relieved. The only thing in my
mind is how much I want to see Natalia. I imagine her playing poker with the
staff and it makes me smile. She ’ s
probably wiping them clean. I listen to the woman sitting in front of me,
taking sips of her cosmopolitan as she tells me about a surf spot up north.
Normally, I ’ d be into her. She has that
surfer-girl look, shabby long blond hair, golden tanned skin even though it ’ s winter, and large blue eyes. But an image of
Natalia in that plain black one piece is messing with my head and I have to
look away. Pete shakes his head. He knows I ’ m fucked.
I say goodbye to Pete and Sydney Sunday morning and head to the airport
to catch a plane back to Aspen. I am not supposed to arrive until Wednesday
evening, but the urge to see Natalia has turned into a need. Fortunately, the
villa I have reserved is also available tonight and tomorrow, so I book it
without pondering on how much this wild goose chase for Natalia is costing me.
I scan the lobby area as I check in, knowing she ’ s probably working her shift at the lounge.
Anticipation swells in my chest and I head toward that area to surprise her.
Will she be happy to see me? I smile. Despite her hesitation the last time I
saw her, something tells me she will be. I enter the lounge, wondering vaguely
if she has been practicing swimming while I was gone. I slide my bag off my
shoulder and take a seat at the bar. Zack acknowledges me with a nod and I
order a beer. He fills a pint and slides it over. I thank him and make eye
contact before he turns back to his other orders.
“Is Natalia working tonight? ’
He stills for a moment and his eyes narrow a fraction. He seems
protective of her. I wonder if they are good friends, or if he has other hopes
as well.
“She has the night off,” he finally says. “Why?”
I nod, feigning indifference in case he ’ s, too, hoping for more with her. “She told me
she ’ d be working tonight.”
He eyes me for another moment. “She wasn ’ t feeling well, ” he mutters. This gets my immediate attention. I
lock eyes with him.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” He nods, then turns around to attend an order from
Natalia ’ s friend, Dani. I want to reach
across the bar and grip him by the shirt to demand he tells me exactly what
happened to Natalia. But when I look over at Dani she is eyeing me with an
amused expression. I greet her with a nod and she acknowledges me with a smile.
Zack says something to her, then rounds the bar and leaves to the back. I take
the opportunity to see if Dani will give me more information.
“Hey, is Natalia okay?” I ask.
She raises her eyebrows in surprise.
“Zack told me,” I say, pretending he shared more than this and in hopes
that it will make Dani trust me.
She gives me a nod, but seems skeptical. “Yeah. She went to bed early.”
“Look, do you think I can see her for a minute? I ’ ve got something to tell her. Good news.” I
smile, hoping she won ’ t call my act
and figure out I ’ m full of shit. I just want to
see her. Surprisingly, I seem to have said the right thing because she gives me
a half-smile and glances at her watch.
“Give me a sec.” She loads her tray and delivers the drinks, then walks
over to the other waitress and says something while gesturing to the table she
was serving. She wipes her hands on her apron and heads back in my direction.
“Zack,” Amy is watching my table. Be back in a minute.”
As he makes his way back behind the bar, Zack shoots a suspicious look at
me. I smile in response and follow Dani to the employee wing.
She tells me to wait outside their room and unlocks the door, closing it
behind her. Less than fifteen seconds later the door swings open.
“She ’ s not here,” she sighs, running
a hand through her hair.
“Where else can she be?”
She looks away and shakes her head. “Skiing. Her clothes are not here.”
“Oh.” I frown, glancing at my watch. It ’ s past eleven
mind is how much I want to see Natalia. I imagine her playing poker with the
staff and it makes me smile. She ’ s
probably wiping them clean. I listen to the woman sitting in front of me,
taking sips of her cosmopolitan as she tells me about a surf spot up north.
Normally, I ’ d be into her. She has that
surfer-girl look, shabby long blond hair, golden tanned skin even though it ’ s winter, and large blue eyes. But an image of
Natalia in that plain black one piece is messing with my head and I have to
look away. Pete shakes his head. He knows I ’ m fucked.
I say goodbye to Pete and Sydney Sunday morning and head to the airport
to catch a plane back to Aspen. I am not supposed to arrive until Wednesday
evening, but the urge to see Natalia has turned into a need. Fortunately, the
villa I have reserved is also available tonight and tomorrow, so I book it
without pondering on how much this wild goose chase for Natalia is costing me.
I scan the lobby area as I check in, knowing she ’ s probably working her shift at the lounge.
Anticipation swells in my chest and I head toward that area to surprise her.
Will she be happy to see me? I smile. Despite her hesitation the last time I
saw her, something tells me she will be. I enter the lounge, wondering vaguely
if she has been practicing swimming while I was gone. I slide my bag off my
shoulder and take a seat at the bar. Zack acknowledges me with a nod and I
order a beer. He fills a pint and slides it over. I thank him and make eye
contact before he turns back to his other orders.
“Is Natalia working tonight? ’
He stills for a moment and his eyes narrow a fraction. He seems
protective of her. I wonder if they are good friends, or if he has other hopes
as well.
“She has the night off,” he finally says. “Why?”
I nod, feigning indifference in case he ’ s, too, hoping for more with her. “She told me
she ’ d be working tonight.”
He eyes me for another moment. “She wasn ’ t feeling well, ” he mutters. This gets my immediate attention. I
lock eyes with him.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” He nods, then turns around to attend an order from
Natalia ’ s friend, Dani. I want to reach
across the bar and grip him by the shirt to demand he tells me exactly what
happened to Natalia. But when I look over at Dani she is eyeing me with an
amused expression. I greet her with a nod and she acknowledges me with a smile.
Zack says something to her, then rounds the bar and leaves to the back. I take
the opportunity to see if Dani will give me more information.
“Hey, is Natalia okay?” I ask.
She raises her eyebrows in surprise.
“Zack told me,” I say, pretending he shared more than this and in hopes
that it will make Dani trust me.
She gives me a nod, but seems skeptical. “Yeah. She went to bed early.”
“Look, do you think I can see her for a minute? I ’ ve got something to tell her. Good news.” I
smile, hoping she won ’ t call my act
and figure out I ’ m full of shit. I just want to
see her. Surprisingly, I seem to have said the right thing because she gives me
a half-smile and glances at her watch.
“Give me a sec.” She loads her tray and delivers the drinks, then walks
over to the other waitress and says something while gesturing to the table she
was serving. She wipes her hands on her apron and heads back in my direction.
“Zack,” Amy is watching my table. Be back in a minute.”
As he makes his way back behind the bar, Zack shoots a suspicious look at
me. I smile in response and follow Dani to the employee wing.
She tells me to wait outside their room and unlocks the door, closing it
behind her. Less than fifteen seconds later the door swings open.
“She ’ s not here,” she sighs, running
a hand through her hair.
“Where else can she be?”
She looks away and shakes her head. “Skiing. Her clothes are not here.”
“Oh.” I frown, glancing at my watch. It ’ s past eleven
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