Snowed In Surprise

One

The sky was a light grey, the snow was just starting to fall. Jin Ah had no idea where she was. The GPS was leading her down a dark, heavily tree-lined road. There were no street lights, she wasn't sure they'd help anyway. There also weren't any street signs. Anxiety and frustration were mounting, not good signs for a trip that was supposed to be relaxing.

Jin Ah worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Woodger Enterprises, a global company diversified across several industries and run by billionaire Adrian Woodger. Jin Ah had known Adrian since they were kids and they'd kept in touch over the years.

When Woodger Enterprises was preparing to take the company public and launch into global markets, Adrian wanted someone he could trust running the financial end of the business. So, he went after Jin Ah, luring her to come and work for him.

She initially declined, telling him it wasn't a smart move to be such good friends with her boss. Plus, she had no real desire to relocate to Manhattan, she was comfortable in Hartford.

But, Adrian was a shrewd businessman and could charm the rattle of a rattlesnake. Somehow, he convinced her this was the perfect job for her. The next thing she knew, she was packing her things and moving to New York. That was six years ago and, to date, she'd not had regrets.

Okay, that might have been an exaggeration. There might have been a couple of regrets. Jin Ah, unlike everyone else in the office, had no family. No one to go home to at the end of a long workday. She'd allowed ambition and career goals to overtake her need for family. She regretted that she'd push that to the back burner.

Instead, Jin Ah was a workaholic. She had no time for dating, hell she barely had time to sleep each night. She only made an exception once a month when the finance team got together for drinks after work. She'd let herself leave at a reasonable time and go to the bar where everyone hung out. This was the only time she'd socialize with her coworkers as well.

She wasn't a snob, she was just afraid of making an ass of herself and losing their respect. To her, that was more important.

Adrian Woodger and his wife, Violet, doted over Jin Ah, playing the role of protective older siblings. They were worried about her physical and mental well-being. Violet Woodger was convinced Jin Ah would have a heart attack or stroke before year's end.

Violet kept begging Adrian to step in and do something about Jin Ah's work schedule. She even suggested that he forced her to take some time off. The only problem with that was the amount of work. He had so many irons in the fire that he couldn't afford for her to be gone. Violet politely reminded him that he couldn't afford for Jin Ah to be dead, either!

The couple had a home in the woods of Vermont that was vacant for most of the year. In unison, it was decided it would be the ideal place to send Jin Ah for vacation; it'd be remote and quiet, providing the perfect break from civilization.

Jin Ah hated the holidays. Her father had passed away, her mother had remarried, all her holiday traditions were gone. Jin Ah's mother and stepfather travelled around the country in a motorhome. She barely saw them much less spoke to them. Christmas by herself was nothing more than an opportunity for Jin Ah to reflect on being lonely.

So, Adrian and Violet thought this would be the perfect time to force her out of town and to relax. She could escape the holiday shopping and the increased bustle around town.

Besides, Adrian was taking his wife to Turk's and Caicos so Jin Ah would be stifled at work and unable to get anything accomplished since he was out. Jin Ah had no valid argument for staying behind in Manhattan.

Adrian hired a service in Vermont to prepare the house for Jin Ah's arrival. He asked them to clean the house and change the linens. Since the house had been vacant for several months, he could only imagine the amount of dust that had collected on the surfaces. The forecast called for cold weather to blow in, so he asked for a stash of logs for the fireplace and for the pantry to be stocked.