CHAPTER 8
GEORGIA
Everland Mountain Lodge was even more beautiful than I had imagined it to be based on the photos I’d seen. It was my first time to go there because during my younger days, my parents probably couldn’t afford a vacation in this extravagantly deluxe accommodation. It was rather a lavishly decorated mountain resort, nestled among majestic mountains and rich woods.
The main building was grand, with a stylish architecture that fused together modern and rustic. The structure was mostly made of stone and glass.
The inside was splendid, taking my breath away as soon as I stepped into the lobby. After registration, I was escorted to the two-story cabin in the woods that was going to be my room for the next two nights. It was a minute’s walk from the main building, holding a total of four rooms for the guests. There were plenty of same-looking cabins all across and around the area.
After unpacking, I settled into a wooden chair in the balcony of my room, with our convention kit on hand. I went through the itinerary and was relieved to discover that the whole afternoon was free for us to explore the grounds and just relax first. We did have a scheduled welcome dinner assembly that evening, which was bound to be elaborate.
As I went through the packets of brochures and giveaways, I stopped short when I saw the ones from Walton Pharmaceuticals. They automatically reminded me of Drake. His face floated before my eyes at that instance.
I stood up and looked down from the balcony. I thought my mind and eyes were playing tricks on me. Just a few seconds ago, I was thinking of Drake. Now he was standing underneath the balcony, looking unbelievably gorgeous in a blue sweater, a pair of trousers, and a matching overcoat. He also had a scarf wrapped around his neck. His simple yet expensive-looking getup was certainly befitting, making him appear more serious and mature. He was busy talking on his cellphone.
It struck me then that he was probably here to somehow represent their company. Maybe his father had sent him.
That meant I would be seeing more of him. The mere possibility excited me, though I didn’t want to admit it yet.
I consciously ran a hand through my golden brown waves, though the cold wind would blow from time to time, messing them up. I suddenly shivered, perhaps a mixture of the cold weather and the weird emotions that were stirring up inside of me. Quickly I placed my hands inside the pockets of my jacket.
At that moment, he looked up and met my gaze. I quickly shifted my focus onto the brochure in my hand. From the corner of my eye, I could see that he had put his phone down and was staring at me.
“Dr. Hill?” he said loudly. He looked just as pleased and surprised as I felt, with his gray eyes seemingly gleaming.
I smiled nervously, feeling like Geeky Georgie. Perhaps this is the reason I hadn’t been dating so much for so long. Somehow I was still nerdy old me who’d never known how to deal with boys—or men at that—except in a professional manner.
Drake is your patient, a voice in my head reminded me then. I tried to calm myself as I smiled down and pretended that I had just seen him.
“You’re a participant here, I presume?” he said, speaking loudly for me to hear him. Good thing there was no one else around.
It was weird to be talking from the balcony, so I signaled for him that I intended to go down. He gave me a lopsided grin, which made my heart jump.
As I went down the steps, my eyes met with his. He was standing at the foot of the stairs, looking like a men’s magazine cover model against the backdrop of mountain scenery. The whole image was so mesmerizing I found myself stopping right in front of him and just admiring everything.
He grinned then. “It’s good to bump into you here, Dr. Hill.”
“Thanks, Drake,” I replied, returning his smile. “Great to see you, too. How’s the ankle?”
“Better than ever,” he said.
“So you’re back at playing football then?” I inquired curiously.
“Not really,” he said. “I’m on leave at the moment. I’ve decided to help my dad with our pharmaceutical business.”
“Ah yes, that’s good,” I said, nodding. “So that’s why you’re here.”
“I’m definitely happy to be here,” he said in a booming, laced-with-affection voice that seemed to penetrate through my body. “And to be honest, I’m glad to have run into you, Dr. Hill.”
I could feel my cheeks flushing. This was really bad—not just because I was feeling and possibly acting like a lovelorn teenager, and I was greatly attracted to him again. History thus repeats itself.
“Since we’re not in the clinic and you’re not my patient here, please just call me Georgia,” I requested, smiling. “After all, we seem to be of the same age.”
“Yes, you’re right, Georgia,” he answered, making me feel warm all over when he mentioned my name. “Is it your first time here?”
I nodded. “What about you?”
“My parents used to bring us kids here when we were young,” he shared. “But that was a very long time ago. Many things have changed around here.” He paused for a moment before starting again. “But I do know that our favorite hot chocolate is still available on top of Mount Ever. It’s quite famous here, a definite must-try!”
I laughed a little. “You sound like a TV commercial.”
“Convincing, right?” he joked. “Then you ought to come with me to ride the cable car up to Mount Ever and then have a taste of the famous hot chocolate!”
Without hesitating, I found myself grinning and saying, “Lead the way.”
We talked some more as we went to the cable cars. I felt myself relaxing as we conversed. He was still sort of the same Drake from high school—intelligent with a sense of humor that comes out every once in a blue moon. This time, though, he was actually laughing more.
The queue was a bit long, but I didn’t mind at all. Talking to Drake was more interesting than I had imagined. Little by little, my negative impression of his high school prom version faded away. He actually made me talk more, and so I found myself opening up bit by bit.
“So you’re staying at your parents’ house now, right?” he said.
I nodded with a smile. “Yes, it’s been a while since I spent so much quality time with them. They’re savoring it and are trying to delay my move to a new apartment. I have to admit I missed them a lot.”
“You must have a wonderful relationship with your old folks.”
“Yeah, we’re all real tight,” I said.
“That’s amazing,” he remarked, his face full of genuine wonder and awe. “It’s kinda rare nowadays. I’ve given up long ago on trying to connect with my own folks.”
“But from what you’ve told me, it seems your dad’s been trying,” I told him.
“Yes, but I think it’s more of a business move,” he said. “But I’m alright with that. It’s my dad, after all. I know him quite well.”
I simply nodded, imagining how difficult it must be to grow up with a father who couldn’t make time to cook barbeque in the backyard or play ball with his kids.
“So wait, your parents have always been in Windfield City?” he wondered.
“Yes, they grew up in the city and met there. Mom and Dad met each other there, got married, built a family…”
“So you grew up in Windfield?” he asked, his eyebrows narrowing in deep thought. “We might have gone to school together!”
“Uh…” I was suddenly speechless. I bit my lower lip, knowing very well that I had made a dangerous slip. I still hadn’t decided whether to tell him the truth or not. Besides, I had no idea we would actually be spending more time together like this, actually conversing like friends.
“You went to Windfield High, too?” he probed.
“Yes,” I answered honestly, not knowing what else to say.
He was about to say something more, but then our cable car arrived. We were at the front of the line now.
He let me climb in first. I went ahead, feeling his arm supporting my back. His touch, despite the thick clothing I was wearing, gave me goosebumps.
This was a different man. I should just let the past go. After all, we were silly, stupid teenagers then.
We sat side by side, our shoulders and legs touching. Though there was some space at either side of the seat, neither of us budged.
“Wow,” I breathed as I regarded the breathtaking view all around us. It was like being submerged into a beautiful painting of nature, with the grandiose snow-topped mountains all around us and vast greenery stamped across the entirety of the scenery.
“More impressive than I remembered it to be,” he said in an approving tone.
I grinned. “It’s so amazing.”
Our conversation turned toward the surroundings and what lay ahead of us. I was glad he seemed to have forgotten about Windfield High. I certainly wouldn’t want our budding friendship to take a sudden awkward turn when he realizes I’m the girl he duped during the Senior Prom.
I found myself laughing and enjoying our conversations. He appeared to be quite relaxed, not uptight as I had imagined him to be.
At one point, the cable car suddenly jerked forward, which made me instinctively grab his hand and give out a little scream. He put an arm around me protectively, rubbing my shoulders. A shiver ran down my spine.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
My face was probably a little white, but I nodded nonetheless and began to relax. His mere presence and touch made me feel secure. The cable car was moving normally again. Instead of removing his hand from my back, he simply let it drop down and hang casually across the back of our seat, touching my back from time to time.
I gave a nervous chuckle as I said, “Well, that was some surprise.” In my mind, I knew that my nerves were on edge not just because of the cable car surprise but also because of Drake himself. He was triggering all sorts of feelings within me, and it was both thrilling and gratifying.
Soon the car came to a stop. He climbed down first and then extended a hand to help me down. It was really sweet and gentlemanly, which pushed me even further down a road I had not planned on exploring.
On top of the mountain, there were several other people milling about, enjoying the cold breeze. It was just the right amount of cold—not really freezing. There was a row of adorable cabins that had been turned into small shops and cafes. One immediately caught my eye. It had an open deck outside where couples and groups of people could enjoy their snacks and drinks. There was a huge sign on top that said “HOT CHOCOLATE.”
“I’m guessing that’s the one,” I said, pointing to the shop toward the end.
He nodded as we began walking to that direction. “Yup,” he said, grinning. He wasn’t holding me this time, which was sort of disappointing.
“Obviously,” I said, chuckling. “The owner couldn’t come up with a more creative name for the shop?”
He laughed. “Maybe he just didn’t want to think anymore. Besides, it’s what he’d become popular for.”
“Yes, makes sense,” I agreed.
“They do offer other drinks, though. And they now have snacks.”
“Mmm… I smell something yummy…” I said eagerly, sniffing in the air. The aroma of the food wafted through the air past the row of stores toward us. I felt my stomach complaining, and that’s when I realized I hadn’t had anything to eat for hours.
We sat at a corner table in the al fresco area, enjoying the breeze and sort of people-watching while we waited for our order. Very soon a cute heart-shaped mug of steaming hot chocolate was set in front of me.
“Oohh…” I whispered, touching the mug excitedly. I withdrew my hand quickly because it was still very hot.
“Why do you get a heart-shaped mug while I’m stuck with a bulb?!” Drake complained, frowning slightly. Of course he was joking, which made him look younger and cuter.
I shrugged, laughing. “Maybe they think you need to lighten up?” I kidded.
He chuckled at that. “Just when I thought I’ve actually lightened up already,” he said. “So you have that impression of me too or you’ve been reading up stuff about me?”
I flushed a little at that idea, actually guilty of looking him up online and doing some investigation. Naturally, I didn’t want him thinking I was into him. “You strike me as the serious type,” was all I replied.
“Well, I really am quiet most of the time,” he admitted.
“Unlikely for a football player,” I remarked.
“Yes, definitely,” he said. “It must be the upbringing. But hey, I’ve just decided I’m going to try to have more fun this year.”
“Just when you’ve shifted to the corporate world, huh!”
He laughed. “Yeah, sounds ironic, I know. Most football players are known for partying when they’re not busy practicing or working out.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you’re quite a mystery, Drake.”
“Am I?” he said, his smile fading into a more serious expression as his eyes fixed on mine. The way he gazed at me, I could almost feel his soul communicating with mine through his eyes.
Instead of answering, I was the first to break the stare, leaning down to take a sip of the famous hot chocolate. In spite of the way he rattled and inspired me at the same time, I felt myself relishing the richness of the taste. “This is so good,” I murmured.
“It is,” he said. “I’m glad you like it.”
I took another sip and closed my eyes as I drank, savoring the taste and feeling. It warmed my entire body. When I opened my eyes again, I found him staring at me intensely, a mixture of amusement and admiration apparent on his face. I blushed, my body heating up, too—from much more than the effect of the hot chocolate.
I had only been here at the mountain lodge resort for a few hours and yet things had already taken a unique, interesting twist. I could sense more surprises coming, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for all of them.