Page 8 of Stuck With Mr. Frosty

June puts her empty shot glass down. “We don’t get drunk every night, but we do try to go out and have a good time and, ya know, get to know the people we’re going to be working and living with over the next couple of months.”

I shrug and take another pull of the nonalcoholic beer. “I don’t need to spend time getting to know everyone else beyond their shifts and when they’re out with a group.”

“And yet you keep staring at Mia.” Ryder tucks his hands into his pockets. “Seems to me like you’re at least a little bit interested in her. Maybe you should spend some time with her or something. Get to know her.”

“Uh-huh.” I nod, stepping away from them. “I’m going to do just that.”

And then I walk away, heading in the opposite direction of Mia the second she starts drawing closer to me. She’s like the other people here, wanting to have a good time and a vacation she gets paid to be on instead of actually caring about the guests.

I head outside, standing on the porch as fat flakes of snow drift down around me. The music is quieter out here, the closed doormuffling the bass. At least until it opens, and music and the scent of cherry-vanilla perfume pour out.

“Sooner or later, you and I are going to have to talk to each other.” Mia leans on the railing beside me, crossing her arms around her torso like she’s trying to keep warm.

Kind of hard to do when you decide that a corset is the appropriate shirt for the middle of winter.

There’s no denying that her breasts look great, especially when the cold starts to flush her skin.

I say nothing, staring out at the way the exterior lights make the snow shine.

She sighs. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, and you seem to have a horrible idea about who I am. And I feel like that is really going to hold us back, considering we have to work together and share a cabin.”

I press my lips into a thin line before glancing at her. “Stay outta my way, and I’ll stay outta yours.”

“Really defeating the whole purpose of trying to make friends.”

“Wasn’t trying to make friends.” I push off the railing and jog down the steps. “Have a good night.”

She makes a frustrated noise before the music gets louder and softer again. Looks like she’d rather be inside having a good time than getting ready for the first day of work.

Whatever trouble she gets into isn’t my problem.

The morning comes only a couple hours later, and I don’t feel like I’ve slept nearly enough. I stretch as I get out of bed, Honey hopping down from the end, her tail wagging. It only takes a few moments to shower and get dressed before I get Honey ready for the snow, putting on her rescue harness, her boots, and her goggles. Her tail beats against the wall as she waits by the door to our room, ready to go.

I open it up and she runs to the front door, her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth. She sits and waits while I stop in the little kitchenette and grab a couple protein bars, stuffing them into the pockets of my jacket.

A soft snore comes from the couch. I look over the back and there’s Mia, sprawled out on the cushions, drool rolling down her cheek. She’s curled up, lying on her side and clutching a pillow beneath her head. There’s a little crease between her eyebrows, like whatever is going on in her head is deeply troubling.

I glance at the schedule on the wall. She has another hour before she has to be at her shift.

Doubt she’s going to make it when she’s passed out this hard.

It’s not my problem though. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself as I leave the cabin and head outside.

Honey leads the trek through the snow to the little gondolas that run up the side of the mountain. We get in one, and I settle into the hard wooden seat while she sprawls out on the floor.

This ride has always been my favorite part of working at Aspen.

I hate the loud tourists and the workers who treat this as a vacation, but getting to sit down each shift and just look at the mountains, the trees, and all the snow is breathtaking. It’s only when I’m up here that everything else seems so small.

The gondola comes to a stop at the top of the mountain. A few eager snowboarders and skiers are already going down the hill, with a couple instructors and some of the medic team watching over them.

I pass them by for the path that leads through the trees, breaking through to the other side where there’s a clear view down the mountain and to the east as well. Carter stands outside with a mug of coffee in his hand.

“How was the party last night?” He looks at me over the rim of the travel mug as he takes a sip.

I groan and lean back against one of the stilts the watch building is on. “The usual shit. People got too drunk, and most of them are going to be hungover for their first shift of the season.”

“You could do with a little letting loose every now and then.”

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