Chapter 10
Angelica jolted awake, disoriented. Seeing her surroundings brought it all back to her. She was in Colorado to ski. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa, her cup of coffee still sitting on the hearth, the Christmas tree lights still twinkling. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, tossed another log in the fireplace, then went to the dream kitchen, where she made another pot of coffee.
Excitement tingled in her veins for the first time in a very long time, even more so than her first time walking on stage in a semi-big production. She’d spent so many years trying to “make it” in the theater that she hadn’t focused on life’s simple pleasures as much as she should have. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she peered out the kitchen window.
A clear blue sky shone on glistening ivory snow on the mountain. Giant spruce trees, cedars, and firs of what must be every variety in the world dotted the mountainside like individual Christmas trees, their branches full and heavy with recent snow. Snow that sparkled like diamonds instead of the brown slush she was used to. Yes, the first real snowfall in the city gave Manhattan an added purity, but once it melted, the beauty became nothing more than a hassle to get through. Angelica didn’t see that where she was now. What she saw boggled the mind, the great majestic mountains serving as a protector of Mother Nature’s bounty.
Not wanting to waste another minute looking out the window, she gulped her coffee down, poured a second cup, and brought it to the master bath. She would have loved to sink into the large Jacuzzi tub but knew she would appreciate it much more when her muscles ached from a day of hard skiing. She opted for the giant shower and was mildly surprised to see there were eight showerheads, each placed at a different level, so that no part of her would be without the shower’s warm spray. Ingenious, she thought as she lathered with a grassy-smelling body wash provided by someone who knew the business. All she was lacking were a few groceries. She scrubbed and washed her hair, then dried off with a warm towel from the heating rack. She could get used to this lifestyle. Afford it, no; used to it, most definitely.
From her luggage, she removed a pair of old jeans she’d had since high school, which, fortunately, still fit. She pulled a white tank top on, then topped it with a bright yellow wool sweater. Layers always worked in the city; she didn’t know why they wouldn’t work at the ski resort. She pulled on red wool socks, then slid her feet into her worn black Uggs. She wouldn’t trade her Uggs for anything. Well, maybe a new pair, she thought as she saw that the heels were low and worn.
She piled her wet hair on top of her head, then thought better of it. The temperature was due to drop into the single digits. She found a blow-dryer in the bathroom cabinet, dried her hair, then placed it in a ponytail. It was nice not to wear a wig, or have her own hair styled in such a way that it actually hurt. No, this was perfect. Clean hair and nothing more. Again, one of the simple things in life that she’d been somewhat deprived of. Then she thought about the makeup. No wonder she was starting to see early signs of aging. She’d allowed her skin to take a brutal beating daily with stage makeup. Other than sunscreen, she was not going to put anything on her skin either. It was time to go au naturel.
Angelica finished her coffee, then turned off the pot and Christmas tree lights before heading out to her rental. Though the air was cold, it was dry, making it much more tolerable than what she was used to. She hadn’t bothered to wear her gloves or hat, deciding she wouldn’t need them since she would be inside the car except when she’d make a fast run inside the minimarket. She cranked the heat to max and was greeted with an icy blast of cool air. She clicked the fan off, allowing the engine to warm up before turning it on again. Just showed her lack of driving experience. Once she adjusted the heat control and her rearview mirror, she backed out of the narrow drive and steered the SUV downhill toward the main village at Maximum Glide.
Angelica drove carefully down the mountain. Though there was snow piled at least five feet high on either side of the road, salt covered the road itself, assuring her that someone was watching out for those slick patches of ice she did not want to become acquainted with.
She’d traveled approximately two miles when she almost ran off the road. Not from a patch of ice, but from what she saw. Slowing down to a crawl, she lowered the passenger window, straining to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing, that her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. Squinting against the bright Colorado morning sun, Angelica checked her rearview mirror for traffic, then, seeing there wasn’t any, she stopped right in the middle of the road.
“Hey,” she called out to the guy she’d taken to the penthouse condo last night.
Parker North.
He stopped and turned to look at her. When he saw her, he shook his head and stepped up to the passenger side. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said, his voice and attitude the complete opposite of last night’s.
“I take it you must’ve had a visit from old Scrooge himself,” she added, trying not to smile. She was not going to make this easy on him. He’d told her she looked rough, and he’d been incredibly rude to her after she’d driven him all the way to his condo.
In the early morning sun, Angelica thought him much more handsome than she had last night. His dark hair flipped up at the ends, and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown with gold flakes, making them appear as though a fire radiated from within. He wasn’t tan at all, so she could safely assume he didn’t spend too much time on the slopes. She guessed he did most of his work inside, though she had no clue exactly what kind of work he did and didn’t really care. As he’d said last night, he really wasn’t there to make friends. Well, she wasn’t either. Not really. She reminded herself she was in Colorado to relax, enjoying life’s simple pleasures while she debated her future as an actress.
He leaned against the door, peering inside the open window. Angelica was sure he was blushing. Or maybe he was about to have a heart attack from walking in this thin air and at such a high altitude. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? Get inside, quick!” Without further thought, she leaned across the bucket seats and opened the passenger door. “Hurry!”
He did as instructed but didn’t appear to be in any kind of physical distress. “Thanks, I guess I deserved that.” He hit the button to raise the window.
Angelica glanced at him. “What are you talking about?” She put the car in gear and cautiously drove down the mountain, trying to watch the road and her passenger at the same time.
“I was rude last night. I’m usually not so quick to snap a pretty girl’s head off.”
She slowed down, then stopped. “You’re not having a heart attack?” she inquired, suddenly unsure of everything that had passed between them in the past minute.
“Why would you think I’m having a heart attack? I’m not in the best of shape, but I do work out when my job allows me to.”
Angelica felt like the idiot of the month. She wasn’t sure what to say but knew she needed to say something, anything, that would get her out of the hole she worked her way into. “Uh . . . your face was red. I just thought . . . the high elevation, you know, some people have trouble with it.” If ever she sounded airheaded, it was then.
Parker North smiled, and when he smiled, Angelica thought a second sun chose that moment to shine exclusively for her. This guy had a smile that truly lit up the world, or at least her portion of it. He adjusted the heater’s vent so that it was aimed directly at his face. “Lucky for me, I don’t have any trouble. I’ve lived here most of my life.”
Yes, he’d told her something to that effect last night, but it escaped her just now.
“I need to get my truck. I tried using my cell phone to call Max but couldn’t get a signal. I figured I’d keep walking until this piece of electronic magic decided to do its thing.”
She never would’ve thought about that; her cell phone was so old, she was sure it still used the old analog system if it still existed, but he didn’t need to know this. Was he into all the new electronic gizmos? And if he was, how did he afford the stuff? You would think he would invest in a new vehicle. She knew the latest models of cell phones were quite pricey, and it hadn’t been something she’d been willing to pay outrageous sums of money for because she had a phone that worked just fine, thank you very much. She did not need all the extras. She’d learned to live in a small space and on an even smaller budget all those years ago when she’d migrated from Texas to New York.
Taking a deep breath, hoping to clear the air of her idiocy, she said, “I was just on my way to the minimarket, and you’re welcome to ride with me.” She couldn’t come up with another intelligent word. She would have sworn he was looking her over in a . . . a seductive way?
Maybe the high altitude was getting to her?