Winter Weather Advisory (Closed)

[CoSurvivor]

Saturday Dec 14th. 8:30 am.

4th floor office of Mitchell (Mitch) Gant.

Mitch was staring at his two computer screens watching as a couple servers backed up data. With the winter weather storm advisory having been posted for the city, Mitch figured it would be a good idea for the servers to be backed up off site where if a blackout did occur the company wouldn't loose any data. It was expensive, and it wasn't a great way to spend a Saturday morning, but if he got this done, Alex would leave him well enough alone before his vacation started on Wednesday. He was looking forward to driving into the mountains and getting away from all the noise and congestion. If only these back ups would go a little faster.

He'd been working at Simon and Davidson for about the last 5 years, the law office was expanding and since he'd joined the firm as one of their IT guys they'd expanded to taking over the entire four floors of the building they worked in. The wiring of the building was antiquated, old and didn't quite meet up to what they wanted but that was reality. They'd done the best they could, but for a 100 year old building there was only so much you could do to bring it into the 21st century. Honestly he thought the partners of the firm had an emotional attachment to the old building, hell for what it's worth the building was of very stout construction, he thought he'd heard that it was originally a train depot of some sort when it had originally been built. Rubbing his face and scratching his head his mind was wondering, he was really just watching the percentage meters complete on the back ups while he munched on a breakfast sandwich, it was simple work really and one of the other guys could do it but if he got this done and a smaller project completed, Alex might let him take off one day early. Bah, that was wishing on an impossible situation. If it happened, Alex would grow a 3rd eye right in the middle of his forehead. So, as much as that was a great thought, Mitch wasn't counting on it.

Originally he'd planned to remote access in from home, but with the weather as it was, Mitch really didn't want to take any chances of the back ups failing. So, he'd decided to come in and get the work done. Now he was thinking better of it. He'd had this vacation planned for months well before this weather had decided to settle in over the city. The weather forecasters had at first predicted only about 8-12 inches, that was Wednesday. This morning they were talking about close to 18 almost 2 feet! He didn't mind snow, hell he enjoyed it, but the way the weather patterns were shaping up it was getting ridiculous! He'd braved the snow getting in parking up front in one of the partners spots who he was certain wouldn't be coming in, The guy was spending December in Fiji, that's how certain he was.

So, looking out his office window at the front of the building he could see the snow start to get higher and higher on the doors of his late model 4 Runner. It could trek through most of this, but he wasn't insane enough to drive in it. If anything, he'd run out to his car grab what gear he had in it and brave out the storm here. It wasn't an ideal way to spend a Saturday but he'd rather be safe and dry than out in the snow and possibly dead. He did notice one other car, one other brave soul was either crazy enough to drive in, or she had no choice. He thought her name was Jenni, ah yes, very attractive and a killer smile, he'd seen her only a few times around the office but she was always friendly when the talked on the phone, and for some reason as awkward as Mitch often felt around women, she could get him to smile back at her, even over the phone.

Mitch was watching the last percent complete on the back up, and was starting to log out of the servers when he heard the furnace in the building shudder once, give that familiar hum it always gives out when he was here alone, a familiar ambient noise that just sat in the background. Then, he didn't hear it anymore. Looking at the screen of his PC he watched it blink, then shut off, along with everything else around him. Caught in a eerie silence, Mitch let out a sigh. "Great.. well at least I got the back ups done. I wonder if Jenni is alright down in her office?" Asking this question out loud he stood up, grabbed his building keys, Jacket and a small flashlight he kept in his desk. If he remembered right she worked on the second floor. So with at least his first of two goals in mind, he started off to the nearest stairwell and headed down to the second floor.

 

[EroticLily]

Saturday Dec 14th. 8:35 am.

2nd floor reception desk.

Jennifer stood in front of the microwave in the 2nd floor staff lounge, squinting through the little window to watch her mug of hot cocoa spin around for its remaining 15 seconds. She would've been enjoying this warm treat in the comfort of her very own apartment if not for the voicemail she'd received from her boss at 5 am, designated as URGENT. Of course, the task she'd been requested to perform while the office was actually closed due to the snow storm, didn't appear all that urgent to her, but what did she know? She was only the administrative assistant at the prestigious law firm. Who was she to argue with her very knowledgeable boss, with whom she had a decent working relationship, despite his constant, last-minute requests?

Of course, Mr. Sharp had only asked her to get the assignment done before the office re-opened for business, implying that she could do it from home, but he didn't know that Jennifer's apartment wasn't internet-capable yet. She'd only been able to afford to move out of her parent's home under a month ago and she wasn't financially secure enough to take on another bill. Luckily, she was the type of person who actually enjoyed interacting with people on a face-to-face basis instead of over social networking like so many people her age preferred to. The super-important assignment required internet and a keyboard to type on that was much bigger than the little qwerty keypad on her cell phone. The office was closer to her apartment than her parents' home, so she hopped into her powder blue Prius and braved the storm, arriving at Simon and Johnson just as the snowflakes began to thicken.

She grinned when the microwave beeped, cautiously retrieving her conciliatory hot cocoa. The brunette wasn't really upset about having to come into work, though it was an inconvenience and she'd rather be wrapped up in bed. It was her first year working for the firm and she needed to prove herself a valuable employee, and she was more than willing to do so. The extra responsibilities given to her, showed that she was gaining her boss' attention and esteem. At least that's what she hoped. Plus, the newly independent woman had bills to pay, so she couldn't afford to start flaking when Mr. Sharp called upon her just because the weatherman warned of the biggest snowfall of the decade.

Jennifer made her way back to her desk, and set down her steaming mug of chocolaty goodness. The office was eerily quiet for the first time since she'd started working for Simon and Davidson 12 months and 2 days ago, but she could handle it. She plugged her earbuds into her computer and got to work to the comforting sounds of the Top 40 internet radio station. As she waited for some files to transfer, she sipped her hot cocoa and peeked at the wallpaper on her desktop: a sandy beach on some faraway tropical island. It must be nice, wherever that is. Jennifer had never been anywhere out of the state but she was certain that the weather on that beach had to be more agreeable than what was going on outside. She would've gladly traded in cashmere sweater and hot cocoa for flashy bikini and a Pina Colada right about now.

Halfway through her assignment, Jennifer responsibly hit the CTRL+S keys, then she got up to head back into the staff lounge. She needed a stretch, and what remained of her hot cocoa was on the lukewarm side. As soon as she set foot into the room, she heard a loud noise that she hadn't heard before. Then the power out. "Noooo," She whined, impatiently waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was no telling how long this blackout would last. At least she had saved her work, even though it wasn't done. "Crap." She murmured, clipping the end of the couch with her knee as she felt around for the kitchenette counter. What was she supposed to do now? Crawl back to her desk?

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch's heavy winter boots made hollow sounds as he took the two flights of stairs down from the 4th floor to the 2nd floor. Each step he took down the building keys he had in his jacket pocket jingled around, one thing for sure he wasn't going to be sneaking up on anyone. In a pitch black building, where it was probably better to announce your presence rather than scare the shit out of those you might be looking for. Who knows, Jenni might find him before he found her. As he reached the 2nd floor landing, he noticed the emergency lighting that was supposed to go active in the case of a black out or loss of power had flipped on. It was eerie to be in this stairwell where all he could hear was his own heartbeat and the echo of his footfalls. Just a bit too eerie for his preference. Thankfully the door was unlocked as it should be, turning the knob he opened the door and stepped on to the second floor. Looking around the immediate area was bathed in a green light coming from the exit sign above his head, so he did have some light. but he was thankful for the flashlight he kept in his desk. He hadn't been down on 2 for quite sometime, so he'd kind of forgotten the lay out, was Jenni's desk reception? or near Dwight Sharp's office? He'd head there first, and the research room as well.

Mitch flashed his light around, looking at a few different offices, all closed and locked. He reached the research room where he thought Jenni might actually be, stopped looked around and didn't see anything disturbed. So, he checked Dwight Sharp's office. The door was open but everything looked in good order, which was a good thing. Sharp was alright, typically a bit uppity for a lawyer but not as bad as a couple of the other partners. Searching a couple of offices as he headed up front, he finally reached Jenni's desk. She was here alright, Jacket, cell phone, boots and snacks but no Jenni. Mitch decided that instead of wondering all over the 2nd floor looking for her, it would probably be better just to call out her name. So, sounding a bit silly, Mitch started calling out to her, as he looked at the bathrooms and headed toward the first of two lounges on the second floor. "HEY, JENNI, YOU AROUND HERE??"

 

[EroticLily]

Inching her way along in the pitch black room, Jennifer shuffled forward until she found the staff lounge sink. She expelled a relieved breath and carefully set the ceramic mug in her hand down, no longer wanting to drink the cold beverage at this point. Without electricity, she couldn't nuke it like she'd originally planned. She frowned, realizing that she couldn't heat up the ramen noodles she'd tucked away in the cabinets either. What was there to do now but go home to her heated, lit apartment? She had to get to her desk first though. Edging toward the staff lounge's doorway, the brunette contemplated getting down on her hands and knees to find her way back to her desk, where she'd left her precious belongings, including her life-line, aka her cell phone.

Jennifer really wished that she had been paying better attention at the office safety briefing 3 months ago, when the location of flashlights and extra batteries was identified, in the event of a situation like this. But who really paid attention at those things? Probably someone who knew better than to go into work on a miserable day like this, she answered herself. Leaning against the doorframe, Jenni tilted her head at the distinguishable sound of footsteps. She saw a quick flash of yellow light and gasped, realizing that she wasn't alone in the building after all. The administrative assistant smiled when she heard her name called. She recognized that man's voice. It was Mitch. The nice IT guy she sometimes rode in the elevator with and passed in the hall on her way to and fro the office. "Yes! I'm in here, in the staff lounge!" She called back, waiting for him to come to her since he had the flashlight and all. She wondered what he was doing in the office, since there weren't other cars in the lot when she'd arrived. At any rate, she was happy to have a friend with her.

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch called out to her a few times from the front desk then flashed his light down the hallway he'd come from, just incase she came from that direction. Not seeing anything he yelled again, and heard a muffled response. Heading in the direction he heard a voice come from, Mitch moved quickly and called out to Jenni again. Keeping quiet he heard her no more than a couple doors down in the staff lounge. Quickly he closed the distance and tried the door. Unlocked he pushed the handle down and flashed his light at the ceiling, hoping not to blind her once he stepped in the room.

Finding Jenni holding on to the counter top, he admired her figure but kept it to himself. The shadows hid most of her face but he could still see her smile. Shifting his light above his head he smiled warmly back at her. His 5'7" 200 lbs from was bathed in a sort of halo. He stood there in winter boots, loose blue jeans, he was wearing a grey wool sweater, and soft shell orange jacket unzipped which hung easily on his solid broad shoulders. The light showed his short blonde hair, and green eyes as he smiled warmly at Jenni.

"Hey, Jenni, fancy running into you in a place like this."

 

[EroticLily]

Jennifer automatically combed her fingers through her chestnut-hued tresses as she heard Mitch’s voice growing louder and louder, signaling his approach. She wondered if he knew where the emergency supplies were hidden in the office. She also kind of hoped that by the time he found her, the power would be miraculously restored and that stuff wouldn’t be necessary. They both just needed enough light to get to the stairwell and then out to the car lot, where they’d be on their own to battle the elements. Jennifer smiled when she heard Mitch working the doorknob from outside, pulled out of her thoughts of having to dig her little energy-efficient vehicle out of shin-high snow.At least, she hoped it’d only piled that high; any higher and she wouldn’t be able to drive home.

When Mitch stepped into the room, with his trusty flashlight in hand, Jennifer let out a sigh of relief. “Mitch, I am so glad to see you.” She laughed softly, squinting as she stepped toward him, trying to avoid the shine of light in her eyes. “Well, sort of. I wish I was seeing more of you at the moment.” Her hands conscientiously moved to her body, lightly smoothing the sides of her royal purple knit sweater dress to the hem where her dark, fleece-lined leggings began. “I didn’t know that anyone else was here.”

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch politely responded, "AH, well my office is up on the 4th floor and I noticed your car from the times we've run into each other on the elevator. So I'm pretty sure we're the only ones crazy enough to drive in here on a day like this." motioning her back out toward her desk they finally made it toward daylight. the areas behind them were covered in shadows and darkness but for the most part, if they stayed out in the open areas they'd be bathed in daylight. He took a few paces away from Jennifer and walked toward the big floor to ceiling windows that faced out to the parking lot. Looking out and trying to find a changing street light he made a comment to himself, and to Jennifer.

"Well, the power outage looks like it hit not just our building but an entire city block, maybe two." He looked at the battery level on his phone, he'd left it sitting charged into his computer on his desk. He'd always known that his smart phone ran through battery life if he used a lot of applications on it, so they'd have to figure out ways to conserve battery life. Turning back to Jennifer, taking in her amazing figure he admired her bubbly personality, he wasn't much of a people person, preferring his computers to social interaction, he couldn't help but smile a little as he watched her.

Mitch talked, as Jenni as she took a seat at her desk looking over her stuff. "We're gonna be stuck here for a while, so I had a few thoughts. Once I found you, I'd head down to level one, get what I could out of my 4 Runner and head back here. If you have anything in your car you want me to bring in, just say so.. but I think we're gonna be here for a few hours.. Maybe till later in the day."

Mitch looked around and walked over to one of the maintenance closets near the elevator, using his keys he unlocked the door and pulled out the bright green case that was sitting on the floor. "We've got a few of these kits strewn around the building so we might want to think about using what's in them." He opened the case and pulled out a larger flashlight which he handed over to Jennifer. "Keep this with you, the batteries should be fresh so we should be fine till the power comes back on.

 

[EroticLily]

“Yeah, apparently we are.” Jennifer laughed softly, folding her arms in across her voluptuous chest; it was both a self-conscious gesture as well as an instinctual one meant to preserve her body heat. When the electrical power went down, the heat had also shut off. She made a mental note of the fact that Mitch had an office upstairs when he mentioned it. He was in and out of the building so often it seemed, that it hadn’t occurred to her that he had an actual office or even a cubicle to call his own. She followed Mitch and his guiding beam of light back to the reception area and she smiled at him, finally able to make out his handsome features in the glow of the natural light streaming in through the windows.

She gave her long, dark tresses a quick tousle when the IT tech turned his back to approach the windows and survey the storm situation. Then she stepped forward to peek outside along with him. “Oh man,” Jenni groaned, not seeing very much hope for being able to drive home at this point. She loved the snow - how pure and magical it made the town look under its white dusting - but this was too much of the stuff. She turned from the window and sat down at her desk, locating her phone to check her reception and battery level. It was just about full bars for both, for now. She peered up at Mitch and nodded softly, grateful that he would hurry out to gather what he could from their cars. “Yeah, I think I have a throw cover in my trunk and some bottled water.” She said, grateful that her parents had been the protective sort and packed those in for her.

Jenni accepted the flashlight Mitch handed to her, grinning at her luck. Clearly, Mitch had been paying attention at the office safety lecture. “Great. Um,” She grabbed her car keys from the top drawer of her desk and gently placed them in his palm. “Hurry back, okay?”

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch nodded and took Jennifer's keys, holding them almost like a holy grail. Unzipping the chest pocket of his jacket he put her keys away. Smiling warmly Mitch assured her, "Don't worry, I'll be back in a few." He took a few steps toward the stairs, and snapped his fingers. "To keep from thinking about the cold, call the power company and let them know we were effected. Might also want to call Sharp, let him know that the power is out here." Mitch walked over to the stairway to the main floor and propped open the door with one of the large potted plants in the waiting area as he commented on putting light in the stairwell to conserve on the battery in his flashlight. Making one last comment as he watched her using her phone to call the power company he walked down the stairway with a purpose.

Mitch reached the ground floor and felt a cold rush of air reach him as he swung the door to the stairs open. Stepping out he could see the snow was getting high on the windows. With no heat down here and the floor to ceiling windows they'd want to avoid staying on this level at all. Probably stay on level 2 or 3 depending. Mitch walked to the front entrance unlocked the door and swung one side open stepping out he could see his Toyota no more than 20 feet away. The weather wasn't terribly cold, maybe about 20 degrees, but the snow was going to only add to the temperature drop. Zipping up his jacket, making sure his gloves and knit cap was on his head he started toward his vehicle.

tracking through the nearly knee high snow, Mitch knew it was getting deep, it was no longer fluffy it was starting to compact and get dense making travel in it very difficult. If he had plans of getting both of them out of there without being stranded he'd better do it soon. However, there was the thought that the power might come back on shortly and at which point he'd be able to finish things up, and Jenni could get her stuff done as well. Better to stick it out there safe and dry, maybe a little cold, but better a little cold than out in the mess they'd be forced to deal with if they left the office.

Making the trek to his Toyota, Mitch unlocked the back and started gathering what stuff they might need to survive the day. Mitch grabbed the heavy blanket he always kept in the back. Somehow it just seemed appropriate to keep it and a few extra things in the back of his vehicle. Grabbing it and the two duffle bags that were back there he shut the hatch and locked it heading back to the office entrance. Dropping the bags and blanket back inside the entrance he turned his attention back to where Jennifer had parked her car, close but further out than his own he started out, stepping carefully, making sure to keep his footing in the snow. Last thing he needed to do was end up on his ass spread eagle in the snow so he walked slowly and reached her car without incident.

Sweeping the snow off the back of her car, Mitch reached in his chest pocket hit the unlock button twice and opened the back hatch, found her throw cover and grabbed the four bottles of water wrapping them in throw. Mitch then held his wrapped package carefully, tucking them under his arm and reached to shut the hatch. Mitch made haste back to the entrance of the building as he struggled opening the door while trying not to drop any of the bottles of water. He played a deft juggling game of sticking his foot through the door entrance he shoved it open with his hip and made it back in to the relative warmth of the 1st floor. Setting the throw down on top of his two bags and blanket, he reached into his chest pocket where Jenni's keys were supposed to be but didn't find them there.

Damn it! where the fuck could they be? Quickly patting down his pants, he dug through both pants pockets then the side jacket pockets of his jacket. Luckily finding her keys where they were NOT supposed to be in the right side pocket.. Looking at them sternly as though they were laughing at him, he once again put them in his chest pocket and zipped it, taking a deep breath he looked out at the snow falling, if he wasn't stuck in this stupid building with no power, he'd think the sight out there was rather beautiful. Instead, he grew annoyed by it.

Looking down he saw Jennifer's throw cover and picked it up as two of the bottles of water spilled out rolling across the floor. Shaking his head he remembered who else was stuck here with him. "Ok Mitch" he said to himself, "Time to be positive, she'd appreciate it, and you know how her smile gets you every time she looks at you."

Focusing in priorities, he put down the throw and grabbing the two water bottles as they rolled by, then walked over to the stairway, opened the door and called up to Jenni. "HEY, I got your stuff from your car, can you give me a hand??"

 

[EroticLily]

Jennifer watched as Mitch secured her car keys in the upper pocket on his winter coat, worrying at her bottom lip. She felt badly about making the poor man trudge out into the snow for supplies, even though he’d offered to do so. She didn’t want to discourage him however, since he seemed to be quite adept at assuming the leadership role in this unique situation. Truth be told, it suited him well. A typically unassertive man who suddenly was taking the reigns, going out of his way to take care of a woman in his company, was definitely an attractive one in the administrative assistant’s eyes. “Okay. Just be careful,” She suggested, wondering if she should hug him for encouragement or something. The moment passed and she refrained, turning her focus to the tasks he’d delegated to her.

When her brave companion disappeared into the stairwell, Jennifer dutifully made the calls he suggested, reporting the power failure to the electric company and reaching out to Mr Sharp to apologize for the setback in finishing the task he’d given her. He was surprisingly understanding, in spite of his typically high-strung demeanor. Perhaps that was because he was home in bed, toasty warm like 3/4 of the residents in town, and not stupidly stranded at the office like she was. She also placed a quick call to her parents to let them know that she wasn’t at home, but that she was okay and planning to stay put until it was safe to travel. She lowered the display settings on her phone to prolong her battery life, deciding to keep her cell phone on at least until Mitch returned.

While Mitch was outside, hopefully able to wade through the snow and get what they needed, Jenni headed back to the staff lounge, armed with her own flashlight this time.
She shone her light up toward the cabinets over the sink and took inventory of the food stuffs. They had some instant soups, oatmeal, assorted chips in stock. If they had to stay for a few hours or even the night, at least they wouldn’t be starved. She could replace whatever they used with petty cash once the storm passed.

When she heard Mitch’s voice floating up from stairs, she hurried out of the lounge and made her way to the exit sign. “I’m coming!” She called, the buckles on her calf-high boots jangling as she moved. Carefully heading down the stairs to meet Mitch, her eyes went wide when she saw how much he’d brought in. “How’d you carry all this by yourself?” She marvelled, relieving him of her things at least to free up his arms some. They were quite muscular, which she hadn’t noticed before. She smiled to herself, turning to ascend the stairs. “Um, I made the calls you said to. Is there anyone you need to call? A family member, significant other?” Okay, so maybe she was fishing a little bit. There wasn’t anything wrong with asking.

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch smiled and responded "No, my parents live out of town and I've got no roommate to speak of. Nobody is expecting me anytime soon." Making as goofy a smile as he could he finished off, saying "So, you're stuck with me for the moment till we can get out of here."

Mitch couldn't help but admire her figure, and he started melting when she started smiling at him again. "GHA!! Stop acting like a star struck idiot and just speak will ya?" His internal dialog reminded him of what he'd just said to himself no more than fifteen minutes ago. Quickly Mitch responded,

"Honestly I took two trips. the bags are out of my car and then went back for your throw. I'd say let's get this stuff upstairs on the 2nd floor and we'll take a look at what we've got." Both agreed and trekked back up to the second floor, Mitch made sure to close the stairway door behind him as they made their way up to the second floor. Jenni's hips were a bit hypnotic, and he followed her sway all the way up the stairs and through. He thought he heard her ask what was in the bags before he turned around but his mind was on something it shouldn't have been. Luckily he recovered before Jenni noticed him, as he put one of the duffle bags up on her desk. Unzipping it, he showed her the contents and explained it a bit.

"So I tend to do a little traveling up into the mountains during my off time, and I always figured it would be a good idea to pack an emergency kit just incase I got stranded out there. Never thought for a moment I'd get stranded at work."

the contents of the bag included the following:

1 deck of cards, still in the plastic wrap
1 small portable radio, am/fm radio stations
1 pack of size C batteries 6 count.
1 box of granola bars, unopened 8 count in the box.
1 heavy hooded sweatshirt, black
1 roll of reflective tape.
2 pairs of heavy winter socks
1 large Maglite,
1 zippo firestarter
1 zippo lighter
1 set of thermal underwear and shirt
1 bottle of water purification tablets.

Setting it all out on her desk he was sort of amazed that everything fit in that bag. Looking at Jenni he said "I'm sure we'll get out of here soon enough, I'd offer to just drive you home, but the roads are so bad I didn't want to chance both of us getting stuck out in it. So.. why don't we turn on that radio and see what the broadcasters have to say for themselves."

Finally finding a station that he got reception from, Mitch turned up the volume so both of them could hear it.

"Our winter weather forecast of 6 to 12 inches of snow just got extended to possibly as much as 2 feet , we know a lot of you out there are dealing with this storm without power, maybe listening to us on your radios or phones but stay warm, stay safe, because the storm seems to be settling in over the city. We'll be in for a long haul over night, and the possibility of an additional 12-16 inches tomorrow.. "

Mitch scratched his head and looed over to Jenni "I'm sorry.. I, I'm sure you've probably got someplace you'd rather be, I hope you're ok with possibly being here overnight?"

 

[EroticLily]

"Oh. Okay." Jennifer nodded her head, smiling lightly at the idea that Mitch was unencumbered. She was living on her own now and so was he. She was single and so was he. Not that any of those factors amounted to anything in particular. They were just observations. Gently placing her hand on his arm, she giggled, "We're stuck with each other." She didn't really feel stuck though, apart from the blizzard physically keeping them in the office. The administrative assistant thought that she was in pretty good company, after all.

She set her things down on her office chair as Mitch made use of the free space on her desk. Curious, Jennifer peered into the open flaps of Mitch's duffel bag as he explained the reason behind his preparedness. "Oh wow." She couldn't hide her amusement over the quiet IT guy trekking up a snowy mountainside like some kind of national geographic explorer. "I used to camp out in my neighbor's backyard. We had a princess tent. I guess that pales in comparison to climbing mountains, huh?"

Jennifer nodded when he suggested putting the radio on, leaning against the edge of her desk to listen. Her mouth fell open at the estimated snow accumulation. If she'd known that they were in for 2 feet of snow she never would've come in to the office! She sighed and turned her attention back to Mitch, mustering a brave smile. "It's fine. I mean, I probably would've just been home in bed anyway. Alone."

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch listened to Jennifer as she talked, she had an eloquent way of talking that he could listen to for hours. As the case would be it seemed they would be listening to each other for hours. She told her story about camping out in her neighbor's back yard and a vivid picture came to mind of Jenni as she is now cuddling into a sleeping bag wearing nothing but a soft white t-shirt and pink boyshorts panties. watching the soft sway of her hips as she unzipped the sleeping bag, watching her smooth legs stretch out inside of her sleeping bag, just curling in to get warm. He partially chuckled at her comment, and added "I can imagine you probably have some fond memories of that princess tent? I've just grown to appreciate the outdoors. No traffic, no congestion.. but no pizza.. or take out. So we do what we must right? Live in civilization and escape on the weekends." He laughed at his own comment and smiled as she giggled right along with him.

His vivid dream was instantly changed to something a bit more intimate when she mentioned she'd just be at home, alone if she wasn't stuck out here in this weather with him. He understood what she meant and took it as a kind compliment. She'd meant it such and for what it was worth he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather be stuck with at a time like this than her. He was kind of afraid to admit it, especially with his awkwardness around women but he appreciated her company.

"Well you're not alone, and I have to admit Jenni, if I was gonna get stuck in this building with someone, I'd much rather it be you than anyone else. I know it's gonna get cold, but we'll figure out a way to keep ourselves warm." He smiled and patted her hand that remained on his arm, he kept it there maybe a little longer than he should, but he didn't care. If she wanted him to move his hand she'd pull away. She hadn't yet, and he appreciated the feeling of her warmth on his skin,

"So, you've got your own place? I know it was nice when I finally didn't have to share with a roommate. Most of the guys I would partner with as roommates ended up being slobs or complete jerks. Do you have an animals waiting for you at home?"

 

[EroticLily]

Jennifer laughed, her cheeks displaying a soft blush when Mitch referred to her own modified version of camping. “Vague memories. Memories that are probably embarrassing and once again, totally pale in comparison to the kind of outdoorsy things you like to do.” She had a newfound respect for Mitch; she admired his adventurous spirit. If nothing else, this storm would provide them with the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.

“Awww,” she cooed, finding the man’s words very sweet and complimentary. It was nice to know that he felt the same way about her - happy that they were the ones stuck together through this ordeal. Though, as the minutes flew by, it was starting to feel like less and less of an ordeal. They had food, water, and stories to share. Maybe being snowed in at the office, wasn’t going to be so bad, after all.

She grinned and nodded at him, blushing a little more when his hand rested atop hers. His hand felt pretty warm. If all else failed, their body heat could keep them warm. The nice man’s questions jogged Jenni from her drifting thoughts. “Y-Yeah. I just moved into an apartment a few weeks ago. No pets. Not yet anyway. Do you have pets?”

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch shook his head "No, no pets. thought about it, my parents were always allergic to any stray dog I'd bring home as a kid. They'd be too worried about the carpet or the drapes or fur on the furniture. So they'd always find their way to a new home or unfortunate as it sounds, an animal shelter. I know for a fact that I'm not allergic to any so I may look at adoption sometime in the future."

He noticed how her fingers felt warm under his own as he held her hand, it wasn't strange really how much something so simple so, normal might stir feelings within him. He'd been with a few women, ok a few meaning two and both relationships ended with them trying to change him, or disappointed that he just didn't communicate as much, but something about Jenni was drawing him out of his safe little shell. Was it that they were in these close circumstances? Maybe it was that he'd always thought she was the most beautiful woman in the office, and he'd look forward to times when he'd have to come down to the 2nd floor and make his way past her desk. He hoped she'd never thought it was overt, or strange, but with Jenni's bubbly personality he doubted she minded very much.

They spent a few hours talking about the regular gossip in the office, mostly Mitch listening, to Jenni's musical voice, and both of them laughing at a few of their less than capable coworkers. Mitch had a bit more dirt on a few people which he shared a bit of but at the risk of telling her more than he should he changed the subject back to Jenni.

During their conversation they'd moved from her desk over to one of the much larger couches in the main lobby for the 2nd floor, Mitch had tossed the throw cover over to Jenni as she sat down and watched her curl her beautiful legs underneath it while sitting at the opposite end of the couch. Mitch decided, if they were going to be stuck here for a while, he was at least going to be comfortable. He took off his boots, and his winter Jacket and stretched out his legs. Restarting polite conversation again, he leaned into his corner of the couch and inquired about her working status with Sharp again.

"I've noticed you put up with Sharp pretty well around here. Hopefully he plans to give you some sort of holiday bonus. We all know the senior partners are a group of tight wads, but they normally treat everyone very well around this time of year."

 

[EroticLily]

"Aww," Jennifer cooed instinctively, having a rather large soft spot for animals and people who genuinely cared about them. She'd had the privilege of growing up with a dog and a cat in her home and it was her strong opinion that they'd really enriched her and her family's lives. They weren't just pets, they were members of the family, just on the furry side. "I love animals. If I could have a pet live with me now, I would, in a heartbeat."

"Thanks." She murmured, catching the blanket when Mitch lobbed it her way. She'd slipped her boots off and tucked them against the side of the couch, curling her legs in underneath her to keep warm as she opened the throw cover and spread it out. She watched quietly as the male made himself comfortable as well, admiring the subtle outline of his muscles while he removed his bulky coat. Jenni smoothed the blanket against her legs, appreciating the extra bit of warmth. When Mitch spoke again, her eyes lifted automatically to meet his.

"Oh. He's not that bad." She said with a light laugh. "A bit...tightly-wound...but he's alright." The brunette sighed wistfully, recalling how lonely she sometimes felt as a single woman. Independence was great, but she hadn't had any romance in her life for quite some time. All she had to look forward to these days was work. "As demanding as Sharp can be, the guy definitely makes me feel needed."

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch had heard her correctly, or at least he thought he did. She'd spoken softly when she said she'd be at home alone in all of this mess, but it took until just now for it to sink in that Jenni was single. He felt for her, a woman as beautiful as she is deserved happiness, and with all of his own personal hang ups and social awkwardness, he never dreamed that a woman like her could ever be interested in him. Instead of dwelling on his own lack of a sex life or social life he thought to reassure her. "Honestly Jenni, you are needed around here, hell you keep this place running in many ways. I know Sharp probably couldn't find his shoes sometimes someone didn't tell him that they were on his feet. Regarding outside of this crazy place, I'm sure there's someone who cares about you a great deal out there who's hoping you stay safe."

Their conversations went on for a few hours more, trading stories about the last movie they'd seen, Mitch didn't want to bore Jenni too much with his nerdy scifi shows that he picked up off the net, so he kept it light on that detail and tried asking her about her family and a few friends, why she bought the car she owned, thinking if she owned a prius she's probably socially conscious and is in to that sort of thing. Staring out the windows it was still coming down heavy, looking out Jenni's car was pretty near buried in snow and his 4Runner had snow halfway up the doors. Checking his watch the time was now about 5:00pm and with the sun going down it was starting to get colder out here in the middle of the lobby, thinking that the interior of the second or third floor might offer more warmth he suggested moving.

"Jenni? Hey, with the sun going down, it's gonna get colder out here with the windows not offering any insulation to the cold. Think you might be interested in moving to one of the interior rooms? I was thinking we should search a few offices and see if we can grab any candles?" The thought of calling the power company had crossed his mind, but they could address that after they'd got moved to an interior room, with the hopes of finding some candles around this place.

 

[EroticLily]

She hadn't consciously been fishing for reassurance that I was cared for, but Jenni appreciated Mitch's kind words nonetheless. In fact, she was grateful for them, as she was confident that the sentiment behind them was sincere. She laughed when she considered Sharp and how lost he truly would be without her assistance, both in and out of the office. Hell, she was here because she was doing something for the man, while he probably had his feet kicked up, assured that she was capably handling his affairs. Maybe, she was more useful that she initially presumed. As for someone caring about her outside of her job, she could only say, "Well, I'm sure that my parents care." There wasn't anyone else, not in a significant manner. Most of her friends lived out of town, and there were no romantic prospects to speak of.

Wrapping her blanket tighter around her body, Jennifer got super comfortable beside Mitch as they chatted the time away. It was probably the longest that they'd been able to talk and there wasn't a single awkward lull in their conversation. The more she spoke to the IT tech, the more she realized how enjoyable his company was and how much she'd like to spend time with him outside of work, once this ordeal was all over.

She agreed when Mitch suggested that they should move to a warmer part of the office, folding her throw cover and tucking it away for later use, so that she could help in the search for candles. She grabbed the flashlight that he'd brought up to her and started looking around in the offices of other's in her department. After rummaging about in desk drawers and the rare unlocked drawers of filing cabinets, she'd managed to collect 3 candles so far: 2 scented (apple and french vanilla), 1 unscented. Peeking out through the window facing the parking lot, her mouth opened in shock. She could barely see her little car anymore. It dawned on her that they might be stuck here a little longer than either of them had predicted.

 

[CoSurvivor]

So while he mentioned it to Jenni that he was going to head in the back to search a few offices she did the same up front. Mitch had taken a long walk down the hallway past the first lounge room where he'd met up with Jennifer, He remembered one of the administrative secretaries, Sandy who had her office way in the back of the building. If his memory served him well, she had serious attachments to candles. Every Christmas he'd receive some scented candle from her for all the times he'd have to help her for one computer issue or another. Heck, she probably had a box of candles near her desk in preparation for the coming holiday.

Mitch reached sandy's door and tried the knob, locked. Lucky for him he had keys. So while fumbling with his key ring and holding the small flashlight in his mouth shinning it down at his hands he kept trying different keys, 100% sure he'd tried each one already 10 times before. Fuck this was getting frustrating.. and he was getting tired of holding this stupid flashlight in his mouth. Putting the keys back in his pocket, and holding his flashlight in his left hand he made his way back to the main lobby finding Jennifer gazing out the main lobby windows watching the snow fall.

He joined her, standing maybe a foot behind her as he encouragingly said "Penny for your thoughts?" She didn't respond and he stepped closer, looking over her shoulder he could see the small pile of snow where her car should be. Resting his hands on her shoulders he accidentally scared her, not meaning to he reassured her "Hey, your parents would want you safe, and I intend to keep you that way. Warm and safe Jenni. We'll probably be stuck here over night, but the two of us will manage."

Subtly nodding her head she turned to him as he smiled warmly, Mitch could tell she was worried, and to break the trance he raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey care to help me try and break into Sandy's office? I'm sure she's got a stash of candles in her office."

 

[EroticLily]

Jennifer watched the thick snowflakes drifting about in the wind, hoping that no one was caught out in the blizzard. At least she and Mitch were safe within the confines of the office building and they had a collection of supplies. The thought of some poor soul wading through what she could only assume was waist deep snow or higher in some areas, battling off frostbite and hypothermia, made the brunette shudder. She folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself, more for comfort than for warmth as her companion rejoined her at the window. She'd barely realized that Mitch'd come up behind her, not having heard him as she was lost in her own considerations.

She startled a little, gasping as his hands came to rest on her shoulders. Then her cheeks filled with heat and she shook her head at herself. "Sorry, I was distracted." Jenni turned her face toward Mitch and smiled at his words. She believed him when he said that he'd keep her safe. She felt pretty safe with him already. "Oh, okay." She nodded, figuring that they might as well take a look in there too; she'd exhausted all of the other spots she could've thought to check. Grasping her flashlight, she pushed away from the window and lead the way to Sandy's office door. "What are we going to break in with exactly?" She asked, looking up at Mitch with curious eyes.

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch chuckled, "Oh we are not going to technically 'break in' to her office, as IT staff we occasionally need to get into the office after hours, so I basically have keys to the city. or the office building as the case may be." Chuckling they walked back down the hallway to Sandy's office as Jennifer held her flashlight on the door while Mitch fumbled with his key ring of 10 or so keys on it. Finally after about the 8th key, nearly thinking to himself "do I have the key to her office?" The one next one he tried worked. Slipping the key home he felt the tumblers inside work free, the lock slide and the door go lose on the hinge opening just a bout an inch. Pushing the door open Quinn reached in and flipped the lights out of pure habit and couldn't help but chuckle. Flipping the light switch down he looked at Jennifer who broke out in a laugh as well. "Well, if I didn't turn the lights off, she'd really know someone was in her office, that is if we don't find anything."

So they searched, Sandy had a pretty full office chock full of two stacks of storage boxes and then her office desk and a file cabinet behind her desk. Mitch commented, "Divide and conqueror? if you take the file cabinet and her desk I'll take the boxes?" Jennifer nodded and they separated just a few feet away from each other.
Mitch made it through half the stack pretty quickly as all of the boxes were open, containing old files and documents for court cases, However on the 6th box he opened he was able to find a couple of tall accent candles, which he pulled out. and kept hunting.

Mitch had said Sandy probably had a whole bunch of candles in her office, but Jennifer wasn't finding a one. If Sandy gave them out for presents, maybe she brought them in from home? Obviously she didn't have them laying around her office otherwise they would have hit pay dirt already. Jennifer had already looked through the file cabinet didn't turn up a one, and her desk was pretty well locked up, so no success there. if they were in her desk, they'd never get to them. Looking over at what Mitch was doing her foot kicked a box under the left leg of Sandy's desk, nudging it, she heard a few things move around in the box which at this point sounded encouraging. Kneeling to pull the box out, it was awkward, and quite heavy so she shoved it through to the other side. Calling Mitch to take a look he turned, put down the two candles on the end of the desk he had and knelt, pulling out the box Jennifer had mentioned.

Putting his flashlight on one corner of the desk as Jennifer shown her light down on what he was doing, Mitch pulled out a medium rectangular box, a bit of an oversized shoe box for boots. He flipped open the lid and felt like they'd just hit the gold rush.

10 unopened decorative candles of various holiday scents were inside in their excitement, Jennifer dropped her flashlight out of her hand and watched it bounce across the floor going for it. Mitch reached for as well. Bumping foreheads in the dark, Mitch apologized first while rubbing his forehead and looking at Jennifer, worried about her as well.

They were close, he could smell her hair and her body wash, whatever she wore was intoxicating, and while they locked eyes, Mitch stopped thinking, and leaned forward, his lips touched hers the barest and most innocent kiss he could express. one of hope and dreams. And then he started thinking again, pulling away he his face went flush and he stumbled over his words, for once he was glad for the darkness, it hid his embarrassment, and hid his bright red face. Jennifer's lips tasted just as he thought they might sweet, with just a hint of naughty maybe hidden underneath.

Mitch rushed to close the box and change the subject as Jennifer's flashlight tracked him "I'm sorry Jennifer, I, I shouldn't have done that. Let's get these over to the lounge we're gonna camp out in and see if we can't get some light on for the evening."

 

[EroticLily]

Jenni's cheek blushed with embarrassment when she dropped her flashlight. She could be terribly clumsy at inopportune times, as she'd just revealed to Mitch. She was just thankful that the flashlight didn't break on impact. Otherwise they'd be down one and it'd be her fault.

She scrambled to pick it up before it rolled out of sight, unable to see Mitch attempting to go for it at the same time. "Ow!" Their foreheads collided together in their haste, drawing a fit of nervous giggles from Jennifer's lips. "Sorry! I'm such a klutz! I'm a hazard!" The brunette lifted her hand and rubbed at the spot she'd rammed into Mitch's head, hoping that she hadn't hurt him too badly. She was more stunned than hurt herself. "Are you--?" She was in the midst of asking if he was okay when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off.

Before she could truly realize what was happening, he pulled away, leaving her wondering what he was thinking. "Um, it's okay." She murmured, her eyes wide in the darkness, the warmth of her co-worker's lips still on hers. Grasping the flashlight she'd dropped, Jennifer slowly pulled herself up to her feet, her neck and cheeks burning at the intimate contact. "Mmhm." She pressed her lips together and exited Sandy's office, willing her body to relax as she led the way back to the staff lounge.

 

[CoSurvivor]

How could I be so stupid! Mitch admonished himself for kissing Jennifer. It had been short, sweet and well it felt like the right thing to do honestly. Hell She was right there! So close he could smell her. Shaking his head and slapping himself around internally, on no other day of the week would Mitch think about invading her personal space. the way he just did. Mitch was too busy with his internal dialog to catch Jennifer's acceptance of his simple kiss, or notice her body language afterward. If an anvil had fallen out of the sky he'd have gotten plowed under by it.

This was always something he'd gripped with, he didn't see himself as an ugly guy, but he definitely didn't see himself as rock star material either. He'd always been shy, always had problems with speaking in front of people, groups and in front of his classes back in college. He remembered once one of his professors had been so impressed by his term paper that he'd asked him to discuss it with the class. Standing there with a hundred people looking back at him, he got stage fright and stumbled over every word and ever sentence that came out of his mouth. And it had been so crippling that he'd swore he'd never speak up in class again, better to be the fly on the wall than the squashed bug that gets noticed. And so he retreated internally and found other safe outlets to express himself. Thankfully his job didn't require him to talk to people much, but today was entirely different. He didn't have to pretend, and Jennifer was counting on him to help her out. Damn it Mitch, he said to himself, grow up and be the dependable guy she needs you to be right now.

Carrying the box back to the lounge, he held the door open for her as she walked through the door way, he couldn't make eye contact with her and while trying to smile he felt twice as horrible. He knew it was the cold and being in close proximity to Jennifer for an extended period of time that had put those thoughts in his head. If she ever looked him in the face again he'd count himself lucky. Once in the lounge they set about putting a few candles out around the room, He'd later tally which ones they'd use and he'd personally reimburse Sandy for the candles, but if he knew her, she'd refuse, and simply say that she was glad they were put to such good use.

The next couple of hours they spent bantering back and forth about their co workers as they made themselves comfortable, Mitch broke out a couple of the granola bars from his bag and they huddled together under a few of the blankets. This situation was going to get worse the longer it went on, and he knew if they didn't get some sort of heat, they'd still freeze. Picking up his cell phone he dialed the power company and got their automated response, sick of hearing the recorded responses he pressed the '0' key about 20 times until the recording got the message. As he was switched to another line, that promised to help him. Putting it on speaker so he didn't have to hold it up to his ear he looked over at Jennifer, they were trying to stay warm, but even at 5pm, the sun down and the snow just growing the heat in the building wouldn't last.

He couldn't help but try to hold Jennifer closer to him trying to keep what body warmth they had all in once place, They were under her throw blanket and his wool blanket from his car, along with a couple of blankets they'd scrounged from a few other offices. They were warm, but he could feel the itch of cold touch his nose, and it was starting to get irritating. When finally a live voice responded on the other line Mitch felt elated, and spoke too fast. The lady on the other line was polite, and acknowledged that there had been a massive black out in their area due to the cold and the amount of snow fall. Crews were working, but power wouldn't be restored until tomorrow at the soonest. Groaning, and accepting their fate to be on their own, Mitch hung up, and shivered with Jennifer, "We'll get through this, we'll stay warm... I just wish there were some portable heaters that weren't electric in this place.." Nodding in agreement the hunkered down to stay warm, curling their toes in under the blanket as they both stared off into space.

Mitch was trying to think they'd use what hand warmers they had and keep close to the candles for light and warmth but they wouldn't put off much, There had to be something he was forgetting about this old building. something in the plans, something in the old pipes or the construction that his boss had once told him. it was on the edge of his memory, what the hell was it that he'd heard before, Damn it if he couldn't remember. Snuggling in to Jennifer their body heat combined to keep them toasty, he looked over to Jennifer, drummed up what courage he had in him and just spilled it out.

"I shouldn't have kissed you earlier, at least not without asking.. I'm a bit of a dope sometimes, I know it hasn't quite come across that way, but my socially awkwardness has kept me from saying much more than 'hi' or a smile when I come close to you Jenni. I think you are beautiful, and getting to spend time with you, even in this awkward situation just convinces me you are just as beautiful inside." Jennifer's eyes just watch him as he sort of bore a bit of his soul to her. "I'm just trying to think of anything that I've missed about this old building, maybe some backup generator that I'm missing or something that's been in this building that will keep us warm till we get out of here."

 

[EroticLily]

The office was getting colder as the hours crept by and the chill was definitely beginning to stick to her skin, but Jennifer did her best not to complain. To be honest, it was difficult to whine about being trapped inside of a building with food and water and a handsome guy like Mitch, who didn't seem to realize how appealing he was to a girl like her. Sure, they were still in the stage of acquaintanceship, but Jennifer could tell that Mitch had a good heart. He was showing her that by taking care of her, holding her close under the blankets so that she wouldn't freeze, consistently reassuring her that they'd be alright through this storm. If nothing else, he was keeping her distracted and she really appreciated him for that.

As he spoke to the representative at the electrical company, Jennifer leaned into his side and rested her head against his shoulder. She smiled to herself as he talked, the particular timbre of his voice pleasing to her ears. Turning her face toward him slightly, the tip of her nose lightly brushed the fabric of his shirt. She couldn't tell what it was, but he smelled good. Better than the scented candles they'd borrowed from their co-workers. She wanted to wrap her arms around his waist to draw herself closer to him, but she didn't know if that was too forward. He seemed kind of shy and she wasn't sure if he liked her in a more than friendly way. But the kiss in Sandy's office did raise questions.

She looked up at Mitch as the phone call was ending, wondering if the kiss was some kind of freak accident or if he was trying to tell her something. When he hung up the phone and returned to the warm haven they'd created beneath their pile of blankets, she pressed her lips together and averted her gaze. It was a while before either of them said anything. She almost expected him to say something more about the kiss, or maybe she just was hoping for it. She glanced up at him a few times, but saw that he was too deep in thought to notice. When he suddenly turned his focus to her, Jenni blushed. Maybe she was over-thinking this whole thing. Maybe it was silly to read into a little kiss.

Jennifer opened her mouth, but didn't speak once he started to address the elephant in the room. Oh good. She wasn't the only one still thinking about it. He rambled for a few moments, bringing a gradual smile to her lips. He was obviously nervous, but he had no reason to be. When he confessed how he felt about her, stopping just short of admitting a crush, but pretty nearly hinting about it, Jenni blushed some more. She couldn't help but giggle when his next words were about a backup generator, completely veering off the topic she was so keenly interested in.

"Mitch," She called him softly, grasping his hand underneath the blankets. "I think you're a nice guy, I want to get to know more about you, you don't have to apologize for kissing me." She exhaled and moved closer to him, seeing that she needed to be the one to take the lead here. "I liked it. I wouldn't mind if you did it again." Working her other hand free from the blankets, Jennifer gently brushed her fingertips along his jawline. "Don't worry about the generator. You're doing a pretty good job of keeping me warm already. " She smiled, slowly easing forward and pressing a light kiss to his lips.

 

[CoSurvivor]

Mitch was in the middle of his own internal dialog when Jennifer started talking. He thought he heard her say, it was ok that he kissed her, that he could do it again, which brought him mostly out of a fog. When she reached over and touched his jaw, turning his head to hers and slowly kissed him, he completely came out of it.

Mitch kissed Jennifer in return, his eyes going a bit wide from the shock if it. He definitely didn't expect this, but he wasn't about to stop her. He wanted to stop her, wanted to ask her why, but the self assure part of his personality stopped him dead in his tracks. Instead of trying to figure out the 'why' he simply enjoyed the feeling of her lips against his own. Her lips were moist, sweet and promising, Jennifer's lips brought out the confidence in him, something he wasn't sure was possible. Not only that, but her kiss served to increase his own internal temperature by at least 50 degrees.

The kiss was gentle, not forceful and Jennifer was taking her time with him, and when she broke the kiss, Mitch leaned forward, chasing her lips. Smiling he hoped to capture her lips and slowly pulled her closer with his left arm wrapped around Jennifer under the blankets. This time Mitch kissed Jennifer, taking a bit of a queue from her, Mitch didn't force the kiss, he kept his mouth closed mostly, not allowing his tongue to dance with Jennifer's.

Mitch broke their kiss a second time, looked at Jennifer quickly, meeting her eyes, hoping she might read his mind and facial expressions. He was hoping she'd catch him non verbally asking "Is this ok?" Her only response to Mitch was a sweet smile and a second stroke of his face along his jaw. Jennifer's touch sent tingles across his face, to his neck and down his spine, it felt electric when she touched him.

When Mitch caught the subtle nod from Jennifer, he quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed her as he'd day dreamed about so frequently over the time he'd known her. The kiss was filled with a bit of passion, urgency and a tiny bit of familiarity.