Don’tjudge,Iscolded myself.Sure,Ihad many second-hand and thrift shop items myself.HowcouldIbe sure they weren’t pulled from a dumpster?
Iwinced, not wanting to think of them.Myapartment was going to get a thorough cleaning whenIgot home.
Wetalked about skiing and other mountains we’ve visited on the rest of the way up.Itwas clear this wasn’t a match.
Iskied down by myself.Partnernumber three was tall, dark, and handsome, with a rugged appeal.PerhapsI’dhave better luck this time.
Oncewe started riding up, my hopes dimmed.Theconversation was strained as we tried to find topics to talk about.Istarted with skiing, since that seemed to be a safe topic, but he was simply fluent in one and two-word sentences.Eitherthat or he didn’t have any interest in me.
Butthen, our discussion about mountains took a strange turn.Hedeclared that aliens land on mountains cleared by ski resorts.Thefriendly nature was gone as he started to rant about conspiracy theories.Oh, fizzling potions.GoodthingIdidn’t tell himIwas a witch.
Iglanced down at the mountain below us.Howmany feet was it ifIdared to jump?Toomany.NotthatIwas serious.Itwas nice to visualize the escape from the torrent of craziness spilling from number three’s mouth.I’dalready forgotten his name.MaybeGiannawould get one of the awkward stories she so loved after all.
Oncethe chairlift reached the top,Ijumped up all too quickly and lost my balance.Fortunately,Irighted myself beforeIfell on my butt.
“Nicemeeting you,”Isaid. “Havea good run.”
Hismouth turned downward. “Comeon, let’s take this trail.”Hemotioned with his poles.
Oh, twin toads.Itried to think of a reason but came up with nothing.So,Iskied behind him.Withthe way he snowplowed,Iguessed he was a beginner.Offto the left was a cutaway to a black trail.
“I’mgoing to head this way,”Ishouted.
Hepaused to glance over.Sincehe was already past the cut, he’d have to climb up the mountain to join me—not thatIthought he could handle it.
“I’llmeet you at the lift.”
“Goon ahead with someone else,”Imotioned. “Partof the fun is to meet different people.”Ah, what a lie spilled without any forethought from my mouth.Iwouldn’t call any part of this dating event fun as of yet.ThenIskied away before he could protest.
Phew.Iexhaled.Enoughchairlift dating for me.Iheaded over to the other side of the mountain to get away from the event.Icould spend the rest of the day alone, enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery and the fresh powder beneath my skis.
WhenIsaw the black diamond trail,Iwondered ifI’drushed it.Itwas my first day out skiing this season, andIneeded to smooth into it, remember how to use my ski legs, and proper form.Ishould have had a couple of easy groomers before tackling this pitch with some unsettling bumps.
Still, it was too late now.Thealternative was to claw my way back uphill, which would be even more difficult.Iwas a decent skier, soI’dbe fine.
OnceIpositioned myself and started skiing,Ieased into my stance with more confidence.Iwas doing okay.Sure, it was steeper thanIwanted just yet, butIcut my skis into the snow with wide turns to slow me down.
Butthen…
Whathappened?
Ididn’t feel myself lose balance or go airborne, but in the next second, bam!Iwas eating snow.Withoutany warning,I’dfaceplanted.Thecold slap of snow on my skin could wake the dead.
Worse,Iwas moving.Ohno,Iwas sliding downhill headfirst—and without my skis.Wheredid they go?Asmy jacket rode up, snow slid onto my neck.Whatfun.Iattempted to slow myself down, but it was several more heart-wrenching seconds beforeIhalted.
Isat up and wiped the snow from my goggles.Myskis must have been knocked loose in the fall.Ohshit.Theydrifted diagonally downhill in opposite directions.Iwinced.Whata disaster.
Aguy in blue skied over and retrieved one of my runaway skis.Anotherguy in black skied over and grabbed the other.Eek, how horrifying.
Ipulled myself up to my knees and brushed snow off my face and stomach.Ithad already started to melt and left an unpleasant chilly wetness on my skin.
Athird guy with a red jacket that indicated he was ski patrol skied over to me and stopped with expert skill. “Areyou okay?”Hehad a deep baritone.
Iglanced up at him, mortified.Hewas massive, as tall as a tree and blocking out the sun with his broad shoulders—or perhaps it was just this angle.Icouldn’t see much of his face as he wore a helmet and goggles.Plus, the embarrassment of my graceless fall still stung.
“Yeah,I’mfine,Ithink.”Itried getting up and plopped back down. “Asidefrom my bruised ego,”Igrumbled.
“Letme help you up.”
