Β© 2020, All rights reserved -- mimaster
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It wasn't how Ann thought she'd be spending her Sunday. Not by a long shot.
Then again, it wasn't the first time she had been in a similar position. There were many times early on in their marriage when she'd bend to the whims of her twisted mind, allowing herself to be used in ways that would make most women blanch. It was just never under such bizarre circumstances; ones she never saw coming. And she truly doubted Neil had planned it out that way. Not with the way things started. He was just doing what he did best, taking the day as it came to him and making the most of it.
They had both been awakened early that morning by the ring of Neil's mobile phone. It startled her and she'd sat up straight in bed, an initial fear washing over her that something was terribly wrong. Neil handled the situation much better; his quiet confidence and ability to be calm under duress coming to the surface. It was another of his amazing traits she found so alluring, the ability to handle being under pressure and remain focused. It was very James Bond.
In that moment, she didn't know what the problem was, only that their day had just changed drastically. It was also going to end up much differently than the way she had it planned in her head. But even in those first moments, while he was talking to whoever phoned, she hadn't anticipated that things would turn out like they had. First among them was the fact that they would still be at the Inn at such a late hour.
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Neil quietly traversed the narrow stairs down toward the small lobby, not wanting to disturb any of the other guests. It was a little after six in the morning, yet he was suddenly wide awake, the call having gotten his adrenaline pumping.
It had come from Eddie, a friend he really barely knew. But Ann knew his wife Brenda very well, even intimately, and Brenda and Eddie were watching Owen for the weekend so he and Ann could celebrate their fifth anniversary with some much-needed alone time.
Gripping the toy gun inside the pocket of the robe he'd thrown on, he recalled the conversation he'd just had with Eddie. The heavy rain overnight had changed over to an ice storm. Eddie had called to warn them not to come to the house. They lived at the top of a wooded mountainside in West Virginia, and the storm had done some serious damage. Numerous trees and branches had fallen from the weight of the ice, knocking down power lines and blocking some of the roads. And the roads themselves were treacherous. Eddie wanted to give them a heads up, thinking they might want to consider alternative plans for the day.
The first thing that came to Neil's mind was whether it was as bad where they were. The Inn where there were staying was in northern Virginia, so there was no reason to believe the conditions were exactly the same. After all, it had just been raining when they got back from the play, and that was after midnight. But it was windy and cold, and he remembered thinking it should be snowing instead. He never considered the possibility of freezing rain. When he ended the call, he decided to check to see what was going on for himself.
First he picked up the hotel phone, confirming what Eddie had told him. The phones at the hotel were down, which was why he called the mobile phone to begin with. Eddie had tried calling the Inn, not wanting to hit Neil with roaming charges. But he had to let him know what was going on.
Neil then he went to the bathroom, not just because he had to, but also to check the status of power. Sure enough, there was no electricity either. Unsure of what it would be like outside, he decided to check things out, wanting to determine the risk of attempting to drive home.
He walked to the front door of the hotel, pulling the curtain to the side to peer out the window, and he let out a sigh. The wet, grey morning cold had settled in to stay; winter was upon them, and it would be for months. He stepped out onto the small stoop of the front porch, feeling the frigid air envelop him. He wasn't dressed to be outside, but it somehow called to him, the eerie quiet bringing with it an unusual peace.
His eyes adjusted to the dark, the landscape in its new form appearing in spectacular fashion. It was really quite breathtaking, the ice clinging to everything, encasing it in a sheath of winter spender. In the quiet, he would hear branches in the distance snapping off and falling, the echoes from the crash to the ground sounding ominous. It was a harbinger of how deadly beauty can become if not respected. That sound validated Eddie's words of warning; it was too dangerous to be thinking of going anywhere. He'd have to make alternative plans for their day.
He sighed, understanding that Ann would likely be upset. She was already somewhat unsettled as it was about leaving Owen for a couple of days. Now to have it stretched to a third might push her to feel guilt stricken. The last thing he wanted was for her to look back at their weekend with some kind of regret or remorse. Realizing he needed to assume control of a situation that was out of either of theirs, his quickly formulated a plan... one that simply extended the game she'd started when they arrived there two days before.
Stepping back inside, he softly closed the door, only to find he wasn't alone when he turned around.
"Good morning, Mr. Bond," Brooke yawned, her sleepy eyes matching her prone position from the cot she was lying on to the side of the front desk.
"Good morning, Miss...."
"Evans," she replied, tossing off the blankets to show she was still wearing her work clothes from the night before.
"Working late, Miss Evans?"
"Technically, I'm not working. Alicia came in right after you did to take my place, but she told me the roads were getting bad, so I decided to stay here. I can't afford to wreck my car again. I'm still paying for the last accident I had."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"
"The same thing, pretty much. We got hit with a winter storm last February. I slid into a ditch on my way home from work and tore up the front end of my car. I swore after that it wasn't worth the risk."
"So you're sleeping here?"
"There was no room at the inn," she grinned. "I don't mind, though. At least I got some sleep. What time is it?"
"Six-thirty," he said, checking his watch.
"What are you doing up so early? I figured you'd be sleeping in, what with the way Ann walked in here last night."
"I got a phone call," he shrugged.
"Really? How, the lines are down?"
Pulling the phone from one of the pockets, he held it up. "It's the latest thing from Q branch."
"I should have remembered," she grinned, forgetting she'd called him on that very phone as part of the game he and his wife were playing. Pulling a similar one from her purse on the floor next to her. "They're the wave of the future. I got mine after the accident."
"We got ours because Ann is gone so much. I didn't like her traveling around with our son without being able to get in touch."
"You have a son?" she grinned.
"Yes. He's almost one."
"Wow, I'm a little surprised you left him for the weekend."
"Our Anniversary... remember?"
"Oh, yeah. How long?"
"Five years. That's what made it so important to leave him. We needed this weekend."
"So, he's with relatives?"
"No, friends. And she was okay with it before, but I have a feeling this ice storm is going to change things. The call I got was from the couple who're watching Owen. They told us how bad it was out, and we should stay put."
Nodding, she agreed. "I think that's a good idea. Do you want me to hook you up?"
"Pardon me?"
"I'm sorry. That was pretty unprofessional. Would you like me to extend your stay? It might be a good idea, since we only have a few rooms available for tonight, and I bet they're going to go as soon as people wake up and realize its so bad outside."
"Yeah, go ahead," he sighed.