Snow Job (A Resolution Pact Short Story) Page 6

  I heard angry footsteps beside me. A hand grabbed my shoulder.

  “You don’t get to talk to me like that!” It was Savannah, and boy, was she pissed.

  I brushed her hand off. “Yes, I do. Because what goes on with me is none of your business. I owe you no discussion on my business. You’re not my friend. And right now, you’re pushing the boundaries of workplace harassment and assault. Trust me, Savannah, I am well-versed in what is appropriate workplace behavior while on the clock. At my other job, you would have been out on your bony ass already. Adults don’t make scenes, or hurl accusations, or,” I looked pointedly at her hand, “Put their hands on other people. Because they end up fired and potentially facing legal action. Unless you want to take a shot at all that, go sit yourself down and leave me alone.” I sat down and ignored her.

  She took a breath, and I looked at her again. “I won’t ask you again. I’ll go to HR, and we’ll sort it out there.”

  The applause and laughter were immediate. I would bet I wasn’t the only person she was awful to.

  Bob stood in the front of the room. “Did I hear you wanting to speak with HR?” He asked me, and the room quieted instantly.

  I shook my head, a smile coming over my face. I’d faced her down, and she wouldn’t be a problem anymore. “No, thank you, Bob. I think the situation will resolve itself. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”

  “Good. Now can we get on with this meeting, or is there anymore drama from the cast of As The Snow Falls?” He glared at everyone.

  People laughed again, but it was different. The crisis had passed. I found that sweat poured down my back and chest. This was huge for me. I might have screwed up with Markus, and put myself in a crap situation, but that was his fault for not being honest. I wasn’t going to wear a scarlet letter the rest of the season, harassed by the likes of Savannah.

  I was prouder of this than I’d been of anything in a long time. And I knew, even if my mission to find true love with Mr. Right didn’t work out here, it would happen. Because I was different, and I was making changes.

  To add a cherry on top of the day that turned out to be a sundae, Bob gave me my own class of three- and four-year-old kids. I was on my own. Four little people, all counting on me.

  Today was going to be a wonderful day, and I’d done this myself. I gathered my student list and headed out to the bunny slope to find all my students. I noticed that I hadn’t seem Markus once this morning. He probably had a lot of making up to do with his girlfriend. The thought was like eating ashes. She was an older, more together version of Savannah. He deserved bet—no. He didn’t. If he was a cheater, he deserved all the shit he got from the women in his life.

  I wasn’t going to be one of them.

  The morning went great. The kids were so excited, and when one little boy, Rafe, fell too many times and I could see the tears starting, I bent down and whispered in his ear. “Falling makes you better, Rafe.”

  “How?” he asked.

  “Because you’re not afraid to fall anymore. You’ve already done it. It’s no big deal.”

  “Really?” He rubbed a hand across his face.

  I pulled out some tissues that I’d put in my pockets just in case and carefully wiped his tears. I could see Rafe’s mom outside the beginner’s corral, and I shook my head. She stopped, but she was watching carefully.

  “Yes, really. Learning how to get to fall is important. And you’re doing it first. So now it’s done, and you can get on with the rest of it. Want to practice some more?”

  He looked at me, considering my words. “OK,” he said finally. He slid up to the magic carpet, and got on, and I could see his determination in how he was holding himself.

  I made sure to give a thumb-up to his mom and got on with the lesson. By lunchtime, Rafe was doing the pizza stop with everyone else, and I heard him tell one of the other girls, “You need to learn to fall. Get it over with.”

  It was all I could do not to laugh. But I was thrilled. I could do this, and I wouldn’t make kids hate skiing, or scar them for life. It had been a concern and the subject of a few stress dreams.

  I herded them into the cafeteria and got them settled. As I went to get my own lunch, Rafe’s mom stopped me. “I’ll be quick, because I don’t want him to see me. Thank you, Annalise. I was worried. Whatever you said totally changed him.” Her eyes were bright.

  Patting her arm and pulling her along with me, I said, “That’s fine. I told him what my dad said. That now I had how to fall out of the way, I didn’t have to be scared of it anymore.”

  “That’s great. He’s nervous, and he’s also autistic. I worried this would be a sensory overload for him. But he’s having so much fun, and I wanted to thank you.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Seriously. Are you skiing today?”

  “I was going to, but…”

  “Why don’t you go? He’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “You think so?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  She hesitated and took a breath. “OK. My cell number is on the paperwork, so if he—”

  “He will be great,” I said.

  She squeezed my hand, and as I watched her go, I realized I’d done something good for her, and for Rafe. This was the absolute best. With a light heart, I picked up my grilled cheese and chips and went back to my little group of students.

  Markus

  After Cara left, I hurried to the Lodge early to eat without a crowd of people. I took my time going to the morning staff meeting, and as I walked to the school, I saw Savannah call out Annalise.

  Oh, holy fuck.

  But as I watched, with Landon easing up next to me, I realized I didn’t have to worry about a thing. Annalise made mincemeat out of Savannah and didn’t even break a sweat. It was fucking glorious.

  “Damn, I almost feel sorry for Savannah,” Landon said in an undertone.

  I looked at him.

  “Almost,” he said. “She totally earned this. But damn. Your girl is eating her lunch and stealing her lunch money.”

  I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. Annalise marched into the school looking like a goddess, and I wondered if there was a chance she would be my girl. I thought Landon was being a bit optimistic, given the way I’d left things. I’d let her go, with no explanation, nothing.

  As everyone filed into the staff room, Savannah, proving she was both arrogantly stupid, and had no sense of self-preservation, went up to Annalise again.

  Shane was at my elbow. “I think this might be reaching epic proportions,” he said.

  That was what I was afraid of.

  Then I heard Annalise telling Savannah she’d haul her to HR, and I had to turn around, so I didn’t bust out laughing. She had to be an accountant her clients both loved and hated. She was fierce and didn’t flinch. I’d hire her.

  Bob said something that made people closer to the front of the room laugh as Savannah slunk off to the side, completely deflated. And like that, it was over.

  Now I needed to fix things. If I could.

  I was scheduled as a co-teacher with teenagers, so I didn’t have time to watch Annalise. But I saw her at lunch talking with a mom, and when the mom left, she rubbed her eye. I remembered that—when a parent was so relieved their kid was OK. It was one of those perfect moments as an instructor, and I was happy for Annalise that it happened with her first solo class.

  My class was getting a little rowdy, so I stopped my creeper watching and focused on them. We had a good afternoon, and I counted it as a win when no one said the hell with it, and all of them said they were excited to be back tomorrow.

  The knot in my stomach tightened. Now was the moment I was dreading. I had to make this right. I didn’t know Annalise well, but I wanted to.

  I needed to. I knew that, somehow. I needed her. But first, to fix the pile of shit I’d tossed out into the world and stepped in.

  A shower first, and I called and made reservations at a hotel restaurant not far from here
. We wouldn’t see many people from the school, and I wanted that. If she agreed to go out with me.

  With my stomach wanting to revolt, I headed for her cabin.

  A couple of guys saw me. “Good luck, man,” one said, raising a fist.

  The way the gossip spread around here was truly astounding. I lightly ran up the steps and knocked on the door. Leah, another instructor, opened it. She crossed her arms and looked me up and down.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Is Annalise here?”

  “I’ll see.” She closed the door in my face.

  I supposed I deserved it. I stood, feet tapping back and forth, hoping that Annalise would be willing to at least listen to me.

  The door yanked open again, but this time it was Annalise who stood there. She’d showered, and her hair was loose all around her face. She was in leggings and a long sweater and the furry boots that all the women up here wore. She looked delicious.

  Stop it, I told myself. You’re here to apologize, not ogle.

  “Hey, Markus,” she said pleasantly. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’d like to apologize for all the… well, all the things that have happened in the past twenty-four hours or so that were not great. And to ask you if you’d let me take you to dinner again?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Yeah, I’m not seeing that. Last night felt wonderful until we came back here, and it’s been horrid ever since. I’d rather not get embroiled in whatever you’ve got going on. I don’t fool around with guys who are involved with someone else, and I really wish you had told me that you had a girlfriend.”

  I struggled to keep my frustration in check. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I haven’t had a girlfriend in months. I have an ex, who decided in the last week she’d like to be something else and didn’t like my answer. She showed up, thinking that she’d talk me into it. And it was a legit plan,” I shrugged, looking away. I wanted to be honest even if it didn’t paint me in the best light. “I’ve always been a guy who wanted the least amount of confrontation, and for my life, including my relationships, to run smoothly, without a lot of effort. I can understand why she thought it might work. But she hasn’t been my girlfriend since September.” I looked down to see Annalise giving me a look that could only be described as disbelief.

  “Really?” She asked, and there was a weight of words in that one.

  “Yes. My parents died at the end of August.” I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation on the front porch, but if that’s what it took, so be it. “By the end of September, I’d taken a leave of absence from my firm for a year. I couldn’t focus on work, and it wasn’t fair to my partners, or my clients. They understood, although they weren’t happy. My parents were amazing, and I wasn’t ready to lose them.” I sighed, looking away. I didn’t want to see the pity in her face. But I continued. “Cara was appalled I’d stepped back from the firm. She wasn’t interested in helping me get through this even though I told her my entire world had turned upside down. That’s when she left. I haven’t seen her since, until yesterday.”

  She tucked her arms tighter in front of her. “I want to believe you.”

  “I want you to believe me. You know what?” I had a sudden inspiration. “Look at my phone.”

  “What?”

  “Here, look at my profile. You can see for yourself.” I pulled it out and scrolled through until I found the posts that were there when I changed my relationship status. It was amazing to me how many people paid attention to this kind of thing… but I did, too, for all my scoffing. This would show her the truth.

  She took my phone and started moving slowly through it. Each second was a year, and the wait was excruciating. If Annalise didn’t believe this, I didn’t know what else to do.

  Finally, finally, she looked up as she handed my phone back to me. “I believe you. And thank you for sharing that with me. It makes me feel better to know that I wasn’t a side item, or something unsavory.”

  I let out a huge breath. “Thank God. I wasn’t sure what I’d do next if you didn’t believe me. You really do?” I wanted to take her hand, but I put my hands in my pockets instead. I didn’t want to push this.

  She nodded.

  “Can I ask you again if you’ll go to dinner tonight? There will be no scenes on the menu.”

  “You sure you can make that promise?”

  “As far as my past rearing up and thrashing its ugly head around, yes.”

  She looked over my shoulder and I had to resist the urge to turn around, but I kept my gaze and focus on her. “All right. But things are slow. Got it?”

  As if I’d had the nerve to hope there would be a repeat of Best Car Blow Job ever—OK, maybe I was hoping. But not with any sort of realistic expectation. “Got it. Scout’s honor.”

  “You were a Boy Scout?”

  “Eagle,” I said. “How about an hour?”

  “That will be fine.” She closed the door in my face for the second time.

  It seemed I would be forgiven, but gradually. Which kind of sucked because Cara and her crazy weren’t my fault. But I got it—Annalise had to put up with a lot of shit today, and last night, that had nothing to do with her, and she’d handled it with grace and poise. It was understandable that she was cautious.

  She was worth it.

  One hour later, I knocked on Annalise’s cabin door again, and when she answered, she was smiling instead of scowling. I stood back, and let her walk out, not touching her although I wanted to take her hand and pull her to me.

  Not the time. We were casual on the drive over. “How was class?” I asked.

  “It was fantastic,” she said, her face glowing as she turned to me.

  I’d been right about the mom at lunch. “That’s good,” I said. “But I had no doubts.”

  “I did, so I’m so relieved it went well. And you were right,” she added.

  “About what?”

  “The little kids are amazing.”

  I smiled. “They really are.”

  We pulled into the parking lot, and I got out and helped her out of the car. The touch of her hand in mine was electric, like it had been every time I’d touched her. It might kill me, but I would go home and take care of matters myself. I wasn’t going to push her at all.

  Dinner was easy as well. It was amazing to me how comfortable Annalise was to be with. She didn’t get all crazy or make all sorts of demands. I was able to talk about my parents, and how everything was so much harder than I’d ever expected. It was a new thing for me. I was used to Cara, who did all the above. But I knew I’d have to step up in different ways. It scared me, seeing all this so clearly. Not enough that I would willingly walk away from Annalise.

  “Shall we talk about the elephant in the room?” Annalise asked suddenly.

  “What elephant is that? I thought we covered most of them.”

  “We have, and I really appreciate your honesty. I feel like it’s not your normal MO, so you’re making the effort. Part of me has a hard time believing this is for me.”

  Fuck it. I reached over and took her hand. “It is. You’re worth any effort, Annalise.”

  She studied me so long I began to feel uncomfortable. Then she raised her other hand and stroked my cheek. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. Now, the elephant.”

  My cock had gotten rock hard with that gentle touch and I had to focus on not dragging her across the table to me. “OK.”

  She leaned into me, and I could smell her perfume; some sweet mix that fit her perfectly. “I want you. I want to fuck you so badly that my panties are soaked through. But I’m not sure this is the right time—”

  I kissed her, not caring that we sat in the middle of a restaurant. I pulled away from her reluctantly. “If that’s what you want, I am all in. Let’s get the check.”

  “Um…” she looked uncomfortable.

  Oh shit. I hoped she hadn’t scared herself off with her previous statement. It was pretty ballsy.

  “Not back at Wonderla
nd. I’ve had quite enough of being on display.”

  I laughed, mostly out of relief. “Is that it? Wait here. I’ll take care of that. No more displays.”

  And I walked out. This was going to be amazing.

  Annalise

  I watched him walk away, reeling from so many things.

  His apology. It was the best thing ever. I got the impression Markus didn’t apologize a lot. But he’d done it. For me.

  And this dinner. It had been perfect. The tension came off him in waves, but he’d made no move that I didn’t initiate. I liked that.

  Then my blurting out I wanted to fuck him. I’d never used that kind of language in my life. But something about Markus brought that out in me, and I decided that I was going to go for it. I did want to, and I was tired of not asking for what I wanted.

  After our car ride home, I’d gotten the impression—and how could you miss it, I thought with a small laugh—that dirty talk was one of his things. Given the way he’d hustled out of here, and the surge I’d felt from him of pure male energy, I think I was right.

  He came back. “You ready?”

  “For?”

  “Everything you asked for,” he said, and his eyes gleamed.

  “Yes. I want that,” I said, my cheeks flushing with my own daring.

  Markus held out a hand and pulled me up from the table. The look from him made my nipples harden, along with the wetness between my legs increasing. Sweet baby Jee, I was going to die before this was all over.

  He led me to the elevators, and we rode up in silence. Markus was holding my hand and stroking it slowly. We exited on the eighth floor, and I stopped paying attention. I was content to let him lead me. He made me feel safe and protected. And hot. And bothered. And dying to have sex.

  He put the keycard t0 the lock and turned to look down at me. “You sure?”

  “Absolutely.”