I stared out the window of the plane, tapping my fingers on the small table in front of me. The pilot had said he didn’t allow electronics on the private jet my company had rented to get us all to the resort. I had a ton of work to do and could have used the time on the flight to get it done, but instead I was forced to listen to my colleagues talk about what they were going to do when we landed, all of the people they were going to see, other lawyers who came from all over the country to the exclusive convention at the ski resort in Colorado. I’d never been before—I was a new associate at the firm and had previously worked alone. I wasn’t looking forward to the trip at all but I’d been forced into it by my boss, and I needed to get in good with him if I wanted to rise in the firm’s ranks.

“How are you doing, Lilian?” Michael asked, leaning into me. I tried not to grimace when I smelled the alcohol on his breath, sour and potent.

“I’m fine,” I said. I chewed on my lip, looking away from him. Every time I met Michael’s eye, I felt uncomfortable. He was a slimy person, and he always looked at me like a piece of meat. I’d known from the beginning that he’d been attracted to me but when I’d taken the job, I hadn’t known just how aggressive he would be. I did my best to ignore him, only being polite to him, but if he picked up on the signals that I wasn’t interested, it didn’t deter him from hitting on me in the slightest.

“That’s good,” he said in that silky voice of his, the one he thought was appealing but always made my skin crawl. “Are you excited about the retreat?”

“Sure,” I told him.

He chuckled dryly. “I hope you loosen up a little, Lily,” he said.

I glared at him. I hated being called Lily more than anything, but no matter how many times I corrected him, he insisted on using it anyway. I’d given up after the third or fourth time, but hearing that name in his voice made my skin crawl.

“I’d love to see you let your hair down.”

I didn’t answer, just stared at him blankly. He didn’t get the hint or the message, but leaned even closer to me in his seat, even when I tried to shrink away.

“I might just hunt you down at the convention and make you have a drink with me,” he said. “See if I can’t get you to show your wild side.”

“I don’t drink,” I said, though I would have killed for a glass of wine.

It was then that the pilot announced we were landing, distracting Michael, who turned to the rest of our colleagues and started talking to them excitedly, some boring history about the airport where they were landing. That was another thing about Michael—not only was he disgusting, he was unbelievably boring, somebody I couldn’t listen to for more than five minutes without zoning out.

The airport we landed at was small but luxurious, and we waited there in the cold until the shuttle came to take us to the resort. I climbed on, quickly taking a seat next to Marilyn so Michael couldn’t sit beside me. She smiled at me warmly and I felt myself relax a little bit. I was glad Marilyn had come on this trip—she was the only person at the firm who I’d warmed to. She often protected me from Michael, which I was always grateful for. She’d been the object of his attention for a long time before I came along, so she knew exactly how creepy he could be.

When we got to the street heading to the resort, I looked up at it in awe. It was a massive building, built of logs, with a warm orange light glowing from every window. We piled off the shuttle and went inside. I looked around, taking in the cozy log cabin vibe. It felt warm and comfortable, like home. I’d grown up in this area and had always enjoyed being in the mountains, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it until I’d actually seen the snow.

“Everybody gather around me,” Michael said. I stood at the back of the crowd, always trying to avoid being close to him in any way. Still, he somehow always found a way to get close to me, and I found myself standing right by his side as he spoke.

“I have your room assignments and your keys. There are only a few rules here. Don’t trash the place, don’t smoke inside, and don’t make too much noise. Otherwise, go crazy.”

Some people laughed, grinning and looking excited. I didn’t feel the same way—I hated parties, always noisy, always too much going on at once. I had never been much of a people person, usually preferring to stay indoors reading instead of playing with the other kids in the neighborhood.

Michael started passing out the keys, and when it was my turn, he was sure to brush his fingers against my hand as he handed it to me. He gave me a wolfish grin and held up his key.

“Right next door to you,” he said.

I couldn’t help but grimace. I walked away from him without saying anything and got on the elevator, making my way upstairs to the fourth floor. I was grateful when I opened the door to my room and went inside, immediately greeted by the pleasant smell of lavender. The room wasn’t very big, but it was comfortable, and I put my bags down and sat on the bed. I put my head in my hands, taking a deep breath. I didn’t feel prepared for this convention at all, but I was determined to get through it and make it a productive time.

I lay in the big soft bed until it was time for dinner, then got up and got dressed. I wore a turtleneck and jeans, trying my hardest not to show any skin to give Michael any ideas. I went downstairs, following the signs for the banquet room. The room was full of people sitting at large round tables, everybody dressed up for a gala. I didn’t care, but went inside anyway, taking a seat with my colleagues. Marilyn raised her eyebrows at what I was wearing but didn’t say anything, instead shooting an annoyed look at Michael. She knew exactly why I’d dressed that way, and I only hoped it worked throughout the night.

I was quiet at dinner, and though I was tempted to go upstairs and skip the gathering afterward, I knew I should go. Part of the reason I’d come on this trip was to network and show that I worked well with other people. I hoped that Michael would take notice of the way I worked and spread the news to the other partners at the firm.

I went into the ballroom, following a throng of people. I searched desperately for Marilyn but she was lost in the crowd, so I made my way over to the bar. I peeked over my shoulder and noticed Michael was engaged in a conversation with somebody else. I ordered a glass of wine and downed it, then set it down and walked away. I spent my time watching people, trying to make note of those I might want to talk to later. Some people I recognized from various cases I’d studied in law school, and I knew they were the people I wanted to start with. They were the people who I could learn the most from, something I was desperate to do in order to move up in my career.

“Hi, Lily,” came a voice behind me. I felt a shudder run through me and turned around to see Michael. He was looking at me with half-lidded eyes that were full of lust and I could tell he was drunk. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I said, my standard answer. I never wanted him to think that I’d like to carry on a conversation. I was always polite to Michael, but I did my best not to encourage him at all. I was friendly, but not too friendly, and was careful to never let him believe I might actually be attracted to him.

“Have you been drinking?” he asked. He took my hand, holding it tight. “You look beautiful. The turtleneck, wow.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust but he didn’t seem to notice, oblivious as usual.

“I need to run to the restroom,” I said, tugging my arm from his firm grasp. I hurried away, but instead of going to the restroom, I slipped outside the double-doors and out onto the patio. It was massive, all wood, with grills set up and a fire pit in the middle that was burning bright. The cold air felt good on my skin after the wine, and I looked out over the mountains, trying to relax. I always felt wound up after talking to Michael, especially when he gave me that look.