into the lobby, not surprised in the least to find a handful of students milling about in front of the windows. The storm was still raging outside, but it looked like a standard thunderstorm – although still powerful – so that was something of a relief. “What’s going on out there?”
The man standing in front of her turned, and Mandy was surprised to see his face was a familiar one. It was the same guy from the registrar’s office. “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Not really,” Mandy said, nonplussed. “This is where my class was. How bad is it out there?”
“Bad,” the man said. “It’s not safe to go out there.” He shot Mandy a roguish grin. “This is fortuitous, though. Now we can get to know one another. I’m Steven, by the way. Steven Balish.”
Mandy forced her face to remain neutral. “Mandy. I’m more interested in getting out of here than getting to know anyone, though.”
“She’s married,” Marian said by way of apology. “I’m Marian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Steven said, distracted by Mandy as she brushed past him. “There’s no way to get out of here. It’s storming really hard out there. The tornado touched down and ripped up a bunch of trees. The roads are impassable.”
“How do you know that?”
Steven pointed to two girls sitting on the couch in the corner. “They’ve been listening to the radio on their phones.”
Mandy pursed her lips, annoyed. “I can’t stay here.”
“It’s safer here than out there,” Steven said. “Come on. Would it really be so terrible to be trapped here together all night?”
“Yes.” Mandy moved toward the window and peered outside. Everything more than five feet away was blurred by a torrential downpour, which was frustrating for Mandy. The sky split with lightning every few seconds, and thunder constantly rolled. The storm was nowhere near being over. “This is … James is going to freak out.”
“Oh, good grief,” Ann said. “I’m sure he’ll survive without your company for a few hours.”
Mandy ignored her. “I hope he’s not out on the roads. I hope he’s safe at home.”
“You can’t get him on the phone?” Marian asked sympathetically.
“It keeps going straight to voicemail.”
“Maybe he’s out with his mistress,” Ann suggested.
“Don’t make me beat you,” Mandy warned.
“Hey, someone is out there.” One of the girls on the couch rolled to her knees and leaned forward. “It’s a man. He’s heading in this direction.”
“What kind of idiot would be out in this?” Steven asked.
“He’s probably someone coming to rescue us,” Ann said.
“How many times do I have to tell you that we don’t need to be rescued?” Mandy snapped. She jerked her head to the lobby doors as they pushed open, revealing the solid form of a body she would recognize anywhere. She was moving before she realized it. “James?”
James pushed his sopping hair away from his face, relief washing over him when he caught sight of his wife. “Thank, God.”
Mandy threw herself into his arms, ignoring his drenched clothing and instead focusing on the steady beat of his heart through his shirt. “I can’t believe you came for me.”
Despite his anger, James couldn’t stop himself from hugging her back. He tipped her face up, cupping the back of her head as he stared into her eyes. “I told you a long time ago that I would always come for you.”
“I know,” Mandy said, fighting tears. “You could have died, though. You’re such an … idiot.”
James scowled. “I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Mandy said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I just … you’re the most amazing man I know.”
“That’s good,” James said. “Because now that I know you’re safe I’m going to have to kill you.”
“HAND ME your jeans,” Mandy instructed.
They were in the men’s bathroom and James was stripping out of his clothes so she could use the air dryers on
The man standing in front of her turned, and Mandy was surprised to see his face was a familiar one. It was the same guy from the registrar’s office. “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” he said. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Not really,” Mandy said, nonplussed. “This is where my class was. How bad is it out there?”
“Bad,” the man said. “It’s not safe to go out there.” He shot Mandy a roguish grin. “This is fortuitous, though. Now we can get to know one another. I’m Steven, by the way. Steven Balish.”
Mandy forced her face to remain neutral. “Mandy. I’m more interested in getting out of here than getting to know anyone, though.”
“She’s married,” Marian said by way of apology. “I’m Marian.”
“Nice to meet you,” Steven said, distracted by Mandy as she brushed past him. “There’s no way to get out of here. It’s storming really hard out there. The tornado touched down and ripped up a bunch of trees. The roads are impassable.”
“How do you know that?”
Steven pointed to two girls sitting on the couch in the corner. “They’ve been listening to the radio on their phones.”
Mandy pursed her lips, annoyed. “I can’t stay here.”
“It’s safer here than out there,” Steven said. “Come on. Would it really be so terrible to be trapped here together all night?”
“Yes.” Mandy moved toward the window and peered outside. Everything more than five feet away was blurred by a torrential downpour, which was frustrating for Mandy. The sky split with lightning every few seconds, and thunder constantly rolled. The storm was nowhere near being over. “This is … James is going to freak out.”
“Oh, good grief,” Ann said. “I’m sure he’ll survive without your company for a few hours.”
Mandy ignored her. “I hope he’s not out on the roads. I hope he’s safe at home.”
“You can’t get him on the phone?” Marian asked sympathetically.
“It keeps going straight to voicemail.”
“Maybe he’s out with his mistress,” Ann suggested.
“Don’t make me beat you,” Mandy warned.
“Hey, someone is out there.” One of the girls on the couch rolled to her knees and leaned forward. “It’s a man. He’s heading in this direction.”
“What kind of idiot would be out in this?” Steven asked.
“He’s probably someone coming to rescue us,” Ann said.
“How many times do I have to tell you that we don’t need to be rescued?” Mandy snapped. She jerked her head to the lobby doors as they pushed open, revealing the solid form of a body she would recognize anywhere. She was moving before she realized it. “James?”
James pushed his sopping hair away from his face, relief washing over him when he caught sight of his wife. “Thank, God.”
Mandy threw herself into his arms, ignoring his drenched clothing and instead focusing on the steady beat of his heart through his shirt. “I can’t believe you came for me.”
Despite his anger, James couldn’t stop himself from hugging her back. He tipped her face up, cupping the back of her head as he stared into her eyes. “I told you a long time ago that I would always come for you.”
“I know,” Mandy said, fighting tears. “You could have died, though. You’re such an … idiot.”
James scowled. “I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Mandy said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I just … you’re the most amazing man I know.”
“That’s good,” James said. “Because now that I know you’re safe I’m going to have to kill you.”
“HAND ME your jeans,” Mandy instructed.
They were in the men’s bathroom and James was stripping out of his clothes so she could use the air dryers on
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