by Dela
“You ever been to Whistler before, Brooke?” he asked.
“No.”
“You ever been on a sleigh ride before, Brooke?”
“No.”
His back stiffened upwards and his fingertips curled into his palms, pretending to grab the invisible breast flap of a blazer and tugged. “Then I’m glad I can oblige you, Miss.”
He had me giggling still as he pulled off the small, tree-lined road and drove onto a little dirt plot. I could see a cinderblock shop ahead, and the triangle roof of another building spreading upwards behind it. It looked like a barn.
“Bundle up. You’ll get cold,” he said.
We properly dressed for winter inside the car, then checked ourselves inside the overly heated office. Kendal didn’t get the same reaction from the staff as he did at the hotel, which made him seem less preoccupied with his secret identity and more preoccupied with me.
Eventually, we walked back out the doors we’d entered through, and I followed him around back, where the frosty evergreen air twirled with the sharp smell of horse. My nose wiggled.
A lengthy black sleigh with red velvet seats and gold trimming came into view. Two horses stood harnessed in reigns with bells and were groomed beautifully: one with an almond mane and vanilla hair, the other a black stallion. There was a couple with two young kids waiting to get on as we approached. They boarded the first two rows. We left the third empty and took the fourth and final row, unconsciously huddling together—a gust of wind had left us both shaking.
It was unclear to me when, exactly, the horses started moving, because Kendal’s arm was draped on the seat behind us, conveniently snuggled against my neck. I stared at the dark wisps of hair sticking out beneath his beanie and presumed he didn’t know how beautiful he was.
He watched me from the corner of his green eyes and grinned. “When’s the wedding?”
“Tomorrow.” I was about to ask him if he wanted to come, when I chickened out. Days ago I was taken by somebody else, I wasn’t ready for this. I sighed; this was impossible. I’ll always be destined for normal, because I can’t leap. I can’t take the risk.
“How were the cakes?” he asked.
“Tasty.”
“Let me guess, you liked the strawberry flavor.”
I chuckled. “Chocolate. Why’d you think strawberry?”
“Because that’s the flavor of your lip gloss.” He closed his eyes and breathed in. “It smells delicious.”
I bit my lip, ignoring the things taking flight inside my body, and picked at the fringe of the wool blanket. His olive hand reached over and pulled mine from the strands. “Why are you nervous?”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Well, if you don’t stop twisting and pulling, the whole corner of the blanket will be gone by the time this ride is over.”
I slid my hands underneath the blanket and looked back to him. “Happy?”
He studied my lip biting and squinted his eyes. “You’re still nervous.”
“Damn you.”
He snickered, leaning his face closer to my cheek. “Brooke, do I make you nervous?” His pretend, stupid, perfect English accent made me swoon all the way from my head to my toes. The hairs on my neck even stood from it.
I crossed my arms and raised my nose. “Don’t jump to conclusions . . .”
“What is it?”
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
I pointed to his face and poked his forehead in the space between his eyebrows. They were immaculately perfect, too. He had to know how attractive he was, right? “That. You’re stressing me out.”
He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “I see.”
“You see what?”
“You’re not afraid of me. You’re afraid of the unknown.”
I adjusted my body and leaned away from him onto my elbow over the edge of the sleigh. “Well, what’s so wrong with that?”
A deep, free laugh echoed through the trees. “Everything, Brooke. Absolutely everything.”
I stared at him, confused.
“How do you expect to get anywhere in life living with that kind of fear?”
I tugged the blanket closer to me, maybe taking a little of his away, and tucked it under my legs. If he needed that extra warmth he didn’t say anything. “I’m doing better than most people I know.”
“What if every great world figure said that? Where would we be today without those brave enough to expand beyond limitations they cannot see?”
“Did you really just say that?”
He nodded, a surprised look springing over his flattered façade. “Yes.”
“Right. I forgot. This is coming from the man who takes chances.”
“Whims.”
“Right, whims.”
He leaned back and looked away toward the woods around us, probably the first time he’d taken his eyes off me since he’d picked me up. “Brooke, if you could do anything in the world, what would you do?”
I grew still as the realization hit me. “I’d like to help change the world.”
“I don’t want the pageant answer. I want the Brooke answer. Think of something specific.”
His face shaded over as the grove of trees above us grew denser. The sun couldn’t get past the snow-covered branches here. It was like we were in ice queen country, and my entire body froze over. My teeth chattered, and I clenched the blanket tightly beneath my neck.
“Okay, I’d like to help the needy as my job,” I began.
Without warning he ripped off a strand of wool from the fringe of the blanket and held it in the air. “Here, hold your wrist out.” I slowly pulled an arm out of my cocoon and placed my wrist over the strand. He tied it in a knot and spoke. “This piece of cheap wool is your promise to me that no matter what happens, you won’t toss your life away to mediocrity, that you will take whims, create opportunities, and go off in the world and do great things. Promise me, Brooke. You’re better than normal.”
His breath froze like a cloud in the air, and his words froze my butt in place. Kendal literally spoke my mind. Brilliant! I smiled and played along. “Then let it be your promise to me that through all your crazy whims, you will actually stop when you find the one who makes you happy, alright?”
He paused, with a grin wide enough for a crease to appear on the outer rims of his lips. “Agreed. Now, what were you holding back a moment ago?”
I breathed in slowly and let it out. “Would you like to go to the wedding with me?”
“That’s it?” He grunted through a husky laugh. I rolled my eyes through a wise smirk. “Alright, alright. I would be honored to be your date.”
“Good.” I smoothed the lines in the blanket with my palms and took a deep breath as my nerves calmed a bit. “It starts at three. Don’t be late.”
“If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I am a very punctual person.”
I laughed hard.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I’m always the one who shows up late.”
“We can work on that.”
Eventually we made it back to the car and were headed back just as it started to get dark. We were nearly to my hotel by the time my body thawed.
“So what do bachelorettes do in Whistler?” he wondered.
“If I had one guess, based on the cowboy boots I was asked to bring, I’d say we’re doing something that involves mechanical bulls. What are you guys doing tonight?”
“Crashing a bachelorette party . . . don’t be late.”
Chapter Six
Kendal
“Where you been?” Bee Sting asked when I walked into the guy’s room. It stunk like dirty feet and wet gear, which is exactly why I had my own suite.
“Making our plans for tonight. We’re going to Longhorns,” I answered, taking my beanie off and fixing my hair for the night.
“Sure. That sounds cool, I gue
ss,” said Ryan, following me into the bathroom. “How’s Brooke?”
“Why?”
“You’re into her, man. I can tell.”
“He isn’t just into her. He’s into her hard,” Marlo yelled from the bed, where he was playing with his phone.
“What’s your point?” I asked.
“Dude, this is man-kay-shun. Bro time. You just spent all afternoon with this chick, and now you want to spend the night with her too?” Ryan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll see her again.”
“He’s right,” Teddy yelled from the couch. He sat in thermals that were too tight on him. I could see the bottom portion of his belly sticking out as he stared tiredly at the TV, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table.
“Does she know who you are yet, Rags?” Ryan asked.
“No, and it’s going to stay that way.” I pointed firmly at him then glanced at my phone. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”
“Where you going?” Paul asked.
“I’ll be right back.”
I hustled down to the front desk and asked Marcie the concierge to set up a private midnight session with the local bungee jumping company.
“Everything is set Mr. Vargas. Just you plus one, correct?” she asked with the phone pressed to her ear.
“Correct.”
“And you agree to pay the group rate?”
“Correct.”
“Everything is set up then. Do you need directions?”
“The Callaghan bridge in the Olympic Park, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then no. Thank you, Marcie.”
I changed into a black sweater then joined the guys downstairs at the bar where they got their first round of drinks. Since Cinnamon Bear—since seeing Brooke really—I decided to eliminate my drinking. I didn’t regret the decision as I watched their throats burn and their eyes water briefly.
“Where we going again?” Ryan asked.
“Longhorns.”
It was a three-minute walk to the popular bar that faced the Whistler Blackcomb gondolas. At this hour this place was always packed with single twenty-somethings looking to hook up. It was an odd choice for a bachelorette party, and knowing how pretty Brooke was, I couldn’t leave her to defend herself alone.
The hollow squared bar rested in the center of the long room. We shouldered through the crowd and found a place to stand at the bar, where the boys helped themselves to another round of tequila or rum. I turned around and rested my elbows against the wood looking for Brooke. I recognized a few pro athletes here and knew they were single. They were the confident, desired types. I watched girls throw themselves at them, but I was certain they would notice Brooke once she came. I had to get to her first.
Thirty minutes passed and I glanced at my watch nervously. The boys were now splitting off, making conversations with girls at their own tables. I stayed in my spot and checked my watch again. I wondered if Regina changed her mind and they went to another spot when a cool breeze whizzed past me.
I looked up to the front door and my heart nearly stopped.
Brooke.
She walked in shivering, with her arms huddled closely underneath her armpits. For crying out loud, the girl was wearing shorts. Shorts! And they were only inches long. Inches! She was insane; it was fifteen degrees outside. I had the sudden urge to scold her and touch her at the same time, but she was so fine my lips parted and words caught in my throat. All I could do was stare.
Her legs. I couldn’t look away. They were perfectly sculpted inside those worn cowboy boots. I could tell she was a cheerleader. They were strong. And her hair was straight. It flowed softly over her shoulders when she spotted me. A sheepish grin started in her cheeks as she lowered her eyes and moved the fallen hair behind her ear.
I took my first step.
She watched through her lashes and stayed put. The doe was mine, and I approached her with full eagerness because somehow I knew she was made for me.
I leaned in to her ear anxiously and spoke loudly over the music. “You look incredible.”
I backed away for her response and her cheeks flushed the same color as her cold nose. “Thanks.”
“Hi Kendal,” Regina said, waving goofily so I’d notice that she was here. A satiny sash draped across one shoulder beneath her coat and clearly pointed her out as the bachelorette.
I pointed to her sash. “You planning on pissing off Jake tonight?”
Her nose wrinkled. “No! Why?”
“Regina this place is packed with guys looking to hook up. You don’t seem like that sort of girl who does that.”
She walked through the crowd with a confidence that I could tell was already attracting guys. Brooke and I followed her to a round standing table. She took off her coat and looked at me.
“I would never do that to Jake. I’m only here to say goodbye to what I’m going to miss out on. But as you so clearly pointed out, I’m pretty sure now that I’m not going to miss out on the awkward one-night stands,” Regina said.
I smiled, impressed. I found myself hoping Brooke was on the same page. I didn’t want to imagine her getting down with anybody. A waitress brought Regina a Red Bull and she took a quick swig. Afterwards she looked at me with a wise grin and then to Brooke. “I’m thinking us meeting you tonight isn’t by chance, Kendal.”
“Of course it isn’t. But not that I wanted to ruin your bachelorette party,” I added.
She laughed and took another sip. She narrowed her eyes. “So what do you plan to do to my friend tonight? Recently single, in Longhorns. It doesn’t get much better than that for you. I mean, you said this was the place where guys come to hook up, right?”
She was messing with me in a friendly way. I liked her, but noticed Brooke flushing with color, and I cleared my throat.
“Regina, don’t you have somewhere to be right now? Like looking for Jake. He said he’d be here by eleven,” Brooke interrupted.
“Jake?” I asked, confused.
Brooke shrugged and Regina laughed. I missed something.
“I know, not really a bachelorette party when there are only two girls. Plus, Jake didn’t feel comfortable with us going out by ourselves,” Brooke admitted.
Regina held her belly and roared with laughter. “I had you, Kendal. Brooke and I were never going to come here alone. I don’t need a party. That shit is out of my system.”
I straightened up. This probably meant that Bear and Mouse were coming with Jake, too. I needed to be on my game. “And how about you, Brooke?”
“How about me what?”
“Are one-night stands out of your system?”
Regina nearly spit her drink right over us. “Are you kidding me? That was never in her system.”
My lungs filled with relief. My doe was pure. But I didn’t understand why her large brown eyes stared back with fear. She was a beautiful creature. I wanted to embrace her and carry her away with me to a place where I could show her how a real relationship was supposed to be. I would court her. I would dote on her. I would cherish her.
I glanced back at Regina. “One-night stands aren’t my thing either.” I could see Brooke smile from the corner of my eye.
“Regina!” Jake called.
He had appeared out of nowhere with Bear and Mouse. I grunted first, squinted at my competition, then side stepped closer to Brooke.
“Hi, baby. Brooke and I were just going to dance. Remember Kendal from Cinnamon Bear?”
Jake nodded with a real smile; the others did not. Actually, they were fairly boring. One had his arms folded too stiff and the other stared so hard he looked crazy.
“Good. Hang with him. We’ll be back in a minute,” Regina said, snatching Brooke’s arm and dragging her across the room.
Normally, I would have taken pleasure in watching Brooke walk away, but there were two other men watching her at the exact time. I gritted my teeth and fell into a stiff, crossed-arm position of my own as we watched the girls f
lit across the room.
Jake cleared his throat after a second song passed and we still hadn’t spoken. “So, um. You guys cool?”
Watching Brooke dance carelessly in her short shorts was more than I could handle. I was stiffening in places other than my arms, half tempted to steal her off the dance floor right then and there. Jake nudged me, then poked me to see if I was still alive. It broke me out of my trance, and I checked my watch. There wasn’t much time till we had to be on the bridge. I turned to Jake.
“Did Regina have any other plans with Brooke tonight?”
His eyebrows lowered confused. “Brooke?” I went to speak but in a flash he had the widest grin. “I forgot that’s what you called her.” I waited for him to give up her real name when he said, “No, they don’t have any other plans. Why?”
“I have something planned but don’t want to take Brooke away from Regina unless she’d be okay with it.”
“Bro, she’s doing it.”
Bear and Mouse turned their attention to me. I slapped Jake on the shoulder with a nod then went to my friends, who had reconvened at the same table, but now with girls at their sides. When I approached, their lady-friends’ eyes grew larger. It was weird that these girls knew who I was, but Brooke and Regina didn’t.
“I’m out,” I said, avoiding eye contact with the assuming eyes.
“Yeah, bro. Tap that!” Bee Sting hollered. I looked at the drunken idiot.
“No, Bee Sting. You don’t tap that anything,” I said annoyed.
Ryan leaned over and gave a lazy punch on his arm. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Yeah man,” Paul slurred, his eyes lazy.
Bee Sting shrugged. “What?”
“You guys need to stop drinking,” I said.
They threw their heavy arms and shooed me away. I laughed as I walked to Brooke. She didn’t see me coming, so I slid my hand on her moving waist. She jumped and turned around with a startled look. Thankfully it softened when she noticed it was me.
“Oh, Kendal. You scared me.”
“But isn’t that what you were expecting? For a guy to come put his paws on you?”
She stopped and frowned.
