Winter Wanderlust: A Romantic Anthology

by Gina Drayer

  Stewart’s stomach did a flip-flop. He knew what she was asking and part of him felt sorry that their first night was wasted. Another part of him really wanted to climb in bed and breathe her in. For months he’d dreamt of nothing more than to touch every inch of her long legs, kiss her soft skin, and to feel her lips on his. He envisioned her long hair cascading around her face as she climbed on top of him in nothing but his NYU t-shirt.

  Stewart shook his head as Lacey looked at him incredulously. What did she just say?

  “Huh?”

  “I said why are you all dressed?”

  His plans came rushing back to him, “oh, we’re going skiing this morning.”

  ***

  Lacey had showered alone, gotten dressed alone, and walked to the lobby alone. Stewart had decided he wanted to go and get some coffee and a morning paper while she got ready to go. Lacey knew it was the same routine he had at his apartment every morning. She guessed she’d just have to get used to it.

  He smiled warmly as she approached in her hot pink ski pants and white coat and hat. The woman at the department store had told her hot pink was all the rage on the mountains this season. Lacey felt a little like a snow cone, but the way Stewart appraised her as she approached made her feel more confident. She didn’t understand how he could look at her that way after seeming so uninterested in her this morning. She was beginning to wonder if they’d ever consummate this marriage.

  The middle aged man at the concierge desk wore a shiny nameplate that said, “Leonard”. His salt and pepper hair and cleanly pressed suit was exactly what Lacey imagined a concierge looking like. He went through the routine with them, all the restaurants, including the one at the lodge, the hot pools, the sauna and spa areas, the ski resorts close by. That’s when Stewart stopped him.

  “We would like a reservation for tonight at six thirty sharp, and this morning we’d like a shuttle to the mountain lodge ski resort. He handed the man a ten dollar bill across the desk.

  Leonard looked at the money for a moment and then slid it back to Stewart. “That won’t be necessary Mr. Richins. My services are included with your stay. I’ll have that reservation ready for this evening and your shuttle pick up will be here any minute.”

  Stewart took the money back hastily and got up without a word. Lacey thanked Leonard with a smile and followed her husband to the leather couch near the fireplace. “Stu, you didn’t have to be so short with him. He was just doing his job.”

  He frowned without looking at her. Pouting was more like it.

  “What is the matter with you?” She asked as she tried to keep her voice from carrying in the large space. “You’ve never been rude to people, you’re avoiding me, and these mood swings are making my head spin!”

  She heard her mother’s words yet again. Lacey sat back in silence and thought about the fact that she and Stewart had only dated for six months. She resigned to the fact that they were still getting to know each other. Maybe he would loosen up on the slopes.

  ***

  Being on skis for the first time was unnerving, Stewart felt like he was falling before he even got on his feet. The poles did little to help since they obviously couldn’t hold him up, they were too flimsy. He didn’t curse much in his life; in fact he determined that the majority of his swearing had been done this very day. Trying to get two flat objects to simultaneously glide down a snowy slope at the same angle, at the same time, proved impossible and after three hours, he gave up.

  Lacey had been so patient, waiting for him at every turn of the slope. She was a natural. She picked it up in less than an hour much to the delight of their blonde haired, laid back ski instructor, Nick. The guy said, “Dude,” more than anyone he had ever met and Stewart pictured him being just as comfortable on a beach in California as he was here. Lacey was oblivious to his advances, and Nick had been oblivious to Stewart for most of the day. Every now and then he would turn back to Stewart and tell him something about making a pizza but that only made Stewart hungry for lunch.

  Stewart sat in the lobby, eating a slice of pizza and feeling awful for brooding this morning. The truth was that he didn’t want to admit that he didn’t know what he was doing… in more areas than one. He wasn’t sure if you tipped the concierge, he didn’t know how to ski, and he was inexperienced in the bedroom. He wondered why Lacey had even fallen for him in the first place.

  ***

  Lacey loved the cool breeze of the winter air on her face. She loved the fluid way the ski’s slid along the snow. She felt like she had been doing it all her life after just a few hours. It helped that the instructor was so friendly and patient. She wished that Stewart could enjoy himself out here as much as Nick did. She figured he was probably in the lodge, drinking hot chocolate and sitting by a warm fire. She knew he might be a little upset; he hated it when he couldn’t pick things up right away. He was such a perfectionist.

  “C’mon Lacey, I want to show you a new trail,” Nick called from ahead. They had only spent half a day together but she felt so comfortable around him. She could relax because she wasn’t worried about saying the wrong thing. He was so different than Stewart.

  He gracefully maneuvered in and out of the tree line and beckoned she follow down a narrow path through dense forest. When they came out the other side she saw the world open up. There was a bench carved out of an old pine to sit and look out over the vast valley below. She felt like she was literally on top of the world. She could see the Lodge below, but it felt so removed. The bright snow went on as far as she could see and the green trees dotted the landscape like emeralds floating on clouds. She turned to thank Nick and came face to face with his intense expression.

  “Lacey you’re amazing,” he smiled. Shaggy blonde hair haphazardly stuck out of his striped skull cap. She had to admit that he was really cute despite the fact that she was supposed to be here with her new husband.

  Surprised at how close he was sitting to her, she moved back. “Um, thanks Nick. You’ve been a really great teacher.”

  He reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her cotton cap and let his ungloved hand graze her cheek.

  “Wow, your hands are freezing!” She stood up hoping to hint that they should keep moving. She hadn’t realized what Nick was up to.

  Nick undid the bindings of his skis and walked after her. She was struggling to regain control of her ski poles when one ski slid out from under her and she toppled over, dangerously close to the edge of a steep drop off. Nick grabbed her arm just in time and they both fell over the other direction and out of harm’s way.

  Breathing heavily and looking up into the crystal blue eyes of her instructor, Lacey’s brain became fuzzy. The snow was soft and the sun felt so warm on her face that she couldn’t help but relax and let him kiss her. She knew it was wrong the moment his surprisingly soft lips met hers. Immediately Stewart’s face came to mind and how crushed he would be if he saw her now. She might not be connecting with him like she had hoped, but she wasn’t the kind of girl to give up so easily. She pushed Nick off and got to her feet. She looked back at his confused expression as she snapped back into her skis. Without a word they headed back toward the main trail. She followed Nick at a distance and when they reached the lodge, Stewart was waiting.

  She tried not to meet his gaze as she approached him. He was sitting in a leather armchair next to the fire in the lobby of the ski resort just like she had imagined he would be. She sat next to him and looked at the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  “Nothing, I just think I’ve had enough for today. You obviously have too.” She feigned a weak smile. She had vowed that this would never be spoken of. She also wondered why everything seemed to be falling apart so quickly. The fact that they hadn’t made love yet bothered her, and now she was kissing ski instructors, this wasn’t looking good.

  They took the shuttle back to Liberty Springs lodge without a word. Though they sat right next to each other, Lacey felt miles awa
y from Stewart. Maybe they hadn’t known each other long enough, maybe they should have dated longer, and maybe this was a mistake. Lacey’s mind flooded with doubt as she looked out the window of the old shuttle bus. She thought back to Guatemala. They had been so connected there. They talked all night until the morning sun came up. They shared secrets and dreams. Stewart had been so excited for life. He told her about how he wanted to be a doctor for children because his younger brother had fought cancer as a child. Lacey had loved him right from the start. But that was only six months ago that they returned and got engaged. She had convinced herself that love would be all they ever needed and the rest would fall into place as they grew together. Maybe that was just a fantasy?

  “Looks like a storm is brewing,” the driver said.

  Lacey nodded her head, and then realized the driver had no idea what she was thinking. She saw that Stewart was tense as he looked out at the suddenly gloomy sky. Flakes the sizes of silver dollars were falling around the van like a snow globe that had just been shaken. The hotel clerk had warned them that inclement weather was on its way, but Lacey had no idea how quickly the snow could gather. Already the van was slowing to a crawl and the snow was accumulating on the narrow road.

  Part 3:

  Stewart held Lacey’s hand as they headed to the elevator for dinner at the downstairs restauran. She wore a tight black dress that grazed her thighs, he had never seen her wear something that short or revealing. She was usually classy and modest, but nothing could hide how gorgeous she was. There wasn’t much left for the imagination in this dress. It was halter style, and swooped low in the back to reveal her creamy skin and fit figure. She had her hair pulled up to reveal her long neck which made it even harder for him to take his eyes off her. She wasn’t even fair. He wanted to reach for her, to pull her close and go back to the room. Why was he being such an idiot? He was wasting this time that they had to just be alone. He wished he could convey all his fears and worries in one touch.

  ***

  Lacey could feel Stewart’s eyes on her as she purposefully walked a little ahead of him to the elevator. The dress was something her girlfriends had encouraged her to buy. Though it wasn’t her usual style, they insisted Stewart would fall at her feet when she wore it. Looking at him now, she knew they were right. He placed his hand on the small of her back as they waited for the elevator to descend. His thumb rubbing up and down the skin of her bare back made her feel tingly all over.

  She leaned in closer to him as he whispered in her ear, “you look amazing tonight.”

  A wave of guilt washed over her as she remembered that Nick had called her, “Amazing” right before he kissed her. But his kiss didn’t deliver near the excitement as Stewart’s breath on her ear now. She put the afternoon out of her mind; tonight, she would get what she wanted.

  ***

  The raging snow storm outside could barely be noticed inside the cozy restaurant. With its intimate candlelit settings and alcove’s for privacy, Stewart felt like they were truly alone to enjoy each other’s company. Maybe now was the time to be frank and honest with his bride.

  “Lace, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” She looked intently into his eyes, but suddenly darkness enveloped the entire place with an audible lull.

  He heard her gasp in the dark. “Just stay calm, I think the storm must have caused the power to go out.” He let his eyes adjust to the candlelight and listened. He heard commotion from somewhere. A plate was dropped and he could hear the waiter curse at the sound of breaking glass.

  “This must happen from time to time. Just wait, I’m sure they have some backup generators,” he told her reassuringly.

  The middle aged hostess who had seated them was somewhere in the restaurant calling out orders to patrons, Stewart could hardly hear her over the other guests heightened chatter.

  “…If everyone would please stay calm, the backup generators will kick on any moment in the bar area and you’re welcome to go there if you don’t wish yet to retire. Also, the fireplace in the main lobby can provide some light and our staff would be happy to escort anyone to their rooms.”

  Stewart wasn’t sure what to do next but a nauseous feeling was coming back to him. He was sure if there was light Lacey would see him turning peeked. He had planned to make tonight special. Candlelit dinner in the alcove of the beautiful restaurant, then wine on their own private balcony to watch the stars, cuddled in a warn blanket. And then, in the comfort and love they had built up he would make his move. But now everything was off. He didn’t know what to do, he was out of control and he didn’t like it.

  He looked over at the sexy woman who obviously wanted to be with him, and he panicked. “Want to go to the bar for a while?” He asked.

  “Stu, honey, why don’t we just have them take us back to our room? I don’t want to sit at a bar with a bunch of strangers on my honeymoon.” She scooted closer and rubbed his leg and then softly kissed his now sweaty neck. He felt claustrophobic, the darkness was closing in around him and a ringing began in his ears. This was all wrong.

  He shrugged away in a hurry and muttered, “I need a drink.”

  Lacey left stunned at the darkened table threw her arms up and replied, “me too.”

  Though neither had ever really drunk before, they headed for the glorious distraction of the half-lit bar and its patrons. All seemed to have the same idea, drowning something away in liquor.

  ***

  Lacey headed for the bar straight away and sat next to a woman who looked to be about her age and was also alone. She looked friendly enough and maybe a bit troubled as well. She saw Stewart head for the opposite end, sit down, and call for the bartender.

  Lacey didn’t even know what to order when the bartender finally got down to her end of the bar. The place was packed with refugees of the outage. She looked around, hoping to see some kind of drink menu but nothing indicated that you shouldn’t just know what you want. The impatient man asked again what he could get for her. She was embarrassed and about to just ask for water when the woman next to her shouted at the man, “For hell’s sake give the girl a break, we’ll both have a Long Island and make them electric.”

  Lacey didn’t know what a Long Island was or why it needed to be electric, but she turned to the woman with a grateful smile. The woman smiled back, “I’m Amy, and you must not be a big drinker.”

  “No, I’m really not. What is a Long Island?”

  “Long Island Iced Tea, Sweetie.”

  “Oh, so it’s just tea then. I can handle that,” Lacey smiled again. The woman gave her a puzzled look as the bartender brought two tall glasses filled with electric blue liquid. Lacey took a sip of the drink and her face contorted, “This has alcohol in it!”

  “Damn right it does,” the woman said as she held her glass up to Lacey’s and tapped it.

  Lacey’s confusion turned to uneasy acceptance as the glass began to empty. With every sip she could feel the warmth of the alcohol taking away her inhibitions. She had never felt so alive and suddenly she felt like spilling her guts to the woman who was looking more and more like her dearest friend. With every order of a new and fun drink Lacey let go of all that was troubling her. She pulled her tight hair pins out and let the long locks wash over her bare back.

  An hour later Lacey and Amy were four glasses down. They’d had electric Long Island’s, Sex on the beach, and a couple of shots of something Lacey couldn’t remember the name of. She felt fuzzy and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and high speed all at the same time. The bar was hopping despite the power outage; everyone in the lodge seemed to converge on the one place that had both power and liquor.

  Somewhere someone had plugged in a radio and turned up the volume on Lacey’s newfound favorite song. She shouted to her new bestie and climbed up onto the bar like one of those girls from Coyote Ugly. She felt like all eyes were on her and she was awesome in every way.

  When she looked down to see that her friend was not joining her she called
out, “Aren’t you coming up?”

  “No thanks Honey. You enjoy your liquid courage while it lasts.”

  Lacey wasn’t sure what she meant, she just knew she never wanted this feeling to end.

  ***

  Stewart had taken an empty seat at the opposite end of the bar. He just couldn’t be around Lacey right now. He knew he was going to have to talk to her sometime. The pressure felt like too much. And since his plans didn’t work out the way he had them in his head he needed time to recalculate. He hadn’t realized there was a guy next to him until he heard him order a drink. He knew that voice. It was Nick, their ski instructor from earlier. Stewart could think of about ten other people he’d rather have his first drinks with but he had no choice but to acknowledge Nick.

  “Hey, Nick. Do you come here often?” He asked.

  “Dude, are you hitting on me right now?” He joked. Stewart hated everything about this guy right down to his overuse of the word, “dude”.

  “Um, no, I just wanted to know if you come here a lot. I just didn’t expect to see you is all.”

  “Don’t worry man I’m just joking with ya. Yeah, I come here sometimes after working at the resort all day. It’s nice to unwind and check out the tourists if you know what I mean.” He nudged Stewart like he was in on some kind of secret. Stewart wasn’t an idiot, he knew how guys like Nick operated, and he chose not to associate with people like him who treated women like a game.

  “What do you do when it’s stormy like this then? Where do you stay?”

  “Oh, ya know, I’m sure I’ll find someone willing to take me in.” He started looking around then at the many women in the bar and settled on one in particular who was now dancing on the bar in her drunken state.

  Then Stewart realized that it was his wife.

  Nick’s eyes lingered too long as Stewart downed a shot of whiskey. He tried not to show how revolting he thought alcohol was as Nick looked back to study his face.