Page 40 of Fall With Me
We’re seated quickly at a wooden table by a wall of windows facing east. The view of the Wasatch mountains is stunning. Tennessee is beautiful, but growing up surrounded by mountains, it’s really hard living somewhere other than Utah.
“Everything looks amazing,” Chloe says, reading over the menu.
“I remember liking the fish tacos, but it’s been ages since I’ve eaten here.” I’m tempted to get the tacos again to see if they are as good as I remember, but I sort of want to try something new as well. “What are you getting?”
She glances up at me over the top of her menu. “I’m debating between the Ahi salad and the veggie stir-fry. What about you?”
“I can’t decide between the fish tacos and the tequila lime chicken. Have you had either of those before?”
She sets her menu down, leaning her elbows on the table. “This is my first time coming here.”
It’s at the bottom of the canyon. How hasn’t she been here before? “I’m shocked. How long have you been in Utah?”
She smiles. “My whole life.”
Is this one of those situations where a local doesn’t take advantage of the attractions in their own area? “Please tell me you ski.”
Her shoulders rise at the same time she winces. “Kind of? I went once with a boyfriend in high school. He went down the bunny hill with me twice, telling me how to do the pizza slice to slow down, then ditched me to go ski the bigger runs with his friends, even though it was my first time. Two hourslater, he came back and convinced me I was ready to try the easiest trail with him.
“I went, but still hadn’t mastered stopping without falling to the ground. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, there were too many people for me to dodge, and I was going too fast. I slipped on an icy patch and landed on my back, my head smacking into the ice. I blacked out for a few minutes, and when I came to, I decided skiing wasn’t the sport for me.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, shocked someone would leave their girlfriend behind on her first ski trip to hang out with their friends. My protective instincts flare in my gut. “That’s incredibly rude and I hope you broke up with him right after that.”
She slowly shakes her head. “I did not.”
“What?” I’m flabbergasted. “Why not?”
She sighs, making her shoulders deflate in tandem with the air exiting her mouth. “First of all, we were teenagers. Are any of us great in relationships when we’re that young? No. I did stupid stuff too. Second, he made me laugh.”
I allow the defense of their age, but are her expectations of a partner so low? All he has to do is make her laugh? “I have no other response to that except, when winter comes, will you please let me teach you how to ski properly? You can learn alongside Finn.”
She folds her arms across her chest, her head tilting to the side. “You think I want to be shown up by an eight-year-old?”
I smirk. “The Chloe I know wouldn’t let a kid beat her.”
She scowls at me.
I’m right, and she knows it.
“Fine. I’ll let you teach me how to ski. But if you laugh or Finn does better than me, I don’t want to hear a word from you. Got it?”
I put my hand over my heart. “You have my word.”
The waitress comes to take our order. Chloe goes for the stir-fry and I stick with the tacos. “So far, all I know about you is how much you love football, you’re good at your job, and you’re competitive. Tell me what you like to do for fun.”
She slides the saltshaker between her palms. “Planning parties.” She smirks. “And I love curling up on my couch on Friday nights watching movies. I like massages and painted nails. Since I live in workout clothes, I enjoy moments when I get to dress nicer. I like hiking, hanging out with Kate, shopping, and finding recipes for healthy food that actually tastes good. And I love being with my family.”
“What kind of movies do you like?”
“Drama, romance, mystery, fantasy, and action movies. I’m not a fan of sci-fi, horror, or documentaries. If you’re aLord of the Rings,Star Trek, orStar Warsfan, I’m not the person you want to watch movies with.”
She’s in luck then. I like those movies, but since I watched them a million times as a teen, they’re not my go-to anymore. “You said you don’t like horror, but what about Halloween movies? You don’t like any of those?” They’re perfect this time of year.
“Kid ones, sure, butJason,Chucky,Saw,The Exorcist,” she shivers like just saying the names creeps her out, “those are a hard pass.”
“Have you always disliked those types of shows?”
She stops fidgeting with the saltshaker, shoving her hands under thighs. “When I was seven, my mom thought I was asleep, but I’d wet the bed and needed her help. She had a guy over, and both of them were drunk and high. They were watching some movie with a creepy guy in a mask chasing people through the woods with a chainsaw. I was terrified. Ever since then, anytime I see a poster or trailer for a scary movie, the same panic comes flooding back.
