Page 37 of Just Shred

We have been going at it for five hours when we take the last ride up the slope. It hasn’t been as awkward as I thought it would be, spending time with Jesse again. He is his normal scowling but happy self. I swear the man wears so many masks. And I’m… I don’t know what I am. The guy has seen me naked, for fuck’s sake. What is even more confusing is that he hasn’t made a play at me the whole day.

He’s on the left side of the lift, the plastic bar between his legs and me on the right. We glide to the side, getting ready to go down the slope for the last time. A couple of guys greet him. He gives them a nod and makes polite small talk about the snow and some new boards that have come out recently. When I think about it, a lot of people have said hello to him today. Especially girls. It’s like he’s the honey and they’re the bees.

“You are kind of popular around here.”

His eyes flash to mine while he’s tugging his hair behind his ears. “Been teaching and riding here my whole life,” he says, getting a faraway look in his eyes.

“So you live around here?” My voice sounds uncomfortable even to my own ears.

He shakes his head, a sexy half smile warming his face.

“What?” I ask, looking at him sideways.

“It’s just funny this back and forth because we almost had sex.” He chuckles.

I punch him in the stomach.

“Aw, cut it out, babe.” He laughs. “But we’re still actually in the LinkedIn phase.”

“The LinkedIn phase?”

“Yeah, like, what did you study? How long did you work there?” he says, making a disgusted face.

“You make it sound like a job interview.”

He pulls on his gloves. “That’s dating,” he states.

I shake my head, adjusting my helmet. “It’s not a job interview, Jesse. Dating is getting to know someone; the likes, dislikes. But that’s not what’s going on here.”

“Yeah, I know,” he drawls. “If you mean telling me what you like in bed later, that’s fine by me, babe.”

“No, come on, it’s all part of getting to know each other—”

“It’s fucking boring,” he cuts in, pulling on his hair. “Why does it always have to be about work? Why can’t it be about, I don’t fucking know, your hopes and dreams, future plans?”

“People talk about that stuff, we are getting to know each other.”

“Really?” he asks, raising his brows. “You mean, like friends, then fuck and fuck some more?”

I raise my eyes to the sky before looking at him.

“Don’t knock it till you try it, babe. Better to fuck at the beginning than get fucked over in the end,” he declares, brushing the snow from his board.

“What’s that, life lessons, according to Jesse Winchester?” I chuckle.

“Best advice to live by, Ace of Spades,” he tells me.

“Let’s get to know each other a little better, smartass,” I counter, staring at the beautiful pink and purple sky. It looks like a Bob Ross painting with the snowy mountaintops in the distance.

“What do you want to know?” he asks, plopping down in the snow, looking at the village below.

I sit down next to him. “Where do you live? See, nice and easy one.” I wink at him, and he chuckles.

He motions to outskirts of Aspen. “I live right about there. See the line of trees in the distance? There is a beautiful lake right next to my front door. Not that far from the town. Lived here my whole life. And plan on living here for the remainder of it. How’s that?” he asks, leaning back on his hands.

“A start.” I smile, looking at the beautiful mountains in front of us. “What about your family?”

He takes a deep breath. “My mom left a long time ago, and Dad had to take care of my brother and I. Gibson was still a kid at the time.”

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