The snow, which had been falling softly, was now coming down fast, creating a blizzard effect. Visibility was poor and Blaine was having trouble seeing in the distance. He could only make out the people directly in front of him. He searched inside several boutiques, but no Mika. An hour and a half later, he still hadn’t found her. Blaine was cold and weary. He dialed her cell number again, and this time left a message before returning to the condo.
“Mika, please call me back. I really need to talk to you. Call me back please!” he emphasized again before disconnecting the line.
By the time Blaine returned to the condo, Ashley was gone. He took off his snow-covered jacket and tossed it in a chair. He walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water, and noticed a note on the counter. He picked up the piece of paper. “Blaine, I’m sorry if I caused trouble for you. I would have never come to Vail if I had known you were in a relationship. All the best. Love forever, Ashley.”
He tossed the note back on the counter, took the water out of the refrigerator and went back into the living room. He plopped down on the sofa. He couldn’t believe how fast everything had gone awry. Blaine believed that Ashley wasn’t trying to make problems for him, but she had. If Mika had come into the room a few minutes later, she would have seen him refusing Ashley’s advance.
He couldn’t be too mad at Ashley. His mother was the one encouraging her infatuation. He took the cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his mother’s number.
“Mom, what were you thinking, inviting Ashley to Vail?” Blaine asked, nearly shouting into the phone.
“Wait a minute, Blainey. I didn’t invite her per se. I simply told Ashley that my condo was for sale and that you were going to be in Vail handling the showing. She jumped at the chance to meet you there. Honestly, I for one don’t see what the problem is. You’re both single, so why not spend a couple of days together in the snow?” Mrs. Chess said innocently.
Blaine shook his head. As much as he protested, he knew that his mother would always meddle in his love life until he settled down. “Mom, the problem is that I’m seeing someone else and now she thinks Ashley and I are an item, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Who are you dating? You didn’t say anything to me about a new girlfriend. Is it someone I know?” she asked in a flurry, nearly running all of her sentences together.
“Not directly. Her name is Mika Madison and she’s the co-owner of Delicious, the chocolate shop that I order your truffles from.”
“So, that’s how you two met?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, she’s also there in Vail?” Mrs. Chess asked, sounding intrigued.
“Yes.” Blaine was still a bit upset with his mother.
“Exactly how does Mika think that you and Ashley are an item?”
Blaine wasn’t about to tell his mother that Ashley was standing in the bedroom wearing only a pair of boots, trying to seduce him. “Never mind how she got that impression. The truth is that I really like this woman, and need to straighten things out with her before we leave Vail.”
“Where is Ashley now?”
“I sent her home. She’s a nice person, she’s just not the woman for me.”
“Sounds like you’re smitten with this Mika Madison.”
Blaine couldn’t deny his feelings. He and Mika had jelled together from the first night they officially met. “I think she’s the one.”
“Oh, Blainey, I’ve never heard you sound so sure about any woman. Are you positive she’s the one? I’ve always thought that you and Ashley were meant to be together,” she said, sounding disappointed. “Since me and your father met and fell in love in high school, I thought you would do the same.”
“I was never in love with Ashley, but I’ve fallen hard for Mika.”
“Blainey, all I’ve ever wanted was your happiness. If you’re happy, then so am I. When do I get to meet her?”
“Don’t be too happy. I haven’t spoken to Mika since she bolted out of the condo.”
“I don’t know exactly what happened between you two. All I can say is, don’t give up. Some women need time to process their feelings.”
Blaine listened to his mother’s sage advice, and then said, “I won’t. Mom, I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to call Mika again.”
“Okay. Goodbye, son, and good luck.”
Blaine felt a bit better after talking to his mother. He dialed Mika’s number again, and again was met with her voice mail. This time he didn’t leave a message. He disconnected the line and put his cell phone on the cocktail table.
Maybe Mom was right, maybe Mika needs more time before she talks to me.
It had been a trying day, and Blaine was exhausted. Even though it wasn’t late, he moseyed into the bedroom and changed into a pair of flannel pajamas. The previous night, Blaine was being laced with chocolate, lying on a bearskin rug in front of a cozy fireplace with the woman of his dreams. But tonight, he was all alone. Blaine reached for a fluffy pillow and tucked it underneath his head. He stared at the ceiling, all the while hoping that he would have the chance to speak with Mika face-to-face. He knew that if she looked into his eyes, she would know that he was telling the truth about Ashley. Blaine drifted off to sleep with that thought in mind.
Chapter Fourteen
Once the snow let up, Mika left the coffee shop and headed to the condominium complex. She wearily climbed the two flights of stairs. She wasn’t physically tired, but mentally drained. The first thing Mika noticed once she reached the landing was a pair of skis propped up beside her door.
The Ski Shop must have delivered my new skis, she thought, and then realized that she hadn’t yet called them to make the request.
She walked closer and saw that they were the same skis that she had picked up earlier.
Blaine must have brought them over, she thought.
Mika unlocked the door, picked up the skis, brought them inside and placed them in the ski rack. She ran her hand over one ski, thinking about the playful ribbing she and Blaine had exchanged regarding competing on the slopes.
“I guess he’ll never see how good I am, now that his girlfriend is in town,” she said aloud.
Mika brushed off the thought, trying not to concentrate on what could have been. She took off her jacket, put her purse on the sofa and went into the kitchen. As she was opening the refrigerator to get a bottle of water, her cell phone buzzed. She went back into the living room, dug the phone out of her purse and saw that she had a few missed calls and one message. She dialed her voice mail and listened to the message.
It was Blaine. Mika didn’t have his phone number programmed into her phone and had ignored the call earlier, thinking it was a wrong number. She pressed repeat and listened to his message again, trying to decipher the tone in his voice. Did he sound apologetic?
Mika scrolled to the missed call log, found his number and placed her finger on the button to call him back, but stopped.
What if it’s really over between us, and he’s calling to say goodbye?
She couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing Blaine again. Mika felt like crying, but remembered Fritz’s words of encouragement.
Mika went into the bedroom, took off her clothes and moseyed into the bathroom. One look at the tub, with the melted candles still sitting on the rim, and a flood of memories came back. Blaine had been so tender, as if she were the only woman for him. Mika shook off that thought, took a shower and dressed for dinner.
Sweet Basil was a well-known restaurant near the condominium complex. Mika walked briskly across the Village square, pulling the collar of her down coat around her ears, warding off the chilly night air. In no time, she was inside the restaurant talking to the hostess.
“Do you have a reservation?” the tall slim woman asked.
“No, I don’t.�
� Mika looked around and saw that the place seemed to be filled to capacity.
The hostess looked at the reservation book, and then back at Mika. “Are you dining alone?”
“Unfortunately,” she said underneath her breath. “Yes, I am.”
“I have one table left. It’s near the fireplace. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
The hostess escorted Mika to the table and told her that a waiter would be with her momentarily. Mika took off her coat, sat down and scanned the room, making sure she didn’t see Blaine and his girlfriend. There were plenty of couples in the place, but no Blaine. Luckily for Mika, she wouldn’t have to sit through a meal staring across the room at them. As she waited to be served, she overheard the conversation of two older women who were sitting directly in front of her.
“I still can’t believe we witnessed a young man proposing to his girlfriend right in the middle of the town square while people were standing around watching.”
“And with the snow falling, it made the scene even more romantic.”
The first woman then said, “Did you get a look at those red boots the young lady wore?”
“Yes, I did. Were they suede?”
“I believe so.”
“Who wears suede in this type of weather? Back in our day, we only wore suede in the fall,” the second woman replied.
At the mention of red suede boots, Mika’s ears really perked up. She flashed back on Blaine’s girlfriend, standing there naked wearing only a pair of thigh-high, suede boots. Suddenly, her stomach sank. Were the two women talking about Blaine and his girlfriend?
“Suede boots aside, I couldn’t help but clap when he placed that beautiful engagement ring on her finger and...”
“And she agreed to marry him,” the second woman said, finishing the other woman’s sentence.
She began to feel sick. How could I have been such a bad judge of character?
“Excuse me, miss. Miss?” the waiter said, trying to get her attention. He had been standing at Mika’s table asking if she wanted to order a beverage, but she hadn’t responded.
“What did you say?” she finally answered, snapping out of her fog.
“I asked if you would like a glass of wine before dinner.”
“No, thanks. I, uh...”
Mika stood up. After hearing the devastating news of Blaine’s proposal, she no longer had an appetite.
“I’m sorry, but I have to leave,” she told the waiter.
Mika hurriedly put her coat back on and rushed out of the restaurant. She nearly ran back to the condo as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Chapter Fifteen
The following morning, Blaine arose early. He looked on the nightstand for his cell phone, but it wasn’t there. He then remembered leaving it on the cocktail table. Blaine yawned, stretched his long limbs and climbed out of bed. He made his way to the living room to retrieve his phone, hoping there was a message from Mika.
Blaine picked it up and looked at the screen, but there were no missed calls. He checked his voice mail, on the off chance she had called.
“There are no new messages,” the automated recording announced.
Blaine realized that Mika might never call him back. But he was determined to straighten things out with her. He wasn’t going to lose her over a silly misunderstanding. Instead of waiting on her call, he decided to go to her condo again.
“She’s bound to be in now, it’s so early,” he reasoned.
Blaine quickly showered, dressed and headed out the door. Within no time, he was at Mika’s door.
The first thing he noticed was that her skis were gone. Blaine panicked, thinking that maybe she had left Vail. He knocked on the door and waited, but there was no answer. He put his ear to the door, trying to detect if she was moving around inside, but didn’t hear a sound.
Maybe she’s on the slopes already.
Avid skiers loved fresh powder, and usually hit the mountain early before other skiers had a chance to pack the snow. Blaine rushed back to his mother’s condo retrieved his skis and made his way to the lifts.
There were few people in line. He scanned the area but didn’t see Mika. When the lift chair came, he slid on. As he rode to the very top of the mountain, he glanced out over the snow-covered peaks at a handful of skiers gracefully making S-shaped tracks as they made their way down.
Blaine adjusted his goggles as the lift neared the top. He scooted to the edge of the chair and waited to ski off once they reached the Black Diamond trail. Blaine remembered the crimson ski jacket that Mika wore on the plane and was on the lookout once he slid off the lift and began making his way down the mountain. The trail was littered with moguls, and he expertly managed each one, jumping, swerving and skillfully gliding over them.
Midway down, he looked in the distance and spotted a woman wearing a red jacket. Blaine picked up his pace, trying to catch up to her. His eyes were so focused on the red jacket that he didn’t see the person skiing directly in front of him until they collided.
Blaine hit the snow with such force, that one of his skis popped off. After he recovered, he looked downhill and saw his victim was a few feet away lying facedown in the snow. He quickly put his ski back on and moved toward the person.
“Hey, are you all right?”
The person turned around and wiped the snow out of their face. “I think I...”
“Mika!” Blaine knelt down next to her. “I am so sorry. Are you okay?”
She looked up at him and paused for a moment. “I think I twisted my ankle.” She tried to stand, but fell back down.
“Here, let me help you.” He put his hand underneath her arm to give her support, but she snatched away.
“I don’t need your help!” Her words were tight and measured.
“Mika, I know you’re still upset about seeing me with Ashley, but she means nothing to me. I didn’t even know she was coming to Vail, I swear!”
“Didn’t you propose to her yesterday?”
“Propose! No way, I would never marry her! Ashley and I grew up together and she’s always had a crush on me, but I never returned her feelings.” Blaine was speaking in a flurry, hoping to explain away the problem.
As he was talking, the ski patrol came by. “Is everything okay here?” asked a big burly man in a yellow ski jacket and pants.
“No. She needs medical attention. Can you radio for a stretcher to take her down the mountain?”
“Sure thing.” The patrolman took a walkie-talkie out of the breast pocket of his jacket, called the base patrol and ordered a stretcher.
“You don’t have to wait,” Mika told Blaine.
“I’m not leaving, so don’t ask me to.”
When the stretcher came and loaded Mika aboard, Blaine skied behind them all the way down the hill. He helped the patrolman take Mika off the stretcher and into the medic’s office.
“What seems to be the problem?” asked the attending nurse.
“I twisted my ankle. I hope it’s not broken,” she said, taking off the ski boot.
Blaine stood silently against the wall, hoping Mika wouldn’t ask him to leave. He wanted to hear the professional opinion of her condition.
The nurse examined Mika’s entire leg, asking her to bend it in different directions, and then said, “Your ankle isn’t broken, just sprained. I’m going to wrap it up and give you a few pain relievers. When you get back home, I suggest you see your primary doctor for a follow-up. I’ll be right back with the pills and a pair of crutches.”
When the nurse left the room, Blaine went over to Mika. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry about all of this. I was hoping to bump into you on the mountain, but not literally.”
“Please don’t call me sweetheart. Reserve that endearment for your girlfriend.”
“For the last time, Ashley is not my girlfriend!” he said, slightly raising his voice. “What do I have to do to prove that I’m telling the truth?” Blaine thought for a moment. He knew the one person who could clear up this entire mess. He took out his cell phone and dialed his mother.
“Hi, Blainey, honey, how are you?” Mrs. Chess answered in a cheery tone.
“Mom, I need your help.”
“What is it, honey? Are you all right?”
“Remember the woman I was telling you about?”
“You mean Mika?”
“Yes, Mika,” he said, looking directly into Mika’s eyes. “Can you please talk to her, and tell her about our conversation yesterday.”
“Is this about clearing up that misunderstanding you two have?”
“Yes. Hold on.” Blaine handed Mika the phone.
Mika was staring at him like he was crazy.
“Please take the phone, my mother wants to talk to you.”
“Your mother? Why?”
“Just talk to her,” Blaine said, nearly forcing the phone into her hand.
“Hello?” Mika said, hesitantly.
“Hello, darling. This is Blaine’s mother, Mrs. Chess. He told me all about you. First, let me say thanks for making such delicious chocolates, and I especially love your chocolate martini recipe. Those martinis are a hit every time I make them.” She giggled.
“Thanks, Mrs. Chess.”
“Well, I know that Blainey didn’t call me to talk about your martinis. He called yesterday and told me that you think that he and Ashley are an item. Dear, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ashley and Blainey grew up together, that’s all. Blainey has never had eyes for Ashley, but I do understand that he cares for you very much.”
“Oh, I see,” Mika said, staring at Blaine.
“I look forward to Blainey bringing you to Florida so I can meet you in person and have you shake up a few martinis for me and my bridge club.”
“That would be my pleasure. Goodbye, Mrs. Chess,” Mika said, and handed the phone back to Blaine.
Dim the Lights: Islands of DesireLiquid ChocolateHer Wild and Sexy Nights Page 16
