Baby… it’s cold outside 🌨️
My mind trails between the whistling wind against the chilled windowsill and my sketch pad in front of me. The drawing room was a bit cold since it was located toward the back of the house. I scrunched my knees together from warmth under the blanket. It’s uncomfortably silent. But it’s the kind I’m used to. Now, I rather enjoy the peace. It may be too fucking cold and I’m too much of a cheapskate to turn the heat on, but at least it’s a nice warm blanket that doesn’t feel like it’s abandoned me.
What the hell? My thoughts hauled in its tracks. I left to peek out the blinds of the living room. A tree branch fell over the edge of the street and ended blocking cars from moving over either side. I shut the blinds back and began to make a cup of tea. It wasn’t in my hand, anyhow. The tree will be moved by morning. And they can always find another way around-
My whole body went still. So much so that my cup ran over the side and the boiling hot water ended up burning my fingers. I shook off the pain before hurrying to the door to glance at the peephole. There stood a man. A frantic man. Swaying from side-to-side and shivering like I was his last hope of warmth. I exhaled and pushed the door open to greet him.
“Can I help you?” I talked through the screen door.
“Hi……” He paused before his eyes grew wider, scanning me. He cleared his throat. “Uh-yes! Sorry to disturb you, but I’m afraid I’m in a hurry and this damned branch set me back a good twenty minutes. Can I use your phone?”
I folded my robe across my chest. “Yours not with you?”
“No ma’am. I’m a lost cause.” He dropped his head and his beanie showing a neighboring city, beamed off the porch light. “I was on my way back from a game and I got separated from my friends. Somehow-my phone was with them.”
I didn’t know whether to buy his story. But it was freezing. And I couldn’t bear to watch his teeth chatter anymore. My hand opened the last remaining door between us.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” The man entered and waited for me to shut the door. He asked if he needed to take his shoes off before stepping inside. I didn’t let him. I wasn’t that prissy about snow on the carpet. All of it was mainly water anyhow.
“You can hang your coat on that rack, though.” I told him, pointing the direction before retrieving my phone. It was in the drawing room. When I returned, he looked like he was warming up. He had this woolen sweater and baggy denim pants. Black combat boots still on. He was nicely dressed, compared to my sweatpants and blanket robe. When he took it, our hands lightly brushed against each other.
I asked him before I stared any longer. His eyelashes were pretty long. “Would you like any tea?”
I stopped a chuckle. “How old are you?”
“23.” He tilts his head towards me. “Why?”
“Then you shouldn’t be calling me ma’am.” I told him. “We’re the same age.”
He sighed. Then laughed so loudly. “Sorry. I forget, sometimes.” He dials the number quickly and waited for the ring. “Duke! Man. How I’m glad you picked up. I’m in your area…. “ He trails off, putting distance between us with a smile. I hang back in the living room not to be nosy but my ears still held everything. “Yeah-yeah. There’s a branch that fell down. Blocked an entire street…. No-No she’s not with me. Yeah. Alright. Thanks man.”
When the call ended, I could tell he sounded weary. This must’ve be important event to be with his friends tonight. When he peeked back into the living room, he handed me my phone. I handed his tea as we sat a seat cushion away from each other.
I made my voice extra friendlier. “Any luck?”
“Not really.” He twirled the spoon in his tea, he looked defeated. “I gotta turn back.”
“Well,” He scoffs deeply. “No telling when they’ll move the branch. And that was the fastest route to get to Dusti's.”
“A strip club?” My eyebrow raised as his hands did to protest my mind going left.
“It’s my best friend’s bachelor party.” He laughed into his tea cup. “He’s…..getting married tomorrow.”
“And you’re the best man?”
He looked at me with an astonishing expression. “Guilty as charge.”
“Then you gotta go.” I told him.
He shook his head. “No....no. It’s probably for the best anyways. I really didn’t want to be there…. I just convinced myself because- he wanted me to be.”
I asked before I sipped my tea again. “Seems like you didn’t want to be the best man either then huh?”
His head turned from the spiraling spoon. I'm pretty good at reading situations like this. But maybe he wasn't seeing how transparent his feelings were on the matter. “Huh?”
“Who’s he marrying?” I rephrased my question.
“I see.” I put down the tea cup and crossed my legs. I was right.
He breathed deeply and sat his down too. “I hate to admit it. But you… aren’t wrong. I think- I think I knew for awhile… that this whole thing bothered me.”
“Sometimes…. we can’t fight against nature.” I told him. “Like how the branch was doing. Now-we both could’ve had shitty nights because of it. But we didn’t. Once you let things be, things become a little clearer.”
“Like… meeting you?” He asked me and my lip quivered.
I fidget in my seat and messed with my hair. “How-how do you mean?”
“Well, you just said we can’t fight nature." He scooted closer to me and my breath caught in my throat. Our legs were barely touching. "So was meeting you here a natural order?”
I glimpsed at his eyes. They were orange. Like a dark amber. Very rare. I cleared my throat. Felt like the temperature rose hundred degrees. “That was a choice.”
“Okay.” He acknowledged with a small nod. “But you don’t believe in fate?”
“I believe in chances." I explained. He wasn't bothering to hide his actions now. His hand found mine as he woven his fingers through. A perfect thread. "I believe that everyone should live by taking risks and seeking in the outcome. That’s what life all is about. A gamble.”
“So that’s your thrill??” He chuckled. “You don’t look like much of a risk taker to me.”
My eyebrows mushed together. “Don’t judge me on a few seconds of conversation.”
“Sorry.” He shook his head. Our hands broke off. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just- tonight has been an ordeal. Thank you.... for the tea.” He gets up and my hand tugged on to his woolen sweater before I could stop myself.
Had it be that long .... for human interaction? I craved him. I couldn't explain why. There was this way about him that only called me to learn more.
“You didn’t offend me.” I said. My eyes almost begged him as we were in a stand-off. “Please. Stay.”
His hand met mine again. My heartbeat started to grow. He pulled me up, standing me in one place. In front of him. He placed each hand gently on my shoulders. “Okay. But one condition?”
“So long it’s my choice to.” He replied.
( Author’s note: This dynamic was hard to write at first because of the title. That came first. I always hated it because it came with HEAVY S.A. vibes. But I thought rewriting my own reality of how the song should be.... To potentially revamp how I feel about the song. So enjoy my version of a stranger snowy night. )
