10
‘What do we think of Sluts of the Slope?’
I don’t dignify Tilly’s suggestion with a response.
‘I still think we should go with The Three Mu-ski-teers,’ Meghan says with a shrug, and I nod, nothing else coming to my mind.
I jot down our team’s name at the top of the piece of paper before reading the sheet on the boys’ table to see what they’ve come up with. ‘Yellow Snow, really?’
I’m glad to see they’re less creative and more immature than we are, leaving us with a better shot of winning the ‘best team name’ prize.
The quiz is taking place in a rustic après bar called Sommet de la Montagne, although we’re ironically at the bottom of the slopes.
I’ve watched the place slowly fill up whilst I’ve taken the opportunity to scan the room as many times as I can without anyone noticing and questioning me on it.
I go to take a sip from my pint only to realise I’ve already drained it. Mostly because of a stupid drinking game Tilly made up where the only rule is ‘sip any time Adam tries to charm me’. And so far tonight he’s been pulling out all the stops.
Speaking of the devil, he copies me and leans across the tables to peer at our answer sheet. ‘Hey, that name’s pretty good! Bet you came up with it, Lotts. You’re always great at puns.’
I mutter a thanks, and once he’s leant back towards his own table Tilly nods her head towards the empty pint glass in front of me. ‘That’s another sip. You’d better go and get another one. At this rate we’ll be carrying you home.’
I huff, hopping off my stool and wading through the groups of people standing around who arrived too late to secure a table, eventually making my way to the bar.
I’m not sure drinking loads is the smartest idea when we’ve got another early class tomorrow, but my brain has been on hyperdrive since we met up with the boys this afternoon.
I’m overanalysing everything Adam does and how it makes me feel, making mental tally charts with pros and cons, and right now I really want to stop. Seeing as getting time away from Adam isn’t an option, I decide another drink will help slow down my thoughts instead.
With the quiz starting soon and the bar filling up, there’s a thick crowd between me and the countertop.
While I wait, I scan around the bar again.
When I still can’t find him, my stomach sinks with the realisation he might not turn up.
I shouldn’t really care, I’m here for the quiz and to help Meghan and Tilly smash the boys. And yet…
Eventually, I advance far enough through the queue that there’s only one person in front of me. He was obscured before because he was leaning down with his elbows on the counter.
‘Cheers, mate,’ he says, taking a pint in each of his hands.
Hands that I’m very familiar with.
In the second before he turns to face me, I consider running away, or hiding behind someone, which is ridiculous because he’s the person I’ve been searching the room for since I arrived.
I end up not having time to move before he spots me, his hazel eyes bright in the dim light of the room.
‘Lottie, you made it.’
‘I guess I did,’ I say, trying to sound like there might’ve been a chance I wouldn’t. ‘We’ve got a team name and everything.’
‘That’s a good first step.’
Someone jostles him and a few drops of beer spill over the rim of the glass.
‘Hold on, give me one minute,’ he says, manoeuvring expertly through the crowd with the two drinks.
I take that as the opportunity to order my own. I lean forward on the bar to inspect the options they have on tap in case I want to try something else. But I make the decision to stick with the same cider as before, about to order it when I hear his voice again from my side.
‘No cups of tea tonight?’
‘I think tonight needs something a little stronger,’ I reply, still facing the bar.
I wait for the bartender to come over, only I’m drawn back to Rory when he speaks again, suddenly much closer.
‘There’s something I wanted to talk to you about earlier, in the shop,’ he says, and my breath catches.
I’ve been wondering what he’d been about to say when Tilly interrupted.
I’ve considered countless possibilities, some good, some bad, and now that I’m about to find out, I start to worry.
I turn to face him, nodding to let him know he can go on and hoping he doesn’t notice how my feet are shifting beneath me.
‘I wanted to say that I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier on the magic carpet,’ he says, his tone serious.
My eyebrows pull together in confusion. ‘You? But I should be apologising to you. I’m the one who fell into you and forced us into that situation in the first place.’
He can’t deny that, bouncing his head from side to side like he’s weighing up who’s to blame here. ‘True, but I shouldn’t have held onto you like that for so long. It was unprofessional of me, regardless of anything we’ve done before.’
Even without going into the details, that acknowledgement alone of our history makes my throat dry out, and I wish I had my refilled drink.
‘What I’m trying to say is, I understand if you want to switch classes. If you want me to arrange an alternative teacher for you and your friends, I will.’
I freeze, blinking slowly. That was not what I was expecting, and I let him know a little too quickly.
‘No, I don’t want— I mean, do you want that?’ I blurt out, hands doing weird little gestures as I point between the two of us.
‘No,’ he says, without any hesitation. ‘I don’t want that.’
‘Okay good, then it’s settled,’ I say, glad that matter’s been put to rest.
‘Good,’ he echoes back, the corners of his mouth twitching at the repetition. Then his focus shifts behind me as he points to one of the ciders on tap.
‘She’ll take a pint of Henry Weston,’ he says, and the bartender jumps into action.
‘How did you know that’s the one I wanted?’ I ask, equal parts confused and curious.
He points towards my old empty glass that still stands on the table with my friends. ‘I’m observant.’
I don’t know how to respond. I hadn’t been able to find him until now, so I thought he must’ve just arrived. But apparently he’s been very aware of where I’ve been.
‘Oh, well thanks, but I can’t let you pay for that,’ I say, reaching for my card from my wallet. I’m stilled when his hand closes over mine, stopping me.
‘It’s nothing, take it as a well done for getting through your first day on the slopes.’
I don’t notice him pay as I turn away from the bar only for my eyes to clash harshly with the icy stare of Adam.
I don’t know how long he’s been looking this way, but a good guess would be long enough for him to suspect something’s going on over here.
Not that there is, but when Rory hands me the glass, his fingers brushing over mine in a way that could suggest he’s more than a stranger, I glance over again and see Adam’s frown deepen.
I pull the pint in towards me and take a step back, widening the gap between us.
‘Thanks again for this. I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow then?’
‘Bye, Lottie,’ he says, and I can feel his attention on me still as I turn and walk back towards our table.
Even if I didn’t know he was currently watching me from across the room, the fact Tilly’s mouth is open in a silent squeal is indication enough.
Once I’m sat back down she won’t stop kicking me under the table, meanwhile Adam’s shifted his whole body to make it obvious he’s avoiding me like the plague.
A bit rich coming from him, but I ignore it and focus on the preppy woman with cherry-red hair who has appeared dressed in a staff T-shirt.
I consider telling Adam the truth, that the drink is nothing but an apology for an awkward encounter earlier in class.
Then again, I don’t think he’d be pleased to hear the details of the encounter, so I’m glad when the woman starts talking and draws everyone’s attention back to the point of the evening.
‘Welcome, everyone, to this week’s Topaz ski quiz night. I’m going to be kicking us off with our first round, everyone’s favourite…’
‘Musicals,’ I whisper.
‘Sports,’ comes a collective prayer from the boys’ table.
‘K-drama,’ Tilly guesses a little too optimistically.
But it’s Meghan who’s punching the air when the host announces it’ll be geography. ‘Hell yeah! I’m such a National Geographic nerd, we’re going to wipe the floor with the boys.’
Lucas nods. ‘She really is, honestly it’s a little weird how many random facts she knows about the social habits of otters.’
She reaches across the tables to shove his shoulder, leaving him wobbling on his barstool.
‘Don’t act like you don’t love it, I saw you googling photos of otters holding hands after that episode.’
We quieten down so we can hear the first question, which is sadly not about otters but is about postal abbreviations of US states, which is randomly another area of Meghan’s expertise.
I renounce ownership of the pen and answer sheet so she can frantically scribble down the answers whilst Tilly and I get to sit back and relax.
I start to zone out when question six rolls around, which is about ranking three countries from highest to lowest based on their banana exports, and I find myself scanning the room.
Rory’s leaning against the bar, looking directly at me, and my heartbeat quickens.
He doesn’t stop, unfazed by the fact I’ve caught him staring. How long has he been looking over here?
Another question gets called out, but I don’t hear it.
I’m distracted, still watching him when his mouth starts to move.
I can tell he’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t work out what.
I shake my head at him and shrug, so he tips his head towards Meghan.
I turn and find her with her head in her hands, eyes screwed shut.
‘Shit, I know this one, but I can’t remember whether it’s the Arctic or Antarctic desert that’s bigger.’
‘I thought the Sahara Desert was the biggest in the world?’ Tilly says, leaving Meghan shaking her head.