Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
MARIAM
“ I can’t freaking believe how well launch day is going,” I gushed to Gabby when she came out to the slopes to bring me some coffee. “It’s incredible. Have you ever been part of anything like this?”
Her gaze scanned the area around us before she shook her head and smiled at me. “Never. It’s pretty awesome, though. Did you know there were going to be this many people here today?”
“Nope.” Athletes had been arriving all morning and there were several brightly colored tents set up for them at the base of the mountain, where Gabby had been helping me oversee everything.
Between the tents, the staff, the athletes, the guests, and everyone’s families, the mountain was finally alive with laughter and activity, the vibe festive and joyful. Some spilled out from the bar and restaurant areas of the main lodge and speakers had been set up out here as well.
Upbeat pop music flowed from them, interspersed with some of the more lively Christmas songs. Food trucks providing snacks and quick bites were parked around the perimeter, as well as several vendors selling a variety of hot and cold drinks.
I grinned at Gabby as I finally tore my gaze away from the scene around me. “They’re doing the presentation and the athletes’ introductions soon. Do you want to take a break with me? I’m not on duty for any of that. Arland is handling it himself.”
“I’m free too,” she replied with a relieved smile. “Brian told most of us to use that time to take our break. Elizabeth should be available too.”
“She is,” I said, squinting as I took a look around in search of our friend. I’d seen her earlier showing a reporter around. Since she was wearing a bright pink ski jacket, it didn’t take me long to find her. “There. Let’s go grab her, then maybe we can get something to eat. I haven’t even had breakfast yet.”
Gabby laughed. “Same here, girl. What a morning! It was definitely worth the early start, though. When I got into the office, there was almost no one here and just look at this place now. Brian and Arland have a real winner on their hands with this place.”
“Agreed.” I linked my arm through hers, feeling my chest swell with pride as I processed just how much of a success the place was so far.
After all the hard work they’d put into the Chalet, I was ecstatic for them. Way more people had shown up for opening day than we’d been expecting, the locals seemed to be super excited about the new addition to the town, and guests from further afield had either already booked their stay or they were simply enjoying the facilities.
Elizabeth had also told me when I’d run into her this morning that Everwood was fast gaining followers on social media. She’d said many of our guests had made use of the spots she’d set up to take pictures for Instagram and the other sites, and thankfully, those pics were being posted and the Chalet was being tagged. She’d also told me that she was seeing quite a bit of engagement on those platforms, all of which was incredibly positive news.
As Gabby and I joined her, she turned to give us a bright smile. “Can you guys believe all this? I can’t. My phone keeps ringing with calls from travel bloggers and journalists. It’s so freaking cool!”
I laughed. “I just told Gabby almost exactly the same thing. I can’t believe it either. It’s amazing.”
“I kind of feel like we should do something special to celebrate,” Elizabeth said, her brow furrowing as she looked around. “Do either of you have any ideas?”
One popped into my head and I cringed at the thought, but it was pretty perfect for today. Before I could decide whether or not to bring it up to the girls, Gabby arched an eyebrow at me, obviously having noticed the cringe.
“What is it?”
I shrugged, seriously uncertain about whether I wanted to do this. “It’s nothing really. I just, uh, I have one more item left from that Naughty List I told you guys about, and as it happens, it involves a sporting event.”
Elizabeth suddenly smirked, as if she could guess what a fourteen-year-old might have instructed their future self to do at such an event. “What is it?”
I groaned and wrinkled my nose but pulled my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll tell you in a minute. Let me just get Laurel and Gemma on the line.”
Gabby chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be good if you want to tell us all together.”
“It might be good for you, but it’s definitely not good for me.” I scrolled to the group chat the girls and I shared and hit the video icon, lifting the device so they’d see my face instead of looking up my nostrils.
Gemma popped up first, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. My heart ached for her, everything inside me wishing I could’ve been there to give her a hug. Despite her misery, however, she still managed to muster a smile.
“Hello, ladies. How are you all doing this morning? I take it opening day is going well.”
“It’s going so well,” I said, frowning as I studied her face. Gemma had never looked so darn sad and it killed me. “Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be.” She inhaled deeply, then glanced at the corner of the screen where an equally heartbroken Laurel had appeared. “How are you holding up?”
“Like crap,” Laurel replied honestly. “I’m just trying to take things day by day, though. What’s up?” She paused, then her eyes widened when she saw whatever she was looking at behind me. “Wow. That looks amazing. Damn it. I really wish we could’ve been there.”
“Same,” Gemma and I said in unison.
Elizabeth cleared her throat and came up beside me so she could look at them over my shoulder. “We were just talking about what we could do to celebrate a successful launch and Mariam mentioned her list. She has one item left and apparently it involves a sporting event.”
“I told you that you shouldn’t have looked at all your items right away,” Gemma teased lightly. “There’s no getting out of it now, my friend. If your final item involves a sporting event and you happen to be at such an event, then you’d better get to it. Who’s going to hold the phone so we can watch?”
“I will,” Gabby volunteered before meeting my gaze. “As soon as Mariam tells us what exactly she has to do.”
I flinched, dread pooling in my stomach. I inhaled in an attempt to breathe past it, but I still had to force out the words. “I have to streak.”
“Streak at a sporting event.” Elizabeth giggled as she nudged me. “That’s a wild one. I suddenly have the urge to start a list of my own.”
“Yeah, except that there’s no way I’m actually doing that,” I said, bringing my gaze back to the screen. “I really might have to tap out on this one. First of all, it’s unbelievably cold here today, and secondly, it could be a public relations disaster for the Chalet if someone spots a naked chick on the slopes on day one.”
“I’ll handle it if that happens,” Elizabeth said immediately. She winked at me. “Isn’t it a blessing to have the marketing person for the resort as a friend? You can run around naked all you like and I’ll clean up the mess if anything happens.”
I groaned. “It’s still freaking cold.”
Gabby waved me off. “It’ll be much worse in a couple weeks. You’ll survive. Trust me.”
“There’s no way you’re tapping out of this one,” Gemma said, flashing me a beautiful, genuinely excited smile. “It’s the best one we’ve seen. You have to do it.”
Panic surged through me, sending icicles shooting through my veins. I never should’ve brought this up to begin with. My lungs shrank, my legs started going numb, and my hands became shaky, but then I remembered how far I’d come in these last couple months.
I’d faced so many of my fears and I felt like I’d become so much stronger for having followed through despite how scared I’d been. There had been so many reasons not to sell my half of the company, not to take the job with my brother, and not to move to Sun Valley. I’d had so many concerns about allowing myself to get close to Arland and yet I was happier now than I’d ever been.
With him, here in Sun Valley, working for him and my brother, I felt like I was finally discovering who I really was—and I liked that girl.
Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded just as the announcement was made calling people into the main building for the presentation. I waited for my brother’s voice to disappear from the speakers before I made eye contact with each of my friends in turn.
“Fine. I’ll do it. Let’s just wait for everyone to clear from outside. The athletes will all be going in for their introductions and most of the guests will be there too. Brian told me everyone was invited to the presentation as they arrived. There are prizes to be won and swag bags available, so I’m expecting the slopes to empty out pretty fast.”
Gabby clapped her hands together and squealed, clearly excited about the fact that I was about to get naked in the bitter cold. “I wish I had the guts to do something like this. You’re pretty cool, Mimi.”
I scoffed down nervous laughter that was threatening to bubble out of me. “I’m about to turn my butt into a popsicle, but you’re welcome to join me.”
“No, thanks,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll just hold the camera and a robe for you at the bottom of the slope. Do you want to go to the bunny hill?”
“Yes, please.” I grabbed Gabby’s arm and dragged her to the tiny training slope, heading to the top while Elizabeth jogged back to the lodge to grab a fluffy robe for me.
By the time she got back, the mountain was almost completely empty, and judging by the flashing lights I could see through the windows in the banquet hall, the presentation had begun. I shook my arms out at my sides and took a long, deep breath as I eyed the short distance to the bottom. Murmuring to myself under my breath, I sat down to swap out my shoes for ski boots and collected my skis from the rack beside the slope.
Arland and I had been coming out here whenever we had a moment, and I’d gotten pretty okay at staying upright, managing to make it down slightly more challenging slopes than this one. I still liked to practice here, though.
And now, I had my chance to complete the final item on my bucket list. If I did this, I would have pushed my own boundaries further than I ever would’ve thought possible and I would have taken that walk on the wild side that I’d been craving all my life.
Do it, that mischievous yet courageous voice inside me whispered. Do it now, or forever hold your peace.
I took a final, deep breath, squeezing my eyes shut, and I decided to listen to that voice. The next thing I knew, I was throwing my clothes off, simply pushing my pants and panties down to the tops of the boots and leaving my shirt, sweater, and jacket on the snow at the top of the hill, and then I took off. The initial shock of cold was countered by the adrenaline rushing through my veins, and mercifully, that meant that I didn’t instantly become hypothermic and die like I thought I might.
As I slid down the mild slope on my skis, I was aware of the icy air brushing my skin, but I still felt weirdly hot. My heart was pounding and my cheeks were on fire, exhilaration racing through my blood.
I’m doing it! I can’t believe I’m actually doing it.
A wide smile split my face in half and I started laughing, tossing my arms up into the air and not caring that my boobs were probably flapping around in the wind. Laurel and Gemma were rolling with laughter by the time I slid to a stop in front of Elizabeth and Gabby, who were laughing just as hard.
I grabbed the robe Elizabeth offered up, only too thankful for the warmth it provided now that my run was over. “Damn, that was awesome, but I can’t feel my butt cheeks.”
My comment elicited more laughter from my friends, and I hugged the robe tighter around myself, my own laughter subsiding into giggles as I looked around, wondering if anyone had seen me.
“We’re still alone,” Gabby assured me as she tried to catch her breath between chuckles of her own. “There hasn’t been another soul out here since you started.”
“In that case.” I grinned as excitement surged through me. “I have officially marked off the final item on my list. I just streaked, in the snow, at a sporting event. Who even am I?”
And then I started laughing again, so hard that I cried. In that moment, I felt freer and more confident than I ever had, and as crazy as it was, I was suddenly beyond grateful to the fourteen-year-olds we had once been.
Laurel, Gemma, and I had changed our own lives almost fifteen years ago, and we hadn’t even known it until now.