He looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes but was silent for a moment. “Goodness, I’m tired. I think I’ll be paying for that the rest of the day unless I go take a nap.” He took his gloves off and rubbed his eyes. “Thank you for watching me, Claire. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I like the fact that you saw me. It’s like a shared experience for us now.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. Enjoy your nap. I’m going to catch up with my instructor, so I’ll see you later.” Mild panic washed over me as I realized I had nothing to wear to his parents in Blueberry Basin, but then I remembered the swanky boutique in the lodge had women’s clothing. I hoped they had something I could afford.
Blake turned towards the lodge and paused, looking over his shoulder. His eye contact held an intensity that I quickly got lost in. “You know, Claire… I’ve done all the skiing in the world—Japan, Italy, Swiss Alps. And yet, following you at a snail’s pace in Wyoming is my favorite.”
*****
At lunch, more of the parents came up from town to join us since it was Saturday, and some were off work. Tamara and I could catch up, alone, at our own table while wehad hot soup together. I told her everything, starting with Blake’s proposal of fake dating; his father being the CEO; and the invitation to their home for dinner. When I was done, Tamara didn’t miss a beat.
“You’re going to need something to wear to your fake boyfriend’s parents tomorrow. I bet that will be one classy affair.” She abruptly stood up, taking inventory over the kids. I followed her lead, realizing she meant we needed to find something to wearright then.There were more adults than we knew what to deal with, so we agreed to check out the boutique on the other side of the lodge.
The store had beautiful glass double doors that were heavy to open, but once we did, we were met with an incredible fragrance of cinnamon, vetiver, and warmth. They had a gorgeous fireplace on the west wall with sparkling glass stones inside. Tamara quickly went to the smaller-than-I’d-hoped selection of women’s clothing and began sliding through. “Claire- this would really play up your eyes! I think they are your best feature. You will look beautiful in something like this.” She held up a boat neck black sweater dress that looked like it came just above the knee, so it would give warmth and a flirty style. “And what size shoe are you? Ibrought some black heeled boots that my feet are way too swollen to wear.”
I loved the dress. Immediately checking the price tag, I found the price high, but easy to swallow. And, since we knew we were the same shoe size, there was one less thing I had to worry about. As soon as I tried it on, I loved it. “What do you think? Will it work?”
Tamara laughed and vigorously nodded her head. “Girl, are you kidding me? You slay in that dress! It’s not too tight, not too short, or overly revealing. It makes your eyes pop, especially with your makeup today. You just need some hosiery. Don’t worry, you could wear that to church next week, so it’s not just a onetime wear.”
At Tamara’s encouragement, I bought the dress and excitedly went with her to retrieve the boots. They were perfect slouch, mid-calf boots made of a soft velvet material. “Do you have a long necklace?” Tamara pulled out a small selection of jewelry. “I figured at least one night here, I will go out for a solo dessert date with Mickey, so I came prepared.” She held up a long chain that had little assorted flowers, shapes and pearls. It was black and white. She layered it oncearound my neck and let the rest hang low. “That’s a wrap. You look perfect.”
Thanking her wholeheartedly, she said my excitement was contagious and that the moment I got back, I was to text her about everything that happened. “I have to get through the rest of this day first, and all of tomorrow, with no idea how I’ll manage that. Only ten minutes have passed since I last checked. For a fake relationship, this is the giddiest I’ve ever been.” We giggled our way to my room, where I dropped off the new dress, necklace, and boots, before making our way back downstairs to rejoin the group.
Instead of getting back on skis, I sat with Tamara until the rest of the group finished, as she had been sitting it out alone so far. We got hilarious videos of Mickey skiing with the kids, we talked about her pregnancy, and we enjoyed each other’s company. When it was the group’s dinner time, we had reserved the largest table in the dining room so we could all sit together with the other parents. The Saturday night dinner special was Ravioli di Aragosta, and I savored the garlic bread. At six, Tamara announced she was going to lie down for a while. I also felt exhaustion hit and excused myself.Though everyone was so preoccupied, only a few noticed, including Mickey.
I walked Tamara to her room and said goodnight and made my way to my own. The carbs were hitting my brain faster than I could walk, and when I turned the corner of the hallway, I almost ran smack dab into Melanie.
“Excuse me, I’m so sorry.” Nerves ran down my fingers as I was looking at my fake boyfriend’s very real ex-girlfriend, face to face.
“No worries, dear.” Her brows squinted together as her smile widened. “Hey. I’m Melanie.” She extended her hand with impeccably manicured nails, and I shook it.
“Claire.”
“I saw you with Blake. I hope I’m not overstepping here, but I…” she trailed off.
“You dated; I know. It’s nice to meet you.” And it was nice to meet her. It certainly piqued my curiosity. She exhaled, her eyes widening.
“I dated Blake for about five months, nearly a year and a half ago. And it appears you’ve found your way into his heart now, and I just want to say I’m thrilled for you… And I’m sorry to be here. My parents can’t accept my new relationship because he’s older. But I want you to know I’m not here for Blake. Frankly, I’m embarrassed that my parents invited me to this, knowing he would be here.”
I had questions and wanted answers. “How did you know he would be here? I don’t understand.”
“Sasha, the bride? Her mom and my mom are best friends… So, here we are.”
It all came together at that moment. I felt Melanie’s struggles. Though they differed from my own, I considered what she must have been feeling. “I’m sorry your parents are struggling with your relationship.” I thought of my own parents and considered how they were going to accept the fateful news that Theo and I were no longer. “Maybe they will come around.”
“Thankfully, we all saw you and Blake together, so now that he’s not a single guy, I think they just might. We have a lot to work through, starting with their fears about my marrying an older man. I’m just really looking forward to going home tomorrow. I’ve got the red-eye flight booked, and it can’t come soon enough. And I wish you the best with Blake. He’s a wonderful man. Judging by his character, I know you must be an incredible woman. He and I weren’t right for eachother, but I’ve prayed he would find you. And it looks like he did.”
I considered coming clean with her about ourarrangement, but she hurriedly tiptoed away, vanishing around a corner. After taking inventory of my mind, I crept back into my room. Melanie was a kind soul, and while I believed Blake that she wasn’t here for him, it was lovely speaking to her face to face. Checking the time; it was still early, 7:30 p.m. I lay down for a moment, fully intending to get back up and go play board games with the teens and their parents, but I ended up falling asleep. When I woke up, I was still in all my daytime clothes, and it was 3:45 in the morning.
Chapter 8
December 30th
I rubbed my eyes, remembering only then I had applied copious amounts of makeup. “Darn it,” I said under my breath. I went to the bathroom and washed up before walking over to the balcony and getting fresh air. As I slipped out, I took a moment to enjoy the stars in all of their glory. I said a prayer of gratitude for all God had shown me, that week especially.
“Thank You, Lord, for showing me the character of those around me, especially Theo. You have soothed my broken heart and shown me what You were protecting me from. Thank You for your blessing of sending me Tamara as such a good friend. And Lord, whatever it is with Blake, I am enjoying being around him. I pray that Your will is shown inthis situation, as it always is, but please continue to watch out for me, and I will take the path You show me, no matter where it leads. Amen.”
I slipped back inside my room and pulled out a fresh pair of pajamas, when the sounds of crunching sent me back out to the balcony. I peered over the edge and made out a man walking with skis hanging over his shoulder. My heart leapt for a moment, thinking it was Blake, but then another man joined him and from the words I could hear, they were speaking German. What was I going to do if it was Blake, call out to him? That would make me look like a real psycho. I laughed that idea off and went back to bed.
*****
