Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 12956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 12956 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
Clearly, I needed to change that, because these views were incredible. I’d been to lots of places, but there was something special about Aster Valley.
I felt centered in a way I hadn’t been all week—a sharp reminder that in my quest to find the guy whose to-do list had all the things I cared about… I’d forgotten to actually do some of those things I cared about.
Fresh air and movement, anyone?
When I finally made it to the mid-mountain restaurant after grabbing some additional equipment, I met up with Rocco and the ski resort owners. They happened to be friends with one or two of my failed Grindr hookups, which wasn’t awkward so much as depressing, but I’d never been one to let a little rejection stand in the way of enjoying myself.
I recognized right away that Parker and Julian needed a healthy kick in the ass to realize they were in love with each other, and I figured if I couldn’t find romance in Aster Valley, really somebody should. So when I found out they’d be helping us on the slopes that day, I entertained myself by flirting my ass off with each one to make the other jealous.
Right around the time they were both ready to maim me and dump my body in the woods, I managed to do it myself first.
I’d never been great on the expert slopes, but I thought I had it under control. Unfortunately, a funky angle on one of the moguls sent me off the side of the run and into a thick snowbank, sending knifelike pains through my knee and decimating my pride.
As I lay there panting through the pain in a cold slump, tired from too little sleep and too much skiing, I suddenly felt stupid. I’d known better than to expect my legs to be able to handle the advanced slope for multiple runs after my legs were already tired. My body was in excellent shape, but it wasn’t in excellent skiing shape. Since I was a professional fitness instructor, I should have known better than to push my limits and put myself at risk for injury.
To make matters worse, if I’d done serious damage to my knee, it would screw up my own aggressive content creation plans and cause a disruption to the class schedule at the resort where I worked. It had been hard enough finding an appropriate substitute teacher for my classes so I could leave for a week. How would I convince people to continue covering me for months while I recovered from a preventable injury?
My eyes stung, and I suddenly felt small and vulnerable. I bit my tongue to keep from letting any of it come to the surface. When Parker, Julian, and Rocco reached me, I flashed them my best attempt at a smile.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said in a shaky voice. “You guys go on ahead.”
Rocco’s eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re going to get you some help. Parker’s calling ski patrol.”
Even Julian, who I’d been taunting all day by flirting with his best friend, squatted down to ask how he could help. The genuine concern in his face was touching, and it reminded me that my words to Rocco earlier this morning had been utter bullshit. In the past several hours, I’d already met a generous handful of men with loving, kind hearts.
They all simply already had partners.
Parker and Julian were clearly working their way around getting together. They’d kissed in the restaurant in front of everyone. Then there was Tiller Raine and his fiancé, Mikey. And their business partner, Sam, and his partner, Truman. And obviously Rocco, who wasn’t an Aster Vallian but was still a sweet, stand-up guy.
Maybe it was me. Maybe I wasn’t the kind of guy a tenderhearted, attentive man like my list writer wanted.
I crossed my arms over my chest and buried my face in the cool fabric of my jacket sleeves.
As my knee started to throb, I realized too late that I’d been focusing on all the wrong things. Arranging for casual sex wasn’t the way to find the kind of man I was looking for. Even though there were tons of happy-ever-after stories that started on hookup apps, maybe I needed to try a different way.
Or give up altogether.
I mean, what kind of idiot falls in love with a guy based on a to-do list anyway?
This kind, my stubborn heart insisted, but I was tired of listening. I’d spent this whole week focused on getting it what it wanted, chasing after a vision I’d built up in my mind, and I’d missed my chance to do the things I should have been doing, like filming content. Like enjoying this beautiful place.
I thought again about having to spend the next couple of weeks on the sofa with my leg in a cast, and my eyes started prickling again.