A mild winter wind was cutting across the parking lot as Dana zipped her coat tighter and stepped outside. The crunch of her boots on the ice was drowned out by the sound of a truck door shutting nearby. She spotted Lind, standing by his truck, fiddling with something in his back seat. Her chest tightened, but she forced herself to keep walking until she was close enough to speak without drawing attention.
“Hey, Lind,” she said softly, her voice carrying just enough to reach him.
He turned, the warmth in his hazel eyes unmistakable as he acknowledged her. “Hey, Dana,” he replied, his voice carrying a familiar gentleness that made her heart twist.
She stopped a few feet away, her hands buried in her coat pockets. “You’re hitting the road soon, I guess?”
“Yeah,” he said, gesturing to the truck. “Just about ready to go. Figured I’d beat the evening rush.”
Dana nodded, her breath fogging in the icy air. “Well… safe travels. I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”
His gaze lingered on hers for a moment, and she could feel the unspoken words hovering between them. “Thanks,” he said simply, his tone steady but subdued. “You’ve got plans this weekend?”
Dana shrugged, letting her smirk soften. “Oh, nothing too exciting. Dinner, then a quiet weekend. You know, the usual.”
Lind’s eyes softened, his lips parting as if to speak, but he hesitated, as though caught on something he couldn’t quite voice. “Alright. Take care, Dana.”
“You too,” she murmured, pausing briefly before adding, “and say Hello to her for me.”
Her words hung in the frosty air, the deliberate softness of her tone sharpening the underlying meaning. Lind’s expression flickered—surprise flashing across his face. He opened his mouth as if to respond but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he gave a slow, deliberate nod, the gesture both a confirmation and an acknowledgment.
Dana stepped back, her heart pounding as she turned toward her car. The cold stung her cheeks, but the warmth of Lind’s presence lingered even as she walked away. She resisted the urge to glance back, though the weight of his gaze was undeniable, following her until she reached her car.
As she climbed inside and shut the door. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, replaying the conversation in her mind.
“Why do I do this to myself?” she muttered, shutting the door against the cold. But as she stared at the frost creeping across the windshield, she couldn’t decide if she regretted starting the conversation—or the way it had ended.
***
She sat there for a moment, watching as Lind’s truck pulled out of the lot and disappeared down the road. Now for Zach. He wasn’t off work until five, but she had to figure out how to make this next conversation happen without raising any eyebrows. They needed to keep their budding connection under wraps—just like she and Lind had.
She pulled out her phone and texted: Are you on break soon?
Zach’s reply came almost instantly: About 5 minutes.
Meet me in the parking lot real quick, she responded, biting her lip as she hit send.
The car had just begun to heat up nicely when she spotted Zach jogging toward her, his mop of dark hair tousled by the wind. She chuckled to herself as she noticed he wasn’t wearing a coat, just his work hoodie. He stopped beside her car, grinning.
“Dana! Hey!” he greeted, leaning casually against the door as though the freezing temperature didn’t bother him.
She stepped out of the car, glancing over her shoulder to ensure they were alone. She turned back to him, her breath visible in the cold air. “Hey, Zach. Just wanted to make sure we’re still on for tonight.”
“Of course!” His boyish grin spread wide. “I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”
Dana chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Good. Here’s my address,” she said, pulling a folded note from her pocket and handing it to him. “Text me when you’re on your way.”
Zach took the note, eyeing it briefly before tucking it into his pocket. “You could’ve just texted it, you know,” he teased, raising an eyebrow.
“I know,” Dana said, stepping closer, her smile playful. She placed a hand lightly on his chest, feeling the soft fabric of his hoodie beneath her fingers. “But then I’d have missed seeing you out here, braving the cold just to get it from me.”
His grin faltered for a moment as a slight flush rose to his cheeks—not from the cold. “Well, I guess this was worth it then,” he said, his voice softer now.
She laughed, her touch lingering for just a second longer before she stepped back. “Alright. See you tonight. Don’t be late, I’m starving.”
“See ya,” Zach replied, his eyes following her as she slid back into her car. He gave a small wave before jogging back toward the building, his breath puffing in the frosty air.
Inside her car, Dana gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts racing as she stared at the windshield. The conversations with Lind and Zach played in her head, each carrying its own weight. One was a door she was trying to close, and the other… something she wasn’t quite sure she was ready to open.
“You’re overthinking everything again,” she muttered to herself with a sigh. But the truth sat heavy in her chest: she wasn’t sure which conversation was hardest.
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