And here we are everyone. December 30th. The last weekday of 2022. I tell you this has been a year I am happy to see end. But I do feel like I’ve gotten some really good writing out of it. Let’s see if we can squeeze just one more story idea out before we let 2022 go. Timers set? Excellent. Don’t stop until it dings.
You know, I find this rather amusing. I am quite pleased to have this be the prompt that rounds out the year.
Friday, December 30th: Their breath fogged the air.
Their breath fogged the air. Tony was never thrilled by the concept of horses to begin with. On a frosty evening attached to a sleigh where he was expected to ride into the woods far from human habitation they looked downright demonic.
“Come on it will be fun,” Elise bubbled beside him. He smiled. The other couples were already in their slay and their driver looked at them with a pair of bored eyes. Tony could tell, he didn’t cae one way or the other if they took the romantic sleigh right through the snowy fields. Tony was opting for not but Elise was already climbing in. From one of the other sleighs Frank was giving him the stink eye.
‘Right,’ he thought. ‘I’m supposed to be making nice with Elise.’ Personally he thought that the romantic sleigh ride was a bit above and beyond but he climbed into the back anyway. He smiled wanly when she threw the lap blanket over both of them and snuggled close.
Toney had only agreed to come on this trip because it was business. There was a group going and Frank really wanted to land this account. What account it was Tony was still hazy on. He tried to pay as little attention to his cousin’s business dealings as he could get away with. He knew they were legal, but that’s where his knowledge and interest left. But Frank needed a second to make up the numbers. Somehow Elise had ended up latching on to him. From what Tony could figure out, she wa supposed to latch on to Frank and Tony would have been left as the polite dinner companion. Somehow she didn’t fall for Tony’s notably good looks.
There was a part of Tony that was amused by that. Growing up Frank had been able to make any girl he wanted swoon for him. He had even stolen a couple of Tony’s girls back in the day. The relationships were new and as hurt as he wa at the time, he wasn’t attached enough to be heart broken. Angry at Frank yes, but not heart broken. In the end he decided that if they could fall so easily for Frank then they weren’t right for him. It kept him the family peace. It also kept Tony away from Frank when he could help it.
Tony’s small amusement was outweighed by the fact the all of this led to a romantic sleigh ride with Elise. The sleighs pulled away and began to drive off. There was space between them,. Lots of space that Tony wa certain was designed to encourage canoodling in the frosty air. As Tony was pretty sur his ears were going to fall off, romantic inclinations were the last thing on his mind. Luckily Elise had not attempted anything.
“You should have worn a hat,” she said.
Tony blinked. Her voice sounded different, less flirtatious and not at all teasing. It was also not the higher pithed girly voice she used earlier but something approaching normal human adult range. Tony looked at her. She shrugged. “You can tie your scarf around your head if you think it will help.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“No problem.”
“You seem a little different than before.” He said cautiously.
She lifted an eye brow. “I didn’t want to be stuck with Frank,” she said. “This seemed the best way. Don’t worry, I have no plans to molest you. You can enjoy this frigid madness without fear.”
“I take it you aren’t a fan?”
She snorted, a sound that oddly made him smile. “It’s cold and dark and the clouds are covering the stars. If I wanted to cuddle with someone in the dark I’d choose some place warmer. Like Fiji.”
Ten til Midnight 