by Mia Ford
“That’s why I got a blow job, took her number, which I promptly disposed of when I was out of sight, and dipped out,” I said. “Sure, she will think of me for a couple of days, maybe even hope that I’ll call, but in the end, she’ll realize it was for the best.”
“I think you’re giving these women a bit too much credit for thinking of sex from the male perspective,” he said. “We’re pigs. Most women are not. Mind you, I’m saying most. I’ve met a few over the years who are more distant than we are, which is both frightening and refreshing at the same time.”
“You can’t be too careful with these girls on vacation. They’re looking for a good time, but they teeter on the edge of wanting more. I’m always courteous and gentlemanly, but I’m not here to find a wife, unlike some partners that I have.” I darted my eyes over to Glen. “Besides, they’re looking for something that I’m more than happy to give to them. Just another reason why you can call me a hero.”
“But what if you catch feelings?”
“I won’t,” I said pointedly. “But if I did, I’m under the comforting protection of having a career where I honestly will never have to see this woman, or any of the women, ever again. It’s not likely in the sea of people in this town, or this country for that matter, that fate would align it so that we all ended up in the same place, at the same exact time, ever again. And if we did, my feelings would obviously have dissipated again, being worn down by time and the comforting bosom of the ladies at the next resort on our list. Seriously, you put way too much thought into all of this. Can’t a guy just get his dick wet, and go on with his life?”
“Sure, sure.” Glen laughed. “Go to town. Just don’t get frostbite.”
“Thanks for the advice,” I scoffed, standing up and putting on a professional face as the door to the building opened and the first of my students began to enter.
Most of the beginner ski instruction went to early twenty-something girls from places like New York City and Southern California. They were there on their mommy and daddy’s dime, taking a fun-filled Aspen vacation because that was where all the rich people flocked when it became winter time, and they wanted the appeal of the mountains, but the luxuries of home. They were always giggly, flirty, and barely any of them actually ended up skiing more than once while they were on vacation. However, from the number of pictures that they took and posted on their Instagram pages, it would seem that they spent the whole weekend swerving down the slopes. I didn’t care either way. I was there for the money, not to find the next Bernard Russi, ready to train for the Olympics.
When everyone had been seated, I noticed four chairs at the back that were empty, but paid for. I wanted to wait longer, but with the number of classes they had stacked on our shoulders for the day, I didn’t have that luxury. Glen took the lead, introducing us and diving right into an overview on safety. I sat in the background, perched slightly on the edge of a desk, following along with the syllabus that the resort had requested that we use. Of course, safety was paramount to the hotel while we were there teaching, especially with the kind of money floating around the place.
Just as Glen was walking toward the chalkboard, the door flew open, and the four missing students came galivanting in the place, quietly giggling and apologizing for being late. They took a seat in the last four chairs, and I smiled uncomfortably, realizing it was Myra and three of her friends. She smiled at me, and I cleared my throat, glancing over at Glen to see a small smirk on his face.
“So, you see class,” he said. “If you want to stay warm, make sure to keep your hands and other parts dry. We wouldn’t want any cases of frostbite.”
He laughed jokingly, looking over at me and then walking up to the chalkboard. He was such an ass, but I knew there was no way I could get out of the taunting that was sure to ensue by Myra showing up at the class. I wasn’t sure how I could have missed that on the roster, but at the same time, until that moment, I had a hard time even remembering what her name was. In reality, what I remembered was her big, plump, crimson lips wrapped around my cock. To me, there was really no reason to dwell on the other details.
The entire rest of the class couldn’t have been more awkward if I was standing naked in front of the class. Myra and the girls were giggling and obviously talking about me, and I had to present information to them that was actually important if they wanted to try to keep their skis under their bodies. On top of all that, Glen kept teasing me with sly whispers about being a hero and rescuing sad rich girls in sexual distress. I couldn’t wait until the class was over and I could get out of that situation. I knew, though, there was a very good chance that I wasn’t going to get to leave without having to talk to Myra at some point. This was supposed to be an excellent way to start my vacation, not a bowl full of drama.
We finished up the class inside of the building and headed outside into the snow to work on minor techniques for the upcoming ski down the bunny slope. We showed everyone how to plant their feet, how to bend and move without lifting their legs, which was common since our natural reaction was to try to walk, and then had them perform the movements as we helped them get them right. I stood there staring around, trying to figure out where to start, wanting desperately to stay away from the gaggle of Myra and her girls.
“Hey,” I said, grabbing Glen and whispering. “I’ll cover the bar tab next time we go if you will help the redhead and her friends.”
“What’s wrong? Did your super powers wear off?”
“Come on man, please,” I whispered.
“Next two times at the bar,” he said, negotiating.
“Fine, whatever, just do it.” I sighed.
“Pussy.” He laughed.
I couldn’t help but notice that Myra looked disappointed that I didn’t make a beeline for her and her friends. That was exactly why I sent Glen over. I didn’t want to lead her on in any way further than I felt I might have already. She was being flirtatious, batting her eyelashes and biting her lip, but at the same time, I could see the look of wanting hidden behind her stare. I needed to nip that in the bud, and fast.
When it was time to send the class on their way, pushing down the bunny slope, I stood at the front, giving everyone a positive affirmation before they lunged forward down the mountain next to the little kids speeding past. When it was Myra and her friend’s turn, I let the three friends go first and smiled as Myra struggled toward me.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she said, lightening the burning in my chest.
“Aww, that’s too bad,” I said. “I hope that you had a good time.”
“It was an amazing time.” She smiled. “I guess I was just wondering if I would ever see you again.”
“Myra,” I said kindly. “I had an amazing time the other night. You’re quite the woman. That being said, I find it best for both parties, that when I meet someone out here that is on vacation, I don’t get too involved. I travel from place to place, and you’re going back home. It would never truly work out in the end.”
I stood there staring at her, trying to read her face through the scarf and goggles. Finally, she nodded and smiled, relieving the tension in my chest. I let out a deep breath and smiled at her.
“I understand.” She laughed awkwardly. “I mean, I live in Southern California. I’m miles and miles from where you would ever be.”
“I’m glad you understand,” I said. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, sad, or even unwanted in any way. You’re a gorgeous woman, and I’ll be kicking myself in the weeks to come for not spending more time with you.”
“You’re sweet,” she said, relaxing her shoulders. “No, I promise. You’re absolutely right. There’s no way to make this work. I really did have a good time, though. Hopefully, we’ll run into each other again out here.”
“That would be amazing.” I smiled, feeling a lot less awkward. “Now, are you ready to give this bunny slope an Olympic gold run?”
“Hardly.” She laughed.
“But here I go.”
I stood back and smiled at her, watching her push off and down the mountain. When she was no longer looking at me, I wiped the smile from my face and shook my head, realizing I needed to be a bit more cautious. I turned and started back toward the building, looking up to see Glen standing with his arms crossed, smiling.
“Shut up,” I said, looking at him.
“You are quite the hero.” He laughed.
Chapter 4
Bea
Saturday was one of my favorite days, the one day a week that I made sure I had no writing quotas to meet or projects to turn in. I usually spent the day reading or catching up on house work that I had neglected. I was a ghostwriter, which meant that I had to write stories for a publishing company that I would never see my name on. I was okay with that, though. I never did like the limelight too much anyway. Today, I was reading a romance novel, preparing for a book I was starting on Monday in the same series. Romance was never my favorite genre of books. I was more the fantasy or science fiction kind of girl when it came to reading, but research was research, and at least I got to do it in my fleece pajamas by the light bouncing off the glistening snow out the window.
I knew in some ways, freelancing held me back, keeping me from really moving forward in life when it came to relationships and friends, but I was happy being on my own. I was never the girl that liked to be in front of everyone, and I got terribly nervous talking to my bosses. Now, when I had to speak to a client, it was through email or chat, which was much less intimidating. All in all, I loved my career, and I loved that I could spend my afternoons reading other people’s work and get paid for it. It was something that kept me on this crazy six day a week, fifteen hour a day job schedule.
As far as the love story was concerned, it was dreamy and sweet, with a hint of sarcasm, which was my specialty in these types of stories. I had to get down the writing style of the last author so it seemed like the books fit together well. The main character of the story, the strong male lead, was handsome, rugged, sweet, and a little bit wild. He treated women like gold, especially his sudden love interest. The way I imagined him handling her fragile sensibilities and typical, female-character emotional issues, made me slightly jealous of the type of man that existed in the confines of those pages. I knew it was just a book, but thinking about my love status and the fictitious hunk of man-love in the book, I wished that Grant was a little bit more like him.
Grant was hard-skinned. He rarely ever showed affection and wasn’t comfortable with hugging and holding hands, those things that make a girl feel special. I tried to be understanding. He came from a very businesslike family, wrought in handshakes and head nods. He had a mother who was more worried about the club members than putting him to bed on time. His nanny was very professional, that typical award winning English nanny, so hugs weren’t her forte, either. I just wished that he would loosen up a bit, even maybe want to hug me or show me affection. To be honest, sometimes it worried me since I was planning on one day having a family with this man. We had talked about children a couple of times, and he discussed it like buying a horse, making sure that they were born and bred for success. I had told him I didn’t want a nanny, but he brushed me off, calling me absurd and telling me that we would talk more about it when the time came. I just let it go, though, knowing he would probably not even be around enough to pay attention to me raising the child over a nanny’s care.
I shoved the thoughts to the side when I heard a key in the front door. Grant was coming over to hang out for a while, like he had promised. When he walked through the door, though, dressed to the nines, I could tell he had a different definition of hanging out. I put my bookmark in the book and walked across the room, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. He looked at me, confused for a moment, staring at my sweatpants and warm socks.
“Darling, why aren’t you dressed?” he asked. “I told you I would be here to spend time with you this weekend. Are you sick?”
“I thought by spending time with me, you meant curling up and watching a movie, not going out on the town,” I said. “Besides, the weather is supposed to be terrible.”
“Oh, come now,” he said. “Go get dressed. Don’t be absurd. You know what I think about sitting around wasting my time watching pointless movies.”
“It’s not about the movies,” I said softly. “It’s about the time we spend together.”
“Which can be done at the Divinci Club where I booked us a table for the night,” he said, starting to get irritated and looking down at the book. “So, this is what you do when I’m not here, sit around reading smut all day.”
“You know that’s not what I do,” I snapped back. “That book is for the project I start on Monday.”
“Oh, yes, your little writing career,” he said, shaking his head. “I guess you might as well get it out of your system while you are still able to.”
“What?” I asked. “My career is actually a career. Last time I checked, I make very close to what you make a month, from my little writing career.”
“Yes, Bea, you make good money now, but we both know it’s not sustainable.” He sighed. “Anyway, get your things. We should be going.”
“No,” I said, taking a deep breath and deciding to stand up for myself. “I want to spend time with you alone, not with some rich, snooty people.”
“Those rich, snooty people pay my bills,” he said. “And award me the luxury of taking my girlfriend, who doesn’t appreciate anything, out to a nice restaurant.”
“I appreciate everything you do,” I said, pausing as his phone began to ring. He looked down and hit the ignore button. “No, please. By all means, answer your phone. I’ve never stopped you before.”
“Is this what happens when you read romance? You become indignant and disrespectful?”
“I am neither of those things,” I replied. “I just want you to bend to what I want for once.”
“Oh, you mean all those nights I come here to eat your mediocre meals, listen to you talk about your meaningless ‘career,’ and just smile along with it?”
“You asshole,” I muttered. “I work hard to make sure you have a nice dinner, even after I, too, have worked all day.”
“Yes, it must be so difficult to work in the next room over from your bedroom,” he scoffed. “Listen, are you coming or not?”
“No,” I replied, folding my arms in front of me.
“Fine, but it is the last time you will ever be offered,” he replied.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I don’t want to be with you anymore,” he replied, walking toward the door. “We are through. The fun has worn off, and I’m tired of your games.”
“You don’t mean that,” I gasped. “After all these years? We were planning a family.”
“Yes, well, I don’t think you are quite up to standards to be the mother of my children, or my wife, for that matter,” he replied, opening the door. “Have fun with you romance novels.”
With that, he walked out, slamming the door behind his arrogant ass. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, shocked at what just happened. I sat down on the couch and looked around, waiting for the rush of emotions to take over, but they never did. I should have been bawling my eyes out, completely heartbroken, but the tears never came. In fact, beyond just the lack of sad feelings, I felt almost a sense of freedom.
I felt a break in the chains that were binding me, like I could now take a deep breath. I thought for so long, that if the time ever came where Grant and I didn’t make it, I would be completely inconsolable, dreaming of a life that I would never have. Instead, I was almost relieved that it wasn’t going to be the life that I would have. I didn’t want to be stuck in my home, wondering where my husband was, trying to console a child that missed its father. I didn’t want to be a lonely housewife, doing laundry, cooking dinners, and dreaming of a life I once had.
I got up and walked into the kitchen, pulling out a bottle o
f wine and uncorking it. At first, I took a swig straight from the bottle, staring off in disbelief of how the events of the evening had just transpired. I did not see that coming at all. I grabbed a clean glass and poured myself a large helping of wine and then turned and walked over to the patio doors. I stood there for a moment and then opened them, stepping out into the snow in my socked feet, making sure that I was not dreaming. I felt the snowflakes falling on my face, and I closed my eyes, smiling for just a second before the chill of the wind pushed me back inside. I pulled off my socks and ran over to the fireplace, pulling them up to warm them.
As I sat there smiling, I soon felt the weight of the last three years hit me right in the face. I had been so intent on having that picture-perfect family, I had left the “perfect” part in the background. I had ignored every snide comment, every grab at my arm a little too tight, and had justified Grant’s constant downgrading of me as a person. I had let him control my emotions, my heart, and my mind for so long that I didn’t realize that what he was doing was wrong. Grant was just like his father, arrogant, rich, and thought there was a specific place for a woman. No wonder Grant’s mother drowned herself in the banter of the women at the country club where they lived. She was trying to make herself feel better. I had always thought his father was a pompous man who abused his wife, but I had completely blinded myself to the realization that Grant was the same exact way.
I shook my head and turned around, catching the reflection of something glimmering in the glass front of the fireplace. I stared over at the lights I had carefully strung across the deck, providing a beautiful backdrop to the enormous tree I had sitting in the living room. God, it was almost Christmas, and now, I was going to have to spend it alone. It was the worst feeling I had felt in a very long time. Christmas had always been special to me, a time with family and friends, but just a few weeks out, everyone else had already made their plans. My parents even had decided to go away for the holiday since I was being forced to spend it with Grant’s boss and his wife.