I glanced behind me and gestured to the posters hanging on the wall. “Just admiring how good these look here.”
Bev raised her eyebrows. She didn’t look convinced.
“Giles, can you come take a look at something our accountant sent over?”
“Sure.” He gave me a small apologetic smile before following Bev out of the lounge.
Johnny eyed my sullen face. “You okay there, champ?”
“Of course.” I straightened my posture and forced my lips to turn up.
He glanced from me to Giles and gave me a knowing look. “That sad face you had a minute ago wouldn’t have anything to do with that cousin of mine, would it?”
The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. I tried to play it cool. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
He shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Hey, you ready to shred?” Erin picked the perfect moment to walk in and interject.
“Definitely,” I replied, desperate to get far away from Giles and nurse my bruised ego.
* * *
“Isn’t this perfect?”Erin shouted as I took a small tumble, laughing as I fell.
“You were right,” I called back.
We had been out in the snow for hours now. If I thought boarding was fun before, I didn’t know what I was missing. Cruising in the fresh powder felt like floating. And Johnny was right. I was never nervous about falling like I was when the terrain was a bit icier. This was helping my confidence. I could feel myself improving, even though I still needed to stick to easier terrain. The only downside was now that the resort was mostly open, the crowds had started to flow in. Dodging people while learning to snowboard was challenging.
If only my ex-friends could see me now. Back home, I had never even tried surfing. Now I was full-on cruising down the side of a mountain. Part of me wished I still had social media so I could rub my new adventurous, thriving self in their faces.
“You’re crushing it.” Johnny stopped next to me and threw up his hand for a high-five. “I can’t believe you just started learning.”
I laughed. “I’m just glad I haven’t broken anything.”
He continued down the hill while Erin plopped down in the snow next to me.
“So, I heard a rumor.”
I eyed her warily. “What?”
“That Giles went to check on you last night and didn’t come home.”
“Oh, uh, what? That’s weird. Who told you that?” I stumbled over my words.
“Johnny.” Her smile was smug. She knew I was lying. “He was there when Giles left to check on you. Then, when he was shoveling the driveway at the lodge this morning, he saw Giles walking out of your apartment.”
“Um. He just—he forgot something.” My excuse was pitiful and Erin knew it.
She laughed. “You can deny all you want, but I see the way you two look at each other. It was only a matter of time before you ripped each other’s clothes off.”
“Erin!” I hit her on the side of her puffy coat.
“So, you admit it.”
“Please don’t tell anyone. He doesn’t want anyone to know.”
She rolled her eyes. “He can be so stupid.”
