Page 47 of Stuck on the Slopes

I groaned: first Nora, now Jack. Nothing was sacred anymore. “For fuck’s sake, dude.”

“You do! You’re totally soft on him! Are you two hooking up?”

“We haven’t, for the record. I’m not going to deny anything else, though.”

“Be careful, Rachel. I don’t like these power dynamics at play.”

“You know, normally I would completely agree with you. If this were any other boss-and-employee relationship, I’d be there with you a hundred percent. But with Juniper, there isn’t really any power play beyond the fact that he signs my checks.”

“That’s still a power dynamic!”

“Well, he’s super fucking hot, and it’s just the two of us out here! The only other person is the guy who runs the restaurant and his daughter, and they stick to themselves most days.”

“Do you think it’s the isolation talking?”

“Maybe? I bought some spare medication for him without him asking me to. He doesn’t even know I did. Fuck, I don’t even know what compelled me to.”

“Because you’re a better person than most of us. Remember when you bought masks and hand sanitizer for your department when COVID first started going around?”

“Yeah, on the company dime. That’s different.”

“Is it, though? My manager didn’t do that. I ended up snagging one from you before they sent us all home for two years.”

“Are they treating you okay, by the way?”

“Not gonna lie, it’s been rough since they made us all return to the office. Which you already knew, you were here for that switcheroo. There’s no reason for us to be here, and we all know it because we all did our jobs just fine at home. But they’re determined to micromanage us to death, it seems. They have me working late so often I barely see Britt anymore.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Jack.”

“Yeah. You got out of here at the right time. Unfortunately, with all the tech layoffs, I’m probably better off staying right where I am for now.”

“Well, if you need a getaway, I have it on good authority that we can always make room for you at a certain ski lodge.”

“Don’t be shocked if I take you up on that. Britt and I still haven’t decided where we want to honeymoon yet.”

“I’ll send you some pictures. Maybe it’ll convince her.”

“Please do. But enough about your crush on your boss. How are you really?”

“Refreshed. For real.” I tried not to think too much about Jack’s words, so I could also avoid looking internally at the aforementioned crush on my boss. “One thing I really hoped to get out of this whole thing was to find myself outside of work. We go on hikes on the weekends, easy ones even in the winter, but it’s really helped me get out there and get some new perspective. Especially since it’s just us, you know? It’s nice to have fresh air to breathe after being in the hustle and bustle of Orlando.”

“That makes me happy to hear. Who knows, maybe we’ll follow in your footsteps.”

“You and Britt would like it out here. I hope you do.”

“Well, I’m pulling into the driveway now.”

“Oh, shit that’s right. You’re two hours ahead. I’ll catch up with you later, alright? Tell Britt I said hi.”

“Will do. I’ll look forward to those photos.”

On the gondola ride back to the lodge, I admired the view of the mountains. The pines were barely visible beneath their thick blanket of white. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun to shine on the mountains until the snow sparkled. The rocky peaks seemed to go on for ages, and once I was high enough, I could almost make out the Denver city skyline in the distance.

If I was being honest with myself, Jack and Nora were both right. As much as I probably shouldn’t, considering he’s my boss, I liked Juniper more than an employee or friend typically would. For as much as he tried to act like an uncaring hard-ass, I could tell he cared a lot.

About the lodge.

About his dog.

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