“You’d better get going,” she laughingly told him, ducking out from under the water. Quickly, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a big, white towel, which she wrapped around her body. “Go!” she jokingly ordered. “Get out of here so I can get dressed and to work. We’re both already late.”
Frowning, Mark stepped out of the shower. “What’s wrong?” he asked, pushing the door shut while watching her carefully. “Did I say something that upset you?”
“No. Of course not. Nothing’s wrong, it’s just getting late, Mark, and I do have a busy day.”
“All right, all right. But tonight, we continue where we left off. Okay?” He gave her a wink and a quick peck on the back before disappearing into the bedroom.
With a worried sigh, Skylar began to dry off, calculating her next move.
Chapter 21
When Deena stepped into the sun drenched café on the first floor of the main lodge, her attention was immediately drawn to Virina, who was dressed in a velvety peach velour running suit and sitting alone at one of the small round tables, drinking a cup of espresso. For a split second, their eyes locked, and when Virina lifted an arm and waved Deena over, she quickly complied, always eager for an opportunity to speak with one of her guests.
“Good morning, Miss Dagrun,” Deena greeted. “How’s everything going? Are you comfortable in the Vista View Suite?”
Nodding, Virina set down her coffee cup and beamed up at Deena. “Perfect,” she replied, raising one pale brow. “The suite is most comfortable. And I must tell you that the party last night was simply wonderful, and for such a good cause, too. I’m enjoying myself immensely.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Deena said. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to let me or a member of my staff know. We’re pretty easy-going around here, and we want everyone to feel at home. Like family, you know?”
“Yes, I can see that things are much more casual and relaxed here than at other resorts. Your staff has been most accommodating,” Virina said, and then she motioned toward the empty chair across from her. “Do you have a minute to talk? I’d like to know a little more about your ski school and resort. It’s a lovely piece of property. You should be so proud.”
“Oh, I am,” Deena said as she pulled out the chair and sat down. “We’re doing well this season, and a lot of our success is due to having Mark on staff. We’ve needed a boost like the one he’s giving us. You have an extremely talented son, Miss Dagrun.”
“Thank you, I think so, too.” She paused, a finger at her chin, as if carefully considering her next remark. “He seems to be happy here, and I’m pleased about that, but I must admit I’m somewhat surprised that he chose Scenic Ridge to settle down and teach.”
“Surprised? About what?” Deena asked.
Virina leaned forward and lowered her voice an octave. “Well, he’s always been drawn to the more glamorous places, like Innsbruck and St. Moritz, you know? He’s such a social person. Loves the parties, the attention, the constant travel, and though he may not admit it, he even enjoys the flow of celebrities in and out of his life. Scenic Ridge is so different from what he’s used to. Rather isolated and disconnected from the Aspen social scene. Not the kind of setting he’s frequented in the past. But don’t get me wrong,” she hurried to add. “I applaud Mark’s devotion to teaching and I’m certain he does an excellent job.”
“He does,” Deena replied with firm assurance. “We’ve never had a complaint, so far.”
Virina focused her ice blue eyes on her tiny espresso cup and twirled it around in its saucer a few times. “So, has your sister adjusted to mountain life? I understand she’s from Florida. Miami, perhaps?”
“No, Tampa,” Deena quickly corrected, knowing where this discussion was headed. She sure didn’t want to get into an in-depth discussion about Skylar, especially since Virina must know by now that Skylar and her son were more than casual coworkers.
Deena had headed to Skylar’s room earlier to see if she wanted to join her for breakfast, arriving just as the housekeeping maid had shown up. When the maid opened Skylar’s door, Deena had peeked over her shoulder and seen that the bed was still made from the night before and Skylar was nowhere around. Apparently, she had not come home last night, and Deena had a good idea where, and with whom, Skylar might have slept.
“Oh, yes, Tampa,” Virina repeated. “And she likes being a concierge?”
“She does. Quite a change from being a paralegal.”
Virina’s eyes widened. “Oh? Did she work for a large law firm?”
“No, she worked for the county. Assisting court appointed lawyers. She was skeptical about taking on the concierge position, but she jumped right in and is doing a heck of a job.” Deena chuckled, shaking her head. “She had a few rough days when she first arrived, but she’s adjusted just fine.”
“Good for her. What made Skylar decide to leave Florida?”
“Oh, she was in a kind of slump. Out of work and needed a change, so I convinced her to come up here to work. The best decision for both of us, as my husband had to leave for a while to take care of some family matters.”
“How nice of you two sisters to help each other out,” Virina commented. She finished off her coffee and pushed the cup to the center of the table. “I’ve truly enjoyed chatting with you, but I’ve got to get going. Gotta pack. A thousand things to do before I leave.” She stood up and shouldered her peach, gold-studded, leather purse.
“You’re leaving so soon?” Deena asked, standing, too. She shoved her chair up to the table and held on to its back.
“Only for a short trip to Los Angeles. Business that cannot wait. You know, I’m going to produce the film on Mark’s life. I’ve got to get busy pulling my investors together. However, I’m not moving out of my suite. Just leave my things as they are and bill me for the days I’m gone. It’s a lovely cabin and I don’t want to lose it.”
“No problem,” Deena said, watching as Virina walked away.
She’s digging into Skylar big-time, Deena thought, hoping she hadn’t given away too much. All I promised Skylar was that I wouldn’t tell anyone that she’s rich, and so far I’ve held to that, Deena rationalized. But it won’t take Virina Dagrun long to find out the truth, and I can’t wait to see the expression on her snooty face when she finds out that her son is involved with an extremely wealthy woman.
Skylar was standing in the lobby talking to a bearded man who was listening intently to her directions to Ruby Park, when she glanced up and saw Virina come out of the café and hurry into the gift shop. For some reason, Skylar tensed. Why did just the sight of that woman make her nervous? What had she really come to Mark’s cabin for this morning? Surely, not to tell him she was leaving town for a few days. The woman was the most snobbish, self-absorbed person Skylar had ever met, and it was a wonder that Mark had turned out to be as normal as he was.
A real piece of work, Skylar thought, as she folded the map and handed it to the man. “Just walk one block from Aspen Square to the Aspen Transportation Center at Ruby Park. You can get on a free shuttle that will take you to Highlands, Snowmass or Buttermilk. The buses run all day, so don’t worry about rushing to catch a particular one. If you can, try to hit all four of the mountains while you’re here and have a good time!” she told him, still distracted by Virina’s appearance.
Skylar went into her office and snapped on her computer monitor. Sliding into her chair, she stared blankly at the screen, seeing nothing, but feeling everything. A quiver of longing ran through her and made her shudder as memories of her night with Mark came rushing back.
I wonder where he is now. What he’s doing. Is he thinking about me? About last night? She had never felt so completely alive and romantically satisfied in her life, and the depth of her contentedness was alarmingly raw.
Mark knows exactly what I need and he gives it to me, as I do for him. We’re perfect together, she realized, still in awe over the level of their intimacy and the compatibili
ty of their bodies. Mark has managed to blot out all memories of Lewis, she realized, sensing that she was finally healed of her past disappointments and ready to enter a new phase of commitment. Mark is tender, strong, intelligent and sexy. He loves me just as I am.
Skylar frowned as that thought sank in. Just as I am? That was so far from true, and the longer she held on to her secrets, the more difficult it was going to be to level with Mark.
“But I’m the woman he wants,” Skylar murmured to herself. “When he learns that I’m rich, it won’t be such a big deal. He’ll probably laugh about it and agree with my decision to keep my financial status a secret from the staff.”
My having money might not be a deal breaker in this relationship, but the fact that I could be barren surely is, she silently groaned, dreading the day when she’d have to have that conversation with him.
It was hard for Mark to concentrate on his instructions amidst the riotous laughter that was coming from the overweight, former pro football player and three of his equally bulked-up buddies. The guys were struggling to master the powder. Between cracking jokes and a lot of vigorous back-slapping, they were having a good time. And Mark was glad of that, because he sure couldn’t tell them the truth—skiing might not be the sport for them and it might be wise to spend the rest of their reunion time indoors socializing with pretty girls by the fire. Steeling himself for another rough try, Mark repositioned his comic quartet and urged them to try a new maneuver.
“This is how you control your speed. It’s called a ‘gliding wedge,’” Mark began.
“Uh, oh,” the leader of the pack quickly reacted, shaking his head. “I can tell right now, that this one is going to be a real ball breaker.”
His companions screamed their laughter.
“Stay with me now,” Mark urged. “It’s not as difficult as it looks. You’re gonna make a V-shaped position by sliding both ski tails an equal distance apart while keeping your ski tips together. This will create resistance and slow you down as you come down the hill. Gradually make the wedge wider as you ski straight down the hill until you come to a stop. Okay, let’s try it.”
The men set off, grunting and shouting as they headed down Bunny Hill. Mark simply held his breath and prayed.
While they were practicing, Mark watched, thinking that Richard could use this kind of footage to demonstrate that skiing could be a lot of fun even if you were over forty and somewhat balance challenged. For their second try, Mark stepped away to let his assistant, John, work with them, while he observed. Standing there, his mind wandered back to the day when he first introduced Skylar to the slopes.
She had been an excellent student, and they had had so much fun that day. He couldn’t wait to get her out on the mountains again. But when? He worried. She was so busy working all the time and, in his opinion, too dedicated to her job. Mark understood that she probably needed the money and was thankful to have the position, but she couldn’t work all the time.
This morning, she had been quite firm about getting rid of him so she could get to her office, and the way she had broken off their romantic interlude in the shower still disturbed him. After giving herself so completely to him last night, what had happened? Had Skylar overheard what his mother had said about her? Was she worried that he was going to do as his mother wanted and dump her?
Mark gritted his teeth, calculating possible reasons for Skylar’s change in attitude. He’d definitely felt the brunt of her chilly dismissal when she stepped out of the shower, even though she had tried to laugh it off. They’d have to talk it out tonight. Clear the air of whatever was bothering Skylar. The last thing he wanted was any friction between them.
After several successful Bunny Hill runs, the rotund group set off toward the lift with John right behind them while Mark jumped on a lift to head back down. With his last session of the morning over, Mark headed into his office to warm up and give Skylar a quick call. He needed to hear her voice, feel reassured that everything was okay between them. She had always had a mysterious air about her, but lately, it seemed as if she was worried, or holding something in that was bothering her. He wished she would trust him with whatever was on her mind.
“Just thinking of you,” he told her in a sexy voice as soon as she answered her phone. “Busy?”
“Very,” Skylar quipped right away. “In fact, I can’t talk right now, Mark. I have an emergency request from a woman who needs a replacement for a broken hearing aid, and I’ve got to get right on it.”
“Okay, okay. I won’t hold you up. Want to meet for lunch? I can break at noon and won’t have another class until two-thirty.”
“Lunch?” Skylar paused. “Um. No. Sorry. I can’t, too much to do.”
“Yeah,” Mark replied, trying to sound much less irritated than he actually was. “We still on for karaoke tonight?” he ventured.
“I dunno. Better not count on it,” Skylar said in a brisk tone. “Deena asked me to help out at a corporate banquet tonight and I told her I would. Call me later, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll check back when I finish for the day.” Clicking off, Mark scratched his head. Something was wrong and he had no idea what it could be. Only Skylar knew and obviously, she was not ready to tell him.
Chapter 22
Back in New York, Richard viewed the rough cut of the film that he had shot at Scenic Ridge, and knew he had something special. Using the ski school as a forum to showcase Mark Jorgen’s Olympic career, as well as the work he was currently doing, had turned out to be a unique angle that would encourage minorities to take up skiing while creating a buzz around the project.
The executives at Black Entertainment Showcase loved what he showed them and immediately gave Richard the green light to go ahead and complete the project. As soon as he got out of the meeting he called Virina in Los Angeles.
“Good news, Richard,” Virina said when she heard that the rough cut of the film was exactly what BES wanted.
“Yeah, and I’ve got to get the ball rolling. How’s the money looking?”
“No problem. I’ve got investors lined up just waiting to write checks, so go ahead and proceed with the project.”
Richard hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Are you sure? Because I’ll be making financial commitments that I’ll have to personally cover if the money folks don’t come through.”
“I told you. It’s all set. I have commitments from my people for more than enough money to cover the final project. However, if you need cash right away, I can transfer some money tomorrow. How much do you need?”
“Hold off for now,” Richard advised. “Let me finalize negotiations I’ve got going on for legal fees and studio time. Once those costs are firm, I can adjust our original budget and get back to you.”
“Fine. Call me in a few days,” Virina told him, clicking off.
Relieved that Virina was coming through with the funding, Richard got busy. In record time, he put together a full film crew, hired a director, a logistics person, makeup, wardrobe and graphic talent and put down deposits for studio time that he would need to edit the piece after filming was completed. He contacted a good friend of his who was a lawyer and got him to draw up the necessary releases and contracts with a promise to pay him as soon as the funding came through. Then he booked air fare and rooms for everyone going to Scenic Ridge.
Within a week, Richard and his crew were back in Colorado, and for the next ten days the men and women working with him shadowed Mark everywhere he went. They shot him teaching beginners, coaching the new wave of budding professionals, giving lectures on how to safely hit the slopes and even at home in the Snow King Suite after a full day on the powder. When it became clear to Richard that Mark and Skylar were more than coworkers, he managed to get some shots of them having drinks together in the main lodge.
Richard studied a great number of photos, mementos and scrapbooks that carefully detailed Mark’s stunning career, including his Olympic trials and eventual win. Using a digital voice rec
order, he interviewed Mark and captured stories about his youth, which provided insight on what it had been like to be among the few black competitors in a mostly white sport. It was evident that Mark had moved in a world populated with world class athletes and socially important people and that his life experiences had been very different from those of an average black male living in America.
When Richard wasn’t with Mark, he was talking with Deena or shooting footage of the lodge and its surroundings, as well as documenting the inner workings of the ski school and the resort. He got plenty of footage of Skylar, too, as she interacted with guests who were more than happy to be included in the film.
The ski school instructors, the resort staff and even guests at the lodge were not shy about approaching Richard to express their interest in and support of his project. Many of them asked if they could be interviewed, eager to add their voices to the film and give their approval of the important contributions to winter sports that the Simpsons and Mark Jorgen were making, especially for minorities.
By the end of the second week in Colorado, Richard had accumulated enough raw film and taped interviews to fly back to New York, sort it all out and decide what else he needed. As soon as he put together a rough cut of the film, he sent it to Virina in L.A., eager for her reaction.
In Los Angeles, Virina hung up the phone, picked up her Tiffany pen and made an X over the name of the person she had been talking to, Abdul Jaran. Another rejection. And she had only asked him for twenty thousand dollars. Crossing him off her list meant that she had exhausted all of her potential investors without raising one cent of the financial commitment she had made to Richard Nobel. Why had her friends suddenly become so damn cautious about their investments? They were holding on to their money as if it were glued to their hands. She had been shocked at how snippy some of them had been with her, too. What was going on?
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