Page 15 of Finding Love on the Slopes

His family, apparently, he had four adopted brothers, were listed as being billionaires as well, but they all had good reason to be. They were philanthropic entrepreneurs. No such good deeds could be found in association with Mr. Rodriguez. The only thing Google could find on him was how much he loved toparty and have a good time. All the celebrities and models he had dated, extravagant vacations he went on, parties he had thrown, and who he had escorted to the latest red-carpet event.

It surprised her a little that they were the same age. Based on his looks and style, she had assumed he was closer to twenty-eight. Now she knew what kept him young. He probably bought top-of-the-line anti-aging products and had a fantastic skin regimen while she spent most of her time under fluorescent lights or in the sun.

Now, she understood his attitude a little better. He was a billionaire, after all. With so much money, he was probably used to people bowing to him and his every whim, with no care at all for his actions or how they affected people. She had run into people like him before in the Olympic circuit, worked with them at the resort in the past, and they had impacted her, but nothing like this man.

Something about his arrogance annoyed her. He didn’t have to say anything. She could tell from his appearance and demeanor that he was the type of guy who liked to flaunt his wealth. It didn’t help that he was wickedly attractive, either. It would have been easier for her to overlook if he was a hard-working, grumpy old man instead of the tall, dark, and handsome womanizer that he was. Why would her brother be friends with him? They had nothing in common.

She shook her head as if willing the thoughts of him to go away. She closed the search tab from the taskbar and shut her laptop.

No more Enrique, she thought as she got to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. She would find a way to deal with him tomorrow and, well, for the next eight days after. For now, she was going to unwind and forget all about her haughty new client.

She had agreed to meet up with a few old friends and their families later tonight at The Crest. They were also ski instructors and had crossed paths at the resort today. It would be nice to see each other and catch up, especially since the new year began a couple of days ago. She enjoyed hearing everyone’s goals for the coming year. Goodness knows she has some big plans ahead of her.

She opened the drawer in the old vanity she had had in her brother’s home since she was a kid and took out her makeup bag. It was filled with cosmetics and products she barely ever used, not because she didn’t want to, but because she never had a good reason to get all dressed up, and in her line of work, wearing a full face of makeup wasn’t practical. That and she had never developed the skills of proper makeup application, having only Curtis and his roommate to teach her life skills. For adventurers, makeup does not make it on the list of essentials. Mascara, simple eyeshadow, and tinted lip balm usually did the trick, but on nights like tonight, when she was seeing people for the first time in a long time, she wished she was a little more competent in the girly department. She just didn’t have the time. Her life was busy, sun up until she fell into bed at night, sometimes early morning. Tonight, she was going to enjoy everysecond she had with her friends. This was her vacation, after all.

She grabbed her cell phone and pressed play on her Spotify before settling in front of her oval-shaped mirror with her eye shadow brush. She flicked the lid of the powder quad open, ignoring the thoughts of Enrique’s honey-brown eyes as she dusted powder over her eyelids.

Her phone ringing cut off Francesca Battistelli’s voice right in the middle of her favorite part of “Beautiful, Beautiful,” leaving Leigh belting out the lyrics by herself. She picked up the phone, sliding her finger across the screen to accept the call without needing to look at the caller ID. She knew from the ringtone it was her brother.

“If you’ve called to ask me about how my day was, then I’ll just cut straight to the chase and tell you it was frustrating,” she said, tapping the speaker button and placing the phone down while she continued with her makeup. “Courtesy of the one and only Enrique Rodriguez.”

The sarcasm in the latter part of her statement was obvious, and Curtis sighed. “There’s been a change of plans, Lee.”

Leigh frowned. “What do you mean? What change? Did he decide to wait until you were available and let me off the hook? Thank you, Lord, for small mercies.”

“No, nothing like that. I just got a call from Mr. Bailey,” he said, referring to the owner of Avalanche Crest Ski Resort. “As of tomorrow, there’ll be a change of location.”

She smudged the shadow at the corner of her eye with her middle finger, trying to blend the large spot of dark powder that landed there with this statement. “What kind of location change? And why?”

“It was Enrique’s decision,” he said, bringing her finger to a halt. “He paid five hundred thousand dollars to reserve half of the mountain. He prefers somewhere more private, somewhere that would be hidden from the eyes of onlookers and other skiers. So that’s where you’ll be going tomorrow.”

Leighann scoffed, her fingers falling from her face as she stared at herself in the mirror. This had to be a joke. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’m not,” Curtis said, sounding very serious. “He values his privacy.”

Annoyance bubbled in her gut as Curtis’s words resonated in her brain. She remembered the conversation they had shortly after they arrived at the lodge.

“Why this one? It’s too crowded.”

“What do you mean, ‘Why this one?’ It’s the bunny slope; there is only one. It’s where every beginner learns how to ski before tackling the harder slopes that require the ski lift to get to. What? You want everyone to leave just because Enrique Rodriguez wants to learn how to ski?”

“Preferably.”

Leigh remembered the way he had looked around at the slopes, the flare of his nostrils when the children around giggled when he fell. When she uttered those words, she meant them as ajoke. And even when he had responded, she didn’t think he was serious, notreally.

Her annoyance morphed into anger. Who did he think he was? Paying for half of the mountain just for himself? Just forone manto learn how to ski? It was absolutely ridiculous, and it irritated her so much that she grabbed the phone from its holder and placed it against her ear.

“Who does that, Curtis?” she asked, her tone fierce. “Tell me one reasonable person who does that.”

“Leigh – ”

“No,” she snapped, cutting him off. “I need you to answer me. Who in their right mind decides to take half of an entire mountain just for himself? Just who does he think he is? Why does he think he is so different from everyone else that he can’t learn like other people and endure a little public embarrassment? It could barely even be called that, Curtis. Falling down as a beginner is normal, and it’s also absolutely normal for other people to find it funny. How in the world is this kind of manyour friend?”

“Leighann – ”

She scoffed, her cheeks burning a brighter shade of red without any blush needing to be applied. She was borderline furious. If there was one thing Leighann hated the most, it was wealthy people thinking they were better than everyone else, flaunting their privileges only money could buy. This man had to be the worst she had ever met. Reserving half a resort… she had neverheard of such a thing. She didn’t think she could tolerate any more.

“And where do the others go, now that he’s taken half of the mountain for himself? What happens to the plans other people made to be at the slopes tomorrow? All of their ski adventures get thrown out the window because a certain billionaire can’t handle a little fall?”

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