part0005

“ C ider, if you don’t get up, I’m going to eat your damn blanket and pee in all of your shoes!” Billy leaned in my doorway, his large frame blocking the light as I scrunched my eyes. “Your alarm has gone off for the past hour.”

“Fuck off, goat face.” I buried my head under the pillow. “I still have thirty minutes until I have to get up.”

A sudden dip on the bed had me rolling over. Billy yanked the pillow away from me and I hissed at him.

“Woman, watch who you’re spatting at. You have twenty minutes until you’re supposed to open.”

I jerked upright. “What!? No, it’s only six thirty!” I ran my hands through my hair, yanking on the tangles. “Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?” Blankets were thrown aside as I scrambled out of the bed and dove across the hallway into the bathroom.

“I’m not your keeper. I’m your roommate.” Billy’s voice carried through the door. “And I did try. It’s not my fault that you snore like Genghis Khan on steroids.”

My brush got stuck for a second as I fought it. “That doesn’t even make sense.” I decided to stop fighting my hair and just put it up in a bun. My teeth were cleaned, antiperspirant layered on, and all that was needed was clothes. If I was quick, I’d make it in time to open without being late.

“Your face doesn’t make sense, but you don’t see me complaining.” Billy had moved to the kitchen as I threw on clothes. “Your tea is ready.”

My smart ass remark stopped at that. He really was the best friend and roommate a girl could have. I’d barely zipped up my jeans when I went into the kitchen.

Billy stood at the stove with his back to me. His shorts hung low on his waist and his back muscles flexed as he flipped the pancake in the pan.

My best friend was hot with his ‘dad bod’, I think that’s what it was called nowadays. Even if he was a goat. And a vegetarian.

My fox turned up her nose at the reminder that people chose not to eat meat. I silently reminded her that we more than made up for him as I patted my stomach.

“Thanks, Billy.” I grabbed the thermos on the island. “You really are the best. I’ll see you later tonight.”

He waved the spatula as I ran out the door to my car. I had ten minutes. If I ignored the street laws, I could make it in five.

My fox wrapped her tail around herself. Big baby. I wasn’t that bad of a driver. She disagreed as I zoned her out.

Lucky for me, there had been no police cars around. I made it to my shop with a minute to spare. I punched the air in victory as I flipped the sign to open.

Hot Cider’s Beverage and Snack Bar had been a dream of mine since I was a kid. When the Silver Skates Ice Rink popped up, I quit my job, got a loan, and opened up my shop.

The cute little store was decorated for winter with pictures of snowflakes and skates around the walls. There was just enough room for a few tables and chairs. I had a small table outside, too.

I didn’t offer hot food, except popcorn and a few candies. But what most people came for were the drinks. Alcoholic and nonalcoholic.

The most popular drink was my Hot Cider’s Original. The recipe was secret, but it was my pride and joy. Hot cider mixed with rum, bourbon, cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, apple liquor, and an orange slice. Plus, my little twist on it.

I liked to think that it was the best drink at the rink. Even better than anything Triple E, the shop directly across the rink from mine, could come up with. Triple E and Hot Cider’s were rival shops.

At least, that’s what I firmly believed until last week. You borrow a set of cups one time, not return them because your abusive ex-boyfriend broke them, and all hell breaks loose.

We’d been in a prank war against each other and the pranks had been steadily escalating. I’d like to think I’d won it, considering Eirlys ended up having glitter orgasms with the side effect of turning my brother’s dick blue in the process. Like literally blue. Blue balls probably too.

Quinten still wasn’t talking to me. It’s not like I’d known he was going to be her mate. Or the one who would end up getting the blue dick. I wasn’t thrilled that his mate was Eirlys, especially with the prank war and her being my mortal enemy. You know, all that jazz.

Yet, in the middle of our fighting, Eirlys was kind to me when she’d found me crying over my ex-boyfriend. She’d given me some encouraging words. Now, we were on an unspoken truce. For how long, I didn’t know.

I shook my head. There would be time later to contemplate that aspect of my life. Right now, I had a store to open and customers to feed. After work, I had planned to go skating for a little bit. I wasn’t the most graceful skater, but I loved the speed. My fox wanted to learn some tricks, but moving fast was about all I was willing to do for now. My rolls helped cushion when I fell, but if I got seriously hurt, I didn’t have anyone to run the store for that long. My part time worker wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Since it was the middle of the week, I wasn’t expecting it to be that busy. There were no field trips or hockey games scheduled, so it would be a slow day. Which gave me time to update the drink board for the next week or two. This was one of my favorite parts of owning Hot Cider’s. Coming up with drinks and the names. I usually picked names from books that I’d read lately.

A second popular drink that I kept on the menu, besides my cider, was a drink that I called Jax’s Nips. It was a play on buttery nipples but with added Kahula and ice cubes and served with a blue shark straw. I made that available today, along with a new drink I’d come up with last night after finishing my latest book.

This one was a twist on a Hanky Panky with a spicy chili sugar rim that I named a Slippery Sloane. I’d had Billy taste it last night and I’d gotten the seal of approval. I’d just finished drawing a little fox in the corner of the board when my first customer came in.

As the hours went by, I had a steady amount of customers who came in after either shopping around the rink or having skated. There were a few kids who had obviously skipped school, but I wasn’t going to narc. I’d had plenty of adventures myself when I was their age.

The Zamboni had been out once during the middle of the day. I liked to watch it move slowly around. The driver, Jack, was a mystery. He didn’t socialize much. The only time I’d see him was when he was driving the Zamboni or spelling the ice when the rink closed and no humans were about. He was a thirst trap just waiting to be peeled open. His ancestry was hard to tell from the distance.

Soon enough, it was closing time. I’d accomplished everything on my to do list for the day and it had been steady. Profit and being organized for the win!

My fox snickered at me. I was only organized at the store. Everywhere else, I was like a hurricane blew in. It drove Billy absolutely nuts. I’d never met a goat that was as OCD as he was. If I purposefully left my dirty clothes around the apartment to mess with him, well, that’s a best friend’s job, right?

Closing time for the rink and some other shops was right around the corner. I locked the door about thirty minutes prior as I headed over to the rental skate’s booth. I had just a little bit of time to play. My fox’s tail started to move, almost vibrating, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out.

Snow fell gently around the area. I tilted my chin up, enjoying the cool breeze. It never got too cold, thanks to one of the many spells around the rink, but it did snow continuously. It was literally a winter wonderland. It would be interesting to see it during the summer.

I handed over the cash for the rental skates. Quilo looked ready to sleep as he gave me a pair of skates. I held them up in front of me curiously. There was a splash of neon green paint on the right side of the right shoe, near the blade. The left shoelace was ripped. I looked at Quilo to ask for another, less broken, pair but he’d already left.

The skates might be well worn, but they fit like a glove. Some folks didn’t think a big girl could balance enough to actually skate, but my fox helped with that. As I got onto the ice, thought paused and my senses took over. The blades slid easily as I moved along the side of the rink.

I’d started moving faster, my hair coming out of its bun. I’d just done one pass when I noticed Eirlys with a tall man by the wall. It looked like they were arguing. I’d usually just ignore her, but I felt like I owed her for the kindness she’d shown me the other night. Plus, I needed to try for Quinten.

I stopped in front of them, holding onto the wall. “Uh, hi.” I cleared my throat.

Eirlys turned to look at me. As did the man.

My fox and I stopped breathing. Mate. The man was my mate. Our bond flashed into existence and I lost my footing.

My ass hit the ice with a slap. Even with the extra cushion I carried, that was going to bruise. Ow. My fox even winced. That was a spectacular mess.

“Cider, are you okay?” Eirlys leaned over the wall in concern.

The man, my mate, jumped over the wall, his feet touching the ice gracefully, not even slipping. He knelt next to me, a concerned look in his eyes.

His eyes were a deep blue, almost teal color. His sunken cheeks were sharp and he had a long nose. His hair was black with silver at his temples.

Well, hello, silver fox.

“Bellissimo, my dear, are you hurt?”

I panicked. This beautiful portrait of a man was my mate and he was in front of me.

My clothing went flying as I shifted. I ended up tangled in my bra for several embarrassing seconds as I yipped. When I managed to untangle myself, my mate reached over as if to pick me up.

Couldn’t have that. Nope. Full on panic mode hit and I scampered across the ice, not gracefully, I might add, since I ended up sliding several different directions as I ran away, before clambering over the wall. I ran as if my tail was on fire all the way home.