by Gray, Beth
“Oh yes, I need one day to recuperate and be ready for them. I have this funny feeling they are real hot dogs on the snowboards. I saw some of those nuts today. It is unbelievable what they can do.” The hot water melted her pains away, but soon she realized she could only stay in it for so long. “I think we could use something good to drink tonight. What do you think?”
“Sounds great.” Penny stood, revealing a slender body. No wonder Bobby liked her. “I’ll see what we have and give Bobby a call to see how they’re doing.”
Chapter 16
Terri studied the trail maps while sitting in front of the fire at the condo, hoping to know which ones to stay on and which ones to avoid. Peak Nine offered many extras for snowboarders and so did Peak Eight. The Freeway Terrain Park connected the various beginner to advanced parks together. She enjoyed the pipes but knew how dangerous they could be if she screwed up. Breckenridge had four half-pipes, which is why she felt sure the guys wanted to come here.
Without the lessons the last few days, she would never be able to pull this off. Now, she hoped her legs would mend to make tomorrow a good day of snowboarding. She could always convert back to skiing, which she loved. But for now, she had to prove she could run with the pack.
Penny walked into the room, talking into her cell phone. She cupped the receiver and turned to Terri. “They’re here and want us to meet them at a shop where they are getting their boards.”
Terri hoped they would come to see them at the condo, but relented. “It will take a few minutes to get dressed.”
“Good, I’ll tell them.”
* * * *
Chad looked over the boards, attempting to find one perfect for the new snow. He considered buying one but remembered the pain in hauling one back and forth. He finally pointed to the one he wanted and worked on getting fitted properly as Terri and Penny walked in.
“Hey, guys, I’m glad you could make it.” Terri’s face looked slightly red from being on the mountain.
“I didn’t know you were coming early. How is the snow?” He walked over to Terri and gave her a hug as he watched Bobby kiss Penny firmly on the lips. He extended the hug into a kiss on her cheek as she returned the favor. He glanced at her snowboarding clothes that gave her a much younger appearance.
Seeing Charlie on one side, the women rushed to give him a hug at the same time. He returned a big smile. “The mountain looks great.”
Penny arched her back and grinned. “It is great.” Her clothes reflected her intentions of skiing and not snowboarding. The pink snow jacket with snow-white collars gave an impression she much more liked to be a snow bunny and enjoy the nightlife.
Chad turned to the store clerk and handed him a card. “Put all of these on my card.”
Terri held up several new ski masks as she studied them. She looked radiant and confident. Maybe he underestimated her. Tomorrow they would be on the slopes, and the truth would be known. A shiver of excitement passed over him. He loved this place.
Charlie held his hands in the air as he made an announcement. “I received my check from the art show in Miami a few months ago. Tonight is my treat. We are going to get so drunk!”
Chad raised his hands in a victory salute as he yelled to match his friend. He glanced at Terri, flashing smiles, and wondered how long she would attempt to keep up with them.
Terri raised her hands and joined in before rushing to Charlie to give him a large hug. “That sounds like a plan.” She pulled away and stared at him. The game was on.
* * * *
Walking into the first sports bar they found, Terri assumed the lead, moving to the main bar in the back of the building. She pointed to the shot glass ski hanging on the wall behind the bar tender. “That looks like a good place to start.”
“Oh, Terri, you are a wicked woman.” Chad’s smiles lit up the crowd.
The bartender laid the board in front of them, the fixed shot glasses evenly spaced for six people. Charlie used his fingers to exaggerate the counting before marching out into the crowd. A beautiful dark-haired woman wearing boarder clothes soon stumbled behind him to the bar. “Now, we can party.” Charlie lined her up next to him.
The woman, appearing to be in her thirties, glanced around. “Hi, my name’s Susan.”
The bartender filled the shot glasses, giving no time for everyone to introduce themselves. Managing the ski required much more coordination than Chad expected. He was on the far end from Charlie and next to Terri. The board lifted head high, and with Bobby counting, they tilted the ski sideways. He moved fast to make sure the drink ended up in his mouth and not washing down his face.
The raw vodka burned going down. He blinked his eyes and glanced at Terri. Being shorter, she failed to catch the drink tipping over as effectively as the taller guys and wiped the vodka from her face, smearing some of her makeup. “Okay, guys, we need to have an understanding. You’re going to have to bend down a little.”
Chad laughed. Terri looked silly, but more fun than usual. Okay, he did feel slightly bad. “I’m sorry.”
She focused on his face. “Let’s try it again.”
Chad raised his right hand in the air leading a yell from the group.
The bartender stepped forward, refilling the shot glasses. “Here, I’ll help this time.”
A small crowd hovered around them this time, urging them on. Chad placed his left arm around Terri and lifted the ski with his right, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He watched her lift on her toes as the ski tilted the drinks. The vodka poured, and he missed some while he concentrated on her, leaving a cool sensation trickling from his chin.
Looking past Terri, he saw Bobby kissing Penny. The drink swirled in his head as he leaned over and kissed Terri directly on the lips. The firmness reminded him of a previous kiss. He settled in for several seconds. When he released her, she had her eyes closed. He wanted more, but would wait for later, confident he could.
A movement to the far right of the bar captured his attention. Men started setting up several tables and hauled various-size boxes and electronic equipment. The precision of their activities indicated they had done this before. When he recognized the speakers, he understood—karaoke. “All right!”
Charlie handed the ski back to the bartender. “I think that will get us started.” He handed the bartender a card to hold his bill. “Whatever anyone wants please add to it and I’ll clear when we leave.”
The guys met in the center and studied the set up. Several of the raised tables were being moved to the side to provide room in front of the equipment. Memories of singing in the past played in Chad’s mind. Great memories of times the guys went out together. He usually was able to strut around the room and make passes at women all over the sports bar. Tonight would be different. How would Terri react to his antics?
Studying Bobby, Chad understood he would stay close to Penny and probably dedicate his song to her. Now Charlie could use this opportunity to solidify his move on the new girl or use it to go hunting for fresh meat—lucky him. While Terri and he were not a couple, they were there together with some history.
Breaking his thoughts, Charlie waved his hands around to obtain everyone’s attention. “Hey, this is Shannon, who lives here. She’s cool.” Charlie moved closer to give her another hug.
She obliged with a returned kiss on his cheek. “You guys appear to be a lot of fun. Let me say good-bye to my girlfriends, and I’ll be right back.”
Chad walked over and lifted one of the songbooks being placed on the tables. As he opened it on the bar, Terri snuggled in close to him to see the selections. He wanted a song with some excitement tonight. “Are you going to sing tonight?” He nodded in her direction, fully expecting her to say no.
“Absolutely, I don’t think you should have all of the fun.” She winked.
Chad realized he didn’t know anything about her taste in music. In fact, he didn’t know much about her personal life at all. He stopped when he found one of his old favorites�
�“I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. “Here, this will do.” He wrote down the number. “See if you can find a song you like while I turn this one in.”
Chad walked over to the DJ and handed him his selection. “Hi, glad to see someone taking an early start. It will be a while until we get started.”
“Not a problem, we plan on staying for a while.”
When Chad returned to the bar, all three women were studying the songbook. They scribbled on several selection sheets at once. This was going to be fun. He passed them and headed for his buddies.
Charlie faked several punches at Chad’s midsection before glancing over Chad’s shoulder toward the women. “Hey, we are going to get laid tonight.”
Thoughts of a simple screw and moving on sounded good to Chad as he studied the arousal in his pants. It had been a while. Could he separate his business life from his personal life for just one night? He felt sure she would want to, but how would it affect them later? It would be a long night, perhaps much longer than she could hang with them. If so, he might be able to hook up with someone else.
Bobby joined in. “I think I’m all set for the night, but if I do stay up all night, I might not get up in time to hit the mountain.”
“Yeah, I want to be on the lift when it opens. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.” Chad twisted his neck to relieve some tension.
Charlie laughed before yawning. “I understand you two have it all lined up, but I still need to make some hay tonight before someone else centers in on her this week. I’ll be back at the condo before it is too late.”
Chad coughed. “I’m not so sure I have it all lined up, big guy. Just because Terri is here doesn’t mean I am all tied to her.”
“Hey, she’s not bad.”
“Yes, she’s nice. But you know me. I need to spread the love around. And we will be working with her for a long time. You know how I hate hangers.”
Bobby spoke. “I don’t think she will be a hanger. I definitely don’t think Penny will be either. For now, we’re having a great time together.”
Chad at least knew he had the support of the guys behind him. He decided to leave his mind open to what might happen later. Yes, he liked her. He would see how she hung with them and give her a chance.
An hour and a half later, the karaoke started. Terri and the others had picked their song and walked forward holding their microphones. The song flashed above them—an old Diana Ross tune. All three sounded great as they passed smiles to each other. As if on cue, they walked toward Chad and his friends, with each stopping in front of their target to sing.
Chad focused on Terri inches in front of him, singing and engaging him with her eyes. While it might be construed as a stage performance for the rest of the bar to see, he saw much more. He saw feelings, true honest feelings, sending a mixture of concerns. Should he be flattered or apprehensive, knowing where this might lead?
Thinking the best defense was a good offense, he pushed closer to her, locking his hips in close to her. She didn’t retreat but pressed harder against him as she continued to sing from memory, as she had no way of seeing the words on the screen. The intensity of her stare remained relentless as the words etched into his memory. The words written by someone else became her own as he considered the meanings in this beautiful love song of “Stop! In the Name of Love,” which he loved forever. Was she telling him something in a song she couldn’t in real life?
The song finished, and she leaned forward and kissed him. The crowd in the bar hooted and clapped. The heat in her lips matched her performance. She stumbled as he released her. To have sung that well after drinking for hours was indeed an accomplishment.
He glanced at his friends, enjoying the same treatment. It was going to be a long night.
Wrong—Terri glanced at her watch. “Hey, guys, we came to tear up some mountain. You are going to be there when the lifts open, aren’t you?”
All agreed as they formed a small circle.
Penny spoke. “We came down on the tram. I’m not sure when the last run is.”
Chad answered for the guys, “We have a car and can take you to your condo.”
“Sounds good, if you don’t mind.” Terri stayed locked in beside Chad.
Charlie patted Chad on the shoulder. “Shannon is staying in the same condo complex we are. We can walk to it from here.”
Chad knew lucky Charlie would not show for a while tonight. “You’ve got your key with you, don’t you?”
“I’m good. You guys have fun.”
As Terri reached for his hand, Chad led the way out of the bar.
* * * *
Terri would have loved to stay out later tonight, but knew the real test would come tomorrow when they hit the slopes. If the guys wanted to stay out all night and give her an advantage, that would be just fine. Chad followed close behind her and seemed pleased she asked him to see where they were staying. The two-bedroom condo had recently been updated and had a very mountain-cabin look to it, with a large fireplace in the den.
The four removed their snow boots and goggles as they entered and explored inside. Terri removed her heavy jacket and hung it on a coat stand before indicating to Chad to do the same. Penny lost no time pulling Bobby toward her bedroom, leaving her alone with Chad.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Terri asked as she walked toward the kitchen.
“No, I don’t think we will stay too long. “
“Really.” Terri motioned toward Penny’s bedroom, as she imagined clothes were being stripped off as she talked.
Chad laughed. “Well, we will see.”
Terri joined him. “Well, how do you like the place?”
“It’s larger than our condo, but we’re able to ski in and ski out from ours. I do like this large fireplace. We might have to build a big fire in it one night.”
“You’re more than welcome to build one. I think it would be great.” Terri snuggled closer as the cool air in the condo made her shiver.
Terri gave him every indication she was receptive to any advances, but knew he had reservations. She reached for his hand and gave him a small squeeze. With his free hand, he reached for the small lamp on the side table and clicked it off. The hallway light leading to the bedrooms provided the only remaining light. The resulting mood increased her desire to push past her own doubts.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. He held her hand as if it were delicate and would break if he moved too fast. He lowered her hand to where it rested on his leg before releasing it and raised his arm to place over her head and to pull her tighter to him. Her bulky sweater made her uncomfortable. “Please let me take this off. It’s getting hot in here,” she lied as the cool breeze whipped across her head.
Nevertheless, she leaned forward and removed the heavy sweater. She smiled as he did the same. A thin turtleneck shell provided her a much easier mobility. He wore a thermal sweat. He had to be hot in it.
As she settled back into his arms, she became immediately aware of his body, so nice, so buff. The word buff stuck in her thoughts as she waited on him to make a move. With her hand on his leg again, she gently massaged. It worked as he shifted his weight, turning in her direction.
He raised a hand to cup her chin as his eyes focused on her face, gently exploring one feature after another. His breath registered in warm waves as he remained content to hover within inches of her lips. She waited long enough as she closed the gap and her lips melted into his. Hidden memories reemerged of previous nights. She sucked on his upper lip as his hand slid along her face and caressed her neck before drifting lower to find the edge of her shell.
She returned to a full kiss, opening her mouth wider to allow him to explore her mouth with his tongue. It felt rigid and smooth, much the way she imagined his cock to be. A small spasm worked along her spine. She arched her back, hoping for some relief. His finger worked under her shell and explored lower as her nipples tingled. She never remembered a guy this young bein
g so slow, so patient with her. Most guys wanted to jump her bones and leave as soon as they finished, which wasn’t long at all.
Her fingers slid along his leg, finding their way to his cock. As expected, he already had a hard-on. With his heavy pants on, she couldn’t wrap around him, but knew he had to enjoy her pressure on it. She rubbed her fingers up and down along the area where his cock was. Her memory of waking up with her hand around it the last time they were together replayed in her mind. She felt sure they had made love the first time, but she still could not vividly recall the details. This time would be different.
His fingers reached the top of her bra and inched around, looking for an easy way under. She wasn’t going to stop him, and she was going to break. He could apply more pressure. She definitely added more pressure to his cock. She bit softly on his tongue and moaned. His finger worked under and teased her nipple. She groaned louder.
She raised her hand to explore for a belt. Everything appeared too complicated. He would have to help her if he wanted her to feel him flesh on flesh. She tried again, hoping to find a zipper. Yes, she smiled and sucked on his tongue as she found it.
His hand managed to cup her breast as her heart fluttered. She worked on the zipper. She wanted to hold his cock. She wanted him. And, she hated to admit, she needed him. The zipper reached the bottom, and she explored the opening, looking for a way to work her hand under his shorts. She struggled but stayed persistent. She bit on his tongue again, this time too hard, as he withdrew it and mumbled a weak ouch.
“Sorry.” She wrapped her fingers around her prize, pulsating erotically in her hand. They needed to make it to her bedroom. She needed him, and now.
A door slammed behind them as they both shot up straight. Drunken laughter moved in their direction. She released his cock and felt his hand jerking out of her shell. They should have retreated earlier. Damn!
“Are you two okay?” Penny called out as she walked forward.