Hello Adventure

Chapter 31

I stood bundled in a sweater, watching the first Switzerland shoot at the Riffelalp Resort. We were outside, besides Europe's highest outdoor pool, in the shade of the jagged and impressive Matterhorn Mountain. Brooke was sat at a table spread with the delicacies that Dale had made earlier.

White, hot steam surfaced off the outdoor pool, and I was feeling lightheaded from the altitude. Or maybe it was from everything that had just happened.

Leo was shooting the table scene from above, poised on a ladder that Cai was holding steady. The aerial perspective was my idea, and I could tell already the photos were going to come out nicely.

There was rustling behind my right shoulder, but I didn't turn. "You feeling okay?" Dale whispered softly into my ear from behind. I shifted backward so that I was just barely grazing against him. He didn't move away, and I nodded without turning, the evening's mountain sun fierce on my skin.

"Sloane? You can't go." His breath was faint and moist against my earlobe, and his chin was so close to my skin that I could feel the shadow of his stubble against my cheek. "I won't let you."

"I'm really hoping I can stay this last week," I begged aloud, my gaze forward. Then I tilted my face ever so slightly closer to his mouth, skinning my cheek against it.

From behind, he brushed his fingers against mine, and my scalp prickled. I closed my eyes, as he faintly teased his fingertips along my inner palm flesh.

"I'm coming to your room tonight." He muttered. "When we're done with the shoot, okay?"

I swallow hard and just nodded once, my body facing forward the whole time. But when I felt him leave, I opened my eyes and realized Brooke had been watching us.

She asked Leo for a five-minute break and was over by me a moment later.

"Yeah, hi. What just happened?" she squealed.

I silently begged Sebastian to wait to make the call. If I could just finish off the job in Zermatt I'd be eternally grateful, then I'd take my punishment. I sort of felt like I deserved it, you know? Like I was paying penitence for all those years of cheating by taking those pills, for all those years I didn't care about anyone but myself, for all those years I never bothered to make friends or enjoy my life. I'd take this punishment. It hurt, but it was okay to hurt, wasn't it? It was a hard-earned lesson, but I had learned it.

"Well? Are you Dale a thing now?" Brooke poked me with her finger. "Tell me!"

I laughed. "Brooke, seriously!"

"Don't 'Brooke, seriously!' me! He was eye-fucking you from behind and you were practically panting."

"Nothing really happened...yet." I ran my tongue over my teeth. "We may have kissed..."

Brooke exploded: "You waited until the last week of the trip to get together?! What is wrong with you? Make it happen!" She clapped her hands once right in front of my face so that I had to pull my neck in.

"I'm working on it, okay?" I mumbled, turning away from the sun. "But do you think it's a good idea? I mean, he doesn't do casual, and apparently, I can't either. But we don't even live in the same country right now..."

"Of course it's a good idea! You guys are perfect together. And he's legit snack! I told things are different with good guys." She poked me again in the ribs and I gritted my teeth against her assault. "And he's a good guy."

"He really is. The man should get canonized."

"Or at least a blowie!" Brooke said, guffawing at her own joke.