Read Online A Conflict of Interest by Barbara Dunlop - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Dunlop
Ads: Link
congratulations to Ethan.
“Nice ollie!” shouted one.
“Bangin’,” called another.
“How’d you get so rad in the last hour?” asked a third, coming closer.
Head up, shoulders square, Ethan jerked his thumb in Max’s direction. “This guy knows how to rip.”
One of the boys peered up at him. “Aren’t you that Max something? The crocodile-wrestling guy on TV?”
The group’s interest swung to Max.
“That’s me,” Max admitted. He pulled off his glove to shake the boys’ hands. “Max Gray.”
“Awesome,” someone whispered.
One of the boys elbowed Ethan. “Ethan, how d’you know Max Gray?”
Ethan suddenly seemed a little starstruck.
“We met up top,” Max offered into the silence. “Took a ride down together.”
Ethan seemed to find his voice. “Can you show us something else?”
Max glanced at Jake, who was clearly struggling not to laugh at his predicament.
“Sure,” Max agreed fatalistically. Part of his job was being nice to the viewers. Though the viewers were generally quite a bit older than these.
He made his way down the rest of the mountain, stopping and starting, seven young boys in tow, each struggling to execute his instructions. He had to admit, it wasn’t all bad. The kids were friendly and polite, and most of them made some improvement in the course of the run.
At the end, they met up with the broader jamboree group. Someone produced a marking pen, and he signed all the boy’s helmets. Jake, of course, got footage of the whole thing. Max knew he was never going to hear the end of this.
* * *
“I heard some of the kids talking about him this morning in the lobby,” Gillian said as she and Cara made their way along the shoveled sidewalk. It was shortly after noon, and they were checking out the restaurants along the street. “Said he taught them to snowboard yesterday. It was total hero worship.”
“Are you sure it was kids?”
“Yes. I can tell the difference between ten-year-olds and twenty-year-olds. He signed their helmets. I don’t see how he can hate kids that much.”
“That doesn’t sound like Max,” Cara ventured.
“Maybe you’re wrong about him,” said Gillian.
“He told me himself that he didn’t like children,” Cara pointed out. There wasn’t any ambiguity in Max’s opinion about having a family. If he was teaching them to snowboard, it must have been under duress.
Gillian stopped in her tracks and pointed to the door of the Big Sky Restaurant. “Here?”
The upscale family restaurant advertised gourmet burgers, and Cara was starving. “Looks fine to me.”
They entered to find it warm inside, with a big stone fireplace at one end and cushioned leather seats at generous-size tables. Gillian chose a half-round booth and slid inside. Each of them snagged a menu.
“It must be the mountain air,” said Cara.
Gillian grinned at her.
“Hey, you’re hungry, too,” Cara pointed out.
“Not as hungry as you.”
Cara didn’t argue the point. Instead her interest was snagged by pictures of burgers and fries.
“You’ll have a whole new fan base after tonight,” said a familiar voice next to their table.
Cara glanced up to meet Jake’s surprised eyes.
“Cara,” he greeted her with a smile. Then he looked at Gillian and his smile widened further. “And... friend. Do you ladies mind if we join you?”
“Please do,” Gillian answered before Cara could find her voice.
“Hello, Cara.” Max gave her a slight nod.
“New fan base?” asked Gillian as Jake took up the seat beside her.
“Young snowboard enthusiasts,” Jake answered, holding his hand out to Gillian. “Jake Dobson, Max’s cameraman.”
“Gillian Cranshaw. Cara’s sister.”
“Not hard to guess you’re related,” said Jake, glancing from one woman to the other.
Max seemed to take his seat next to Cara rather reluctantly. “You sure you don’t mind?” he asked.
“No problem.” She could do this. She’d force herself to do this, coolly,
“Nice ollie!” shouted one.
“Bangin’,” called another.
“How’d you get so rad in the last hour?” asked a third, coming closer.
Head up, shoulders square, Ethan jerked his thumb in Max’s direction. “This guy knows how to rip.”
One of the boys peered up at him. “Aren’t you that Max something? The crocodile-wrestling guy on TV?”
The group’s interest swung to Max.
“That’s me,” Max admitted. He pulled off his glove to shake the boys’ hands. “Max Gray.”
“Awesome,” someone whispered.
One of the boys elbowed Ethan. “Ethan, how d’you know Max Gray?”
Ethan suddenly seemed a little starstruck.
“We met up top,” Max offered into the silence. “Took a ride down together.”
Ethan seemed to find his voice. “Can you show us something else?”
Max glanced at Jake, who was clearly struggling not to laugh at his predicament.
“Sure,” Max agreed fatalistically. Part of his job was being nice to the viewers. Though the viewers were generally quite a bit older than these.
He made his way down the rest of the mountain, stopping and starting, seven young boys in tow, each struggling to execute his instructions. He had to admit, it wasn’t all bad. The kids were friendly and polite, and most of them made some improvement in the course of the run.
At the end, they met up with the broader jamboree group. Someone produced a marking pen, and he signed all the boy’s helmets. Jake, of course, got footage of the whole thing. Max knew he was never going to hear the end of this.
* * *
“I heard some of the kids talking about him this morning in the lobby,” Gillian said as she and Cara made their way along the shoveled sidewalk. It was shortly after noon, and they were checking out the restaurants along the street. “Said he taught them to snowboard yesterday. It was total hero worship.”
“Are you sure it was kids?”
“Yes. I can tell the difference between ten-year-olds and twenty-year-olds. He signed their helmets. I don’t see how he can hate kids that much.”
“That doesn’t sound like Max,” Cara ventured.
“Maybe you’re wrong about him,” said Gillian.
“He told me himself that he didn’t like children,” Cara pointed out. There wasn’t any ambiguity in Max’s opinion about having a family. If he was teaching them to snowboard, it must have been under duress.
Gillian stopped in her tracks and pointed to the door of the Big Sky Restaurant. “Here?”
The upscale family restaurant advertised gourmet burgers, and Cara was starving. “Looks fine to me.”
They entered to find it warm inside, with a big stone fireplace at one end and cushioned leather seats at generous-size tables. Gillian chose a half-round booth and slid inside. Each of them snagged a menu.
“It must be the mountain air,” said Cara.
Gillian grinned at her.
“Hey, you’re hungry, too,” Cara pointed out.
“Not as hungry as you.”
Cara didn’t argue the point. Instead her interest was snagged by pictures of burgers and fries.
“You’ll have a whole new fan base after tonight,” said a familiar voice next to their table.
Cara glanced up to meet Jake’s surprised eyes.
“Cara,” he greeted her with a smile. Then he looked at Gillian and his smile widened further. “And... friend. Do you ladies mind if we join you?”
“Please do,” Gillian answered before Cara could find her voice.
“Hello, Cara.” Max gave her a slight nod.
“New fan base?” asked Gillian as Jake took up the seat beside her.
“Young snowboard enthusiasts,” Jake answered, holding his hand out to Gillian. “Jake Dobson, Max’s cameraman.”
“Gillian Cranshaw. Cara’s sister.”
“Not hard to guess you’re related,” said Jake, glancing from one woman to the other.
Max seemed to take his seat next to Cara rather reluctantly. “You sure you don’t mind?” he asked.
“No problem.” She could do this. She’d force herself to do this, coolly,
Similar Books
