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Though he didn’t need to buy anything, he’d wandered through the large gift shop that carried a variety of things, from snacks to standard gift shop fare. The resort had its own line of merch, and he ended up buying a sweatshirt and a ball cap.
He’d once again run into the woman he’d met when he checked in, and she was still as friendly and flirty as she’d been the first time. During the course of his wanderings, he’d discovered Liz was the manager of Guest Relations. Her flirtatiousness didn’t strike him as being overly professional, but he knew that if he brought that up to Alexander, the man wouldn’t have an issue with it.
So, he’d leave that out of his report, but perhaps he’d bring it up when he met with the manager, Kayleigh Halverson.
The next morning, Hudson went to where he was supposed to meet the ski instructor. He was going to have to rent everything he needed for some time on the slopes from the ski shop. Skiing wasn’t something he’d done much of. In fact, he’d only gone once, and it hadn’t turned out to be the greatest experience.
He hadn’t minded the cold, but the feeling of not being in control on the slopes had killed any desire on his part to spend more time learning the sport. Feeling more in control would only come with more practice, but he just didn’t feel attracted enough to skiing to put the time and effort into it.
But he’d decided to try it out there since it would be an opportunity to see yet another facet of the resort. Especially considering it was the main winter draw of the resort.
“Hey there,” a man called as he jogged toward where Hudson stood. “Are you Hudson?”
“I am.” Hudson held out his hand.
As the man shook his hand, he said, “I’m Wilder, and I believe we have an appointment to take on the slopes.”
“We do. I hear you’re the best.
Wilder had a bit of a wild look with tanned skin and hair that was a tangle of dark brown curls. But he had a friendly smile, which brightened as he laughed. “I don’t know about the best, but I must be good enough because they hire me back every winter.”
“You don’t work here full time?”
“Nope. I’m here for the winter season, then I’m off to travel the world.”
“Wow. They must pay you well if you’re able to only work for the winter months.”
Wilder shrugged. “They pay me well enough, and I have some regulars who are willing to pay me extra for more time.”
That comment triggered an alarm in Hudson. “So you have clients that like some extra curricular stuff? And will pay more for you to spend time with them?”
Wilder wrinkled his nose. “Not like that. It’s all strictly above board. Some want to have me for a whole morning on the slopes. In which case, they pay extra, and I get paid more. Plus, some people are excellent tippers.”
“So people don’t ask for more… personal interactions?” Hudson asked as they made their way inside the ski shop.
“Well, sure, they ask, but this is my job, not a dating site. I’ve made sure that all the staff know not to give out my phone number. It happened a few times early on. I had to change my phone number, and after that, I’ve made sure to only give my number to people here at the resort who absolutely need to have it. And that doesn’t include guests.”
Hudson was glad to hear that. “So, do you come back here each year just for the job?”
“Nope. I’ve got family here. My mom demands my presence for Christmas, so I’d be here, regardless.”
“Have you lived your whole life here?”
“Yep. Born and raised in Serenity.” He paused. “Well, not born. I was born in CDA.”
“CDA?”
“Coeur d’Alene.”
“Ah. Yes. I flew into there.”
Hudson found the man to be friendly as he helped him get everything he needed, then walked with him to the ski lift. Once Wilder realized it was Hudson’s first time in the area, he talked to him about interesting things to do in and around Serenity Point.
When they reached the ski lift, Wilder shifted into professional mode, asking about his previous experience, and then basing his instructions on that information. Though he hadn’t expected it, Hudson found himself relaxing and actually enjoying the time spent on the slopes.
He’d booked Wilder for an hour, and the time sped by. When it was over, Hudson’s leg muscles ached, and he was tired.
“I might need to book another session,” Hudson said as they returned to where they’d originally met.
