Page 8 of You, Me, & Après-Ski
Chapter 5
VAL
Afterfightingwithmystubborn snowboard boot laces, I tossed my braid over my shoulder, grabbed the rest of my gear, and headed downstairs to the lobby.
I made it exactly one step out of my room before Frankie ambushed me.
“You werefired?” she hissed, grabbing my arm and charging us down the stairs.
“I think so?” My footfalls were heavy and awkward in my boots, and I nearly toppled over. “Can we slow down? I feel like Frankenstein clomping around in these things.”
Last night, I’d sent her a quick text before hiding in my room. After my, er, train wreck of a first encounter with Nolan, I’d felt a panic attack clawing its way out of my chest and wanted to be behind closed doors when it hit. This morning, I’d awoken feeling wrung out but ready to hit the slopes and snowboard it all out of my system.
Parking us on the beat-up leather couch in the corner far from prying eyes, Frankie fixed me with a stern gaze. “Spill it.”
“No chance of getting a coffee before we have this conversation?”
The determined set of Frankie’s brow gave me my answer. With a sigh, I recounted my meeting with Nolan, sparing no details.
“And then I essentially told him he didn’t know how to have fun and that his CEO work wasn’t important,” I finished.
Frankie gasped and smacked my arm. “I am so proud of you. Exactly what I would have done. It’s about time you start standing up for yourself.” She pulled me into her side and tugged on my hair. Frankie only had a year on me but never missed an opportunity to act like my overbearing big sister.
“Let’s hope the similarities end there,” I laughed.
“So, is he as hot in person as he is in the tabloids?”
Right on cue, my cheeks flamed bright red. You could probably cook a pancake on my face with the force of the heat that flared to life.
Frankie shot me a wicked smile. “So you agree!”
While,yeah, I freaking agreed, I needed to get those kinds of thoughts out of my head. I’d stayed awake most of the night in utter distress over the fact that I was even remotely attracted to Nolan. I didn’t want anything to do with him. But justhavingthe thoughts at all made me feel awful and set off another anxiety spiral. It was a good thing he’d fired me as his tour guide so I wouldn’t have to worry about seeing him all the time now.
“C’mon, we’re going to be late for our lessons.” I stood and tried to drag her with me, but Frankie the Maneater had other ideas, pulling me back to the couch.
“So that’s it? You’re just going to give up and let him fire you?”
“What am I going to do, tie him up and force him to go cross-country skiing?”
“The tying up part sounds interesting.”
“Shut up. If he doesn’t want to tour the property, I can’t make him. He’s a grown man. And our boss.Hetellsuswhat to do.”
With a snort, Frankie said, “I don’t even let a man tell me what to do in the bedroom, let alonethatpompous man.”
I chuckled at the thought of anyonedaring to order Frankie around. Maybe one day, she’d meet her match, although I doubted it. The woman was a force of nature. “That’s kind of in his job description,” I said. “Er—the telling us what to do part. Not in the bedroom. You know what I mean.” I cut off at the salacious look on her face, not wanting to swim any deeper into those complicated waters.
“Fine, fine,” Frankie said. “I’ll think of something.” I opened my mouth to stop that train of thought before it barreled out of the station, but then she said, “Oh, incoming. I’ll see you later.”
She left me with my mouth hanging open as Austin fell into the seat she’d just vacated.Gotta find something else to do with my face besides gawk at everything all the time.Nerves fluttered in my chest as he smiled at me.
“I thought I wasn’t going to see you much because of your new assignment,” Austin noted.
“Change of plans.”Is it hot in here?I sat on my hands to keep from tugging at my collar. Talking to anyone I found even slightly good-looking made me sweat bullets. I don’t know how I survived my encounter with Nolan without turning into a bucket of Val soup.
Perking up in his seat, Austin asked, “You’ll be on the mountain today, then?”
“Looks that way.” I smiled and hoped it didn’t look crazed.
