A story by Phoebe Roome .sx Love out of season .sx Tom had gone out into the blizzard to get milk for the baby , yet here he was , trapped in a strange car with a beautiful girl and feeling unreasonably happy .sx Tom Foley was asleep and deep in a dream in which he had just resigned from the water company to begin a contract as a gag writer for the comedian Dave Berry .sx The company hadn't liked it and , rather unreasonably , had sentenced him to death by firing squad .sx Half a dozen beautiful girls in Santagram outfits were lined up in front of him .sx They took aim carefully and , on the command of Mr Webb his acidly sarcastic boss , let off a volley of .sx .. snowballs !sx .sx Kersplatt !sx .sx One hit him right on his nose .sx That's when he woke up to find a blizzard blowing through the open window on the bed .sx He got up , snapped the window shut and thanked goodness that he and Julie were now sleeping in separate rooms .sx The official reason was Baby Ben's late night feeds .sx But there were others - like Tom's habit of sleeping with the window open in all weathers , and his snoring .sx Little reasons - which all rolled up into one big reason really .sx And that was fifteen years of marriage and the gradual compromise of the dreams they'd had and the plans they'd make when they'd sat in that wonderful , clapped-out old car in a time when the very stars in the sky had seemed so near that all you had to do was reach out .sx .. Julie's inheritance from a rich relative and the new independence it had given her hadn't helped either .sx It was Sunday and the world outside had been transformed into a wonderful white-shrouded fairyland .sx " Good grief !sx " exclaimed Tom to himself .sx " A blizzard , in April .sx And a lot of it .sx " .sx The snow was remarkably deep .sx Even now the radio in the kitchen was delivering the news that most parts of Britain were buried under the greatest unseasonable snowfall since who knew when .sx Tom's heart sank as he realised he was trapped .sx His plans to spend the day in the garden were just as effectively buried as the newly sprouting crocuses .sx Trapped , with the incessant chatter of the boys , the telephone calls , the complaining demands to " fix that drawer , put the plug back on the toaster , fix that bike " .sx Julie was in her dressing gown feeding Baby Ben .sx What a mistake it had been , having another baby at forty .sx Just as Tom raised his first cup of coffee to his lips Ben kicked out and the last bottle of milk was all over the floor .sx Baby Ben screamed in triumphant rage and Julie screamed back at him .sx Tom did his best to clean up but , of course , he only made it worse .sx So , stuffed into his hardiest weatherproofs , Tom made his way into the arctic streets to buy precious milk .sx SNOW had been drifting all night .sx The garage door was blocked but so what ?sx There was no chance of driving through the snow - bound streets .sx Tom struggled in the direction of the only shop that might possibly have opened for business , Patel's .sx Snow whipped into his face as he struggled through the knee-deep drifts .sx " Damn !sx " he exclaimed as he blundered into the back of a half-buried car .sx He stooped to rub his shin and realised that there was a young woman inside the vehicle .sx She was bent over the wheel , her face buried in her deep collar .sx Tom thumped on the side window .sx The girl looked up and Tom saw that she was crying .sx " What's wrong ?sx " he mouthed through the snow-crusted glass .sx The girl shook her head , not understanding .sx Tom scraped away the snow that was blocking the door and the girl pushed from inside .sx Finally the door opened and Tom crawled inside .sx The motor was running to keep the heater going and the interior was as cosy as a mitten .sx " Did you get trapped here ?sx " Tom asked , noting the devastatingly pretty face .sx " I came out a couple of hours ago to get some milk , " the girl said , with a sob in her voice .sx " Hah , " exclaimed Tom .sx " So did I. " .sx " I don't know what to do .sx I hoped a policeman or a snowplough might come along , but you're the first person I've seen .sx " .sx " There are no other cars on the road , " said Tom .sx " Why not let me see you home ?sx It's the least I can do .sx " .sx " No thanks .sx I'm fine .sx " .sx " You mean you want to stay in this car ?sx What happens if you run out of petrol ?sx " .sx " It will stop soon .sx " .sx " But you can't stay here .sx Even when it stops you won't be able to drive .sx I can't leave you , that would be ridiculous .sx " .sx " Everything's ridiculous .sx " .sx Tom was beginning to feel uncomfortable in the heat and closeness of the car , He shrugged open his anorak , rummaged in his pockets and produced a packet of mints .sx " Have a mint , " he ordered .sx The girl took one .sx " You know people can suffocate in cars .sx It happens all of the time .sx It can be dangerous .sx " .sx " It's more dangerous in your own kitchen than in your car .sx " she returned crisply .sx Was she stubborn ?sx Tom didn't like that about her .sx They sucked on their mints and looked gloomily out of the window .sx He studied her out of the corner of his eye .sx She was breathtakingly pretty , about twenty-eight , he guessed , startling green eyes , a strong determined mouth and a beautiful nose .sx Tom tilted his head up a little to hide his bald spot .sx " I'm terribly sorry , " the girl said , looking full into his face .sx " I was very rude .sx " .sx " It's OK .sx I expect you've got a good reason .sx I'll just open this window a bit for safety .sx " .sx He managed to lower the window and cold , fresh air spilled into the little car .sx " Along comes a handsome stranger to rescue me and I turn him down .sx But that's just my style .sx Anything to be awkward .sx You just woudn't know the half of it .sx " .sx " I'd be happy to find out , " said Tom oafishly , blushing like a teenager .sx " Don't bother to .sx Everything I touch turns to .sx .. to .sx .. " .sx " Dross ?sx " Tom offered .sx " I think that's what things turn to - or gold , but I don't think that's what you mean .sx " .sx " No , dross is the word all right , " she said .sx " What do you do ?sx " .sx " I work in the accounts department of the water company - not very exciting , I'm afraid .sx " .sx " I like it , " she said .sx " It sounds normal .sx " .sx " I write comedy scripts as well .sx I send them to comedians and shows all over the place but they hardly ever get accepted .sx " .sx She smiled a glorious smile .sx " I thought you didn't really look like the water-board - or talk like it .sx " .sx Tom glowed with pride but couldn't trust himself to say anything .sx The girl peered through the windscreen at the unceasing snow .sx " My mother will be worried .sx She's looking after my little girl for me .sx She's six months old .sx I was looking for a shop to buy milk when I got stuck here .sx " .sx " I've got a little boy of nine months - and two other not so little ones , " Tom confessed .sx The snow fell silently around them , cutting off the world with an opaque white screen .sx They could have been the last people on earth .sx Tom felt he had been close to the girl in the car for years .sx " How amazingly quiet it is , " she said .sx " Have you ever known anything so amazingly quiet ?sx " .sx " No , it's wonderful .sx I live surrounded by noise .sx This is great therapy .sx " .sx " You should stick at those scripts .sx You sound like a natural writer .sx " .sx " Maybe .sx Maybe a lot of things .sx " .sx " Honestly , I mean it .sx I know , I was married to one .sx I suppose I still am .sx " .sx " I see , " said Tom , his throat constricting in reasonless jealousy .sx He wished he could sit next to her forever , but he knew they should leave now .sx " You know , we might be breathing carbon monoxide in here and not even know it .sx You feel drowsy , close your eyes and that's it - so I believe .sx " .sx " I take it all back , " she said .sx " You talk like a writer but think like the water-board .sx " .sx " What's that supposed to mean ?sx " .sx " This is the only time I'm going to have a whole lot of silence to share with a stranger whose name I don't even know but who seems to understand all about me .sx " .sx Tom was thrown by the reply .sx " Oh , I'm being too emotional and silly , " continued the beautiful girls .sx " That's what my husband used to say .sx " .sx " This is the weirdest place in the world for the beginning of an affair , " Tom thought .sx " Things like that only happen in books .sx " .sx " One day , " she said , " he packed his bags and left and I haven't seen him since .sx " .sx " When was that ?sx " .sx " Oh , six months ago .sx Half a year - so my mother came to live with me .sx " .sx " I'm sorry .sx " .sx " You don' know the first thing about me , why be sorry ?sx " she said , changing her tune completely .sx " Don't let's fight , " said Tom .sx " I'll only lose .sx " .sx They both laughed .sx " I'll say this , " she said .sx " You talk like somebody real .sx He was unreal .sx " .sx " Presumably his great novel didn't pay the rent .sx What did he do for a living ?sx " .sx " Oh , he worked freelance for an advertising agency - you know .sx " Wash away washday blues .sx " That sort of thing .sx " .sx " I'm not surprised , " said Tom .sx " What about you ?sx " she said .sx " I mean what about the water company ?sx " Her voice asked one question but her lovely green eyes seemed to ask another .sx Tom croaked out an answer .sx " Oh , there's nothing to talk about .sx I do the accounts .sx At least , design the computer systems that do the accounts .sx There are millions of them .sx The computer does them .sx It works them out and sends them .sx " .sx " Well , I won't say it sounds fascinating , " she said , her hand brushing his , " but you must be awfully clever to get all those computers to do all those bills and get them right .sx " .sx Tom laughed .sx He felt unreasonably happy .sx She was going to his head like wine .sx " Well , I'm really called a systems analyst .sx What I do for the water company , I could do for anybody with a need to do what they call large batch accounts .sx I break up the task into logical steps and then plan the computer system for handling it .sx It's so boring , I don't really want to talk about it .sx " .sx She was looking into his eyes .sx " I mean it's boring me as well .sx It would bore anybody .sx " .sx " Why don't you walk on ?sx " .sx " Walk on ?sx " .sx " Stop what you're doing and move on to something else ?sx " .sx " Nobody ever asked me that before .sx " .sx " I asked George .sx " .sx " And ?sx " .sx " He was always complaining that he hated doing advertising , that it was ruining his work but that he had a wife and a family and had to do it .sx And besides , it paid well , and he didn't have to go in everyday .sx " .sx " Don't knock it .sx It doesn't sound at all bad to me .sx " .sx " Well , you wouldn't believe it .sx The clients are so fussy .sx He had to do each thing over and over again - sometimes dozens and dozens of times .sx And he'd start drinking if he couldn't think of what the girl could say to her friend with bad breath .sx He became impossible so I told him to get on his bike .sx I couldn't understand how he'd let anything so trivial get him down so much .sx He said it was just because it was so trivial that it got him down .sx I sort of saw his point .sx " .sx " And he went ?sx " .sx " All the way to Los Angeles .sx He wrote to me to say he'd got another job in advertising there .sx He says it's no better , but at least it's sunny .sx The trouble is he really likes doing it but he's ashamed to admit it .sx " .sx Tom passed her another mint and she held his hand steady as she pulled it out from the wrapper .sx He felt he'd known her for a million years .sx " I'm glad he's gone .sx He freed us both .sx "