Frosty Edition of Tuesday Tales for May

Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! I celebrate a warm May 28th in Texas with a frosty contribution for Tuesday Tales. This week I take you  to a new installment in a romantic YA  WIP, Eyelashes Freeze in North Dakota.  We Tuesday Tales Authors take on the word prompt "library":


Irene knew the obstacles being older than not just her suite mate, but most everyone in the dorm. However, she resolved to live the role of friend, rather than Mother Hen. She certainly never lived much of a single life at any time in her life. Rather naïve in the world of bar-hopping and dating, she actually believed she might learn a few things from her younger college counterparts. Irene spent her younger years working responsibly, spending hours at the library, and attempting to make the most of her life getting ahead. She considered dating, romance, love, and socializing almost a waste of time.

Of course, her parents set a rather sedate example of romantic love. Although very religious and courteous, they reserved outwardly showing affection for each other for special occasions. Then, at the most a quick peck accompanied their usual hugs. Irene always felt safe in her family, and the security she felt became more important than wild, uninhibited passion. She hoped to meet someone like her father someday-intelligent, loving, kind, and responsible. All of the ideal traits of husband and father with none of the attributes of a party animal- that was her type of man.

Irene resolved with her change in lifestyle and career, she also should broaden her entertainment horizons and even develop new interests and hobbies. UND had a lively hockey team and with student tickets readily available, she had a golden opportunity in her reach to learn about something fun outside her usual realm.  Further, with her newly chosen academic path of sports medicine, it would help to learn more about the type of athletes she would one day serve.

Irene’s suite mate, Jenell, encouraged Irene’s liberation into fun. It started early in the evening the day of the mascara debacle. “Are you ready, Irene? We gotta get to the ice rink in time to get drinks before we take our seats.”

Irene enjoyed Jenell’s energy and definite opposite personality to her own. “Yes, just a second, putting on my gloves and I’ll be ready.”

Irene learned her lesson from earlier in the day and applied minimal make-up. She used a bit of pink gloss on her lips and light blush for her cheeks. Her face still carried signs of the earlier windburn and gave her a natural reddish hue. Irene made a mental note to purchase additional face moisturizer when she next went shopping. All the winter weather would destroy her naturally dry complexion if she did not take the proper measures. Her ravaged cuticles told the story on their own.

However, with the falling temperatures of night, they bundled up much more heavily than earlier in the day for the walk to the hockey complex. “Have you got your thermals on under your jeans?” Irene teased Jenell.

“I swear, I look fat in everything I wear because of these stupid layers of clothes.”

“I’ll take the appearance of fat in the practical over frost bite any day.” Irene thoughtfully replied, shifting her hat just so on her head. “I wish the tunnels connecting the dorms to the cafeteria spanned the entire campus to make every walking trip much more pleasant. Don’t you, Jenell?”

“I would love that! But, doubt that will happen during our experience here.”

"Now that you've read my contribution to TT, please visit my creative friends over at our main blog, Tuesday Tales for their take on the word, "library".