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‘Fuck,’ Ty says.
‘Exactly what I was thinking. Either you’re a brilliant teacher or that’s one hell of a quick learner.’
‘Let’s get after him,’ my friend suggests and we too hit the slope, serpentining down in Dominic’s wake.
Chapter Seventy-Four
We’ve booked for two hours and after just one of them, Dominic is snowboarding as if he’s been doing it all his life. The rest of the group are cheering him on and only Gerry is hanging back, scowling.
I hug Dominic as he whizzes to the bottom of the slope again. ‘You’re brilliant,’ I tell him.
He’s laughing excitedly. ‘I have never had fun like this, Janie. Thank you for bringing me here.’
Ty high-fives him. ‘Top boarder, mate!’
Gerry comes forward. ‘Let’s up the ante a bit,’ he says. ‘Up for a kicker?’
Dominic shrugs. ‘I do not know what this is.’
I do. In the middle of the slope, there’s a huge ramp of snow and the idea is that you launch yourself from it, getting as much air between you and the snow as possible. The danger of falling on your head, breaking your arm, busting up a leg, is very high.
There’s a sly grin on Gerry’s face when he says, ‘I’ll show you.’
I step forward. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Frightened your boyfriend can’t cut it?’ he sneers.
‘Dominic’s doing brilliantly. Leave him alone.’
‘Oh, well,’ Gerry says, holding up a hand, ‘if you don’t think he’s man enough for it . . .’
‘Oh, grow up,’ I say.
‘I would like to try it.’ Dominic moves towards the lift.
Gerry grins. ‘You’re on.’
‘Be careful, Dom,’ Ty warns. He looks at me concerned, as well he might.
Unable to help myself, I grab Dominic’s arm. ‘He’s taunting you. There’s no need to do this.’ Again, I wish that Mike was here. As the voice of reason, I’m sure he’d be able to talk Dominic out of this madness. ‘You hadn’t even seen snow before today and you’ve done brilliantly. Don’t spoil it. You could really hurt yourself. Quit while you’re ahead.’
‘I will be OK, Just Janie,’ he assures me. ‘Just watch.’
I don’t know if he realises exactly what Gerry is trying to do, or perhaps he does but feels that he has to rise to the challenge. Whichever it is, naivety or bravado, I only know that it’s making me feel sick.
‘Gerry,’ Nina says, ‘don’t do this.’ Even she, for once, can see that her husband is being a complete knobhead.
All he does is laugh at her, then he and Dominic move away to join the queue for the lift.
‘This is stupid.’ My anger is rising. ‘Utterly stupid.’
We watch them travel to the top of the slope on the drag lift. A minute later, Gerry sets off at high speed and heads straight for the kicker. Dominic swoops down behind him.
‘I can’t watch,’ I say and as the rest of the group stare, open-mouthed, I put my hands over my eyes and peek between my fingers.
Gerry hits the kicker, expertly, and flies through the air before landing safely at the bottom on the slope once more.
‘Air,’ Ty says with admiration.
Then, before we have time to breathe, Dominic shouts out his high-pitched noise as he hits the kicker. Everyone in the place stops to watch him. My heart leaps into my mouth as he launches off. I turn away, unable to bear it, then I hear everyone else cheering and clapping.
When I turn back, I just catch sight of Dominic coming down from a great height to execute a perfect landing.
Ty, much like myself, is wide-eyed, stunned. ‘Big air,’ he says, gobsmacked. ‘Big, big air.’
‘Really?’ I lower my hands and risk a proper look.
‘Omigod. Are you kidding me? Can that dude jump!’
I’m guessing all his hours spent practising Maasai jumping have proven to be useful in other areas.
‘He’s ten times better than Gerry,’ Ty says and pulls a happy face.
Dominic is laughing is head off as he comes to a stop in front of the group. Everyone mills around him, delighted at his success, clapping him on the back. The other skiers burst into spontaneous applause. Gerry, to one side, looks less pleased. I glance over and catch his eye.
‘Lucky,’ he mouths at me.
‘Go fuck yourself,’ I mouth back.
Gerry slinks away to the changing rooms by himself and I go over to Dominic and crush him in my relieved embrace.
‘NICE. ONE,’ Nina says in the shouty voice she reserves for my loved one.
‘I will stop now,’ Dominic says, his arm around my shoulders. ‘That was very amazing.’
