Buffalo New York was known for its winters and it was often said by locals in the middle of heavy snow that they were going to get a break from the snow by going to Alaska. More often than not, the weather was better in Anchorage Alaska than Buffalo New.

The city of Buffalo was an early era industrial-age town built around the production of steel and auto parts. The location of the Lakes and maneuverable waterways made it perfect for the task. In that time in history function was more important than comfort so the brutal winters were just an inconvenience.

The city located at the southeastern edge of Lake Erie suffered from lake effect snows that could shift 10 miles in minutes and dump large quantities of snow overnight. Lucious Cox was born into the climate and raised around the snow, so when it turned into his vocation, it was no surprise.

Luke had the pulse of the wintry weather and was ready to move the snow at any time. Most of Luke’s friends either skied or snow-boarded, traveling down into the south-towns ski country and finding the untouched snows. Luke had made money during his high school years shoveling later plowing friends and family and eventually operating a snowplow for the county.

While Luke was working as a snowplow operator he went to college earning a business degree, he intended to use starting his own private snowplow business. Luke at 23years old was driven to own his own professional snow removal business.

Erie Community College met his educational needs as well as his schedule. In Lukes’ circle of friends and peers, he was the tall muscular surfer looking guy, with a goofy sense of humor.

One day after operating the county plow he showed up in his work overalls to college which was unusual for him. Normally he would have time to shower and change clothes before going to class but the snow was deep the night before and the guy that relieved him was late.

In typical college attire Luke blended into the student body, attractive but there were a lot of attractive young folks. Riding the elevator from the parking lot entrance to the third floor he noticed he was being checked out by the females in the elevator with him.

He thought the looks were of disdain because of his clothes, but one young blonde woman looked like she wanted to lick him right there in the elevator. He imagined her tongue circle around her mouth as she looked right at him. Luke smiled at her dismissing the others and made a mental note to find out her name.

Between classes, Luke had some free time to catch lunch and went to the bistro on the mezzanine and picked up a sandwich and hot chocolate. As he turned away from the hot chocolate machine he almost literally ran into the beautiful hungry-looking blond from the elevator. He said hello, and she said hello back pulling her tray back quickly so they didn’t have an accident.

They went on their separate ways to tables, where he pulled out his notes for his next class, eating as he studied. Sarah the blonde from the elevator sat a few tables away checking him out from a distance. Luke was equally checking her out trying not to be obvious.

A week later in the college bookstore, Luke was looking at the books for his next semester when Sarah came around the corner to the isle and bumped into Luke. Startled at first, Luke dropped the book he was looking at and bent over to pick it up, almost clashing with Sarah as she was attempting to pick it up as well. As they both laughed Luke took the opportunity to introduce himself and Sarah reciprocated, smiling at him.

A few days later as Luke was pulling into the school parking lot readying his school parking permit, he quickly slammed on his brakes to avoid running over a pedestrian, and as he looked he noticed it was Sarah as she waved him ahead smiling. She ran along through the snow deeper than her boots.

Sarah’s smile seemed to captivate Luke and he found her physically attractive with her sporty physique. Luke wasn’t looking for a mate or even a hook up as he was focused on getting his education and business going. It wasn’t in his plan to find a life partner just yet but found himself looking for Sarah around campus as he traversed the catacombs to his classes.

Sarah wasn’t the cheerleader type but was a perky and happy hippy, unlike most who walked around in a cellular daze. When Luke wasn’t working or in school he swam for exercise at the local aquatic center.

Weeks went by Sarah and Luke kept bumping into each other until one day Sarah asked him to share a table as there weren’t many other seats open. He welcomed her introducing himself, and she reciprocated again as they shook hands. They talked briefly about the school, the weather and then went about their ways.

Later that day the snow was falling hard and there was an announcement over the intercom that classes were being suspended and that students and staff should consider the college closed, along with a safety warning about the snow. Luke thought to himself it was going to be a long night on the plow truck.

As Luke stepped out the door with a crowd of others, some running to the parking lot others went toward the subway/ bus station. Some like Luke stood under the carport/delivery loading dock in awe of the 23 inches of fresh snow on top of everything. As Luke looked out Sarah came to stand alongside him and they greeted each other.

A person in a light pair of pants and a simple coat came back from the direction of the subway/ bus station telling people that the buses were not running. Sarah said to Luke that she was going back inside until the buses were running or someone could come to get her.

Luke asked her which direction she was going and she told him the Springdale in the south towns ski country. Her car is at the end of the bus line in a rideshare parking lot. Luke was very familiar with the area as it was a turn around for the county snowplows. He assessed the situation and decided to offer her a ride. Sarah asked if his vehicle could make it out there no problem. Without hesitation Sarah jumped at the offer, realizing no other options were forthcoming.

Luke led Sarah out to his super duty F350 Ford truck and as they got in range he hit the remote starter and unlocked the doors causing the lights and motor to come on making finding the truck easier as the snow was getting to whiteout conditions.

Sarah slipped almost falling except for Luke catching her arm keeping her up and led her up to the truck and as he touched the door handle the running boards automatically powered out and down to make the climb up into the cab of the truck possible. Once she was inside safely Luke pulled a small push broom from the back seat and began brushing the snow off the truck the head and tail lights.

Once he got inside the now warm cab, Sarah asked if this was the counties’ truck he plowed in and he said oh no. He began describing his dream to own and run a legitimate private snow removal business and that being the reason he was studying business.

He went on to tell Sarah how saved up to buy the truck and how he planned on it being his first truck to start the business with. As he drove the roads were nearly impassable and side streets were more often than not blocked by stuck vehicles. Lukes phone rang over the trucks’ sound system and he answered it.

The dispatcher from the county asked him if he could come in as some drivers were unable to come in and there would be over time. Luke told the dispatcher he was headed to the south towns to drop a friend off, that he could come in after that.

The dispatcher asked him if he could come to get a truck and use it to drop his friend as the south run wasn’t currently being done? Luke looked over at Sarah and she nodded in agreement and Luke told the dispatcher that he was headed that way to have a truck ready. Luke began the drive to the barn they called it where the county trucks were kept. He told Sarah that he does private plowing occasionally and of course his property.

She listened hanging on every word as it were directly from God. Listening to the local weather station as he was driving, it was announced that the city was now closed to all but emergency traffic, instructing anyone on the roads to find shelter as soon as possible. Sarah asked if he was going to be able to make it as the whiteout conditions worsened and the roads become almost impassable.

Luke said yea the barn was only another couple miles but added that he doubted her vehicle would be able to go anywhere. Once at the county barn the shift maintenance crew was pulling a truck out loaded with salt ready to go out.

Luke took Sarah over to the truck and helped her up into the cab, telling her he’d be right back. He went and parked his private truck, went inside and signed the county truck out choosing the route to the end of the south town line that no one else wanted.

As he walked out he grabbed two cups of hot chocolate and headed to the county truck. Luke passed her a cup and put his in the holder, flipping a switch on and the flashing lights all came on and he pulled out.

Sarah sat quietly until Luke noticed and asked her if it was the first time she’d been in a big truck and she said that his truck was the only other truck she’d ever been in. She continued that it seemed so high up and close to the edge. Luke replied it was high up, and the plow was at times over the edge of the road as he put the plow down and started pushing the snow off the side.

The truck rumbled and shook as the snowdrifts slowed the big truck but created a perfect roll of snow a lot like an ocean wave surfers look for. She asked what would happen if he hit a mailbox as they passed a row on the side of the road.

Luke explained that most of the time he wouldn’t feel it, but the county had repairmen who fixed stuff like that. In her best feminine feline-like voice she asked so you ever have a rider before when you were plowing as she turns to face him in her seat. It was then that he noticed she’d taken her coat off and that her clothes were looser than he’d remembered. The curves of her breasts bounced as the truck went over bumps.

The next time he looked over at her and noticed she’d taken her boots and socks off revealing the silky skin of her calves the socks hanging over the heater vent. The trucks county radio pulled him back to the task at hand as the announcement came over the radio that all trucks were now on emergency conditions.

Sarah asked what that meant as soon as the broadcast was over. Luke explained that the drivers were expected to keep plowing as long as they could, overtime would be paid and extra precautions as drivers should be used. Sarah asked what that meant and he told her it meant to slow down, don’t break their trucks and take rest breaks as needed to prevent drowsy driving.

Sarah said so what they are saying is we should sleep together? Luke glanced over at her quickly as the road was getting more difficult. Sarah said you wouldn’t want to get too tired running her hands up under her breasts and squeezing. Luke almost drove off the road and Sarah laughed as the plow truck rumbled and then pulled back into the lane.

Luke said very funny, but at some point, he may need to take a break, survey the inside of the truck for foreign objects that could be against regulations. Sarah said well far be it for me to stand in the way of the county workers doing their job, smiling largely. Just then the radio blared out “code red truck 1726, code red truck 1726,” and then a driver came on and gave his approximate location and that his truck was completely off the road.

The dispatcher came on the radio with enough static to make it difficult to hear what he was saying. Then a second call to truck 3432, and Luke realized that was his truck and responded. The dispatcher told him to postpone plowing operations and to proceed to the driver’s distress call.

Luke told Sarah to hold on it was going to get rougher before better. He turned his truck at the next intersection and was having a lot more trouble getting through this smaller side road as the drifts were deeper.

The snow blew over the road there were large drifts that seemed to worry Luke, but at the same time, there were short breaks of clarity with just a moderate amount of snow. Sarah said the snow was deeper than she’d ever seen and so beautiful.

As they were trying to cross a narrow bridge the radio blared out truck 1726, and the crackle of the dispatcher said acknowledge. Truck 1726 said an emergency tow truck has 1726 freed and is about to clear the scene. The dispatcher said return to the barn 1726, truck 3432. The dispatcher said 3432 cancel code red and status update.

Luke answered 3432 conditions, white-out at 50 feet, eight to ten-foot drifts and vehicle obstructions. The dispatcher asked if he was able to make it back to the barn, and Luke responded not likely. The dispatcher announced to all drivers still on the road if possible return to the barn if not find safety and call in locations.

Luke stopped his truck and looked up their location of his route map, asking Sarah if she knew of anywhere to stay overnight around. The hood of the truck was getting covered with snow as Luke plowed and his vision was blocked enough that he lost track of the road as it turned.

The truck went straight where there was no road, into a culvert landing on its side. Fortunately for Luke and Sarah, a driver from the other direction saw the plow truck went off the road and stopped. Dani, the other driver helped Luke and Sarah from the truck and up to her 4 wheel drive SUV. Dani asked them if they needed a hospital and they said they were all right.

Luke pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called dispatch and the dispatcher told him to find housing and the wrecker will be out as soon as the snow allowed. Dani overheard and said they were welcome to stay with her that she lived just around the curve. Luke asked Dani for the address and he relayed it to the dispatcher.

Sarah and Luke both thanked Dani for taking them in when they stepped out of her SUV inside Dani’s warm garage. Dani brought them inside her house and all three started peeling off the layers of coats sweaters and scarves. It was then that Luke began to notice that Dani was very attractive, thinner and paler than Sarah.

Dani showed them around her house apologizing that the second bedroom wasn’t furnished at all, just boxes from unpacking. Dani said they could have her, pausing for effect, her bed and she would take the couch.

Sarah and Luke both said at the same time that they weren’t a couple, Dani said well let’s have a drink and watch the snowfall, turning to the fireplace. The living room had a huge stone fireplace in the corner of the outer wall encased by glass and twenty minutes later there was a real fire glowing in the center.

Sarah laying on a plush carpet in front of the fire said she could sleep right there, Luke mirrored the sentiment. Dani asked if they’d like a beer and they both answered affirmatively. Dani came back in a few minutes with a case of Labbats beer handing each; one and putting the case in a cooler built into the center console of the couch.