Snowed In: Dane and Heath

Chapter 1 Heath stared at the large stack of manila folders on his desk, then he looked down at the two large plastic bins full of at least twenty more of them. The enormous room was silent, but he knew that Dane was somewhere around. He rolled his chair to the end of his cubicle and poked his head out into the poor excuse for a hallway that ran between the cubicles in his row. Seeing nothing, he stood up and peered over his cubicle walls. He glanced around the sea of cubicles that covered the large office space that Pristine Mortgage used for the post-closing department on the first floor of the Pristine building. No sign of Dane, although he had to be around somewhere. What really irritated Heath was that there was no sign of anyone else. From his cubicle, Heath could see out the tinted windows that surrounded the building, but not quite as well as he liked. The tint on the windows was dark, most likely in a dual effort to offer privacy and a modicum of safety to the building’s occupants, but also to probably keep out the heat during those warm summer months that frequently beset Maryland. Now in winter, those same windows were frosty. Hoping for a better view, Heath walked down the hallway until he reached the wall of windows and peered out. There were no cars in the parking lot on this side of the building except for his and Dane’s. He imagined that there wasn’t anyone else in the entire ten story building except for the two of them. He took a deep breath, trying to expel the negativity that came with that thought. Heath had not been raised to be disrespectful of his boss, or anyone, for that matter, but he seriously felt like screaming. The entire lot was covered in an odd mixture of snow and ice, and a frozen glaze enclosed the leaves of the numerous trees planted throughout the business park. If he hadn’t been so angry, he might have enjoyed the beautiful scene, but instead he stood there imagining how difficult it was going to be to get down the curvy hill that led to the enormous office building. Heath took another breath, trying to calm himself down. If he didn’t, his mother would hear the tension in his voice. He walked back to his cubicle and used his work phone to dial his parents’ number. “Hey, how are you? Yep, still at work. Well, we were going to, but we really need to get some stuff done. A lot of paperwork has to go out to the lending company. It secures our money. What? I know, but we should be fine. Actually, yeah, Dane swears that the delivery company is going to pick it up…I know. It seems a little hard to believe.” Heath listened for a moment, letting his mother offer advice on how to deal with snow. From time to time, he could hear his father in the background, adding his own words of wisdom. “Well, Dane has an SUV. He said he’ll drop me if he needs to. I know, they’re not much better than anything else. Yes, the whole DC area is closing up, but you know there are always a few people out there.” Heath laughed, and then said, “You’re right, Mother; those people are idiots. If it’s too rough, we won’t drive in it. Well, we could stay here. There are couches in the lounge, and showers in the gym. There’s actually some food in the lounge refrigerator left over from the New Year’s party last week.” Everything except the food part had been the truth. If he remembered correctly, there were myriad frozen dinners he and Dane could replace later without arising too much ire from their coworkers, and of course there was the old box of donuts from the department meeting a few days ago that no one had had the initiative to throw out. Perhaps he wasn’t telling a complete and utter lie, although if he were, he could only hope that in his retirement years, if he had a twenty-five-year-old child, he would be lied to as well. There was no need to worry his parents. “You know actually, Mom. I also forgot, Dane lives near here. Yeah, some luxury apartments they put in down the street. He said I could sleep on the couch if I had to. You’re right, that probably is a good idea. Yes, we could walk there. I know, he’s a cool boss. No worries, I have boots in my car. Okay, if we need to do that, I will.” Everything except for the boots in his car was a lie, as was the part about Dane being a cool boss. That ship had sailed today. “Okay, I love you. Good night. Yes. Night, Dad. Love you too. Okay, I’ll keep you guys posted.” Heath hung up the phone, more pissed than before. Even at twenty-five, he really hated the idea of worrying his parents. He looked at the folders on his desk again. This was bullshit. Reluctantly, he sat down, grabbed another pen, and opened the next folder. He had finished the three on his desk by the time he heard a door from the hallway open and then Dane’s whistling, which normally was kind of nice, but today seemed a bit obnoxious. “How’s it going in here?” Dane called to him from across the room in an overly cheerful voice that made Heath want to slap him. Heath waited until Dane was standing in the opening in his cubicle that served as a door before he responded. “It’s great,” Heath said, looking up briefly to meet Dane’s eyes and then looking back at the folder in front of him. “It’s crazy. Everyone has bailed. We’re the only people here,” Dane said. “I walked the whole building and didn’t see a soul. All the departments upstairs had their lights turned off. Even the security guard just left.” Heath looked up again. “So how are we going to get out of here?” “The same way we got in, the front door,” Dane answered. “I mean, doesn’t the security guard lock everything up when he leaves? Doesn’t he set some sort of alarm when he takes off?” “Nope. Our key cards work all hours. As long as they know who’s here, they don’t care how late we work. I work in here on Sunday mornings all the time.” “Figures,” Heath said, almost involuntarily. Dane paused and then glanced at Heath. “What is that supposed to mean?” “Nothing,” Heath said, not looking up. “No, it was supposed to mean something. What?” Heath shook his head. Dane stood silent for a moment, and then spoke. “You’re pissed that we’re here.” Heath looked up at him and asked, “You think?” “I don’t get it,” Dane said. “We’ll get out of here earlier than usual. We just need to finish this stuff before the delivery truck comes. We planned on staying late like we do every beginning of the month. It’s the only time we’re stuck here. The rest of the month, you’re free to go on time. Right now though, if the docs that serve as collateral on these loans don’t get out, it screws everything up.” “You don’t think the lending company would understand? I’ve been here a year, and we’ve always been on time, but today we’re having a major snowstorm.” “On the news, they said maybe a foot over the whole day, and it’s not even bad yet,” Dane said. “They’re treating the roads. We’ll be fine. Do you know how much snow we got in Buffalo? I think you guys are overreacting.” “We’re not in Buffalo,” Heath said. “We’re outside the DC Beltway. We don’t have the same equipment here. Road treating here means that they throw some salt on the roads and try to scrape the snow and ice fast enough, but usually we’re shut down for days with this kind of snow. That’s why everyone left. And I don’t think you’re the best gauge of how to react.” “Because I’m new to the area?” “That, and because you have a pregnant wife at home whom you should probably be with, but you’re here with me.” “I’m here because we need to get a package ready before the delivery service shows up. Look, if you want to leave, go ahead and head home.” Dane paused. “I misunderstood. I thought you wanted to stay late and that we were going out for beers afterwards.” “We were going to go out and have beers and celebrate getting this done, but that was before Snowstorm Satan, or whatever its name is, showed up. We’ll do it next month,” Heath said, standing up and putting on his jacket. “Also, no offense, but it’s one thing to work late tonight, but it’s another to go out boozing while your extremely pregnant wife stays home in this weather.” Dane didn’t say a thing as Heath began to pack his belongings, he simply pulled up the extra chair in Heath’s cubicle and sat down. He quickly reached for one of the files from the floor and began working on it, keeping his eyes on the file. “Okay, have a good one,” Heath said as he walked out of the cubicle and into the small hallway. “She’s not at home,” Dane mumbled somewhat angrily. Heath turned around and peeked his head back into the cubicle. “Excuse me?” “She’s not at home. My wife, Amanda, she’s not at home. I wouldn’t do that to someone. I wouldn’t go out drinking while she stayed home in a snowstorm this close to delivery.” “Okay,” Heath said. “So she’s out somewhere. Won’t she need to get home? Shouldn’t you be there for that? Or is she staying somewhere else to avoid the snowstorm?” “She’s staying somewhere else all right, somewhere in South Carolina. She’s not coming home.” “Oh,” Heath said, unsure of what to say. He turned to go, and then turned back around and asked, “You’re saying this to get me to stay, right?” Dane looked up, and Heath suddenly felt really stupid. “I’m sorry, Dane,” he said, and then hung his coat back up and grabbed a file. “Just go home,” Dane muttered, looking back at his work. “No, I was a jackass for saying that, but I would be a bigger one if I went home right now,” Heath said, sitting back in his chair. “Um…why did she leave?” Dane turned to him, daggers in his eyes. “Okay, sorry,” Heath said quickly. “I shouldn’t ask. Look, if we work hard, we should be able to get this done before the delivery guy gets here.” Dane nodded. “I think if we just focus on setting things up and pulling the docs that need to be sent now, we can get that together and then go back and do the rest later. It should expedite things.” “Sounds like a plan,” Heath said, opening a new file in front of him. They worked in silence for the next two and a half hours. Finally, Heath placed a file down and looked over at Dane. “Done,” Heath said. “Great, I just finished the one I was working on.” Dane looked at his watch and then grabbed the pile of documents they had created. “They should be here within the hour.” “Are you sure they’ll come today?” Heath asked. “Yeah, I called the company earlier. They said Suzanne was on the move and planned to make all of her usual stops,” Dane said. “Awesome,” Heath said. “I’ll go grab a shipping envelope.” When Heath returned, Dane took the envelope from him and filled it with the now organized documents they had pulled. “Let’s go wait for her up front,” Dane suggested. They walked through the almost endless rows of cubicles and into the reception area in the front of the building. Dane sat in one of the lobby chairs and motioned for Heath to do the same. Heath took the seat, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. “Look, you can go home if you want to,” Dane said. “I can wait here by myself. We can do the rest of the stuff on those files tomorrow, or whenever we get back.” Heath hesitated and then said, “I was actually thinking we could go out for those beers.” “I thought you wanted to get home, that you don’t like to be out in this stuff,” Dane said. “I don’t. I hate driving in it, and the hill coming up to this building terrifies me, especially where it makes that big curve. My parents are from Florida. They taught me to hibernate when it snows. You can drive. Show me what you learned in Buffalo.” “Okay,” Dane agreed. “We’ll go right after Suzanne gets here.” As if on cue, a brown shipping van pulled up in the driveway near the lobby and a woman with a big smile climbed out of the van and headed to the lobby. Dane ran to get the door for her. “Thanks, hon,” she said. “It’s cold out there. Those little hills are getting icy. I can’t believe you guys are still here.” “You want to come in for a bit?” Dane asked. “Can’t. I took over a few locations from other people who called in today,” Suzanne explained. “As a matter of fact, if that envelope in your hand is all you’ve got going today, I’ll take it and be on my way.” Dane handed her the envelope and smiled at Suzanne. “You boys be careful getting home,” Suzanne said, checking the labeling on the package. “You too,” Heath and Dane said almost simultaneously. They watched Suzanne drive off and waved as she went. “Let’s grab our stuff,” Dane suggested, nodding back to the area where they worked. They walked together for a moment, and when Dane turned off to go to his office, Heath continued to his own cubicle. He straightened up a few things, checked his email, put his jacket back on, and then reached for the phone. “Hey, I’m going to spend the night at Dane’s,” Heath lied into the receiver, determined to keep his elderly parents from worrying. “Yeah, we’re heading over there now. Okay, love you. Stay safe.” As Heath hung up the phone, he heard a slight cough behind him, the fake kind that people make when they want you to know they’re present. “A little sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Dane asked from the cubicle entrance. With a blush rushing to his face, Heath said, “I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t want my mother to worry about me in the snow.” Dane nodded, a giant grin on his face. “I forgot that you still live at home.” “I finished my masters a little over a year ago, about two months before I started here. I have a ton of debt and I’m saving for a house.” “I guess you don’t take too many people back to your place,” Dane said, that silly grin still there. “I really haven’t had to worry about it much,” Heath admitted. “Really?” Dane asked, a little puzzled. “Yeah, I haven’t dated a lot lately.” “Hmmm, that’s strange,” Dane said. “What is that supposed to mean?” Heath asked. “Nothing, I just…I just thought you’d have a lot of dates.” “Really? Do I come across as a manwhore?” “No, that’s not what I meant,” Dane said. “You’re gay, right?” “Yeah,” Heath said. “What does that have to do with it?” “Well, nothing, I’m sure women would like you also, if that’s what you were into,” Dane said. “But?” “Nothing,” Dane said. “It’s just that I would think a lot of guys would like you. I mean, if I were into guys, I would want to date you.” “Thanks,” Heath said, a little surprised. “And I would definitely want to…I mean, if I were dating you I would want to…you know.” “Oh, okay,” Heath said, now at a complete loss for words. “Wait, you have, right?” Dane asked. “Have what?” Heath said, not understanding the question at first. “Oh, yes. Of course I have. I’m twenty-five, for God’s sake.” “Well, there are people who haven’t,” Dane said. “Well, yeah,” Heath said. “Wait, do you mean people who haven’t…Wait. Have you?” “Well, I did have a wife,” Dane answered. “What do you think?” “No, I know you did that. I mean, did you ever…have you ever…with a man?” “Maybe,” Dane answered. “Oh, my God! You have!” Heath exclaimed. “Don’t tell me it was one of those Let me just try this out while I’m in college things.” Dane was silent and didn’t say a thing. “Oh, my God! It was!” Heath said. “What happened, my brother?” “You know, you are enjoying this way too much. You sound like a junior high kid interrogating his best friend about his first kiss,” Dane said with a smile. “Seriously, I have to know this,” Heath said, sounding like a junior high kid to himself as well. “How do I know I can trust you?” Dane asked. “You can,” Heath said, looking him in the eye. Dane looked at him without speaking for a moment. “I know I can. I was going to tell you about Amanda leaving.” “You were?” Heath asked. “Yeah, that’s why I wanted to go out for the beers tonight,” Dane said with a shrug. “Oh, s**t, and I was such an ass,” Heath said, scrunching up his face. “It’s fine,” Dane answered. “We’re going now, right?” “Yeah, definitely. Wait, what about the guy in college?” “How about I tell you that over beers as well?” Dane asked, tapping Heath on the shoulder and nodding toward the exit. “Awesome. You’ll probably give me better details once you have a few drinks,” Heath said with a laugh. As they walked to the car, Heath realized that Suzanne was a whole lot better on her feet than they were. Of course, Dane’s SUV was about a hundred feet from the building. The minute they left the sidewalk, Heath slid and fell straight on his ass. “Here, let me help,” Dane said, placing one arm on Heath’s back, and the other on his arm. Heath knew that Dane was being helpful, but even through his thick jacket, Heath was sure that he felt something from Dane’s hands. He couldn’t remember Dane ever touching him before today, but he did remember what Dane had said about how he would want to do him if he were gay. He was just being nice, Heath thought, not entirely convincing himself. Dane held onto his arm until they got to the car, and Heath didn’t protest. Dane’s hand was warm and it did make him feel a little more secure on this icy snow. “So you learned to walk in it too?” Heath asked. “Snow? We had no choice,” Dane said. “You learned to get around in it or you stayed put.” Dane’s SUV was covered in snow, and a few feet before they got to it, Heath heard a small beep as Dane unlocked the car. About the same time, the motor started running. “I can turn it on remotely,” Dane explained. “I bet that was a blessing in Buffalo,” Heath said. Dane nodded as he walked Heath toward the passenger side door. “Climb in,” Dane said. Heath got into the truck and Dane closed the door. A second later he opened it. “I forgot something,” Dane said, reaching around Heath and into the back seat. Heath could smell Dane’s cologne, and noticed how soft his skin was when his neck accidentally brushed Heath’s face in the reach. Don’t think about him like that, Heath told himself. He’s your boss, and he’s not into dudes. “Sorry,” Dane said, pulling an ice scraper from behind Heath. “No worries,” Heath answered with a laugh. From inside the car, Heath could see nothing but the white that covered the windows. He opened the passenger side door, climbed out, and pulled something from his wallet. “I think I can use a credit card to help you,” Heath said, beginning to scrape the passenger side window. “You’ll ruin your credit card,” Dane said with a touch of worry in his voice. “I already did that in college. This is just a final farewell. As a matter of fact, I have a few more I should use also,” Heath said, increasing the speed of his scrape. Dane laughed. “That bad?” “I’ve almost paid them off now, and my credit’s looking a lot better, but grad school was tough,” Heath explained. They worked in silence, each with a slight smile on his face. After a few minutes, the icy snow mixture that covered the SUV was off the windows and the excess snow had been removed from the body of the car. Dane and Heath, on the other hand, had a small layer of snow covering them. “I think we got it all,” Dane said, opening the driver’s side door. Heath nodded and got into the passenger seat unassisted this time. Heath watched carefully as Dane began to slowly back the car out of its spot. With Heath’s car in the opposite direction of where they were going, and no other cars around, the risk of hitting anything seemed improbable. The snowy mixture appeared to yield much better to tires than it did to dress shoes, and they moved through the parking lot at a fairly decent pace. “So far so good,” Dane said as they approached the hill and started their descent. Heath started to nod, but his head was jerked in a different manner when the car furiously slid down the first part of the hill. It moved recklessly over the ice, spinning around at the bottom of the hill, and stopping just about a foot from a very large tree.