Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

DANICA

With a tactical plan in place, Danica and Maggie crouched on the balcony, waiting for the others to get within throwing distance. Maggie packed snowballs — no small feat with one hand still mostly out of commission — building a small pyramid of ammunition, and Danica kept watch, peering between the rungs of the raised deck’s railing and tracking Kiera’s location on her phone.

Danica had come back after lunch, where she'd eaten so many crepes that she could have burst. Of course, they’d been on her dime, since she’d lost the race to Pete who fearlessly flew down the mountain to beat her to the bottom. Danica had been right behind her, heart racing, lungs burning, head still reeling from that near-kiss under the snowy trees.

She and Maggie had spent the afternoon reading and cross stitching in Maggie's bed while drinking hot cocoa, before Danica took a long bath and a long nap. Overall, a damn good day. They were going out for dinner, saving Danica a trip to the store, so they had come up with a plan to ambush their friends with a snowball fight.

"I think I see Pete's turquoise jacket," Danica whispered, even though the trio they were waiting for was still hundreds of yards away.

"Of course you do,” Maggie said with a teasing grin.

Danica angled her head, one brow raising in silent question.

“So, what exactly is going on there?” Maggie asked casually, packing a snowball in her good hand.

"Nothing," Danica said lightly.

Maggie made a "hmm" sound, still not looking at her.

Danica eyed Maggie with skepticism. "What do you know?"

"I know that she's been staring at you and practically drooling this entire trip," Maggie said, finally looking up

"She has? Really? Has she said anything?" Danica asked, packing a new snowball with increased fervor.

Maggie shrugged. "Nothing specific, but I know you both, and I’m pro-whatever this is. I mean, I just think it could be fun, right? A little vacation fling before you have to go back to real life, you know?"

Danica grimaced. "Really? Kiera hates the idea."

"Kiera is just salty because she's staying with a dirtbag who cheated on her," Maggie said.

Danica's mouth popped open in a silent gasp. She agreed with Maggie, completely, but even so, hearing someone put it so bluntly was still a surprise. "I mean…”

“I know you agree with me.”

How could Danica word this delicately? “It’s, uh, it's not a choice I'd make."

"Yeah, because we're not straight women so we don't have to lower our standards until they're basically down in hell," Maggie said, rolling her eyes. "But enough about that. You and Pete. I don't think it could hurt." The glint in her eyes was a little too knowing for Danica's taste.

"Of course it could hurt," Danica said, shaking her head.

"We have two nights. You can't get that attached in two nights." Maggie's tone implied the statement was obvious. "You always play it safe, Dani. It might be nice to do something a little wild for once. You know Pete, she's a safe choice to have fun with. You two already have lots of chemistry. After all, when else are you going to get a chance to have sex with someone hot without adding to your body count?"

Danica groaned. "Body counts are bullshit."

"What about body counts?" Pete called from below the deck.

Maggie and Danica both startled, looking out the deck railing to see Kiera, Izzy, and Pete standing below them on street level.

"Whatcha doing?" Kiera asked, angling her head and narrowing her eyes with suspicion.

"Security breach! It's every woman for herself," Maggie called out dramatically, grabbing a snowball and flinging it toward a surprised Kiera.

Danica grabbed two snowballs, throwing them at Pete. Izzy had already ducked and was preparing a return of fire.

"So not fair," Kiera yelled back, throwing a loose snowball that broke apart mid-air to shower snow over the patio.

Once the snowballs started flying, allegiances were quickly nullified, and everyone was a target. Danica squealed in a decidedly embarrassing way, running across the deck to hide behind the hot tub as Izzy and Pete stormed the stairs, arms loaded with snowballs.

Kiera got a few good shots in at Pete and Izzy, but it only seemed to distract Izzy. Pete was on a mission, her eyes sparkling with delight as they stayed focused on Danica, who was cornered between the condo wall and the hot tub.

"I surrender, I surrender," Danica pleaded, holding up her hands.

Pete's eyes softened as she approached. She reached as if to shake Danica's hand, then pulled her off-balance and stuffed snow down the back of Danica’s coat. Danica yelped in surprise and Pete threw her head back, laughing, only to be hit squarely on the ear with a snowball thrown by Izzy. With Pete distracted, Danica scooped a new snowball, reaching to grab Pete's jacket and repay the favor.

Pete's feet slipped and they both fell to the ground with shrieks of laughter. As Kiera, Izzy, and Maggie shouted and laughed nearby, Danica paused, still lying mostly on top of Pete, her chest heaving, lungs burning with the cold air. Pete smiled up at her, reaching to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Their warm breaths fogged the air and the world around them seemed to quiet and blur, leaving only the way Pete's dark eyes searched hers for an answer to the question they'd been silently asking all week.

Danica's gaze darted to Pete's mouth, her stomach tightening with nervous anticipation, and just as she was sure that Pete was going to lean in to kiss her, a shock of cold made her jump. Pete cackled with delight, and Danica realized belatedly that Pete had dropped a handful of snow on the back of Danica's neck. It slid down her shirt and she jumped up, pulling at the hem of her base layer to get the snow out of her shirt.

"I win!" Pete exclaimed, standing up to brush snow off her pants.

"Let's just say revenge is a dish best served cold, my friend," Danica threatened.

Pete grinned. "We'll see about that."

"I really thought this place would be gayer with a name like Tomboy Tavern," Pete said as they slid into a booth for dinner. The large leather booth wrapped around a table, and Maggie awkwardly repositioned everyone until Pete and Danica were next to one another, herself in between Danica and Kiera.

Danica eyed Maggie as she sat down, unwrapping her scarf and raking her hands through her hat hair. Maggie was a masterful matchmaker, wasn't she? The woman looked absolutely shameless as she gave Danica a wink, then picked up the drink menu. "Alright, people, I skipped my ibuprofen so I could have a nice cocktail."

"That’s not…" Danica started, but paused, shaking her head. “You know, I’m not putting on my doctor hat tonight.”

“I’m picturing a really cute scrub cap as your doctor hat,” Pete said.

Danica bit the inside of her cheek to keep from beaming up at Pete with all of their friends around. “It is pretty cute.”

Chandeliers made of brown beer bottles hung above tables in the dimly lit dining area, made even darker with weathered old wood floors and chocolate brown leather seating. Kiera idly played with the edge of a curtain that was pulled back by the edge of the booth.

"It doesn't give me completely straight vibes," Izzy said, looking around.

"Bicurious, maybe?" Maggie asked. "Like Kiera in college."

Kiera gasped. "It was one kiss . Hardly a phase."

Pete leaned back in the booth, murmuring, "Uh oh," under her breath so only Danica could hear.

Danica looked between Kiera and Maggie, confused. "One kiss? What kiss?" She glanced back to Pete, who only offered her an unhelpful shrug.

Kiera crossed her arms over her chest. "I kissed Izzy once."

The server came right then, interrupting as the group fell into an awkward silence. He took their drink orders, and Danica chose a few appetizers for the table, knowing both how hungry and how indecisive they were.

Once the server left, Danica looked at Izzy, her eyes widening in surprise. Izzy, to her credit, only gave her a small shrug. "We were drunk at a party," Izzy explained.

"What party?" Danica asked.

"I think it was the one where we made that drink in a bucket," Maggie said, glancing between Kiera and Izzy for confirmation.

They'd thrown a few parties in college, but the wildest were the parties with their signature drink, "Hop, Skip, and Go Naked," which they traditionally made in some kind of large punch bowl or bucket. It included a six pack of cheap beer, a bottle of vodka, blue Hawaiian punch, and frozen lemonade concentrate. Danica felt a little queasy even thinking about the horrific hangovers that drink gave her, but it also lived up to its name.

"Wait, wait. So, you two kissed, and everyone knew?" Danica asked, looking at everyone at the table. She glanced back to Pete, who had her arm outstretched on the back of the booth behind Danica. Pete lifted a shoulder in response. "Izzy told me later. I think you and I, uh... skipped most of that party."

Danica's cheeks flushed but she forced herself to turn back to Kiera. "And you never told me ? Your resident bisexual best friend?"

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Kiera said, and Danica knew she was forcing the casual way she was speaking. "It was just one time."

“But you never told me,” Danica repeated.

A strange quiet fell over the table, as Danica glanced back at Izzy, who had a blank expression on her face as she stared down at the menu as if preparing for an exam.

Danica felt Pete's hand on her back and, turning, saw a knowing look that hinted at later revelations.

The drinks came at the perfect moment to switch topics away from Kiera and Izzy’s kiss. They talked about the menu and ordered, then relaxed back to sip their cocktails.

"Here's to Danica's first black run today," Pete said, lifting her glass.

"And here's to Pete being back on skis," Danica added, lifting her own glass.

Pete’s gentle expression as she looked at Danica made Danica all-too aware of how close their bodies were in the booth. How Pete's arm moved to casually brush her shoulder and back, how Pete's knee was so close to hers.

"Ugh, get a room," Maggie interrupted with a laugh as they all clinked glasses in a cheers.

Their food arrived shortly, along with another round of drinks, and Pete and Danica ended up splitting their salmon and chicken plates, sharing the meals with one another. It felt comfortable again, apart from the obvious tension surrounding the revelation that Kiera had once kissed Izzy and never told Danica. Not that Danica had the right to know everything, but it was odd that Kiera hadn't at least mentioned it.

"Should we go back to the karaoke bar?" Pete asked as the server took their plates.

"I'm tired," Izzy and Kiera said in unison, and everyone laughed a little uncomfortably.

"I think I overdid it with the snowball fight and need to go ice this thing," Maggie said, pointing to her wrist tucked into its sling.

"You guys are so lame," Pete said, turning to Danica. "You in?"

"Maybe not for karaoke but I'd have another drink," Danica said, then turned back to Kiera. "Only if you guys think you can get home okay. I could walk you if you want." The condo was nearby, only about a ten-minute walk through Mountain Village's shopping district.

"We'll be fine," Maggie said, rolling her eyes. "But I will take some hand sanitizer if you have it."

Danica dug out the small spray sanitizer she always kept in her purse, spraying everyone's outstretched hands.

"You sure staying is a good choice?" Kiera asked as she and Danica slid out one side of the booth.

"Yeah, it’ll be fine," Danica assured her, giving her a hug as they parted ways. She watched Maggie link arms with Izzy, bumping her shoulder into Kiera as they all walked out of the bar.

"Want to grab a seat on that couch near the fire or at the bar here? It’s kind of busy in here. We could go somewhere else?" Pete asked.

"The couch is fine," Danica pointed. A worn leather couch, its surface softened by years of use, faced a large brick fireplace where warmth radiated into the room. They ordered two Old Fashioneds at the bar and sat down on the couch, keeping a few inches between them. As soon as Danica had taken one sip, she set down her glass and turned to Pete. "Okay, spill what you know about Izzy and Kiera."

Pete groaned. "You really want to talk about Izzy and Kiera?"

Danica raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, obviously. What did Izzy tell you?"

A slow sigh escaped Pete's lips, her mouth twisting to one side in thought as if she was contemplating what to tell Danica. She took another sip of her cocktail, her thumb tapping on the diamond-etched lowball glass. "Okay, it wasn't just one kiss. It was like a full make out. All initiated by Kiera."

Danica's eyes widened in surprise and she leaned closer. "Seriously?"

Pete nodded solemnly. "Yeah, Izzy was pretty sure there was going to be a next time when she originally told me. Maggie had said they were all over each other. Izzy seemed pretty excited about it, and then Kiera just always acted like it never happened. But here's the kicker... Kiera was completely sober."

"What! How do you know she was sober?" Danica asked, her head shaking in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.

"Both Izzy and Maggie were positive. Kiera had just gotten there and kind of… pounced on Izzy, apparently," Pete said.

"Maybe she pre-gamed?" Danica questioned.

Pete shook her head. “Pre-gamed a party with her own friends? Nah.”

"I can't believe you never told me!" Danica said, smacking Pete's knee.

Pete laughed, reaching to take Danica's hand. "We had more important things to talk about back then." Pete said quietly, leaning in to slide her hand along Danica's cheek, her fingers tangling in Danica's hair as Pete brought her mouth to Danica's, just gently brushing their lips together.

"Yeah, you do have a good point," Danica whispered, her fingertips touching her mouth where Pete's lips had just been. Pete tasted like smooth whiskey and bitter orange and warmth and promise.

Pete reached across the back of the couch, her fingertips idly playing in Danica's hair. "I've missed this."

"Kissing me in crowded bars?" Danica asked.

"Well, yeah. But mostly just... you. I've missed you," Pete said.

Danica smiled into her drink, unable to stop the flush rising on her cheeks. She nodded in agreement. Being near Pete again was as intoxicating as the whiskey in her glass. Danica felt an inexplicable magnetism towards Pete, an unwavering attraction that burned as bright as the flames in the fireplace before them.

Kiera's voice in her head told her she needed to be careful. And Maggie's voice was there, telling her to go for it. That she had nothing to lose. In two days, Pete would go back to Seattle, and she'd go back to Denver, and there'd be no hard feelings. She knew better this time than to expect anything more from Pete than a good time. Just because they weren’t planning a future together didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other's company and many, many talents in the meantime?

Maybe both Kiera and Maggie were right. Maybe it was a bad idea, but maybe it would be fun. She'd spent her entire life making the right choices — making the boring, safe choices. Why did she always have to be responsible? Of all the bad choices she could make, this was still a relatively safe one. No one would get hurt if they weren’t making promises they couldn’t keep.

She curled up closer to Pete, resting against her shoulder as they sipped their drinks in companionable silence.

"I have an idea," Pete said.

"Oh?" Danica tilted her head to look up.

"Do you trust me?" Pete asked, a mischievous smile growing on her lips.

"Not one bit," Danica said, grinning.

Pete eyed her, then smirked. "Finish your drink. I want to show you something."