Page 42 of Bachelor

“Been a while, then? Nice split board you got over there.”

“It’s been a while since I rode a groomed mountain, yeah,” I admitted. It was true. I’d grown up going to the French Alps every winter after Christmas with my brothers and parents, and later in life I’d spend a few weekends out of the year traveling to wherever had enough snow to hike up and ski down it with my friends. But then I got my doctorate and put my career and my research ahead of everything, including having a life.

The bartender handed me my order and moved down the bar. I watched him lean against it, talking to two women bundled against the cold.

It was Jessica and Whitney.

Whitney saw me first, her hands curled around a huge mug of what looked like hot chocolate with half-melted whipped cream. She smiled at me, her eyes shining bright in the warm, cozy overhead lighting.

Jessica leaned back, waving me over. When Whitney didn’t protest, I grabbed my coffee and food and took a seat next to them.

“Getting a head start, too?” Whitney asked, bringing her mug to her lips.

“I was trying to get here before Cassandra,” I said before I could stop myself.

Jessica snorted with laughter. “She’s got a thing for you, Rhys. Can I call you that?”

“Sure, I don’t care,” I breathed. Last night was already inappropriate enough with Cassandra’s antics and both students and professors alike drinking heavily. “And I know, trust me.”

Whitney pursed her lips but said nothing.

Jessica, however, continued, “Not your kind of lady?”

“No,” I said. “Is it that obvious?” I hoped so, just so she’d leave me alone.

“She came to the bar and was asking Tyler about you and Professor Dan. It sounds he’s also a target, so that might help.”

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and leaned back in my chair. I did not want to have this conversation, especially sitting right next to the woman I really wanted. Wanted more than anything.

Jessica shifted in her chair and looked right at me, smiling. “So, do you ski or snowboard?”

“Snowboard.”

“Have you ever done it before?”

I gave her a look. “Yes, I have. Why? Are you offering to give me a lesson, Ms. Lowry?”

“No, I’ve never tried it and have no plans to. Whitney was talking about giving it shot—"

“I was not,” Whitney said, bristling a bit, but her mouth quirked into a smile. “I ski, because I’m civilized.”

“A real high-class lady.” Jessica nodded, then barked a laugh when Whitney pinched her in the ribs. “I ski, too. So, it looks like you’ll have to find someone to ride with today because you’ll never be able to catch up to us.”

I leaned forward and eyed both women, sensing something playful in the air between them. “Is that so?”

“Whitney would leave you in the dust,” Jessica continued, and Whitney’s cheeks colored to match her red coat.

“We’ll see about that,” I replied, my eyes meeting Whitney’s in silent challenge.

“There you go, Whit. Now you’re not stuck with Tyler anymore, unlike me. That fool has no idea what he’s doing, did you know? Never touched a ski slope in his life, yet he refused to sign up for lessons because apparently, I’m going to be teaching him how to ski this weekend instead,” Jessica went on. “He’s trying to impress some girl from the English Department. She skis, so he wants to ski. If she jumped off a cliff, I bet he’d jump too.”

“Oh, give him a break,” Whitney giggled. “He’s in puppy love.”

“Puppy love?” I leaned my elbows on the bar. “What is that?”

Whitney looked a little taken aback. “It’s when you’re just... a little obsessed with someone. That kind of love you feel before things get... complicated.” She cleared her throat and drank deeply from her hot chocolate, turning away from me.

“He just wants to get her in bed,” Jessica stated bluntly, and Whitney choked on her drink.

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