by Astor, Marie
“The Needle Eye?” Maggie remembered Jeffrey mentioning the name before.
“Yes,” said Hannah. “The Needle Eye – if you look up there, you’ll see it.” Hannah motioned at the impossibly narrow gorge that ran from the very summit of the mountain, snaking down its right flank.
Maggie’s eyes widened at the sight of the steep, saw-toothed route that was covered with only a scant layer of snow. It was one thing to hear about the Needle Eye, it was another to see it with her own eyes. “You are going to ski that?” she gasped, looking at Taylor wide-eyed.
Before Taylor could answer, Hannah cut in, “Taylor’s got his mind set on proving it to the whole world that it’s possible to ski this sliver of rock and ice.”
“So it’s never been skied before?” murmured Maggie, her face pallid.
“Of course it’s been skied before,” Taylor said calmly. “My grandfather skied it forty years ago.”
“And up until now, there have been no other contenders,” Hannah interrupted. “The couloir is way too narrow and steep – one long, no-fall zone, and because it is all the way to the side of the mountain the wind blows most of the snow right off it: what’s left is an unpredictable mixture of ice, rocks, and if you’re lucky, a bit of snow. But that’s what our Taylor likes – he’s all about reaching for the impossible.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about myself, Hannah.” Taylor’s voice rang with steely notes. “Yes, it’s a difficult run, but it can be skied. You just have to know to listen to what the mountain is telling you.”
“Still, I wouldn’t get complacent,” Shawn cut in. “A bit of practice never hurt anyone.”
“When have I ever been complacent?” Taylor retorted.
Maggie could sense the tension mounting between the three friends, but knew that it was not her place to speak, not yet at any rate.
“Look, Shawn, I appreciate the concern, but there’s no need to worry. Believe me, the last thing I want is to be careless.” As if reading Maggie’s thoughts, Taylor smiled and added, “I think we could all use a beer to unwind. What do you guys say – we’ll meet you at the Dusty Boot in a couple of hours?”
Shawn stood quiet, as if deliberating Taylor’s offer, but Hannah was quick to answer for both of them. “Sounds like a great idea!” she exclaimed, nudging Shawn.
“I guess I wouldn’t mind a beer or two.” Shawn nodded curtly, throwing an askance glance at Maggie.
“That’s settled then, we’ll see you later,” chirped Hannah. “Come on, Shawn. I’m dying to get out of these boots.” Hannah tugged at Shawn’s sleeve, steering him in the direction of the ski lodge.
“So you are dead set on skiing the Needle Eye?” asked Maggie after Hannah and Shawn had left.
“Yes,” Taylor’s voice was firm.
There is no way of talking him out of this, Maggie thought, seized by the icy hollowness that the mere sight of the couloir instilled in her.
“Maggie, you have to understand what this means to me.” Taylor placed his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to reassure her. “It’s something that I’ve strived to do my entire life, ever since I can remember myself.” Taylor flashed a fiery glance at the mountains. “I want the whole world to see that it is possible to ski the Needle Eye, but even more so, I want to know what it feels like to ski this line.”
“But didn’t you say that your grandfather already skied it?” asked Maggie, almost sobbing. “Why do you have to do it again?” Her voice was barely audible as her glance traveled to the steep, saw-toothed couloir: ‘passage or corridor’ was the meaning of the foreign word that she remembered from her French lessons, but she had learned its other meaning from Taylor who told her that the French word had been adopted into English to define terrain akin to that of the Needle Eye. At first, she briefly wondered why the French word had been recruited – was it because it sounded more glamorous than the English alternatives? Now, she thought that perhaps it was because of its primary meaning: “a passage.” Her time with Taylor in the mountains had shown her that skiing off-piste terrain was far more than just skiing - it taught one to face one’s weaknesses and fears - it was indeed a passage to finding one’s inner strength. Still, she could not suppress the shivers that prickled her back at the mere sight of the Needle Eye.
“My grandfather skied the Needle Eye forty years ago. He was the only one out of the entire expedition to climb all the way to the mountaintop and his descent was not witnessed by anyone. The following day, he flew on a helicopter with his friend and took several pictures of the ski tracks that he had left – you would think that should be proof enough, and for a long time it was. But a few years ago, some of the lesser skiers…” Taylor drew a deep breath to steady himself. “Began implying that the photographs were fake, arguing that since no one else has tried to ski the Needle Eye again, it’s impossible to ski it – there was even an article about it in one of the ski magazines. I understand that they are saying this out of spite and their own limitations, but that still does not change the fact that they are insulting my grandfather’s legacy, and I won’t stand for that. I know he skied that line, and so does everyone else who matters, but I want to put the doubts to rest once and for all.”
In Taylor’s eyes Maggie saw unshakable resolve that reminded her why she fell in love with him in the first place, but now she understood that this part of his personality also meant that he would pursue his dreams regardless of the danger that they might entail.
She was struck with a horrifying possibility of losing him to the mountains: the very same mountains that were so welcoming and giving could claim a hefty ransom in return for their hospitality. From the look on Taylor’s face Maggie knew that he was willing to take this risk and that if she wanted to be with him, she would have to learn to accept it as well. Asking him to give up doing what he loved would stifle him, and she knew that she had no right to do that - not after he had encouraged her to go after her own dreams.
“Yes,” she murmured. “I understand.”
Taylor tightened his arms around her. “Maggie, I’ve studied this couloir so many times that I can see it with my eyes closed. The film crew is supposed to fly in next week – usually, that’s the time when that side of the mountain gets the most snow, but if it doesn’t start snowing by then and the conditions are not right, I won’t do it – it’s that simple. I’ve put a lot of preparation into this, and I would never disrespect the mountains with recklessness.”
“I know,” Maggie whispered, clinging closer to Taylor. The reassuring sensation of his arms around her calmed the fear inside her - at least for the time being.
Chapter 23
The Dusty Boot was even more crowded than Maggie remembered it, but this time she was glad of the commotion: when she and Taylor walked inside, barely anyone noticed them, and Maggie silently thanked the loud noise and the overall lack of standing space that diverted everyone’s attention from their arrival.
“It looks like there’s going to be live music,” Maggie shouted, pointing at a set of drums on the tiny stage.
Taylor nodded. “They’ll have dancing too, but it usually takes a while for the band to get their act together. I see Hannah over there.” Taylor motioned at a copper mane of hair that could belong to no one else but Hannah.
“There you are!” exclaimed Hannah, clapping Taylor on the shoulder. In her other hand she held a halved bottle of beer, and an empty bottle stood on the bar stand behind her. “You guys are late, so you have to catch up.”
“We’re not late.” Taylor looked at his watch. “You’re early.”
“Hey.” Shawn slid off his bar stool. “What are you guys having?”
Before either one of them could answer, Hannah thrust two ice-cold beers into their hands. “Drink up!” She finished off her beer and instantly called to the bartender for another one.
Again Maggie was glad of the crowd’s noise drowning out the tension that she sensed between the four of them.
It was becoming c
lear that Taylor’s attempt to appease his friends had failed miserably: the conversation was stagnant, riddled with awkward silences. As if to make up for it, Hannah insisted on ordering tequila shots. Taylor and Maggie stopped after the first shot, while Hannah kept ordering non-stop, urging them to join in, but only succeeding in convincing Shawn who kept downing the shots with a resigned look on his face.
“So, Maggie, are you going to be Taylor’s girlfriend?” asked Shawn after his fourth shot. The normally calm, amiable features of his face were overcast by a sarcastic grin.
“She is already my girlfriend,” Taylor’s voice sounded cool and composed as he looked squarely at Shawn.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Shawn fixed his unflinching stare on Maggie. “You’re not going to break our Taylor’s heart, are you, Maggie?”
“No,” Maggie said bluntly, her own heart was still racing from the fact that Taylor had called her his girlfriend. “I could never do that.”
“Are you sure about that?” Shawn chewed on a toothpick.
Maggie sensed Taylor tensing up. She placed her arm on his: she was not going to cause a quarrel between two longtime friends. “Yes,” she said firmly, “because if his heart were broken, mine would break right with it.” The words jumped off her lips before she could frame them in a safer, less revealing way, and she halted, embarrassed by her own openness.
“Ah, well, if you put it that way… But make sure that you keep your word because we are going to hold you to it.”
“That’s enough, Shawn.” Taylor mock-punched his friend in the shoulder. “It looks like you can’t hold your drink today.” Then, he leaned in closer to Maggie, placing his arms around her and locking her lips in a passionate kiss. As Maggie looked into Taylor’s eyes, her qualms vanished, and she knew that she had said exactly the right words – words that he wanted to hear.
“I’m just looking out for you man. Sometimes people can’t see what’s good for them even when it’s right under their noses,” grumbled Shawn. His voice was too low for Maggie and Taylor to hear, but Hannah nodded, raising her shot glass in response.
“Would you like to dance?” Taylor whispered into Maggie’s ear. The band finally started playing and a small dancing space had been cleared by the stage.
“I’d love to,” she murmured.
Taylor took her arm, leading her to the tiny dance floor that was quickly becoming crowded with other couples.
There was not much room, so they put their arms around each other, swaying their bodies to music. Maggie could not make out the words of the song, but the melody was romantic and she found herself lost in Taylor’s embrace, oblivious to the crowd around them.
“How about a dance?” Shawn glanced at Hannah furtively.
“That’s sweet of you Shawn, but not tonight – I’ve had too much to drink. Do you think you could take me home?”
Shawn nodded, doing his best to appear nonchalant. The girl he had been in love with for ten years stood right next to him, and yet, there was a vast gulf between them. Filled with resignation, Shawn watched Hannah’s glance linger over Taylor and Maggie, a bitter expression creeping over her face.
“Could we go now, please?” Hannah wiped her face on the sleeve of her jacket.
“Sure. Let me just tell Taylor that we’re leaving.” Shawn forced himself to swallow the hurt inside him: Taylor was his best friend, and he would always do right by him, but presently, he was overcome with a mixture of resentment and jealousy at the thought that the woman he loved only had eyes for his best friend.
Taylor and Maggie were seated in front of Taylor’s fireplace, in the very same spot where they had made love the night before. Taylor had just finished stacking logs into the fireplace, and Maggie stretched dreamily by his side, listening to the sound of crackling wood.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Maggie whispered, handing Taylor an envelope.
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
“Maggie, I love it!” Taylor’s eyes gleamed with appreciation as he unfolded the ski brochure that Maggie had put together.
She had selected her best photos for the collage, arranging several picturesque shots of the Owl Lodge along with breathtaking views of the mountain. In the center of the brochure there was a photograph of Taylor gliding down an almost vertical incline.
“Really?” Maggie blushed in spite of herself. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?” She had compiled the brochure several days ago as an experiment, and at the time, was certain that her creation would never see the light of day.
“Are you kidding me - it’s awesome. I’ve been thinking about sprucing up our brochures, but this by far exceeds what I had in mind. I am going to put them out as soon as we get more copies made. And you know what else we should do?” added Taylor.
“What?”
“I think we should blow up this shot right here and hang it up right over the ski school desk.”
The photograph that Taylor was referring to depicted two sets of perfectly mirrored ski tracks leading from the very top of a vast cliff: it was a picture of their own tracks that Maggie took right after they had skied the Heaven Ridge for the first time together.
“That’s my favorite,” confided Maggie.
“We’ll get them ordered from the print shop first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll get them ordered,” said Maggie. “Tomorrow morning you’re going skiing.”
“Yes, coach,” Taylor teased her.
“That’s right”, Maggie played along. “Besides, Shawn and Hannah would never forgive me if you missed another day of practice because of me.”
“By the way, I owe you an apology for the way they acted tonight.” Taylor’s face grew serious. “I have no idea what’s gotten into them. Granted, Shawn is not the most subtle of guys, but I’ve never seen him get this obnoxious before, and I don’t know what came over Hannah either – she usually never drinks that much.” Taylor halted, visibly embarrassed. “Thanks for putting up with them.’
“I understand – they’ve known you for such a long time, and suddenly, I show up out of nowhere. They are probably just looking out for you in their own way….”
Taylor shook his head. “You are being overly nice. I’ll have a talk with them to make sure they don’t act like this ever again.”
“Have you considered that perhaps there’s another reason behind it?”
Taylor threw Maggie a dumbfounded look. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Maggie chose her words carefully: the last thing she wanted was to come off as jealous or possessive, but at the same time she was determined to bring the matter out in the open. “I know that you told me that you’ve always thought of Hannah as your friend, but have you considered that perhaps she thinks of you differently? I’m only asking because it seemed that way to me,” added Maggie hastily, “and it would explain a lot of things.”
Taylor shook his head, almost laughing. “Hannah? In love with me? No way – Hannah is one of the guys… We’ve been friends for such a long time. Besides, I don’t think she even has time for a boyfriend – she’s too focused on her skiing. She’s dated a couple of guys here and there, but there’s never been anyone serious. I wish she would give Shawn a chance – I know that he really likes her.”
“Has he told her that?”
“I don’t think so.” Taylor shook his head. “I’ve tried to tell him once that he should, but he got all touchy about it, so I haven’t broached the subject since. But enough about them – Shawn and Hannah will figure things out. And I’ll make sure that they’ll be nice to you the next time we go out together – that is, if they still want to be my friends.”
“Don’t say things like that – I don’t want to come between you and your friends – it wouldn’t be right. I’m sure we’ll all get along, just give them some time.”
“You are too good to be true. Almost unbelievably so…” Taylor pulled her close to him, his gentle,
powerful hands sweeping over her, as he covered her face and neck with kisses.
“No, I’m not. It’s the only right thing to say.” Maggie smiled in an attempt to stifle the apprehension that the evening had stirred in her. In a way, both Hannah and Shawn had a point – it was uncertain where Maggie’ and Taylor’s relationship would lead. The two of them fell for each other hard and fast, but that did not change the fact that they lived halfway across the world from each other. Right now, Maggie did not want to think what would happen when her two weeks in Eagleville would come to an end.
Chapter 24
Back in her hotel room, Maggie was busy reorganizing the photos on her laptop – she had yet to choose the images she was going to show to the editor from Snow magazine, and now, she was torn with indecision.
She was supposed to meet Taylor for dinner, which left her a few hours to work on her portfolio. She had been having way too much fun for the past two days and let her work slip by the wayside. But, on the other hand, she was pleased to note that she had already amassed a sizable collection of photographs, and even she had to admit that they were good.
Suddenly, she heard a faint ringing sound. At first she ignored it, but it persisted, growing louder, and she recognized it as the ring tone of her cell phone.
“Hello?” Maggie picked up without checking the caller id.
“Maggie?”
“Hi.” Maggie tensed at the sound of Bethany’s voice in the receiver – she knew everything that Bethany had to say, and at the moment, she did not want to hear it. “Look, I really can’t talk right now.”
“Just give me a minute,” Bethany pleaded, her voice unusually devoid of its commanding tone. “Jeffrey is coming back today, and I thought I should let you know.”
Maggie’s back stiffened. “Good. Now I can give him back his engagement ring so that he understands that it is really over between us.”
“Just be careful, okay? And call me if you need me.”
