AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She gets up and takes a hesitant step forward.
I pull her into my arms and hug her. “That was insanely good. I don’t know how to describe it beyond that.” I kiss her neck and wait for her to say something.
She keeps her eyes closed. “I wasn’t expecting to feel like this.”
I stroke her back. “How do you feel, love?”
She puts her arms around my waist. “Nervous. Like I might have given too much of myself.”
Holding her tightly, I say, “I understand what you mean. I feel that vulnerability. The adrenaline rush from skiing down the mountain in the dark might have had something to do with letting your guard down.”
“I don’t know if the two things are related.” Her voice sounds far away.
I move away from her and pick up my shirt. “It’s why people tell me things on the trips. It’s almost as if experiencing something physically challenging opens up pathways to talk about something emotionally tough in their life. Going through something exhilarating builds trust.”
Imogen looks around the space and then back at me. “Do you warn people about that?”
I laugh softly. “No, it’s not the same for everyone. And I’m not a therapist. I’m closer to a bartender. I’m present and believe what people tell me about themselves, but I never question them.”
She smirks. “I don’t talk to bartenders.”
“You’re probably not a big drinker. Some people talk to bartenders because they don’t have anyone else in their life that they can talk to. And you probably don’t have time. When you enter a bar, I’m sure you get approached by men wanting to buy you a drink or chat with you.”
Perching on a wooden stool by the fire, she says, “I don’t go to many bars.”
“The picture Kate sent of you was taken in a bar.”
“That feels like a long time ago.”
I place another log on the fire. “I’ll heat some stew for us?”
She nods. “Thank you.”
As I take out the stew and begin heating it in a pot, Imogen says, “This place is exactly how I’d picture a Swiss chalet.”
I place two bowls on the counter with cloth napkins and spoons. “We use this place year-round. Sometimes we do a camping adventure, and then this chalet is used the last night before the tour ends. We also do winter camping or use it for skiing.”
She comes over and sits at the counter. “I can’t imagine being out in the woods tonight.”
I stir the stew. “There is special gear for cold weather camping.”
Crossing her arms, she asks, “You didn’t want to take me winter camping?”
“This trip is meant to be a gradual exposure to what we do. And we have to be in Antigua in thirty-six hours.”
I turn off the simmering stew and serve both of us.
She picks up her spoon. “Thank you. I didn’t realize I was hungry until now.”
I put a small baguette loaf on a cutting board and slice a few pieces. “There is a sauna and a hot tub on the lower level. After we eat, we can explore those.”
“So, this is the luxury part of the tour?”
I sit near her at the counter. “There are plenty of adventure companies. Our specialty is providing adventure alongside luxury.”
Imogen tastes the stew. “This is delicious. I hadn’t considered the luxury element.”
“It’s not that hard. It’s about catering to the individual. We provide five-star accommodations, privacy, convenience, and gourmet food.”
