Smitten at First Sight: A Contemporary Romance Novel

by Astor, Marie

  “It was great,” Taylor answered. “Maggie is a natural – skiing with her was a pleasure.”

  “I bet,” Shawn spoke without looking up. “Now what can I get you?”

  “I’ll have the house draft,” said Taylor quickly - it always took Shawn time to warm up to strangers, but today he was acting way off base, and Taylor wanted to get Maggie out of the line of fire before things got any weirder. “What are you having, Maggie?”

  “The same.” She nodded.

  Shawn filled their glasses from the tap and placed their drinks on the counter.

  “Thanks Shawn.”

  Maggie reached for her wallet, but Shawn stopped her.

  “No need – these are on the house,” he added, looking straight at Taylor.

  Taylor took the beers. “It’s way too crowded here - I think we’ll drink these at a table.”

  “You do realize that people will start talking…” Shawn muttered.

  “So let them talk.” Taylor shrugged, “I can’t keep a cover over everyone’s mouth.”

  Chapter 17

  As Maggie followed Taylor to the remote table by the window, she could have sworn that she saw the people by the bar stand tilt their heads to see where they were going.

  “What was Shawn talking about?” she asked casually when they sat down. “Are you something of a local celebrity?”

  “You could say that.” Taylor flashed his disarming grin, taking a sip of his beer. “Man this is good stuff. Have you tried it?”

  Maggie tasted her beer and nodded – it was good. “But back to my question. What did Shawn mean?”

  “Oh, well, it’s nothing really. It’s just that this is a small town and since you are not from around here some of the nosier folks are quick to jump to conclusions. Don’t mind Shawn – it takes him a while to warm up to people, but once you get to know him, he is really a very nice guy.”

  “Wow, it must be great to know everyone in town,” said Maggie, looking for words to fill the conversation – she was not sure how she felt about the fact that she and Taylor looked like an item to the onlookers.

  “It is and it isn’t. But I love this place – I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

  “Is it because of the mountains?” she asked and knew by the flash in Taylor’s eyes that she hit the nail right on the head.

  He nodded. “There is just something magical about being up there all by yourself and knowing that there is no limit to what you can do, as long as you’ve got the skills to do it. I find that the mountains here are unlike anywhere else - I’ve skied Colorado, Alaska, the Alps, but for me, nothing compares to this place.”

  Maggie nodded, fascinated by the passion in Taylor’s voice.

  “Can I get you anything else?” A waitress approached their table, eyeing Maggie out of the corner of her eye as if sizing her up. “Table seating is for food orders only.”

  “Could we see the menu?” asked Maggie, in response to which the waitress thrust two menus on the table.

  “Burger is the best thing here,” said Taylor.

  “We also have a special today: fried cod,” added the waitress.

  “I’ll have a burger.” Maggie handed her menu back to the waitress.

  “Two burgers, Marlene, and when you have a chance, we’ll take two more beers,” added Taylor.

  “I’ll get it right up.” Marlene nodded curtly and brusquely walked away.

  “So, were you born here?” asked Maggie, curious to learn more about Taylor.

  “Well, no.” Taylor paused, looking away.

  “We can talk about something else,” Maggie interjected, noticing Taylor’s reticence.

  “It’s all right.” Taylor shook his head. “I was born in New York. That’s where my father is from.”

  “And your mom?”

  “She died in a car accident when I was six. My dad was behind the wheel and I was in the back. We both made it with only a few scratches and bruises, but my mom died instantly from the collision: a ninety year old woman lost control and ran her car right into my mom’s side of the car. They had to cut the car open to get her body out.” The look on Taylor’s face changed, as if he were reliving the horrible memory.

  “I’m sorry.” Maggie was struck by the horrible story. “I didn’t mean to bring up this painful memory. You must miss her so much.”

  Taylor nodded. “As a kid, whenever things weren’t going well at school or I had an argument with my dad, I’d think of her, imagining that she would make everything all right.”

  “And your father?”

  “Oh, he lives in New York.” Taylor’s voice stiffened. “That’s where I was born, but I always felt that my real home was here. I used to come visit my grandparents here every school vacation – wintertime was always the best.” Taylor smiled at the distant memory. “My dad had always worked really long hours and I was pretty much raised by a nanny; when I turned fourteen I was sent off to a boarding school. He wanted me to go on to college and major in engineering and then go on for an MBA. After that I was supposed to start working for him at his firm – he had the whole plan worked out for me - only that was not what I had in mind…” Taylor fell silent, looking away.

  “What does your dad do?” Maggie asked in an attempt to break the awkward pause.

  “He owns an energy management consulting company,” Taylor halted, unwilling to go into more detail.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Maggie wished she had not asked him the question in the first place.

  Taylor shook his head. “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. What my father does is actually pretty cool: he offers his clients ways to cut electricity and heating costs for their business facilities, so it saves them money and is good for the environment.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  Taylor nodded, a faint smile glinting on his lips. “I think it’s great, but I wish he would understand that it’s not for me. There’s so much politics involved: all the wining and dining, chasing after clients, meeting with government officials - I have no desire to be this suave, corporate guy. But my father just can’t accept the fact that I am a different person from him.” A faint shadow of disappointment passed over Taylor’s face. “For as long as I remember myself, it always felt that my home was here, in Eagleville. Besides, I wanted to help my grandparents - it was getting difficult for them to run the lodge by themselves, so they thought of selling it and retiring. I couldn’t stand the thought of the lodge being sold off, so I told them that I wanted to move here and help. At first, they wouldn’t hear of it, but finally, I convinced them. It’s been five years, and so far, so good.” Taylor grinned. “In addition to lodging, we started offering ski lessons and ski guides to off-piste skiers. The business really took off - people who have never skied off-piste before come here to learn, and I’m proud to be a part of that, proud to see the look of joy on their faces – it literally changes people’s lives. And if my dad can’t understand that, there is nothing that I can do about it.”

  “So the two of you don’t talk?” asked Maggie, moved by the hidden pain in Taylor’s voice. Almost immediately she regretted her question – it was not her place to ask, and now, she feared that she had pressed too far.

  “No.” Taylor shook his head. “He got really upset when I told him that I wouldn’t be following his plan - somehow, he got it into his head that my grandparents insisted that I move here, which is not true at all… But regardless - now, he doesn’t talk to me or them.”

  “That must have been a difficult choice to make.” Maggie could not believe how much she had learned about Taylor Denton over a glass of beer. Everything she guessed about him was wrong: he was not a showoff or an adrenaline junkie, and his life was far from a carefree ride.

  “It was, but then important choices are always difficult – it’s impossible to go through life listening to what other people want you to do. At some point you have to make your own decisions; that is, if yo
u ever hope to be happy.”

  “I guess you’re right,” said Maggie, wondering if she would have had the guts to make the same decision had she been in Taylor’s shoes.

  “Here are your orders.” Marlene placed their dishes on the table.

  Maggie could tell that Taylor was glad of the interruption. Despite the fact that they barely knew each other, he had opened up his innermost thoughts to her, but that did not make her uncomfortable in the least. She was glad that he let her into his world and she only hoped that he would not shut her out now.

  “How do you like your burger?” asked Taylor, eager of the opportunity to switch the topic of conversation. He had not intended to tell Maggie his entire life story over a glass of beer, but somehow he found talking to her incredibly easy. There was no denying it – he enjoyed her company and he could intuit that Maggie felt the same way.

  “It’s delicious,” replied Maggie.

  “I told you.” Taylor winked, raising his beer glass. “Here’s to good food, good beer and good skiing.”

  “I’ll definitely drink to that.” Maggie lifted her glass.

  For several moments there was complete silence, as they took the time to satisfy the ravenous hunger that they both felt after a long day of skiing.

  “So, do you always know what you want?” asked Maggie, once they were halfway through their burgers.

  “Don’t you?” Taylor had to admit that he was somewhat surprised by her question.

  “Well, yes. I’d like to think so.” Maggie lowered her eyes.

  Taylor sensed the hesitation in her voice. “You think so? It seems to me you knew exactly what you wanted when you went skiing off-piste all by yourself this morning – you wanted to take those photos and you were willing to risk your safety for it.”

  She blushed. “You just can’t let me live it down, can you?”

  “Sorry, I’m kind of a stickler when it comes to safety. So, do you care to elaborate what it is you’re unsure about?”

  “All right, here it goes.” Maggie took a deep breath. “I just graduated college and my mom always had this idea about me going to law school… I applied, hoping I wouldn’t get in, but I got accepted. And now, I don’t know what to do. On the one hand she does have a point – having a law degree would open a door to a lot of opportunities, but I always hated all the law classes that I ever took and I can’t picture myself being a lawyer or doing anything law-related.”

  “It sounds to me like you’ve already made up your mind about what it is you do not want,” observed Taylor. “You definitely do not want to be a lawyer.”

  “You got that one right. I want to be a photographer – it’s something I’ve dreamed of ever since I can remember, but I just don’t know if I’m good enough.”

  “Well you can’t shoot yourself down with doubts – it’s one thing to want to improve your skill, it’s another to put yourself down. And if my opinion makes any difference, I think you’ve got the talent and the guts to go after your dream. So I say, go for it.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She smiled. “You’re right – I should just get my work out there instead of questioning myself all the time.”

  “You’re welcome. Any time.”

  “Is there anything else I can get you?” Marlene returned to their table – she was clearly intent on not letting them have any peace.

  Taylor looked questioningly at Maggie, but she shook her head. He was about to settle the bill, but Maggie got to it first.

  “It’s my treat, remember?”

  This was the first time Taylor let a girl buy him a meal on a date, but then, strictly speaking, this was not really a date.

  “Well, thanks for the burger and the beer.” It was getting late and the only thing left to say was goodnight, although Taylor had to admit that he would not mind prolonging their time together.

  “It was the least I could do considering that I was such a pain before.”

  “Just promise me that you won’t go off on your own like that again – there are plenty of guides at the ski base.”

  “I promise.”

  “When do you plan to go out there again?”

  “I was going to go tomorrow morning, but now that you made me promise to hire a guide, most likely, I’ll have to wait till the next day, unless someone will be available on such short notice.”

  “Well, if you’d like, I could be your guide tomorrow.”

  “I wouldn’t want to interfere with your schedule – I know you’re busy training for the documentary.”

  “I’m not that busy. Besides, after the way I’ve seen you ski today I’m planning to up the stakes. If you come with me tomorrow, we’ll be skiing much more challenging terrain.”

  “That sounds tempting.”

  He could tell by the sound of her voice that she wanted to say yes. “So, what do you say?”

  “Yes. I’d love to. It’ll be nice not to have to wait for a guide.”

  “That’s a deal then. I’ll meet you at the lobby of the lodge tomorrow at seven thirty a.m., sharp.”

  “That early?”

  “That’s when real skiers get out on the mountain.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know that there were so many rules.”

  “Didn’t you say you were on a race team in Lake Placid?”

  “It was a junior league and only during the winter school break – we never started before nine. I guess I’m heading straight to bed after this, otherwise I don’t think I’ll be able to wake up tomorrow morning – I’m exhausted.”

  Taylor wished Maggie had not said that last bit about her going to bed because that made him think about the outline of her body tucked between the sheets, and now, he knew that the first thing he would be doing after he got home tonight would be taking a long, cold shower. “Good night then. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

  Walking back to her room at the Owl Lodge, Maggie felt as giddy as a school kid before the first day of vacation. If it were not for the crowded lobby, she would have been doing cartwheels all the way to the elevator – that’s how excited she was about seeing Taylor Denton the next day. Of course, it was not a date, but it certainly felt like one.

  So much for her resolution to put Taylor out of her mind – no matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible. For now, she decided to let things fall where they may. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, she remembered one of Oscar Wilde’s famous quotes. Well, Taylor Denton was certainly a temptation, and since she had already failed at trying to resist him, she might as well succumb to him.

  Chapter 18

  When Maggie made her way down the stairwell the next morning, she could spot Taylor in the lobby, waiting for her. He was chatting about something with Hannah who was manning the information desk again.

  “Good morning.” Maggie tried to sound as friendly as possible, which was not exactly the easiest thing to do under Hannah’s icy glare.

  “Hey there, Maggie.” Hannah’s gaze shifted from Maggie to Taylor.

  “Good morning.” Taylor took a step closer to Maggie. “Are you ready to head out to the mountain?”

  “Ready as ever,” Maggie replied casually, doing her best to conceal how glad she was to see him.

  “Well, let’s go then.”

  “Isn’t there paperwork I’m supposed to fill out?” Maggie asked, feeling Hannah’s intent stare upon her.

  “Well, yes technically, but we can skip the formalities.”

  “That sounds pretty laid-back for someone who kept harping on about safety protocol,” Maggie teased him. “I think we should fill out the paperwork.”

  “Well, if you insist.”

  After much rummaging through the desk, Hannah produced the needed form. Maggie filled out the form and wrote down her credit card number for the guide fee: this was not a date and she did not want there to be any confusion about it until she found
out more about Taylor Denton.

  “How about some breakfast?” suggested Taylor.

  “Sounds great – I was going to ask, but I was afraid that it would be against the rules since real skiers are supposed to be out on the mountain at seven thirty in the morning.”

  “We can make a onetime exception for muffins and hot chocolate.” Taylor winked.

  “I think I know just the perfect place for that.”

  “Oh, you do, do you? Please, lead the way.” Taylor opened the front door for her.

  Fine, this is not a date, but there is palpable chemistry between us, Maggie thought - she could sense it like a current of electricity flowing between her and Taylor, and she would be lying if she said that she did not enjoy it.

  There was something about Taylor Denton that had caught her eye from the moment she saw him, and the more she tried to resist him, the more she wanted to get closer to him. Perhaps it was the calm, confident way that he carried himself, or the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, but the attraction was impossible to resist. She kept stealing glances at him, trying to think of some small talk, but her mind had suddenly gone blank. Taylor, on the other hand, seemed content with the silence between them and walked easily beside her, as though still deciding what to think of her.

  Half an hour later, after a quick breakfast at Millie’s Bakery, Maggie and Taylor were seated inside the air tram.

  “How about we ski that line over there?” Taylor pointed to an imposing incline that towered on the horizon.

  “I think that might be a bit too steep for me.” The mere sight of the cliff brought a sobering check – Maggie might have bragged about being on the Lake Placid junior racing team, but she knew full well the extent of her skills and never overreached her competence level.

  “Not if I showed you how to ski it. That is if you’re willing to let a man tell you what to do.” He winked at her.

  Maggie bit her lip. “I see you’re still getting back at me for yesterday.” She mock punched him in the shoulder.