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“Of course. I’ve been thinking about Badger Creek and ever since you received that proposal from, what was his name again…Declan?”
“Yep, that’s him.”
“Well, his proposal got me thinking and when you took my opinion and ran with it, it made me feel…” I trail off, feeling my cheeks flush as Ethan’s dark eyes watch me, taking in every word.
“Tell me,” he says, his hand moving to rest on the small of my back, the weight of his hand, the warmth of his skin against mine as his fingers gently caress my back, has my thoughts swirling.
Make the first move, Zoey!
I turn toward him, his hand sliding to my hip, his fingers tightening and just as I lean in, the timer begins chiming, reminding us that there is salmon cooking.
“Hold that thought,” Ethan says, letting out a hard sigh and making his way over to the oven. “Dressing for the salad is in the fridge. Will you grab it and bring it to the table? I’ll plate this and we can eat.” |
The moment between us feels like it’s gone, the interruption of dinner causing both of us to lose that feeling, the want that keeps building but falling short.
I put the salad on the table, along with the bottle of wine we opened. Taking our glasses from the island, I add them too.
The view from Ethan’s dining room table is like something out of a movie, the lights of the city, the darkness of the water, it’s stunning. It’s times like this that I wonder if I could ever leave Badger Creek. There’s so much more to see than the mountains.
Ethan joins me, setting a plate down in front of me, a piece of salmon perfectly cooked and topped with the asparagus and this dill sauce as the smell of lemon and butter fill the space.
“This looks incredible. How am I supposed to go home and eat frozen pizza after this?” I ask, smiling at him, but Ethan chews on his bottom lip, not responding, only sitting down next to me.
“Tell me your thoughts on Badger Creek and Declan’s proposal,” Ethan says, shifting the conversation back to what we were originally talking about.
“It wasn’t so much Declan’s proposal, because I still think you made the right choice, but it got me thinking. Not that I’m as business savvy as you are—”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Zoey,” Ethan says, firmly. “You may have grown up in a business family, but you’ve achieved a lot on your own too.”
I nod, swallowing hard, still finding it hard to take a compliment that I haven’t ridden on my family’s name.
“So, I know a lot about Badger Creek, growing up on the slopes and working there. I know you’ve considered expanding, but I think that’s the wrong route.”
“Oh really. Elaborate,” Ethan says, narrowing his brow as he takes a bite of the salmon.
“We talked about how Badger Creek has this boutique feel, and we,” I say, but quickly correct myself. This isn’t my resort. It’s Ethan’s and my opinion is just that, an opinion. “You should want to keep that, but also know that you can expand without literal expansion.”
Ethan chuckles, setting his fork down, he licks his bottom lip, waiting for me to continue.
“I’m not making any sense. Sorry.” I look down at my plate, my face growing hot, my heart beginning to beat rapidly. And that’s when I feel Ethan’s fingers under my chin, tilting my face so I’m looking at him.
“Don’t be nervous, Zoey,” he murmurs and his touch does nothing to quell this feeling.
“People learn to ski at Badger Creek because it’s small and the mountains are less crowded,” I say, my words quieter. “They come for the atmosphere and the size, not the prestige of saying they stayed at the Marriott or Hilton.”
“I think I get what you’re saying. Keep things small, but mighty,” he jokes, but yes. Somehow, he managed to get that out of my nervous ramblings.
We continue to discuss ways to build the Badger Creek name without compromising the integrity of its name and what it’s known for. It’s an easy conversation and it flows, my nervousness dying off. I need to gain more confidence in my ability to manage business relations if I want to help Ethan.
“Another bottle?” Ethan asks, holding up the empty wine bottle that we finished during dinner.
“Sure, why not. It’s not like we’re going anywhere,” I say, walking our empty plates over to the sink and setting them down.
As Ethan is opening the bottle of wine, I wander over to the oversized windows that cover most of the room, looking out at the view of the water. The lights of the Seattle Great Wheel reflecting off the water of Elliott Bay. I could wake up to this view every morning and fall asleep to it every night and not miss the mountains.
Or maybe it’s just being here alone with Ethan and away from all the prying eyes of Badger Creek. No one will know what happens here, and right now I’m sending up a silent plea that something does happen.
“It’s some view, isn’t it?” Ethan says, his words a hushed whisper as he comes up behind me. I can feel the warmth of his body, the heat radiating between us and when I close my eyes and breathe in, his smell overwhelms me. It’s heady and perfect, this mix of snow and pine trees, earthy and fresh and real.
