"Dressed for the party, are you?"Lukas whistles.
And I realize how rarely they see me in anythingotherthan my branded team gear.Not a skirt, knee-high heeled boots, and a short fur jacket.Especially Niko is obvious he's struggling to peel his eyes off my legs.Well, that's what it's like being the only girl in a pack of athletes.
"Sorry, guys.Another time.I have a date."
In my peripheral vision, I catch Thomas choking on his beer.
His eyes flick down my legs for half a second before he drags them back up, all casual again.It’s quick.Too quick.But I catch it.
"Relax, sheepdog," I say, patting his shoulder and enjoying the moment."A date with Maddie."
"Maddie sounds like he's weird," Lukas frowns.
"Madison," I correct."She's my friend.A girlfriend.American.I haven't seen her since Hintertux, so…"
"Hintertux?"Martin arches an eyebrow."Ah.So the origin story has a prologue."
I take a breath and see Thomas's smug little smile.It says: You asked for it, I'm not saving you.
"Just have fun, guys," I say a little too hastily and turn to leave.
I love them all.Love being their only girl.
But sometimes, even a clever fox gets outnumbered by the pack.
"So, here's my professional assessment," Maddie says, eyes sparkling like the wine she's swirling."You're screwed."
"Totally," I agree, sipping my own glass.
"He wants you," she says flatly.
"Maddie, I want him so much I could cry.And it's not just sex.He's...amazing.As a person.And we get along so well."
“Too bad.”
"And the worst part is, he seems to feel the same.He flirts.I know he'd pull me to his bed anytime.But he also respects boundaries, doesn't push, and acts like he…"
"Cares?"
"Exactly."
A steel guitar leaks from the speakers; the room smells of orange peel and old wood.
Silence.Just the clinking of glasses at the nearby tables.
"To be honest," Maddie says, "this was expected.I mean, not exactly Kern, but a single girl, with a thing for world-class skiers, working this closely?You were bound to fall for one.Lucky for you, he fell back."
"Come on, Maddie."I sigh."He's not my fairy tale.I'm not here for a happily ever after.I'm here to make a name for myself.Build connections.I see myself as a respected sports journalist one day.Or a branding genius creating campaigns for ski brands like Vektor.I've got a career to build."
"And girlfriends of athletes don't get a shot at a career."
"Precisely," I say.
I think of my mom.She used to talk about her early years as a physiotherapist.Her high-profile clients.How she dreamed of opening her own clinic.
But then she'd catch herself.Remind us all how happy she was with the life she chose—supporting a top-level coach, waiting with his kids, mending his bed, keeping dinner warm until he decided to come home.
That's not the life I see for myself.
