Texas Lightning. Gerry Bartlett
damned stupid. This morning she could have sworn those looked like snow clouds when she’d left her apartment. It was January, cold outside. This sweater, warm and cozy, had been perfect back home. Here in Austin? It was about as useful as ice skates in hell. From now on she was checking the weather app on her phone before she went anywhere. Hindsight. Always twenty/twenty.
She didn’t know how long she’d sat there, leaning on that backpack, when she sensed he had returned.
“Feeling any better?”
Anna put a shaky hand to her face. “Um, sure. Thanks. I’ll be fine.” Big lie.
“No wonder you were about to hit the floor. You’re overheated.” He slapped a bottle of cold water in her hand. “Drink first.”
“What?” Anna swayed right into his red striped tie and hard chest. Bossy men. She’d sworn off them. But cold water… He obviously wasn’t letting go so she sipped until she steadied. She’d needed that. He took back the bottle and dropped something else into her hand before she had time to say another word. He pulled her to her feet and looked into her eyes. She tried to sit again before she fell over.
“Oh, no you don’t. I got you something.” He kept his hand under her elbow. “Ladies’ room is right across here. Take off that wool sweater and put this on, sugar. T-shirt. You’re a little thing and I had to guess at the size, but I think it’ll fit.” He smiled down at her with straight white teeth, obviously pleased as punch that he’d come to her aid.
“I, uh, you didn’t have to…” Anna studied the neon-green tee and tried to look grateful. Did he really think that would fit her? Maybe when she’d been twelve. But short sleeves and cotton! The very idea of shedding her wool had her almost dropping her pack in her eagerness to clutch the ugly shirt to her breasts. “Thanks!” She shoved away from him and wobbled.
“Easy now. Just a few steps and you can go in a stall and change. You’ll feel much better when you’re dressed right for this crazy weather.” He kept his hand under her elbow, supporting her as he guided her across the floor toward the restroom.
“It is crazy! And wrong. Where did winter go?” Anna heard the whine in her voice but couldn’t stop herself.
He just laughed and kept steering her across the vast lobby. “Don’t worry, it’ll be back. There’s probably a blue norther already headed this way.” He stopped in front of the door to the women’s restroom. “Can you make it from here?” He looked around. “Ma’am? Would you mind giving her a hand? My friend here is suffering from the heat.”
Anna stared up at him when he pulled off his hat. Dark eyes, black hair, and deeply tanned, this man was a stranger, not a friend. Where she came from you had to earn that label. Not that she would mind knowing this guy, who would have looked at home in the pages of GQ, the cowboy edition. The woman striding toward them in high heels, a red power suit, and carrying a leather briefcase stopped in her tracks. She sized him up with a smile and nodded. Clearly she’d be happy to do whatever this hunk wanted.
“Of course.” She took Anna’s arm. “What on earth were you thinking, girl? Wool? In this heat? You must not be from around here.” She threw a flirtatious look over her shoulder. “How could you let her leave the house like this?”
He shrugged and winked, silently saying that he’d never understand women.
“Well, we’ll get her squared away. Where are you from, honey?” The woman pulled Anna inside when the Good Samaritan pushed open the bathroom door.
“Boston,” Anna murmured as the door swished closed behind them. Why did everyone around here think they could call you “sugar” and “honey” like they knew you?
“No wonder! Is this your first Texas winter?” She ran water over a paper towel and handed it to Anna, who fell into the first stall and sat on the toilet seat. She hoped like hell it wasn’t wet. “Press this against your face before you try to change tops. Your face is as red as a beet.”
Anna nodded, having nothing else to say. She just used the towel to wipe her face and leaned over again. Still had her backpack, that was something. After a few moments to cool down while the other woman obviously used the facilities, she sat up and pulled off her sweater. Sitting there in just her bra was a pure pleasure.
“Feeling better?” The woman handed her the green tee. “I tore off the price tag. Men! He bought a size small. Guess he wanted you to show off your figure.” She glanced at Anna’s bra. “You sure will with that flimsy thing under it.”
“Yeah. This one has seen better days. Laundry isn’t on the top of my to-do list.” Okay, so she was being defensive. The stretched-out bra was a decade old but comfortable. Anna jerked the shirt over her head and struggled to get it down over her boobs. Of course it clung. A sudden whoosh of cool air came as a welcome relief but made her nipples put on a show. How could she go out there now? The man was probably waiting for her and she should offer to pay for the shirt. She held her pack against her chest and stood.
“Now they turn on the air conditioning. Guess they have to hit a magic number or something on the thermostat. I swear it’s over eighty outside. Even for Austin I bet it’s a record.” The woman freshened her lipstick in front of the mirror. “Blew your mind, didn’t it? Being from Boston and all. January probably means snow up there.”
“Yes!” Anna thought about dumping her sweater in the trash but figured she’d get to visit home again someday so it went into her backpack. Home. Snow, family… Oh, she’d better quit thinking about it or she’d burst into tears. She’d committed to Texas for the time being and she had to learn to love it, crazy weather and all. “Thanks for helping me.”
The woman closed her purse with a snap. “That guy your boyfriend?”
“I don’t know him. He caught me as I was about to fall over when the heat got to be too much. Nice guy.” Anna took her own look in the mirror above the sink and winced. “I’m sure he’ll take off as soon as he sees me come out of here, if he hasn’t already.”
“A gentleman, to take care of a stranger like that. Handsome too. No wedding ring, though that’s no guarantee he’s not married. I know that from experience.” She turned and stuck out her hand. “Pamela Allred, State Railroad Commission.” She pulled a card out of her jacket pocket. “Welcome to Texas, Boston.”
“Anna Delaney, Zenon Technologies.” Anna shook her hand, then leaned against the sink. “Seriously, I appreciate your help, Pamela. You like the guy out there, go for it. I’ll thank him and be on my way.”
“Zenon’s a big deal computer firm. I heard they brought some Yankees down here when they bought a new company.” Pamela smiled. “You must be a techie.”
“Yes, I’m a computer geek and proud of it. Several of us came with the buyout.” Anna washed and dried her hands and face. “It’s an adventure. That’s what I hoped for, anyway.”
“I’m sure it will be. You feeling all right now?” Pamela looked her over. “You can’t hide in here forever, you know.”
“Better, thanks. I’m going. In a minute.” Anna dug in her pack and produced her own card. She didn’t have many friends in Austin and could always use another one. Pamela seemed nice. “Here. If you’re ever out by Zenon and want to do lunch, give me a call. I don’t know a thing about railroads, but maybe we could find something to talk about.”
Pamela laughed. “The Railroad Commission deals with the state’s natural resources and the environment—energy, oil and gas, things like that. It has an old timey name we’re stuck with, but that’s Texas for you.” Pamela studied Anna’s card. “My job lately has been all about bringing our old system of keeping track of oil well production into the high-tech world. I’m one of the few women they’ve brought on board. Lunch sounds good, I’ll call you. We may have more to discuss than you realize. Now, you hide for another minute or two and catch your breath while I make a run at the handsome stranger. You okay with that?”