Snowflake
By Ayesha Haqqiqa
Disclaimer: All characters are property of Dick Wolf; no money is made using them in this story, only a lot of fun!
“Even with the change of venue, the case was a slam dunk,” Nora Lewin said with satisfaction as she settled into the passenger seat of the Hogan Place sedan. “I still don’t know why Arthur Gold even suggested we try the case in Buffalo.”
“He was hoping he’d get a stay on account of the weather,” Jack said as he got into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition. “But from the looks of the sky, I’d say the lake effect snowstorm came in too late to help him out.” He cautiously backed out of the parking place near the Erie County Courthouse and made his way to the interstate as the first few large snowflakes fell and spattered onto the windshield.
“We’ll be home sometime tonight,” he promised.
But promises can’t always be kept, especially when a blizzard roars in from Lake Erie. They were somewhere near the Finger Lakes region when the state police waved them off the interstate. At the top of the off ramp, a trooper motioned Jack to roll down his window.
“Blizzard alert,” he said. “There’s drifting ahead, and the road’s closed. You from around here?”
“No,” Jack said.
“Ok then. Take a right and go about a half mile. There’s a little motel you can stay at for the night. If they are full up, you’ll have to drive about 20 miles into Naples.”
Jack thanked the trooper glumly and rolled up the window. Nora shivered.
The motel was a single story strip of rooms, built sometime in the Sixties. Right beside it was a diner, and the parking lot was full.
“Let’s hope there’s a room,” Nora said. “I don’t relish driving twenty miles down a two lane road.”
Jack ran into the room marked “Office”. The elderly man behind the counter smiled. “Hey, mister, you’re mighty lucky! I’ve got one room left!”
Jack muttered something about being mighty lucky as he signed the register. Nora came in, stamping her feet and blowing her hands. She reached for her purse, but Jack shook his head. “I’ve put down my credit card number,” he said.
“That’s right, Mr. McCoy,” the old fellow said. “Don’t let your wife rule the roost!” He turned to Nora. “Your husband will take good care of you, lady. I’d go to the diner now, while they still have some of the dinner special left.”
Jack and Nora walked the few steps to the diner; by the time they were there, they were covered with snow.
“Really comin’ down, ain’t it?” the red-haired waitress said. “You’re lucky—we got two dinner specials left!”
“And what’s the special?” Jack asked cautiously.
“Liver and onions, mashed potatoes, and peas,” she said cheerily.
“I’ll take a hamburger,” Jack said glumly. Nora nodded agreement. They sat at the booth, looking out the window at the storm, listening to the truckers and other stranded travelers talk about road conditions. The hamburgers were small and greasy, and the coffee was weak. Jack and Nora soon finished their meal, and then wrapped up to get to their room. It was at the end of the row of rooms, of course, so they were nearly frozen by the time Jack opened the door.
“Oh no!” he groaned. The room was tiny. There was barely room for the double bed and the dresser, which served double duty as the place for a portable television. Jack opened the bathroom door, only to find a room equally as tiny, with a shower, stool, and sink. He turned to Nora, who was taking off her coat and looking for a place to put it.
“I think the only place to hang it is the ceiling,” he said.
“Nonsense,” Nora said briskly, as she shut the bathroom door. “There are hooks here.” She draped her coat on one of them, then went to the bed and sat down. “We’ll have to unpack and then put the suitcases under the bed,” she said.
“Yeah,” Jack said, shifting from one foot to another. “And then I’ve got to figure out where I’m going to sleep. I figured we’d have two beds—but there isn’t even enough room to sleep on the floor!”
“Jack, we’re both adults!” Nora said. “And this is an emergency situation! Go get the suitcases—I’m going to see if there are extra blankets in this bureau.”
Jack shook his head as he went back outside. Of course Nora had no feelings for him; he was just one of her employees. But he had feelings for her. He’d admired her from the first time they met, on that Bar Association committee. And when her husband, Dan Lewin, died, he even considered asking her out. But then she’d been appointed DA, and it no longer seemed appropriate.
He came back moments later, covered in snow. He carried both suitcases, which he brushed off with his coat sleeve. “Snow’s getting heavier,” he said, and shivered.
Nora looked at him with concern. “Why don’t you take a hot shower and get warm?” she asked.
“No, I’m ok,” Jack said as he hung up his coat. “You go ahead and get out you night things and take a shower. I’ll turn on the TV and see if they have any clue when this blizzard will end.”
“All right,” Nora said, taking her suitcase and opening it. Jack edged around the end of the bed, where he turned on the television. He sat on the bed, his eyes glued to the screen, until Nora had shut her suitcase and put it under the bed. Once she was in the bathroom, he opened his suitcase and looked at the contents.
Jack was in a dilemma. Usually, he just wore his shorts and a tee shirt to bed, but that would not do—not in this instance. What could he wear? He rummaged through his dress shirts and underwear. Wait. There was that set of sweats. He’d worn them in the morning when he’d done his workout. They might not be exactly clean, but at least they were decent. He got them out and shook them. They would do.
Nora came out of the bathroom, clad in a robe with a flannel nightgown underneath. She touched her hair, which had drooped from the humidity in the bathroom. “Your turn,” she said.
Jack put his suitcase under the bed and went to the bathroom. He’d stay as far away from Nora as possible, he decided. He could handle that, though a part of him longed to hold Nora in his arms. He took a quick shower, toweled off, and put on his underwear and his sweats.
Nora was already in bed, glaring at the television. “No relief until sometime tomorrow,” she said. “I called Stacey and told her we were delayed because of the weather. Did you bring in the briefcases?”
“No, my hands were sort of full,” Jack said sarcastically. “You want me to get it now?”
Nora sighed. “No. It’s just that I had a book in there I thought I could read.” She patted the bed. “I don’t want you freezing to death. Get in bed, we’ll watch TV.”
Gingerly, Jack got into bed, being careful to stay at the edge. Nora looked at him, but he kept his eyes on the set, where the cheerful weatherman was giving them details about the blizzard.
“Buffalo is probably going to be buried under two feet of snow,” he said. “Roads leading east are all closed, due to drifting snow. Although upstate New Yorkers are used to this weather, the snow plows will wait until the blizzard stops to begin digging folks out.”
“Brr.” Nora said, handing the remote to Jack. “I don’t want to hear any more. I think I’ll try and go to sleep. Watch what you want.” She rolled over, and Jack flipped the channels until he found a nature program about the Amazon jungle. At least photos of the steaming rainforest would keep his mind off the cold—and of Nora, who was lying so close to him.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
“What happened?” Nora asked with quavering voice.
“Power’s out,” Jack said. “Probably the snow broke a line.”
Suddenly, he felt Nora clinging to him. “Sorry Jack, but pitch blackness—I can’t take it. Always been that way. Are there any matches around?”
Jack patted her back. She trembled, and snuggled closer. “I think I saw some matches in an ashtray by the TV,” he said. “I’ll get up and get them.” He gave Nora a squeeze, and got up. He groped for the matches and found them. He struck one, and laid it against the rim of the ashtray.
“Not much light,” he said. “Tell you what, I’ll go up to the office and see if they have flashlights or candles. Will you be all right until then?”
“Hurry,” Nora said.
Jack groped for his shoes, and put on his parka. He walked through the swirling darkness to the office, where a soft glow told him the manager had some sort of lighting. The old man was stacking up boxes of plumber’s candles, and smiled when Jack entered.
“We’ll have power by tomorrow,” he said. “Take a candle, and put it in the ashtray, please. We don’t need to start a fire tonight!”
Jack took two candles and ran back to the room. It was dark again, so he groped to the bureau, where he struck a light. The candle spread a soft glow over the room, and Jack could see Nora’s frightened face.
“Come here,” she said in a small voice.
Jack took off his coat and climbed into bed. Nora felt his hands and face. “You’re cold,” she said. She put his hands in hers and rubbed them. She came closer, and Jack drew in his breath. He could feel her hair brush against his cheek, and could smell the faint scent of roses. Abruptly, he drew away.
“Are you all right, Jack?” Nora asked.
“Why are you afraid of the dark?” he asked.
“Why are you afraid of me?” she countered.
Jack stared at the ceiling. “I’m a man,” he said finally. “I have to watch myself.”
“Oh. Oh,” Nora said softly, but she didn’t move away. After a moment’s silence, she said, “My grandmother went blind from glaucoma. It was impressed upon me from an early age how terrible it was. I guess that’s why darkness frightens me so.” She reached over and patted Jack’s cheek. “Thanks for going and getting the candle.”
Jack turned and looked at her. “I’d do anything to help you out,” he said softly.
“Then come here,” she said. “We need to keep each other warm.”
Silently, he turned over and held out his arms. Nora crossed her arms over her chest and snuggled against Jack’s chest. And soon they were asleep.
When Jack woke, he realized two things. One was that Nora had turned on her side, and they were snuggled like spoons. The other was that his hand was on her chest, and things were stirring…. As Jack moved away, Nora mumbled, “Not yet, Dan…let me sleep.”
Jack carefully got out of bed, and went to the bathroom. He shivered, and went back to the bedroom. Nora was awake, and looking at him sleepily.
“I just had the funniest dream,” she said. “It was a Sunday, and Dan and I were snuggled like spoons. He was ready to fool around, but I was too sleepy.” She sighed. “Funny dream, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, real funny,” Jack said, as he began doing jumping jacks. Nora watched him, fascinated. “Got-to-keep-fit,” he explained as he did toe touches and then jogged in place.
“You look pretty fit to me,” Nora said. “Jack, you’re going to exhaust yourself! Get back into bed!”
Jack, who was beginning to feel cramps in his feet, finally complied.
“You’re as hot as a furnace,” Nora said. “Are you ok?”
“Think so,” Jack puffed. He lay on his back until he caught his breath.
“Do you do that every morning?” Nora asked.
“No, but I try to do some sort of exercise every day,” Jack said.
“You have always looked good to me,” Nora said, turning on her side and looking at Jack with admiration. “You know, when I first got my job, I heard rumors about you and the female staff—“
“Do you think this is an appropriate time to ask about my love life?” Jack asked a bit roughly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Nora said softly. “I was just—well, to be frank, I’ve been interested in you ever since we met. I thought you were witty, intelligent, and—fascinating. When Dan died, I even thought of calling you up, but I’m not that much of a Woman’s Libber.” She blushed slightly. “I hope you don’t mind my telling you this.”
Jack slowly turned to look at her. “You’re not going to believe this, Nora, but—well, I’ve had the same sort of feelings about you. I was going to ask you out, but didn’t know exactly how long I should wait, and then you were appointed DA, and—“
“Then I think we should make up for lost time, don’t you?” Nora asked. She came close, and Jack took her in his arms and they kissed ….
It was late the next day when Jack finally drove the car into the parking garage at Hogan Place. Stacey, Nora’s secretary, was waiting for them.
“We were all concerned,” she said. “That blizzard was a bad one. But we’re glad you’re back.”
“Thanks, Stace,” Nora said as she gathered up her suitcase and briefcase. “Is my driver here?”
“No, the Mayor needed to use him,” Stacey said. “I could give you a lift—“
Nora looked at Jack and smiled. “Oh, I don’t think Jack will mind driving me a little while longer. Do you, Jack?”
Jack smiled. “Not at all, Nora, not at all.”