12
‘I believe it’s time to take our lesson to new heights.’ Rory addresses the group, pointing further up the mountain and I turn my attention to the chairlift.
As a group we move to join the queue, splitting into smaller clumps. I instinctively move towards Tilly and Meghan.
‘Stephen, you must sit with us!’ Tilly calls out before I reach them.
I still move to join the row, only for Penny to swoop in and corral me to the front of the queue with her.
‘Do be a dear and help me out, I’m terribly nervous of these things,’ she says, glancing around and catching Rory’s attention too. ‘And you, I think I’ll need both of you helping me off at the top.’
‘And what about me?’ Bill grumbles, as usual giving the impression that he’d rather be anywhere else.
‘You’ll survive without me for a few minutes. Go and sit with the others,’ she replies, waving him into the remaining space in the row behind whilst positioning herself between Rory and me.
We wait at the barrier, Rory giving timely instructions to Penny.
Once the barrier opens, we move quickly into position as the empty lift swings around, and the three of us sit down on Rory’s count and he pulls down the lap bar.
As we ascend, I stare out over the rolling snow-covered mountains, content to sit in silence for the journey and take in the view from a new angle.
I wish I had my paints and a canvas right now so I could capture the beauty of the landscape.
I usually only draw with pencil, little occasional sketches, unless it’s someone’s birthday and I crack open the nicer stuff.
Recently, I haven’t been inspired to open my sketchbook much, but here it’s hard not to wish that’s what I was doing all day.
I’m happy being left to my thoughts, but Penny clearly has other ideas.
‘How old are you, Rory?’
I twist around to face her, shocked that she’s asking such a personal question.
‘If it helps, I’m sixty-five, which I know must be shocking given my sprightliness.’
Given that she already told us this fact yesterday I don’t see why it should be reason enough for Rory to admit his age. I realise that despite our history, we never actually covered the ‘how old are you’ thing.
It wasn’t important at the time, first date fodder in the same category as ‘how many siblings do you have’, or ‘what’s your favourite colour’, the latter of which I can now answer, but for a one-night stand I wasn’t that fussed.
But now, I’m worried that he’ll answer and he’ll say something way outside of the range I’m comfortable with. Some people look younger than they are, so maybe he’s much older, thirty-five perhaps. Or maybe the opposite is true and he’s just turned eighteen. Does that make things weird?
‘Twenty-eight,’ Rory replies stiffly, and I find myself breathing a sigh of relief.
Penny nods, and I try to relax again and let that line of questioning die down.
‘And you, Lottie?’
‘Me?’ I startle, as if she could be talking to someone else, another Lottie maybe, but it’s only the three of us on the lift, and I doubt she’s addressing someone on the ground twenty feet below us.
‘Uh…’ I consider not answering, but even though I don’t know her that well I get the idea she’ll find a way to get the answer out of me anyway.
‘I’m twenty-seven,’ I confess, and I watch as she sits straighter, her face brightening.
‘That’ll do quite nicely then. A few more questions for you, Rory. What are your thoughts on marriage? Children? Perhaps an estimate of your annual salary and any stock or shares you own?’
‘Oh look, we’re about to reach the top,’ Rory cuts in and I’m grateful for the interruption to the inquisition Penny was beginning.
‘Lap bar up, everyone, and get ready to stand. Penny, do you think you’re going to be okay with this bit? You said earlier you found it a bit daunt—’
Before he finishes his sentence she’s already stood up and is gliding down the short slope, coming to a smooth stop at what I guess must be the start of the run.
Luckily, I manage to disembark with much more success than this morning, and while Rory waits for the rest of the class, I make a beeline for Penny.
She sees me approach and continues dusting snow off her jacket as if nothing has happened.
‘What was that all about? Are you planning on writing his memoir?’
‘I thought I’d help speed things along a bit. Ask the difficult questions, work out if he might be a good fit practically.’
‘A good fit? Penny, are you trying your hand at matchmaking?’
The cheeky rise of her cheeks confirms it, and I groan.
‘Does this have something to do with our conversation earlier, and whatever mysterious “look” you referred to?’
‘Maybe,’ she replies. ‘I’ve seen that look many a time in my life, and that boy’s got it bad.’
‘What look?’
‘The look of love.’
‘Ha!’ I shout, the sound escaping me involuntarily, but I can’t help finding her words ridiculous and laughable. ‘Nope, I think you’re a bit confused, you don’t know the whole story.’
‘See for yourself, he’s doing it right now.’ She points behind my back, but I don’t bother turning.
‘He’s probably looking at me because he’s doing a headcount of the class. Honestly, Penny, my life isn’t a Jane Austen novel, and you’re not Emma. Besides, if Rory’s “looking” at me in a weird way it’s not because he loves me, it’s because we slept together back in London!’
The words leave my mouth before I think to stop myself.
I also didn’t catch myself fast enough to at least say it in a whisper, a fact I instantly regret when I turn and realise the rest of our ski class are now standing right next to us.
I scan the group trying to figure out whether they heard or not. The awkward silence, blank stares and the way Tilly and Meghan are barely containing their laughter are more than enough clues. They heard everything.
Rory’s face, however, betrays nothing. ‘You two ladies ready to join the rest of us?’
My cheeks start to blush, feeling mortified at every event since getting on that chairlift.
‘For now,’ Penny says, before leaning into my side to whisper, ‘but we’re going to come back to this later. Hot chocolates after class, on me.’
I bury my face in my gloved hands as everyone starts shuffling towards the beginning of the run.
‘I won’t fall if you won’t,’ Stephen says from where he’s paused in front of me, gracefully not commenting on the massive cat I just let out of the bag.
I smile, falling into a slow slide closely behind him, and all together our group weave down the slope.
Safe to say, I do fall, as does Stephen.
By the time we reach the bottom my glutes are burning from maintaining a constant snow plough for fear of losing control or taking out any unsuspecting skiers, but it’s a good burn.
Satisfying. Besides, everyone has had at least one fall on the way, so I’m not too embarrassed.
Apart from Penny, that is, and I’m starting to question why she’s in a lesson at all when she seems a lot more competent than the rest of us.
We do the same run a couple more times, and I think Rory’s avoiding me as he takes the lift with Stephen, Penny and Bill. I only hope Penny’s not still grilling him in my absence.
‘We should be ready to ski with the boys soon!’ Meghan says, patting me on the back after our final run of the class.
‘Maybe this afternoon? Do you want to text the others again about where to meet us?’ Tilly asks, and Meghan happily pulls out her phone.
After she’s texted Lucas, we head towards a rack where everyone is hanging their skis before going into the après bar. Moments after I’ve hung up my poles, an arm laces itself through mine.
‘Help an old woman to the table,’ Penny says, although if there’s someone leading us it’s definitely her and not me.
‘I saw you on those slopes. You’re more than capable of getting yourself up these steps, Penny,’ I say, taking this as my chance to question her. ‘On that subject, why is it that you’re in our lesson when it’s clear you’ve been skiing before? A lot.’
‘Ah, I knew you were a clever one,’ she says, sharing a conspiratorial smile with me.
‘Well, partly it’s to keep Bill company, he hasn’t skied as much as I have, but as you may have gathered, I’m quite a people person.
Doing things like this, meeting new people, it keeps me young.
I skied a lot in my teenage years, and as luck would have it, these old legs have still got it, but I liked the idea of being in a group.
All going through something together, hearing the gossip.
And you, dear’ – she pauses to give my arm a pat where her hand rests – ‘you’ve given me much more drama than I was expecting. ’
‘Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, because I can assure you nothing is going on. Rory and I met once in London, but that’s the end of the story. Running into each other again here is pure coincidence, and I’m sure more of a nuisance for him than anything else.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ she says, as she gives my arm one last squeeze before joining Bill at the end of the table we’ve secured.
I try to find an empty seat at the long table.
Tilly and Meghan both sit opposite Rory, and the only space left is the one to his left.
I awkwardly waddle over in my ski boots, which are impossible to look sexy in.
Once I’m sitting, I turn to face him straight away, determined to apologise as quickly as possible.
‘I wanted to apol—’
‘Do you want this—’
He starts talking at the same time, throwing us into an awkward silence as we both wait for the other to go first. Opposite us, Meghan and Tilly watch over the tops of their pint glasses, taking slow sips as if they’re witnessing a film unfolding.
‘I wanted to apologise, for what happened on the mountain.’
‘You don’t need to apologise. I don’t mind people knowing,’ he says, brushing it off, and I realise I’ve been overthinking everything since that moment.
‘Oh, good.’
‘Good,’ he echoes back, and we’re back to that again. ‘Do you want a drink? I assumed you’d want a cider, but I can get you something else?’