Page 86 of Just A Little Magic

“You’re in a sexless throuple with a cat?” Jakob asked with raised eyebrows. “Kinky, but no judgment.”

On that note, we pushed through the front doors of the lodge, where we’d spend the next few days scoping out the competition. We had strict instructions to try as much as we could on the menu, order room service, test the spa services, and participate in as many excursions as possible over the next couple of days.

On Saturday, I was meeting with Tye, Quinn’s foreman,over at Barrett’s newly acquired lodge so we could do a general walkthrough. Of course we’d have to develop much more detailed plans later, but it was always helpful to talk about visions and possibilities before anything was demolished.

The resort’s lobby was decorated with tasteful yet bland leather furnishings. Everything was nice, but there wasn’t a sense of place for it. Nothing in the lodge anchored it to the pass or the Cascades. The exterior’s natural setting was so breathtaking that the interior felt like a letdown.

We got checked in without fuss and headed to our rooms for a quick change. Our plan was to meet for a late lunch in the dining room before exploring any other lodge options.

We’d somehow managed to get our rooms on the same floor block. Half of us had the slope view, and the other had the town view. Both were lovely, although the rooms, like the lobby, were nondescript. The beautiful rough-hewn features from the exterior hadn’t been carried inside.

I snapped a few pictures and jotted some notes for things to keep in mind. This place had better access to the slopes, but the view from Barrett’s new lodge would be just as lovely.

I dumped my bags on the bed, changed out of my sweats into something more appropriate for a ski resort, and headed back out to the hallway to troop downstairs with Rory and Jakob. The sweet hostess led us to a table along the back wall so we had a great view of the slopes. In the distance, I could see people hiking along the trails and doing some late-season mountain biking. When the server came, we all picked different signature cocktails along with a snack, promising to share.

“Oh, I’ve never had a lavender gimlet,” Rory said as he examined his drink. “It’s pretty though.”

“I’ve had a pina colada, but not layered like this,” Jakobadded. He was studying it like it had the answers to all the questions in the lab.

“I wasn’t sure I’d like a smores cocktail, but I could be converted to a believer,” I said as I licked the whipped cream off my lip. We sipped in companionable silence for a minute, just soaking in the place, but curiosity overtook me. “Jakob, how’s your paper going in your lab?”

“Uh, it’s going. I’m in the final editing stages, and it’s rough. I know the science is sound, but we have to double-check absolutely everything, and it’s friggin’ tedious. But it’s a start to get where I want to go.”

“Where is that?” Rory asked.

“Right now, we are only pushing through really traditional lines for research, which is fine, and there’s definitely a place for it, but I’d like to focus on more experimental options too. But the problem with experimental research is, well, it’s experimental. You’ve got to get donors to open their wallets for serious money, even if some inquiries will lead to dead ends. It can be a hard sell.”

“But haven’t a lot of dead ends accidentally led to other stuff?” Rory stopped to think for a second before he continued, “I’m pretty sure I remember one of my high school science teachers talking about it, but I can’t remember exactly what she said.”

“She was right. Things like penicillin and X-rays are pretty well known, but there are a ton of others. Anyway, for us to follow wherever it leads, we need more donors, and you get more donors by writing more papers and getting published. Once we get a decent reputation, we have a better chance of getting grants.”

Jakob turned to Rory. “And what about you? Tell me about life as a stay-at-home boyfriend.”

Rory snorted his drink out his nose at the description. “It’spretty effing awesome, thanks,” he said as he tried to mop up the mess with a napkin. “I love being able to travel with Gabe, and I think he likes it too. Nico, his assistant, has been amazing and helpful. When we were in England, he made arrangements for me to visit places I wanted to mention in the book. Gabe always said he’d be lost without him, and I can see why.”

“How’s the writing going?” Rory turned to me with a beaming smile before he answered.

“It’s going really well. I’ve been doing writing sprints online, and it’s really helping.”

“Sprints?”

“Yeah, we all write for a little and then have this chat. It’s helped me stay focused. Gabe is ridiculously supportive about all of it.” He paused and looked to the ceiling, seemingly trying to control his emotions. “Sometimes, I can’t believe this is my life, ya know? I’m not special, but I have this man who loves me more than anything, and his sole focus is making sure my needs are met. And all he wants in return is for me to love that caretaking. It’s just…just…fucking awesome.”

“Hey, now, you are special,” I interjected. “And you deserve all happiness in the world.” I reached out and squeezed Jakob’s hand. “And you do too.”

“Any contact with your folks?” Rory asked. His eyes hooded with concern.

“Nah,” Jakob said with a shrug. “They said their piece, and I’m done trying to reach out. They know where to find me if they change their minds. I have Reed, my brothers to some degree, and you guys, so it’s enough. I wish my parents would accept my choices, but they don’t. I think I have the right to a life as I see it.”

“What about Reed’s family?” Rory asked Jakob.

“His parents and his brother, Cap, have always been supportive of us. Most of his aunts and uncles are nice enough,with a couple of glaring exceptions. His cousins talk so much shit to each other that it’s hard to tell when they’re being serious. One of them never talks to any of them, though, so he’s probably my favorite, even if I’ve never said more than two words to him. Anyway, here’s to found family.”

“What should we do this afternoon? We have a couple of hours before dinner. Tomorrow, Barrett booked us into the spa all day. If I read the invoice correctly, we are scheduled to try everything in there.”

“Everything?” Rory asked with raised eyebrows.

“Everything,” I confirmed with an emphatic nod. “Facials, manis, pedis, salt bath, massage, the whole works.”

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