by Astor, Marie
All the skiing from the day before paid off, and Maggie glided effortlessly on the feathery powder. The snow rustled underneath her skis as she steered her way next to Jeffrey and Shawn, leaving a parallel set of tracks next to theirs.
“Way to go, Maggie!” Jeffrey’s eyes blazed with admiration and maybe even a bit of competitiveness. “I didn’t know you could ski like that!”
Bethany was next.
Within moments, Bethany was standing next to Maggie and the rest of the group.
“All right, Bethany!” Jeffrey clapped his hands.
“I told you I could ski.” Bethany preened. “Just because I hate the cold doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own on the slopes. I used to spend every winter with my folks in Aspen.”
Charlie followed after Bethany. Hesitant at first, he got into the swing of things and made it down without a hitch. “That was awesome!” exclaimed Charlie triumphantly as he skied over next to Bethany. “Did you see me flying?
“You were ripping it up, man!” Jeffrey slapped Charlie on the shoulder.
“Great job, everyone.” Maggie could tell from the polite look on Shawn’s face that theirs was by far not the greatest group of skiers – it had taken them over fifteen minutes to ski down this short route.
Within moments, Taylor joined the rest of the group.
“Taylor, do you think we could ski something a bit more challenging next?” demanded Jeffrey.
“We have to pick runs that the entire group can ski,” explained Taylor.
“Oh, they’ll catch on. You’re up for more challenge, Charlie, right?”
“You know me – I’m always up for more fun!” Charlie beamed.
Shawn nodded, exchanging a loaded look with Taylor. “And that’s what we’re all about here – having a fun, safe time on the mountain.”
They skied three more runs that afternoon – all were moderate inclines with wide, easy terrain.
As she glided down the buttery surface of the snow, Maggie felt the fresh, cool air brush against her face. She marveled at the beautiful landscape that surrounded her: snow shrouded pines, limitless blue sky and mountaintops that seemed to go up forever. She had packed her camera into her backpack and longed to capture the beauty around her, but she did not want to delay the group and thought that maybe she could take some shots later on, during lunch break, which to her delight, Taylor announced shortly afterwards. By then, most of the group was exhausted, and even Jeffrey seemed a bit worn out, so he too welcomed the idea of a break.
Taylor led the way to the air tram, but to Maggie’s surprise, instead of heading down, they took the tram all the way up to the last station. When they got off the tram, a familiar looking girl was waiting for them at the offloading station; on the ground next to her stood a large soft-shell cooler.
“Hey, everyone, this is Hannah,” Taylor made the introduction.
Maggie immediately remembered where she had seen the redhead: the day before, at the reception desk of the Owl Lodge. Today, Hannah’s red tresses were hidden underneath her helmet, but her shoulder-long copper braids flowed down her shoulders.
“I believe we have already met.” Jeffrey winked as he shook Hannah’s hand.
“Hannah has been gracious enough to bring us some lunch.” Shawn moved closer to Hannah and picked up the cooler from the ground. “Shall we? There’s a perfect spot just a few steps ahead.”
Hannah, Taylor, and Shawn walked ahead, and the rest of the group followed. Maggie wondered what the relationship between the three was. She already knew that Taylor and Shawn were friends, but where did Hannah fit in?
“That girl looks like Pippi Longstocking,” Bethany whispered.
Maggie shrugged. Bethany always went into a competitive mode in the presence of other women. “She brought us lunch – the least you could do is say thanks.”
“Oh, come on! Don’t turn all goody two-shoes on me – did you see the way Jeffrey flirted with her?”
“He wasn’t flirting - he was just making introductions,” Maggie retorted. “Hannah does have a small part in the documentary, and Jeffrey had met her before.”
“You’re right – she’s no competition for you, which of course explains why Taylor is drooling over you like crazy.”
“What are you talking about?” Maggie froze in her tracks, worried that Jeffrey might overhear, but saw with relief that he was engaged in deep conversation with Charlie.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed - I saw the way you blush when he looks at you.”
“Bethany, stop this - I’m engaged to Jeffrey.”
“Hey, it’s me you’re talking too – I won’t rat you out. And Taylor is smoking hot.” Bethany rolled her eyes dreamily. “His friend Shawn is not bad either, but he seems uptight. Taylor on the other hand, seems like the kind of guy who knows how to show a girl a good time.”
“Well, I’m not interested. And even if I were, it’s not like I could do anything about it with Jeffrey around.” Maggie regretted her words immediately – knowing Bethany, she was bound to blow the whole thing out of proportion.
“Well, there are ways – you could take a ski lesson and make hot, passionate love to him in the snow.” Bethany giggled.
A mental image materialized in Maggie’s head, unsettling her. “For the last time, I’m not interested!”
“Jeez, no need to get so touchy!” Bethany shrugged. “From the way you act you’d think that we are not best friends who tell each other everything.”
Maggie decided to let that one go: it had been a long time since she told Bethany everything.
Finally, they reached the picnic destination: a few steps to the left from the main path that led from the air tram there was a wide clearing with two wide tree trunks on the ground.
Shawn put down the cooler and motioned for everyone to take a seat on the makeshift benches.
“We’ve got turkey and ham sandwiches,” announced Hannah. “Who would like what?”
While Taylor and Shawn handed out the sandwiches, Hannah poured tomato basil soup from the thermos into paper cups.
For several moments there was complete silence as everyone dug into their food.
A small cup of oatmeal was all the breakfast that Maggie had had that morning, and she welcomed the sensation of the warm soup in her stomach. When she finished her sandwich, she reached inside her backpack and took out her camera.
“Are you a photographer?” Taylor asked.
Caught by the question off guard, Maggie balked. Was she? She wanted to believe that she was – her camera equipment was certainly professional enough, but was she good enough?
“Nah, Maggie just dabbles in it for fun,” Jeffry replied, putting his arm around her. “It’s a good hobby to have, though. Keep it up, honey.”
“Yes, it’s just a hobby of mine.” Maggie lowered her eyes.
“Mind if I take a look?” Taylor asked.
Reluctantly, Maggie handed him the camera.
“Wow.” Taylor whistled. “These are really great shots.”
“Do you dabble in photography as well, Taylor?” Jeffrey cocked an eyebrow.
“Me – no; I don’t dabble,” Taylor replied. “But I’ve met photographers from major ski magazines, and I believe that they would agree that these photographs are really good.”
“Thanks.” Taylor’s praise made Maggie’s head swim. “I’d like to take a picture of the group – something to remember this day by.”
“That’s sounds like a great idea.” Taylor motioned for everyone to move in for the picture.
Maggie snapped several shots. “I’ll email everyone a copy.”
“I’ll be waiting for that email,” Maggie heard Taylor say, and as she looked into the green of his eyes, all she could do was nod.
Chapter 9
Taylor glanced at his watch – the day sure seemed to drag: as if the pressure of guiding a group of fairly inexperienced skiers were not enough, he had had to contend with their egos as well. Correction,
there was only one ego to contend with: Jeffrey’s, and, well, not all the skiers in the group were inexperienced. Maggie certainly knew what she was doing, and, despite his cavalier ways, so did Jeffrey – at least until he did something reckless, which Taylor hoped would not happen on his watch. As for Charlie and Bethany, both were average skiers who could manage moderate terrain, but neither of them had the skill for advanced inclines, which of course made the situation all the more cumbersome since Jeffrey kept insisting on switching to tougher terrain.
Well, the day was almost over – it was already two o’clock and Taylor had made it clear that they would call it a day at three. There was just about enough time left for two more runs, and then he would be home free. But it was too soon to think about that yet – first, he had to get the group back to the ski base safe and sound. And in order to do that he had to stop thinking about Maggie – something he had promised himself to do this morning, but was still unable to accomplish. Of course the fact that every time the two of them exchanged a word, he froze like some imbecile, did not help matters either. The fact of the matter was that he simply could not remember the last time he had been so intrigued by a girl. There was a lot more to Maggie than her good looks: not only did she know how to ski, she also had a gift for photography, which, of course, made him wonder what she was doing sticking around a man like Jeffrey, a man who, from what Taylor could tell, was taking her for granted.
It had been a while since Taylor had a steady girlfriend. Actually, come to think of it, Gina, his high school sweetheart, was the last girl he dated for more than a year - that relationship ended when Taylor made the decision to leave New York for Eagleville, right after high school. His good looks attracted plenty of attention from the opposite sex, and Taylor never had a shortage of dates; however, that had been the extent of his relationships: a series of dates. He was twenty-three now and was starting to get tired of meaningless flings. Over the past four years he had briefly dated a string of pretty girls from out of town, but in the end, he would inevitably end up unattached. He was by no means a womanizer and valued loyalty above all; in fact, it was the lack of loyalty in these fleeting encounters that prompted the breakups. Too often he found himself a subject of a stereotype, discovering that the girls he dated were only interested in him because of his skiing. Superficially labeling him as reckless and a daredevil, they had no interest in getting to know him as a person, thinking of him as someone who was great to have a fling with, but nothing serious. While this arrangement was mildly disappointing, for the time being, it suited Taylor just fine, as he enjoyed it for the thrills it had to offer.
“Are you going to join us for the rest of the day, Hannah?” asked Shawn just as the group was about to embark on the next descent.
“I’ve got to bring all this stuff back.” Hannah motioned to the cooler that now held remnants of the finished lunch.
Taylor noticed Shawn’s face fall at her reply. “Hannah, why not leave the cooler right here? We can always pick it up at the end of the day. I doubt anyone is going to take it,” Taylor added. “As far as I know, you don’t have a shift today at the lodge; unless, of course, you’ve got other plans.”
“Oh, all right.” Hannah flashed Taylor a bright smile –a smile that, Taylor noticed, brought a frown to Shawn’s face.
I guess I just can’t win, thought Taylor, but what am I supposed to do if Shawn can’t work up the courage to ask her out?
“So, what’s next?” Jeffrey asked impatiently. “I hope you saved the best for last, Taylor.”
“I think you’ll be pleased with this one, Jeffrey. It’s one of the longest runs on the mountain,” said Taylor. The run Taylor planned for the group to ski started from the very top of the mountain, which he hoped would appease Jeffrey’s zeal, but was still temperate enough for the entire group to be able to ski it. Just as long as everyone followed the guide’s lead, they would be fine.
“All right, let’s see it!” Jeffrey pointed his skis toward the incline.
“Shawn and Hannah, you go first, and I’ll be in the back,” Taylor called out.
What happened next was so unexpected that Taylor barely had time to think. As Shawn and Hannah were about to begin their descents, Jeffrey veered off course, turning all the way to the right, to take the steeper route.
“I’ll catch up with you at the bottom!” Jeffrey yelled as he whizzed down with incredible speed.
If only it were that easy, Taylor could not have cared less, but while it looked like the two inclines would converge at the bottom, the illusion was far from the truth. The incline that Jeffrey was racing down led to a glacier, and if Taylor did not get to him in time, there was a good chance that Jeffrey would end up at the bottom of a hundred-mile long crevasse – the only way back from a fall like that was in a body bag.
“Hannah, Shawn, take the rest of the group – I’m going to get Jeffrey.” Taylor plunged after Jeffrey: he was going as fast as he could to overtake him.
“Jeffrey, stop!” Taylor shouted. “Keep left!” He waved at Jeffrey frantically, but Jeffrey kept going straight down – another two hundred yards and he’d end up at the bottom of the glacier. “Jeffrey! Stop!” Taylor kept yelling at the top of his lungs.
Finally, just as Taylor was about to catch up with him, Jeffrey called over his shoulder, “You like to race? Let’s see who comes in first!” At that moment his skis veered out of control and Jeffrey rolled on the snow, his skis snapping off.
Taylor had never been glad to see anyone fall, but in this case his emotion was justifiable since Jeffrey’s fall had saved his life.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jeffrey struggled to get up in the knee-deep snow. “You almost got me killed!”
“And you would have gotten yourself killed if you hadn’t stopped in time,” Taylor retorted calmly. “You see that last stretch of the incline?”
“Yeah, I was going to take that to meet you guys,” snapped Jeffrey, “what’s wrong with that?”
“Only that it does not converge with any other line – this slope leads straight into a one hundred-mile long crevasse.” His heart pounding wildly, Taylor stared straight at Jeffrey – he had had enough – unless Jeffrey was going to clean up his act, Taylor was ready to walk away from any further association with this maniac.
“Jeffrey, are you all right? Taylor, what happened?”
Abruptly Taylor turned around and saw Maggie standing behind him. What was the girl thinking following them when he had explicitly told the rest of the group to follow Hannah and Shawn? A small part of him could not help admiring her skiing skills, but that was a small part, and the larger part of him was outraged by her carelessness. She was just as pigheaded as Jeffrey - no wonder the two of them made such a happy couple.
“Maggie! How did you get here?” exclaimed Jeffrey.
“Well, I was so worried something happened to you, I went in right after Taylor.”
“I’m fine – not to worry. Seems that Taylor here saved my life,” Jeffrey added.
Taylor had had enough. “And who would go after you, Maggie, if something happened to you?”
“I knew what I was doing,” retorted Maggie. “I’ve got enough skills to ski this route.”
“Do you? And do you know that it leads to a deathly crevasse?” Taylor exploded – in his opinion this kind of carelessness deserved no mercy.
Not surprisingly, Maggie did not say anything – what was there to say when she was clearly in the wrong? Well, hopefully she will learn from this lesson, Taylor thought, but he sure would not stick around to find out.
“Look, Taylor, Maggie didn’t mean any harm; take your beef up with me,” Jeffrey cut in. “I’m sure we’re not the first skiers who got a little lost on the trails. No one got hurt, so why don’t we put this whole thing behind us?”
Actually, they were the only skiers Taylor had ever accompanied on the backcountry terrain who so blatantly ignored the guide’s instructions, but at the moment, he knew better than to v
oice his indignation since he could pretty much tell that his words would be wasted on deaf ears. All he wanted to do now was to get the group back safely to the ski base; he would have a man-to-man talk with Jeffrey later. “I have to call the helicopter rescue,” said Taylor curtly.
“Isn’t there some other way we could ski down?” asked Jeffrey.
“Not unless you know how to fly,” retorted Taylor. He could already picture the annoyed expression on the pilot’s face: being called on because of a serious accident was one thing, but having to haul out a helicopter at a moment’s notice because of blatant disregard for safety was another. Taylor took his radio and paged the ski base, “Jim? It’s Taylor.”
Taylor was glad to hear that Jim McNulty was the pilot who answered the page. Jim was in his late fifties and he had plenty of air mileage behind his back. In Taylor’s opinion Jim was the most skillful pilot he had ever met and he never ceased to be amazed by Jim’s uncanny ability to stick the most difficult landings that any other pilot would deem impossible. “We need a helicopter to pick up a party of three. No, there’s no injury, but we have no other way of getting down – we’re stuck a few yards away from a crevasse. Yes, that’s the spot. Okay, see you soon.” Taylor disconnected the radio. “The helicopter should be here shortly,” he added.
After that he dialed Shawn on the radio and told him where they were and that everyone was fine. “Shawn and Hannah are taking the rest of the group to the ski base – they’ll wait for us there,” Taylor added. He stuck the radio into the pocket of his jacket and folded his arms over his chest, thinking that he would have to have a talk with Jeffrey later on. If they were to continue working on the project together, lines would have to be drawn: work only and no more guided tours on the mountains. Normally, Taylor never objected to being someone’s guide, but he’d be damned if he agreed to accompany Jeffrey off-piste ever again. Anyone could make a mistake, but in Jeffrey’s case it was deliberate and blatant recklessness. And Taylor no longer harbored any illusions about Maggie either – her crazy behavior was all the proof he needed to understand that she and Jeffrey were made for each other.
