Page 47 of She's a Big Deal

In two quick steps, Grace could be over there if she chose to. To plant a hard kiss over these gorgeous lips, feel the heat of the attractive flush across her cheeks, and add some more of her own… She gestured to the rest of the house instead.

“We’ll sort something out. Where to next, Ms. Bianchi?”

Olivia beamed. “Let’s go see what Janis did upstairs.”

The two hours went by in a flash. As they were leaving, Grace was taken aback to find that the previously limpid blue sky had turned a frigid gray. A fierce biting wind made her eyes water.

“Looks like snow,” Olivia remarked. “Not forecast, was it?”

“No. I’ll drive,” Grace decided. “Let’s beat this storm.”

???

It was as if the storm heard her and decided not to play ball. By two P.M, the sky had darkened even more. First, there was sleet. Then, it began to snow. The wind strengthened to gale force, and an excited news radio guy warned anyone currently listening that a magnificent freak storm was about to slam into them, ‘Damn good and hard’, according to him. Back on the US side of the border, it was the same. Drivers were advised to get off the roads and indoors ASAP.

“Why do they always say that,” Grace muttered. “Make it sound worse than it is.”

Olivia peered through the windshield at a thickening wall of fat white flakes. “I don’t suppose you get this sort of thing often in Miami.”

“No.” Grace smirked. “We get hurricanes.”

“Sure. I just meant this is different. So—”

“So, is this a roundabout way of telling me you think I don’t know what I’m talking about, Ms. Bianchi?”

“It was. But that’s okay. I’m enjoying it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” Olivia chuckled. “Stubborn looks sexy on you.”

After the amazing property tour, she felt relaxed. It wasnice and cozy inside the Mustang, and the whiteout added a touch of romance to the whole situation. Her comment earned her a stern look, but Grace soon flicked her eyes back to the road when the vehicle in front fishtailed almost out of control.

“Now this guy clearly can’t drive,” she pointed out. “He shouldn’t be out here in these conditions.”

Stubborn and arrogant, just the right amount. Olivia threw her a fond, probably overly mushy glance. The sort that would make Dana roll her eyes. Grace missed it, probably also for the best, but it was unavoidable for Olivia at this point. The kind of woman who looked like Grace, talked tough, and had the skills to back it up, always made her feel weak at the knees and her heart beat faster. Grace Michaels, for sure, was all manners of charming and wonderful.

“Snow’s getting worse,” she remarked.

“Hmm.” Grace rumbled as traffic, scarce as it was, slowed to a laborious crawl.

They passed a line of semi-trucks stopped on the side of the road; these guys must have decided to wait it out with a snooze in the back of their cab. Half a mile on, a farm tractor was trying to pull a pink VW Beetle from out of the ditch. A police cruiser coming the other way flashed his lights. The officer behind the wheel rolled his window down as he went past and passed his fingers in a slicing motion across his throat. Shaking his head. The message was clear, and Olivia agreed.

“Our best bet is going to be a Super 8 at the next exit,” she advised after consulting her phone. “In a town called Dodger.”

“Are you making this up?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You want me to stop at the Super 8 in Dodger?” Sarcasm, even when directed at her, also nicely suited Grace’s gorgeouslips.

“Better than spending the night in a freezing car in a ditch,” Olivia stated. “According to this, the weather is set for the next few hours. It’s only going to get worse.”

“Wouldn’t drive us into a ditch, would I?” Grace protested. Still, she must have seen the wisdom of the advice because she changed lanes and took the next exit. “Let’s just hope we don’t get murdered in Dodger. Sounds like a town from a horror movie.”

Olivia grinned. “I’m sure Dodger is delightful. Hey, look at this!” She brandished her phone in triumph. “There’s a vegan pizza place just across the road from the motel.”

“Must be my lucky night, then.” More sarcasm.

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