Julia smiled and nodded. “Thank you, it’s always great to meet a fan.” She took a sip of her wine.
“Guess what!” Ellie popped up next to me. “Julia is going to wear one of my gowns at her next premiere!”
“Wow, that’s great!”
“Her gowns are simply beautiful. Such fine attention to detail.” Julia took another sip of wine.
I stared at her with a long stare. Her skin looks so perfect…
“She’s more star struck over you than she was meeting me,” Jason joked, making his way around the bar and pouring himself a gin and tonic.
“Well, I photograph better,” Julia said, inciting laughter from all of us.
“Luckily my job doesn’t depend on it.” Jason winked at me as he took a swig from his glass. He poured a glass of white wine and handed it to me, but being in Julia’s presence, I felt drunk already.
“I hope you brought your bathing suits,” Simon said. “After this round, we’re thinking of getting into the hot tub.”
“No skiing?” Jason asked.
“It’s too dark already,” Ty added. “We’ll ski tomorrow morning. How about we meet down here at seven?”
“Seven!” I asked in shock. “I thought we were on vacation!”
“Oh we like to start early. You have to take advantage of the sun around this time of year,” Simon said.
“Plus that’s when you get the really good powder,” Ty added.
“Oh no, not you too,” I said.
“Yes, me too. After long summers in Hong Kong with the family, I was always excited to get back to Montana and hit the slopes with Jason once winter hit.”
“We tore those slopes up.” Jason smiled deviously.
“And we’ll do it again.” Ty raised his drink.
“Don’t worry, Sophia,” Julia touched my arm. Julia Stein was touching my arm! “I’m having a spa day here in the chalet if you want to join me.”
A spa day… with Julia Stein? My heart wouldn’t survive this day.
Jason grabbed Julia’s hand from me. “Nuh-uh. Sophia is coming skiing with me.”
Dammit, Jason!
I gave him a cross look, but he just smirked that bad boy smirk at me. Ugh. Why did he have to be so cute?
“Well, I’ll go skiing!” Ellie chirped, drinking some mysterious blue cocktail. “Won’t you go, Julia?”
Julia shook her head and flourished her hand in the air. “My contract for my current movie says no strenuous or dangerous sports.”
I tightened my jaw. Dangerous sports?
Jason saw my reaction and came to my side to squeeze my hand. The conversation shifted to the strange clauses in Julia’s contracts over the years.
“Everything will be fine,” Jason whispered into my ear. “Now let’s go have fun.”
~Chapter 3~
We were all in our bathing suits, sitting in the hot tub, laughing as the bottles of alcohol kept flowing. The hot tub was a large, round wooden tub that had more than enough room for six and the steam provided a nice contrast to the fat flakes of snow coming down outside.
I sat next to Jason as his hand lingered on my knee, out of sight, hidden by the bubbles. Every so often I would glance over at him and smile slyly. Though I thought I was being subtle, I knew the alcohol and the heat from the tub did nothing to mitigate the pink on my cheeks.
Ty and Jason discussed different business ventures while Julia talked about all her upcoming projects. Ellie quizzed Simon on the different celebrities he interviewed. It wasn’t long before we were all beyond tipsy.
“So let’s play a game,” Julia said. Her eyes grew wide. “What’s the craziest place you’ve ever done it?” There was a naughty tone in her voice. “We’ll go first.” She looked at Simon and smirked wildly.
I shifted uncomfortably in the water. Sure, I was drinking, but I didn’t think I was drunk enough to divulge such personal information. I looked at Jason, but he was smiling, looking like he was having the time of his life.
“I’d have to say it was in my boss’ office, remember that one time?” Simon asked, taking a swig of beer.
“One time? I think we did it in there at least three times!”
Simon nodded. “You’re right.” He took a moment to pause and reflect back on it. “I guess it couldn’t have been that crazy if we had that many chances to do it.”
“How about you guys?” Julia looked at Ellie and Ty.
“Well.” Ellie’s eyes sparkled wickedly as she held her blue cocktail up and out of the water. “The craziest place we ever did it was in the middle of the ocean.” She was slurring her words by this point. Ellie and the rest of them had been at the cabin all day, drinking and getting a head start on the evening’s debaucheries. “We were on a yacht last month. Wasn’t it delicious darling?” Ellie snaked her fingers into Ty’s jet black hair. “Weren’t the stars beautiful? We were all alone out there - just us, the stars, and the fishies.” She giggled and hiccupped.
Ty raised his brows and nodded. “I’m surprised you remember that right now, to be honest.”
She giggled. “How could I forget that night?” She touched Ty’s bare chest and leaned into him. “Plus, I remember lots of things,” she whisper-shouted into his ear. She then stuck out her bright blue tongue at him and we all laughed.
“How about you two?” Julia asked, her wild eyes fixed on Jason. Something about the world’s most beautiful actress staring down my boyfriend didn’t sit right with me.
“Yeah, what about you two, Sophia?” Ellie asked loudly.
“Alright, that’s enough for you.” Ty grabbed the blue drink and placed it at the side of the tub, holding her in an embrace so that she wouldn’t push past him to get it again.
“Umm-” I looked at Jason. He and I had sex in many places - public galas, airplanes, the room above his grandmother’s room, a fancy Parisian hotel room - but none of this was something I wanted to share with people I barely knew - besides Ellie, who already knew all of this.
“Well?” Julia asked, starting to look bored with my modesty.
“I think I want to go lie down,” I said, getting up and allowing the water to drip off me. Jason touched my leg and looked up at me supportively.
“What, are you shy?” Julia giggled.
“Want me to come with you?” Jason asked.
I shook my head. “I just need to lie down for a little bit.”
I feared Julia was going to pester me some more but in that moment Ellie reached for and spilled her drink, causing blue liquid to pour out into the hot tub.
“Oopsy-daisy!” She said loudly, followed by a fit of giggles.
“Maybe Ellie should go lie down too, do you mind bringing her up?” Ty asked.
I nodded and helped Ellie up and out of the tub. She draped her arm around my shoulders and put all her weight onto me as I struggled to make my way up the stairs, leaving a trail of water behind as we walked.
“Ellie!”
“Sophia, you’re my bestest friend, ever,” she breathed hot and nasty into my face.
“Thanks Ellie. You’re my best friend too, now let’s get to your room without spraining anything, okay?”
We walked up the stairs, leaving the screaming and laughter behind. I saw three rooms and went into the one with the bright pink and purple bag, which I could only assume was Ellie’s. I laid her down gently onto the bed, giving both of us the relief we needed. After helping her into her pajamas, I looked out the window longingly at the fluffy white snow piling up outside.
“Sophia?” Ellie asked, eyes closed and fingers grasping for me.
I sat on the bed next to her.
“Yes?”
“Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in - you know, with the people downstairs? With your boyfriend?”
I opened my mouth to speak but wasn’t sure what to say. “Sometimes.”
“Me too. Me too.” She began drifting off to sleep.
I’d talk to her in the morning about it, I thought. I got up
, thinking I’d make my way to the other vacant room, but something held me back.
“Sophia?” Ellie was half asleep.
“Yes?”
“Can you sleep with me, just for a little bit.”
“Oh.” I thought about my lingerie, and how I wanted to surprise Jason. “Well-”
“Please.”
Looking down at Ellie, I let out a sigh. “Alright.” I got under the covers with Ellie and spooned her, keeping her warm. We weren’t used to this cold weather. Without the small fireplace in the corner of the room, I honestly wasn’t sure how we’d survive the next few nights.
“Sophia.” Ellie was definitely drifting now.
“Yes?”
“You’re my best friend.” Before she even finished the sentence she was snoring. I embraced her tighter and drifted off to sleep, listening to the crackling of the fire and the distant laughing downstairs.
***
That night I slept restlessly, tossing and turning. The orange flames in the corner fireplace grew hotter and taller, catching the surrounding wood and soon the flames were consuming the cabin with a vicious snap and crackle. I tried to wake Ellie from her sleep, but she wouldn’t get up. I tried to find a way out, but the stairs outside our room were already burned to ash and the drop out the window wasn’t one we’d be able to walk away from.
How would we escape?
I looked out the window, hoping to see help on the way, but all I saw was Ty, Simon, Julia, and Jason boarding his private jet.
“Jason!” I yelled. “JASON!”
I broke the window, trying to catch his attention, but the only person who looked up was Julia.
“Julia!” I screamed, but she seemed nonplussed.
“Continue on boys,” she said. “No one else is valuable enough to ride this jet.”
I watched in horror as the jet took off. The flames were getting higher and I turned this way and that, feeling the sweat dripping down my back.
That was it. Ellie and I were alone, left to die like rats.
But it couldn’t be.
“JASON!” I shouted even though the jet was a dot in the horizon.
“Sophia.”
I could almost hear his voice.
“Jason. Help! HELP!”
“SOPHIA!”
Someone stirred me awake.
“Are you okay?” It was Jason, sitting on my bed with his hands on my shoulders.
“Jason-” I looked around. There was no fire and there was daylight outside, but Ellie was nowhere to be seen. “Ellie!” I tried to get up, but Jason held me down.
“She’s already awake.” He furrowed his brow. “Are you okay?” His concerned eyes searched mine.
“I had a bad dream,” I said weakly, still not sure if it was over.
“A nightmare is more like it. I could hear you screaming my name from all the way down the hall!”
My heart was still pounding in my chest. I looked around the room, dazed and confused.
“It’s okay,” Jason said, pulling me in for a tight hug. “You’re with me. You’re okay.”
I put my arms around him and held him close. Tears welled up in my eyes. The feeling of losing Jason was still all too real in my mind.
“You’re soaked!” Jason touched my shirt. My pajamas were drenched with sweat. Jason’s tongue made a “tsk” noise as he got up and walked across the room to turn off the fireplace. “No wonder you’re so hot.” He returned to the bed where he touched my forehead. “If you don’t want to go skiing, you can stay back here with Julia, I know how much you like her-”
“No,” I said immediately. “I mean, I want to go skiing.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Because I know you were frightened and-”
“No, it’s not that. I want to go skiing.”
Jason’s concerned expression eased and he smiled. “Maybe you should take a cool shower and get ready. Breakfast is in twenty minutes.” He kissed me on the forehead and headed downstairs. After taking a moment to compose myself, I headed to the shower to wash away my wild thoughts.
~Chapter 4~
During my shower, visions of the burning cabin and Jason’s jet flying into the distance filled my mind. I shook the thoughts away, choosing to instead think about the skiing adventure I was about to go on. I lied to myself and told myself I wasn’t nervous.
After putting on my long underwear, the thick socks Jason bought me, my jeans, and a pair of snow pants, I pulled on a sports bra and a comfy sweater. As I pushed myself up to make my way towards the stairs, I wobbled right back over and nearly fell flat on my face. Catching myself, I realized I’d have to get used to these new, bulky clothes. Taking slow, careful steps, I waddled out into the hallway and down the stairs.
Good god, I felt like a marshmallow!
The material of the snow pants was so thick I could barely bend my leg to descend the stairwell.
So much for looking sexy for Jason.
Yesterday I thought I’d be greeting him for breakfast wearing nothing but a see-through teddy, and here I was waddling down the stairs, like someone wearing one of those fake Sumo-wrestler costumes.
Once I reached the bottom of the stairwell, I let out a relieved sigh.
“Look who decided to join us,” Julia said from the dining table. Though she wasn’t going skiing with us, she was dressed like what I envisioned a true snow bunny to look like - tight yoga pants, leg warmers, and a form-fitting long-sleeved sweater. Her hair was in a tight ponytail and she had a workout headband on. She couldn’t look anymore perfect.
I held back a groan that formed in my throat.
“Someone looks ready for the slopes,” Jason said, smiling and staring at me with captivating eyes. I couldn’t help but smile back to him. Even in this over-sized diaper I felt sexy to him.
“I thought you didn’t want to ski,” Simon pointed out.
“Nope! I’ve just never done it,” I said.
“Well come get a bite to eat then, we’re going to be taking off soon.”
As I waddled to the table, I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only one at the table wearing my snow pants already.
“You didn’t have to put those on right away,” Ty whispered to me as I sat down. My cheeks burned.
“That information would have been useful twenty minutes ago,” I whispered back.
To my left sat Ellie, who was cradling her head in her hands.
“Feeling alright, Ellie?”
She looked at me and nodded. “Just a touch of a hangover.”
“Are you going to stay behind with Julia?” My eyes flashed up to Julia who sat at the head of the table. She was busy chatting up Jason. Suddenly I didn’t feel very hungry.
Ellie shook her head. “And miss skiing with you guys? Nuh-uh. Plus, I think the cold air will be good for me.”
I perked up, happy that Ellie would be joining us. I didn’t want to be the only confused Florida girl falling flat on her face out there.
After breakfast, the rest of the group suited up and the five of us headed out, leaving Julia behind.
“Ellie,” I said, pulling her back so that we were walking several feet behind the guys. “About last night - do you really mean what you said?”
“What did I say?” Ellie asked, furrowing her brow. Her loud snow suit was hot pink and neon green, and the goggles on her forehead were just as bright.
“You don’t remember? Last night when we were going to bed, you said you didn’t feel like you fit in.”
“What, with these guys?”
We both went silent and listened to the guys for a moment. Ty was talking about his yacht while Jason mentioned his jet. By a process of elimination, I could only assume the chalet belonged to Simon, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it belonged to any of them.
“Doesn’t that bug you?” I asked. “All this talk about fancy, expensive stuff? We’re nobodies compared to Jason and Julia.”
Ellie stopped me.
“Sophia, you know I live for this stuff. Plus, I ain’t a nobody. When Julia walks down the red carpet at the film festival next week, people will ask who she’s wearing, and she’s going to say my name.” Her eyes grew wide with excitement.
I swallowed. “Oh. I guess that’s true,”
Ellie grabbed my hand. “If you’re feeling insecure, we can talk about this.” We continued walking. “But right now, I really want to ski. Don’t let these feelings bring down your whole day, you hear?”
I nodded.
“And don’t listen to anything I say when I’m drunk. There’s a reason I don’t normally drink that much. Now let’s go.” Through her glove she managed to grab my hand and pull me along through the snow. It was a beautiful day and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The sun shone off the snow, making it look like a million specks of sparkling glitter.
It wasn’t until Ellie bent down and began fastening the skis on the bottom of her boots did I realize that we were at the top of the hill.
“Now if you excuse me.” Ellie picked up her ski poles and looked at me. “I’ll see you at the bottom of the hill.”
“Wait!” I reached out for her. “Have you ever done this before?”
Ellie smiled and shrugged. “No, but it can’t be that hard, can it?” She pushed off the ground and propelled herself forward, where she disappeared down the mountain.
“Ellie!” I yelled out but she was gone. “Damn.”
Now I was even more confused. Was it Ellie who was uncomfortable with all this? Or was it me?
Jason crept up next to me, already wearing his skis.
“Are you ready for your lesson?”
“Jason - I don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“What are you talking about? We’re already here, aren’t we? Plus, you’re in my hands, so you know you’re safe.” He smiled and leaned over to start fastening my boots to the skis. “There you go.”
I lost my balance as one ski began sliding forward, but Jason caught me, his hands around my waist.
“Easy girl, you don’t want to go zooming down the mountain, do you?”
“Definitely not.”
“Right, so there are two positions that you’ll hold your skis in. We call them ‘pizza’ and ‘french fries’.”
All of Me (The Billionaire Next Door Book 7) Page 2
