Some days you think life is just out to screw you over any way it can.

Take today, for example. The snow storm knocked the power out over night and my alarm didn't go off. I got up an hour late and my boyfriend, Calvin, didn't wake me up. He was already up and dressed and eating breakfast - eggs and bacon and waffles, but only enough for himself.

The smell of breakfast spread through the tiny apartment, and that's actually what woke me up.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen in my bra and panties. "What the hell, Cal?" I protested, arms out, eyes wide.

"Wendy, I told you to put a battery in your alarm clock. Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to be late," he said and sliced off a chunk of waffle and made a show of putting it in his mouth and rolling his eyes like it was the best waffle he'd ever eaten.

"You're not my dad, Cal," I made a sour face and stomped my way over to the Keurig. We were out of pods.

"You drank the last coffee?"

"Sure did." He pursed his lips and slurped on his mug.

"You asshole!"

"Me? You were supposed to go shopping. But you decided you were too fat when you were drunk two nights ago and said you were going to cut out coffee."

"I wasn't drunk. And I'm not fat." I ran my hands over my hips and breasts. "I'm big and beautiful." I pouted my lips and smacked my ass. This usually gets a laugh out of Cal. Especially when I'm wearing granny panties.

He wasn't amused.

"Wendy, you ARE fat."

I stopped. "What? Are you serious right now? Because you'd better not be serious."

He cleaned up his egg yolk with the last of his waffle and chewed while he talked. "No, I am serious. I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings. But you've been acting like a spoiled brat and I'm sick of it." He put his fork down and put his hands under his chin and waited.

"I'm not fat. You're an asshole."

"You used to love my honesty."

"Is that what you call it when you're nasty to someone you supposedly love?" Ha! Chew on that, Cal!

"Yeah, about that, my therapist says, and it's probably as good a time as any to tell you, that we should have a trial separation."

"What? We're not married, you can't have a trial separation if you're not married." I sneered at him.

"Don't argue semantics, Wendy. You know what I mean."

"You come in here and you treat me like shit, you're always mean, you don't do nice things for me anymore, and now you say that your therapist tells you that YOU should leave ME? Where'd you find this lady, in a box of Cracker Jacks?"

"He's a guy, and he's the best therapist in town. Look, I know you're late and all, but I'd appreciate if you packed up a suitcase and found a place to stay."

My head just about exploded.

"Me?" I yelled and went over to him and slapped his arm. "Me? YOU get out!" I was straight up yelling at that point. "Why would I leave my apartment?"

"Your apartment?" He stood up, put his fork and knife on his plate, set them in the sink, and rinsed them. He shook his head. "No, babe. Not YOUR apartment. My name is on the lease, and my name alone. Remember, your credit was really bad and we didn't want to use your name on the application?"

Fuck me. I sank back into a chair. I looked up at Cal. "You're not really going to kick me out, are you, baby?" I reached for him and he backed away.

"See, I knew this would happen, Wendy. You're a flake and you're a bomb that's always about to explode. You don't take things well, nothing's ever your fault... I knew you'd try to manipulate me into letting you stay."

"Please?"

"I already packed your suitcase. I did it a week ago. You're such a slob that you didn't notice. You never put your stuff away - you live out of a laundry basket, for chrissakes!"

"Hey, you're one to talk-"

He opened the hall closet door and pulled out a suitcase. "Take this and get out, Wendy. Stay at your mom's place - you're paying for it, anyway. I don't care. Stay the night in that hotel you're working at today. Aren't you, like, really late for work? Isn't that Lisa lady going to freak out on you again? If you keep screwing up, she's going to promote Jeff over you."

Fuck fuck fuck.

I didn't need this. And who is he to talk to me like that? I've been the breadwinner for the last six months while he was on disability for his "bad back." I mean, his surgery was six months ago, get over it. And I've also been helping my mom pay her bills so she doesn't lose her trailer. I didn't have money to stay in a hotel.

"Okay," I said. "Okay, I don't need you, anyway. You're no catch, either - you're unemployed and you just lay around here like a slug."

"I do all the cooking and cleaning and I had 2 discs fused in my spine!"

"Yeah, six months ago."

"Get out. Call me when you want your stuff. I'll put it in boxes and leave it on the deck."

"Cal-"

"Get OUT."

"Fine," I said, holding back tears. "Fine, I'll leave." I was still standing in my underwear. "I just need some clothes. Where's the laundry basket?"

* * *

My car door was frozen shut. I pulled and pulled and it finally came loose, but it pulled some of the rubber out - again. I cursed it, started the car, it puked some blue smoke for a couple of minutes while it warmed up and while I scraped the windshield and knocked as much snow off of it as I could.

Cal usually warmed my car up for me.

Who needs him? I don't. I got a little overly dependent on him, that's all. That was my mistake, trusting him, a guy that treated me like shit.

My stomach growled. Cal usually made me breakfast, too. I didn't have time to stop, but I needed gas so I decided I'd just stop at Cumberland Farms and pick up a quick breakfast and eat it on the go.

If I was lucky, my friend, Bill, would be there. I flirted with him and he gave me free stuff. I mean, I'd never fuck him, but he always stared at my tits so I used it to my advantage.

The snow was really coming down. The hotel was only a few miles away, but Cumberland was in the opposite direction. I didn't have much money on me so I banked on getting some free food, even if it was going to make me later.

What the hell, I'm late already, what's another few minutes? That old hag, Lisa, would live.

I ended up behind a plow and that probably saved me a few minutes, but I told myself to lie to Lisa and tell her that a plow slowed me down, but isn't it better to be safe than sorry? I decided I'd call her after I gassed up and had a little breakfast. Besides, I was still a little riled up about getting kicked out by that jerk, Cal.

I started the pump on 87 octane, checked my makeup in the side view mirror, and went inside, ready to flirt with Bill. The door chimed when I walked in and I froze.

There was a pimply faced girl there. Late teens, early twenties, I'd guess. She was chewing gum with her mouth open. The smell of the convenient store hit me, but with a subtle difference - the smell of girly perfume instead of Bill's deodorant.

"Hey, is Bill here?"

"Bill who?

"Bill... uh, you know, Bill? Tall, black hair, always wore those dorky superhero t-shirts?" I tried to be playful. She wasn't having it.

The door jingled when another customer came in. I did a double-take and my heart skipped a beat. He was stunning. A really nice business suit, fitted over his buff body. He looked vaguely familiar.

I forced my eyes back to the cashier.

"Bill quit. I dunno, college or something." She rolled her eyes and looked at her nails, considered one, chewed on it, considered it again.

Shit. I leaned over the counter and lowered my voice.

"Hey, uh, do you think that, maybe, I could get a breakfast burrito, a donut, and a cup of coffee? With 4 sugars and 4 creams?" I ended with a big smile. Someone had to have a little love for me this morning.

"Sure," she said and I lit up. "That'll be $9.85."

"No," I said and glanced at the security camera, "Bill would hook me up. You know, he'd give me the friends' discount?"

"I don't wanna hear about Bill giving shit away for free, you know? I mean, my dad owns this place and if he knew Bill was stealing from him - "

"No no no! I'm not saying Bill was giving me stuff for free," I lied, because I most certainly was saying that Bill gave me shit for free if I flashed some cleavage and giggled. "He, uh, just gave me a discount, that's all."

Her name tag said "Celine."

"Look, Celine, can you spot me this one time? I'm running late and I'm a little low on funds? Hey, I come here all the time. You guys get a lot of business from me. I tell all my friends..."

"Look, do you have $9.85 or what?"

I think I had about $50 in my checking account, and the bank wouldn't let me go under $20 after the third time I overdrew my account. With gas, that probably left me enough. I sighed and took out my wallet and handed her my debit card.

"Okay, fine, but one day you're going to need someone to help you out and they're not gonna, either."

"Whatever. Can you hurry up? My shift's over and I've got this conference to get to." She looked past me and smiled at the guy behind me. I turned to look.

My heart literally skipped a beat and I almost fell over.

"Daryl? Daryl Daneski?"

"I haven't been called that in a long time." His voice was low and smooth as silk. "Wendy? I hardly recognized you."

* * *

Daryl and I dated for about a month in high school. Actually, it was right after we graduated, right up until he left. We decided that we wouldn't have a long distance relationship. He'd been accepted to the Naval Academy and I was supposed to go to a state college, but my dad passed away that August and I stayed in this one-horse town and started doing IT work to help my mom get by.

I lost track of him. I was too scared to tell him at the time - I had a crush on him for years and was thrilled when we started dating, and I even thought I'd fallen in love with him. He was really excited about his Naval career and I was too scared to tell him.

I was crushed when he left. That was 10 years ago.

No other relationship had ever lived up to the memory of Daryl Daneski, that scrawny kid from high school that stole my heart.

"Yeah, Daryl, I, uh," I felt my cheeks flush. Daryl wasn't that skinny kid any more - he seemed to have grown a few inches taller and the military seemed to have bulked him up nicely.

I wanted to fuck his brains out right there.

"Wendy Patinaud?" He looked me up and down and smiled. "You look good. Real good."

"Well, it's LeCroix now, but, thanks," I blushed like a schoolgirl again. "I hardly recognized you."

"It's Daryl Dinero now. But you - " he paused and put his arm around my waist, pulled me in so I could feel his warmth - "you can call me Daddy."

My eyes went wide and my jaw opened. I didn't know if I should laugh or bend over for a spanking.

"Are you... are you serious?"

He laughed and pulled me in the rest of the way for a hug. He held it longer than was comfortable for someone you hadn't seen for 10 years and that you thought had completely forgotten you existed.

"It's a nickname I got in the military."

"You didn't turn gay on me, did ya?"

"No, it's a long story. Listen, the hotel sent me out to pick up a Ms. LeCroix... is that you?"

"Yeah, I've got an IT gig there. Why'd they send you?"

"Yeah. Listen, I've got some work to do and I was just here to pick up a couple of things before I got snowed in, and to check in on one you. You're fine, so give me your number and I'll give you a shout while I'm in town."

"Hey, lovebirds, you gonna pay for that or what? There's a line."

* * *

Daryl got into this beast of an SUV and waved as he drove off.

My car almost didn't start, but after a the third try, it turned over. I hit the steering wheel and cursed at it. I immediately felt bad and rubbed the dash and told her she was a good girl, just a little misunderstood, and a little rough around the edges.

I'm losing my mind, I thought.

Daryl fucking Daneski. Dinero?

My car had one cup holder and it was full of junk - a hair clip, lip balm, and a scrunchie. I had to hold the coffee cup while I drove, and I decided that I could steer with my knees while I took bites of the donut.

Oh my, he'd gotten downright tasty. And that only made it worse. I felt the heat between my legs and briefly considered rubbing my aching clit. But I didn't have time.

The roads weren't that bad. When you live this far north, you get used to the snow. I was born and raised in New Hampshire. Some thought the snow was great - I didn't mind it, but I could live without it. Sure, the idyllic scenery was nice to look at, but when you saw it all the time, it lost its charm. When you're driving on worn out tires in a piece of shit car and no cup holder and you're late - again - to your job, the scenery sort of takes a back seat.

The snow had really started to come down since I left the apartment, and the car slid a few times around some of the sharper turns.

Going around another corner, I hit a patch of black ice, spilled hot coffee on my leg, dropped my donut on my shirt, and tried to wrestle control of the car back with one hand.

It didn't work.

The snow bank on the side of the road wasn't compacted much yet, and wouldn't be until the plow came through a few more times, and my car sank into it all the way up to the hood on one side. Probably not much damage - nothing to report to the insurance company, anyway, even if I could afford my premiums going up - just enough to get myself stuck.

Fuck.

I'm already late, and now I've got coffee on my pants and powdered sugar on my shirt, and I'm stranded like 10 miles from the hotel.

Cal hates me, I let my AAA membership expire because I couldn't afford it, my friends moved to the city, and my mom doesn't drive since her DUI. I've got nobody, and it made me a little panicky when I realized it.

I pulled out the business card that Daryl had given me. I started to dial but hung up. He's busy. I can't. I just can't. He broke my heart when he left, and didn't even seem to care. Everything was all about his ambition, how he was going to be the captain of his own ship, etcetera.

I only had one other option. I sucked up my pride and called Lisa, my boss. She answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Lisa, I got stuck behind a plow, then I hit some black ice and I'm stuck in a snow drift. Can you send someone to get me? Totally not my fault, you know, these things happen."

"You're late again, Wendy? This is the third time this month. If you weren't so good at your job and if there were more people in this town, I'd have to let you go."

I smiled. I knew I was the best thing she had going. She'd be lost at that conference without me - she's old and she doesn't know ethernet from telnet, never mind how to set up the ball room electronics. Good thing, though, and she's right: I'd be out on my ass and up shit creek. So would my mom.

"You're damned right, you need me. I'll try to thumb a ride if I can, but it's cold and the snow is really coming down, so send someone ASAP. I think they were right about a blizzard this time, Lisa."

"Lucky for you, I already sent someone. I'll see if I can get a hold of him. Where are you?"

"Down Old Hartford Rd. Just past the Cumberland Farms."

"Okay. Stay safe, hon."

I caught a snowflake on my tongue, looked around, hung up, and decided to see what I could do in the mean time.

I got out and tried to push the car, but it was angled down and there's no way I was pushing 3000 pounds uphill.

The cold air was already starting to bite at me. Snow melted into my shoes and my toes started to tingle.

I saw a car coming and breathed a sigh of relief. I crunched through the compacted snow into road and the car slowed and rolled down the passenger window.

It was Celine from the gas station.

She laughed when she saw me. "You're that rude bitch that tried to get free stuff at my parents' store, aren't you?"

"Hey, sorry about that, but I'm in sort of a bind, you see my car, well-"

Celine rolled the window up, flipped me off, and drove away.

I knew she was a good-for-nothing stuck up bitch.

I brushed the snow off my arms and started to shiver. I had a suitcase full of clothes that Cal packed for me in the trunk, I remembered, and fumbled for my keys with stiff fingers and tried to open the rear of my car. No luck, it was frozen shut.

Damn it!

I cursed and kicked at the trunk, slipped and fell in the snow, and split my pants in the process.

God hates me, I'm convinced of it, because at the exact moment I split my pants, this luxury SUV pulls up behind me. I'm sure they got a great view.

Even worse: it was Daryl.

"Need some help?"