Baby, its cold outside

Lynsey couldn't think of a worse fate. But she was getting by at Wal-Mart. It was the only place that would hire her. And she knew just about everyone that worked here, hated her. She just couldn't get a break, lately.

Then the ice storm. It was like living in a horror story. A sheet of ice covered the illuminating parking lot. If that wasn't enough, the cars were coated in thick ice too. If she did make it out to her car, she'd have to chip away what she could in the sub-zero temps. It was hopeless. Best that she stay inside where it was warm.

"You can camp out here." Naturally, geeky Wesley was all smiles about it. He planned to sleep in a sleeping bag in a tent at the Outdoors goods area. There wasn't a customer in the store. Lynsey rolled her eyes.

All she wanted was a good hot bath. She'd already put in a good 8 hours here. Her feet were tired. And she so wanted out of her Wal-Mart attire. As it was, she hadn't told anyone she knew that she worked here. It really felt as if she'd reached the bottom of the barrel. There didn't seem to be away out of it.

She did give up her fancy studio and moved into a motel where she paid on a weekly basis. She couldn't ask her folks for help. They'd sold the house and were trying to fix up their lakehouse to sell which was more of a bungalow.

At least she had free wi-fi at the motel. She still had her old laptop. Even her phone now, was a pay as you go kind, and the cheapest of the cheap. But she'd kept her old contacts. Every few minutes she'd think about calling one. By the time she did..there was no answer.

She guessed she deserved it. Especially, from Willow. They hadn't spoken since the wedding. Perhaps she was depressed about her situation, even then. Maybe she was in denial. Now she was barely getting by. No fancy foods. Just generic dry cereal for the most part. She stayed away from the big drinks at the food bar. That usually meant a urinary tract infection in the works. She didn't have health insurance, anymore. Besides, what if they told her she had something else wrong.

Lynsey didn't want to think about it. She wondered around the store checking her phone from time to time. Just her luck the phone would die on her.

Finally, she came to Tyson's phone number. Did she even bother? She thought of how he was so angry with her when she'd showed up at Leia's. He'd snatched the key away from her. He didn't even have to tell her to get out. She didn't stick around. He definitely was scary. What in the world did Leia ever see in him?

Perhaps it was an accident when she clicked and the phone call went through. Her stomach felt as if it might cave in. But he picked up on the first ring. Evidently, he hadn't looked to see who called.

"Hullo." His gruff voice said. Lynsey's skin pricked at the thought that she could even ask him for help.

"Hi." Her voice wavered.

"What do you want, Lynsey?" He knew who was on the line.

"I'm having car trouble." She closed her eyes. It had been so long since she'd started the car in the cold, she knew it would budge. "And.."

"Where are you?" His questioned surprised her.

"Actually, I'm stuck at Wal-Mart. Not like you have to get here, right away. I mean, it would be fine..if..if you could come in the morning. You know, check it out then. I don't expect you to get out in..in this weather." She told him.

"Wal-Mart?" His question stung her.

"I work at Wal-Mart." She finally confessed as if she were doing time in a coal mine.

"Wal-Mart is open?"

"It never closes." She sighed. "But no one is here. I mean, a few of us who work here."

"Which one?" He asked.

"The one not so far from..from your place." She wouldn't dare say Leia's.

"I bet I could walk over there." He laughed, but he was certain he could drive over.

"Oh, not now. In this cold." She squinted. "In the morning would be fine." If the sun came out, things would be better. Roads would be thawed. "I..I shouldn't have called." She pressed her lips tight.

"Naw, its all right. I was needing some milk and bread, anyway." He told her.

"But..but what about Gia?" She didn't want him to even think of bringing her out in this cold.

"She can stay at the neighbor's." He explained he had chains on his tires for this kind of weather. "I'll drive over. We'll take a look at your car. All right?"

Suddenly, she felt he was like the big brother she always wished she had. She wasn't sure why she was afraid of him.