Chapter Seventeen
I flipped my head upside down, bending at the waist, and whipped my hair back through the air again. I shook my head from side to side, glaring at my reflection trying to get it to lie perfectly against my head. It was useless. The dry winter air was horrible on my waist-length blonde hair.
With a scowl, I gave up trying to give it more body and turned to my makeup spread across the vanity. It was times like these when I really missed my stylists Corrine and Murphy. Having done my make-up since I filmed Empire Burning, they could transform me into a Hollywood starlet on even my worst days.
After half an hour of smearing various creams and powders across my face, I inspected my work. I looked good, not great. I definitely would not be starting a career as a make-up artist. Still, there were no blemishes and I knew how to put my eye makeup on enough to make my eyes sparkle. My eyes were one of my most recognized features, second only to my hair. The fact that my eyes changed colors always caught the attention of others. Today, they looked a mixture of gray and light blue, which is what they normally looked like. The blue sweater dress I wore that clung in all the right ways probably helped the blue hues in my eyes pop even more.
I gave my reflection a poised smile, before turning away from my vanity to go downstairs and wait. Anthony had sent me a text last night before I finally drifted off to sleep to say his flight would be arriving at noon. Marcus was currently heading back from the airport, having confirmed that he picked up Anthony.
He was here! In Aspen! On top of everything, we would have the place to ourselves for one whole day before my other friends arrived. Michelle and Jane would be staying until Sunday, five whole days, making my solitary confinement into a much more adventurous week.
“Hey, boss,” Mason grumbled when I walked into the kitchen where he was chatting with the personal chef I hired for the week, Chef Dante. The chef was currently making him some sort of specialty wrap.
I already told Mason this morning that I invited Anthony and my friends for the rest of the week. He didn’t think it was a good idea, but couldn’t give me a good explanation why not. Still, the conversation with him went much better than the conversation I had with Colton.
I had called Colton after talking to Mason, so I was already in a bad mood by not having Mason’s support. I didn’t even really expect Colton to answer since he was currently in Cabo. Turned out, I had woken him up even though it was already nine in the morning both in Aspen and Cabo. He sounded a bit out of it, answering with a grumbling “Lenny… what do you want?”
“Colton, I’m so sorry, I know you’re on vacation, but I need my manager for a second,” I begged unabashedly.
“A good manager is never on vacation, but might be occasionally hungover,” he mumbled into the phone. “What is it you need?”
“Could you hire a chef for me and a cleaning crew for every day the rest of this trip?” I begged. “I don’t know how to even go about doing that.”
“That’s it?” Colton said, sighing. “God, next time if you’re going to wake me up, give me something a little more challenging.”
“Okay, I’ll remember that,” I chuckled.
“On second thought, don’t do that,” he replied. “I hate being woken up when I’m hungover. I’ll get it taken care of today. Why do you need a crew anyways? Is the Lewis family getting outta control?”
“No, actually, none of my family could make it,” I said without a hint of sadness in my voice. “Brad canceled the day he was supposed to arrive, and my mom said my dad couldn't get away from work right now.”
Colton knew how much I was looking forward to this and wasn’t fooled by my lack of emotion. “Aw, Lenny,” he said sadly. “That sucks. But we’ll figure something out so you can see them before we get into the swing of things with your new gig.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said. “It’s no big deal.”
“Sure,” Colton said, not believing me. “So if your family isn’t there, then why do you need staff?”
“Well, actually…I invited some friends to join me this week,” I started hesitantly.
“Why does this sound like something I’m not going to like?” Colton said. I could practically hear him shaking his head.
“Gimme a chance here, Colton,” I demanded. I waited a moment to see if he would interrupt me again. “I invited Michelle and Jane to join me…” I faded out.
“Well, that’s not so bad,” he said. “I actually like Michelle and Jane. They’re crazy, but they’re like a classy crazy, you know?”
“Yes, I know. But there’s more…” I said wavering again. I waited another minute, knowing he would not like what I said next, but still unsure of how he would respond. "I told the girls they could bring whoever they wanted… Because I also invited Anthony.”
Colton was silent on the other end of the line. I waited probably a full two minutes, checking my phone to make sure I hadn’t lost the connection, and holding my breath while I waited for his response. “Well,” I said when he still didn’t say anything. “Say something.”
“Well, I’m sure you already know what I’m going to say,” Colton said with a whole lot of attitude in his voice.
“That you think this is a bad idea and you don’t trust him,” I said without question. I rolled my eyes. “I know.”
“You got it,” he snapped angrily.
“Look, I can invite whoever I want. But what exactly has he done that makes you not like him?” I asked hoping to stump him. I knew he disliked him for no particular reason.
“He’s shady,” Colton said as if that solved everything. “Do whatever you want, Elena, you’re a grown woman. But don’t come crying to me when it doesn’t work out.”
“Fine, fine, I won’t,” I said, not wanting to start an argument right now. “So, regardless of whom I hang out with, could you please help me out?”
“Yes, I will,” he grumbled. “Just because I’m a great manager, a great assistant and just a great person overall. Like I said though, don’t come crying to me.”
“I won’t,” I agreed.
“I want to hear you say it,” Colton said.
“I won’t come crying to you if it doesn’t work out,” I said in a mocking tone.
“Well,” Colton sighed. “I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, but I guess that will do. Anything else, Your Majesty?”
“Yes,” I said. “Don’t call me that.”
“Okay, Your Highness,” Colton said. “Bye now.”
Not even an hour went by after getting off the phone with Colton and Chef Dante was at my door to start preparing for lunch. It appeared that I had interrupted a good story when I came into the kitchen. Chef Dante was telling Mason about his New Orleans heritage.
"I had to get outta there, though," Chef Dante was finishing, speaking with a thick accent. "That Louisiana heat is no joke. And when you're in the kitchen all day, with no air conditioning. You never felt the heat like that before, no sir. So I came to the beautiful state of Colorado."
“It is gorgeous,” Mason said, taking a sip of his protein shake. “I could live here for the rest of my life and not get sick of it.”
I sat down at the counter next to Mason, who shifted a bit in obvious discomfort – waves of hostility permeating the air between us. I sighed, “Mason. Please stop. I get it. No one likes Anthony except me. Please don’t shut me out though.” I looked down at the marble countertop. I didn’t usually beg like this very often. If people wanted to shut me out of their lives, I usually let them. But with Mason, it’s different. He protects me and no one can make me feel safer. His opinion matters a lot to me because I know he’s always wanted the best for me.
Mason shook his head and sighed, throwing an arm over my shoulders, the weight of it causing my body to drop a bit before he noticed. “I’m sorry,” he said, lightening his arm a bit. “I know you like this guy. I just don’t know much about him and I don’t like not knowing. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I tried to give him an encouraging smile. “I know, Mason. But giving me a hard time about it isn’t going to make anything change. I have to get to know him on my own,” I responded.
“Yeah, I get that,” Mason said removing his arm and taking a sip of his protein shake. He tilted it towards me as an offer. “You want some?”
I scrunched up my nose and leaned away from him, “No way, dude. You got me once. I’m never sipping your protein shakes again. They’re awful.” I shook my head as he chuckled. “I don’t know how you drink those things.”
“Me either,” Chef Dante agreed, joining back in the conversation. “You know, Mason, I could cook something up for you that would give you all the benefits of that shake and actually taste good.”
“No one can get me off these shakes, Chef,” Mason shook his head, downing the rest of it. “I’ve been drinking them for ten years and I’m not gonna stop now.”
The sound of a classic long-tubed door chime rang from the foyer. I jumped up instantly, almost falling off my stool in the process. Mason quickly stepped in front of me blocking my path with his impressive frame, “Let me get it, Elena.”
I scowled, but nodded, letting him get a little start ahead of me down the hall. When I heard the door open and Mason yell my name, I almost sprinted down the hall and into the foyer.
Mason stepped aside, allowing me to see Anthony standing at the door. Seeing him almost knocked the wind right out of me. He wore a simple navy wool coat with a hat over his head hiding most of his hair. His naturally tan skin glowed against the white wonderland outside. A slight flush colored his cheeks, either from the cold or something else.
At the sight of me, a dazzling smile came over his face, his eyes brightening. He carried a suitcase over the threshold and into the foyer, setting it down. Mason closed the door behind him as I came over and threw my arms around Anthony’s neck, inhaling his cologne (or maybe his shampoo, I still couldn’t tell). “Elena,” he said quietly into my hair, his hands running up my sides and around my back, embracing me in his strong arms.
I leaned back and stared up into his beautiful chestnut eyes. “I can’t believe you’re actually here,” I said. I shook my head. “When I invited you, I didn’t really think you’d follow through.”
Anthony laughed, “Well, I’m here now.” He smirked that cocky grin at me that made the butterflies in my stomach take flight. I took a step away from him, noticing that Mason had left the room already.
“Okay, okay,” I said excitedly, biting my lip. “Let me show you your room.” I reached forward, grabbing his gloved hand into mine and lightly tugged for him to come with me. He picked up his bag and followed me.
My whole body was filled with a nervous energy as we climbed the staircase. “Then, I can give you the grand tour.” I looked over my shoulder and gave him a wink. A dazed look appeared on his face before he gave me that confident smirk again, as if he had a secret.
I had purposely chosen a room located the closest to my suite. My room was sort of off by itself so I had to settle for the closest room down the hall. "Here you are," I led Anthony into a spacious guest bedroom. The wood paneling on the walls contrasted beautifully with the vibrant white linens across the king-sized bed. The furniture in the room (end tables, dressers, a chest) was a different type of wood – darker and smoother than the paneled walls. Homey pictures decorated the walls of summer forests creating a rustic vibe. I dropped Anthony’s hand as we entered and spun in a slow circle, my arms away from my sides openly presenting the room.
I stopped and looked back to Anthony, still standing in the doorway. His head was cocked to the side slightly and that almost dazed look was back on his face as if he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. He smiled a soft sweet smile, lowered his head slightly while still maintaining eye contact and with a low voice said, “Perfect.”
He walked past me into the room, walking so closely that he brushed up against my arm, igniting the electricity in my skin that always followed his touch, still keeping his eyes locked on mine. It almost felt as if the hairs on the back of my neck were rising. He broke eye contact as he dropped his suitcase on a small, white stool in the corner and turned back towards me. His eyes continued to bore into mine while he began discarding his layers of winter clothing. The atmosphere seemed entirely too intimate at that moment, a rush of heat covering my face. Even though Anthony wasn't necessarily stripping, the mere thought passing through my head made me blush.
I cleared my throat with a slight cough, “Glad you think so.” I continued watching his hands distractedly as he slipped his coat off, having already removed his hat, gloves, and scarf. "Well, you're probably tired, so I'll leave you alone. I'll be in the first-floor living room when you're ready for that tour."
I began stepping backward out of the room, but Anthony took a few steps following me. "You can give me the tour now if you like?" he asked softly, raising one eyebrow with an expression I couldn’t read. Maybe it was a challenge?
“Oh, well, okay,” I said. I turned, knowing he was following me and gave him a quick tour of the house. Every room we stepped into, he would glance around, say a comment, and then those chestnut eyes would fall back onto me. It was unnerving and thrilling. Irrationally, I couldn’t help wondering if he was having the same intimate fantasies I was of us together in each room that I showed him. I shook my head and trying to physically clear the fantasies away as we came to the last room of the house, the kitchen, where we found Chef Dante and Mason again.
Dante had headphones on this time and was in the middle of creating something that smelled entirely too delicious. Mason was sitting at the bar, a dark look crossing his face when we entered before he masked it with a blank face. He went back to looking at the laptop in front of him on the bar, ignoring us. I glanced over at Anthony to see if he had any reaction to Mason’s rude behavior. He had an equally blank look on his face – a calculated look that wouldn’t give away any of his thoughts.
“So,” Anthony said as I sat down at the far end of the bar, away from Mason. “What should we do today?” I focused my eyes on Anthony. He leaned against the counter next to me, his height causing me to look up into his eyes.
“Well, we’ve got the whole day to ourselves,” I told him. “I’ve invited some friends to join us, but they won’t be here until tomorrow.”
“Friends?” he asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.
“Yeah, one of my besties, Michelle Mathews, is coming and bringing a couple people with her,” I told Anthony. He nodded. “So,” I continued. “What do you want to do with our day to ourselves?”
He blinked down at me and gave me that seductive grin again that rattled my insides. “Well, we are in Aspen,” he began. He tilted his head more towards me, “And it’s winter…” He trailed off, prompting me.
“So, skiing?” I perked up. I still had only been the one time since we got here and it was a little boring on the beginner slopes all by myself. I wanted a crack at the tougher trails.
Anthony quickly raised and lowered his eyebrows and repeated, “Skiing.”
∞∞∞
An hour later, we were bundled up again and riding the lift up an intermediate slope, the cold wind biting at my nose and turning it red. I burrowed my face a bit more into the white, fluffy scarf around my neck. Despite the cold wind, the sun shone brightly down on us, reflecting harshly off the snow and glaring in our eyes from all angles. It was stunning and as we went further up the lift, my breath continued to catch as the unescapably beautiful views expanded around us.
“Don’t you just love days like this?” I whispered, afraid if I spoke too loudly it would ruin the peace around us.
“Absolutely,” Anthony peeked over at me. He didn’t seem at all affected by the cold, a serene smile on his face. The afternoon sun shone over him exposing a little stubble appearing along his jawline, somehow making him look even more delectable.
I shook my head slightly to clear my mind. My thoughts were getting a little too swoony for even my standards. I turned away, pretending to take in the view around me instead of the view sitting next to me. He continued speaking as if he hadn’t noticed me practically drooling next to him, “I’m a little nervous, though.”
I snapped my head back to look over at him, “Nervous?” He looked the complete opposite of nervous. I didn’t think it’d even be possible for him to look nervous.
He sat up straight, leaning slightly back against the seat, his left arm draped casually behind my shoulders. He kept his head up high and looked at me from the side, his chiseled jaw slightly raised. “Yeah, I haven’t been on real powder in years,” he said, chuckling a little. “And we skipped the beginner slopes.”
I laughed with him, “Yeah, well, I did the beginner slopes a few days ago and they were too easy.”
“Too easy for you,” he mumbled with mock insecurity. “I’m probably going to break a leg.” We reached the halfway point of the mountain where the intermediate slopes began and together we slid off the lift. As we drifted over to the start of the slope, we both flicked our ski goggles down over our eyes. Even with a mask covering half his face, Anthony still looked masculine and attractive.
“Come on, Scaredy Cat,” I taunted. “Last one to the bottom has to buy the other a drink!” Without waiting for a response, I kicked off, leaving Anthony standing at the top of the slope. I used my poles to push me off faster and harder. When I finally reached a strong pace, I tucked my poles under my arms and bent my knees. The wind whipped past me, biting any exposed skin and roaring in my ears. I felt powerful with adrenaline pumping through my entire body as I maneuvered from side to side.
Suddenly, Anthony shot past me, narrowly avoiding a nearby cluster of evergreen trees. “Hurry up!” he yelled over the wind, teasing me. My jaw dropped slightly. Gritting my teeth, I pushed off with my poles even harder and faster than before, squatting as low as I possibly could without losing control. I began to gain on Anthony.
Soon enough we were side by side, maneuvering back and forth in tandem. I saw up ahead that a bend was coming up. I stopped gliding in the zigzag pattern we had been, instead shooting into a straight line to gather more speed. If I could stay on the inside track of that turn, I could get out in front of Anthony and probably stay in the lead for the rest of the slope.
We were neck and neck as we approached the bend. “Easy, Lewis!” Anthony called cautiously, beginning to slow. As we rounded the bend, I took the inside track, feeling the momentum begin to push me to the outside of the turn. Anthony slowed down considerably, falling much further behind me.
Right before the bend straightened out, I noticed a fallen log blocking just enough of the inside track that I wouldn’t be able to pass it. Unable to avoid it at the speed I was going, it took a split second for my body to tense up realizing I was going to hit it. My skis rammed hard into the log, launching me face first through the air. Throwing my hands out in front of me, I hit the ground, flipping and rolling several times before coming to an abrupt stop on my back. I stared up at the blue sky spinning circles above me. As I lay there trying to catch my breath, the blue sky faded to black and I lost consciousness altogether.