Halcyon

C H A P T E R S I X: BAD WOLF

      With a heavy sigh, I brushed the loose curls from my face with the crook of my elbow and gathered all the empty drinks left behind on the bar top. The Cragtooth diner was busy this evening, out-of-towners came after a day up at the ski slopes looking to warm up and fill their bellies. Sierra was across the expanse taking an order from a rowdy bunch of snowboarders from Switzerland. I grabbed the leftover plates, piling the glasses on top before taking it to the dish-washing station. Calvin was a column of ice by the grill and his eyes flicked to me as I entered, always assessing. "Table four's order is ready," he deadpanned, nodding his head towards the order window. I acknowledged him with a weak smile before edging around his frightening figure to gather the orders onto the tray.

      As I wove my way through the crowd I glanced at the door, hoping to see a pair of burning eyes walking through it. Since the last kiss, Django had made himself scarce. And that pissed me off. So many questions whirled in my head and for over a week I had to keep them to myself. The occupants at table four smiled blandly as I set their food in front of them. "Can I get you anything else?" I asked, fingering the pen and notebook in my apron pocket. When they shook their heads, I headed back to the order window with a sigh, wishing the day was over so I could curl up in front of the couch and devour a tub of ice cream.

      Calvin was waiting for me at the counter, muscular, tanned arms folded across his chest and my spine tensed up immediately. With his deep voice he intoned, "as you know we had an agreement that upon your first week here we'd decide at the end if you were fit to work or not." I paused in the middle of grabbing a tray, my heart in my throat as he gazed at me emotionlessly, "after assessing your work ethic I've decided that you may stay miss Harper."

      I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and smiled at him tentatively. "T-Thanks!" I replied, as he stood there silently, looking over me with a calculating look in his eye. Hunching my shoulders, I quickly grabbed the tray and scurried away from him, feeling my muscles relax and my heart beat slow the further I got.

      By the time I finished cleaning and clocked out, the sun was beginning to lower between the mountains, like a dying lantern. My boots crunched in the snow as I trekked across the parking lot to my car. The sky overhead began to darken as another cold front swept in and fell like a cloak over the stars that shone brightly - like diamonds studded in a sea of velvet. I riffled through my bag to find my key, opening the car door and sliding in, setting my purse on the passenger seat. The vehicle sputtered to life and I peeled from the lot, tearing off my gloves with my teeth and holding my white fingers up to the heating vents to warm them. Fading light still managed to peek through the clouds as I left the ski resort behind me and began to make my way back down the mountain.

      The highway was empty of cars and dusted with a fine layer of snow as the clouds drew in closer and the sun began to sink further below the jagged peaks of the mountain range. I wasn't able to turn on the radio due to the interference from the cliffs and the quiet let me stew about Django. I couldn't believe he'd just kissed me then left without a word. Again. Helpless to deny me? He was the one who was always kissing me! Watching him turn around and leave without a word had ripped pulsing little tears in my heart and I withheld the silly urge to cry again, refusing to give myself into emotion over that insufferable man.

      Outside the heat of the car, snow was falling like the sky was crying for me and wind whipped the branches of the icy trees. The speedometer on the dashboard was climbing steadily higher, when I was making the bend in the road and I hit the patch of ice. The back wheels spun correctly for a moment as the chains grappled for grip against the slick highway before, with a deafening screech, the rear end of the vehicle jerked sharply to the left. My breath was punched from my lungs in a panicked rush as I slammed on the brakes, grappling with the wheel for control. With a grunt, my body was thrown against the seat belt as the car spun further to the left, the smell of burning rubber permeating the air.