From Blue to Grey: A Romantic Winter Short Story

Krista had been staring at her blank laptop screen for 30 minutes when she flipped open her phone and speed-dialed for help.

"I need coffee and chocolate and I need it now!"

Her best friend Dawn giggled on the other end. "What's the matter, Sweetie? Writer's block again? Let me wrap up my baby boy and meet you in an hour."

Sitting in the vinyl booth of her favorite café, Krista felt a little guilty dragging Dawn and her 8-month-old son, Tyson, out into the snowy day. When Dawn walked through the door, Krista's guilt disappeared. Her friend looked as much in need of a couple hours out of the house as she did.

" Ah, grown-ups! So this is where they all are." Dawn said while removing the knit hat that covered Ty's dark curls. "Start talking, K. The chocolate's on me."

A surge of emotion pushed up into Krista's chest when Dawn winked at her and then waved the waitress over. Dawn had always been the nurturing one, while Krista was more reserved, more introverted, preferring to sink into her work rather than into meaningful human connections. This was probably why Krista was cradling a file folder while her closest friend was cradling a child.

"This new project is driving me insane. I have to come up with a slogan for ChezzMo's Cheese Bombs, a plastic-tasting processed snack food that stains your lips the color of dandelions." Krista slid the folder across the Formica table and frowned.

Dawn flipped through the ChezzMo's file and smiled. "Have you tried that line on them yet? There must be an untapped need for plastic dandelion snacks. Coming to a dive bar vending machine near you."

Krista folded her arms across her chest and tried to hide how much she enjoyed her friend's teasing. "You're a big help." She reached over and gave one of Ty's tiny sleeper-clad feet a gentle tug.

Dawn laughed into her mug, spilling drips of brown coffee next to the spot of baby drool on her violet scarf.

"Make nice with the Cheese Bombs, Honey, and they'll make nice with you."

After her goodbyes to Dawn and Ty, Krista walked alone quickly through a small park with bare and sparkling frost-covered trees. The quiet of winter was so calming, but today she was too wired to be aware of it. Today it just felt lonely to be hurrying through the softly falling snow.

At the other end of the park near her apartment building, Krista spotted a small food market and dashed inside. She'd never crossed this quaint store's threshold before, preferring to order her groceries online for delivery after her frequent long work days. She marveled at the fresh greens and bright red radishes. Did people really eat vegetables anymore? She giggled out loud and thought How retro then headed for the snack food aisle to make nice with the latest challenge in her crazy advertising career.

There wasn't a single bag of Chezzmo's Cheese Bombs to be found among the baked-not-fried corn chips and organic blue potato crisps. Krista sighed. It looked like her research wouldn't be as easy as she'd thought.

"Got a craving you need some help with?" asked a gentle male voice from behind her left ear.

Krista whirled around; startled by the sudden sound and the stunning apron-clad man who'd made it.

"Uh, excuse me?" Krista stammered, while quickly scanning her tall, new companion standing near the rice cakes. Lovely, smiling wrinkles around big brown eyes. Dark, wavy shoulder-length hair. A charcoal-colored apron with "Grey" written across the chest.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you? You looked lost in the snack food sea. I recommend the blue crisps. Great with salsa."

Krista grinned. "Oh, hey thanks. No, I'm afraid that Chezzmo's Cheese Bombs are the actual snack I seek." She grinned again and felt her cheeks turn bright pink. She was certainly too wise and experienced to be instantly attracted to an over-aged stock boy. Wasn't she?

The Mediterranean-looking stranger grinned right back, leaned against the wall of snacks and crossed his arms over his apron. "You really are lost, aren't you?" he said. He reached into his apron pocket and slipped a business card the shape of a tomato into Krista's hand.

Grey's Organic Market. We're not just good to you, we're good for you.

Krista read the card and laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Wow, how embarrassing. I'm sorry. I've never been in here before. Guess that's pretty obvious."

"No problem." the handsome stranger said, still grinning. "And I would have remembered you."

Krista looked up with her own big brown eyes open wide in delight, suddenly feeling like a 14-year-old girl. Is he flirting with me? Wow, he's adorable.

"So you're Grey, right? Did you write that clever little slogan for your shop? It's pretty good. I'm Krista. I'm working on an ad campaign for Chezzmo's. I'm in a Cheese Bomb nightmare."

Grey offered his warm handshake to the beautiful woman holding his card. "Yes, I'm Grey and, yes, I wrote that. I'm glad you like it." Grey's mouth spread into a full, friendly smile. "Your Cheese Bomb challenge is one I don't envy. So they make you eat them, too?"

Krista nervously tucked one of her shiny black braids into her red velvet coat. "No, but if I convince other folks to eat them I better be willing to eat them, too."

His hand had lingered in hers long enough to make her blush. This is ridiculous. I'm a complete goner here. She could already picture passing the Metro section of her newspaper to this man on Sundays.

Grey stood up straight, a look of mischievous excitement crossing his face. "Hey, I have an idea. " He said. "Follow me."

They walked together to the back of the market, where bottles of wine rested in crates against the wall. Grey pulled one free and said "What goes better with Cheese Bombs? White or red?"

Laughing again at this man's sweet way, Krista replied "I'm not buying wine for my plastic snack homework. Though I might need some afterwards."

Grey touched her shoulder lightly and grinned. "Who said you were buying the wine? I bring the bottle. You bring the bag of Bombs from the gas station a few doors down. We meet at that park over there, in the gazebo by the fountain, and we write you a slick snack food slogan that will surely put me out of business. Then maybe we'll make a snowman to celebrate."

Krista had never wanted to hug a stranger so much in her life. This time it was she who stuck out a hand and said "You're on! I'll be the shivering girl with cheesy fingers and heartburn."

And with a crush on the stranger carrying the Pinot Noir through the snow.

Krista was still giggling when she stepped back out under the white winter sky and suddenly noticed how pretty and peaceful the world was around her.

She couldn't wait to call Dawn. Make nice with the Cheese Bombs, indeed.