Hockey Pucks & Pixie Dust

10 - I Guess We're Not Going to Make Our Reservation

"Oh, you have got to be kidding," Storm announced fifteen minutes later as traffic halted on the freeway.

Cars backed into a line in each of the four lanes as sirens appeared from behind and sped along the shoulder to get to the accident. By Sindri's estimate, the collision was at least another mile or two ahead, and getting into the right lane to find a nearby exit would be impossible from their spot near the HOV lane.

At least the car was comfortable. Sindri shouldn't have been surprised by Storm's Corvette — every rich person in the Phoenix metro area seemed to drive one. Ostentatious as it was though, the car smelled nice and the detailing was impeccable. Oh, and it came with a windshield display, projecting everything from speed, gas left in the tank, and the radio station. Any more bells and whistles, and the car might sprout wings.

Sindri unlocked her phone and opened her navigation app. Up ahead was not one, but two accidents, and the longer they sat in place, the more they became boxed in for what looked like a long evening in traffic.

She could part the sea like Moses and allow Storm to make his exit, but somehow, she doubted it would impress him before he ran away like a scared bunny. Best to settle in now and get comfortable.

Stashing her phone inside her clutch, Sindri angled herself so her knees faced the middle console. Purely for conversational and not aesthetic reasons. Not because he smelled divine with hints of sandalwood and the deep woods in Spring after the first ice melt. "I guess we're not going to make our reservation," she said with a nervous chuckle.

A single-syllable whimper left Storm's throat as he rested his forehead on the steering wheel. Traffic hadn't budged an inch, and he took that moment to raise his head and offer Sindri a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to take you somewhere nice. This probably isn't how you envisioned our night."

Oh, Sindri imagined Loki somehow causing trouble from his lonely corner of the world. Anything had to be better than his punishment, and she almost couldn't blame him from dipping into people's minds from time to time.

The other scenario involved Thayer gate crashing her house while Storm was present. By now, she expected his antics, but something in his reaction the previous day nagged her. Before, he'd scoff with a rude comment. Sooner or later, the courtship would fall apart, only for Sindri to avoid Thayer for months and years at a time because she didn't want to hear his infuriating boasts. Yesterday, however, there had been a hint of jealousy. It made her wonder if he'd sabotaged her earlier relationships and if she'd been oblivious while she waited for the next person to come along.

Since neither of those things happened, Sindri decided a traffic jam and missed dinner weren't so bad. This was a human worry — something natural and mundane, but also an opportunity to learn more about her present company.

Shifting in her seat, Sindri took advantage of Storm's opening and replied, "Hazards of living in the city. Look at the bright side: we're not snowed in up north in Flagstaff."

Someone honked behind them, and Storm drove forward a whole two feet and slipped ahead of an eighteen-wheeler to the right before stopping again. The sun had already dipped behind the mountains, giving way to the red taillights of cars ahead of them and the headlights zooming from the other side of the freeway. The flashing emergency vehicles were lost somewhere ahead, cloaked by semis, SUVs, and the overpasses. In the glare, a droplet of rain splashed the windscreen.

Storm blew out a short breath and sighed, but kept his tone warm as remorse settled behind his eyes. "This is true, but I won't have much time to date once the playoffs begin. I was really looking forward to tonight."

"And you aren't now?" she asked, wondering if she might need to test the door handles and make an awkward exit on the packed freeway. His response would determine how he handled unexpected change and whether he'd roll with the punches or behave like an entitled man-Karen.