“Victoria agreed to that? Because the one and only time she walked in here, she said this was, and I quote, ‘a tired old relic that reeks of mediocrity and boy scout energy.’ Or something like that.”
“Yeah, that was pretty much it, exactly.” Maya nodded.
“That sounds like Victoria,” I agreed.
Noah shot me another glare.
“I think I can convince her to reconsider another contract renewal,” said Maya.
“You think.”
“If this works. If you play nice.”
“Sounds like a deal with the devil.”
“Victoria isn’t the devil,” I interrupted. “She’s just a smart businesswoman who recognizes a good opportunity when she sees it.”
“I wasn’t talking about Victoria.” Noah redirected his glare back to me. But I could see the gears turning in his head. Was it possible? Was he actually considering this insane idea?
“Fuck.” Noah ran a calloused hand through his hair, which somehow ended up looking even better than before. “What would I have to do with this thing, anyway? If I agreed to it. Which, to be clear, I have not.”
Recognizing the crack in Noah’s shield of stubbornness, Maya grabbed the bull by the horns. Or, in this case, the grumpy mountain man by the flannel. “You and Sam would collaborate on an Authentic Colorado Adventure series. Hiking, climbing, rafting, the works.”
“The works?,” I asked. “Um … I don’t remember agreeing to the works.”
Maya shushed me. “Showcase what makes the Adventure Center special. Through Sam’s platforms.”
“Platforms?”
“Her social media channels. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube.”
Noah looked like we were trying to communicate with him in Chinese.
“Sam gets to keep her job. Victoria gets her authentic Colorado content. You get to keep the Adventure Center. It’s a win, win, win.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
I looked up to find Noah talking to me.
“And better yet, what the hell are you wearing?”
“Oh, this?” I pulled the fluffy purple pom-pom beanie back off my head. “I found it in the gift shop at the resort. It matches my puffy vest.” I put the beanie back on my head. “See?”
I smiled.
Noah didn’t.
“And as far as what I was doing …” I pulled out my phone, angling it upward and reversing my camera. I snapped a photo. “Iwas taking a snow shoe selfie for my feed.” I posed in front of the pair of vintage snowshoes hanging on the wall, then took another picture.
Noah looked back over at Maya, though he still pointed directly at me. “Seriously? She wouldn’t last ten seconds on a real trail.”
“Oh come on now,” I shot back. “I’ve got a good twenty seconds in me at least.”
Noah didn’t find that funny, either.
“Seriously, though, I did hike all the way up to the resort yesterday. In the dark. Through mountain lion infested woods. Where I was almost attacked by some weird disco chicken thing.”
“Disco chicken thing?” Noah and Maya both frowned.
