“You didn’t just refer to the Aspen Mountain Club as ‘that special lunch club,’ did you?” Noel looked shocked, although Savannah could tell from the way his eyes twinkled that he was amused.
“Yeah, that’s what it’s called,” Evie said. “It had a private door, like Cardinal Club, and the lady who worked there couldn’t stop raving about how much she loved the Diamond Hotel and was looking forward to staying there again the next time she goes to Vegas.”
“How’d you even get up there?” Oliver asked. “It’s on top of Aspen Mountain. I thought you’d never skied before and were sticking to the greens on Buttermilk.”
“We took that thingie up and down.” She looked at Savannah for help. “The chairlift that was actually a room for a bunch of people. What was it called?”
Madison looked at Evie as if she were missing brain cells. “The gondola?”
“That’s it!” Evie snapped her fingers, and Noel chuckled, draping his arm around the couch so it was almost around Evie’s shoulders. “It was fun. There was an iPod dock inside it, so we could have a party. But anyway, I can’t believe we saw Leonardo DiCaprio.”
“She’s had the biggest crush on him since fifth grade, when we stayed up all night watching every movie he was in,” Savannah added.
“Titanic’s the best, hands down,” Madison said.
Savannah stopped drinking her hot chocolate to stare at Madison. Titanic was her favorite Leo movie, too. And Savannah hadn’t imagined Madison to be a romantic...or that she and Madison had anything in common.
“Surely I’m hotter than Leo,” Perry joked. “I respect his acting and all, but isn’t he like 40 now?”
“I don’t care how old he is,” Evie said. “He’s gorgeous!”
“But definitely too old for us,” Emily Nicole added, smiling flirtatiously at Perry. “I would choose you over Leonardo DiCaprio any day.”
A twinge of jealousy passed through Savannah’s stomach, but Emily Nicole flirted with everyone. She didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, Perry had made it clear on the chairlift this morning that he was interested in her. He wanted to get her on American StarMaker, not Emily Nicole.
She was glad when Evie changed the subject by asking Noel and Perry about what it was like growing up in England.
The entire time they were talking, Peyton kept fidgeting and glancing at her watch. Then she picked up her phone, smiled and texted someone.
“Are we keeping you here?” Oliver asked, although he didn’t sound like he cared.
“Zack’s picking me up at the house later to take me out,” she said. “He wants to show me Aspen from a local’s point of view. So I need to head back to shower and get ready.”
“I’m glad you’ve both been skiing with us,” Savannah said. Because when Peyton had first broken the news that she’d met a bartender at Cardinal Club who was going to teach her to ski, Savannah had been bummed that Peyton wouldn’t be skiing with her and Courtney. It hadn’t taken long for Peyton to give in and say she still wanted Zack to teach her, but they would stick with the group.
Once Savannah had seen Zack, she’d understood why Peyton had wanted him to be her instructor. He was gorgeous in that rugged, outdoorsy way that made you think that if you were stuck on a deserted island with him, he would know how to build a fire and hunt for his own food. He wasn’t Savannah’s type, but she could see why Peyton liked him.
“Where’s he taking you?” Brianna asked.
“We’re starting at a place called White Onion,” Peyton said. “He said the rest of the night will be a surprise.” Her phone buzzed again, and she read the text. “My driver’s waiting for me outside.” She gathered her jacket, gloves and hat, and bundled back up. “Have fun tonight, and don’t wait up for me.”
They all said bye, and she hurried out.
Oliver smirked at Damien. “What do you want to bet that she hooks up with him?”
“No more bets.” Madison crossed her arms and glared at Oliver. Her tone was so harsh that everyone stopped chatting to stare at them.
“Sorry,” he said, which surprised Savannah so much that her mouth dropped open. “It was just a figure of speech. No more bets, I promise.”
No one said anything for a few seconds. Savannah yawned and stirred her hot chocolate—after a late night last night and two full days of skiing, her eyes felt so tired and the couch was so comfy that she could fall asleep right here.
“So,” Damien said, bringing his hands together. “Now that this place is calming down, what did you all have in mind for the rest of the night?”
“Escobar was cool last night, but I don’t want to go to the same place two nights in a row,” Emily Nicole said. “What about that other club we heard about—The Regal?”
“That could be fun,” Brianna said slowly, although her wind-burned cheeks and the circles under her eyes said otherwise. She rested her head on Damien’s shoulder, and Savannah chugged her hot chocolate, trying to keep herself from staring at them. Luckily, Damien leaned forward to finish off the rest of the cheese platter, which forced Brianna to sit up.
“Maybe.” Perry leaned back into the couch, not as upbeat as usual, either. “If you all want to go, I’ll tell my assistant to get us a table.”
Madison, Noel, Evie, Oliver and Damien gave noncommittal shrugs and nods.
“I’m pretty tired from skiing yesterday and going out last night,” Courtney said.
“You didn’t even stay out,” Madison pointed out. “You left the club after thirty minutes.”
“I know,” Courtney said. “But I’m still tired. On the way over here, Brett and I talked about just staying in tonight. But you all have fun, wherever you go.”
“Well, no one seems interested in going out.” Emily Nicole pouted. “I was just trying to suggest something fun, but I’m beat from skiing, too.”
“Why don’t we head back to the house and hang out there?” Damien suggested. “We’ve got a big enough group that we’ll have fun wherever we are. The bars in the house are stocked, and that pool and hot tub in the living room have been calling my name.”
Everyone agreed, so they got the check and headed back to the house.
It was supposed to be a “chill night.” But Savannah suspected that with this group, that wouldn’t be possible.
chapter 22:
When Courtney had mentioned at après-ski that she and Brett were staying in tonight, it hadn’t been an invite for everyone to join them. The plan had been to make cookies with Brett, watch a movie and then read until she fell asleep—all before everyone else got back from a late night out on the town. Now their romantic night in had turned into a small house party.
Five minutes after getting back to the house, the splashing, giggling and shrieking started in the living room. At least Courtney had her room to herself, since Peyton was on her date with Zack. She’d told everyone she was tired and was going to sleep (nine o’clock wasn’t too early to say she was going to bed, was it?), but she really just wanted some alone time to read. So she changed into her pajamas, took the books she’d bought out of their shopping bag and skimmed over the back-cover blurbs again. They were so different. One was a sweet love story, and the other was a futuristic adventure.
She settled on her bed, opened to the first page of the sweet love story and started to read. She didn’t even finish the first paragraph before someone knocked on her door.
She laid the book on her stomach, careful not to crease the spine. “Who is it?” she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.
“It’s Brett,” he said. “Can I come in?”
She relaxed at the sound of his voice. “Of course,” she said, putting a bookmark inside the book and setting it down on her nightstand.
He strolled inside, already changed into a bathing suit and T-shirt, his eyes locked o
n hers as he sat on the end of her bed. Her heart jumped into her throat. They’d been together for weeks—how did being around him still affect her so much?
“Hey,” she said, smiling.
“Hey back.” His deep green eyes studied her, and then he was hovering over her, his lips crushed against hers. His hand caressed the back of her neck, and she curved her body into his, never wanting this moment to end. “They’re asking about you out there...wondering if you’re going to come out and socialize,” he said, his lips brushing hers. “I told them I would find out.”
“I don’t know.” She untangled herself from Brett’s arms and sat up, pulling her legs up to her chest.
“You don’t have to,” he said. “Trust me, I would rather lock the door and stay here with you.”
“Then why don’t we do that?” She went to kiss him again, but he stopped her. The rejection made her heart sink, and she pulled back, wrapping her arms around herself. Did Brett not want to be with her?
“We could,” he said. “But Madison’s the one who asked about you.”
“You’re kidding,” Courtney said, although there was no reason for him to joke about that.
“Nope,” he said. “It sounded like her way of saying she wanted you to join everyone.”
“It does.” Courtney sighed. Months ago she would have assumed this was the first step of a cruel joke. But everything was different now. “I guess I should go out there for a bit. But this is all so awkward. I don’t know what to say to her. I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to her yet, since our group is so huge.”
“I’ll be right there with you,” Brett said. “And maybe it’ll be easier to talk to her tonight, since we’re all hanging out in the house.”
He was right. And hanging out with the group could be fun. The One Connection guys were fascinating—she liked listening to their stories about life on the road and how they got from living in a small town in England to where they were today. Emily Nicole, Evie and Savannah were extremely chatty and giggly together, but Courtney would have Brett with her, and he would never let her feel out of place. And after Madison had specifically asked about her, Courtney would feel awful if she snubbed her.
“I’ll hang out with everyone for a little,” she said. “But I have to change into my bathing suit. Meet you out there?”
Brett kissed her again, and while Courtney wished she could stay in that room with him forever, he left her alone to change. Luckily Rebecca had told her and her sisters that swimming, especially in hot tubs, was a thing in Aspen, because otherwise Courtney never would have thought to pack a bathing suit on a ski vacation. She stared at her options and finally settled on a simple green bikini, pulling on a cover-up over it. She smoothed it out, took a deep breath and stared at the door.
She would be fine. Brett would be there with her the entire time, and Madison wanted her to come hang out. Maybe she would even enjoy herself.
She headed to the living room to find that a few bottles of alcohol had already been opened, and Perry, Savannah, Brianna and Damien were in the pool, splashing each other and laughing. Madison, Oliver and Emily Nicole were pouring drinks at the bar. Brett was lounging in the hot tub, with Noel and Evie of all people, the three of them involved in a conversation. Noel and Evie sat with their bodies angled toward each other, their legs touching. Evie giggled at something Noel said, and he nudged her shoulder with his, watching her with complete fascination. Even though Brett was sitting with them in the hot tub, they were in their own little world.
What was going on with those two? If Courtney snagged a second alone with Savannah on this trip, she planned on asking.
“You made it!” Emily Nicole smiled and waved at Courtney, a bottle of wine in her hand and a half-finished glass of it in the other. Courtney wasn’t sure why Emily Nicole was so excited to see her, but it probably had something to do with the cocktails the girl had inhaled at après-ski and the wine she was drinking now. “Just in time for Never Have I Ever.”
“Just in time for what?” Courtney joined them at the bar and poured herself a Sprite. Oliver held up a bottle of vodka, offering her some, and she shook her head no.
“You’ve never heard of Never Have I Ever?” Madison asked.
“No...”
“It’s a game,” Emily Nicole explained, refilling her wineglass to the brim. “We’ll all sit around in the hot tub, and everyone puts ten fingers up. Then we go around in a circle, each person saying something they haven’t done. If you’ve done the thing said, then you put a finger down and drink. If you haven’t done it, then you do nothing. The person who has all their fingers down first loses.”
“Or wins.” Oliver laughed. “Depends on how you look at it.”
“It’s not complicated.” Madison took the wine from Emily Nicole and poured herself a glass. “It’s a drinking game, so it’s usually played with alcohol, but we won’t tell everyone that your drink is only Sprite.”
“I don’t care if people know I’m only drinking Sprite,” Courtney said.
“Right—of course not.” Madison pressed her lips together, and adjusted the strap of her bathing suit. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know,” she said, and she felt bad if she sounded snippety, since she suspected Madison was only trying to be nice. “Maybe I’ll just watch everyone else play.”
“We go around clockwise, so if you sit next to me, I’ll go first,” Madison said. “That way you can go last and watch everyone else to get the hang of it.”
Which was how five minutes later Courtney was sitting in the hot tub with the entire group, playing Never Have I Ever. As promised, Madison was on her left. Brett was on her other side, his leg against hers. If they’d been able to put their hands under water, she was sure he would have held hers, but they had to have one hand up for the game, the other holding onto their drink.
“I’ll start,” Madison said. “Never have I ever...had over ten thousand followers on Instagram.”
Perry, Noel, Savannah, Emily Nicole and Oliver (who was apparently “Instagram famous” for his hotel heir party-boy ways) put a finger down and drank. Courtney only had Instagram to follow Savannah, so she didn’t have even close to ten thousand followers. She didn’t drink. Madison nodded at her, as if to say, “See...look how easy that was.” Courtney nodded back, and they shared a smile, but she quickly looked away.
Next up was Damien. “Never Have I Ever...taken a day off from skiing to hang out at a bookstore,” he said, smirking at Courtney and Brett.
“Way to purposely target us,” Brett joked, putting a finger down and sipping his drink. Courtney did the same, which earned another nod from Madison. At least she was playing the game correctly.
Damien laughed and held his hands high. “All’s fair in Never Have I Ever.”
They circled around the group, saying fun things to target people, like “never have I ever recorded a song in a studio,” “never have I ever gone to The Goodman School,” and “never have I ever been a California resident.” The game was simple, and Courtney was surprised to find that she was having fun.
They got back around to Emily Nicole, who had been taking such large sips of her wine that she’d already poured herself another glass. “Let me think of a good one.” She raised an eyebrow and placed her glass on the ledge, smiling conspiringly. “Never Have I Ever...taken my top off in a hot tub in Aspen. Oh, wait...” She lowered her shoulders under the bubbles, pulled off her top, and held it in the air as if it were a prize. “Now I have!”
“Omigosh.” Brianna gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “No way.”
“It’s about time things got more interesting around here.” Emily Nicole laughed.
“I like the way this girl thinks,” Perry said. “The question is—will you keep it off?”
“Do you dare me to?”
&nbs
p; “Yes.” He held her gaze. “I dare you.”
“Then I will.” She flung the top onto the ledge and shrugged, although she stayed under the bubbles—where no one could see anything—and took an extra-long sip of her wine.
“Any other takers?” Perry said, glancing at Savannah. Courtney’s hand tightened around her cup—she was not letting her little sister take her bathing suit top off in front of everyone, especially not to get the attention of a guy.
“Nope,” Savannah said casually, although Courtney could tell from the way her voice wavered that she felt uncomfortable. “I haven’t had half as much to drink as Emily Nicole.”
“Let’s hurry this game up, then,” Perry said, taking a long sip of his drink.
“It’s your turn,” Noel said. “Although do all the lads get to put our fingers down and drink, since none of us are wearing tops?”
“Hell no,” Oliver said. “Let’s not make it too easy for us to win.”
“Good point,” he said, and the game resumed.
Perry had never gone to a real high school (he was homeschooled), so everyone but Noel got a finger down for that. Savannah had never been in a relationship for longer than two months, which made Perry, Noel, Damien, Madison, Emily Nicole and Brett put fingers down.
When had Brett been in a relationship for longer than two months? Was he referring to his relationship with Courtney? She wanted to put her finger down—since she and Brett had been official since December—but Savannah was the only one here who knew about that, so she didn’t budge.
She made sure not to glance over at Brett and give anything away, glad when they moved on with the game. Oliver had never gotten all As for an entire semester at school, which got Courtney and Madison down another finger. Next up was Brianna.
“Never have I ever had sex,” she said, her cheeks turning red.
Courtney looked around, curious about who would put a finger down. It ended up being Oliver (not surprising), Damien, Emily Nicole, Noel, Perry and Brett.
She focused on the water, unable to look at Brett. While they hadn’t discussed it, he’d hinted to her that he wasn’t a virgin. But seeing it come out in front of everyone made her stomach drop. Because as much as she cared about him—she was falling in love with him, although she hadn’t yet said it out loud—she would never be his first. It wasn’t his fault, but it didn’t make her feel good, either.
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