Page 9 of Finding Love on the Slopes

“We’re adults, Leighann. I won’t let you quiz me.”

Leighann huffed in irritation. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as she picked up the manual from the desk, opened it to the corresponding page displayed on the video and slapped it down on the desk in front of him. “I’m the best person for this job, Enrique. If you want me to help, you have to put yourphone away and finish the video. I’m sure your ‘urgent’ situation can wait.”

For a moment, they were locked in a battle of wills, staring each other down. Finally, he conceded and placed his phone face down on the desk before picking up the manual and placing it in his lap. His team had the situation under control, so he could give this his undivided attention for at least a few minutes, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Good,” she said with a triumphant air before turning to leave once more. She needed some space because his arrogance and nonchalance about the importance of skier safety were making her crazy. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish pulling your gear together. I’ll leave you to digest the rest of the information, but I’ll return to answer any questions you have in about 5 minutes.”

Leigh had already prepared the majority of the necessary gear, but she needed to call her brother and let him know the situation. There was no way this was the same Enrique Rodriguez he had spoken so highly of over the years. That man had been easygoing and fun-loving. They had laughed and played pranks on each other. This man was nothing short of a jerk, and she didn’t like him.

Chapter Seven

She placed the phone to her ear as she pushed the front door to the store open and walked out into the brisk evening. Goosebumps broke out on her skin from the cold, and she immediately jammed her hand into her pocket, regretting not putting on a pair of gloves.

As the phone rang in her ear, she noticed a sleek black SUV parked right in front of the store. She didn’t know much about cars, but this one screamed money.Even his rental must be luxurious. No simple Ford for this guy.

“What’s up, Angel?” Curtis’ deep voice came loud and clear from the other line. “Have you met Enrique yet?”

Leigh scoffed and glared at nothing in particular. When she spoke, her breaths came out in small white puffs.

“If this is a joke, Curtis, you got me good, but I’m not laughing.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” he asked concerned.

“You know what’s wrong. You told me he was your friend.”

“Heismy friend,” he assured.

“Since when did you start making friends with self-entitled jerks? I’ve met almost all your friends, Curtis. None of them are likehim.”

“Relax, Kiddo,” Curtis said. There was a smile in his voice now. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about him earlier, but I didn’t want you to go into this with any preconceived ideas. I’ll admit Enrique can be a little bit hard to handle at first, but it doesn’t take long to work out the kinks. Enrique is like an onion; you have to get past the tough brown part to reach the juicy flavors deep within.”

Her nostrils flared. “I don’t want to get to know him. He has no interest in listening to me or taking this seriously. And why was he so shocked when he found out I was a woman? Didn’t you tell him beforehand that I was going to be his instructor? Is this some kind of joke between the two of you? Another one of your elaborate pranks?”

Curtis sighed, “No, this is not a prank. I may have been having a little bit of fun with him when I told him Leigh would be his instructor and didn’t remind him that you were my little sister.”

“So, what… he has an issue with women because it certainly seems that way to me?” she asked.

“No, no, no. I was just messing with him because he automatically assumed Lee was a man, and I thought it would be a funny surprise to learn he was wrong. Yes, he has a bit of a chipon his shoulder when it comes to women. He has been burned a few times, but trust me, he’s one of the best people I know. Once you come to an understanding, you will get along just fine. Give this a chance.”

“Yeah, well, your funny little moment has turned into a bit of a mess,” Leigh grumbled.

Curtis chuckled. “So, how’s he holding up? This experience is likely going to be very stressful for him.”

“Like I said, he’s barely listening to me. I caught him texting during the instructional video, and he wasn’t even sorry about it. If this is what serious looks like for him, I would hate to see what fun looks like.”

“Enrique is a bit on the stubborn side – and he takes his job very seriously. Nothing personal is going to get in the way of that.”

Her eyes widened. “A bit?”

“Okay, so maybe he’s a lot stubborn, but really, just cut him some slack. He’ll come around. You can do this, Angel. You’ve handled clients way more annoying than he is.”

“Fine,” she gritted. Her teeth began to clatter from the cold, and she turned around and headed inside. “If you say so.”

“I know so,” he said as she pushed the front door open, her body relishing the warmth that enveloped her as she stepped into the warm shop. “I told you, he’s a good guy. You just need a little patience to deal with him at first. It took me a while, too, but I don’t regret it. He is one of the loyalist people I know, and he has helped me out when I got into a jam.”

“I’ll take your word for it. I love you. Talk later,” she said before she ended the call.

She took a deep breath and tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans as she made her way back to the office, retrieving the box of gear she had previously gathered. The video was over, and Enrique was leaning back in his chair, his thumbs moving furiously over the screen of his phone. He barely acknowledged her return, and it made her wonder if he had truly watched the video till the end after she left or if he had been on his phone the entire time.

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