A walk through the Snow
Aurora POV:
I was glad when Leo came in. He was wearing a funny peaked green cap with a big tassel hanging off it and an ugly yellow skiing sweater over blue jeans. He's flushed from the cold and smiling.
I stand up and he throws his arms around me and then just as quickly she turns to Sharon and says, "I just heard! Congratulations!"
"Thank You, Leo"
"There's an hour before dinner and no one will notice if we're gone. "Come on," He told me
"Let's go outside."
"Must we go?" I asked
"Yes" he replied
"And go where? Last I heard it’s eighteen degrees outside.” Sharon said
“Which is why you’ll be wearing my coat." He replied
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see…”
We put on coats and boots and hats and gloves and tromp through the house and out the back door. The sky is clear ultramarine blue and the snow over the meadow reflects it lighter and the two blues meet in the dark line of trees that is the beginning of the woods. It's too early for stars but there's an airplane blinking its way across space. I imagine our house as a tiny dot of light seen from the plane, like a star.
"This way." He said
The path to the clearing is under six inches of snow.
The stubble of dead plants under snow, wind, the sound of our boots. The clearing is a smooth bowl of blue snow; the rock is an island with a mushroom top.
Teeth chattering as we struck out down a winding stone trail, she asked, “Is it still far? My shoes and swollen feet aren’t exactly ideal for late-night hiking.”
“Need me to carry you?”
“If you don’t mind,” I said with a giggle.
Over the crest of a hill was a small log cabin. Candlelight shone through paned windows and sweet wood smoke rose from the stone chimney.
“Here we are.” He set me to my feet on the rustic front porch. “This was my great-great-grandparents’ home back in the day. It’s been updated with luxuries such as plumbing, electricity, and running water, but otherwise, it’s pretty much the same.”
When he opened the door, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. “It’s fantastic…”
On the main level was a stone fireplace with flames merrily crackling and a stone floor covered in thick throw rugs. A galley kitchen outfitted with a mini-stainless steel stove, fridge, and wine cooler. All of the furniture was buttery leather strewn with throw pillows. On an upper level stood a wrought iron bed beside a sunken, glowing hot tub. Through a partially open door, I caught a glimpse of a bathroom featuring an oversized, claw-foot tub. Lighting it all were at least a hundred ivory candles.
“My ancestors knew how to live it up.”
“Who stays here?” I asked
“Some of Mom’s out-of-town friends. A few East Coast aunts and uncles. Occasionally, folks we’ve hired to bring out studs or bulls.”
“Who lit the fire and candles?”
“I bribed Henry. Wasn’t too hard, considering he hates big parties and this gave him an excuse to stay away.” On a love seat across from me, he cleared his throat. “Aurora, there’s a reason I brought you out here.”
"Why sir" I asked
His gaze dropped to his hands. He’d clamped them tight. Was he nervous? If so, why? My pulse took off on a runaway gallop.
"I think it's almost time for dinner, our absence would be noticed if we stayed any moment longer," He said
I was very disappointed, I wanted to hear what he wanted to say.
He motioned to leave but I held his hand.
"I hate being kept in suspense"
"What?" He asked confused
"You said you brought me here for a reason and wanted to say something"
He sighed.
"Not tell actually, I wanted to ask you another favor"
"What? Do tell"
"I don't know how to, I believe I would be asking too much of you," He said
"Try me, I've already come this far, haven't I?"
"True," he said.
"We always up for dinner and father isn't comfortable with what both of us are wearing, if it were Mark or Donny, they would rudely be told them in front of all, but because it's me - "
"He called you secretly to tell you"
He nodded
I was starting to see why he said his family were psychotic, they were starting to show the signs.
"I'd love to help Mr. Jordan, but I don't exactly carry an extra cloth that suits your Dad's taste in my purse," I said
"I do," he said "I have a cloth, he'd surely love it if you don't mind wearing it of course"
"Not at all, since it's just for tonight I can manage," I said
"Thank you Aurora," he said
"It's nothing Boss" I replied "Is that all?" I asked
"I'm afraid not," he said
"What again?" I asked
He kept mute and simply stared.
"What boss"
"Don't forget you are free to opt out, out without any fear of reprimand, I appreciate you've helped me quite enough"
"Just spill boss, you are already making it harder than it should be"
"My Father suspects our relationship is platonic and I was making a mockery of the family, if his suspicion is ascertained all hell would break lose tonight. It would be ironic if I turned out to be the reason the family had a misunderstanding tonight"
"How did he catch on" I asked
"I have no idea at all, we were barely in there for 5 minutes"
"So, how do we convince him"
He stared at me for a long while.
"May I kiss you Aurora?" He asked
My heart wrenched like a train just wrecked in my heart. My face was drained of blood and my heart was beating unhealthily fast, it felt like it was finding how to force its way out of my chest. I couldn't talk, I could only stare.
"That's it, I am tired of making you make uncomfortable decisions. It's high time I stopped being the glue holding the family together, to think I had to drag you in our pathetic charade. They can all go to hell if they wish to" He said
I could see, he was talking from the position of pain, but there was only so little I could do to help. Kissing someone isn't exactly a gift to a friend or a meaningless act of locking your lips to impress people. It meant a lot to me.
"Let's go, I will take you home," he said motioning outside
I held his hand.
"What," He asked, his gaze meeting mine "No Aurora! No. At this point it seems I'm making you do what you don't want, you are simply doing it for the fear I'd fire you"
"I know you won't, I trust you that much. Now you have to trust me enough to know I'm acting on my own will too, I'm not in any way being cajoled, I will do it because I want to"
"Really?"
"Really, but it does come with a price"
"Name anything you want Aurora"
"You will owe me one"
"That's all"
"Sometime in the nearest future, it may be earlier or later, perhaps that time may never come. But I'd request something of you and you'd grant whatever I ask."
He chuckled "Believe me it would be granted."
"Then we have a deal"
"Can we go now, we have to dress you up before dinner."
For a moment I had forgotten I would have to dress up for them too, I wondered what ridiculous clothes I'd have to wear to satisfy his family. I feel bad about the prospect of lying to them before, but not anymore, I'd lie a blue streak without feeling any speck of remorse.
We turn and walk over our tracks, back to the house.