Chapter 13

A snow storm had come in that evening, all but trapping Paul from going back to his hotel.

"Good thing we got back home when we did, huh?" he asked while staring out Lucy's front window.

"Yeah, or we'd been sleeping in your rental car tonight," she joked. "Don't worry; I have plenty of space for you to crash here and the roads should be clear by morning. They're usually pretty good about cleaning them during the night around here."

"Guess I'm not a winter person," he shrugged.

"Neither am I and I've lived up north here all my life," Lucy nodded.

"You haven't fallen on your ass any more, have you?" Paul wondered, staring at the wide CD collection in one side of Lucy's wall, pulling out one that fascinated him.

"Very funny. And no, I haven't."

"Wasn't meant to be funny." He then held up the CD. "Your old band?"

"Oh yes, what we called the 'ghetto CD.' It was recorded in one of the guys' bathroom because the acoustics were good."

"The bathroom?" Paul gave her a strange look.

"Yeah, we couldn't afford a decent studio at the time. It isn't fantastic. I think the cleaned up version is in that mess somewhere."

"How many of these things do you have anyway?"

"At least 100 at last count," she replied. "I wrote reviews before I got into photography. I'd get free CD's, concert tickets, shit like that."

Paul looked at her again. "Is there anything you haven't done?"

"Sure, rock climbing being one of them," she quipped.

"You don't know what you're missing there. I plan on doing some more rock climbing myself, which, by the way, I happen to love. Want to take a shot at it with me?"

"No thanks. I have issues about heights and I'm a klutz anyway. I leave that to coordinated young guys like you."

"Forty three isn't that old, Luce," Paul reminded her.

"Whatever. So what other crazy daredevil stuff are you into these days?"

"Well, back home, there's swimming in the lakes and in the natural springs with the turtles and salamanders."

"Now that would be more my speed, though I'm not a great swimmer."

"Maybe I'll take you the next time you're down south and I'm healed up completely."

"I may take you up on that," Lucy nodded. "I'm going to get some tea. You want some?"

"Sounds great."

"Meanwhile, see if you can find something decent on TV. The remote's by the couch."

Paul spied it, flopping down to switch through several channels, smiling at himself as the snow continued coming down outside. Everything happens for a reason….

-----------------------

"I can't believe your partner traveled up north, especially with that storm that came in," one of the trainers told Spanky. "That and his ankle being fucked up."

"I think he missed his 'special friend.'," Spanky replied, making quotations with his fingers.

"Must be some special friend for him to travel with a bum leg and being ass deep in snow."

"I guess so. She's practically all he's talked about recently."

"She? Well shit, that explains why he's been so damn slap happy lately."

"Dude's got a couple screws loose anyway," Spanky laughed, "but yeah, he's been a little more giddy since meeting the lady a few months ago."

"So what's she like? In the business?"

"Nope, not at all. She does photography; actually, she was the one that did Paul's recent promos. A few years older than he is and went to some fancy college in Virginia. I'm telling you, dude, he is so gone on this chick. In all the years I've known Paul, I've never seen him like this."

"Question is, how does she feel about him?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Between you and me, from what I've picked up, the chick is totally clueless."

"Oh man, that can't be good."

"Just what I was thinking, man. Maybe that's why he made this trip, to make things a little clearer."

"From the shitty weather up north, I just hope for your buddy's sake, it was worth the headache."