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He laughed heartily. “That’s more like it. But before anyone does anything here, you’ll get your room.”

I waved him off and glanced out the window. “Honestly . . . ” I glanced back at Adriel, who was watching me with a smile. “Before I waste my time moving into a room, which I can do in the middle of the night, I’d rather hit the slopes right away. If that’s okay?”

I shifted my gaze from George to Adriel hopefully.

George turned around and muttered good-naturedly to himself. “I told you so. Nothing but nonsense in your head.” He fished a key from the board behind the bar and handed it to me. “Cabin number seven. You’re in luck, it’s a double room. No ten-person shared accommodation. You only share the bathroom. Meals are served in a side room next to the kitchen. Employees are not allowed to go to the restaurant in the main building. There is a small refrigerator in the cabin, but no stove—for safety reasons. Take your ski equipment to the equipment storage room.”

Adriel nodded in agreement. “I’ll show you right away. If you want to, I’ll accompany you. Or would you prefer to explore the area on your own?” He rummaged through the desk at the back of the room and pulled out a keycard, which he handed to me.

“Your season pass. You can go anywhere with this. We’ll sometimes take guests on trips across the border to Canada, and you’ll get your passes there. But for the planned ski safaris, you can access all the nearby areas with this.”

I immediately put the valuable item in the pocket of my jacket sleeve and zipped it up.

“All right then. Leave your things here with George. Take what you need and we’ll get going. First, I’ll get my skis from the ski cellar and then we can set off.”

I stowed my luggage where George suggested and couldn’t suppress my grin.

This was the right place for me.

It was already dusk when we arrived at the resort after our last run. Adriel had guided me through the ski world that we could walk to the lift and also walk back to the staff cabins.

“That was good!” I groaned as I placed my board in the man-sized locker in the ski cellar that had been assigned to me. No matter how fancy a hotel was, a boot cellar—even if it was polished to a high shine—smelled, albeit slightly, like a boot cellar. That mixture of feet on polyester, melting snow, and rubber was an unmistakable aroma. The fact that the anthracite-colored fiber mat we were standing on cost more than I earned in a year didn’t change that.

Adriel nodded in agreement. “When you’re driving privately, please always keep your eyes open for anything unusual. Whether a road is closed or whatever. We are informed by the mountain rescue service, but it’s always better to be doubly safe.”

“Sure!” I agreed. It was wonderful to be part of a team again after the idle time in the fall.

“Right here are the shop and the workshop.” He pointed to the glass sliding doors of a small store that was closed. “No one is here today, but during the high season there will always be a technician on hand to rent out boards and skis, sharpen them, adjust them, and do whatever else needs to be done.”

I checked the shop appreciatively. “There’s nothing missing here.”

“There isn´t. That’s why it’s important to me that the team gets along well. With you, we’re now complete. A season never runs without one or the other hitch, but I expect my employees to pull themselves together and work as a team. I have no patience for childish behavior. If problems arise among the team, I expect the people I’ve chosen to deal with them and not get hung up on each other.”

“You’re speaking from experience, right?” I loosened my boots and put them on the rack in the locker. It was strange to be back in these tight things after such a long time. I slipped into my winter boots and rotated my ankles.

Adriel exhaled slowly. “You could say that. If there are any relevant issues such as racism, queerphobia, sexism, personal problems—I’m always here to listen and will do everything in my power to be there for you. If you have a food intolerance, you will receive the food you need. If it´s not to your taste, there’s not much I can do for you, and you’ll have to make do. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Sure. I think so. But honestly, I can’t imagine what would happen to make me bitchy.”

Adriel rolled his eyes. “You can’t imagine the petty wars that sometimes break out between adults. But this isn’t kindergarten. The resort isn’t a five-star resort for nothing. Everything here is luxury and the guests come first. Even bad vibes between two ski instructors are inappropriate. The resort thrives on its flair.”

I shook my head. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can do what I love here. And given how relaxed I already am, there’s nothing that will upset me.”

Adriel patted me on the shoulder. “That’s the attitude we need. At the latest, when the lodge is full here at the weekend and the students are queuing up with their aches and pains, we’ll all need strong nerves.”

We said goodbye. Adriel had something to do in the main house, and I made my way back to the cabins. As George had said, his office was unlocked, therefore I grabbed my stuff and marched to number seven, a mini log cabin on the edge of the forest. Snowed in as it stood before me, it appeared straight out of a winter fairy tale. The path to the two steps leading to the entrance had not been cleared. Only a few footprints led back and forth to the main path. So, my roommate had been there before me. I had to ask George for a shovel. It was better to have the path cleared of snow, even if it was short.

On the porch, I kicked the snow off my feet and looked around. The cabins were different sizes and stood at a comfortable distance from each other. Number seven was by far the smallest. How many people lived in the others?

I wouldn’t worry about it and enjoy sharing the bathroom with only one other person.

The key slid smoothly into the lock and the door swung open without resistance.

With one step, I was standing on the doormat and in the middle of the room. A squeak made me turn my head and my mouth fell open wide that my jaw practically hit the floor.

Standing in front of me was a stark naked Ruben with wet hair, frantically grabbing a T-shirt and pressing it against his crotch.

“Holy fucking . . . ” My heart beat wildly.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he shouted.

What a warm welcome!