by Mia Ford
“Hello,” Glen said waving his hands in front of me. “Earth to Cameron. Come in,”
“Huh?”
“Dude, what’s going on?”
“I seriously just saw a woman that stopped me in my tracks,” I said, shaking my head. “She was tall and curvy, with reddish brown hair, and her eyes, man, her eyes were this light green, almost like a cat. She was incredible looking, but by the time I got out here, she was going up the elevator, and I lost her.”
“Wow, she sounds incredible,” Glen said. “Though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this bent out of shape over a girl before. You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a deep breath. “She just caught me off guard. That’s all.”
“So, did you hear me about the classes?”
“Yeah, no classes today,” I said, bringing my attention back. “That’s too bad, really. At the same time, man, I was dragging myself through the day today. I don’t know what it was. I just couldn’t pick myself up.”
“Until you saw the green-eyed cat lady.” Glen laughed. “Maybe I should find her and pay her to light a fire under your ass every time I need you to be somewhere.”
“Ha-Ha,” I replied.
“You want to grab a drink?”
“No, I kind of blew off the girl that’s sitting in there at the bar to chase down the mystery girl,” I said, making a whoops face. “I should probably stay away from her for now. She was pretty put off when I just stood up and walked away.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Glen said, laughing. “All right, well, I’ll catch up with you later tonight, okay? Maybe you can get some skiing in later. I know you wanted to do that.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said, staring out the front doors. “If you need me, I’ll be up in my room.”
“All right, man,” Glen said, turning and walking away.
I sighed and looked around, deciding that a drink in my room and maybe some Thursday afternoon television might be what I was looking for. I took the elevator upstairs, the smell of strawberry and lavender body spray wafting into my nose. I wondered if it belonged to the mystery girl, and if when you got close to her, her skin smelled sweet and comforting like that. I reached my floor and stepped out, walking down the hallway to my suite. Once inside, I took off my shoes and snow layers and put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved Henley that I pushed the sleeves up on. I walked over and plopped down in the chair that faced the fireplace and the television.
At first, I just sat there, not wanting to crowd my mind with images from the television. Instead, I let the vision of the girl run over and over again in my mind, wondering what I would say if I actually caught her. She looked different than any girl I had ever hit on before. There was an air of confidence to her, like she wasn’t afraid to be who she was, like she wasn’t the girl to fall for silly tricks like the ones I usually played. What if that were the case? What if I were to make a complete fool of myself in front of her? I sighed and turned on the television, sinking down in the chair and surfing through the channels. Maybe Glen was right. Maybe I should watch the drifts and go out skiing. It would clear my mind. Obviously, I was letting this girl get to me, and it was very much unlike me.
I sighed and switched off the television, not seeing anything worth capturing my attention. I looked at the weather report on my phone, and it said that the winds should be tapering down soon. I walked over and looked out the window at the mountain just outside. I could see almost all the way to the top, so I assumed that they would open back up the slopes soon. That was good because they already canceled the classes, which would give me the entire afternoon off. It had been a long time since I was able to actually enjoy skiing. I smiled a bit and shook my head, glancing down in the courtyard before turning to walk away. I stopped, staring down at two girls standing there talking, one of them being my beautiful redhead. I watched her for a moment, telling myself to move, to run down there. I had to talk to her. I knew I wouldn’t let it go until I actually did.
I turned and jogged across the suite, slipping my shoes on and grabbing my ski jacket, stuffing my keys into my pockets. I left the room and jogged down to the elevator. I pressed the button, but the elevator was moving super slow, and my impatience got the best of me. I pushed through the stairwell doors and raced down the stairs as fast as I could. I was only five floors up, so it shouldn’t take too long to get to the bottom. When I came out of the lobby doors, I stopped and put my hands on my knees, panting wildly. I laughed at myself for being such a fool and then shook it off, pushing through the crowds and out the front doors. I looked up at the resort, trying to find my room, and took off down the path around the side to the courtyard.
When I got there, though, no one was there, and all that remained of my mystery girl were tracks left in the snow. I looked all around to make sure she wasn’t playing somewhere in the snow, and then dropped my hands to my sides, realizing I had forgotten my hat. I pulled up my hood and shivered, shaking my head and heading back inside. I knocked the snow off my now-wet tennis shoes and stood there staring out at the mountain. I had to find this girl. It was no longer an option.
Chapter 8
Bea
“So, we should figure out what we want to do,” I said, in awe from the luxury of this place.
I looked around the courtyard and smiled, the snow laying in puffs of white all around us. The trees twinkled in the sunlight, and I could see the fog at the top of the mountain beginning to clear. It was absolutely stunning in every way; even more impressive than any picture I had ever seen of Aspen. Now, I was starting to understand why everyone flocked here. It was a little, winter wonderland paradise. I couldn’t even start to imagine how much the place we were staying in cost, especially since everyone I saw was decked out in designer clothes and wearing jewelry I had only seen on television. Hailey didn’t mind spending that kind of money, though. Not only did she have a very lucrative career in investments, but she was the child of a billionaire, and her trust fund made it so no one in her immediate bloodline would ever worry for anything. Couple that with the fact that she was the investment queen, and I was pretty sure this was being paid for by the interest she made off of just a couple of her recent investments.
“Well, I think today that we should go into town and check out the shopping,” she said. “I hear that the shopping in Aspen is amazing. Then tomorrow, I definitely think that we should go skiing. We really can’t come to Aspen and not go skiing at least once. I mean, I’m sure plenty of people do, but that would be silly. Besides, I think the wind on your face and the rush of gliding down the mountain would be good for you.”
“You do realize that I’ve never been skiing before, right?”
“Meh, that’s just the details,” she said, shaking her hand.
“Okay, but we’re going to need some instruction before we go gliding down the face of a mountain,” I said, laughing. “I’d like to try to stay on my feet and not break my neck on this vacation.”
“Well, we came to the right place, then, because I’ve heard they have some of the world’s best instructors,” she said, smiling. “We will be snow bunnies before we know it. We can buy some snow gear to stay warm while we’re out in town today. Besides, I don’t like renting gear. It’s like renting shoes at the bowling alley. It freaks me out. We live in a ski town, too, so if we love it, we can use our gear at home. If we hate it, we can just stick it away for our next Aspen vacation.”
“I’m pretty sure I will never be rich enough to afford to come here again.” I laughed. “But thank you for this. It’s really beautiful here, and I am already starting to feel lighter in the chest.”
“Good, that is the whole point of this entire thing, to help you clear your mind and see that Grant was probably the worst choice for you to make,” she said, smiling. “But come on. Let’s go inside, pick up some information for the instructors, have a drink, and then we can head out to the town and do some shopping.”
“Sounds perfect,�
� I said.
We slowly made our way back to the front of the hotel, and I couldn’t help but notice how just being around the corner of the building, surrounded by nothing but white, made me feel a million miles away from all of my problems. I knew people didn’t really come to Aspen for the quiet, but I was definitely finding the places where I could find solace if I needed it.
The entrance to the resort was gorgeous, with high ceilings and marble floors. The décor was modern, but warm, and I gawked at the elegance of the place. The rooms weren’t really that different, either. The beds were large and soft, with the best quality sheets and linens. Our room was a suite with two bedrooms and a common area. Both bedrooms had their own fireplaces, and the common room had one as well. Luckily for me, they were gas fireplaces because I had never been very good at starting a fire. The people walking around us were all decked out in the most fashionable snow gear, and the women wore full-on makeup to go ski. I didn’t see the purpose in that, especially since if I were to attempt it, by the end, I would look like a raccoon.
We walked up to the concierge desk and were greeted by an older gentleman with a nice smile. He tipped his head at us as we were walking forward and typed just a couple more things before stopping. Hailey took the lead and smiled back.
“Hi,” she said happily. “We were wondering if we could get a list of your ski instructors, so we could pick one and schedule a class?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled, pulling out a sheet of paper and setting it on the desk. “Just so you know, these two at the top, Glen and Cameron, are our specialty teachers. They offer the best classes and the most one-on-one attention. They were booked through Christmas, but it looks like there were two cancellations for tomorrow’s class. Would you like me to schedule you in?”
“That would be fantastic,” Hailey said. “Could you charge it to the room?”
“Of course,” he said. “So, you will meet here at the specified time on this card, and the concierge service will take you to the lifts and get you up to the building at the top of the bunny slope.”
“That is perfect,” she said, taking the card.
“And please, do take care to use our services when you are finished skiing.” He smiled. “We will meet you at the bottom of the hill and take your equipment back, polish it up, and have it sent to your room.”
“That’s awesome,” she replied. “I heard that you guys did something like that. Thank you for your help.”
“And you have a lovely day,” he said, nodding at me.
We turned and made our way to the lounge, which wasn’t very busy at all. The music playing was soft and instrumental, and the lounge itself was covered in dark mahogany and glistening marble. I almost felt nervous that I was going to hurt something, so I walked carefully up to the bar and sat down next to Hailey. We ordered two glasses of house red wine and sat back, relaxing our shoulders.
“So, how are you feeling so far?”
“Well, I’m no longer worried about being alone for Christmas,” I said. “That alone makes me feel so much better. As far as Grant is concerned, it’s a little confusing, I guess. I can see now what kind of damage he was doing to me, the abuses he was putting me through. I’m relieved that I’m now out of that situation and that I didn’t end up making a lifelong choice with him. At the same time, I feel like I’m a little lost. I don’t really remember who I am. I have been Grant’s slave for three years now, and then, poof, I have to remember what it’s like to be me again. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
“I think that is natural,” Hailey said. “I mean, even in the best relationships, when they are over, you are left with a bit of an identity crisis, and with this one, he sucked the life right out of you.”
“Yep,” I replied, sipping my wine. “But all in all, I am fine. I definitely will use some of this time for some soul searching, but I am much better than I ever thought I would be if Grant and I broke up.”
“Good,” Hailey said, drinking her drink. “Now, all we have to do is get some warm clothes for skiing and get out on the slopes in the morning.”
“I’m not sure if I am too excited about this,” I said, laughing. “But it’s vacation, so I am open to trying just about anything.”
“And don’t forget your promise to find yourself a hunky skier and shack up in the light of the fireplace.” She laughed.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’ll get there.”
We finished up our wine, talking about the people in the hotel, what we were planning to do while we were here, and the guys she planned on searching out as well. I almost forgot that Hailey was single, too, which made this a single girls’ weekend. I was hoping she would find herself a guy and forget all about my promise to hook up with someone. It just felt like the complete opposite of where I had been, but maybe that was point. Maybe that was what it would take to do a complete reset on my life. I sighed, thinking about it, never having been the girl that just randomly hooked up with men. Hailey had a great personality, but I was the brooding author, too shy to really talk to anyone, and from what I’ve found out, society only finds brooding authors to be sexy if they are men.
I took the last gulp of wine and set down my glass, looking at Hailey. She was already dressed to go, but I wanted to freshen up just a bit after the drive to Aspen. I looked down at my watch and then back at her.
“I’m going to run upstairs and freshen up before we go,” I said. “Give me like ten minutes, and I will come back down, and we can jet out of here.”
“Sounds good,” she said, ordering another glass of wine. “I’ll be right here.”
“Cool,” I replied, getting up and grabbing my coat from the back of the chair.
I walked out of the lounge and across the marble floors to the elevators. I pressed the button and waited, smiling at the other guests as they exited the adjacent elevators. The door opened, and I climbed inside, turning around and looking up as the doors began to close. A man walked in front of the elevators and stopped, looking around like he’d lost someone. I thought about opening the doors so he could get inside, but I was frozen in place. This guy was probably the most attractive man I had ever seen in person. He had a definite ski boy look to him, but at the same time, was incredibly masculine. His hair was black and shaggy, and his eyes were a sparkling light brown. The contrast was almost breathtaking, just like people told me about my eyes. He had a strong, muscular physique that filled out his Henley. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and I could see tattoos covering his arms.
I had always thought a muscular man with tattoos was extremely sexy, but on him, it was like ten-fold. The doors squeezed shut, and my body relaxed. My shoulders pushed back against the mirrored walls. I hadn’t been taken aback by a man like that ever in my life. Sure, when I met Grant, I thought he was extremely handsome, but nothing that stopped me dead in my tracks. I almost had to assume that someone that good looking had some sort of major character flaw. They never were handsome and amazing at the same time. However, with the feeling bubbling up in my chest and the heat between my legs, I was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to hook up with someone on this trip after all. Maybe I could even catch Mr. Tattoo’s attention.
Chapter 9
Cameron
It was Friday and the start of another very busy weekend. My first class was one of the more extensive ones. It was a beginners’ class, but we took more time with them, really getting them acquainted with the equipment, how to wear it, and what to do while on the slopes. Most of the class was actually held outside, since they would be putting on and taking off their skis the whole time. It was a cold class, but nothing I wasn’t used to since at most of the resorts, we did the entire thing outside. The class had filled up after two people canceled the day before, so I didn’t have to make any adjustments, which was a good thing since I was a bit sore from heading out to the slopes the whole day Thursday. It had been a while since I had been out like that, and my body definitely let
me know how it felt about it. I had come back and taken a hot bath, but I still woke up with sore muscles.
“So,” Glen said, pulling the box of equipment across the snow. “Did you find that mystery girl from yesterday?”
“Yes and no,” I said. “When I went upstairs, I looked down in the courtyard, and there she was. I threw on my shoes and coat and ran out there, freezing my ass off. However, by the time I got there, she was gone, and I didn’t see her anywhere inside. I ended up going back to the bar and having a drink before heading out when the wind died down and spending the evening skiing.”
“Is that why you look like you are about a hundred years old today?”
“I guess I should have stretched beforehand,” I said, laughing. “But it didn’t help, anyway. I pretty much thought about that girl the entire time I was out there.”
“Uh oh,” Glen said, smirking. “A girl that has finally gotten to you enough for you to think about her more than just the typical time.”
“I don’t need your hell.” I laughed. “It doesn’t mean anything, besides the fact that she was pretty, and I am attracted to her.”
“Sure,” Glen said. “I mean, I chase down girls and think about them for hours because I’m just attracted to them.”
“Shut up,” I groaned. “She is not the typical girl. You didn’t see her. I can promise you, if you had seen her, you would have been bounding out into the snow after her, too.”
“No, probably not.” He laughed. “But I do wish I had been able to see you out there freezing your ass off, chasing a ghost of a woman through the snow. I have to admit, it warms my heart a little to know that maybe, just maybe, you aren’t a complete and total douche bag from hell.”
“Don’t count on it,” I said with a smirk.
We finished setting up everything just as the group of beginners made their way up from the bottom of the hill. One by one, we helped them off the lift, instructing them on where to go and how to set up for the class. Everyone had bright and shiny new gear, and most of them had bright and shiny new snowsuits. I was assuming neon was in fashion these days because the class looked a bit like a group of highlighters in the snow. The only exception were two girls, and I could only tell they were girls from the shape of their bodies, standing in the back row. They were completely bundled up from head to toe, including shaded goggles for the sun. At least their outfits were neutral colors. Otherwise, the brightness of it all might have blinded me. I looked over at Glen as he looked over the troops, shaking his head and lifting his shoulders. As usual, he started the class out, and I stood by, lifting up gear as we explained each piece and the purpose of those pieces.