Skiing
Why I’d ever let the woman I loved talk me into going skiing, is beyond me. I was born and raised in Southern California, and the only time I’d ever been in snow was during FBI training in Quantico. It was enough to scare a grown man to death, and I made sure never to find myself in that position again. Until exquisitely beautiful Dani Coleman decided it seemed like a good idea.
“It’s so charming up at Big Bear,” she told me. “We can spend all day skiing and cuddle up with a hot toddy by the fire at night. You’ll love it.”
“I . . . don’t . . . ski,” I told her.
“What do you mean, you don’t ski? Of course you do. Everybody in California skis.”
“Honey, I love you, but what part of that didn’t you understand? I . . . don’t . . . ski.”
“Rick, you’re athletic. You must ski. You probably haven’t been to Big Bear, have you?”
“Dani, the only time I’ve ever been in snow was during FBI training in Quantico, Virginia. That was almost twelve years ago. I have no earthly desire to ever see it, much less romp around in it, ever again.”
She looked disappointed. “Really? Not even if the romping around was with me?”
How could I explain that my idea of romping around with her occurred in a bed, not on a snow-covered mountain? Snow was cold, and wet, and man’s mortal enemy. My idea of fun in the snow was renting a four-wheel drive, leaving it with the valet at the ski lodge, and not seeing snow again until it was time to drive home. She wasn’t willing to give up, and sat smiling at me while she flashed those baby blues. “I can’t ski, Dani. I can barely walk in snow, much less try to shoosh across it on those little bitty toothpicks that pass for skis. I’ll take you anywhere in the world that requires bikinis and suntan lotion, but I am not going skiing. Not now, not ever.”
That’s how I came to be shopping with her for some suitable ski attire. “I have to schedule an appointment with Matt Steiner before we leave.”
“Why do you need to see Matt?”
Matt was the company attorney. Sean and I had seen him just three weeks ago when we had him draw up the paperwork to convert Simon and Donahue into an LLC. We’d meant to get it taken care of ever since I asked Sean to join me at the firm but somehow we never seemed to find the time. We were due to sign the official paperwork this Friday, and I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Oops, poor choice of words.
“I need to have my last will and testament updated before we leave.”
“You really don’t want to go, do you?”
I nodded my head. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for the last three weeks. “
“We don’t have to go, you know.” Those were the words I longed to hear. “I can go up there for a week with Mika and you’ll just have to worry about all the eligible bachelors I’m going to meet.” There was a wicked gleam in her eyes, and she knew she’d said the magic words. Eligible bachelors.
“Can I rent skis?” I asked her.
“Of course you can,” she answered, giving me the biggest smile.
I punched Matt’s number in my phone. “Deanna, it’s Rick. Block out an extra hour for me on Friday when Sean and I come in to sign the incorporation papers. For me personally. Thanks.”
“You were serious.” Dani sounded startled.
“I was. We’ll see if I live through this trek to the frozen north.”
I bought about half of what Dani recommended, and it still cost me a small fortune. The only thing I really decided I couldn’t live without were the Gore-Tex North Face hiking boots. I could always find room in my closet for another pair of boots, especially those that were waterproof. After we finished spending what little money I had, I dropped Dani off at her apartment and drove back to the office.
Robin was giving me one of her shit-eating grins when I walked in the front door. “You’re going, aren’t you?”
“Of course, I’m going. She said the magic words.”
“What? Please?”
“No, silly. Eligible bachelors.” I walked straight into Sean’s office and sat down. “Have you ever gone skiing?”
“Sure, dozens of times.”
“How many bones have you broken?”
“Only one, and that was in the ski lodge.”
I grimaced at that one. “You mean there’s a small chance I could come out of this alive?”
“She talked you into it, didn’t she?”
“Of course, she did. Actually, she threatened me into it.”
Sean smiled weakly. “The old ‘eligible bachelors’ line?”
I even had to chuckle at that one. “Does she use it on everybody?”
He shook his head. “No, only those that might fall susceptible to it.”
“Like any of her male friends?”
“She has a variation of it for her female friends.”
I needed to think on that one for a minute. “She really likes to ski, doesn’t she?”
“Yes,” Sean answered without a moment’s hesitation.
I sighed, a great, sad thing. “I hate snow.”
“You don’t have to go, Rick.” I stared at Sean like he was the craziest man on the face of the planet. “Forget I said that,” he offered as an apology. “I thought you’d be into skiing, since you do so many other physical things.”
I repeated, “I hate snow.”
“How much experience have you had with snow?” I knew what Sean was trying to do . . . find a reason for my feelings about the powdery white stuff and present me with logical reasons why I shouldn’t feel that way. In this case, that wasn’t going to work.
“Once, in Quantico.”
“Once? And you decided you hated it after just one time? Where were you raised?”
“Southern California.”
He gave the subject some thought before he asked his next question. “Have you ever been to Big Bear?”
“In the summer, but not in the winter.”
“I give up,” Sean told me. “You’ve got two choices – go or don’t go.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” I answered back as I got up and walked into my office. I had a report to finish writing for Walmart of Downey and wanted to complete it before I left to get killed on the slopes.
Of course, halfway through the report I got distracted looking at pictures of Big Bear in winter. I have to admit, it did look beautiful . . . there was only one problem. To look like that, it had to be cold, wet, and the complete opposite of warm and sunny. I was a true Southern California boy, and the thought of cold and wet didn’t translate into any language that I spoke. No matter how many wonderful nights I got to snuggle under the blankets with Dani Coleman. I had just shaken thoughts of her out of my head when my phone rang. It was the aforementioned Dani, and she sounded excited. That scared the life out of me.
“Didn’t you say your meeting with Matt was on Friday?”
“I did. Why?” I suspected the answer I was about to get . . . I too, had heard the weather forecast for the weekend and several days after that.
“It’s supposed to snow in Big Bear beginning on Saturday afternoon. We can drive up in the morning and have fresh powder to ski on before the day is out.”
“Can’t we wait until Sunday to leave?” I pleaded, hoping to buy myself one more day of sunshine and warm weather.
“Rick . . . you promised.” There was a sound in her voice I didn’t like. A sound that told me the next thing she had to say would involve the phrase ‘eligible bachelors’ again. I knew when it was time to give in.
“Alright. We’ll stay at my place Friday night and leave first thing Saturday morning. Don’t forget to pick up the 4WD before you come over on Friday.”
“I’m so excited!” she sounded like a four-year-old on Christmas morning.
“I can tell. Listen, baby, I’ve got to go. I’m right in the middle of a report I have to finish today.”
“OK, I have to go pack. Love you!”
Before I could get the word ‘bye’ out of my mouth she was gone. I hadn’t lied to her; I did have to finish the report – I just didn’t have to finish it today. I saved what I’d done so far and closed the computer. I needed a sympathetic ear – and I knew just where I could find one.
