Chapter 15 #2
Maya comes my way. “Ready for l—whoa, what’s with the sour face?”
“Nothing. Just hungry, let’s go.”
Maya stops me. “You sure?”
I take one more look back at Noah, and he winks in my direction, making my ears burn underneath my knitted hat. “Just a dog not knowing his place, that’s all.”
Maya has convinced every Olympian to sit with us during lunch, talking their ears off about how she grew up here with me.
Noah’s PA surprises us and takes an empty seat next to Mark, glued to his phone, typing vigorously while sitting in his crisp business suit.
His blond hair is slicked on the sides, his nose straight, looking down.
Maya eyes him from her seat. ”Who are you?”
He looks up briefly. “Who are you?”
Oh, boy. He has no idea what he has just started.
“Maya Gomez, daughter of the owners who run this establishment.” Her words are clipped.
He smirks. “Henry. I’m Noah’s personal assistant.” He has no intention of extending a hand; instead, he looks back down at his phone, typing away.
“Why does he need his assistant here?” Maya leans forward, trying to get his attention.
He barely looks up and says, “Because a twenty-six-year-old man can’t function without someone running his errands, that's why.”
“Oof, harsh, Henry.” Noah arrives, his arm slung over a pretty blonde’s shoulder, guiding her directly to our table. I try to remain focused on my measly salad, moving cherry tomatoes around on my plate, when the fucker decides to sit directly across from me.
“You hired me for my expertise, not for being nice.” But they playfully nudge each other.
“There’s the shithead,” comments Mark, sliding down a bottle of water.
Noah catches it before it topples over, unscrewing the cap and taking a swing. Focusing hard on my food, I know he’s grilling me over the bottle in his mouth.
I peek, watching him take a few big gulps, his Adam's apple moving up and down, then crush it with his bare hands. “Thanks, man.”
Henry must’ve gone to grab him some food, cause I hear a ceramic plate slide in front of him, my eyes catching a glimpse of a silver fork and knife in his big hands. “Thanks.”
“Hannah, when do you think we can see the photos from today’s practice?” asks Cody, forcing me to join the conversation.
I grind my teeth and make sure my eyes land solely on Cody,
“Soon. Another day's worth and they’ll be added to the new website and ad by the end of this week.”
“I bet you got some sick shots,” adds Mark.
“I actually looked you up the other night, and I must say, you have impressive work,” Taylor compliments.
I blush. “Thank you.”
Noah leans forward when I keep my eyes trained to look everywhere but at his intense stare. “It’s good we hired someone with experience, then. A true professional.”
I clench my hands under the table. He’s mocking me from earlier. Don’t you dare cave, Hannah.
He continues. “But it’s interesting. I have yet to experience her work firsthand. Tell me, Red, when is it my turn to pose for you?”
I snap, the pressure of his words cutting my twig of restraint in half. I unleash my death stare, finding an amused Noah smirking at me. “Depends, when you’re done sticking your tongue down every girl's throat.”
Our eyes connect, his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes sizzling my skin from his unrelenting stare.
He smiles, a contagious sight, enjoying this little one-sided game way too much. “Jealous, it's not you?”
“Of being another notch on your belt? I’ll pass.”
Henry freezes mid-text, eyes darting between us. “Is there something I should know about?”
Maya lightly touches my arm, silently asking if I’m okay.
Noah ignores Henry. “I don’t plan on changing my ways, so get used to it, Red.” The girl next to him slithers her arms across his chest, like a cat in heat.
That does it. “Then you’re out of luck for your shots.” I lean back, crossing my arms.
Everyone at the table goes silent. I can hear Maya swallow, all eyes darting from Noah’s face to mine.
But he only smiles, shaking his head, and cuddles closer to the mysterious blonde, tickling her ear with his nose. I’m gripping my fork so hard, Maya has a hard time prying it from my hands.
It’s all a game to him that he thinks he can get away with because he’s helping out. He’s relaxing back in his chair, playing with the mysterious blonde’s hair.
I wish I could hit something.
Ella and Elise arrive, smiling from ear to ear, waving a spiral notebook at us.
“Ladies, it’s nice that you finally joined us,” states Taylor.
“Yeah, we practiced on the halfpipe today, very smooth. Nailed all my jumps,” boasts Cody.
Ella smiles at Cody, her cheeks flush. Ah, to be seventeen again and have a crush.
They both sit in unison. “Our father had us on a mission these past couple of days, and we’re actually here to speak with Maya and Hannah…alone.” Elise eyes the men, forcing them to remove themselves.
Noah is the first to leave, taking his blonde with him, ignoring all but his PA, who talks to him in hushed tones.
Ella leans forward, smirking. “It’s nice to see Noah get challenged by someone, especially a woman.”
I stab my salad, hearing the fork grind against the plate. “I didn’t ask for it. He just won’t take the hint.”
Elise laughs. “You’re his new fascination.”
I’m about to leave my food and dip when Ella stops me.
“Please stay. We’re sorry if the topic of Noah irks you.
It’s actually good you’re both here.” She pulls out a notebook, thumbing through the pages until she finds the right spot.
“Your dad, Maya, and ours had us on a little excursion. We decided to speak with neighboring resorts’ guests, ask them if they would be interested in our little event. ”
Ella slides the notebook toward us and points to a quick sketch of a bar graph.
Elise finishes for her sister. “And let’s just say, the results are quite in your favor, that’s if all members, including dearest Noah, participate according to plan.”
Our hearts must’ve burst at the same time, because Maya reaches for me.
The twins compiled a survey from the surrounding resorts, along with a quick breakdown of potential revenue from the event alone.
As Elise said, if everything goes according to plan, Snowy Peaks could survive after all.