Stranded

Allie might have laughed at her current situation had she not been worried she might actually freeze to death. She continued slowly down the road despite being unable to see through the sheets of snow. Typical that she would end up stranded with a flat tire on a snowy mountain pass while her best friend was sitting by a fire at the lodge by now, sipping hot toddies with the other wedding guests.

Finally, she glimpsed the glow of lights, then the faint outline of a small cabin. Normally she wouldn’t trek up to a stranger’s house, especially one surrounded by miles of wilderness. Anyone who chose to live in the middle of nowhere was bound to be eccentric. She rang the doorbell just as her mind began to concoct stories about the serial killer who lived here.

This train of thought was thankfully interrupted by the man who opened the door. He was easy on the eyes, if not a bit scruffy. His looming height and narrowed eyes were tempered by a three-day old beard, sweats and a hoodie, and unkempt hair. A bear woken from hibernation. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he growled, but his expression relaxed as he took her in.

“I’m so sorry to intrude,” she said. “I have a flat and have no cell service and this was the first house I found.”

“Come in,” he said, opening the door and beckoning her to enter. She let out a moan as the warmth hit her. He watched her, eyebrows raised. “How long have you been out there?”

“Hours. Days maybe.” When his expression remained tense she added, “kidding. Maybe half hour. Do you have a phone I can borrow?”

“A phone? What’s that?” Something was wrong with this man.

Then he broke into a smile. She let out a nervous laugh as he pulled a phone out of his pocket. She looked down at the screen, no idea who to call.

He noticed her hesitation. “I don’t think AAA is going to come up here in a snowstorm.”

“You don’t happen to know anyone who can change a tire in a storm?”

He chuckled. “It would be stupid to live here and not know how to change a tire in any weather. But you shouldn’t drive on a spare in this storm.”

Her stomach dropped.

“I have a guest room. You can stay and I’ll help you in the morning.” He noticed her unease because he said, “I swear I’m safe.”

“Isn’t that what a serial killer would say?”

“Good point.” He gestured to his phone and she handed it to him.

A FaceTime dial tone soon rang out, then a woman’s voice. “Hi Hun. Heard you’re getting a snowstorm.”

“Hi Mom. Yeah, a small storm. But I have something to ask. A woman knocked on my door…” He paused and looked up at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Allie.”

“Allie got a flat tire up the road and I need you to confirm that I’m not an ax murderer.” He handed over the phone.

His mother held the phone so close that Allie could only make out the top half of her face. Her own mother did the same thing, as though she didn't understand that she was on camera too. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Alex has a heart of gold. In grade school he started buying his teachers chocolates with his own allowance.”

“Isn’t it the charismatic ones who hide the darkest secrets?”

His mother chuckled. “He’s not perfect. Could call his mother more often. And he can be a bit broody. But wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Ok, thanks for the reassurance.” Allie handed the phone back.

Alex's mother didn’t bother to lower her voice when she said, “She’s cute.”

“Bye Mom,” he said, then looked up at Allie. “Could also call my ex-wife who will happily list my flaws.”

“That’s okay,” she said, unzipping her coat and sliding off her boots. Maybe she shouldn’t trust this man, but she didn’t exactly have another option.

Alex made his way over to the fire to add some logs. “I just made soup if you’re hungry.”

“So, you can cook, you were practically the Dalai Lama from a young age. What are your flaws?”

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

“Deal,” she said, relaxing into an oversized chair. The living room was tidy and comfortable, if not a bit haphazardly decorated. Alex stoked the fire, then settled onto the sofa.

“When I’m passionate about something I can’t do anything else. I become obsessed. And I’m not good at small talk. I have to go deep quickly or I get bored.”

Something about the phrase ‘go deep quickly” made her insides twist, not in an entirely bad way. “Good answer. Like that interview question—tell us your greatest weakness. The trick being to choose a weakness that’s also a strength.”

“True, but it does make things awkward sometimes. I can’t do surface.”

“I like that in people. But I guess if you have a stick up your butt that’s a problem.”

“I would say a small twig,” he said grinning. “Your turn.”

“I’m a chaos demon,” she blurted out.

He laughed. “Disorganized or emotionally unhinged?”

“Mostly the former but sometimes a hint of the latter. I feel things intensely.”

“A weakness that’s also a strength.”

She met his eyes, which were warm, but gently prying. “Are you a therapist or something?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Landscape architect. Though couples therapy training would actually be helpful. You’d be surprised how contentious the placement of a bush can be.” He rose and headed toward the kitchen, emerging moments later with a steaming bowl and handing it over. She spooned the hot soup into her mouth.

“This is delicious, thank you...Do you feel like we’re in a Christmas romcom? Girl gets flat in snowstorm and finds a kind, attractive man living nearby who offers her soup by a roaring fire?”

“Attractive, huh?” he asked.

Her cheeks warmed. She couldn't remember the last time she’d blushed.

“I have literally never seen a Christmas romcom," he said. "But this would make a pretty good one. Though I’m half Jewish and a little bit Buddhist.”

“Does that make you a Chrijewist or a Buddhishist?”

“Or a Jewbutian?”

At that, the lights flickered and went out. “Maybe this is actually a horror movie. Now the man gets up to find candles, but comes back with a knife and a rope,” she said.

“But instead of tying her up,” he added. “He ties himself up. Turns out he’s werewolf and needs to be restrained before the full moon.”

“Wait, are you a romantasy fan?”

“No, I’m a werewolf. That’s actually why my ex-wife left.”

“Your ex is heartless, leaving you just because you’re a tad wolfy. Plus, she was wrong about your lack of humor.”

Alex chuckled and stood. “Gotta grab those ropes.”

He came back instead with two flashlights. "Hopefully the power will go back on shortly. There's a warm comforter on the bed."

“I haven’t thanked you for saving my frozen ass,” she said, taking the flashlight. He stood next to her chair.

“I should thank you too.”

“For what?”

“I was feeling pretty shitty before you came. Would’ve been our fifth wedding anniversary tonight.”

“So, she left you?” She quickly realized she'd overstepped. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. She wanted to live in the city, go out more. She was bored. I’m more of a stay-in, read by the fire kind of guy.”

“If it’s any consolation, this is the least bored I’ve been in a while.”

“Then I’m glad I put those spikes on the road to pop your tire. Knew this was my chance to lure an attractive women to my cabin.” She could just make out his eyes, glinting in the firelight.

“Attractive, huh?” she said. “You know, there is something called Tinder. No need for sabotage.”

“Tried that. All the women around here are holding fish they’ve caught in their profile pictures.”

Allie couldn’t remember laughing this much with someone she'd just met. But when they quieted, she realized how exhausted she was. As though he could read her mind, he started toward the guest room, gesturing for her to follow. It was a simple, cozy room with a rustic, wooden queen bed.

"Bathroom's down the hall on the right. Let me know if you need anything else."

“Thank you…Goodnight Alex with a Heart of Gold,” she said, stepping into the room.

“Goodnight Allie, the chaos demon."

That night, Allie dreamed she was snowshoeing when she came upon a bear emerging from hibernation. He turned and loped back towards his cave, great haunches undulating. She followed behind willingly.