by Astor, Marie
“Well, you look like a cat that swallowed a canary,” observed Bethany. “Anything I should know about?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Might it have something to do with a certain hunky skier? The way you raced down that mountain was nuts - did you do that to get Taylor’s attention?” Bethany winked. “You should have seen that girl Hannah’s face – she was beside herself. I’m telling you, she’s got the hots for Taylor.”
“Bethany, get off it! I went in after them because I was worried about Jeffrey.”
Bethany rolled her eyes. “Fine, have it your way - you’re no fun. But I tell you, I might book a couple of ski lessons myself if you take my meaning.”
“Hello ladies!”
Maggie turned around at the sound of Jeffrey’s voice and saw that he and Charlie were standing right behind her. For a moment, she worried that Jeffrey might have overheard the end of their conversation, but then relaxed – the bar was way too noisy.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Jeffrey leaned to kiss her on her neck.
“That’s all right – Bethany and I were only here a few minutes.”
“Shall we?” Jeffrey offered Maggie his hand.
Maggie smiled - this was the Jeffrey she knew and loved, who surprised her with unexpected flowers and weekend getaways. Sure, this trip had not exactly been full of romance, but she was certain that now things would get back on track.
At the French Bistro, the tables were lined with impeccably white, starched tablecloths, the ceilings were incredibly high, and the waiters wore black bow ties.
Looking at the conservatively dressed diners whose outfits matched the restaurant’s trendy décor, Maggie was glad that she had packed the right dress for this occasion.
A rail-thin hostess led them to their table and announced with a French accent that their server would be right with them.
Jeffrey buried himself in the wine list that was over fifty pages long, perusing every entry on the page.
“May I help you with the wine selection for the table, sir?” A short chubby man in a three-piece somber suit, which could rival that of a mortician’s, approached their table.
After a series of extensive questions about seven different wines, Jeffrey finally settled on a red wine from a famous French winery.
“The place even has its own sommelier – pretty impressive,” remarked Jeffrey after the chubby man had departed.
“So what is everyone having?” asked Charlie, surveying the menu. “I think I’ll try the duck breast. What about you, honey?” he asked Bethany who kept frowning at the menu.
“Oh, I don’t know, everything here has a thousand calories in it. I think I’ll have a green salad…”
“Come on, honey, have a real meal.”
Maggie stifled a smile. For as long as she had known Bethany, Bethany commenced any meal by saying that she only wanted salad, but always ended up ordering the heftiest dish on the menu. The girl could eat a horse and not gain a pound, but apparently Bethany thought it too unladylike to admit to it. This time was no exception.
“Oh, all right. I’ll have the rack of lamb,” Bethany caved in without putting up much of a fight.
The waiter came with their wine and ceremoniously poured it into their glasses.
“Charlie and I have an announcement to make,” said Jeffrey after the waiter had taken their orders. “I’m afraid we will have to leave you girls for several days.”
At the sound of Jeffrey’s words Maggie’s heart fell: so much for all her hopes for them spending time together.
“There are some last minute problems with production that Charlie and I need to take care of,” Jeffrey added.
“Jeffrey, you work Charlie too hard.” Bethany pouted.
“Well, honey, you know how business gets.” Charlie patted Bethany’s hand.
Maggie said nothing. It was not that she did not appreciate the importance of Jeffrey’s work – she did; she just did not understand why he had dragged her along under a pretense of an engagement trip only to leave her behind. If Jeffrey had been honest from the start, she would not have been this disappointed now. As it were, the promised romantic getaway was quickly turning into a preproduction business trip.
“Maggie.” Jeffrey took her hand into his. “I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Two – three days tops. I promise to call you every day. Okay?” Jeffrey looked into her eyes.
Maggie nodded. She was not going to be a crybaby about it. “Go and do what you need to do, and don’t worry about me. Bethany and I will keep each other company.”
“You’re the best, Maggie. You know I love you, don’t you?”
“I know.” Maggie nodded. Jeffrey looked at her expectantly, no doubt expecting reciprocation, but at the moment, she did not feel like telling him that she loved him.
Chapter 12
When Maggie got up the next day Jeffrey was already gone. She heard him packing early in the morning, but decided not to get up – despite what she had told Jeffrey last night, she was still mad at him. Sure, his work was important, but that did not give Jeffrey an excuse to take her for granted - she did not have a big fancy job like him, but that did not mean that her time was any less valuable. Or maybe it did, to Jeffrey, and it was up to her to change that.
As she walked along the resort grounds, Maggie held her camera in her hand, looking for a good shot: a patch of pine trees shrouded in white, a squirrel making its way through the snow, a couple of flushed skiers walking to the gondola – these fleeting moments would last forever once captured in a photograph. As she took the photos, Maggie realized that these images would look great on a postcard or a brochure for a resort and thought that maybe that was another avenue she could explore.
Her feet carried her onward in her search for perfect scenery and before she knew it, she had wandered a long way off from the Ritz. Maggie looked around and realized that she was only a few yards from where the Owl Lodge was located. Great, she thought – the last thing she needed was to run into Taylor Denton or any of his buddies. Whatever her misplaced emotions about Taylor had been, she finally managed to put those unsettling thoughts aside, and she had no desire to have them resurface now – out of sight, out of mind. But then it was mid-day and it was unlikely that she would run into Taylor now – he was probably up on the mountain, flying down the untamed snows that he thought only he had the right to ski.
Maggie’s gaze traveled to a small, low-slung wooden building a few steps away from the Owl Lodge. The weathered construction looked more like a shed than a house; the sign atop the entrance read: Millie’s Bakery. She could certainly use a cup of coffee and a snack –in her hurry to start on her photography expedition, she had neglected to have breakfast and now she was paying for it with a grumbling stomach. After another moment’s hesitation, hunger won, and Maggie made the decision to go inside. She would only go in for a few minutes to recharge her batteries and be off on her way.
Maggie pushed open the rickety front door - the bakery did not look like much from outside, but she figured that it would be hard to mess up a cup of coffee and a bagel or a muffin – whatever the place had in stock.
Once inside, Maggie was pleasantly surprised: wide wooden tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths provided surprisingly ample seating and the unfinished wooden walls created rustic charm, adding unique character to the place. But best of all was the tantalizing scent of the freshly baked muffins that were displayed behind the glass counter.
Maggie was just about to walk up to the counter when she noticed the back of the neon ski jacket and the blond ponytail that could only belong to Taylor Denton. Instantly, she made the move for the front door – Taylor was standing with his back to her, and if she hurried, she just might escape unnoticed.
“Maggie?”
So much for wishful thinking; for a moment she contemplated fleeing, but abandoned the option immedia
tely as being over-the-top. Let’s not get crazy here, she thought, there’s no reason why I can’t have a civil conversation with him - just a friendly hello and goodbye and then I’ll be on my way.
“Taylor! I didn’t expect to see you here,” Maggie stammered, immediately cursing her ineptness – she was not supposed to expect seeing him at all - not here, not anywhere.
“I was just grabbing a cup of hot chocolate – it’s freezing up there today.”
What do you know, she thought, Mr. Tough Guy has a weakness for hot chocolate. Yes, it was certainly a cool day out, and to her annoyance, Maggie had to admit that Taylor looked even more handsome with his face all flushed from the frost.
“But what brings you to this neck of the woods? I thought you were staying all the way on the other side of the resort,” pressed Taylor.
“I am. I was just taking a walk,” Maggie said curtly, not wanting to go into details.
“Listen, about yesterday, I’d like to apologize for losing my cool – I had no business telling you off like that.”
She remained silent, unwilling to lend him a hand.
“It was a close call and I blew a fuse - I’m sorry.”
“I understand. You were right - it was thoughtless of me to follow you when you told everyone to stay back. Thanks again for saving Jeffrey’s life.” Oh God that came out lame, Maggie thought - she had to get out of there before she made a complete fool of herself. “Well, it was nice seeing you, but I really have to get back…”
“Can I buy you a cup of hot chocolate?”
To refuse would be rude, and she agreed.
Maggie took a seat while Taylor walked over to the counter. Aside from her and Taylor, the place only had a couple of customers, and Maggie got the prime table by the window with a view on the mountain.
A moment later, Taylor returned with two muffins and two steaming cups of hot chocolate.
“Cranberry muffins are my favorite,” said Maggie after she took a bite of her muffin.
“I can read minds.” Taylor grinned, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
“You are good.”
“Actually, today is cranberry day – my grandmother owns the bakery, and she bakes most of the things on the menu. Every day is a different muffin day: blueberry on Mondays, orange on Tuesdays, then there’s raisin, apricot, cherry, poppy seed, and today is cranberry.”
“Your grandmother’s name is Millie?” asked Maggie in disbelief – Millie was an uncommon enough name, and in a small town like this…
“Yeah, why?”
“Is she a skier? I think I might have run into her several days ago on a ski lift.”
“She and grandpa did go over to ski the groomers over the weekend.”
“Is your grandfather’s name Phil?” asked Maggie, intrigued by the impossible coincidence.
Taylor nodded.
“It was them then – I chatted with your grandparents on a ski lift a few days back. They seemed like really nice people,” said Maggie, deciding to omit the fact that Millie had offered to introduce her to Taylor.
“They are, but of course I’m biased.” Taylor grinned. “And they are also great skiers. Back in the day my grandfather was a major big mountain skier, but now grandma insists that he is too old to risk skiing off-piste – he still sneaks in a run or two, though. He’s taught me everything I know. It’s because of him that I want to do the documentary…”
Maggie waited for Taylor to continue, but he halted, a surprised expression coming over his face.
“I think it’s your friend Bethany.” Taylor pointed to the window.
Maggie looked up and indeed it was Bethany standing next to the window, waving at them.
Bethany made her way inside. “Hello there! Fancy running into the two of you like this.”
“Hi, Bethany.” Taylor nodded.
“Maggie, what are you doing here?” Bethany took a seat next to Maggie.
“I was just taking a walk.” Maggie wracked her mind for an explanation, deciding that offense was the best defense. “What about yourself?”
Bethany’s eyes glinted, as though saying that the challenge was on. “Oh, I was on my way to book a ski lesson at the lodge, but now that I ran into you, Taylor, maybe you could help me out – would you be my guide?”
“I would, but I’ve cancelled all my tours until the documentary is completed. Yesterday was an exception as a personal favor to Jeffrey. There are plenty of experienced guides at the ski base. Now, ladies, if you’ll excuse me, there are a few things I have to check on at the lodge.” Taylor rose from his chair. “Have a good day. It’s been nice talking to you, Maggie.”
“Thanks for the muffin and the hot chocolate,” Maggie called over her shoulder as Taylor made his way to the exit. The guy sure was a roller coaster – one minute he was offering her a cup of hot chocolate and the next, he was taking off in a hurry.
“Well, well – when the cat is away the mice come out to play.” Bethany took a sip of Maggie’s hot chocolate.
As if on cue, Maggie’s cell phone rang – it was Jeffrey’s ringtone. Maggie motioned for Bethany to be quiet.
“Hi, honey.” Jeffrey’s voice cooed in the receiver. “I just wanted to say good morning to my Maggie. Sorry I didn’t say goodbye today – I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Hi, Jeffrey. How is your day going?” Even though she had not done anything wrong, Maggie could not help feeling guilty.
“Oh, everything is fine – just a few things we need to hammer out, but I should be back in four days tops.”
Maggie knew not to press him about the details – Jeffrey was always “hammering things out” and he preferred not to go into specifics. “I thought you said two days before.”
“Well, things got a bit more complicated than I thought – I promise to tell you all about it when I get back. I’ve got to go.” Jeffrey’s voice sounded hurried. “I love you, babe.”
Before she could reply, the line went dead.
“Was that Jeffrey?” asked Bethany. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “I can’t say I blame you – you deserve to have some fun while Jeffrey is off doing whatever it is he’s doing.” Bethany smirked. “But you could have just told me that you were going to hook up with Taylor – it would have saved me the trip up here. But then I should have known – the way Taylor looked at you. Just be careful so that Jeffrey doesn’t suspect anything.”
“Bethany, what are you talking about? I ran into Taylor by accident and I don’t have any plans to cheat on Jeffrey.”
“In my mind cheating is too strong a word – it sounds very judgmental.” Bethany licked the hot chocolate foam off her lips. “Besides, Jeffrey has his fun when he wants to, why shouldn’t you?”
“Are you telling me that Jeffrey cheated on me?” Maggie’s head was swimming. “You knew and you never told me?”
Bethany clasped her hand over her mouth. “That’s not what I meant, it came out all wrong.”
“Don’t lie to me, Bethany. I want to know the truth. If you are my friend, you’ll tell me the truth about him.”
“I am telling you the truth.” Bethany flung her arms. “All I meant was that Jeffrey has been way too busy with work lately - you told me so yourself, and that he has not been paying much attention to you. That’s all - I swear!”
The panicky notes in Bethany’s voice gave her away. Maggie’s heart sank at the realization that she had been a fool all this time. “Say what you want Bethany, it doesn’t matter anyway since I’m not going to marry him.”
“Maggie, have you lost your mind?” Bethany’s eyes widened. “Jeffrey is a real catch - tons of girls would kill to swap places with you. Don’t you think that maybe you could just look the other way? Things aren’t always black and white.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this.”
“Oh, come on, you knew that Jeffrey was a playboy when you met him – I thought the two of you had an understanding. What did you think – that he reformed ove
rnight?”
“He told me that that part of his life was over and done with and I believed him.”
“Well things don’t work like that, Maggie. I’m sorry to be the one to burst your bubble – I should have kept my mouth shut, but I beg you to think things over before you say anything to Jeffrey. Think about it, Maggie – you could have a charmed life with him – the kind of life few men can provide. So what if you have to turn a blind eye now and then? You can have your own fun on the side. And for Christ’s sake, please don’t tell Jeffrey about this conversation – if he finds out, he’ll guess that Charlie told me and their friendship will be shot. But what am I worrying about - you’d never do anything like that to me, right? And you’re not going to break up with Jeffrey – the two of you love each other. Both of you are in my wedding party.”
“Would you just listen to yourself? What’s happened to you? We used to be friends; we used to tell each other everything. I can’t believe you covered up for Jeffrey all this time, and now that I’m telling you that I want to leave him, all you care about is that I might upset your wedding plans?”
“That’s not true.” Bethany pursed her lips. “I never lied to you. I care about you – you are my best friend. You are the one turning your back on everything. Charlie and Jeffrey are really close. How are we supposed to go on being friends if you break up with Jeffrey?”
“We can still be friends. That is if you still want to be friends,” Maggie retorted hotly, although at the moment, she was not sure of that herself.
Chapter 13
Maggie sat in the empty Ritz suite Jeffrey had rented for their engagement trip and stared listlessly into a wall. Her clothes were strewn all over the bed – she started packing, but had to stop, unable to continue with the task through the tears that were flooding her eyes. It sounded like a cheesy cliché, but she really did feel like a knife had been stuck through her heart.
