - her friend’s.
The phone rang.
It took ten seconds for the voice mail to respond. Not what she wanted to hear.
‘Shit, it’s Thursday. She’s working,’ she thought.
Ellen sighed, then reached into the front pocket of her jeans, looking at what came out.
- “Oh great.”
Four lousy dollars and some small change. So much for a taxi.
This was not her day.
Not sure of what to do now, she packed her things again and walked back into the campus library. Coffee would not solve any of her problems, but she needed one anyway.
A small group of fellow students were standing in the entrance hall. Jason Lewis was one of them. He was the tallest of the group, and the only one looking to see Ellen turn right and approach the coffee machine. His eyes followed the motion of the woman on crutches. He found her beautiful to watch.
Underneath a bright red ski coat the cut off left leg of her jeans was carefully tailored around a stump that ended about ten inches below the hip. With every step she took, the legless side of her body titled with an elegance.
It was not the first time Jason had observed this woman with only one leg. Actually, he would watch her every time he had the chance.
Jason had also seen today’s weather conditions. They were not what a fellow leg amputee student would wish for. He made a decision.
- “I’ll be right back,” Jason rather suddenly said to his friends.
- “I err...forgot something.”
They looked at him with some surprise, but didn’t pay much further attention. Jason walked off into the corridor.
A little further up, he saw her standing by the machine. His heart raced as he walked closer. She glanced up at him, seeing him reach for a quarter.
Jason smiled as he went to stand beside her.
- “Quite a day eh?,” he said, pointing out the window. It felt like a clumsy try to start some sort of conversation.
Ellen took her coffee out, then turned back to look at him. She gave him a vague smile as she observed him. About six foot three, jet black hair and drop looking steel blue eyes. And he knew how to use them. His look was piercing, in a pleasant way.
- “Yeah, don’t tell me. I’ve been trying to find a way to get home. No walking outside for me, not unless I’d want to break my neck,” she said.
Jason looked at her, nodding with sympathy. His eyes simply had to wander down. Only shortly, though. He didn’t want to raise suspicion. - “I saw you standing at the entrance earlier, heard you swear too,” Jason told her. “Looks to me you could maybe use some help? I mean, this doesn’t look like your type of weather.”
Ellen smiled. “You’re observant. I was trying to phone a friend, but she was not at home. And then I found out I’m pretty much out of cash.”
- “And you haven’t got a car?,” he asked.
- “Oh I have one, but I elected today to have it serviced.”
She grinned sheepishly.
- “Don’t tell me. Lousy planning, I knew the weather might turn bad,” she added.
Jason chuckled. “Not perfect, no. Far from, even.”
Ellen nodded, looking a bit sad. Then she realized he’d want coffee too, so she moved aside, giving him an apologizing look.
- “Sorry, go ahead.”
Jason smiled and gave her a “Thanks”. He inserted the quarter and pushed ‘Cappuccino’. The machine produced a gargling sound when it put the foam topping on the coffee. He pulled the cup out and took a sip.
- “Is that as lousy as my regular coffee?” she inquired.
Jason grinned.
- “Close call, but I’d guess this stuff can make a real Italian faint.”
Ellen laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
He gave her a closer look. She didn’t seem shy to talk at all. Her face had an attractive sort of openness, without being classically beautiful. But she had lovely long brown hair, and twinkling almond eyes that were accentuated by a strong jaw line and sharp defined brown eyebrows. Her ski-coat hid much of her figure, but Jason could tell she had a good looking ass. Not very slim, but she seemed well proportioned.
- “So, if you could use a ride home? I’d be happy to drop you off.”
That sounded like manna from heaven. Ellen smiled, grateful.
- “Oh yes, that would be really great.”
Jason smiled back. “Sure, no problem, err...?”
- “Ellen,” she responded quickly, “Ellen Sanders, I’m a psychology major here.”
- “Jason Lewis. Math major.”
Ellen observed him a little more as he stood before her, relaxed and pleasantly curious. Tight jeans stressed an almost defiant stance, and with his sweater hugging nicely around his torso he looked pretty satisfactory from a female point of view. Not totally a hunk maybe, but his self-confidence gave him an appeal she liked. For a moment, she wondered what would have brought him to offer her a ride.
- “Math? Hmm, you don’t look very nerdy.” She said it with a teasing, inquisitive look. It couldn’t hurt to throw out a small bite.
- “You don’t look that shrinky yourself, Ellen.”
Together they chuckled. She loved his astuteness. A short spark dropped in their chuckles. They were both aware of it.
- “So, when are you classes finished then?,” she asked him.
He looked at her. “When are yours?”
- “I’m done actually,” Ellen replied. “But I could wait...”
- “No, no, we can go if you want. Was planning to skip stupid Vector Analysis anyway.”
- “Vector Analysis, hmm, now you’ve really impressed me.”
She looked up at him with a proper degree of mockery, watching him lift an eyebrow of interest. Another spark exchanged. Jason looked straight into her eyes, playing the game.
- “Are you that easily impressed, Ellen?”
- “It depends. Not as a habit, but I make exceptions.” She replied with a touch of mystery in her smile.
- “I like exceptions,” Jason replied. Ellen noted the subtle wink he added.
He was a good five inches taller. About what she considered ideal for a man. His eyes were scanning her, a pleasure she allowed him without comment. It was pretty hard not to notice her missing leg, so she assumed it wasn’t bothering his obvious flirting. That felt good. Ellen broke the silence by throwing the rest of her coffee into the trash can next to the coffee machine. He responded immediately. - “Listen, I have to go fetch my coat and some stuff, but I’ll be ready for you in a minute, ok?”
She nodded.
- “You want me to wait somewhere? I mean, I don’t know where you parked your car…”
- “I’ll drive it over to the back entrance, ok? It’ll be a few steps to the car from that exit.”
- “You’re a gentleman,” she said.
- “I used to be with the Boy Scouts,” he replied.
As Ellen watched him walk away, she realized she liked him. Jason fancied her too. And he also found this might be his lucky day.
