Satin on the Slopes

Chapter 7

I knew this place so well, it used to be my safe haven. I knew the low lighting and the cheeky bartenders. I knew the smooth music and the sassy waitresses. My index finger was dipping between my lips the moment I got into the bar. My teeth bit down on the nail, chewing furiously as I settled myself beside Jen on one of the bar stools.

"Hey, don't do that," she scolded while flicking her hair over her shoulder. It fell down her back in glorious curls.

But Jen didn't understand the situation I was in. I wasn't like her. I didn't just exude confidence and glamour like she did. I didn't make jaws drop and eyes wander and I couldn't pretend that I was unfazed by the situation that I was in. I was average enough to be ignored by the everyday people around me. Yet, the people that knew me would never forget me.

And this little bar was packed full of people who would never forget or forgive.

"I'm so nervous. We shouldn't be here. We should go to McDonalds or something," I suggested, my eyes flitting around the intimate space.

"Penelope, we aren't going to solve anything by hiding. And look at this new Chanel jacket. Do you think that I could wear something like this to a burger joint?" she asked, smiling with one corner of her mouth.

"This place is crawling with them," I hissed.

"Welcome to Canada. Hockey players are everywhere. The point is that you are a bad bitch who has done nothing wrong. This place serves damn good drinks and you have every right to be here."

"Jen, please," I groaned. "His teammates are like brothers. I don't want to give them any more reasons to come after me then they already have."

"Think of this as the first step to getting your social life back on track." She paused briefly to order us both drinks. I'm sure the bright smile that she flashed the bar tender stunned him for a second before he could regain his sense. She either didn't notice or didn't care because her attention was back on me in seconds. "Besides, you are getting your career back on track, so why not progress in other aspects."

"I guess you're right," I admitted, though the idea didn't sit right with me. This kind of bar wasn't a part of my world anymore. And it certainly wasn't within my budget either.

As I spoke our drinks appeared and I took a heavy gulp, hoping it would help ease the nerves that were making my hands shake.

"So, tell me about working for Rush. It seemed like it all happened over night and we never really had a chance to catch up," Jen pushed.

"It did happen really fast," I agreed, furrowing my brow.

"Why don't you look happy? It's a great thing! They obviously love the work you have done with the snowboarders and they want to keep you on. That means stability and getting to be in those mountains a lot more often."

"Well, I'm kind of on thin ice because I was late for my first real session with them for Rush. My car got stuck on the mountain and it took a few minutes to get it out. The guys I work with may be laid back and casual, but the executive for Rush isn't." I skipped over the part about Hudson saving me, knowing that she would be more than happy to crown him as my newest knight in shining armor. "Plus, my pictures from the magazine haven't even been published yet so they have no idea what kind of work I do. I might've shown them a couple from my camera, but that would be before editing or anything else."

"The two snowboarders asked for you to be their photographer without even seeing the finished product from the previous session?"

"Right? It's totally weird," I gushed, finishing off my beer.