Wilson Mooney, Almost Eighteen (14 page)

I couldn’t live that way. It was so
awful. Their relationship was so tumultuous. The handful of times
I’ve seen them together, it was hell. If she wasn’t demanding from
him, she was degrading him and making him feel worthless. I think
they thrived in chaos. They were attracted to it, because it gave
them something to feel. It justified their anger for the lack of
personal relationships with their parents. There, that was my
psycho analysis of their interpersonal relationships. Take it for
what it was worth, a ski lift up the hill.

We threw our stuff in a designer
duffel bag and let the hired help load it into the back of the
Sequoia. I sat in the backseat behind Nick. My stomach twisted
tight. A familiar spot I wasn’t comfortable with, but I couldn’t
get my mind to convince my body to change sides with Cindy. There
was the fact that if she sat right behind him she’d rack-a-pop him
across the back of the head. What was a rack-a-pop? Again, a word
my grandfather taught me. It was when someone gave you a whack
across the back of the head with the palm of their hand, causing a
pop sound and your hair to poof. That was a rack-a-pop. Seeing
their volatile relationship first hand, I didn’t want to be
anywhere near when the rack-a-pops turned into fists to
cuffs.

Cindy hopped into the seat next to me.
She already had her earphones plugging her ears. I wondered if she
did it to avoid fighting with Nick. Shut herself out of the world
around her. No skin off my teeth, I figured it gave me a moment to
text Joanie. I pulled my phone from the itsy-bitsy pocket at the
waist of my retro blue snow suit. I swear the pocket had to be for
looks.

HEY J- MISS U! LOTS 2 TELL. STRUCK
GOLD! 2M2T (too much to text). HED’N 2 SKI RESORT. TXT L8R.
BYE

I sent it, then thought about the
words I put in the text. That was going to torture her and if I
didn’t get cell service up at the resort, she was going to keep
trying until I have a gazillion messages on my phone or she got
through. I couldn’t blame her; I would do the same thing. After
all, she has been on the Goldstein carnival ride with me from the
beginning. She was the only person in the entire world that knew
how I felt about him and the only one I trusted with my
secret.

It was a forced trust I had with Nick,
not by choice. Even though I never came out and admitted anything
to him. He knew something was up between Max and me.

“
So, how’d you sleep last
night? You look a little tired.” Nick looked at me through the
rearview mirror. I couldn’t breathe deep. My heart flopped to my
feet. I stared at him in the mirror than glanced at Cindy. The
muscles in my jaw clenched so it felt like my teeth were cracking
under the tension.

“
Fine, probably shouldn’t
have had that second drink. But I didn’t have any problems falling
asleep.” My eyes burned from staring into the rearview mirror. I
heard Cindy’s volume increase in her ears, to the point where I
could make out that she was listening to a female singer belting
out high notes about love gone wrong.

He better not go there with
me.

“
You were warm enough,
right?” He looked at Cindy then looked back at me in the
mirror.

“
Sure,” I mumbled and
looked out the window.

What was he doing? Why was
he pulling this now?
I looked back at him
in the mirror.

“
I just want to make sure
you’re comfortable with the
blanket
you’re sleeping with. Sometimes you might have
to
change
blankets to get cozy and comfortable.”

Did he really want to go
there with Cindy in the car? I’m not a vindictive person, but I
will pull out the big guns and go down swinging if he wants to
brawl.

“
I’m
very
happy to have the blanket I had
wrapped around me last night.”

“
Just checking to see if
you might want to try a different one; maybe one that hasn’t been
around so long. You could try it tonight.” A crooked smile covered
his face.

“
Thanks for the offer, but
I think I’ll stick with the one I have. It was exactly what I
needed to keep warm last night.” I glanced at Cindy she was still
taken in by the world of commercial rock that screamed from her
iPhone.

“
Alright, your loss.” He
looked at me in the mirror for the last time.

“
I can only imagine.” I
looked out the window my eyes stung from the shining stars
glistening from the white frosted mountains. I pushed the window
down. I was getting uncomfortably warm in the baby blue sauna suit
from Cindy. But there was no way I was going to take it off. Max
liked it and that was enough to keep me in it. The crisp chilly air
burned dry and refreshing down my throat. The freeze swirled around
my hair and down the front of my suit. Goosebumps rippled my skin
down my arms up through the back of my neck.

“
Jesus Christ, Wilson, roll
up your window! I really don’t want to have to fix my hair again,”
Cindy barked, pulling out her earphones.

“
Sorry, just needed some
air.” I didn’t feel like caving to her demand, but I was feeling a
bit chilly.

“
There is plenty of air
later. We’re almost there and you can breathe all the air you want.
Nick, remember to pull up to the front so I don’t have to carry the
skis that far.” Her finger pointed towards the two chartered buses
waiting in the loading zone.

Nick pulled up behind blocking the
entry for anyone else. He jumped out of the SUV pulled open the
back and started to unload our ski stuff, piling it on a gothic
marble bench welcoming us. He put our skis in a rack and walked
around to my side of the SUV. His breath, heavy with smoke, warned
me I was going to freeze. He yanked my door open. The rush of the
Colorado air was shocking at first. My nose stung, and my lips
glossed a frost tingling chill. I guess it was dumb of me to lick
my lips before I got out of the car. At least the rest of my body
was warm.

Nick held out his hand to help me out
onto the snow covered ground.

“
Thanks,” I said grabbing
him making sure I didn’t fall. The asphalt was slipperier than it
appeared.

“
You’re welcome, anytime.”
He helped me out, his other hand clutched at my elbow.

“
Hello— I need some help
over here.” Cindy held her iPhone and earbuds in the air so he
could see her hands were full. Nick completely ignored her, didn’t
even look her way.

“
I think I can get it from
here.” Last thing I needed was to be stuck at this over priced snow
park with a pissed off rich girl holding a grudge.

“
Are you sure?”

“
Totally sure, I’m fine.
Cindy looks likes she needs you.” I nodded towards her still
sitting in the Sequoia waiting for Nick to open the
door.

“
Okay—and what I said
earlier about your blanket, well if you’re happy with it, then I’ll
leave it alone.”

“
I appreciate it. I’m very
happy with my blanket.”

“
Nick! I’m waiting,” Cindy
demanded staring at him.

“
That’s my cue.” He
shuffled his way to her door and opened it.

“
Did you call ahead
requesting the instructor for Wilson?”

“
No, I thought you would
have called. I mean, she is your friend and all,” he snapped at
her.

“
No. When I talked to you
on Thursday I told you to call Shane and book a lesson for Wilson
with
him
. He’s
the best, and I wanted
him
to teach her.” She flipped her hair away from her
neck. She was splotchy red and steaming mad. “Now it’s too late and
she’ll get stuck with one of these
, I’m
just here for a month
, flunky people that
can’t ski their way down a bunny slope let alone a beginner run.”
She slammed the car door.

“
I’m sorry.” He looked like
the same brow beaten down Nick I met at the airport.

“
Sorry doesn’t make up for
your lack of common sense. You need to schedule a lesson for her.
We’ll be waiting inside. Come on Wilson.” She grabbed up the
designer bag and trudged to the big rock and brick building I
assumed was the lodge. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a
glance as I slipped past him.

She grumbled the entire way to the
lodge. How incompetent he was, how if she wants anything done she’s
gotta do it herself.

“
I’m sorry. I really wanted
this to be a good experience for you.”

“
Don’t worry about it. I’m
fine. I think I’ll be okay learning from whoever teaches
me.”

The door swung open
inviting me to a whole new world of designer people, foreign
opulence and limitless possibilities. Everything looked like it was
from a movie. Beautiful people with hair styles and diamond rings
were capsulated in narcissistic conversations about their travels
and money. Enormous rock fireplaces raged with bonfire sized
flames. Notebook computers and iPads littered the tables. Songs in
different languages blasted from cell phones people couldn’t wait
to answer. I was
way
out of my league. I was a seventies space girl in a borrowed
powder blue zip-up suit.

Cindy grabbed my hand and pulled me to
the bar. She perched on a tall stool and waved to the bartender at
the other end. He came over immediately, and leaned over to her.
Before I had myself planted on the stool she already was whispering
something into his ear. She leaned back looked him in the eyes. She
was totally flirting with him. He shook his head and turned to grab
two clear mugs.

“
You’re thirsty right?”
Cindy eyed me up and down. I didn’t get a chance to answer her
before the drinks appeared before us. “I ordered you an Irish
Coffee—something to warm you up.”

“
Thanks.” I guess I should
be grateful.

“
You’re
welcome.”

I didn’t like coffee. Never have. I
tried my grandfather’s once when I was about seven. He was the type
of person who believed if you wanted to drink coffee, you had to
drink it black. I was the type that hated bitter, dark drinks that
made your mouth feel like it had just swallowed hot dirt. I hoped
the Irish made it better. I watched Cindy grab hers up and take a
sip.

“
Mmm so good. Thanks
Jeremy.” She held the mug between her hands. He waved at her as he
helped the next person leaning over the bar to talk to
him.

“
Try it Wilson. It will
warm you up and get you ready to ski.” She pushed her mug towards
me.

“
Cheers.” I didn’t want to
drink it, but I didn’t want to be rude either. I took a small sip
and was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t taste half bad. It was
sweet enough to take away the after taste of the coffee and warm
enough to heat my core.

“
Pretty good huh?” Cindy
sipped hers again.

“
Yeah, it’s good.” It
wasn’t long before my mug was half empty and I was feeling
relaxed.

The little idiosyncrasies of Cindy
that would normally piss me off disappeared with every sip I took
of the Irish coffee. I didn’t know what was in it, but I had to be
grateful to Jeremy, the bartender for making it.

“
Okay, good news, I got a
private lesson for you. But the deal is it starts in fifteen
minutes.” Nick hustled over out of breath.

“
That’s great. Thank
you.”

“
Is it with Shane?” Cindy
insisted.

“
No, but I’ve been assured
he’s a really good instructor,” Nick countered.

“
I don’t mind who teaches
me. Was there alcohol in that drink?” I interrupted.

“
What in the hell did you
order her Cindy?”

“
Just an Irish Coffee; no
biggie!” She told him.

Nick grabbed the mug from my hands.
“Geez, do you have a death wish for her? She’s never skied before,”
he barked at her before sliding the mug towards the back of the
counter.

“
No, she’s fine. Don’t be
such a dweeb. She’ll be just fine.” She slid off the stool and
picked up the bag. “Let’s get going before Nick melts the snow with
all his hot air.”

“
You need to meet your
instructor out the back door and to the left. You’ll see a sign
that say’s private instruction. You can’t miss it. I’ll be back
around four.” He left without waiting for any response from
us.

I followed Cindy to a
waiting area. Soft leather benches lined the walls. She pulled the
bag off her shoulder and sat down. She grabbed out gloves, hats,
sunglasses and boots and tossed them towards me. It didn’t take
long to get ready to go. The boots were the most uncomfortable
things I’ve ever put on my feet before.
How in the hell do you walk in boots that don’t bend where
your feet normally do? Heel to toe, clomp, clomp, clomp.
Wow what a sexy walk.
Now I really looked like I belonged on the moon.

We went out the back door and down the
metal steps. Sure enough, right to the left side was a wooden
carved sign telling me that was where I belonged. My cheeks were
already freezing and my nose hurt cold. Cindy grabbed her skis from
the rack next to the deck.