Tracy

026:

Raine grinned good-naturedly as Tracy slid her curvy little behind into the seat beside him and the chair lift proceeded up the mountain.

"I had you on that one, slick!" She announced and took her ear warmer off to shake out her hair.

"Only because Austin and Sabrina cut me off so you could."

"Irrelevant." She laughed.

"I've been skiing since I was a child." As if that made his skill better somehow.

"I've been skiing for two years." She replaced the ear warmer. "So what?"

"I haven't fallen once."

"Ever?"

"In years."

"Me neither."

"Until today!"

"That was a freak thing, never happens. I'm an accomplished skier."

"I agree. But when we get back to the cabin I want to check your leg out anyway."

"It doesn't hurt... much." She laughed and then slid expertly off the lift as it rounded the top of the hill and took off. Raine admired her backside for one brief moment and then took off after her.

A few minutes later they met the others at the bottom and Tracy was unpleasantly surprised to see who else had joined them.

"Hey babe." Casey reached for her and pulled her to him for a quick kiss on the cheek knowing how much she hated that kind of public display. "How's the mountain? Remember the time you rolled down the Matterhorn at Summit?"

She didn't even want to remember they had a past at the moment and she sidled away. "How about some hot chocolate?"

"That's right, she's Mormon, she doesn't drink coffee." Casey sneered, trying to get the attention of the others in the group, maybe turn less than flattering eyes on Tracy's quirks. Jolie skidded to a faltering halt, and joined his smirk.

"I don't drink coffee either, and it doesn't have anything to do with my religion." Richard Mann eyed Casey as he passed him to get to the side of his little simpering starlet, Marie on their way to the ski lodge.

"Bet fly-boy doesn't drink coffee either, do ya fly-boy?" Casey followed Richard and Marie.

Raine ignored him, and asked if Tracy wanted to go inside, or if she was up for another run. She cleared her throat which had been feeling sore, and nodded. "I need a drink."

Raine ushered her inside after they clicked out of their skis, and they followed Richard, Austin and their gals indoors.

The lodge was large, with multiple snack bars and seating areas. They walked awkwardly in their ski boots, loosened now, but still heavy and hard against flexible ankles.

Casey managed to get himself in the lead, talking non-stop in a loud and attractive voice--- always the popular kid. The others followed him, buying hot chocolate and snacks and then finding seats in the lounge areas.

"So, what time's the rehearsal? I saw on your -----."

Julian and Bridget had come up, neither of them wearing skis, but looking cute and cuddly in their outfits. They were both surprised to see Casey and Jolie, but greeted them warmly.

"Are you sure you should be skiing in your condition?" Bridget asked Jolie with a trace of a smile, and wide eyes.

Jolie's eyes shot to Tracy's, who shrugged as if to say, well, you didn't tell me it was a secret. And Bridget's eyes slid to Casey's triumphantly. There was no way in hell he could make advances on Tracy now, having let the cat out of the bag in front of all these people.