The guy behind me leaned in and whispered. “Dude, she left it wide open for you to offer to take her.”
I laughed to myself. I usually wasn’t so off my game. How’d I miss that one? “Or…” I said when she glanced back at me, “…we could meet up, and I could show you the basics.”
Her face lit up. “Really? You’d do that?”
“Sure.”
After class, I hit up our buddy Jesse’s ski shop, Blades. Afternoons were slow. Skiers from out of town were off skiing for the day and wouldn’t be back to return their rentals until later, so I sat behind the counter while Jesse loaded up a snowboard with wax.
“You really going to Switzerland?” Jesse asked, his eyes on the snowboard.
“If I can place in Steamboat,” I said, playing with a block of board wax.
“Why don’t you sound like you think you can?” he asked.
“It’s been a while.”
“So what? You’re not scared, are you?”
“No. I know it’s time I get back out there and compete.”
“Agreed.” He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me. “Did Kason winning the gold give you the itch?”
“Something like that.”
“That’s not an answer,” he challenged.
“I was good,” I said, staring down at the block of wax in my hand.
“Damn straight you were. You still are.”
I rolled my eyes, not looking for anyone to stroke my ego.
He turned back to the board and continued lathering it up with wax. “So, tell me about this girl you’re taking out.”
“She seems cool.”
“Yeah? Does she snowboard?”
“She wants to try.”
He laughed. “They all wanna try if it means they get to spend time with you.”
“I think you’re talking about Kason.”
“Dude, you’re so fucking blind. Girls like the silent type. That definitely ain’t our boy. That’s you.”
I didn’t respond because he was delusional. I knew from experience that this had always been Kason’s world, and I just lived in it.
My phone vibrated. Speak of the devil.
Kason
Need your help.
4
THAYER