Snowbound

Just one of those days you wouldn't want to be out - deep snow coverering the ground, But Carly still had to go to work. She had little choice. But where was that bus? It was late already. So she started to head back towards home, but on her way, a neighbour stopped and took her to work, and on nearing the factory, she heard:

'Want a lift?'

She turned and saw Darren from accounts shouting across to her.

‘There’s not much point. I’m nearly at the gates.’ she shouted back to him.

‘Oh, sorry. Can give you a lift home after work, if you like? That’s if we are not snowed in.’

Carly accepted.

When work was over, she dashed to Darren’s car.

‘Can you give me a push?’ he asked her as she reached the car.

‘Tell me you are joking? I’m a girl. I ain't supposed to push motors.’

‘Can you drive?’

‘Yeah, course I can. I just haven’t got a car.’

‘Well, you get in and steer and I’ll push.’

Darren was hopeless. He had little strength. Bloody office worker, Carly thought to herself. But then something happened - a trucker arrived from nowhere. He soon got the car going, leaving Darren to feel embarrassed.

‘Well, at least I got you home,’ Darren said when they had reached her house.

It wasn’t Darren who helped get her home, It was the trucker. If it wasn’t for him, they’d be still stuck outside the factory freezing to death.

Carly got inside. Was she glad? She had a hot drink, then waited for her mum to get her tea ready. After her tea, she was going up to her bedroom to listen to some music. She had promised to go into town with a friend to see a film - not with temperatures of minus ten expected, she wasn't.

The next morning, Carly had a surprise. Who should be waiting outside for her, but Darren. She couldn’t believe that he had turned up to give her a lift.

They made their way to work and as they did, she caught him staring at her on a few occasions. She began to wonder if he was going to ask her out, but he never did, even when they got out of his car and made their way towards the factory entrance.

Once at work, Carly kept glancing out of the window - more snowflakes. She was hoping that Darren would be waiting for her when her shift ended. But when she had finished, and she had made her way to the car park there was no sign of his car or him; just an empty space where the car had been.

Carly trudged through the snow towards the bus stop, hoping it would turn up. But after a while, she gave up and started walking. While walking, she heard:

‘Need a lift?’

‘Not you again? You're very good at saving damsels in distress, lately, aren't you? she said after turning round to see who it was.

‘Just happened to be passing, love.’

‘Well, you just happened to be passing at the right time.’

She climbed into his truck, feeling relieved to get away from the snow. Then looking at him, she thought, boy, does he look handsome! Maybe getting caught in the snow has its compensations after all.

He dropped her outside her house. As she got out of the cab, she could see the living-room curtains twitching - her mother! She’d be asking Carly questions as soon as she got inside.

‘Who was that, love? Her mum asked once Carly was inside the house.

‘Just some trucker giving me a lift home. Not a crime, is it?’

‘You want to be careful whose truck you get into. There are a lot of strange people about.’

. ‘Yes, mother.’

But Carly was keeping a secret from her mum - he had only asked her out as he was driving her home. She told him that she was staying in to wash her hair. But she gave in in the end and agreed to meet him the next night. They were going to an exclusive Italian restaurant. She was left wondering how much truckers got paid. It was an expensive place.

The next morning Carly made her way out into the deep snow, praying that she could get a bus. But as soon after stepping onto the pavement, she noticed Darren patiently waiting, yet again, but where was he yesterday evening when she needed him?'

‘Where were you yesterday?’ she asked him as soon as she got in the car.

‘I had to finish early to go to the dentist. Forgot to mention it. Sorry.’

Carly wasn't amused. She kept silent all the way to the factory. Once out of the car, She just carried on until she got to the department she worked in.

When her shift was over, and she was on her way to the bus stop, she saw Darren sitting in his car, so went up to him.

‘Talking to me, or is it the silent treatment all the way again?’ he asked her after winding down the window.

‘He got no reply. She just got in the car and he drove her home.

Once at her house, she got out of the car, but she did manage to say goodbye before making her way to her front door.

After having her tea, Carly got ready for her date, and then phoned a taxi. But when she got to the restaurant, there was no sign of the trucker. She gave him fifteen minutes but still no sign. So she started to make her way. But approaching the cinema, she saw Darren waiting outside the entrance, trying his best to keep warm!

‘Been stood up, have we?’ she said to him after getting closer to him.’

‘How did you know?’

‘Well, it's either that or you're waiting for a bus, and you wouldn’t want one of them because you’ve got a car.’

‘Don’t fancy coming in with me?’

‘Yeah, go on, then. I ain’t got anything better to do.’

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