~* A Ski Lift For Two *~ While Jonathan took Nicole and Allison first, I started wandering the equipment racks. I really wanted to learn to ski before even thinking about snowboarding, which meant it wouldn’t be happening this trip, but as I passed by a really nice-looking decal on a dark purple board, I had to stop and look. “Nice isn’t it?” Jennifer spoke up, causing me to jump. She giggled. “It’s the Blue Majestic line. The guy who makes them is actually an ex-surfer. He still makes boards sometimes, but his specialty is snowboards and skis these days.” “Oh, I just thought it was pretty,” I admitted with a sheepish smile, half-expecting her to laugh at me. She grinned instead. “Me too; that’s what I like about Blues. The guy’s daughter’s only thirteen, but she does the master print for all his decals.

---

“He…llo?” I groaned into my cell phone. Light poured in from over the top of my bedroom curtains so I knew it had to be well past daylight already. This was the Friday following Thanksgiving though, and I had never eaten so much in my life. I was still full by dinner time!

“Hi sweetheart, did I wake you?” Mom asked cheerfully. I immediately perked up, despite the yawn.

“Oh, hi Mom! I needed to get up anyway. What time is it?”

“It’s just past nine,” she responded with the slightest hint of a giggle, probably at my oversleeping. “I just wanted to check in on you. I’ll be home Sunday, but we’re spending the day in New York City today.”

“New York City? Seriously? Mom that’s so cool! You HAVE to see a Broadway play while you’re there!” I responded excitedly.

Mom had a tone of relief in her voice when she responded, “I’m so relieved you said that. Ash has been trying to talk me into going, but I just didn’t feel right knowing you were stuck there at home. We’re also doing some shopping. I think it will be cheaper to mail everything than to pay the extra luggage fees!”

I had to giggle. “So how was Thanksgiving? Ash’s family seems very nice.”

“Oh, honey you have no idea. Ash’s mother is an absolute joy. She’s coming to visit for Christmas so she can meet you.”

“Really? “ I blinked reflexively and stammered. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

Mom giggled. “You really made an impression. I’ll let you go for now, but I’ll call you again tonight. I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Momma,” I answered warmly. “I’m sure Margie sends her love too, but it’s too cold to get up and check.”

She laughed. “I’ll see if I can find you a pair of cozy slippers while I’m shopping. Have a good day!”

“You too!” I shot back with a giggle, setting my phone aside. I thought I heard someone banging on the door downstairs and pouted. “So much for staying cozy in bed,” I exhaled, forcing myself to get up, but not without my heavy lavender fleece robe!

“Hey you,” Nicole called cheerfully from the front door. I had just reached the bottom step, still dressed in my pajamas. She approached, but I met her halfway, wrapping her in a tight hug. She giggled as I stole a quick kiss before answering.

“Hi there stranger.” I let my hands linger around her neck for several seconds before finally letting her go. She smiled thoughtfully.

“So I take it you’re not ready, hey?”

“Ready for what?” I asked bluntly, and then it hit me. I slapped my palm to my face which caused her to laugh. Out of the blue last night, Jennifer had called and asked if I wanted to start practicing with her for gymnastics next Spring.

It had completely slipped my mind, but then with all the excitement of the holiday, I was dead tired by the time I finally got home.

“It’s okay,” she offered reassuringly, leaning over to kiss my forehead. I smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry. Just give me a minute to get dressed.”

She nodded, offering a sympathetic smile. “No problem. Oh, there’s been a change of plans though,” she added before I could even reach the third step. I glanced back, waiting for her to continue.

“Jen’s place isn’t small by any means, but unless you want to be doing back flips in her back yard you’re gonna need room to move around.”

I had to laugh. “I won’t be doing any back flips, period. Not yet anyway.”

“Oh come on!” she shot back as she followed me upstairs. She stopped as I entered my room though, turning her back to the doorway, “You’re in a lot better shape now than you were in June, plus you’ve been taking Kenpo. I bet you could kick Chelsea’s butt.”

“Of course I can,” I joked. I stripped down out of my pajamas and disappeared into my closet, “I mean I even scored a point on Josh the last time we sparred together.”

Nicole cackled. “You did? But that’s not what I mean, ya goof!”

I poked my head back around the corner to see she still stood with her back to the door. I had to giggle to myself. Nicole was such a sweetheart. How many guys would resist the urge to peek while their girlfriend stood nearly naked in the next room?

“Yeah, I know what you meant. It’s bad enough I got Homecoming Princess over her though. She’s so much prettier.”

Nicole scoffed. “Ugh, so not: she’s too skinny for her height.”

“Hey, are you saying I’m fat?” I chided playfully as I pulled my form-fitting Heedless Despair concert t-shirt into place.

“No! You’re just right! It’s not like she doesn’t eat though. She’s just, like, the one girl in our school with a bigger metabolism than yours,” she reasoned. After pulling my sweat pants into place I crept up behind her, wrapping my arms around her. I lightly kissed the back of her neck.

“Nice save,” I teased, eliciting another giggle as she turned around.

“Ooh. That shirt looks great on you,” she added admiringly.

“So what’s the new plan?” I asked. I let her go, returning to my bed to pull on my socks. The ragged two-tone pink and white tongues of my athletic sneakers flopped as I hauled them from under the bed. I'd need to get a new pair soon. Jogging with Allison, gym class, and basketball practice had aged them ragged before their time.

“Well,” she began, leaning against the door frame and watching me with that mischievous smile of hers, “After breakfast this morning my family asked why I ran off to answer the phone so soon after spending the day with you. I explained that it was because Jen was on the line too; I figured it had to be something important.”

“And?” I asked as I stood. I pulled my hair back with a simple purple scrunchie, applying just the lightest touch of lip gloss while I waited for her to continue.

“And Amber volunteered to help clear the dining hall so you guys could come over to my place and practice.”

“Seriously?!” I had to giggle, rushing over to wrap her in a hug. “You’re the best!”

She rolled her shoulders after returning the gesture, though she upped the ante by kissing me on the tip of my nose. “Like I said it was Amber’s idea. This way you’ll have more than enough room. We just need to stop by Jen’s first so we can load up her practice mats.”

“Awesome. I haven’t seen Jen’s mom in awhile anyway,” I replied. Nicole smiled sheepishly as she followed me out of the room.

“Yeah, me either. We’ve all been so busy this year though. It’s crazy. You showed up and things just haven’t been the same since. I’m not complaining though,” she added with a broad grin.

~oOo~

The snow had melted off by now, and despite my conditioning to mid-seventies indoor climes for most of my life, high thirties actually didn’t feel that bad. Granted I didn’t leave the house without my heavy jacket either! Nicole by contrast had only a very light windbreaker type jacket over, of all things, her black, lace-spaghetti strap tank top.

Jennifer lived in a darling red brick one-story with a cement slab of a sidewalk which led to a covered, open-air front patio. A pristine white banister ran its length along the outside edge on the south and west faces, with a single poured cement step up to meet the patio floor. A relatively new hardwood swing hung from the ceiling. It rather reminded me of the much older one that hung in our back yard, where Allison had found me that first day.

When we pulled into the Bakers’ driveway, Jennifer opened the door, motioning quickly. She had a rather large grin on her face as she turned to step back inside. Nicole and I looked at each other for a moment, both of us cracking a giggle in unison as we stepped out of her Mustang and made our way up to the door.

“Hi guys!” Jennifer called cheerfully as she opened the door again. Immediately behind her and to her right stood a tall, lanky man with olive-tanned skin and dark silver shoulder length hair that looked like it had once been jet black. The lines on his face belied the warm, jovial smile and the sparkle in his dark eyes.

“This is my grandfather, Kaleo. Grandpa this is Robin, and you remember Nikki, right?” She positively beamed, and as she stepped back to let us in, I nervously offered my hand.

He clasped it gently between his and bent down to kiss it. “Well, so you’re the one who organized the big luau at your camp, eh?” His grin broadened as he saw the surprise in my expression, and he laughed softly. “That was a righteous thing you girls did. I couldn’t have been prouder if I’d been there myself.”

“Wow. Thank you,” I offered nervously. He turned to Nicole. She grinned, opening her arms to hug him.

“Nikki, you look great. And you’re smiling!” he teased. She stuck out her tongue and giggled.

“Yeah, well, you can blame Robin for that too.” She giggled again, smiling brightly. “So how long are you here anyway?”

“Oh, another couple of weeks I figure. I heard you girls are looking for chaperones for your big ski trip,” he paused and winked. Nicole’s jaw dropped.

“You’re coming skiing with us?!”

Jennifer laughed. “Hey, who do you think taught me to snowboard? I’m kind of hoping we can get Moira to go too,” she added as she turned to step further into the living room. A couple of gym mats sat neatly rolled up and tied with rope beside her sofa.

She hauled one up over her shoulder, grabbing for the second which Kaleo had already lifted for her. He grinned, offering it to her. “Lift with your legs, remember?” he teased.

She laughed. “Oh, pfft. Nikki, pop the trunk will you?”

“Sure,” she answered.

As the two stepped out, Jennifer's mother stepped around the corner from the kitchen. Anna had one of those young faces. When we first met I actually mistakenly thought Jennifer had an older sister I didn't know about. She did, actually, but Anna certainly wasn't her. She smiled on seeing me, stepping closer to wrap me in a friendly hug.

“Well hello there Robin!”

“Hi Mrs. Baker,” I replied warmly. Kaleo smiled.

“I was just telling the girls I’d be helping chaperone their ski trip. I figure the more in-group instructors they have to lend a hand the less broken legs in the long run.”

She rolled her eyes, but chuckled. “Oh, very funny. You’re never going to let me live that down are you, Dad?”

He laughed cheerfully. “I’m only teasing. Besides, you showed up everyone when you got back on that board the very next day. It’s no wonder Jenny took to the water like a fish!”

She nodded with an almost whimsical smile. “I suppose I can’t blame you for corrupting her with your wild stories. She’s a Mahalei at heart.”

“Darn right I am,” Jennifer echoed in a playful tone from the open front door. “I just need to get the other mat and we’ll be ready. I don’t have enough mats for any big tumbling stuff, but we can always get Mrs. Greer to open the gym when you’re ready for that.”

She dashed off back into another part of the house, returning with a third rolled-up mat. She paused long enough to kiss her grandfather and mother on the cheek, turning to rush back to Nicole’s car.

“Hey, wait for me!” I called as I waved to the two then turned to chase after her.

Jennifer had already hopped in the backseat by the time I reached the car. I looked back at her as I pulled my seatbelt into place. “So Jen, can I ask you something now?”

“Of course: always,” she immediately answered.

“What were your mom and grandfather talking about?”

“Oh you mean the broken leg crack? When Mom was little, about eight or nine I think, she hit some rough surf.”

Nicole flinched, even as she threw the car into reverse to back out of the driveway. “Tell me she didn’t try surfing on a broken leg?”

Jennifer shook her head. “Nah, nothing that extreme. Everyone thought it was broken, and kept insisting she take it easy. The doc told her it was just a sprain though, and that’s all she needed to hear. Two days later she got a new board and got right back to it.” She chuckled. “Grandpa likes to tease her about it from time to time because she forbade me from trying again when I fell.”

“Yeah, but you almost drowned,” Nicole added ominously. Jennifer gave a serious nod.

“I also learned to respect the power of the ocean that day.”

~oOo~

True to her word, practice with Jennifer the first day focused more on the importance of fundamental stretches, and since she had the opportunity to observe both Josh and me at our Kenpo dojo, she was able to draw comparisons in warm-up exercises, making that aspect of things much easier. She also taught me a few of the easier dance moves I’d need to know down the road, though thankfully not before cheer camp next summer.

The following Sunday, we had another Girl Scouts meeting to discuss plans for our field trip. We arrived early to talk with Coach Greer, though getting to see Amanda would serve as a nice bonus, too. As Jennifer lazily lay back on the stage, her legs swinging delicately off the edge, a strong male voice called from the far door.

“What are you doing here?”

Jennifer sat bolt-upright at the same time the three of us glanced back. A rather large-framed man with neatly trimmed short hair, wearing slacks and a white dress shirt strolled closer, a sport coat slung over his shoulder.

“We’re here for the Girl Scout meeting,” I started to explain. “The door was unlocked so we thought Coach Greer had unlocked it.”

He stroked his chin in thought. He seemed to be sizing us up until his gaze fell on me. “You’re Robin, right?”

“Er… Yes? Who are you?” I asked uneasily. He chuckled.

“Then you must be Nicole, Allison, and Jennifer.” He got Nicole right, but mixed up the other two. Jennifer giggled.

“I’m Jen, that’s Ally. Hey wait, I know you. You’re Brock Ellis right?”

His neutral expression shifted to a shameless grin. “Guilty as charged. Katherine’s told me quite a bit about you girls, especially Robin’s exceptional performance of ‘The Raven’. I’m just sorry I missed it.”

I perked up. “Wait, you’re Mrs. Ellis’ husband?”

He nodded. “And the school’s theatrical director. Well, glorified drama teacher,” he added. He stepped closer to the stage, turning back to lean against it. “I unlocked the door because the drama club is holding rehearsal for Cinderella. Unfortunately our leading lady has the flu.”

“Oh, yuck. How long has she been out?” Allison asked.

“About four days now, poor kid. I just hope she’s better by next week. Have any of you given any thought to joining the drama club?”

Allison beamed as she nudged my arm. He shifted his gaze to me, and I offered a sheepish smile in response. “I thought about it. Right now I have basketball and Kenpo, plus babysitting once a month for the Greers. Then next semester I’ll have gym and maybe track and field.”

Jennifer chimed in, “But both of those are steadier on the schedule. You can practice running track as your PE credit, and gymnastics practice is only one night a week. Coupled with Kenpo on Fridays, that’s only two nights you’d have to miss practice.”

Mr. Ellis smiled as he nodded. “That’s true. We can work around everyone’s schedules, different scenes on different nights depending on who needs to be where.”

I glanced between the other three. Jennifer, Allison and Nicole all had an expression of love and support tattooed all over their features. Nicole grinned broadly as she squeezed my hand.

“You should go for it. You and I both know you enjoyed performing or you wouldn’t have put all that effort into it.”

Allison nodded emphatically. “She’s right. We can help you keep up on your homework too. If we have to come up here and help you with it between scenes, even.”

“Okay, I guess I can try. I mean, it sounds really fun.”

All three girls cheered as Mr. Ellis approached to shake my hand. “Fantastic!”

“Oh, there you girls are,” Coach Greer called from the back of the room. “We’ve moved the meeting to the cafeteria so the drama club can practice.” She turned to disappear again, and Mr. Ellis smiled.

“I believe that’s your cue, ladies. You’re welcome to come back here after your meeting though, if you’d like to get to know the other members of our current cast. We only have a handful that are actually official drama club members, so you needn’t feel obligated to join either now or later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks Mr. Ellis!” I replied warmly as we stood to leave. Coach Greer stood just outside waiting for us. She had her arms folded with a mock pout.

“I thought I was going to get a new girl for gymnastics next year.”

I giggled at her feigned and very overdramatically performed efforts. “It’s okay. We already — well, the girls already worked it out. I just sort of went along for the ride. I can go to gymnastics on Wednesdays, or whenever you’re holding classes next semester, and do Kenpo on Fridays, plus practicing for track during school for my PE credit.”

“Track too?” she asked, genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, it’s just something I’m thinking about. I might not actually do it, but I need to do something to keep active.”

“I was thinking,” Jennifer added as we walked with Coach Greer toward the cafeteria, “that if I started working with Robin now, she’d be ready for the advanced class next Spring.”

Coach Greer nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Do you have the mats for that kind of thing? I know you told me you have some smaller ones.”

“Yeah, I just have the little four-by’s. I can lay out three of them for an okay stretch for basic tumbling, but not enough for anything big.”

“Tell you what,” she added a moment later, “Robin, if you’d be willing to babysit for a couple of hours, I can open the gym for you girls for the next few Sundays until school lets out for Christmas break. I still need to do some Christmas shopping, so I need someone to distract Amanda.”

Nicole spoke up, “Hey, Ally and I can watch her while Robin and Jen are practicing, if you want an extra couple of hours?” Allison quickly nodded, continuing.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea Nikki! Robin’s always saying how Amanda’s like a sister, and we’re both first-aid and CPR-certified too.”

She stopped just outside the cafeteria door, turning back to face us. She seemed to be mulling it over for a moment, and finally nodded. “Okay, you’ve got yourselves a deal.” She grinned and pushed the door open, holding it for us to step through.

As we found ourselves a table with the other girls, she stepped in front to speak. “Okay girls, this meeting is called to discuss the upcoming ski trip. Now the first thing I need to know is how many chaperone volunteers we have so far.”

~oOo~

Even though we had just been let out for a five-day weekend break for Thanksgiving, Coach Greer had managed to talk the school board into giving us a four day weekend for our ski trip, since it would officially be a fully chaperoned Girl Scout venue. I didn’t dare to ask what kind of strings she had to pull to pull it off though. Of course, it meant I would have to miss one Kenpo practice, but Ash assured me I could make it up the next week.

All through Thursday, all I could think about was the ski trip. Jennifer took us shopping last Sunday evening so she could help us pick out appropriate jackets for the mountain weather. Our bags were all packed, and we would be leaving by bus for the airport that afternoon, though at least one of our chaperones would be meeting us in New Haven.

Mom, Kelly and Margie were waiting in the parking lot for us when school let out. Mom smiled as I raced right into her arms.

“Hi honey. How was school?”

“Great! The teachers gave us a rundown of what we’d miss Friday and Monday, and they’ll give us until Thursday to catch up on it.”

Kelly smiled as she stepped closer. “Just don’t think too hard about it while we’re there. This is as much a vacation as a field trip. Where are the others anyway?”

“Nikki’s saying goodbye to Lisa and Trent, and Ally’s saying goodbye to Mark,” I answered, shooting her a knowing smile. The last thing I saw of Allison, Mark had nervously hugged her, and she had leaned up to kiss his cheek. I left to give them some privacy. “Jen should be here in just a sec-” I started, but squealed when I felt a pair of icy fingers on the back of my neck. I spun around even as I heard Jennifer giggling.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. Anyway, Grandpa says he’ll be here soon.”

“It’s fine. We still have to wait for the busses to leave before ours can pull in anyway.”

“So, are you excited?” Margie asked. Jennifer and I both nodded.

“I just hope I still remember how to do this.”

“Oh, bah,” I laughed at her false modesty, giving her a playful elbowing. “You’ve probably forgotten more than the rest of us will ever know!”

“Yeah, that’s true,” she shot back with a teasing smile. “But don’t worry; between Grandpa and me, you’ll be skiing like pros in no time. Or, at least you’ll be able to stand up without sliding everywhere.”

“So Margie, have you ever been skiing?” Jennifer asked. Margie shook her head.

“I’m a Cali girl, remember?”

“Yeah, and I’m half-Hawaiian, but I still love to ski!” she shot back playfully. I laughed.

“She’s got you there.”

Margie stuck her tongue out. “Oh, don’t you start too. You’re supposed to defend me! Anyway, I’ve been mountain biking, hiking, I even went bungee jumping once, and believe me once was enough! But I’ve never been skiing.”

Jennifer giggled. “I’m sorry, but I just cannot picture you bungee jumping. Anyway, Grandpa, Coach Greer and I will be on-hand as well as the professional instructors so it won’t be too bad. What about you Kelly?”

As the conversation drifted, I started gathering our things from Mom’s car. I gave her another warm hug and a kiss on her cheek just before we left to join the gathering of scouts waiting for our bus. Unlike with Girl Scout camp, we didn’t have girls from surrounding districts.

This trip was independently planned by our own troop, so we only needed a single bus even with several adults coming along to help with the chaos. As well, not every girl was able to go, especially among the younger girls whose parents didn’t feel comfortable letting them go.

Allison, Jennifer, Nicole and I found four empty seats together, and as we settled in, Coach Greer stood at the front, calling each girl’s name, laying down ground rules for both the bus ride and the flight, and reminding everyone that if there was a problem, that they could come to one of us in addition to the adults.

As she sat down, I peeked around the seat in front of me to see Margie and Kelly sitting together a few rows up with Jennifer’s grandfather. I had to giggle to myself. No doubt embarrassing stories would be shared. For the moment though, I settled back into my seat. Nicole smiled as she squeezed my hand, tilting her head slightly to nuzzle my shoulder.

“I hope you don’t mind flying First Class again,” she whispered. I had to stifle my giggle, shaking my head.

“Of course I don’t mind. Are you sure your parents are okay with the extra expense though?”

“Totally. It was their suggestion actually.”

Allison leaned forward to grin at us. “I tried to argue my way out of it, but they insisted.”

Jennifer shook her head. “Not me!” She laughed, mock-relaxing with her hands behind her head. Allison and Nicole grinned at each other and goosed her sides in unison, causing her to squeal as she jumped. “Hey!” she laughed.

I just shook my head, giggling to myself. This time tomorrow we’d be in the mountains, hitting the slopes, and I’d probably be finding some way to humiliate myself. It was so, totally worth it.

~oOo~

“Robin?” Nicole whispered in my ear. I stirred in my window seat. She giggled, kissing my cheek. “Robin, babe. Wake up. We’re about to land,” she continued. I yawned as I slid one eye open.

“How long was I asleep?”

“About thirty minutes,” she answered with a quiet giggle as she squeezed my hand.

“Sorry. It’s these cushy chairs. Puts me right to sleep.”

“Yeah, I remember,” she answered thoughtfully. “I just assumed last time it was because you were exhausted though.”

Allison sat forward, staring over at us. “I don’t know how you guys can stand it. I mean, the seat’s nice, but the service is … overwhelming. It just feels wrong.”

Nicole laughed. “Now you get why my folks act the way they do. Even with their big house and the nice cars and all, when it comes right down to it they don’t like being waited on hand and foot any more than I do.”

Jennifer, one row up, raised her glass of soda. “That’s why I love your parents Nikki.”

Later, as we were collecting our bags, Tracy approached us. “I wondered where you guys were.”

I picked up my suitcase, turning back to offer a sheepish smile. “Nikki’s parents insisted on buying all our tickets. For what it’s worth I slept, like, half the trip.”

She rolled her shoulders, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m only teasing. The REAL reason I came over is … is it true you’ve really never been skiing? I mean, I know you said as much before, and don’t take this the wrong way or anything but… you’re kind of…”

“What?”

She bit her lip. “Perfect.”

“Ugh. Tracy, I am so not perfect.”

“You’re an up-and-coming Queen of the school. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’d just be nice to see you fall on your butt once in awhile — no offense.”

I had to giggle. “None taken. You obviously didn’t come to my last basketball game. My shoelaces came undone and … Well it’s a long story.”

She stifled a giggle and smiled. “I’m sorry, Robin. I didn’t come all the way over here just to insult you. Actually I didn’t mean to insult you at all. It’s just … I’m really nervous now that we’re actually here, you know?”

I smiled as I took her hand, pulling her into a light hug. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m a hard person to offend. I mean, you know the deal with Jason. Anyway, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

She smiled a little more. “You sure sound confident of that.”

At that point, Jennifer and her grandfather approached. I nodded, motioning toward them. “That’s because we have the two best ski instructors in Hawaii with us.”

She gave them both a puzzled stare at my comment, and they both started laughing, Kaleo speaking up as he offered his hand to her. “I’m Kaleo Mahalei, Jennifer’s grandfather. I usually prefer surfing to skiing, but I can shred a mean snowboard.”

“Oh! I’m Tracy. I saw you on the bus earlier, but I didn’t realize… You guys will be giving lessons?”

He nodded. “Don’t worry, Tracy. We’ll have you flying down those drifts like a pro in no time.”

“Besides,” I added, “just think of the cute guys you’ll be winning over in the lodge this weekend. They can’t ALL be college frat boys.”

Her eyes lit up at that. “I love the way you think.”

“C’mon, let’s go join the others. You can sit with us if you want.”

I met up with Margie and Kelly first, and then we joined the rest of our troop-plus-chaperones. Coach Greer took a final head-count before we boarded our chartered bus for the long ride to the mountain hotel ski resort. It felt weird, knowing that in less than an hour we’d be at the ski resort, living it up.

It would be too late for a proper run, but we could at least hang out, find ourselves some proper equipment, and maybe learn a little more of the mountain’s history, to say nothing of meeting a few of the locals, and as we rolled slowly closer, I started to notice the snow growing heavier and heavier. The roads of course were kept clean and clear, but I’d never seen so much snow in one place as covered the landscape.

Finally, some hour and a half later we arrived at the ski resort. The hotel lobby, despite having a semi-rustic appearance on the outside, appeared ultra-modern on the inside, with polished hardwood floors, rich, dark wall paneling and big cushy chairs and sofas for guests to relax and mingle. It certainly didn’t match my mental images of what a ski lodge would look like, but this was just a place for us to check in and get our room keys, so it didn’t really matter.

“Once you girls are settled in,” Kaleo began, “I’ll take you to meet Jonathan, the owner of the local sporting goods store. He’s an old friend of mine, and I’m sure he’ll give you a group discount on any rentals for the weekend,” he added with a broad grin. We cheered in unison, though we at least did make an effort to keep our voices down for the other customers checking in.

“This is so cool!” Allison bubbled as we headed for the elevator. The four of us had been paired up to a room without a chaperone so that the adults could be spaced out more evenly with the girls, save Kaleo of course, who checked himself in with a small single room.

“And you haven’t even met Jonathan yet,” Jennifer answered. “He’s totally not what you’d expect from someone who owns the most successful sporting goods store on the mountain, but trust me, he knows his stuff.”

After we had taken care of our suitcases and put our coats and other winter accessories away, our entire group met back in the lobby. Kaleo advised that we should split off into two groups, so anyone who wanted to go ahead and eat dinner now could go with Coach Greer, while the rest could come with him, which ultimately just left the four of us and Tracy.

We followed Kaleo down another hall to a large sign above a set of glass double-doors with high-polished brass handles. The sign declared it “Jon’s Ski Supply”, but even without the sign, we could see through the glass doors row upon row of skis, poles and snowboards in assorted colors and sizes. He pulled the door open, stepping to the side to let us go on ahead.

Behind a counter at the back of the store stood a small-framed man with short, curly black hair. Between the business suit and the wire-frame glasses, I had to wonder if this could possibly be the equipment expert Kaleo mentioned. I didn’t have long to wonder, as he glanced up, sizing us up for only a split second before stepping around the counter.

He and Kaleo approached each other and seemed to be staring each other down. Finally, the man cracked a smile, causing Kaleo to laugh as the two embraced.

“It’s good to see you old friend,” the man offered warmly. “And who’s this? Jennifer?”

Jennifer nodded, grinning. “Hey ‘uncle’ Jon,” she answered, stepping closer for a hug. She turned and motioned to us. “These are my friends Ally, Nikki, Robin and Tracy.” Tracy smiled sheepishly as she waved. “You’ll be meeting the rest of the girls later, but right now it’s just us.”

“The rest?” he asked skeptically.

Kaleo nodded with a grin. “I’m here helping chaperone Jenny’s Girl Scout troop on their first ski trip. Some of these girls have never even stood on a pair of skis before.”

Jonathan chuckled to himself as he turned to face us. “Well, I’ll get you set up with the best gear I have. I assume you’re just renting?”

Kaleo nodded. “For now. I’ll need a good board for myself and Jenny too, but we’ll be giving ski instructions so if you have anything…”

“Ah, say no more. I just got a shipment of Blue Majestic boards in this morning, and you know their skis are top-notch. Come on over here and I’ll get you set up with some boots, then we’ll take care of the skis and goggles. Since you’re here with a group I’ll give you the special discount.”

While Jonathan took Nicole and Allison first, I started wandering the equipment racks. I really wanted to learn to ski before even thinking about snowboarding, which meant it wouldn’t be happening this trip, but as I passed by a really nice-looking decal on a dark purple board, I had to stop and look.

“Nice isn’t it?” Jennifer spoke up, causing me to jump. She giggled. “It’s the Blue Majestic line. The guy who makes them is actually an ex-surfer. He still makes boards sometimes, but his specialty is snowboards and skis these days.”

“Oh, I just thought it was pretty,” I admitted with a sheepish smile, half-expecting her to laugh at me.

She grinned instead. “Me too; that’s what I like about Blues. The guy’s daughter’s only thirteen, but she does the master print for all his decals. C’mon, you and I are up. Just say the word if you want to learn to ‘board though.”

I shook my head as I followed her back. “I figured I’d learn to do one before attempting the other.”

She smiled as she answered, “I suppose you have to learn to swim before you can learn to surf, but to be honest, boarding and skiing only share the snow in common. You depend on your lower body strength more for the skis than the board, I think. I can show you both, and then you can decide what you want to focus on this weekend if you’d like.”

“Really? That would be great.”

“Great!” she replied. “Hey, Jon, she said yes!” she giggled.

“Excellent! Since you’re such a close personal friend of Kal’s, I’ll throw in the board for the cost of the skis,” he added.

My jaw dropped. “Wait, what? Seriously?”

He smiled as he nodded. “Anyone who’s as enthusiastic about the sport as you girls have been deserves a chance to try out both. Now, just slip your shoe off and put your foot here.”

~oOo~

Later that evening, after Jennifer had gone to each room to give some basic instructions to get everyone ready for our ‘official’ instruction in the morning, we laid about in various states of undress from fully clothed to me, all warm and cozy in my pajamas and bath robe. In the morning, we would all head out, probably split off into groups for those just learning while the others made their first runs up the mountain.

Both Moira and Kelly had already made their rounds for the evening, and it was getting late. I pulled back the covers and nestled down just as Nicole stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas, and, sitting on the bed beside me, leaned down to kiss my cheek. I smiled as I pulled her into a hug, returning the chaste gesture.

“G’night cutie,” she whispered sleepily.

“Sweet dreams, vampire,” I answered, equally exhausted.