Discovering You (Miller Lodge Romance Book 1)

by Jadelynn Asher

  Lisa cracked open the pizza lid, taking in the heady scent of pizza sauce, melted cheese, ham and pineapple. It was a truly beautiful thing and her stomach rumbled in approval. She was about to fish out a piece to munch on her way to her room when her phone rang. The ring surprised her, given almost all of her friends texted a lot more often than they called. But her phone was programmed to send any number that wasn’t in her contacts to voicemail. It had to be someone she knew. She tucked the pizza under her arm and glanced at the phone.

  ~Beth~

  She thought Beth was out with Charles tonight. There had been big plans for some fondue restaurant and cheesecake. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Lisa?”

  That wasn’t Beth’s voice. That was a man.

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Connor.”

  Connor? Lisa walked over to one of the community couches, putting the pizza down on the end table so she wouldn’t drop it. She couldn’t go to her room or the call would die in the elevator.

  “Hi Connor. Why do you have Beth’s phone?”

  “Because she asked me to call you. Look, she’s a sobbing mess so she can’t talk. That jackass boyfriend of hers dumped her.”

  “ON VALENTINE’S?”

  One of the other girls walking through the common area paused and looked at Lisa, raising both eyebrows. Lisa mouthed, “It’s okay…old roommate.” The girl nodded in understanding and kept going.

  “Yeah. And she won’t stop crying, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I’m good with punching him in the face repeatedly, but she says I can’t do that, mostly with headshaking and wailing. Help me!”

  “Okay. Look, do you have a car?”

  “Yeah. Please tell me you’re not suggesting I hit him with my car.”

  “No! What’s the matter with you? Do you know where the Tower dorms are on campus?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Come and get me. I just need to get some shoes and a coat and I can meet you out by the road.”

  “Okay.”

  The call disconnected and Lisa ran for the elevators. She was definitely going to need more pizza.

  19

  The sobs were audible outside the apartment. Lisa went inside without bothering to knock, setting the pizza on the table before searching out Beth. She didn’t have to search far. Her friend was curled up on the couch, still dressed for an evening out in a pink and black dress with a wide taffeta skirt that was tangled around her legs. She was hugging a throw pillow and when she looked up her cheeks were smudged with tears and make up.

  Lisa grabbed a box of tissues from the bookshelf and sat down next to Beth, putting an arm around her.

  “He du-du-dumped me.”

  “Connor told me. I’m so sorry. Charles is a jerk.”

  Beth took in a quivering breath, taking the tissues and blowing her nose noisily. “He’s…he’s getting engaged to an RN.”

  Engaged? Lisa blinked, shock warring with absolute rage on Beth’s behalf, though a tiny part of her was gratified that Charles had turned out to be just as much of a jerk as she thought he was.

  Connor, who was still standing in the safety of the doorway, growled. “I’m pretty sure this is a punching offense, Beth.”

  Beth broke back into tears and Lisa shook her head, shooting a look at Connor. “Not helping.”

  “Then what should I do?”

  Lisa pondered for a moment. “Alright…there’s only one way to save this night now. You’re going shopping.”

  “Shopping? What does shopping have to do with anything?”

  “We’re going to drown our sorrows for a while, that’s what. We need two more pizzas, a big container of Heavenly Hash ice cream, and chocolate sauce. We will eat food and watch Casablanca and just let everything go for a while.”

  “And what about Charles?”

  “What about him?”

  “Shouldn’t something terrible happen to him?”

  Lisa hugged Beth, who was slowly calming down. “That’s for later. Ice cream now.”

  Jason leaned back on the plush suede sofa, appreciating the near silence of Stacey’s apartment. The fan on the gas fireplace was blowing, but other than that, blissful. Despite the fact they’d had reservations, the restaurant had been a zoo. Having tonight be a Friday as well had doubled down on the mess, reminding Jason why his parents always ate in on Valentine’s Day.

  Stacey appeared in the doorway between the front room and the kitchen, carrying a plate of strawberries in one hand and a tray with a couple of mugs in the other. The smell of a dark roasted coffee hit Jason’s nose and his taste buds perked up. Stacey’s offer of coffee had brought him through the door, and if the smell was anything to go on, he didn’t regret it.

  She crossed the room in a few smooth strides, settling next to him without dropping anything and offering him the tray. He took the mugs off of it and set the tray by the couch, holding the drinks until Stacey was settled with the strawberries on the end table. She took her mug, the coffee inside considerably paler than his, but she liked her creamer and sugar.

  They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, drinking coffee and watching the fire snap. Finally, Jason set his empty mug aside and shifted, intending to make his goodnights. As he turned back around, Stacey pressed one of the strawberries to his lips. The fruit was dripping, not just with juice, but with something that tasted a lot like rum. Jason opened his mouth and accepted the fruit which she followed with a kiss.

  It was hot as hell and Jason instinctively slid his hand down to rest on her hip. Another berry followed the first, the kisses long and lingering. Jason wanted to be into it, sharing the alcohol soaked fruit and the romantic setting. She was beautiful and very willing and it felt…wrong.

  Stacey finished kissing him and then leaned back, licking strawberry off her lips. She looked puzzled, the firelight flickering on her skin and catching in her hair. “You’re really not into this tonight, are you?”

  Jason sighed, wiping stickiness from his lips. “I’m just distracted, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

  “Uh huh.” Stacey shifted around, touching his cheek with one hand. “I don’t think it’s just tonight. This isn’t really working between us, is it?”

  “Not really. I like spending time with you, but more as a friend than anything else.”

  “So why tonight? You didn’t have to do all the Valentine’s things if your feelings aren’t engaged.”

  He took her hand, squeezing it gently. “What kind of jerk breaks up with a girl on Valentine’s? I don’t want to be that guy.”

  Stacey laughed, and he was grateful to hear amusement and not scorn in her voice. “I won’t tell anyone. The last thing anyone would believe is that you’re a jerk. You’re one of the good ones. All the girls at the resort know that.”

  Jason felt additional warmth rush to his cheeks. He knew girls talked, but it was weird to hear they had talked about him. “Thanks.”

  She nodded, pale wisps of hair tumbling over her shoulders. “No big. I think I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. I was having fun, but I think we’re really different people.”

  “Yeah.”

  She picked up another berry, sucking the rum off of it. “My roommates won’t be home for hours still. We could always fool around anyway. It’d be a fun way to say goodbye.”

  Jason’s libido heartily approved of the suggestion, the flush moving from his cheeks and spreading over his body. He couldn’t help an appreciative look, but he shook his head. “A couple of years ago I would have been all for it, but I think tonight it’s better if I get going.” I want more… The thought ran through his head, but he didn’t say it out loud, pushing up from the couch and running his fingers through his hair.

  Stacey pouted at him, but it was a teasing pout without any ire. “So who’s responsible for the glitter in your hair?”

  “Huh?” He looked at his fingers, which showed gold sparkles. The damn stuff really was craft herpes. “Oh, that’
s from something a friend gave me.”

  “Ah.” She smiled and walked him to the door, opening it to the chilly night. Jason stepped outside, and Stacey leaned in, kissing his cheek. “Maybe next year we can be glitter friends.”

  Jason returned the cheek kiss and chuckled. “Maybe so.”

  He stood on the porch for a moment more as she closed the door, then turned and walked to his truck. That had gone much better than he could have hoped for. He’d feared the worst that he’d hurt her and that she’d be angry, but it seemed like she wasn’t that into him either.

  He pulled his phone out of his sports coat before tossing the coat into the cab of the truck. He’d received a few messages, but one of Stacey’s rules was that they couldn’t use their phones while they were on a date. Jason understood the idea, but he hated missing things.

  He leaned back against the truck, the snow nothing more than a random flake here and there, and scrolled through the list. Daniel. Dad. Mom. Mom. Mom. Work. Work. Lisa. He paused, his thumb hovering over Lisa’s name. It was probably something about homework, or a reminder that they didn’t have class on Monday because of the holiday. He tapped her name.

  *Hey. I know you’re out and about, but you should know. Charles dumped Beth. He was cheating on her. Connor and I have everything under control tonight, but when you get a minute she could use her big brother. And not to go all Neanderthal and pound Charles. Connor already suggested that and it won’t help. So promise you won’t okay?*

  He glanced at the time at the top of the phone. It was after midnight. He wanted to go to Beth’s apartment right now, but if she was asleep she should stay that way. He also wanted to go to Chaz’s apartment and pound the man. He’d hurt both Beth and Lisa, and as far as Jason was concerned that was pretty good justification for an old-fashioned pounding, but Lisa was right. It would be satisfying, but punching Chuck and getting hauled in for assault wouldn’t help.

  *Thanks for telling me. I’ll go over in the morning and check on her.*

  Jason started putting the phone away, then noticed the typing dots moving across the screen and stopped. After a few seconds a message flashed onto the screen.

  *Good. I’m staying over with her. No car. Too much snow and Beth is finally asleep. Bring bagels, muffins, cold cereal, and milk. Her cupboards are bare.*

  Jason cocked his head at the phone, surprised by the information. Beth loved to eat; it was shocking she didn’t have something like cereal and milk on hand. She was supposed to tell him if she needed help. Then again, she’d had a boyfriend for the last little bit; she might have been telling him. Either way, Jason was glad Lisa was there to take charge and started making a mental list of much more than cereal to bring to his sister. He’d take the day off tomorrow and make it a Beth day. Skiing could wait.

  20

  “Jason, come in and have a seat. I’m glad we’re getting this chance to talk.”

  The phrase sounded so rehearsed Jason was sure it came from a managers’ guide book somewhere and Val must have said it to nearly every employee at the resort at least once. Jason double checked that he wasn’t carrying snow on his boots or pants, since dripping on the boss’s carpet was probably frowned on. Convinced he wasn’t slushy, he entered the room, taking the offered seat on the other side of the manager’s desk.

  Val was a large, hearty man in his late forties or early fifties with a big laugh and a bigger stomach. Jason had met him twice and had liked him both times. The man used to be a professional jumper but had busted his hip a decade back and didn’t go on the slopes anymore, but he understood skiing and the people who skied.

  He settled into his office chair, which didn’t even squeak in protest. “So Jason, we’re meeting today because it’s been six weeks since you first started working for us and I wanted to get a feel for how things were going from your point of view.”

  The explanation immediately put Jason at ease. He’d been expecting some kind of evaluation sooner or later, and nothing about Val’s body language said there was a problem.

  “I don’t have any complaints. I get to do something I love almost every day and get paid to do it. I think that’s a pretty good definition of a great job.”

  “How are things going with being an instructor?”

  Jason shrugged slightly, though he couldn’t help a grin. “Better than I thought it would. Maybe I’ve just been lucky with my class, but all the kids I’ve worked with have been willing learners. I only had one really hard case and she stopped crying and started having fun as soon as her mother wasn’t watching her anymore.”

  Val nodded and poked at a paper on his desk. “I have a letter here from one of the parents about her son, Lance. Apparently your instruction has inspired him to try out for the school ski team, something his parents never thought possible. That’s pretty high praise.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jason really wanted to fist pump, but that didn’t seem appropriate under the circumstances. “He’s a great skier. I’m glad to hear it’s working out for him.”

  “Indeed.” Val leaned back in his chair. “I know it’s only March and we’ve still got another month or so of great skiing in front of us, but we’re looking forward to the summer months, and we want to encourage our employees to look forward as well. It says on your resume that you’re studying computer science at the University of Colorado here in Boulder. Do you have plans for working after graduation?”

  Jason tugged at his gloves, the gear that was nice on the slopes feeling overly warm in the office. “Not yet. I’ve looked at a couple of local IT shops, but I haven’t settled on anything.”

  “Well, then I’ll put a bug in your ear—figuratively, at least. Over the next month we’ll be bringing in more summer friendly activities to keep the tourists visiting and expanding our onsite accommodations. We want to do our best to keep our top employees here year round. You obviously have skills that are useful already, and in the expansion we’re going to need some solid IT support, so there may very well be a place for both of your skills.” He held up a finger. “I’m not making any promises, mind you, but I think it would benefit you to keep an eye on the employment board. If you want a full-time position here we could make something work.”

  Jason felt his jaw drop. He’d had a lot of jobs since his first grocery bagger job at sixteen, but he’d never had one that came to him. Not like this. “I…thank you. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

  “Good.” Val chuckled, rocking his chair absently. “The problem with a college town is high turnover. I’d like to build up something here where people want to stay for a good long time. Now, unless you have any questions for me, I think we’re done here. Good work.”

  Val extended his hand and Jason got up, careful not to drop his gloves, scarf, or any other bits of equipment. He took Val’s hand briefly, then left the office. Halfway down the hall he pumped his fist into the air along with a little jump. He couldn’t wait to tell his family. And Lisa would totally flip. He had a job offer, more or less, and one that even used his degree while letting him ski and hike and clamber around the canyon. His day couldn’t get better.

  21

  “Earth to Lisa, come in Lisa.”

  Lisa blinked, tearing her attention away from her phone. “Huh?”

  Jason chuckled, finishing the last bite of his hash browns and waving at her still untouched muffin with his fork. “You’ve been distracto girl all week. You even grabbed a carrot muffin instead of the usual everything bagel. What’s got all your attention and is more exciting than bickering about yet another Spider-Man reboot? Finals aren’t for another month and the second star gazing lab up on the mountain isn’t until next week. So what gives?”

  “I’m working on my schedule for the fall.” She sighed and pushed the phone toward him before picking up her hot chocolate, which had cooled to drinkable temperatures. “There’s a program down at the U of D that I’ve been eyeing all year. It would be a combined Master and Doctorate in biotech and give me a solid mat
h minor. If I can get in it would shave more than two years off my total schooling. I’d have to start up there in the fall to finish my bachelor’s and go right into the accelerated program, but it requires a bunch of paperwork and three tests just to apply, and if I get in it’s really expensive up front, but less expensive than doing each program separately in the long run. So that means trying to get more financial aid so I’m not neck deep in student loans. And it’s just a pile of stuff to add to what I’m already working on, so it’s really…big.”

  “Uh huh. So what’s your other option?” He fished out a tiny pack of colored marshmallows out of his bag and tossed it across the table, grinning when she made a happy little noise and tore it open, dumping the marshmallows into her cup.

  “Finish the program here the way I planned it from the beginning. That would mean two more years for the bachelor’s degree here in Boulder. Then applying for the Masters program here and finding a transferable program for the Doctorate elsewhere. It wouldn’t be as hard to do that, less classwork spread out over more time, but it means a lot more time.” She drowned some of her marshmallows, dunking them in the hot chocolate until they started to melt and get fuzzy around the edges. “It’s a really good program either way. My parents are worried that even if I get in the accelerated program it would be too much for me to handle.”

  Jason watched her as he listened, giving her the attention that made her feel like she was the only person in the world to him. He’d been talking about his job possibilities up at Snow Boulder all week, and even though it shouldn’t matter, knowing he wanted to stay here made her reluctant to apply for a program that would take her away mid-summer.

  He nodded a little and leaned back in the booth, squirming around to fit his frame between the table and the bench. Even though the booth benches were padded, they were never entirely comfortable and the space wasn’t quite wide enough if you didn’t sit straight on. It was worse for Jason who was broader than she was. “So do you want to hear my opinion, or do you want me to nod and listen and get you another hot chocolate?” He grinned, dimple and all. “I’ve been told by a very irate sister that sometimes I’m just supposed to listen and shut up. I have no idea how to identify when that is.”