Snowed In Read Online Free PDF Page A

here.”
    “So you’re available.”
    You are available, Ash, I thought.
    “You move really fast,” I pointed out. I mean, I knew what the guy looked like, but I knew absolutely nothing else about him. Except that Nathalie said he was a jerk. But he didn’t seem to 35
    be a jerk. Maybe he was one of those psychopathic types who appear normal until the cops take a look in his basement.
    “Have to. New chicks don’t last long. So can you blame me? The one thing this island lacks is variety in babes.”
    “How about variety in guys?”
    He grinned. “We’re lacking in that, too. I could be the best offer you get all winter.” But I had standards, even when it came to dating. I needed a few more details.
    “I researched the school. It’s going to be so different from what I’m used to. Are you a student there?”
    “You bet. Senior. Counting the days until I get off this rock.”
    “This rock?”
    “That’s what we call the island when we’re not happy with it.”
    “Why aren’t you happy with it?”
    He looked toward the door where Nathalie had disappeared. Then he turned his attention back to me. “Let’s just say that sometimes it’s easy to be invisible.”
    With so few people, I couldn’t imagine it, but I thought maybe more was going on here than I realized.
    36
    “So, you wanna go out?” he asked.
    “We just met.”
    “Yeah, but you’re a laugh a minute. I like that in a girl.”
    “I’m not really a laugh a minute.”
    “That’s okay. I don’t really give away free fudge for dates.” He paused, grinned broadly. “Usually.
    Come on. Go out with me.”
    I felt a small thrill. Maybe online dating wasn’t going to be in my future after all.
    “Where do people go on dates around here?” I asked.
    “Lots of places. We could go to V.P.”
    “V.P.?”
    “Village Pub.”
    “Sounds like a bar.”
    “Nah, it’s where all the kids hang out. Pool, darts, getting together . . . How ’bout Friday night?”
    I was in town half a day and I already had a date. How many guys were on this island? And what were the odds that I’d connect with another one as easily as I’d connected with Chase?
    Amazing.
    I gave him a huge smile. “I’m there.”
    “Great.”
    I held up my sack. “And to think, I thought I 37
    only came in here for fudge.”
    “And if you were smart, that’s all you’d be leaving with,” Nathalie grumbled, coming out from the back room, tugging on mittens.
    I just didn’t get her objections.
    “Friday,” I said to Chase, smiling brightly.
    “Can’t wait.”
    He winked at me. “I’ll come by at seven.” Shaking her head, Nathalie grabbed my arm.
    “Honestly, I don’t know what girls see in him.
    Come on, let’s get out of here.”
    She practically shoved me out the door.
    “Bye, Chase. Thanks for the fudge,” I called over my shoulder.
    When we were outside, Nathalie said, “I have to warn you that Chase is a major player.” She made it sound like I shouldn’t have been flattered that he’d asked me out.
    “I thought he was nice,” I told her.
    “I guess. It’s just so weird watching him flirt all the time. It really irritates me. And the longest he’s ever had a girlfriend is, like, two minutes.”
    “I didn’t think many girls lived on the island,” I said.
    “He’s really into fudgies. No commitment, nothing long-term. Unlike me. I’ve had the same boyfriend for five years now.”
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    “Awesome.” I didn’t know anyone who’d had a boyfriend for that long. Gosh, five years? They started dating in middle school? Oh, wait, there was no middle school. There was just school.
    “Yeah, we practically grew up together. Of course, I guess that’s pretty true of everyone who lives here.” She glanced around. “So, do you think you can find your way home from here?” Her question took me by surprise, but I said,
    “Sure. No problem.”
    “Okay, then, I’m going to see my boyfriend.
    See ya around, girlfriend,” she said.
    She started