in the dead of winter

Olivia couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt at peace with Luc. Possibly, he was just an escape. Only she didn't believe it. He was a particular good friend. Deep down, she thought Ravi would like him. That maybe he would want her to be this sort of genuine with someone.

Besides, they were just friends, like Luc said. And Olivia was happy to know his friends. It was great to have dinner at Tyson's and to meet his daughter.

"I didn't think you liked Lynsey." Olivia said after they left Tyson's with plastic containers of his pasta casserole.

"She doesn't like me." He insisted. She'd gotten it out of him over past conversations that they were mutual friends with Tyson's ex.

"That's right, Tyson's ex is your ex, too." She was figuring it out. He left out some stuff she pieced together. But she knew why Luc liked coming to Tyson's on Sunday night dinners. "You miss Gia, don't you?"

She wrapped herself in her heavy coat more as the wind was getting colder and there was moisture in the air. Freezing moisture in fact. Luc huddled closer as they walked toward his car on the street. He put his arm around her to shield the cold. Honestly, she thought nothing of it. Ravi would have done it.

Soon his car was warming. And she let the Ravi thought pass, not wanting to ponder it. Not wanting to think she might be using Luc as if he might be Ravi. Nor the guilt that pulled at her that maybe..maybe she was forgetting Ravi. She didn't want too.

Luc said nothing about Gia. He was so quiet. She hadn't meant to hurt him. But deep down, she knew he'd make a wonderful Dad. But she was certain she couldn't say it to his face. She'd have to let go, of that thought. There was no need to think on it.

Suddenly, the ice was coming quicker. The windshield wipers could hardly keep up. It was not melting on contact. Luc could hardly see where to go.

She shut off the CD player and tuned in the radio. There was an ice storm warning out. They were warning everyone to stay inside. It was easy to see how fast the streets were getting icy. The car was already fishtailing, and Olivia instantly knew this was serious.

Luc didn't live far. But she lived further away.

"You don't have to take me home." She told him.

"What? You're not going to walk." He smirked.

"Honestly, I wasn't thinking about it." She looked at him as if he was just full of one liners, wasn't he?

"Oh..oh..you..mean..stay over?" He squinted as if that would be weird. "Sure." Ice was beating down on the windshield. He made a right on his street. Slowly the car edge toward his place as if maybe by then the storm would be done. Only it wasn't.

No, the ice was beating down all the more harder. Olivia could feel it on her cheeks. The back of her legs. Even ice found it way down the inside of her boots. They huddled closer and managed to get inside. It was dark in the kitchen. But the light over the stove was still on.

"God, this is worse than I even imagined." He shook ice from his hair.

Olivia only smiled as she took off her gloves and her coat. Finally she set down at the kitchen table and wrestled off her boots.

"We could have hot chocolate." Luc shrugged as if he didn't know exactly the rules of a sleepover like this. he went to put on the kettle.

"Its going to be fine." She shivered slightly as she watched him.

"Yeah, its going to be fine." He looked back at her as if his trust was in her.

Soon he got out the cool whip to top the instant hot chocolate drinks. He made it fancy with even chocolate syrup on top.

Yes, it was the perfect drink to warm her up.

It was true, she honestly hated to go home to a cold bed. She did miss sleeping with someone. Yet, it couldn't be anyone. Another thought she knew she should let pass.

They could take their time. Sipping hot chocolate slowly. Only, she did want to be here. She did want this. It wasn't until he pushed away the whipped cream mustache from her upper lip with his thumb that she knew she needed this, too.