Angela slowly immersed herself in the steaming water of the hot tub, the tad-too-hot water inching slowly up over her teal tankini bathing suit until she settled into the jetted seat. "Hmmm," she whispered, as she let her sore muscles and the embarrassment of her ski escapades of the day slip out of her consciousness.
"Here's to friends." A full wine glass was thrust at her, which Angela grabbed and clinked loudly against the other two glasses held by her longtime friends, Karen and Jana.
"You know that we're probably not supposed to have glass in this hot tub here," Angela cautioned, with very little care that they were breaking the rules. This was girls' weekend after all, and rules were meant to be broken. Angela took a much too large sip of the wonderfully mellow merlot and let herself slip back into the seat closing her eyes.
"Ohhh, would you look at that," Jana breathed. Angela could hear male laughter and footsteps approaching the hot tub, but she refused to open her eyes. Jana and Karen were gawking, she could tell. She was tired and declined to be tempted.
"Mmm, hmm." Karen laughed. "Those are the guys from the slopes today. Remember? Angela would remember, huh Angela."
"Shit," thought Angela. She cracked open her eyes and looked. Sure enough there they were, including the tall dark-haired one. He had his back turned to the tub. Angela sunk lower. She was a horrible skier and was only here to spend some time with her friends. She had been skiing down the bunny slope that afternoon and had been unable to stop. Gaining speed and waving her arms frantically, she had slammed into the fence knocking the row of skis and poles down like dominoes. The skis, of course, had belonged to the three guys and they had busted a gut laughing at Angela, as she lay sprawled on the ice. The black haired guy had rushed over to her, lifting her awkwardly to her feet, her skis slipping out from under her.
"Are you O.K., miss?" the stranger asked. Angela could tell he was concerned, but even he was laughing quietly and Angela's face had turned scarlet. He had to practically pick her up to get her standing. She leaned on his shoulder as he knelt down and undid the bindings of her skis, helping her slide her massive boots out, and crossing the skis together to hand to her. She had mumbled some thanks and some false words about how she was fine, and with the three guys staring at her, she limped off towards the chalet. Several cups of hot chocolate with shots of peppermint schnapps had done little to ease her mortification. At least her friends had not been there to rib her, but she had told them the story later.
And now here were the same guys. She was secretly wishing that they would take a swim in the heated pool across the room, when she heard a voice. "Do you mind ladies, if we join you?" Angela squished her eyes shut and tried to disappear into the plastic seat.
When she opened them, she noticed her savior slipping into the water. His body was taunt, muscular but without the bulk. He was wearing a grey nylon bathing suit that looked like boy shorts, the kind of bathing suit that she had seen once in a European magazine and the kind of suit that most American men would refuse to wear. He could definitely wear it though. Her eyes were drawn to his chest where short curly black hair covered pebble-hard nipples the color of her wine, the wisps of hair trailing down his lean, flat stomach and ending in.... Angela blushed hard. She was staring and she hoped that no one had noticed, especially not him.
Karen was introducing the three of them. Angela gave a shake of her head upon hearing her name, avoiding the eyes of the man sitting across from her. The other two men gave their names, as the names flitted in and out of Angela's brain.
