Oh My Goodness

After settling in, we headed outside to explore a bit. The door in between the kitchen and the dining room led to a huge porch. To the right, there was a was a hot tub. Against the wall, there sat a few wooden chairs and a swinging couch that all faced outward, towards the mountains. To the left, there were stairs that led all the way down to the snow-covered ground. The cottage was on a hill, so there were quite a few steps to get to the bottom.

When you did reach the bottom, there was a fire pit with chairs all around it in a circle. As we explored more, we found a small frozen pond just a short walk away, and some well worn snowmobiling paths. To say the chalet was in a perfect location was an understatement.

That night, Matt and Ryan headed into town to grab some pizza for supper. We were about two hours from Denver, but we were only a short drive from a small tourist town. I was surprised to learn that there was other civilization so close, but I had to admit it helped to have somewhere to go buy food, since we hadn't brought much with us.

Shane, Gabe and I sat in the living room, watching a movie as we waited for the other two to return. It was dark outside, and there was a light bit of snow falling. I found myself glancing over at Gabriel every so often. His lips would turn up every now and then at something he found amusing in the movie, and the sight of this made me smile, too. After a while, he caught me looking, and his lips twitched up into a smile again, his eyebrow lifted in question. My stomach flipped and I looked down, my cheeks burning. I felt his eyes on me, but I kept my own glued to the TV set.

After I while, I began to grow antsy. Knowing there was snow and, more than likely, a clear sky full of stars, had me itching to get up and go outside.

I stood up and headed over to the back door, ignoring looks from Gabriel and Shane. I was in a huge, cozy sweater, and as I stepped outside, the chill in the air only affected me a tiny bit. It was refreshing. I took in a deep breath and sat on one of the wooden chairs.

I was still in awe at how beautiful it was out there. The moon cast a light glow across everything, and, as predicted, the stars were out in full view. I don't know how long I sat out there, my knees pulled up to my chest, staring at nothing. A sense of peace was spreading throughout my body, and I sighed contentedly.

When the door opened, I only turned my head slightly to see who it was. My stomach flip flopped as Gabe gave me a smile. Standing there, in his grey hoodie and sweatpants, he looked the definition of simple perfection. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over, and I looked back out at the scene before me.

"Matt and Ryan are back," he informed me. I nodded, and he was silent for a moment. "What are you doing?"

I shrugged, a smile on my lips. I stood up, and turned to him. I was about to speak when I realized he was gazing at me, and my insides quickly turned to mush. His eyes were soft as he looked at me, and I wasn't sure what to say or do. His eyes traveled across my face, landing longer on my lips. I suddenly found it very hard to breathe. I finally broke eye contact, and held the door open behind me as we walked back inside.

***

All throughout dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about that moment out on the porch. I avoided looking at Gabriel at all costs. Every time he spoke, my stomach twisted into knots.

After supper, I offered to do the dishes, and the guys willingly obliged. It was about 11:00 by the time we actually finished eating, and everyone was ready to retire to their rooms. I made fun of them for being old men, but they brushed me off, saying they "needed to be well rested" for the next day.

I tried to ignore the fluttering of my stomach as I heard Gabriel follow me into the kitchen. He placed the plates on the counter beside where I stood. I could see his profile from the corner of my eye, even though I avoided eye contact.

"Thanks, Gabe," I said, throwing him a tiny smile before turning on the tap.

He shook his head. "Not a problem." He grabbed the dishtowel from beside the sink, and I began to protest.

"You don't-"

"I don't mind," he assured me. He smiled, and I returned it before starting to wash the dishes. He looked out the window, shaking his head.

"What?" I inquired quietly.

He looked down at me with a smile. "This place is amazing."

I nodded, and handed him a plate to wash off. "Yeah, it's beautiful."

He was quiet for a minute, drying off the plate. "You glad you came?" I nodded. "Good," he said, his voice lowered. I couldn't help the goosebumps that spread across my skin as he added, "I'm glad, too."

***

The next morning, I woke to sunlight streaming through my window. I smiled as I lay on my side, staring at the beautiful scene outside. All I could see from my current position was the snow covered mountains in the distance, and it was breathtaking.

When I finally got up, I headed out to make breakfast for myself and the guys. Matt had been smart enough to buy some bacon and eggs, and so I used those to make a huge breakfast for the five of us. Ryan was the first out, and he thanked me before sitting down and devouring the food. Matt came next. He was followed by Gabe, who's morning appearance had me going wild. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked out into the main room and grinned upon seeing the food.

"Smells amazing," he commented.

"Tastes as good as it smells," Matt responded, his mouth full of food.

After Shane finally showed up, we finished breakfast and headed down to the pond. The guys quickly set up a net and Shane was voted in as goalie. Even I took some shots on net, going so far as scoring once, earning me a hug from Matt and a high five from Ryan and Gabriel.

***

Gabe

I smiled as I watched her shoot the puck in the net. Ryan and Matt were making bets beside me, and when the puck slipped past Shane, Matt whooped victoriously and jumped up. He skated over to Jessica, wrapping her up in a hug. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous; I still wasn't completely sure what my boundary limits were when it came to her. Did she want me to hug her? After the 2-hour ride out to the chalet with her cuddled into me, I felt that I had some sort of entitlement to personal contact, even though I knew that wasn't true. I had initiated that contact, and she had been sleeping.

When we finally headed in, it was late in the afternoon. The other three guys and I went for a quick pre-supper nap. I felt bad that Jessica was left to make supper on her own, but she insisted that we all go.

I woke up an hour later to the delicious smell of pasta and tomato sauce. I headed back out into the kitchen. To my surprise, Jessica was nowhere to be found. I made my way out to the back porch, and, sure enough, I found her, legs curled up on the same chair I had found her in yesterday. She smiled up at me as I walked over and took a seat in the chair next to her.

"Everyone else still asleep?"

I nodded. "They'll be up soon."

It was quiet, and I was struck again by how nice it was outside. It was fast approaching 6:00, and the sun was on its way down in the sky, making everything even more beautiful. As if reading my thoughts, the girl beside me spoke softly.

"I can't get over how incredible this view is."

"Have you never been out to the mountains before?" I asked.

She shook her head slowly, and I looked at her questioningly. She gave me a small smile. "I was supposed to go out to my ex-boyfriends cottage, but we broke up before it happened."

I nodded slowly. I hadn't been expecting that answer. "Recent?" I asked cautiously. I wanted to know, but I didn't want to freak her out. To my relief, she simply shook her head.

"Two years ago." She paused, looking down at her feet. "My only real boyfriend," she said with a laugh.

I nodded in understanding, and we fell back into silence. It was a moment before she spoke again.

"How many girlfriends have you had?"

I was caught off guard, even though I should have seen that question coming. "Five. Two serious ones," I said after a minute.

She looked at me in surprise. "No way."

Jessica

I looked at him incredulously. Only five? I had expected a lot more than that. I felt instantly guilty as I took in the almost hurt expression on his face. "It's just..." I tried to reason with what I had said, but I couldn't.

"What?"

I was silent for a minute. "You have girls falling at your feet," I finally said quietly. Gabe was quiet, and I didn't dare look at him.

"That's not true."

"Oh, come on. You have to know the effect you have on girls," I blurted. I began to run my gloved finger along the wooden arm of the chair. "The effect you have on people in general." It was silent for a moment, and I felt awkward. I stood up abruptly, stepping forward until I reached the railing and resting my elbows on it. I heard Gabriel stand up, and before long he was beside me, mimicking my position.

"Do I affect you that way?"

I looked at him, surprised. He had a smile on his face that he was failing to hide, and I knew I was blushing. I was almost mad at him for asking that. Of course he affected me that way. Could he not tell that every time he was near me I struggled to breathe or think straight? All I could do in response was sigh frustratedly, and turn to head back inside.

***

Later that night, we decided to have a bonfire down at the pit. All throughout dinner, Gabe was sending me smiles, and every now and again I would catch him looking at me. When I did, his only response was to smile wider, and hold my gaze for a few more seconds before looking away. I was embarrassed, and he thought it was funny. As we stood around the bonfire, telling stories and listening to Matt's obnoxious laugh, I tried my best to avoid eye contact with the Swede.

I sat down after a while on one of the logs, watching the fire. After a while, the log shifted, and Gabriel sat down next to me.

"You alright?"

I gave him a look before looking down at my hands. Was he seriously asking me that? "Been a weird day, that's all," was the best I could come up with. Gabriel was silent as he nodded. My stomach was going crazy. His arm was resting gently against mine, and I could hardly stand it. After a few more minutes of silence, I stood up with a sigh. "I'm gonna head in." I slid my hands into my coat pocket, my eyes not meeting his.

He nodded again before standing up. "Hey," he said quietly. I met his eyes, and my stomach fluttered as he took a step closer. "I think you underestimate the effect you have on people, too." His lips twitched up at the sides, and my heart raced as he leaned down to press a kiss to my cheek. "Night, Jess," he mumbled as he stepped away, breaking my stunned gaze and heading off to talk to Matt. I watched him walk for a moment before turning, my mind reeling and my pulse racing.