“Oh. My. Gosh! Sam, you look AMAZING!” Amanda exclaimed, “Your hair, your outfit...you look simply stunning!”
Sam laughed nervously, “Yeah, um...about that. I was actually just about to go get my bag out of the car and change.”
Amanda's jaw dropped, “Why on earth would you do a crazy thing like that?”
Sam shrugged.
“This whole thing…” She gestured up and down her body, “seemed like a better idea in theory than in actual practice.”
“Don't change,” Amanda commanded, “I think that you look perfect.”
“Thanks, but I think I'll feel more comfortable in my normal clothes.”
“”Life ain't about being comfortable, babe,” Amanda said, and then slyly added, “Besides, we have a dress code here.”
Dress code? This was the first Sam had heard of a dress code.
“I don't think I remember reading about that in the employee handbook you gave me. What are the rules of the dress code?”
Amanda shrugged, “It's very simple. All new ski pros must, on their first day, eschew their sweats and dress to impress Luke Reynolds. Honestly, I'm kind of excited. It's such a specific rule that we've never had the chance to enforce it before.”
Sam shook her head in mock exasperation and reached for the door a second time. However, in a virtual replay of what had happened a few moments before, the knob was torn from her fingers again, the door flew open, and this time Luke walked through it.
“Too late,” Amanda sing-songed quietly out of the corner of her mouth.
“Wow....” Luke breathed, looking Samantha up and down, “Just...wow.”
Sam stood stock still, not really sure what to say to that. It felt like a compliment, but was it? Did he mean 'wow, you look great' or was it more like 'wow, I can't believe you're dressed like such an idiot' – if she said 'thank you' and he'd meant the second one, she'd feel even stupider. But, holy moly! The way Luke was looking at her definitely made her think it was a compliment. In fact, the way Luke was looking at her was making her start to tingle...
Sam's train of thought was cut off there by Amanda, though. Sam smiled at this. Amanda was never one who could deal well with awkward silences.
Amanda said, “Doesn’t Sam look pretty?”
“Pretty,” Luke repeated hoarsely, nodding his head.
OK, Sam told herself, I need to take charge of this little encounter. Time to turn the collective attention of the group away from the fascinating topic of ‘how Sam looks’ and onto the job we're all here to do.
“Morning, Luke,’” Sam chirped. She heard herself and knew she was speaking a tad too brightly and a few notches too loud, but she soldiered on, “So, Amanda – do you have some paperwork you needed us to go over and sign, or did you just want to get right into the nuts and bolts of the ski program?”
Turning, she took a single step and sat down in one of the chairs facing Amanda’s desk, hoping Amanda and Luke would fall into step and do the same. If she were honest with herself, she also had to admit that she didn't quite trust herself to stay on her feet around Luke yet. Her pride was still stinging from the last time she'd almost fallen down in front of him, and felt that she was safer all around with her butt parked in a chair.
As she had hoped, Amanda took her cues from Sam and got right down to business. She settled in behind her desk and pulled out two bundles of paperwork, each held together with binder clips.
“It's so convenient to have two new people starting on the same day, so we can go through all of the new hire paperwork at the same time,” Amanda said brightly. As Sam and Luke made their way through the thick packets of paper – reading, signing, and initialing where needed – Amanda continued her spiel, “Let's see...the doc from our insurance company is coming by this afternoon to do both of your physicals so you can be insured through our policy. That's separate from your personal health insurance through us, obviously. That's the corporate insurance. Hmmm, what else?
“Oh, schedules! So, until the Grand Re-Opening, you can just do the basic Monday through Friday, eight to five thing. After we've got folks on the slopes, I'm going to leave the scheduling up to you both, based on how busy we are at a given time. At really busy times, like Saturdays or Holidays, you'll both need to be on. On days with minimal or medium guest levels, you can work out your slope schedules. Also, you'll have to divide the management of the support staff that we'll be hiring, like pro shop employees and equipment rentals manager, and an assistant manager for the two of you. I was thinking of that kid, Marco. He had really good qualifications, and he obviously respected the hell out of both of you.”
Sam was nodding, but it was mostly automatic. All of this sounded great to her, but honestly she was having a tough time concentrating with Luke sitting so near. She was seriously going to need to get that under control. She had a job to do.
She heard Amanda say, “So if all of that is good with both of you, why don’t we head over to your office. You can get all set up!”
Amanda grabbed two sets of keys as she moved from behind her desk and headed toward the door.
Luke and Sam both stood and Luke gestured for Sam to go first. Sam liked that. She thought it was nice. She had always appreciated a good old-fashioned gentleman, and she hadn't been around that many.
She wasn’t sure if it was just that most of the men that she spent time with were athletes, and they viewed her as a co-competitor instead of a lady, but for whatever reason, no one ever opened doors for her, or stood when she returned to a dining table. Perhaps because it was so rare, it was a quality that Sam had always held in high regard. Now, finally being on the receiving end of this chivalry, she realized that she was enjoying it even more than she thought she would.
--- ~ ---
Luke watched Samantha and Amanda walk ahead of him on the trail that led to his and Sam’s new office, and struggled to keep his physical reaction to Sam in those jeans under control. He didn't think that sporting wood as Amanda showed them where they would be working together would give the best 'first day' impression. It probably wouldn't make Sam feel optimistic about working in what he assumed (hoped!) would be close quarters.
He had to control himself. He was doing everything in his power to not stare at the way her perfect heart-shaped ass looked in those snug jeans...the way her hips swayed as she walked.
DAMN! Other girls tried to be sexy. Sam just was sexy.
The way she walked and laughed with Amanda, it was pretty clear to Luke that the two of them were very close. She seemed completely relaxed.
She also seemed to be completely ignoring him. Luke smiled to himself. Well, let’s see how long that lasts when it’s just the two of us, he thought.
The girls stopped walking when they arrived at what looked like a renovated cabin, and Amanda opened the door. She and Samantha headed inside, but Luke did not immediately follow. He took a moment to himself, making sure that his body was not giving him away by exhibiting any outward signs of inward thoughts.
When he felt that he had himself completely under control, he took a deep breath and walked through the open door.
The room was a light blue color, fresh and bright, and looked as if it had been freshly painted. Completing the remodel of the room were new hardwood floors.
The room was not empty, however. There were dozens of boxes stacked against one wall, and at the far end of the room, there was a long counter with a cash register sitting on it.
“So this is going to be the pro shop,” Amanda was proudly tour guiding, “ And it's where people will come to rent skis, snowboards, tubes...you know, all the fun stuff. And we're also gonna sell clothing, sun glasses, sun screen...all the boring stuff. You guys probably won’t be spending too much time here, other than meeting with clients or groups you’re taking on the mountain.”
Amanda continued through a doorway that led to a small kitchen area. Inside were a stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and small table.
�
��This is the break room. It’s small, but since it will just be the two of you and whoever is in the front most of the time, I think it should work. I stocked the fridge and pantry, and there's coffee and related supplies in the cabinet above the coffeemaker, but let me know if there’s anything else that you'd like me to keep on hand.”
Next to the fridge was a door that seemed almost hidden in the small space. Amanda smiled and opened it with a flourish, saying proudly “Here's your office. It used to be the bedroom, so that is why the fireplace is there. But I think it is definitely big enough for both of you to be comfortable in.”
Luke followed Samantha and Amanda into a room that was painted a muted yellow. Like the pro shop in the front room, it looked freshly painted. There were two identical desks in the middle of the room facing each other. And, indeed, there was a beautiful stone fireplace in the corner.
Luke smiled. Cozy. This was working out better than he had expected.
It was clear that Amanda and Justin had worked very hard to create a place that he and Sam would feel comfortable and welcome in, and that Amanda was proud of her work. He agreed, she should be proud, they'd created a wonderful, warm space from which to administrate the ski program.
“This is great, I love it!” He enthused, and Amanda beamed.
Before she could answer, the room was filled with a loud beeping sound and Amanda snapped up the radio that she kept attached to her belt loop and held it to her mouth, answering crisply, “I’m here, what’s up.”
A disembodied voice came over the radio, “Yeah, Amanda...we've got some questions up here on the new cabin construction. We need either you or Justin. Are you available?”
“On my way,” she answered briskly.
Snapping the radio back on her belt loop, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the two sets of keys she had grabbed from her office. She handed them each a ring containing three individual keys as she explained, “Here are the keys to the front door, your office, and the equipment shed in the back. I'll leave it up to you guys if you want to start going through the boxes and get some kind of an inventory system worked out or if you'd rather wait for me to hire the equipment manager and have them deal with it. You can let me know how hands on you want to be on the pro shop/equipment side of things.
“Also, the lift operator is going to be here today, making sure that everything is all set, so if you guys want to head up to the slopes for a run and get a feel for it, today would be a good day,” she paused, clearly searching her memory to see if she had forgotten anything. When she seemed satisfied that she hadn't, she smiled and concluded brightly, “Alright, I guess that's it! Radio me if you need me.”
Amanda turned to leave, but just as she was about to pass the threshold, seemed to think better of it. She turned and said, “This is all new to me, and I just want to say that Justin and I are both SO happy and lucky to have instructors of your caliber at Mountain Ridge.”
And with that, she was gone, and Samantha and Luke were officially alone and on their own.
“So…” Luke began awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.
“So…” Sam parroted, seeming to mirror not only the words, but the sentiment.
“So do you have your board with you?” Luke asked. He knew that Sam was probably dying to get out on the snow, because he sure as hell was.
She tilted her head and looked at him like he was an idiot, “What do you think?”
Luke's eyes twinkled as he answered her.
“I think it’s time to hit the slopes.”
Chapter Nine
As Sam sat in the lift with Luke, her board at her side, she felt more like herself than she had in quite a while. It had snowed about two inches the night before, and she loved the crisp, clean smell of the air. God. There was no other smell in the world that compared to fresh powder.
She leaned back, savoring the sensation. The smell of the air and the snow, the gentle and steady upward motion of the lift, the weight of the board against her side and the edge of it in her palm as she held it – all of these sensations conspired to put her in an almost zen-like trance state. The “zone” as it was sometimes called.
Sam had never understood the phrase “getting in the zone.” To her, the zone wasn't a place she visited or got into. She thought of the zone as her default. The zone was her natural state. Sometimes life would conspire to knock her out of it, sure, and she'd have to fight to get back there. But the difference was, she didn't feel like she was trying to work herself up to some unnatural state when she tried to get back into the “zone.” She merely thought of it as setting things right, getting herself back where she belonged. Going home.
Even with Luke sitting next to her on the lift, she didn’t feel nervous or tongue tied. No butterflies plagued her. The only thing Sam felt right now was pure excitement – anticipation of the rush that she always experienced when she sped down the mountain.
“You look like a kid that’s about to be let loose in a candy store.” Luke said with a smile.
“I haven’t been on a run in months, I can’t wait.” Sam said barely able to contain the thrill in her voice.
“Damn, you must have been really busy. I can’t imagine going months without getting on my board,” Luke said, adding playfully, “Sometimes I think it may even be better than sex.”
Sam didn’t know what to say to that. Just hearing the word ‘sex’ come out of Luke’s mouth made her heart beat faster.
Her throat clutched in terror. She didn't want to humiliate herself. Great! How was she going to respond? How would someone respond that had actually had sex? So many thoughts were racing through her head at such a high rate of speed that she couldn't seem to pluck any single one of them and form it into the words necessary to answer his comment.
She glanced over at Luke, checking to see if he had noticed the internal battle she was waging trying to, not only think of what to say, but also modulate her voice enough to say it without making a fool of herself.
“Wow, you’re looking at me like I’ve just grown two heads,” He chuckled, “I wasn’t serious. Sex is definitely better. Especially if it’s with the right person.”
He fixed his gaze forward as a slow, sexy smile spread across his face.
Sam mentally cursed him and his goddamn slow, sexy smile, which was doing absolutely nothing to free her from the muteness that was currently plaguing her.
She felt that smile all the way down to her core. She felt her toes curl in her boots. A very inconvenient tingling began from a region that she had been ignoring for most of her life – a tingling which was making it very difficult not to squirm in her seat at that moment. But, no. She refused to give him the satisfaction.
She gripped the bar on the lift tighter as she turned away from Luke’s intense gaze. Jeez, if a smile could make her feel that much, how could she possibly stand it if he actually touched her?
She caught her breath and cut off that line of thinking immediately. If the goal was to stop feeling the need to squirm in her seat, then that train of thought was going to be of no help whatsoever!
As the lift continued up the mountain, Sam didn’t think that the altitude had anything to do with the light-headed sensation she was experiencing. Great, she thought to herself. Maybe I'll faint. That would make an awesome headline. “Olympian Samantha Holt Faints and Tumbles to Death From Ski Lift After Fellow Olympian Luke Reynolds Makes One Fairly Innocuous Racy Comment. Autopsy Reveals What Was Suspected All Along: Holt Was a Big Fat Stinking VIRGIN!”
She sighed. This was all so complicated! Everything felt so surreal! Luke was here in Hope Falls. He was at Mountain Ridge. He was sitting beside her on a lift. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was flirting with her. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined this would happen. Well, OK, maybe in her wildest dreams.
Which made this whole situation, if she were true to the semantics, an honest-to-God dream come true.
---~---
Luke felt the energy
between him and Sam change as soon as he said the word ‘sex.' It was like a charge of pure electricity had passed between them. Luke had never experienced anything quite like it. Sure he had had some great connections with women in the past, but nothing like what he felt with Sam. This connection was pure, unadulterated, knock-you-on-your-ass, explosive chemistry. It was a once in a lifetime thing, at least it was for him.
Seeing how she seemed to clam up and retreat into herself as soon as it happened, Luke figured this was not the time to push the issue with Sam. He sensed that broaching the topic outright would be a mistake, so he decided to go down a different, more circuitous, route.
“So, Amanda and Justin seem great,” he said in what he hoped was a friendly and non-threatening tone, “Have you known them long?”
He saw Sam’s whole demeanor change when he spoke, she visibly relaxed. Good. So he had chosen the right approach.
“They are amazing,” she said with a wide smile, “I’ve known them both for practically my whole life. Amanda and I, along with our two friends Lauren and Karina, were inseparable growing up. We called ourselves ‘the Fabulous Four’, if you can imagine.”
She stopped and smiled at the memory, shaking her head, “We even had a motto: ‘The Fabulous Four, Nothing We Can’t Accomplish.’ It seems silly to say this but mentally chanting that motto has helped me through many a competition when things weren’t looking so great.”
“That’s not silly at all. Mantras are powerful tools, especially if they're connected to something meaningful, like the support and love of friends,” Luke said, so happy Sam was actually starting to open up a little. In all the years he had known her this was the first time he felt like he was truly getting to know her.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling shyly. Then, returning to the topic, she continued, “Anyway, Amanda has been in love with Justin since we were around eight years old. He was older, and ended up leaving town suddenly when we were seventeen. He just recently came back and they reconnected.
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