Reuniting Reality

by Nikki LeClair

  “Why didn’t you read your contract?” he throws back. “I told you to read it!”

  Did he?

  “Fin, just help me!”

  “I don’t see how I can. If I were you, I’d spend the next two hours googling skiing videos.”

  I hang up the phone with him and do just that. We aren’t meeting till two pm to ski and it’s a little after eleven thirty. I spend an hour googling videos on my phone, and trying to memorize as much ski lingo as I possibly can before the makeup and hair team show up. Because half of my face will be covered with goggles, they don’t spend much time on my face or hair.

  By the time two p.m. hits, I know that “All Mountain Ski’s” mean a kind of ski that is designed to perform in any snow condition and at most speeds. “Brain bucket” means a helmet. “Carving” means a bunch of clean turns using the edge of your ski’s or snowboard. “Death Cookies” mean big chunks of ice that are formed by snowmaking. “First tracks” mean being the first to cut through clean untouched snow. A “snowplough” is a way to slow down on skis, by bringing the front tip of the ski’s together and pushing the back apart, kind of like a pizza slice.

  I practiced standing and walking with ski’s in my room, only, without the use of them. I practiced my ski face, serious but graceful and determined with a slight smile.

  My ski outfit consists of tight warm pants underneath my black snow pants. A zip top so tight against my chest it feels like a corset. My jacket is dark red and insulated. I have a pair of stretch gloves, a pair of skiing goggles and a neck gaiter.

  I meet everyone downstairs in a large room off the main lobby, known as the Skiing Lounge. It’s as beautiful as the lobby, with wooden walls and gorgeous chandeliers. The south and east wall is nothing but windows and the view of the mountains is breathtaking. There are leather couches scattered through the room and several stone fireplaces already lit. There’s even a bar near the entrance.

  I see everyone from the show across the room near the doors in full ski wear. As I join them, the woman with my mic and mic box approaches me to get me linked up.

  “There is our fabulous ski instructor!”

  Diana’s voice pops up to my left and I gaze up at her. She’s in a bright pink and white ski outfit. Her hair bunched up in two high pigtails, and a sequin headband going over her ears. She holds two skis in her hands.

  “Hardly an instructor,” I say. I look over at Reagan who stands in front of me. She’s in a green ski outfit, her long hair pulled into a French braid. She has a snowboard against her chest with a silver bottom. “Snowboard?”

  Reagan shrugs as she looks at the board, “Easier for me to handle.”

  Brooke and Jill approach us, Jill’s in a skin tight outfit that barely looks warm enough for this room. Brooke’s in a white ski suit with patches up and down her arms. She has a mask covering her head and face, revealing a hole for her mouth, her nose and an oval shape opening for her eyes.

  Oscar goes over the filming with us. The crew members will follow us with ski’s and snowboards, filming with GoPro's until we reach the bottom of the mountains where the rest of the film crew will take over.

  A few minutes later we are all strapped in our skis and mics and head outside. The sun is so bright it hurts to look at the snow, but at least the air is crisp and fresh. The cameras have started to roll already, capturing us leaving the lodge with me keeping up the tail end. We had to film the exit four times.

  “Show us your moves, Julie!” Diana shouts with a laugh as she lifts up a ski pole in the air.

  The ski lift isn’t too far from the entrance and I can see it going up the mountain with three drop off points. One to the bunny hill, one to a mid-way point and one to the very top.

  “We should probably start at the bunny hill,” I say to the girls, “Warm up. Maybe even that, for the day.”

  Diana points at the top of the mountain with her pole, “I’m going all the way up there!”

  Well, I’m definitely not doing that.

  “Right well, if nobody needs any tips then off we go!” I exclaim hopefully as I point to the mountain.

  “I do,” Reagan declares, but as I look at her she doesn’t smile.

  “Me too! I’m definitely far from being a snow bunny,” Brooke laughs as she nudges Jill. Jill adjusts her goggles over her eyes and looks at me.

  “Right, okay.” I let out a breath, aware of the camera immediately to my left. “So, we’ll go through some safety tips first. Like, if you feel more comfortable you can wear a brain bucket—”

  “A what?” Diana asks.

  “Helmet,” Jill clarifies.

  “Yup, a helmet,” I nod smartly. “Also, if you haven’t done some stretches already, you should probably do some.” I widen my legs, my boots crunch the snow beneath them and I look at everyone. “So, uh, bend your knees. Knee locking can be very painful.” I bend my knees forward, and stand back up, then bend them. I do this a few more times but notice only Brooke is copying me. I can’t imagine how ridiculous we look. “Right, so I doubt we’re going to create any first tracks at this time but that’s good. Cause it means the early skiers have paved the way for us.”

  Jill looks over her shoulder at the mountain and stifles a yawn. Brooke is the only one paying attention to me, even Reagan has her eyes on the people passing us, fresh from their mountain runs.

  “I will show you all how to make a series of carvings,” I say loudly and think back on one of the instruction videos I watched. Awkwardly, I lift my legs high and position them to my right. “So you want to swing your legs the way you want to swerve, and hoist your body the opposite way. Like this.”

  I bend to my left but carefully, as to not fall. Diana raises her eyebrows at me, and Reagan lets out a smirk. Brooke attempts to copy me, and ends up falling on her right side. This makes Diana burst out in sharp laugh. I catch a few crew members giggle as well, and I notice that Oscar and Declan are whispering away from us. I can’t hear a word, but based on the way Declan gestures at the door behind it, I’m guessing it's not about something pleasant.

  Once Brooke is on her feet, I go on. “Okay, when you carve, you want to make sure you don’t skid much because then—”

  “This is taking too long!” Diana whines. “Let’s just get to the top and you can show us there!”

  “Er…okay. Everybody just make sure to avoid any death cookies on the way down!”

  Jill and Reagan exchange a frown with each other as they cross in front of me.

  I ride the lift alone, because Diana jumps in with Reagan and Brooke nestles in with Jill.

  Great, I’m the odd daughter out.

  Heights are not a problem for me, the fact that I can’t control these sticks on my feet is what has my heart racing. As we get near the bunny hill, I call out, “Okay let’s start here!”

  “No!” Diana screams back from two lifts ahead of me. “The very top!”

  “I don’t think I can do the top!” Brooke protests nervously.

  “Middle then,” Jill compromises.

  Well the middle can’t be that bad. If I can go down in a straight line it could be okay. I can probably do that. I just have to make sure to not move my legs, at all.

  Another few minutes later, I spot Reagan and Diana hobbling off the ski lift and dropping about four feet down onto the snow. My heart leaps once in my chest with nerves as I watch Jill drop, and then Brooke, who lands on her behind. As my turn nears, I take a deep breath and shut my eyes to prepare myself for the small drop. I slide my butt off the chair and drop, landing on my feet but less gracefully than I would like.

  Still, I did it.

  I can’t help but smile as I stab my ski poles in the ground and look at everyone else.

  “Alrighty!” Diana points down the hill, “Let’s race to the bottom! Loser has to eat the rest of the dried up Duncan Chocolates in my room!”

  Grr...

  Diana and Jill take the lead at the top
of the hill and push off. A dust of snow escapes behind them as they both began to carve with their skis, Jill looking much more graceful than Diana but Diana going faster.

  I watch Reagan drop her snowboard and adjust her position. She takes off just as I get next to her, and behind me Brooke gasps out at Reagan’s surprising professional technique. She carves just as well as Jill, but she’s going so fast she’s already passed both Diana and Jill.

  “Holy crap,” I exhale. “Reagan’s really good.”

  “I’ll say,” Brooke steps up next to me and shakes her head. “I guess it's our turn.”

  “You go first, I’ll go behind you, in case you fall.”

  Brooke agrees and steps around me, I watch as she positions herself and then look over at me. “This is right?”

  I have no idea.

  I throw her a thumbs up. “Perfect!”

  I mean, from what I read earlier it looks right.

  Brooke takes a long breath and finally pushes off, she lets out a scream as she does but it slowly turns into a laugh as she attempts to carve a bit as she goes down.

  I set down my ski poles, adjust my goggles over my eyes and realize I have to push off right now or I never will.

  So I do.

  I heave myself down and at first, I’m going slow and straight, pushing the ski poles into the ground to hike up my speed.

  Okay, this isn’t so bad. Wow. I’m actually doing it. Maybe if I sway to the left and move my feet—Hey! I’m carving! I’m doing it!

  Swinging right then left again and right and left and—whoa. Okay, why am I getting faster? How did I get so—is that Brooke? Did I just pass Brooke?

  Okay, now I’m going way too fast.

  I’ve stopped carving, the cold air whips at my face as I race down and it's starting to feel like ice pelts.

  I can’t stop.

  How do I stop, again?

  Why can’t I bloody make myself stop?!

  I’m zooming downward, and before I know it I’m reaching Diana and Reagan at the bunny hill. They wave their hands at me, and I can hear them shouting but I don’t know what they’re saying.

  And I’m not slowing down.

  I zip passed the both of them, despite the bunny hill having a soft long top landing, and clouds of snow hit them both in the face.

  I’m going to die!

  Sliding down the bunny hill, I can see the bottom of the mountain. I think I see the film crew waiting but I’m not sure. My cheeks feel on fire from the cold air whipping against my face, and my lips are starting to tremble. To top it all off, my knees have locked.

  I’m flying down like a frozen squirrel!

  There’s a horde of people headed straight across my path, and I feel my heart smash against my ribcage. I want to cover my eyes but I need my ski poles near the ground. I notice two smaller people in the crowd about to cross me not more than thirty feet down.

  Oh God, I’m about to run over children.

  Okay Julie, you have got to force yourself to stop. Just do it! Lift up one stupid leg and I bet you’ll slow right down. Right friggin’ down!

  I feel a squeal leave my throat just as I yank my left leg up, the hill ends at the right moment and my speed drastically decline’s. I’m moving at almost a glacier pace but putting my leg down is my fatal mistake. It slips underneath me, and I go down, backwards.

  My legs fly in the air as I land on the snow with a crunch and feel a pile of it cram down my neck, into my jacket. I don’t know what's more painful, the icy snow against my blazing hot skin or the throbbing pain rushing up and down my spine.

  Ugh...this cannot possibly get any worse…

  My view of the bright blue sky is immediately closed off by a shadow of a man. I have to yank my goggles off my face to fully see who the person with short black hair and hazel eyes is.

  He smiles down at me, and his chin dimple showing. His tanned skin glows in the sunlight. “Hi, Jules. Nice moves.”

  Adam.

  Chapter Seven

  I have two choices here. I can scream at Oscar, who stands like a mouse behind the running camera, watching under a nervous eye. I can raise hell and break my contract, threatening to expose the manipulation that goes on with the show. Or, I can take the above approach, with melted snow down my backside and my ski poles firmly in my hand. Not against the side of Adam’s skull.

  I let out a breath. “Adam.”

  I hate that seeing him causes my stomach to lurch, as if he had landed a fist into it.

  Hes helps me to my feet, and once I’m firmly standing I pull my hand from his. He gives me a smile again, a somewhat awkward and nervous twitchy one. He’s pushing forty now, and soft lines appear around his eyes, there is slight greying at his temples but he’s still handsome.

  I wonder if he’s had work done…

  “Julie,” he greets back.

  “What are you doing here?” I manage to ask, wiggling in my place as I feel a clump of snow slide further down my back.

  “Diana called me last night in hysterics,” he answers. “Says she thinks someone tried to poison her.”

  “It was me,” I confess but Adam laughs in response.

  His laughter fades and I look down at my skis for a break from his heavy eyes. I gaze over at my left and notice the camera still filming. A series of swooshes and clouds of snow appear to my right and both Adam and I look over. Diana yanks the goggles off her face as she skis into a perfect finish with Jill and Reagan at her side.

  She calls out to Adam. “I’m over here, babe!” Adam gives her a quick glance before turning back to face me.

  “Excuse me,” I say as we lock eyes briefly, “I have to get out of this suit.”

  I push from my place, legs lifting high under my skis.

  I make the klutzy walk towards the doors of the lodge.

  Don’t look back. It’s important I do not look back.

  At the doors I bend over and begin to unlock my skis, all the while my heart spins aggravatingly, and miserably at the same time. It makes my body feel heavy.

  Diana and Adam? How in the hell am I going to do this?

  I yank my left foot out of the first ski and stumble, but someone catches me by the arm to stop me from falling. I look over to find Declan looking at me. My immediate reaction is to wrench away from his grasp but if I fall removing my other foot in front of Diana and Adam again, I would just die. I mutter a thank you as I remove my other foot and he lets go as I stand up, to go inside.

  Once the doors have shut firmly beside me and I’m alone, I shut my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

  “Ms. Duncan?”

  I open my eyes to find Armin, the lodge manager and owner looking up at me. His eyes rush over me as he waits for me to answer him. “Um, yes?”

  “You have an urgent phone call at the desk. A Mr. Finley Duncan.”

  “Oh right, thanks. Can you patch it up to my room?”

  “Of course,” he nods at me as he turns to walk away.

  I glance over my shoulder, and catch sight of Diana draping her arms all over Adam. I scowl until a thought pops into my head as I look at Adam’s grin. “Mr. Spira?”

  “Mr. Spiro,” Armin corrects as he turns back to look at me.

  “Sorry, yes. Um, could you do me a favor and let everyone know that I had to take an emergency call...from, uh, my boyfriend?” I take my eyes off Adam and look at the short man.

  “Of course I can,” he nods again.

  “Thanks, but, just don’t say his name. He is kind of a big deal and he doesn’t want people to go gaga over him, in case he decides to show up here for a few days.”

  What am I saying?

  Armin raises a bushy eyebrow at me as I pass him.

  “I called you at least ten damn times, Julie.”

  “I didn’t have my phone on the hill, Fin!”

  “What did he say?” Angie interjects.

  “Nothing. Yet. It was just a h
ello and an ‘excuse me, I have to get out of my suit’ thing from me,” I tell the two of them as I peel my socks off. I have the two of them on speakerphone.

  “That son of a bitch,” Finley snaps. “He and Diana planned this.”

  “Of course they did,” I smirk loudly so they can hear. Once my pants are off, I drop down on my bed next to the bedside table where the phone sits. “She never intended to miss this reunion. Oh, and if you speak to mom, Finley, you can let her know Diana’s started taking digs at the chocolate. Nothing on camera, yet but there’s still time.”

  I hear my brother scoff on the other end but it’s Angie that speaks.

  “I can’t believe he would show up. Why would he want to be on camera after what he did? He’s going to be the most hated man in the country when the show airs!” She exclaims.

  “He doesn’t give a crap,” Fin tells her. “He’s seeing it as a business opportunity; he’s that much of a jerk off.”

  “How are you going to handle this, Jules?” Angie then asks me.

  “I don’t know how I can get you out of this contract,” Finley injects quickly. “I mean, maybe I can figure something out if you really can’t deal with this…”

  “Jules?” Angie says my name with uncertainty after a wave of silence comes over us.

  I feel strangely numb as I sit on my bed, socks off and in nothing but my skin tight warm underwear.

  “I think I can handle it,” I lie.

  “You don’t sound convincing,” Angie remarks.

  There comes a knock on my door, followed by another and another.

  “I better go,” I tell them. “That’s probably Oscar, or Declan, coming in to check on me.” I push myself off the bed. “To make sure I’m not hanging from my balcony.”

  “How’s it going with Declan?” Finley asks.

  I scowl. “It’s…going. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

  They both bid me farewell, with hesitant voices as I reach the door to my room. I forget to check who it is through the peephole and when I open the door, I’m baffled as to why I’m seeing a red-faced, ecstatic Diana on the other side of it. She’s still in her ski wear and her cheeks adorably red from the outdoors. The pack of Duncan Chocolates in her hands. “Hey!”