Page 6 of My Ex for Christmas
I roll my eyes at Jamie, who settles on a stool across from me. “I’m working. These are my work clothes,” I reply.
Spencer hops up on the stool beside Jamie. “You’re usually dressed like a walking Levi’s ad, dude,” he says.
I frown as I look down at my black dress shirt, black slacks and black shoes. “They said business casual.”
The dress code is a far cry from Dirty Dick’s, but money is money. And the money here is pretty damn good.
“Yeah,business casual,” Spencer replies. “Not a goth chick’s wet dream. It wouldn’t kill you to wear a little colour, B-man.”
Jamie sighs. “Tell us more about this ex of yours,” he prompts me.
I met Jamie and Spencer at the beginning of the season when we all got hired around the same time. Jamie is our resident Mr. Fix-It and Spencer operates the ski lifts. We’ve only known each other a short while, but they’re easy to get along with. When Spencer isn’t being a dipshit.
“Hadley,” I say, taking the subject change gratefully. “She broke up with me right after graduation and then moved to South America.” My mind wanders to last night, seeing her sitting on that stool in the bar. “I guess she’s back. For now, at least.”
“Are you gonna make a move?” Spencer asks.
Before I can answer, Jamie pipes up. “I don’t know,” he says. “I wouldn’t mess with an ex. They’re exes for a reason.”
Because Hadley had wanted us to be. If it had been up to me, I would’ve done anything to make long distance work. I would’ve worked my ass off to save up for flights to Brazil. But in her quest to leave our hometown behind, she decided she needed to leave me behind, too.
She cut ties with everyone in Pineridge, except her sister. As far as I know, she rarely speaks to her parents. Hell, she barely did before she left. And she hadn’t spoken to me since the day we broke up.
I hadn’t even known she’d gotten on a plane eight years ago until Sam told me.
“She left,” I say. She left, and I didn’t know until it was too late.
Spencer shrugs. “And now she’s here. What have you got to lose?”
I sigh.
He makes it seem so simple. And it isn’t like I’m not curious about her. A lot can change in eight years, and we aren’t exactly those same teenagers who fumbled through losing their virginities together.
I want to know who Hadley has become in our time apart. What she’s made of herself. Knowing her, it’s something impressive.
I’ve always been a little in awe of her. From the moment I met her in grade nine, I thought she was beautiful. But it wasn’t just physical. Her brain was stunning, and I had no doubts she would go far in life.
I just didn’t think her goals would take her away from me.
“Like, literally. She’s right over there,” Spencer adds. “Can I get a beer? Something on tap.”
But I stop listening when I realize that Spencer is right. Hadleyishere. She’s sitting on a stool at the far end of the bar, and it feels exactly like déjà vu.
This time, though, I don’t plan on letting her run away. If nothing else, we can be friends. I can handle that. Hopefully. What I can’t handle is going another eight years without her in my life.
“I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Hey!” Spencer calls to my back. “What about my drink?”
“I think you’re gonna be waiting a while, bud,” I hear Jamie say. “You’re not as pretty as she is.”
I tune out Spencer’s whining as I approach Hadley. Now that I know she works for the owner, I’m surprised I haven’t seen her around the resort, but I know she probably doesn’t spend much time drinking. She’s too busy for that.
I stop just across from her, the bar a barrier between us. Her shoulders are slumped, and I watch her slip off her shoe and rub the sole of her foot. Shelooks tired.
Seeing Hadley sitting in my bar last night was a welcome surprise. Seeing her again, right now, solidifies my decision. Because Spencer might have a point. She’shere, in Sugar Peak of all places. That has to be a sign for something.
I don't know how long she’s around for, but fuck, I don’t plan to waste a minute.
