Page 5 of The Lodge

“They’re putting me up in an amazing penthouse so I can write without distractions,” I say.

It’s nottechnicallya lie. I’m just keeping it vague as to who, exactly, made all the arrangements and is footing the bill.

“I need pics, like, now. How long will you be there—and when can I come visit?”

I put her on speaker, snap a quick photo of the breathtaking landscape, and hit send. The snow-covered mountain outside my window is exactly the sort of postcard-perfect vista I imagined it would be.

“I’ll be here for a month,” I say. “That’s the view from my living room.”

“Stop it, Alix, holy—I will most definitely be crashing your vacay, andsoon. Wow.”

“It’s not a vacation,” I say, though I admit that fact has beena little slow to sink in. The fancy soaps and modern bathtub, the sleek wineglasses and well-stocked bar, views from every window, multiple shaded balconies, and even a game room with a pool table: literally everything about this place screams vacation. It’s going to take some work to… well, remind myself towork.

“Why don’t you plan on coming to see me halfway through?” I suggest. I could get lost in here, it’s so enormous. “I’ll do a ton of work these next two weeks so I can take a good break. We’ll have cocoa and sit by the fire—”

“Say no more, I’ll be there. Also! Keep your eye out for any hot ski instructors who might be interested in cozying up to a petite brunette with big golden retriever energy, please.”

I laugh. “Sounds like a plan.”

“If you happen to see any hot ski instructors for yourself, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone a little, okay? Just ask yourself, ‘What would Chloe do?’?”

“Not this again,” I say, glad she can’t see how hard I’m rolling my eyes.

“It’s beentwo yearssince Blake,” she says delicately, treading lightly over my sore spot. “This is the perfect opportunity to test the waters again.”

If Chloe has golden retriever energy, I’m the cat who hides under the bed whenever anyone new gets close.

Blake was a lion.

The only good thing about dating him was that I met Chloe; she was dating one of Blake’s Wall Street bros at the time. Of the six guys in that group—and their revolving door of significant others—my friendship with Chloe is the only relationship that survived.

“I probably won’t have a lot of time for skiing, Chlo. Or guys.”

It is the flimsiest of excuses.

“You work too hard as it is,” she counters. “Promise me you’llmake time forfun, too? You can work your way up to scouting out the guys, I’ll give you that. But you are in freaking ski heaven right now, and you will regret it if you don’t make the most of that mountain while you’re there.”

“I’ll regret it, or you’ll make me regret it?”

“Do you really want to find out?”

I laugh. “Okay. No promises on anything else, but I’ll agree to ski at least once on this trip.”

“At least oncethis week,” she says. “Do it tomorrow. Get up early, knock out some words, and then take a break in the afternoon—if you love it, you’ll be glad I made you do it.”

Chloe is one of the most productive people I’ve ever met, yet she somehow manages never to seem stressed out. It’s possible I could learn a thing or two from her approach to the whole work-life balance situation.

“Only if I get enough done tomorrow,” I concede.

The mountain really does look tempting. So does the little village over near the main lodge, and the ice-skating rink.

If I’m honest, it’s been a lonely two years since Blake. Spending all my time in this gorgeous penthouse, all by myself—even if I’m technically on a tight deadline—might only amplify that loneliness. At least I have Puffin to keep me company. And Sebastian, though I’m not sure yet when he’ll be coming.

“Text me a picture tomorrow of your skis in the snow,” she says, and I can hear it in her voice: she knows she’s won. “And if you happen to run into Sebastian Green on that mountain, you’d better believe I’m going to need a picture of him, too.”

This penthouse is the coziest place I’ve ever set foot in my entire life.

I’ve settled in for my first writing session of the retreat, ready to finally make some significant progress on this project. There are a few workspaces to choose from, but for today I’m going with the sleek desk by my bedroom window. The view is calm but energizing: the hypnotic spiral of snowflakes against the majestic backdrop of Black Maple Mountain, with the resort village nestled in between.

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