I Hated My Cold Boss — Until a Storm Trapped Us in the Cabin
Chapter 3
The cold hit Claire so hard that she stopped breathing for a second.
Snow blew sideways.
The trees looked like shadows.
Adrian moved toward the generator.
Claire followed closely.
“Stay behind me.”
“I can walk.”
“I know.”
“Then stop telling me.”
He almost laughed.
The generator was half-covered in snow.
Adrian opened the panel.
“What’s wrong?”
“Fuel line.”
“Can you fix it?”
“Probably.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
He looked at her.
“You complain a lot.”
“You annoy me a lot.”
“Fair.”
He worked.
Claire held the flashlight.
Her hands became numb.
Adrian noticed.
“Go inside.”
“I’m fine.”
“Claire.”
“I’m fine.”
He looked at her hands.
Then quietly placed his gloves over them.
“You need these.”
She stared.
“What about you?”
“I’ll manage.”
She shook her head.
“You’re impossible.”
He smiled.
“Apparently.”
They fixed the line.
The generator restarted.
The cabin lights returned.
Claire followed Adrian inside.
He immediately found her another pair of gloves.
She looked at him.
“How do you always know what I need?”
He shrugged.
“You tell me.”
“I do?”
“Not with words.”
That sentence stayed with her.
The next morning, the storm remained.
The road was buried.
No vehicles could pass.
Claire made breakfast.
Adrian sat across from her.
She noticed he was checking the emergency radio again.
“Still no signal?”
“None.”
“Do you think we’ll be okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re certain?”
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You just said yes.”
“Because worrying doesn’t help.”
She smiled.
“That’s probably your entire personality.”
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
Claire stared.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’ve never heard me laugh?”
“I’ve heard you laugh.”
“Not like that.”
She smiled.
“Maybe you’re less scary than I thought.”
“Don’t tell the board.”
They spent the day doing things that made no sense for two executives.
They stacked wood.
Shoveled the walkway.
Cooked lunch.
Played cards.
Claire discovered Adrian cheated.
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“Prove it.”
She threw a card at him.
He laughed.
She laughed too.
The day passed easily.
That evening, they sat near the fireplace.
Claire asked:
“Why did you buy a cabin this remote?”
“I didn’t.”
She looked at him.
“My father did.”
“Of course.”
“He used to come here when things got difficult.”
“What did you do when he brought you?”
“Sit.”
“That’s it?”
“Mostly.”
She studied him.
“Did he talk?”
“Not much.”
“Sounds familiar.”
He looked at her.
“Maybe.”
Claire softened.
“Do you miss him?”
Adrian stared into the fire.
“Every day.”
“Where is he?”
“Dead.”
She waited.
“He died eight years ago.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I don’t talk about it.”
“I can see why.”
Adrian looked at her.
“My father built the company.”
“You inherited it?”
“Partly.”
“You expanded it.”
“Yes.”
“What happened to your siblings?”
“I don’t have any.”
She nodded.
“That must have been lonely.”
“It was.”
The word hung between them.
Claire didn’t know what to say.
So she reached across the table.
Her fingers touched his hand.
He looked down.
Then back at her.
Neither moved.
After several seconds, Adrian turned his hand and held hers.
No words.
Outside, the storm continued.
Inside, something changed.
They were still boss and employee.
Still trapped.
Still surrounded by snow.
But the wall between them had started to disappear.
And neither knew whether that was dangerous…
Or necessary.
