22. Ski Bunny
CHAPTER 22
SKI BUNNY
T he following day, after their cozy night by the fire, Addison and Tim woke up excited for their ski lesson. Addison had scheduled it for late morning, giving them time to wake up slowly after yesterday’s exhaustion.
Since neither skied often enough at home to own equipment, they headed to a rental outfitter a block down from the St. Regis, as the concierge had recommended.
They opted for a private lesson, just the two of them, but the instructor looked so young that Addison half-wondered if she should be working. Still, Addison figured she knew more about skiing than they did, so who were they to judge?
As the lesson began, it became clear that staying upright would be a challenge for both of them. Addison wobbled as she tried to follow the instructor’s directions, but her skis seemed determined to betray her. Why do I keep falling? I thought I was athletic until today. At least Tim is falling too, she thought, glancing over at him.
It was almost impossible for either of them to stay upright on their skis. They were overcome with laughter, which wasn’t exactly conducive to following the young, exasperated instructor’s directions.
“Um, so, I think we need to move on from working on your technique,” she said, raising her voice over their giggling. “Let’s get in at least one run so you can say you did it.”
Technically, they made it down the entire ski run, but it wasn’t pretty. Tim practically rolled down the mountain after tripping at the start, and Addison was shaky from start to finish.
The instructor looked thrilled when their lesson ended, and Addison and Tim were just as relieved.
“We should probably do that run one more time to get our money’s worth,” Tim said, though he didn’t sound enthusiastic.
“I think we’re lucky to be in one piece. Let’s go change and ice your bruised butt before dinner.”
They headed to The Wild Fig, a cozy Mediterranean brasserie in the center of town, which the concierge had recommended. They left their residence early enough to enjoy a chilly stroll, and both gaped when they happened upon a life-sized sculpture of a bear made entirely out of nails.
“He’s magnificent,” Addison declared, feeling a little buzzed from their après-ski champagne.
“Yes, and he has the right to bear arms—as long as it’s a nail gun,” Tim mused.
Addison rolled her eyes. “Nailed it.”
“Ohhh,” Tim exclaimed, pleasantly surprised by her playing along.
At the restaurant, the concierge had secured them a perfect table tucked into a cozy corner. The flickering candles and low lights made everything feel intimate. Under those warm lights, they shared a beautiful Moroccan roasted chicken and a hearty seafood stew, neither able to decide on just one dish from the extensive menu.
Their conversation naturally turned to their decision to move in together.
“Are you wed to staying in Georgetown?” Tim asked.
“I love it there, and I’m used to the neighborhood, but I’m not opposed to someplace else that still has the shops and conveniences of my current place. You’re the real estate guru.”
“Well, that’s pushing it since I’m all commercial and not residential. But I’ll find a great residential agent to get you the love nest of your dreams. I want to give you everything, Addie.”
With anyone else, Addison would’ve hesitated about the idea of cohabitating. But with Tim, it felt exciting, not scary.
“This isn’t all about me. You must have a laundry list of your wants and needs for our place,” she pointed out, spearing a piece of chicken.
“I’m not as fussy as you’d think,” Tim smiled. “Two bedrooms at a minimum, three ideally. That would give us space for at least one home office and another room for... the future.”
The future? Like a baby? Addison’s heart skipped. This is getting real.
“Okay, slow your roll a little. I agree about the two bedrooms, but we’ll need to see what the market looks like before we get in over our heads.”
“Addie, let’s just dream for tonight, okay?”
“In that case, I see us in a waterfront penthouse,” she laughed.
“I like your way of thinking. Okay, a waterfront penthouse and unlimited garage parking.”
“I forgot about that. Yes, agreed. And we’ll also want maids, a butler, and a private chef,” Addison said dreamily.
“I want to give you everything in the world, Addie. I’ll start saving.”
As they left the restaurant, snow began falling heavily. The magical atmosphere from earlier quickly faded as the cold seeped into Addison’s bones.
“I’ve never been so cold in my life,” she said, teeth chattering.
“Me neither,” Tim agreed, his breath forming clouds in front of him.
They hurried back toward their residence, regretting their decision to walk instead of calling the hotel’s shuttle service.
They were near the entrance when Tim’s foot hit an icy patch, sending him flying comically into the air before landing hard on the ground.
Addison gasped. “Holy crap. Are you okay?”
Tim groaned and tried to sit up. “I’m fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me.”
“You scared me when you didn’t answer,” she said, trying to help him up but making things more difficult.
“I’ve got it,” he said, slowly getting to his feet. “But let’s just say I hope you didn’t have any plans for anything physical tonight.”
“I’m only thinking about nursing you back to health,” Addison said as they carefully hobbled the last few feet to the hotel entrance.
Truth be told, neither of them were in great shape to begin with after the multiple falls on the slopes. They slept soundly that night and woke up feeling sorer than they had imagined possible.
“How can I be so out of shape that a few hours on the bunny slope made every muscle ache? Even my earlobes hurt,” Addison complained.
“You’ve been too busy flexing your brain muscles instead of working out,” Tim said slyly. “But even my regular gym trips did nothing to prepare me for skiing. Ugh, I can barely move.”
“Then let’s just hang out today. We can always eat at the restaurant downstairs if we still hurt later.”
“That sounds perfect, Addie. Hey, this gives us a chance to talk. Tell me all about how things went with Lexi. I assume you’ve had time to get over any horrors by now.”
I knew this was coming, yet I’m completely unprepared. Should I continue lying or come clean and tell him I haven’t talked to her yet?
“Earth to Addie. Are you with me?” Tim said, amused.
She was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to tap dance around Tim’s direct question. If she continued the lie, they would have a nice trip, and she could stick to the plan of telling Lexi when they got home. But continuing to lie to him was a line she didn’t want to cross any further. He’d be furious if he found out.
“Um,” she began but trailed off.
“It can’t have been that bad. Even so, she’ll be over it by the time we get home.”
I have to tell him. I’m not a liar, and it’s already gone too far.
Addison took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “Here’s the thing... I didn’t tell her.” She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to spontaneously combust or something equally dramatic enough to make Tim forget this conversation was happening.
Tim remained silent. Addison opened one eye to check on him.
Tim’s face was beet red, and he seemed at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed uselessly.
“I have a good reason,” Addison said meekly, even though she knew she didn’t.
Tim remained silent, but his hands were balled into tight fists.
“The timing wasn’t right,” she added. Say something. Please.
Tim stood up and walked into the bedroom. Addison got up to follow him, but he quietly closed the door before she could catch up. How is his silence and calmness so much scarier than him yelling? Addison pressed her ear to the door and heard Tim moving inside.
She tugged at the ends of her ponytail, working out a few kinks from sleeping on it. “Tim?” she called through the door. No answer, but she could hear continued movement.
Addison dropped to the floor and sat, waiting for him to come out. He just needs some time to cool off. He’d be yelling if it were that bad, right? She tugged on her ponytail again, nerves making her fingers fidget. I’ve never seen him angry. What do I know?
The shower turned on. Addison tried the bedroom door. Locked. Childish, but I’ll wait him out.
She sat back down to wait for Tim to come back out. They hadn’t fought before, so this was a complete unknown. Tim’s certainly never been a hothead, so I probably shouldn’t panic. It would be really bad if he were yelling or slamming around. Everything sounds calm in there.
She perked up when she heard the shower turned off and let her mind race. She went over all the ways she would explain things. I have it all planned out for when we get back. Lexi’s going to be fine. She’s my best friend. He has to trust my judgment. Addison felt her indignant side creeping in. This is my friendship, not his. He’s out of line. It’s none of his business how I handle things with Lexi. It doesn’t even affect him.
By the time Tim emerged, Addison had convinced herself she was ready for the conversation. But she wasn’t prepared to see him pulling his suitcase behind him. Addison gasped. “What are you doing?”
“I scheduled a flight for this afternoon. I’m on standby for an earlier one,” Tim said flatly.
“What? Why?” Addison asked, her voice rising in panic.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Please, don’t go. I can explain. It’s not that big of a deal,” she said, her voice edging toward a whine.
“Addison, I need to leave. I’m going to regret things I say and how I act if I don’t,” Tim said, heading toward the front door.
“What does this mean?” Addison asked, suddenly aware that her whole body was trembling.
“It means I can’t trust you. I refuse to be with someone I can’t trust, no matter how much I love you.”
We’re breaking up? Yet he still loves me? This can’t be happening.
“But I love you, too,” she said weakly.
“It’s not enough,” Tim said, closing the front door behind him.