It normally does not freeze in these parts until at least mid-December, but Jack Frost arrived early that year, and we had an incredible ice storm the week after Thanksgiving. I was fortunate enough to work just a few miles from our house, but Sara, who had been out at a remote site for the day, was now stranded a good ways from home. She did not like to drive during the rain, much less over a hundred miles through ice. We decided it would be much safer if she were to get a hotel room and try to head back the next day.
I had left the office around noon, when it became obvious that the front coming through was going to freeze the moisture on the ground and bring more icy precipitation with it.
I was feeling a little frisky, so I decided to load an amateur porn video that Sara and I had made in the bedroom DVD player. We had made five of these, and they often came in handy when I was at home alone. I had just put the disc in when the phone rang.
It was Sara, and there was a distressed tone in her voice.
"I can't get a hold of Cindy," she said.
"She's probably in class," I assured her.
"No, Sandy told me that classes were canceled earlier this morning," Sara replied. "She's not at work, Alicia said she's not at home, and she is not answering her cell phone."
"I'm sure she's alright," I said, although I was starting to get a little worried myself.
"She's not a very good driver as it is," Sara added.
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it from there, sweetheart," I replied. "Get some hot cocoa, buy a movie, and try to relax. I will see if I can get a hold of her."
"Okay," Sara said, though I could tell that she was stifling tears and had no intentions of relaxing until she knew her baby sister was safe.
We said goodbye, and I immediately dialed Cindy's cell phone. It went straight to voicemail. I left a message telling her to call as soon as she got the message; her sister was worried sick about her.
I next dialed Cindy's apartment. Sara told me she had already tried that, but it was the only other number I really knew to try.
"Hello?" Alicia answered.
"Hello, Alicia," I said dryly.
"Hello, Aaron," Alicia replied. Her voice was dripping with disdain, but there was also a twinge of excitement that she could not quite hide. Her cruel master had called, and her juices flowed a little at the sound of my voice in spite of her.
"I see you remember my name," I said. "Apparently my last visit did the trick."
"What do you want?" she asked. I could tell what she was HOPING I wanted.
"Has Cindy shown up there?" I asked, deciding to keep to the point for the moment.
"No," she said, without able to hide the disappointment in her voice. Despite her greatest efforts, she was hoping that I had been calling to let her know I would soon be coming around to cash in again on the video that was now safely stored on my hard drive and two CDs.
"Do you know where she is?" I asked.
"No," she replied. "Like I told your wife, I have not seen her since last night. She was gone when I woke up this morning."
"So you have no idea?" I pressed.
"No, you fucking jerk. I have no idea!" she hissed.
"Calm down there, Alicia," I said coldly. "I have Dean Kramer's email address saved in my contacts. Do not forget the position you are in."
She was silent for a moment, then uttered, "Fine. But I don't know where she is."
"When and if you see her, you tell her to call me," I ordered.
"Okay," Alicia replied.
"If you perform up to expectations, I will reward you," I said coldly. Without giving her a chance to reply, I hung up and giggled darkly.
I paced about the house for a little while, trying Cindy's cell phone a few more times to no avail. Finally, I decided I would need to go out and look for her. I grabbed my keys and went to the front door.
When I opened the door, I stopped short. There, on the front porch, stood Cindy. She was wearing a heavy coat, and was shivering. The look on her face told me that she had been outdoors for quite a while, and she was obviously shaken up.
"Cindy?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Can I explain inside?" she asked. "It's really cold."
"Yeah, of course," I said, moving aside to let her in. As she passed, I caressed her back with my finger.
I shut the door and bade her sit down. She took off her wet coat, unveiling a tight, white sweater that accented her perky breasts, and settled on the couch. I walked to the kitchen to pour her some hot coffee I had already made for myself.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Is Sara around?" she asked in reply.
"No," I answered. "She is stuck up in Wrendale because of the ice."
Cindy nodded as I handed her the steaming mug. I then handed her the cream and the sugar.
"It's really embarrassing," she said, allowing herself to smile a little. I could not tell whether the blush on her cheeks was residual from her time outside or the humiliation of what she was about to tell me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting down on my recliner.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, taking a sip of coffee. "My car's not."
I sat up in alarm. "Why? What happened?"
"It's okay. I'm not hurt, and I don't think the car is too badly damaged," she said. "I was driving, and the car slid into a ditch, and I could not get it out."
"Wow, you're sure you're okay?" I asked.
"Yes, Aaron, I am," she replied. "Just a bit embarrassed."
"Where is it now?" I asked.
