Chapter 4
December 23rd
“Thank you, Claire, for your work on the new airport plan. We’ve got everything set in motion now.” Patricia’s words were blunt. I was holding my breath, assuming her reason for calling me first thing that morning was to fire me. But she surprised me.
“The CEO was happy with the finishing touches on your design, such as the stone fireplaces in the cozy seating areas, and he wants you to explore the idea of designing an outdoor patio—something that will still be in a secured area for flyers to use after going through security. It’s a newer concept that his team would like to get a feel for. Of course, if you think this is too much right now considering everything else you have going on… And with it being December 23rd…,” she trailed off.
“No! I mean, it isn’t too much. I’d love nothing more than to work on this. Please send me the details and requirements, and I’ll get to it immediately.”
With my parents being out of town for the holidays in Alaska, and since they assumed I’d be with Theo, I had nothing on the docket whatsoever. I was grateful for the distraction. I did nothing for Christmas that year—didn’t even put up a tree. Why wouldn’t I work instead?
Hanging up the phone, I knew Patricia didn’t like me very much. Truthfully, I didn’t care for her either, but her being so cordial on the phone proved she was patted on the back by the higher ups, thanks to me. She was a high-powered businesswoman, and I knew I shouldn’t have missed so many days, but it was clear from the start that she didn’t care for me. It didn’t matter, though—not then, anyway. The relief spurred through my bones, and I felt like I could do cartwheels through my living room. I turned the volume up on my computer, so I could hear new emails arriving as I waited for the plans. I would turn that over as timely as possible to help secure my job, at least as long as I could .
The email from Patricia came seven minutes later, while I was pouring myself another cup of coffee from my worn French press, the same one I’d used since college. As I squeezed the last of its contents into my cup, I topped it off with a little cream from a handheld frother and raced back to my computer. It was time to get to work.
Patricia’s message was curt and to the point. “Here are the blueprints. Let’s see what you can do.”
That was it—no signature or anything. Though I hadn’t cared about anything but my heartbreak when I had gotten myself on that thin ice, since I was dealing with the repercussions, the situation became all but threatening . But I could do it. It would be fine. I opened the blueprints and figured out the space’s ebb and flow, which wasn’t clear at first, but once I understood that, designing would be a breeze.
My process for designing was immersive. If possible, I wanted to be at the site in question, and that would normally mean I needed to make a quick trip out to the airport to see where that space would go. But I was short on time. I needed to do it entirely from memory. I closed my eyes and remembered the town that used to be where the giant airport currently was before the wrecking ball had come through and torn it down in favor of a shiny new town owned by the ski resort.
“If the space is to the west of the runway, that means it faces Superstition Run, which means… It used to be where Jack’s Ice Cream Parlor was.” I pictured the mountain view that the outdoor space would have from every season. My memories rushed back to a time when my parents took me out to get ice cream. The flavor of the season was peppermint, and the tiny flecks of candy canes stuck to my teeth. I snapped back to the task at hand, but it gave me an idea.
Eight hours later, I sent the finished proof over to Patricia for her initial review. I mumbled a small prayer as I put my head over my hands. After spending a long, grueling day glued to my computer, I felt a surge of elation at having something to show, even if it was only for a moment. However, since it was only Tuesday, there remained ample time in my work week for the possibility of getting fired. I glanced one more time at the rendition I had made, and it pleased me.
The theme for the space was Après-ski. It had floor to ceiling glass walls with outdoor heaters spread throughout, so patrons could enjoy it in the deepest winter freeze. A unique bar made from vintage skis was the centerpiece of the space, and they would specialize in peppermint drinks. Three leather sectional couches graced the floor plan, with a separate section for smoking cigars along with an industrial ventilation system, making it safe for all patrons. Glass orb lights hung from the metal ceiling and, just for fun, a portrait of my dad bombing a downhill race on the wall. Patricia had a 3D mockup of this to tour, and I loved it. Whether she did was out of my hands. Just then, my phone dinged with the reminder I set about supplies for the youth group.
*****
“Did you find everything we needed?” Mickey jumped up to help me when I walked through the door, carrying all six bags in my arms.
“Yes, I sure did. I even improvised a bit.” An awkward smile crossed my lips as he discovered a pint of peppermint ice cream in the last bag. “What can I say? It’s my favorite.”
Mickey shivered and shrugged, sticking his tongue out. “Sure, but with soda!? Yuck, Claire! ”
Mickey loved to tease, but he was right. I hadn’t thought about what soda that would pair with. “I guess I better just eat it out of the container, then.” With a sigh, I grabbed a spoon as the teens filed in.
Mickey greeted everyone with a high five, and then the kids came over to fist bump me. I was told it was as good as shaking hands those days.
“Okay, guys. We have a few fun activities for tonight, including a talk on our favorite subject. Anyone wanna guess what that is?”
Mickey was so vibrant and engaging, I almost wanted to take a stab at it but left it to the teens.
Melody spoke up. “Peer pressure?”
Mickey clapped. “Good idea, Melody! I had nothing in mind to talk about tonight, so that should do fine.”
Laughing it off, a few of the kids groaned dramatically, but I knew they loved Mickey, and everything he talked about was always spot on.
“But first, we have something exciting that we need to discuss, gang. ”
My ears perked up as I started sorting out the Solo cups for the ice cream floats. I did not know what Mickey was referring to.
“Thanks to a very generous donation from Brian’s parents to our group bonding fund,” Mickey ran over and gave him a fist bump, “and a matching grant from our community ski resort, we can take a four-night ski vacation right here at Sage Mountain, starting on December 28th. One of the new luxury lodges will accommodate us, all our meals are included, and most importantly, our group will have four ski instructors assigned to us. They will base the ski instructors on ability, so for all my pros out there, don’t worry. So? Who’s with me?”
Mickey singled me out, fully knowing my history with the sport. My jaw dropped while our group of teens cheered. “I have already spoken to your parents, but I made them promise to let me tell you,” Mickey said. “Several of them will be with us as chaperones, so don’t get too excited. Except I am because most of your parents are totally dope. Except yours, Rachel. Your dad gave me that speeding ticket last year and… Well, don’t worry, we’re cool now, and he’s coming too. Everyone is welcome! ”
Mickey shot me a glance and smiled eagerly.
God sure has a sense of humor. At first, I felt dread looming over me or the schematics of how I could make it happen. I marveled at the miraculous situation He had placed me in. The question was not whether I wanted to go, but how could I make it happen? To be honest, I wasn’t sure what Patricia would do if I asked for my remaining day. I bowed my head and said a prayer over it. No matter what, I would be there with the group in the off hours. I considered a scenario where I took my computer with me and set up an office. And then to heck with it; I’d take that Friday off so at least I had an extra day on the slopes. That thought triggered the onset of real panic. Taking my last vacation day to take part in something out of my comfort zone was not exactly what I had in mind, but there I was, letting God lead me.
The revelation of my prayers coming into fruition made me tear up. God was giving me an opportunity, steering me towards a goal of mine that I could either meet or miss, but either way, I was going to take the chance. Thank you, Lord .
I couldn’t focus on the rest of the night because of the realization that I would not only be on skis in a week’s time, but that my lessons and hotel stay would be covered. God had blessed me tenfold. After a successful float night and an impactful sermon from Mickey, the kids filtered out, and I stayed behind to pepper Mickey with questions.
“What in the world, Mickey?” My eyes were as wide as my smile.
“It would be great if you could join us however long you’re able to. I know your schedule is busy with work, but you can just come and go as you please. It’s all covered. We won’t be doing much in the evenings together, thanks to the multitude of parents attending. That’s off our plate. Think of it as a brief vacation before it gets too busy around here that we won’t even be able to see straight.” He gave me a partial hug as his phone buzzed.
A brief vacation? That was two suggestions in one week. God sure had a way of surprising me.
“Okay, the ‘Mrs.’ needs me back home. Her feet hurt, and she has a late-night craving for beignets.” Mickey put his hands in a prayer position. “Lord, please let something still be open for my pregnant wife, or she will make me sleep on the couch again. ”
I laughed at Mickey and told him where he could find the beignets. “And don’t worry, I’ll be skiing. I was planning on taking lessons this season anyway… It’s something I’ve been thinking about. This is all an answer to my prayers, really, especially as a distraction from everything else going on.”
Mickey knew about Theo breaking up with me, but he didn’t seem too bothered. He never liked Theo, and he made that fact known.
“So, I just wanted to say thank you for inviting me along. The only thing is my work schedule. I will be there with bells on, but I’ll be tied up from 9 to 5…”
Mickey put his hand to his chest, and at first, I assumed it was sarcastically. We had a very playful relationship, since I’d known him for most of my life after meeting him in kindergarten. He was like a brother to me and the reason I found out about the needs of the youth group.
“I’m touched by that, Claire. And I want to hear all about it and your work schedule once the dragon is fed—Tamara, I mean. I love that woman to the ends of the earth, but boy does she have a fragile temper right now. I better get going… Pray for me that her third trimester is easier on all of us, okay? ”
He waved and shut the door behind him. Once I finished bagging up the last of the trash, I grabbed what remained of my peppermint pint of ice cream out of the freezer, hit the lights, and locked up behind me.
When I got home, I scoured my closet and dresser for skiing attire. I had white snow pants, a red jacket, and a thick white turtleneck—sure, a little 80s maybe, but it would work. I put the outfit on to see how it fit and was pleased it all felt great on and even looked flattering. I stood in my closet in front of the mirror. The red jacket brought out a warm hue in my strawberry blonde hair and made my blue eyes look a little brighter. I liked the jacket, and when I bought it at the end of last season on sale, I had pictured Theo proposing to me in it. I knew that sounded pathetic, but it was my dream to be married to him and have the picture-perfect husband. All I could do in that relationship was try to show him I could be his picture-perfect wife, except for the skiing part. That just seemed so far out of reach.
I silently thanked the Lord for not answering that prayer for me since I had realized there wasn’t much to that relationship. It still didn’t help the disappointment of starting over .
As I went to change into some comfortable pajamas, I hung my ski clothes up on a hanger together and placed them on the doorknob of my closet. I wanted to see that outfit for the rest of the week as I prepared myself for my second chance at skiing.
December 26th
The rest of my work week involved much back and forth with Patricia. She didn’t like my design at first, but then again, she wasn’t the one who needed to. It all came down to the team of James Walker. Polishing things as much as possible was crucial, so I made some adjustments. We spent time on the phone and several hours on a video call where we both made suggestions to the base of the design. I felt like our relationship was strengthening, and I appreciated it.
Thursday afternoon, Patricia sent the finished design off to her bosses. It included a champagne and cigar bar, custom ski furniture and two large faux-antler chandeliers because no animal in nature could have produced something to the scale we needed. The plan was fresh and unique, and Patricia’s voice exuded excitement as she bid me a good night. I closed the applications on my computer and powered it off.
“Lord, thank you for turning this week around. I didn’t know that it could be turned around, but you are the God of miracles, after all.”
After scouring my drawer of takeout menus, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to mix things up that night and go out to eat instead of ordering in. The confidence in Patricia’s voice had been contagious, and my crushed feelings for Theo were fading. I applied mascara, some rosy blush, and a pink lip gloss. My strawberry blonde hair hung straight, so I zapped my roots with a little hairspray to give it some lift. Slipping into dark jeans and a black mock neck top that hugged my figure, I pulled my red ski jacket off its hanger. That night, I wanted to at least look the part of a Sage Mountain skiing woman, and once I put on my warm and fuzzy snow boots, I felt like one, too.
The Barn Door Bar & Grill was three blocks from my condo and about all I could muster in that cold. I’d forgotten just how frigid the day’s forecast was. It had been a brutal winter that far, having only just begun, and the forecast was calling for record snowfall. I pulled the black hat out of my jacket pocket and pulled it tight around my ears. The faux fur pom on top of my hat bounced as I walked, making me feel self-conscious, but as I looked around, I seamlessly blended in with the mix of people who were out.
“How many?” the host Tina asked as she looked behind me, expecting to see the gorgeous Theo, no doubt. I shook my head.
“Just me tonight. I’ll take a seat at the bar.” I couldn’t handle taking up an entire booth for myself, or worse, getting a round table in the middle of the place like I had at the piano bar on my birthday. No, better not risk that again. However, as far as I knew, they didn’t play any musical instruments at that bar. As I fluidly walked to the row of bar stools, the one I had been walking toward was between two that were empty. Suddenly, a group came from the left and took them. I stopped in my tracks. Reversing my course, I went to the left of two empty stools when a woman absentmindedly placed her purse on one, not seeing me behind her. It was down to one bar stool, so I grabbed it with both hands and slid onto it.
“What can I get you to drink?” The woman behind the bar had jet black hair with thick bangs that looked like they tickled her long eyelashes .
I mumbled for a moment like I’d never consumed liquids in my entire life before stammering out something about hot tea.
“Coming right up. I’ll bring you a menu, too.”
I let out a sigh of relief that the food was near as I scoped out my surroundings. The place was packed for a Thursday night, but the couple next to me was mumbling about a big snow that night and creating excitement for a Friday powder day, which they claimed was better than Christmas.
I felt the man on the other side of me rotate his bar stool back and face forward. “Can I get a Pepsi?” he asked the bartender. His voice was deep and raspy. I didn’t want to look over, since doing so would almost guarantee an awkward greeting with us sitting so closely together, but suddenly I didn’t have a choice.
“Hey.”
He was now speaking to me, so I looked in his direction and gave an obligatory hello. He was a scruffy, dark-haired guy with thick, black-rimmed glasses. He was also wearing a platinum wedding band on his left ring finger, which solidified his introduction just being one of friendship. Not a moment later, the wife in question came around the corner. A beautiful blonde, she wore a black sweater dress, black hosiery, and furry boots. She took the seat on the opposite side of him.
The bartender returned with my drink. “Here you go: peppermint tea. Our special tonight is the steak, but I’ll let you in on a secret: We use the same tender steak on our sandwich and salad.”
She was speaking my language. I ordered the steak salad with a side of curly fries and turned my head to see what was happening behind me.
Everyone glued their faces to the outside window as fat, round snowflakes fell. It was enchanting, and the excitement was electric. I had to admit that it made me feel a little giddy, too. The new opportunity for me to learn to ski was bringing out a child-like enchantment inside of me, while most importantly, making me look at this powdery ground covering that made it impossible to drive for five months out of the year with a better lens: one of excitement.
After a delicious meal, I paid my check and started towards the door, taking my bright red coat off the rack and sliding into my hat and gloves while using a bench to tighten up the laces on my snow boots. When I looked up, my eyes met those of a very handsome stranger which caught me off guard and caused me to slide right into a wet puddle left from another patron’s snowy shoes. I couldn’t tell you how long I was airborne, or the noise I made while my legs flew up from under me and catapulted me backwards. All I knew was I garnered the attention of the entire bar and stole the show. So much for blending in.
While I lay on the cold, dark tile of the upscale bar, I thought if I my sprawled body just stayed still, it would all go away. They would return to business as usual and just work around me until it was time to close, at which time I could then slip out the back door and no one would think another thought. I quickly learned that couldn’t be possible when a woman screamed. It was a little overdramatic, so I was sure I would be missing a leg or an arm when I got up. The sounds of the clunky boots shuffling around me made my head rattle. I had accidentally caused a slip-n-fall lawsuit.
I sat up as I slowly opened my eyes. A hand was out in front of me, and I accepted it, and when I stood, I was face to face with that handsome man. I let out a gasp as I realized it was the man from the piano bar .
“Miss… Are you okay?” Tina, the hostess, pulled out a flashlight normally used to check IDs and pointed it in my unprepared eyes. I snapped them back shut, almost falling again from the sheer embarrassment of it all. I gave the hostess points for not adding insult to injury by calling me ma’am.
“Yes, I’m fine… just a little embarrassed is all.” I made my best effort at laughing it off, realizing only then was I still holding the man’s hand. So, I did what anyone would do in that situation. I gave it a shake and introduced myself before I let it go. “Thank you for helping me. Claire Riley.”
His face lit up like the twinkling lights hanging in a snowflake pattern in the corner of the bar. “Nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Blake.”
I wondered if he remembered me from a few weeks back at the piano bar, but before I could say anything, the bartender suddenly appeared beside us and leaned in and linked arms with Blake. Tina and I both sighed in unison as it was clear that man was taken.
“And I was just leaving,” I replied.
I told Tina goodnight, and she waved at me, giving me a silly face while pointing at the happy couple, who were now immersed in conversation. But at the last moment, I saw Blake look over his shoulder at me and smile.
The snowy walk home almost made me forget about the bitter chill that made my face numb and my ears hurt, despite wearing a heavy hat. I sighed, thinking about the handsome hunk I had just met for the second time this month. Though I may have been in a rough patch of life, there was something about that taken man that gave me hope for the future. Everything would work out to God’s plan, and in my heart, I felt I would find love… eventually, anyway. Tomorrow is a new day , I thought. You never know what a new day will bring.