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She needed to escape and take some time to regroup. And I needed time to come up with a plan. At work the next day, I decided to date her, to seduce her, remembering that her getting along with Maggie was just as important as our connection.
Dinner went better than I’d hoped. She’d relaxed and settled in, seemingly enjoying our time with Maggie. I thought she might confide in me about her past after I put Maggie to bed, but I missed the window when she fell asleep.
I could only hope that she’d open up to me, given the chance. So I asked my mom to take Maggie on Saturday. She was all too happy to have her. I needed this chance to get to know Alice better.
She wouldn’t be honest with me if we were constantly interrupted by a child or too tired at night. Now I just had to convince Alice we needed this time.
What better way to get her alone than on a gondola ride to the top of the mountain? We could go to dinner, or we could go night skiing. As much as I wanted to spoil her and take her out to a nice dinner, I worried she’d say no. Skiing seemed like a safer bet.
Time alone was different than asking her to go with me and Maggie. She couldn’t say no to Maggie, but me? She could and would say no if it meant staying in her protective shell.
When I arrived home, the girls were finishing Maggie’s mosaic. When they were done, we ate, and then I told Maggie it was time for a bath.
When she whined, I said, “Do you want to go to Grandma’s for a sleepover on Saturday?”
“Seriously?” At my nod, she said, “Yes.”
“Now, get into the bath.”
She ran up the steps, and Alice said, “You sure know how to distract her.”
“She loves spending time with her grandparents, so I knew it would take her mind off the bedtime routine.”
“Do you have plans?” she asked me and then seemed to catch herself and looked away.
Was she worried about me going out with someone else? “I was hoping we could go night skiing.”
“Are you serious?” She looked up the steps as if she could conjure Maggie back for a timely interruption.
“We can take the gondola from town to the mountain and ski down.” It was perfect, a fun activity, and we’d be alone in the gondola. We could get hot chocolate or a late-night snack at the lodge. I’d have her all to myself.
She chewed her lower lip. “It sounds fun. I haven’t been night skiing in a long time.”
“Hopefully, they’re all good memories.”
“Elle and I used to ski and hang out with the local kids. It was fun. Different from being at home. There was always someone to hang out with.”
I wondered if there wasn’t as much pressure here. I could imagine growing up how she did. Appearances were everything, and in the awkward teen years, that could be rough.
“You have skis?” It seemed like she would have grown up owning those things.
Her face fell. “I left them when I moved.”
I shook my head. “We can rent.”
“Are you sure about this? Skiing is expensive. The lift, skis…”
“The gondola is free in Telluride, and I’ll get your rental. Don’t worry about it.” I wondered if she worried about money.
Her forehead wrinkled. “I don’t know.”
I stepped closer, wanting to comfort her. “I want to take you out. Let me do this.”
Her shoulders lowered as her eyes studied my face. “Okay.”
I couldn’t wait for Saturday. “Want to watch some TV?”
“I was hoping to read.”
