Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
As I was heading outside, the same creepy boy-man from earlier smiled at me and said, “Can I take one of those for you?”
I smiled tightly. “I’m good.”
I’d drop them before I asked for help, especially from some random kid who didn’t seem to get the hint.
At least Odin is here now.
He held open the door outside for me, and I reluctantly walked through it.
I glanced around, the guy at my back, to find Odin.
He was in the very back corner where I’d originally been planning to sit.
I walked toward him, feeling the man at my back keeping close.
I widened my eyes at Odin, who had already clocked the man at my back before I’d even spotted where he was sitting.
Odin got up and walked to me, taking two of the glasses from my hands.
“Thanks.” I smiled in relief at him. “Those were getting precarious.”
He gestured for me to go first, then followed at my back, keeping distance between me and the weirdo using his own body.
I took a seat that Odin gestured for me to take, and I realized why a moment later when I looked up to see the heater on directly above my head.
“Thanks.” I grinned. “This is nice. I didn’t realize how cold it was going to get so fast.”
“Last year was my first year here,” he murmured quietly, his eyes flicking to the man that sat two tables away. He literally had the entire damn space, and he chose this close? What the fuck? “Seat over there has a heater, too. Come on.”
He stood up, grabbed all the glasses, and said, “Grab Peanut.”
I did, and we moved all the way across the outdoor patio to the opposite corner that you could see inside the building from.
He put me in almost the same position as I’d been in before, and I blew out a relieved breath as the heat beat down.
Once we were seated again, he continued his earlier line of thought. “Last year when I moved here, I had no clue what to expect. I’d never lived in a cold environment in my life. At least, not cold like this. I was shocked at first because I went from being able to stay warm with a jacket to not being able to stay warm with anything. I literally froze my ass off for the first six months. Then spring hits, and it’s finally like the ‘winter’ where I’m originally from.”
“Where was that?” I asked curiously.
He looked hesitant to answer at first, but then his shoulders loosened, and he said, “Mississippi. Lived in a small town on the coast my entire life.”
“Sounds dreamy,” I sighed as I shivered slightly. “I’m not sure how this winter’s going to go for me. When it used to snow in Alabama, those were the worst days for me. I don’t hate snow, as long as I don’t have to go outside in it.”
Odin chuckled. “You’re sadly in for a rude awakening. Literally your entire life is going to revolve around snow here.”
I sighed dramatically, just like Wendy did when she wasn’t getting her way. “If only I had a man that would keep me. I’d stay at home with the kids, inside where it’s warm. And he could take the kids to school and go to work and bring home groceries, so I never had to leave when there was snow on the ground.”
Odin’s grin flashed, his eyes lighting with laughter. “So you’d just hibernate for the winter months?”
“Yes, exactly,” I confirmed. “It’s like you know me well already. Do you have a position open?”
I batted my eyes at him in a way that was suggestive and playful.
His eyes danced.
“Reuben and turkey sandwich?”
I started to raise my hand, but the man across the way raised his hand. “That’s mine!”
I frowned, looking at the food, then looking at the man.
How did he order the exact same thing as me?
“Is it turkey and mayo only on the turkey sandwich?”
The woman looked at the ticket. “It is. Did you order fruit for your side?”
I opened my mouth to say yes when the woman who checked me out earlier, Bernice, came out with more food. Though, this one had more of it as well as the two chocolate chip cookies that I’d also ordered.
“Oh, never mind.” I smiled, slightly uncomfortable. “This one is ours.”
The woman with the earlier order left, taking the food in her hands to the man across the back patio.
“It was weird to make two identical sandwiches. That doesn’t happen often!” Bernice chirped as she tried too hard to sound chipper. “Can I get you anything else, Odin?”
I looked at Odin to see him looking at me. “Anything else?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m good.”
He looked at Bernice before saying, “That’s all. Thank you, Bernice.”
Bernice smiled tightly and left, along with the other woman delivering the other order.