The Météo-France had become Scott's best friend over the past few weeks. He checked in every day, and the French Meteorological Service promised clear skies for the rest of the week, except for tonight. During his arrival to the one-bed, one-bath slope-side chalet, there was a flurry of snow expected to last the night and clear out at dawn. A perfect week of skiing was on his mind as he trudged up the short hill to his new front door. He unlocked the door, luggage in one hand, skis slung over his back. The rush of warm air that hit his face upon entering the cabin instantly washed away the stress of the chain of cars, planes and shuttles it took to get him to the mountain. Smells of pine and old leather furniture hung in the air. He stomped the snow off his boots and set about unpacking.
"There's more space in here than there is in my apartment" Scott muttered to himself as he shut the last drawer. His clothes were unpacked, save for the gear he planned to wear in the morning. A few groceries he grabbed on his way in were still on the table. Just enough to feed a man on the mountain for a week. A solo trip was just the thing he needed. Embracing his chronic single status was becoming easier by the day, and the freedom he felt out here in the Alps was refreshing. Or so he hoped it would be. Sharing the cabin with a lover would be nice too, but who wants to spend the money on extra food, lift tickets, or have to wait around for someone else to get ready in the morning. These were the things Scott told himself as he finished putting away the groceries, the fridge surprisingly empty even after depositing his week of food.
Scott sighed and sunk into a plush leather armchair, closing his eyes and taking in the stillness of nighttime in the Alps. Fresh snowfall always dampened sound, and here was no different. The silence of winter at home had seemed to follow him on his escape. It must be time to get some sleep, he had a big day planned.
Scott was awake before his alarm, excited to start the day. Dawn light trickled in through his bedroom blinds, emphasizing the shadows in some corners with an orange glow in the others. After a simple breakfast he suited up and prepared to greet the day.
Crisp morning air rushed past Scott's face as he carved gently down to the base of the mountain. He was ready for the gondola line, hoping for the best but being prepared to stand and wait. Much to his surprise, there were only a few people ahead of him in line.
"Perks of staying on the mountain!" He thought to himself, smile breaking out underneath his gaiter. To fill the small amount of time between his arrival at the line and the gondola ride of his dreams, he began counting the people in front of him and behind. There was a group of four in front, two adults and two small children. His concealed smile persisted at the sight of the kids. The tiny mittens, miniature skis and puffy coats reminded him of his early skiing days. Any neighborhood hill felt like an unconquerable mountain range at that size, he could only imagine the sense of adventure that these kids felt looking at the towering peaks of the French Alps. He stared wistfully up-mountain, taking a second to look through a child's eyes at the day ahead of him. Suddenly he was filled with hope and wonder that he hadn't felt since his first ski lessons.
Behind the family was just one other person. With all the masks and coverings seen on a ski slope, it's often hard to imagine that real people sit just below the gear. Many goggled faces can blend together after a lifetime on the snow. However, this figure seemed different. Scott was overwhelmed with a sense of personality radiating from a featureless face. Below the goggles and mask, a bright teal blue jacket overlapped white snow pants. This figure leaned against a railing, snowboard boots unbothered by the stairs to the gondola platform. Two dark braids fell out from underneath a teal blue helmet. The masked face was looking around slowly, comfortably. It eventually settled on Scott, alerting him to the fact that his own face coverings did hide his curious stare. He looked down at his boots, blushing hard enough to warm his cheeks against the morning cold.
"Good move," he thought to himself sarcastically. "Everyone loves being stared by a blank, goggled face. Really puts them at ease." His chastising was cut short when the blue helmeted head cocked slightly to the side. Even without seeing her face, Scott could sense the warm, forgiving smile being cast his way. With a curt nod he turned to face the lodge, hoping he could end this interaction on a positive note. He would have no such luck, as the family at the front of the line boarded the gondola. A strange spike of nerves filled Scott as realized that no one had filled in the line behind him. He and the lady in blue were the only ones on the platform as the next gondola rolled around.
"Perks of staying on the mountain..." the thought echoed again in his head, a different tone accompanying it this time. The doors opened and he and his new companion boarded together. Sitting opposite each other, they quickly settled in.
