by Leela Ash
She walked in to one of the most exquisite rooms she had ever been in. The ceiling was high and vaulted with beautiful exposed beams that were covered in garlands, candles were lit and stags heads were mounted on the walls, before an open fire that roared in the huge hearth. It was like something out of a movie, it was so perfect and so Christmassy, she knew that they were going to have an amazing time.
“I may be able to forgive your father after all,” her mom joked as the driver pulled their suitcases into the lobby and waited to be tipped.
“I’ve got first call on the rooms!” Oliver shouted as he raced off up the main staircase and Chloe instinctively rolled her eyes. For an eighteen year old, he was still so immature it drove her nuts.
Later that evening after they had all unpacked and pulled themselves together, Chloe stood on the decked terrace that ran the full exterior of the lodge and looked out over the balcony and down into the valley. The small town at the center of the resort was fully visible from their vantage point in the mountains and it must only have been a short walk down there by sticking the resort paths.
“It looks so picturesque,” she smiled as she hugged her arms around herself.
“It’s lame,” Oliver’s voice came from behind her as he stepped out of the double French doors and slid them closed behind him.
“Trust you,” she snapped.
“Well I’d rather be back at home, wouldn’t you?” he said.
“No,” Chloe said defiantly, “Obviously not. I think it’s great here.”
“Well I’ve got nothing to do and no way of even getting any booze. No one knows me here.”
“Well that’s tough luck,” Chloe found herself smirking. It was about time her annoying little brother had his comeuppance.
“I don’t suppose you’d…” he trailed off but looked at her with pleading eyes.
“No chance,” Chloe roared with laughter. “All the Christmas Spirit in the world couldn’t get me to go and buy you booze.”
She slapped him playfully on the arm and pouted in mock disappointment.
“Maybe Mommy will let you have a glass of her wine… if you’re a good boy.”
Chloe couldn’t help but burst into laughter as Oliver clenched his fist in mock fury.
“Sorry Ollie,” she shook her head and giggled. “But you’re on your own on that one.”
Oliver covered his eyes with his hands and groaned.
“Anyway,” Chloe smiled as she turned back towards the door to the lodge and slid it open, “That reminds me… it’s about time I went and checked out what sort of bars they have in this town.”
“I hate you,” Oliver said jokingly as she walked away and closed the door behind her and grinned at him through the glass.
“Are you two winding each other up?” her mom said as she lounged on the plush couch and nursed a glass of red wine.
“What else are the holidays for?” Chloe smirked.
“You two…” her mum smiled.
“I’m going to head down into town,” she said as she picked up her purse and pulled on her coat. “I don’t suppose you want to come?”
Her mom shook her head and yawned.
“I’m far too tired for that,” she said. “But go on, have a good time… just be safe, stick to the roads.”
“Of course I will,” Chloe shook her head. “What do you think I am, some kind of idiot…”
“No dear,” her mom laughed. “But you know, strange place, strange town…”
“Luxury resort,” Chloe said. “I hardly imagine it’s going to be crawling with criminals.”
“Have a good time!” Her mom rolled her eyes before swigging her wine and waving her goodbye.
Chloe laughed again and blew her a kiss before making her way to the front door of the cabin and opening it up to the night.
5.
The fresh snow crunched underfoot as she walked along the winding paths and down towards the town. It was so cold that it was already starting to freeze and Chloe was glad of her fur lined hat and cape. She pulled it around her tightly and smiled up at the stars. The night was so clear and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The moonlight shone down on her and lit the way, along with the lights that dotted along the sidewalks, letting her know she hadn’t veered off course. Up ahead she could hear sounds of life and of people cheering. Music was thumping softly and it sounded as if somewhere a group of people were either watching a sports game or playing beer pong. Chloe hustled up and started to walk faster. Whatever was going on down there, she didn’t want to miss it.
As she got closer to the town and all of the shops, restaurants and bars came into view, she couldn’t help but smile. It was the sort of place she had always dreamed of visiting but had never had the opportunity. Sure, she had been skiing when she was a kid, but this was different. It was Christmas and the whole town was decked out in thousands of twinkling lights. Trees and Santa Claus’s were everywhere and the whole place felt so magical she could barely put it into words.
Small crowds were outside of various venues and the whole town seemed so friendly and buzzing with life that she couldn’t help but smile and say hello to everyone she passed. Even though there were many places to choose from, her eyes had focused on one place in particular as she had started her walk along the Main Street and she kept her gaze fixed firmly on it as she made her way forward.
The bar was wooden and a lodge itself in style and out the front a small group of girls and guys were drinking and chattering. She smiled as she walked past them and made her way inside and she wasn’t disappointed. Music drifted out from an old retro jukebox, open fires roared in the corners and the low lighting made the bar feel even more welcoming and inviting. Chloe made her way towards the long counter and pulled up a stool. As she slid onto it and began to unwrap her cape she felt the eyes of the room on her. It wasn’t overly busy in there and she was certainly a new girl in town. She could feel how each man in there was waiting to check her out and see what she had on under her fur cape.
As she revealed her low cut black t-shirt and the large swell of her breasts, she looked down to make sure her bra wasn’t showing. When she had dressed that night she had wanted to be provocative, but not slutty, and so she had teamed it with a pair of tight jeans. They clung to her curvy figure perfectly and made her feel so goddam sexy that she couldn’t help but smile as she brushed her long, silky hair behind her ear.
“Hi,” one of the barmen leaned across and grinned. “What can I get you?”
Chloe bit her lip and looked down at the bar menu. She could see lists of wines and champagne, but what she really wanted was a beer. She could tell that the majority of the people in the resort were well heeled and normally this would have made her want to fit in, but she was feeling rebellious.
“A bottle of Bud,” she smiled and the barman nodded and turned to get her, her drink.
After he passed it to her she sipped it slowly and felt herself begin to unwind. It had been a long day and the travelling had taken it out of her, but she didn’t want to miss a moment of her new abode. She wanted to experience it all and make sure that she made the most out of her time there.
She swigged the beer fast and as she felt her eyes starting to droop with tiredness, she was about to call it a night when suddenly she sensed that someone was beside her. They slid onto the stool right next to her and leaned over across the bar to speak to the bartender. Chloe tried to see out of the corner of her eye but her vision was blurred, so in the end she turned to face them and for the second time that day her jaw almost hit the floor.
The man who had come and sat beside her was so incredibly attractive it almost took her breath away. She couldn’t help but stare, her mouth slightly agape, as he pointed to a bottle of vodka on the back wall of the bar and then turned to her and smiled. He caught her, in full stare mode and her mouth hanging open. She snapped it shut quickly and his eyes glistened as he smiled, the skin around the corner of them crinkling slightly.
> “Oh…” Chloe whimpered.
She looked down at the ground quickly and wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.
What was she doing? Why had she stared at him like that?
The man let out a low laugh and she could tell that he was still watching her. Now she had looked away, she couldn’t even remember what he looked like, but she knew he was unlike anyone she had ever seen before. She could feel his eyes burning into her and she knew that she had to look back up and see him… as she turned her eyes upward and they grazed over his tight jeans on wide thighs, his rippling abs underneath a white t-shirt and his huge muscular arms, she swallowed hard. As she moved past his squared jaw and up to his piercing blue eyes her heart almost stopped beating. His hair was a dusky blonde that seemed to catch the light of the fire and she instinctively bit her bottom lip as her mouth gaped open again.
“Hi,” he said almost in a whisper.
His voice was so low and masculine it made her bones shake.
“Hi,” she managed to croak as their eyes locked in on each other’s and they both seemed unable to tear away.
“Vodka, straight up,” the bartender slammed the tumbler down in front of him and broke their awkward moment.
“Thanks,” the guy said as he slid ten dollars across the counter before he turned back to Chloe. “You new here?” he asked.
“Umm,” she stammered. “Yeah, I, well we, I got here earlier today.”
“We?” he asked, looking around the bar as if to try and find who she was with.
“Oh no,” Chloe shook her head. “I’m on my own here… but I’m here in the resort with my family. Last minute Christmas vacation,” she shrugged.
“Nice place to come last minute,” he raised his eyebrows.
“Well,” she found herself trying not to trip over her words, “My dad had to go away so he sent us here… sort of like a consolation prize.”
He nodded and swigged the vodka down in one before he tapped the bar top again and the tender began to pour him another.
She felt uncomfortable, as if she had said the wrong thing and broke his gaze to twiddle with the label on the beer bottle in front of her.
“I’m Finn,” he said finally as he held out his big rough hand and slid it into hers.
“Chloe,” she smiled.
“Nice name,” he grinned at her and raised his eyebrows.
She felt herself blushing and she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“So Chloe,” he continued. “How about you let me buy you a drink?”
Suddenly, she wasn’t so tired anymore.
6.
Finn bought them beer after beer and each time they chinked them together in celebration. Their conversation flowed easily and he told her that he had been at the resort staying in a friend’s lodge for the past couple of weeks and was on leave from the military. Chloe listened with intrigue as he told her about his experiences in the town, but when she tried to ask him more about his life at work, he clammed up and seemed to veer off the subject.
“I’m originally from Alaska,” he said as he swigged his beer. “But I’ve been away from there for a long time.”
“Well I’m glad you’re here tonight,” she said bravely, the alcohol helping her to loosen up. “Otherwise I’d be sat here alone.”
“I’m glad too,” he smiled warmly as their eyes locked together again.
The bell rang behind the bar for last orders and he motioned to the bartender to bring them another. Since Finn had walked in, time had gone crazily fast and she couldn’t believe it was almost midnight. Each time she looked into his eyes, she felt herself being pulled more into his world, as if they had known each other a lot longer than a couple of hours. Each time he opened his mouth to laugh and flashed his glistening white teeth she found her heart racing just a little bit more and her pulse thumped through her veins with excitement.
“So,” he smiled, “Let me walk you home?” he got to his feet and held out his arm like a gentleman.
Chloe felt like she was blushing crimson, and although she wanted him to, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“Let him,” the bartender said sensing her hesitation. “The woods aren’t safe at this time of night.”
Chloe’s heart rate quickened.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“There’s been a bear seen around here recently, a big bear… some people say its white,” the bartender snorted at the end of his sentence.
“A big, white… bear?” Chloe asked with amusement.
“Yep,” the bartender nodded. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but that’s what I’ve been told… people have to be careful out there walking back… who knows what may wander out and…you know…” he made a claw with his hand and ripped at the air.
Chloe stepped back and wrinkled her nose and Finn shifted uneasily next to her.
“Come on,” he said, dismissing the barman’s story. “Let me walk you back.”
As they approached her lodge Finn looked into her eyes and smiled.
“It was lovely to meet you Chloe,” he said as he brushed the stray strand of hair behind her ear.
She looked up at him and felt the world around them begin to blur. As she leaned forward and wrapped her arm around his waist and he pulled her against him, her whole body felt on fire. Their kiss was electric and as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and their lips brushed softly together, she felt like she could have been jelly in his arms.
Chloe had never felt like this before… and she had only known him a couple of hours. Finn had the kind of personality that made it seem as if they had been friends for years, and he was so sexy, so confident and comfortable in his own skin, that it was a huge turn-on.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked as he stared into her eyes.
“Going out with you,” she smiled.
Finn nodded with a huge grin on his face and leant in and kissed her once more.
“Meet me at the bar at eight,” he said as he turned on his heel and stepped back into the snow.
He waited as Chloe climbed the steps to the lodge and opened the door. As she stepped inside she waved to him and smiled.
“Tomorrow at eight,” he repeated.
“Tomorrow at eight,” she nodded and waved.
As she closed the door behind her she breathed a huge sigh and couldn’t help her grin from reaching ear to ear.
I have a date, she thought. I’ve been here for less than a day… and already I’ve met someone and I have a date… this is shaping up to be the best Christmas ever!
She locked the door and turned out the lights in the lodge before she crept up the stairs so as to not wake her mom and brother. As she slipped into her warm bed and pulled the covers around her she felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. She would never be able to thank her dad enough. This vacation was exactly what she needed.
7.
The intoxicating scent of smoked bacon and maple syrup drifted up through the beams and across the landing towards Chloe’s bedroom late the following morning. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes and wished that she had a bell to ring to get Oliver to bring breakfast to her. But even if she did, she knew she stood no chance of him putting himself out for her.
She yawned and stretched and felt a smile creep across her face.
Finn.
The previous evening had been so much fun… and so unexpected… and she had another date with him lined up in a matter of hours’ time.
“Chloeee!” Her mom called from somewhere downstairs and she stepped down onto the warm wooden floorboards and grabbed her robe.
The lodge was alive with sound, Christmas music was playing on the radio and Oliver was sat in the main living area with his feet up watching the game. Their mom was working away at the kitchen counters, cooking them brunch and as Chloe stepped down the stairs she really felt the absence of her father.
“Morning Darling,” her mom said as she kissed
her on the cheek. “So, how was it out there last night?” she motioned out of the French doors and out into the snowy mountains.
“It was great,” Chloe said coyly. “It’s a really cute place, you’ll both like it.” She smirked at her little secret.
“That’s good,” her mom beamed, “I’m looking forward to heading out in an hour or so.”
“I’ll come with,” Oliver called over his shoulder. “I want to see what this place is about too.”
Chloe picked up the pot of coffee and poured herself a big, frothy cup before she sat down with Oliver and slapped his feet off the table.
“Have you heard from Dad?” she called over to her mom.
“No…” she said. “I tried to call him last night but I think he’ll have been travelling…”
“Maybe we should try him again?” Chloe sat up and looked at her. To make them aware of how much he resented their conversation, Oliver began to turn up the volume on the TV and Chloe slapped him on the shoulder and snatched the remote.
“Here,” her mom said as she passed Chloe her cell phone.
Chloe sipped her coffee, pressed dial and held the phone to her ear. It started ringing and she hummed as she waited, expecting her father to pick up. When it switched the answerphone, she hung up and lay the phone down on the coffee table.
“He didn’t answer,” she said quietly.
“Oh well,” her mom replied from the kitchen, “He’s probably asleep.”
Chloe nodded and sipped her drink, but something at the back of her mind was nagging… It wasn’t like her dad not to be in touch with at least one of them… especially when they were all travelling and apart.
Oliver jumped up and slapped his hands together.
“Right mom,” he said, “Where’s this breakfast?”
Chloe found herself rolling her eyes again and wondering how long she’d be able to stand her brother’s annoying attitude. At least she knew she would have the lodge to herself for the rest of the day, and she could look forward to a few hours peace.