File:Single Digit Morning (5412791460).jpg

"jezzus frack!" Lori cried out, yanking the flannel sheet back off the floor back to its proper duty. Any patch of daylight would get her going, at least as far enough to start a pot of water for tea, and them to glance out the window at the thermometer.
"Six frriggin' degrees, lord this gal has had enough of these extremes! Get her a tropical island."
At 45, the swings in termperatures in this mountain desert environment was grinding on her soul, as much as the dry airm was grinding on her epidermis.
Sure it got cold here this time of year, but single digits were news. And its all the town fools would be chattering about.
Despite the gloom, she had a few glimmers, because The Plan was right on track.
In fact, today was the day to see how her grandest double feint scheme would play out. Lori had pulled some slick (and not so slick) cons, but this would be the one to retire from. And the beuaty was no one would be hurt.
Well almost no one. Someone had to take a fall, but like her Mama always crowed, "this world aint fair, so you gotta take what you can git and stop whinin' about what you ain't git." Nothing like that home grown Mississippi folk wisdom.
Dragging out the last Lucky Strike from her pack, she tossed around the best place to camp, to wait for Conrad to show. He would find her, that's for sure.
On one hand, a late afternoon lunch with the gals at Alexanders would work; she'd have the support of her she-pack, and the comfort of the soft couches at the town's once decent, non greasy spoon restaurant.
But then again, the rowdies at the Lodge would offer a lighter atmosphere, and give her more cover should she need to bolt.
That's it, the Lodge is where the trap is set, she smiled at her own cleverness slipping on a glowing cover of M.A.C. Russian Red on her lips, and slipping the stick in her bag. "Dont leave home without it!" she muttered to herself.
Lrio spent a few more minutes sewing a small brown envelope to the inside of her sweater with the extra large sleeve ends. This part was not all that new, but the Setup always got her blood moving.
"This cold weather does serve a purpose, a good excuse to where this tool sweater."
Yeah, all the talk around town today would be the cold weather. Tomorrow, they would have a much different, much more lively story to spread.