Stranded in the Snow

"Not in this weather." Alex stopped pacing and faced me. "We're pretty remote out here, the nearest town is at least half an hour by car. When it's not snowing this heavily, that is. And besides, I'm not going out there again if it's not absolutely necessary. In fact, I just returned from town with some supplies to make sure I won't need to leave the farm for a few days, depending on how long the storm lasts."

"So... What do I do, then?"

Alex was silent for a long moment, biting her lip in thought as she alternated looking at me and out the window.

"I guess you can stay here if you have nowhere else to go," she finally said.

"You sure? I don't want to be a burden or anything." She didn't sound very happy with the idea, and I couldn't exactly blame her.

"I picked you up, I can't just kick you out now."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." I smiled at her, but she didn't return it.

It was hardly a warm welcome, but I wasn't going to complain. Anything was better than being out in that storm, even if it meant staying with miss ice queen over there.

I hit send on the text I had been writing to my mother, explaining my situation. She always wanted me to let her know when I got home safely, or when something happened along the way. And that's when there wasn't a huge snowstorm raging on. I could only imagine how worried she must be.

The message had been short and vague, though. Just enough to let her know what happened and stressing that I was safe. And definitely not mentioning that I was staying with a woman. She'd instantly start questioning me about Alex and pushing me to start dating or marrying her. She'd always been like that, but ever since Andy got married this past February it was all she could talk about. And now that Maria was pregnant, mom seemed anxious to get some grandkids from my side as well.

With a sigh, I put my phone on the side table so it could continue charging. Alex had guided me upstairs to the guest room earlier, where I would be staying tonight. It was pretty large, but that made sense. It was a big farm and Alex seemed to be living here alone, which meant she probably had much more space than she needed.

I finished unpacking all the essentials for my stay and wondered what I should be doing now. Alex didn't seem to be very keen on my presence, and I didn't want to bother her more than necessary. She probably only let me stay because I had nowhere else to go. Or maybe she somehow felt responsible for me now that she had picked me up from the side of the road?

She was cute, though... It was a shame she was being so distant, I wouldn't have minded getting to know her a bit better. But who knew, maybe the advice she gave me about Nugget would work for her too; maybe if I didn't provoke her she might warm up to me over time as well. Although I probably shouldn't get my hopes up too much, I wasn't planning on staying here long anyway.

As I was pondering this, the smell of cooking slowly drifted up the stairs and through the open door of the guest room. My stomach churned and I realized I was getting hungry. The last thing I ate were those turkey wraps, and that had been hours ago. I followed my nose and made my way back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Smells good, what are you making? Woah!" I reflexively jumped backward as Nugget growled at me the moment I stepped into the kitchen, positioning himself between me and Alex once again.

"Nugget, down!" Alex commanded without looking up. The dog obeyed instantly and retreated to her side, but kept a wary eye on me.

"You really should train him not to do that."

"He's a guard dog, this IS what he's trained to do."

"I mean... Fine, fair point."

I took a deep breath and slowly approached her, keeping an eye on the dog. Nugget just stared back but didn't interfere as I glanced at the pots on the stove.

"Anyway, I asked what you were making?"

"Spaghetti," Alex said, finally looking up and meeting my eyes. "I hope that's okay with you? I hadn't expected to have to cook for more than one person tonight, and I can't exactly go to the store right now."

"Don't worry, I love pasta," I said as I picked up a half-empty jar of spaghetti sauce from the counter and started reading the label.

"Good. It's easy to make and I had enough for two, so..." She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Just... Excuse me," I said as I took the lid off one of the pots and brought some of the sauce up with the wooden spoon, dipping my pinky in it and having a taste. "Hmm, yeah... As I thought."

"Oh, are you too good for pre-made sauce, city boy?" Alex scoffed as she gave me a look.

"Not at all, it's just... missing something. Where do you keep your spices?"

"Eh... First cupboard on the right?" She seemed confused but didn't stop me.

I opened the indicated cupboard and found a small collection of bottles, plastic shakers and other containers with spices. It wasn't extensive by any means, but I quickly found some things I could use.

"You mind?" I asked as I brought the things I found to the stove.

"No? I mean... What are you going to do?"

"Trust me, this will make it much better."

"But, isn't the sauce already seasoned? You saw the ingredients," Alex muttered as she watched me shake some garlic- and onion powder into the sauce.

"It is, but it can always be improved. Just trying to spice it up a little." I grabbed the final bottle and added some dried basil as well. "Fresh basil would have been better, but this will work just fine too," I explained.

I stirred the sauce to make sure the spices were properly mixed in and tasted again.

"Hmm, much better. Here, try it," I said as I raised the spoon towards her. Alex hesitantly dipped a finger in the sauce and put it in her mouth. I watched her suck the sauce off her finger and hum in delight. I was sure she didn't intend to be flirty, but I couldn't deny it caused a little stir in my nether regions.

"Ooh, that IS much better." Alex gave me a nod and smiled at me with new appreciation. "I guess you do know your stuff."

"You should thank my mom. She's a great cook and tried to pass on as much as she could before I moved out." I stepped back and let Alex continue cooking again, not wanting to intrude more than I already had.

"Anyway, it should be nearly done," Alex said, her smile quickly fading again as the mask of indifference that she'd worn ever since she picked me up slid back in place. Dang it, I thought she'd finally started to warm up to me.

"Should I set the table?" I offered.

"Yeah, sure. If you want."

Alex told me where to find some plates and cutlery and before long we were both sitting at the dinner table, each with a steaming plate of spaghetti in front of us.

"Sorry there's no meat in it," Alex said before I could take a bite. "As I said, I hadn't exactly planned on making this, so I didn't have any prepared."

"It's fine, no need to apologize. I'm really not in any position to complain. I'm already glad just to have a place to stay and a warm meal." I looked up at Alex and gave her the most sincere smile I could manage. "I guess I never thanked you properly for that, but I really appreciate all you're doing for me."

"Anyone would have done the same," Alex said softly as she looked down, playing with the noodles on her plate.

"You'd be surprised how many people ignore others in need of help." I worked some spaghetti onto my fork and took a bite. While some meat would have helped make a more rounded dish, it tasted just fine without it. Besides, I was hungry and food was food.

We ate in silence for a moment, Nugget watching us from his place in front of the radiator. For once, it seemed like the dog wasn't up in my face. And Alex hadn't even told him to leave me alone. I could still feel his sharp eyes follow my every move, but it was a small step in the right direction.

"So, you're living here all by yourself?" I asked.

"Well, I got Nugget of course, but yes."

"Must be lonely, so far away from everyone else."

Alex chuckled. "You really are a city guy. Personally, I like the peace and quiet. And I'm not always alone, I usually have some farmhands around to help me. But there's not much to do in the winter, so I don't need them right now."

"What do you do in the winter, then? Can't imagine you're just sitting around, waiting for spring."

"It's not like I have nothing to do. Planning what crops to plant next year, for example. And I clean and do maintenance on my tractor and the farm equipment, among other things, like reading up on the latest developments and trends in the agriculture world."

It seemed like her farm was a safe subject, and the more I asked the more easily she started talking to me. At times I felt like I was interviewing her, but Alex didn't seem to mind and told me all about her work. It was surprisingly interesting and I didn't even have to feign interest, although some things, like the specific model of her tractor and what kind of engine it had, went way over my head.

Before we knew it our plates were empty and our stomachs full. I helped Alex do the dishes and retreated to my room, not wanting to intrude on her personal life too much. She'd already spent a large part of the day in my presence; I figured she deserved some alone time too. I didn't want to push my luck either, now that she finally started to become a bit more friendly and open.

My phone had finished charging by now and I pulled out the cord but left the charger on the side table for later. I was determined not to be caught with a dead phone again soon, and hopefully having it lying in view like that would remind me to actually plug in my phone tonight.

The screen lit up as the charger disconnected, showing me that I had one unread message. It turned out to be a text from my mom. Apparently, I was right; she had been worrying about me as the storm got worse. But she was glad I was safe and told me to text or call once I was safe at home again.

I walked over to the window, watching the storm in the last light of the day. It still looked just as bad as when Alex had picked me up, but I hoped it would be better tomorrow. I had to admit Alex was slowly turning into more pleasant company, not to mention that she was cute, but part of me just wanted to go home. Well, at least I wasn't alone, freezing my ass off somewhere out there in the middle of nowhere.

There was a soft knock on my door, making me look up from my phone. Alex had given me the wifi password earlier, and I had been checking my email and browsing the internet to pass the time since.

"Come in," I said.

Alex pushed the door open and crossed the threshold of the guest room, but lingered at the door.

"I eh... I just wanted to check in on you before I went to bed," she said, looking around the room awkwardly.

"Thanks, but I'm good, no reason to worry. Got plenty of space here, and the bed feels great. I should sleep just fine, I imagine." I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Glad to hear. Should you get cold, there are some extra blankets in the closet over there. Oh, and the bathroom is at the end of the hallway, on the left. I'll be sleeping in the room right across from here, in case you need anything." She indicated the door over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Okay, thank you." I had expected Alex to leave, but she remained where she was, staying silent for a long moment.

"So eh... Goodnight," she finally said as she met my eyes for a moment. Her smile seemed genuine for once, as far as I could tell, although it was faint.

"Goodnight, Alex."

She gave me a nod and left, closing the door behind her. I took a deep breath and locked my phone. I wasn't good with women, but she was impossible to read for me. At times she was friendly, if a bit awkward. But then at others, it seemed like she wanted to get me out of her house as soon as possible. And then there was the dog...

I connected my phone to the charger again and started undressing. What a day...

I found myself in the kitchen with Alex behind the stove, her back turned towards me. She was wearing nothing but a pair of black panties and an apron, and my eyes instantly traveled down her bare back to stare at round cheeks of her butt that were spilling out of the skimpy lace.

"Morning, honey," Alex said as she looked over her shoulder, a satisfied smirk on her lips as she caught me staring. She turned around and embraced me, planting a soft kiss on my cheek. "Did you sleep well, babe?"

"Yeah, I slept just fine."

I smiled and cupped her face with my hand, pulling her close with my other arm. It squished her breasts against my chest and gave me a hell of a view as the apron pulled away from her chest and revealed enough cleavage for me to get a glimpse of her belly button.

"Breakfast should be done soon, unless you are in the mood for an... appetizer?" Alex said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I think I might be," I said, reaching up behind her back and slowly pulling on the knot that secured her apron to her body. Then I lifted it over her head and was treated to the magnificent view of her bare chest in all its glory. I instantly felt my cock react, and when I looked down I realized I was naked as well.

Alex slowly walked back towards the table, keeping eye contact with me the whole time as a teasing smile graced her lips. Then she gestured for me to come over with her finger while she sat down on the edge.

I didn't need any more encouragement and was in front of her with a few big steps, kissing her as I pushed her back onto the table. My hand reached down and disappeared between her legs, feeling her wetness through the fabric of her panties before I tore them off with one firm pull. Alex gave a little yelp that was half surprise and half pure lust.

My hand reached for my now rock-hard dick and I stroked it against her pussy lips for a moment, making Alex moan like an animal in heat.

"Fuck me, babe!" she said, her fingers traveling over my naked chest.

I was about to bury myself deep inside of her when I heard barking somewhere in the distance. The hardness of my dick spread through the rest of my body as I tensed up. A dog's shadow spilled through the open door to the living room as I heard the barking again, louder this time.

The shadow became bigger, and as it grew the barking got lower and lower, until it was nothing more than a continuous rumbling growl. A huge dog wrestled its way into the kitchen, barely fitting through the door. Its head was at the same height as mine and its body was longer than the table in front of me. I glanced back down only to find that Alex had vanished.

The dog sniffed the air and turned its huge head towards me, barking once again. The floor shook beneath my feet from the sheer force of it and I stumbled backward, away from the monster. But its flaming red eyes, each one bigger than my balled fist, were focused on its prey, and it slowly started closing in.

"No, please... No... No..." I muttered, trying to get away from this huge dog.

The dog growled again, fangs as large as daggers gleaming in the morning light as it lunged towards me.

"NOOOO!"

I awoke with a start and sat up, my lungs heaving and a stream of cold sweat pouring down my back. I blinked, taking in the guest room of Alex's farm in the morning light that was spilling through the curtains. There was no monstrously large dog. And no naked Alex, either, I realized with a pang of disappointment.

I covered my face with my hands and slowly dragged them up into my hair. Nugget barked somewhere downstairs and I practically jumped out of bed. Dang it, as if I needed more reasons to fear that dog...

After a quick visit to the bathroom to freshen up and trying to make something of the mess that was my hair, I got dressed and made my way downstairs. A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I found Alex standing in the kitchen, albeit fully clothed this time.

"Morning," she said without looking up from the frying pan in front of her.

"Morning," I said with a sigh.

Alex turned around and frowned at me.

"You sleep okay? You look terrible."

"Yeah just... I had a weird dream, is all." I blushed as the image of Alex lying naked on the dinner table flashed through my mind again and tried to avoid her eyes.

"Sleeping in a strange place can do that sometimes," Alex said matter-of-factly. "All the strange sounds that you're not used to and such."

"I suppose..." I took a deep breath and sat down at the table as Alex put some eggs and bacon on my plate.

"Eat up, you look like you can use a good breakfast."

Alex returned to the stove and soon joined me with a plate of her own. While at first I tried to avoid her eyes and just stared at my plate, things quickly returned to normal between us. Alex reversed the roles of yesterday's dinner, as she started asking me about my job. I wasn't sure if she did it on purpose to distract me or if she was actually interested, but I was thankful that I had something else to think about than that dream.

As we talked I started feeling more at ease. I told her about how I've been working as a biology teacher at the local high school for the last few years, which seemed to catch her interest. She asked me where I had studied, why I had wanted to become a teacher and what made me interested in biology.

After answering her questions, I started telling her funny anecdotes about things that had happened in my classroom. Like how last Halloween I had connected a fishing line to the base of the skeleton standing in the back of my classroom. In the middle of class, while the students were taking a test, I had pulled on it, making the skeleton roll slowly through the path between the desks on the wheels of its base. It had gotten quite a few screams from my students, but Alex seemed to share my sense of humor and laughed loudly as I told her the story.

Alex vanished into the garage after breakfast to do some maintenance on her farming equipment. I took a spot on the couch and started flicking through the TV channels, looking for a way to alleviate my boredom. As much as I enjoyed talking to Alex, I didn't want to take up her whole day, but at times like these, I couldn't help but feel like I was wasting my time out here on the farm.

Nugget walked into the room just as I turned on the news. The German shepherd observed me from a distance for a moment before curling up in front of the couch.

"No growling today?" I asked the dog.

For a moment I got a flashback to the demon dog from my nightmare, but it seemed like Alex was right; Nugget did seem to be warming up to me, if slower than his owner. That, or maybe it was the fact that Alex wasn't here with me, so he didn't feel the need to protect her. Whatever the reason was, he just casually observed me, still on guard but not trying to intimidate me anymore.

As the weather forecast came on, it quickly became clear that the weather had only slightly improved overnight. I had already feared as much from looking through the window earlier, but to see it announced on TV made it feel more real.

I alternated between watching TV and browsing the internet on my phone for most of the morning. Alex returned around noon, and we were just sitting down for lunch when my phone rang. It turned out to be the towing company I had called yesterday. The call barely lasted a minute, as there wasn't much news to share.

"That was quick," Alex said as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

"They just called to let me know they won't brave the storm today either, only for people in danger, blah blah blah. Same story as yesterday, really. It basically boiled down to the fact that I'll just have to wait for the weather to get better before they'll come to pick up my car."