Overdrive | ✓

34 | altitude attitude

Atlas and Adrian were determined to race each other.

As if they didn't do that enough, they had to take it to the slopes of the French Alps, where I could see their legs dangling off the ski lift in front of us, twitchy and loaded for launch with their Formula One driver reflexes. I was currently riding in the ski lift with Callahan, both of us uninterested in being competitive. I always knew he had the most good sense out of the boys.

There was a stillness to the quiet when we were this high up, and while Atlas's voice carried on the air, it was faint as it swirled amongst the little specks of glistening snowflakes. I glanced over at Callahan, who looked out to the mountain to admire the snow-capped peaks in the distance.

"I wish I could have coaxed her onto the mountain today," I said to Callahan as I lowered my goggles off of my beanie and onto my face. "But I do think she's having a good time."

Callahan turned to me, offering me a soft smile in response. We knew Gemma did not want to be here. We knew she wanted to be with us, but I also knew Gemma did not like to ski, nor did she presently want to be in the French Alps, hence staying behind with Nina to get facials at the resort spa and waiting for us at the bar in the lodge.

Us being apparent gatecrashers to this supposed boys trip that Atlas had planned.

During the gala in Paris, I may have overheard a conversation between Atlas and Callahan about a ski trip that weekend, may have coaxed Atlas into inviting us, and may have not given the other girls a choice in joining. While I learned later on from Atlas that this was the boys' last hurrah before they feud for the next month or so, I knew it was also the last time we'd all be able to hang out like regular 20-somethings for the foreseeable future too. That was what ultimately got Gemma here.

"Gemma can ski." Callahan paused, still sporting a musing smile. "Although, I don't think she's overly keen to throw herself off a mountain."

I snickered into my glove. "Mountains, race tracks, waves, they're all the same to people like us. But tomorrow is a new day - we can double-team her."

"We might not need to. Gem's having a good time, like you said." He paused and pinched his lips together, like he was trying to pick the right words rolling around in his mouth. "Could be one of the last times we're all together for a bit, since she won't make it to Austin in time after her interview," Callahan added, and it sounded almost offhand, like he assumed I knew exactly what he was talking about.

I didn't, and suddenly the silence wasn't so endearing. I knew she wasn't going to the race in Austin, but I didn't know why, and the fact that her presence may have once been an option was new news to me.

"She has another interview?" I asked, trying to sound more curious than accusatory. it wasn't in mine and Gemma's relationship to press each other for information that the other willingly omitted.

It was hard to miss the shift in Callahan's expression as he brought his gaze forward, replying with only a pensive nod. I knew he wasn't being short with me because he wanted to be, but rather because that was all he could be. Knowing Gemma, he probably knew only a little bit more than I did, which was what prompted me to ask, "Do you know if it's for the same position as the one she interviewed for before we went to Miami?"

The kinds of jobs Gemma was gunning for often required several rounds of interviews over several months. I couldn't imagine dealing with such drawn out apprehension for something so important, but Gemma was exactly the kind of person who could weather those things.

I must have done a poor job swallowing down my unease, because he surrendered a bit of a laugh as he turned back to face me. "Honestly, I'm not sure she can tell me. Or either of us, really."