seemed to impress the majority of people he met, and James happily accepted whatever benefits went with that, in his own mind he had failed, big time. He hadn’t brought home a gold medal. He had spent years of single-minded dedication and focus only to fall short. He didn’t find what he regarded as his failure easy to accept. It was an uncomfortable paradox for him that the more lauded he was, the more he felt like a fraud. But with Nina it was different. He saw himself through her eyes and he liked the man he saw. He could respect him.
It was inevitable they would become lovers. The tight-knit community of Whistler assumed it had happened weeks before it actually did. But Nina preferred to take it very slowly. Unlike the rest of the hormone-driven young staff working a season at the international ski resort, she didn’t see sex as sport. It had to be special or she wasn’t interested. James had not been celibate for so long in years. And he was surprised to find he didn’t mind at all. He just wanted to be with her.
When finally it happened it was explosive for them both. The desire had been building for so long that once unleashed it erupted in an uncontrollable fury. At that first instant of naked skin against naked skin they both became delirious, pushing and yielding, trying to absorb the very essence of each other.
It was erotic, carnal, primal and thrilling. Afterwards they lay side by side, in awe, lookinginto each other’s eyes, feeling compelled to touch and stay entwined. Their gentle caresses enflamed their passion again and soon they were reaching hungrily for each other, desire building and exhausting itself, then building again, in one long continuous wave that lasted all night.
The next day Nina should have been exhausted. She wasn’t. She was exhilarated, full of energy and gaiety that rubbed off on everyone she came into contact with. James was the same. He marvelled at everything he saw. Suddenly the world was a most glorious, radiant place.
Their passion stayed at fever pitch for the next three months. They just couldn’t get enough of each other. A snatched five-minute cup of coffee was excruciating. It only fuelled their desire but they thought it was worth it just to be together for those fleeting moments.
And while it was never spoken of, it was always understood that at the end of the season Nina would go. She would move to Toronto with her newly acquired qualifications in interior design and start her career. The money she managed to save from her winter role would keep her going till she found a job.
But her plans hadn’t taken into account falling in love.
Nina and James’s farewell had been the hardest. It had been heart-wrenching, funny and frustrating. Once Nina had given back her apartment key and her suitcases were at the bus station, they had an hour left.
The outdoor bars were almost empty, a far cry from just a few weeks ago when the tables had been filled with holidaymakers, laughing and chatting and stomping about in their heavy ski boots after a day on the slopes. Lit braziers kept the chill at bay, turning the outdoor areas into cosy beer gardens. The braziers weren’t lit now and the sun had set but, wanting privacy, James and Nina chose a seat outside in the forecourt of a trendy bar-café.
They stared at each other, hands entwined, saying silly things. They both knew how the other felt. Words wouldn’t make it any easier. And yet they were engrossed in each other. James stroked Nina’s hand, turning it over in his own, tenderly tracing the lines on her palm. Nina watched him. She admired again the thick black hair that felt so springy to her touch, the tiny lines around his eyes from time spent in harsh sunlight on the slopes.
When the waitress brought their order she stopped for a chat. James and Nina didn’t feel like sharing each other and responded politely enough, hoping she would soon leave them alone.
‘I leave on tonight’s bus,’ Nina blurted
It was inevitable they would become lovers. The tight-knit community of Whistler assumed it had happened weeks before it actually did. But Nina preferred to take it very slowly. Unlike the rest of the hormone-driven young staff working a season at the international ski resort, she didn’t see sex as sport. It had to be special or she wasn’t interested. James had not been celibate for so long in years. And he was surprised to find he didn’t mind at all. He just wanted to be with her.
When finally it happened it was explosive for them both. The desire had been building for so long that once unleashed it erupted in an uncontrollable fury. At that first instant of naked skin against naked skin they both became delirious, pushing and yielding, trying to absorb the very essence of each other.
It was erotic, carnal, primal and thrilling. Afterwards they lay side by side, in awe, lookinginto each other’s eyes, feeling compelled to touch and stay entwined. Their gentle caresses enflamed their passion again and soon they were reaching hungrily for each other, desire building and exhausting itself, then building again, in one long continuous wave that lasted all night.
The next day Nina should have been exhausted. She wasn’t. She was exhilarated, full of energy and gaiety that rubbed off on everyone she came into contact with. James was the same. He marvelled at everything he saw. Suddenly the world was a most glorious, radiant place.
Their passion stayed at fever pitch for the next three months. They just couldn’t get enough of each other. A snatched five-minute cup of coffee was excruciating. It only fuelled their desire but they thought it was worth it just to be together for those fleeting moments.
And while it was never spoken of, it was always understood that at the end of the season Nina would go. She would move to Toronto with her newly acquired qualifications in interior design and start her career. The money she managed to save from her winter role would keep her going till she found a job.
But her plans hadn’t taken into account falling in love.
Nina and James’s farewell had been the hardest. It had been heart-wrenching, funny and frustrating. Once Nina had given back her apartment key and her suitcases were at the bus station, they had an hour left.
The outdoor bars were almost empty, a far cry from just a few weeks ago when the tables had been filled with holidaymakers, laughing and chatting and stomping about in their heavy ski boots after a day on the slopes. Lit braziers kept the chill at bay, turning the outdoor areas into cosy beer gardens. The braziers weren’t lit now and the sun had set but, wanting privacy, James and Nina chose a seat outside in the forecourt of a trendy bar-café.
They stared at each other, hands entwined, saying silly things. They both knew how the other felt. Words wouldn’t make it any easier. And yet they were engrossed in each other. James stroked Nina’s hand, turning it over in his own, tenderly tracing the lines on her palm. Nina watched him. She admired again the thick black hair that felt so springy to her touch, the tiny lines around his eyes from time spent in harsh sunlight on the slopes.
When the waitress brought their order she stopped for a chat. James and Nina didn’t feel like sharing each other and responded politely enough, hoping she would soon leave them alone.
‘I leave on tonight’s bus,’ Nina blurted
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