Page 2 of Snow Bound

“And I had a couple of lovely glasses of champagne with my dinner, thanks to the ridiculous pile of groceries Kimberly had delivered.”

“Let me guess—scrambled eggs with cheese?”

“The champagne really classed them up. I may have to have them that way all the time.”

“I don’t think it’s wise to pair your signature ‘I’m sad’ meal with booze,” Lola said drily.

“Spoilsport.”

“Are you going to come home?”

“I thought about it,” Anna admitted. “But the place is paid for, and Kimberly bought all those groceries. I might as well stay.”

“Maybe your dad can come hang with you. It’s been, what, six months since you’ve seen him?”

“I saw him in July. And he’s in Switzerland until January,” Anna reminded her.

“Oh, right. Hey, you should go visit him,” Lola suggested. “Find some ski slut and have a good time.”

“Yes, that’s what I want to do while visiting my father,” Anna said drily. “I’ll be fine here for two weeks, then I’ll have a week to chill at home before I have to go back to work.”

“I still can’t believe your tight ass of a boss gave you three weeks off.”

“I haven’t had a vacation since I started working there,” Anna reminded her. “Human resources told him I had to take it.”

“Figures he wouldn’t be that generous on his own. What are your plans for week three?”

“Well,” Anna hedged, unsure if she should tell Lola what was on her mind. Then thought, what the hell? “I was hoping to make an appointment with my lawyer to see what it would take to open my own accounting firm.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Lola declared, “Well, it’s about fucking time.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Anna warned. “I just want to see if I can maybe make it work. Emphasis on maybe.”

“Oh, we’ll make it work,” Lola vowed. “I’m putting you on my schedule now. Monday, eight-o’clock.”

Anna winced. “Does it have to be that early? It’s still my vacation.”

“Yes,” Lola said firmly. “How’s the house?”

Deciding to fight that battle another day, Anna switched gears. “Beautiful. Built-in bookshelves, a big old stone fireplace, and a kitchen I want to live in. Not to mention a big jetted tub in the main bedroom—which I have moved myself into now that Kimberly and Brian are a no-show—which I plan to defile at the first available opportunity.”

“If I wasn’t in the middle of this merger, I’d come up and join you.”

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t have those feelings for you,” Anna said soberly and grinned when Lola snickered. “How’s that going, anyway?”

“The merger? We’ll be wrapped up by next week as long as I don’t have to go to New York to spank these fuckers in person.”

“I’d pay money to see that.”

“Perv.”

Anna snorted. “Like that’s not the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Hey, verbally spanking unprepared, overconfident opposing counsel is the only action I’m getting these days,” Lola protested. “Let me have it.”

“At least you’re getting something,” Anna muttered.

“You could be getting plenty if you wanted,” Lola pointed out with the stark honesty that only a best friend could pull off.

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