Frost

Fences

The bottom dropped out of the temperature in the beginning of December. Jack and Drew shifted their movie nights in order to go more often to Little Jimmy’s. Rather than try to hide anything, Jack put his bandana on like normal and walked through the door with his shoulders square. If anybody said a word about his hair he responded with a glare hard enough to freeze hell, and that seemed to do the job of warding off anyone –like Parker – who might look to start trouble.

Jack didn’t say anything, either, when Drew got behind the wheel after four or five beers to drive them home. He had no idea how to drive a car, and while he spent most of the ride with a white-knuckled grip on the door handle his other alternative was to walk home.

He hated the cold more than the thought of being wrapped around a tree.

Sunday dinners became a regular thing for the three of them. They alternated whose apartment it was held at each week with whoever wasn’t responsible for dinner bearing dessert and booze. Jack cultivated a liking for dry wines, and Mari drank imported beer with little fuss.

Life was, in short, good.

Jack didn’t know enough not to tempt fate. If he’d share his thoughts with Drew the other man might have warned him about an asshole called Murphy and his infamous laws.

As it was, Drew was muddling around in the back room and Jack was pouring over the crossword puzzle in the paper. He was much better at Sudoku – he had an affinity for numbers both Drew and Mari were mildly jealous of – but the crossword allowed him to expand his vocabulary and his cultural references.

The bell above the door chimed and he looked up reflexively; his jaw went loose and the pencil fell from lax fingers to clatter on the counter.

Her long blonde hair was swept gracefully away from her face and secured in a low bun at the base of her skull. Blue eyes a shade or two off of Jack’s own perused her surroundings, and her hands were buried deep in the pockets of her fur-lined parka. She eyed him coolly as she walked through the shop, stopping when she was on the other side of the counter.

“Hello, Leanna,” he whispered.

Quick as lightening she slapped him across the face.

She opened her mouth only to shut it again quickly, and he knew if she had a voice she’d have been screaming obscenities at him. She had to settle for a glare instead, and he didn’t know what to say for fear of being hit again.

The bell chimed again; Matthias wiped is feet on the rug and brushed the snow from his brown hair. He smiled widely upon seeing Jack.

“Matthias?” He glanced between his sister and cousin. “What – what are you doing here?”

“Mother and Father decided we should come for a visit to see how you were doing,” Matthias said, gently nudging Leanna further down the counter. She went with a huff and a roll of her eyes. “This is – what is this?”

“This is a coffee shop.” Jack cast a furtive look toward the back room where Drew was still…doing whatever it was he was doing. “We make a variety of different coffee drinks.” He glanced at the cheap, water-resistant sports watch he’d recently bought. “Mari usually stops by after she’s done with work so she should be here soon if you want to meet her.”

Leanna propped her hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest, leveling a flat stare at her brother he didn’t have any problems interpreting.

“You didn’t volunteer for this,” he said slowly.

She shook her head.

“Jack, man, you’re supposed to come get me if we have customers,” Drew said as came through the doorway. “Especially more than – whoa.” He stopped short, eyes darting between Jack and the blonde woman. “Who – is that – ” He clamped his mouth shut, unsure what to say that didn’t sound as offensive out of his head as it did in.