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Authors: Audrey Bell
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know him. Way too good-looking to trust.
He sorts his silverware from his plate, tosses an empty cup into a gray bin. Even underneath his sweatshirt, you can make out the broadness of his shoulders. His hood does nothing to hide his strong jaw, and… shit. I need to stop staring.
I break my gaze and look at Lottie, who is smirking.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she says.
“What?” I repeat.
“You’re kind of drooling.”
“I’m not drooling.”
“It’s fine if you’re drooling, Pippa. He’s really cute.”
“New topic,” Joe announces quickly.
“What’s the new topic?”
“Doug Cannon is here.”
I raise my eyebrow. Doug Cannon has won Olympic gold medals than any other person in history. Not just in skiing—out of all Olympians.
He retired in the early ‘90s and owns his own mountain resort out in Idaho, but is name hasn’t lost any of its power.
“Where?” Lottie says, swiveling her head. “Why? How? Let’s go introduce ourselves.”
“No, no, no,” Joe explains. “Not like in the cafeteria. He’s on the mountain. Parker saw him watching earlier.”
“Oh my fucking god. That’s amazing,” Lottie says. “Like, amazing.”
“I know,” Joe says.
“Are you sure its him?”
“Yes.”
“How come you didn’t tell us the minute we sat down?”
“Because you were drooling over Hunter?”
“I wasn’t drooling,” Lottie replies, indignantly. “ She was.”
“No,” I say. “I was glaring.”
“Why would you be glaring? I really don’t think he’s that big of a jerk,” Lottie says.
“I’d steer clear,” Joe says darkly.
“Yeah? Why’s that?” I ask, unable to help myself.
“I’ve just heard some stories. I mean, the guy has a lot of money and he parties a lot. I’d just—I’d steer clear.”
“I’m not interested in dating him,” I say, more for my own benefit than anyone else’s.
Joe nods. “Nobody said you were.”
“You implied it.”
“Well, he’s a big step down from Danny,” Joe says, unable to keep the emotional edge out of his voice. “Maybe not in the money and looks and fame category, but in the human being category…”
“Hey,” Lottie snaps at Joe.
Joe glances at me cautiously. Maybe he’s not aware of how upsetting it is to hear him talk like that, like I’m going to jump into bed with Hunter and what an insult to Danny’s memory it would be.
Maybe not in the money and looks category…
“Sorry,” he says softly. “I just—I didn’t mean it, like…I don’t want you to…” He takes a deep breath. “All I meant was he’s known for being an asshole to girls. And you’ve been through a lot already.”
I look into Joe’s deep brown eyes and believe him. “You don’t think I miss Danny?”
“I-I know that. I mean,” he bites his lip. “Right—I really didn’t mean it like that.”
“I don’t care how much money anyone has.”
Joe looks miserable.
“And there’s no one I’d rather look at right now than Danny,” I manage to say.
“I. I’m sorry, Pippa. That’s not what I meant.”
“Okay,” I say calmly. “Fine.” I take a deep breath and smile at Lottie and at Joe. “Just wanted to clear that up.”
He nods. “Got it. Sorry.”
Lottie rolls her eyes. “Joe, you should really take a vow of silence.”
“I might look into it,” Joe says blushing.
I smile wearily at both of them. At least, I’ve forgotten briefly about the people staring. That counts for something, right?
***
I remember Danny in this same cafeteria two years ago, the night before the races. He’d been nervous, he kept spinning his plate, and twisting his pasta up on his fork but not eating any of it because his stomach was heaving with anxiety.
He and Ryan never ate together before races. They were each other’s number one competition. Danny couldn’t handle it, because Danny was always losing out to Ryan.
“I just want to feel even for once,” he told me that night. He was talking about Ryan, how he
He sorts his silverware from his plate, tosses an empty cup into a gray bin. Even underneath his sweatshirt, you can make out the broadness of his shoulders. His hood does nothing to hide his strong jaw, and… shit. I need to stop staring.
I break my gaze and look at Lottie, who is smirking.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she says.
“What?” I repeat.
“You’re kind of drooling.”
“I’m not drooling.”
“It’s fine if you’re drooling, Pippa. He’s really cute.”
“New topic,” Joe announces quickly.
“What’s the new topic?”
“Doug Cannon is here.”
I raise my eyebrow. Doug Cannon has won Olympic gold medals than any other person in history. Not just in skiing—out of all Olympians.
He retired in the early ‘90s and owns his own mountain resort out in Idaho, but is name hasn’t lost any of its power.
“Where?” Lottie says, swiveling her head. “Why? How? Let’s go introduce ourselves.”
“No, no, no,” Joe explains. “Not like in the cafeteria. He’s on the mountain. Parker saw him watching earlier.”
“Oh my fucking god. That’s amazing,” Lottie says. “Like, amazing.”
“I know,” Joe says.
“Are you sure its him?”
“Yes.”
“How come you didn’t tell us the minute we sat down?”
“Because you were drooling over Hunter?”
“I wasn’t drooling,” Lottie replies, indignantly. “ She was.”
“No,” I say. “I was glaring.”
“Why would you be glaring? I really don’t think he’s that big of a jerk,” Lottie says.
“I’d steer clear,” Joe says darkly.
“Yeah? Why’s that?” I ask, unable to help myself.
“I’ve just heard some stories. I mean, the guy has a lot of money and he parties a lot. I’d just—I’d steer clear.”
“I’m not interested in dating him,” I say, more for my own benefit than anyone else’s.
Joe nods. “Nobody said you were.”
“You implied it.”
“Well, he’s a big step down from Danny,” Joe says, unable to keep the emotional edge out of his voice. “Maybe not in the money and looks and fame category, but in the human being category…”
“Hey,” Lottie snaps at Joe.
Joe glances at me cautiously. Maybe he’s not aware of how upsetting it is to hear him talk like that, like I’m going to jump into bed with Hunter and what an insult to Danny’s memory it would be.
Maybe not in the money and looks category…
“Sorry,” he says softly. “I just—I didn’t mean it, like…I don’t want you to…” He takes a deep breath. “All I meant was he’s known for being an asshole to girls. And you’ve been through a lot already.”
I look into Joe’s deep brown eyes and believe him. “You don’t think I miss Danny?”
“I-I know that. I mean,” he bites his lip. “Right—I really didn’t mean it like that.”
“I don’t care how much money anyone has.”
Joe looks miserable.
“And there’s no one I’d rather look at right now than Danny,” I manage to say.
“I. I’m sorry, Pippa. That’s not what I meant.”
“Okay,” I say calmly. “Fine.” I take a deep breath and smile at Lottie and at Joe. “Just wanted to clear that up.”
He nods. “Got it. Sorry.”
Lottie rolls her eyes. “Joe, you should really take a vow of silence.”
“I might look into it,” Joe says blushing.
I smile wearily at both of them. At least, I’ve forgotten briefly about the people staring. That counts for something, right?
***
I remember Danny in this same cafeteria two years ago, the night before the races. He’d been nervous, he kept spinning his plate, and twisting his pasta up on his fork but not eating any of it because his stomach was heaving with anxiety.
He and Ryan never ate together before races. They were each other’s number one competition. Danny couldn’t handle it, because Danny was always losing out to Ryan.
“I just want to feel even for once,” he told me that night. He was talking about Ryan, how he
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