*/*

SLIPPERY SLOPE

10 THE BOTTOM

/BPOV\

Hill of Beans gives way to Easy Rider, a gentle trail that leads us through a tree-lined area, where the soft shoosh of our two sets of skis is all that disturbs the quiet around us. For a short time, we're alone in this little bubble, and I feel myself relaxing, and dare I say, enjoying the experience. I've improved my technique, and this time, when Edward pulls off to the side, I turn and stop next to him like a pro. Well, a beginner pro.

"You've been skiing beautifully, Bella. Why don't you lead off, and I'll follow you? Stop whenever you need a break."

I'm not only losing my focal point, but I'm also losing my eye candy. As I push off, his intense gaze heats me from behind, and somehow, I feel even safer. Unlike my brief trip with James, I feel tethered to Edward in a way that I know won't result in our getting separated.

Within the security of his protective care, I stretch myself a bit, picking up a little more speed and taking shorter cuts across the slope. As we exit the woodsy area, Easy Rider spills into the broad expanse of the base lodge area, and we're just two people entering the crush of skiers ending their long day on the mountain.

Nearing the base of the mountain is bittersweet. A large part of me sings with relief that I can soon unlock myself from the lengths of fiberglass that served as both prison and transport for the last five hours of my life. Despite a few inevitable bruises from a fall here and there, I am largely unscathed from my unexpected journey.

But I feel our loss of privacy as a tangible and unpleasant force, and I fear that reaching the bottom may signal the end of whatever this has been with Edward. On the one hand, our shared experience was incredibly intense; on the other, we're still complete strangers. I realize we don't even know each other's last names, though I'm comforted that through Emmett, I'd be able to reinitiate contact with Edward, should I get up the courage to do so.

The base is a festive spot, similar to Sunset Lodge but on a communal scale. Music blasts outward from the lodge, weary skiers of all ages and levels unbuckle their uncomfortable boots and celebrate a successful day on the slopes, and friends congregate for the merriment of après-ski. I pull to a halt near the ski rack and Edward is right behind me.

"Well, you made it down the mountain!" he says proudly.

"I had an excellent guide."

"True enough," he agrees, "but you should feel really good about the way you skied it. Especially the second half when I let you lead. I knew you'd go faster if you were in control."

"Pshh, not sure how 'in control' I was, but yeah, it felt really great."

"Emmett's gonna be blown away tomorrow morning when he sees how advanced you are. You're going right to the head of the class."

I feel the hot blush come over my cheeks, which reminds me…

"Here, I almost forgot. Your goggles…thank you. Your face must be frozen."

He ungloves one hand and runs his fingers over his scruff. I am so jealous of his fingers right now. "Nah, I'm fine. I could use a little sun to cover up my office pallor."

He switches goggles with me and says, "I'll take mine back, but you should really go return yours to the store in the morning and make them give you a new pair. These are crap."

"Thank you, Counselor." Stalling…keeping him here.

Suddenly, the concept of going our separate ways fills me with gloom, and I simply can't let him slip away. But how long can I hold him with this aimless small talk? Take the plunge, Bella. What have you got to lose?

*/*

|EPOV|

"Edward, I know it's not nearly enough, but can I at least buy you a drink and say a proper thank you?"

"I'd love that. But…what about your friends?"

She shrugs. "I guess they'll find me when they find me." Her smile widens, and mine follows suit. She's not going out of her way to let anyone know where she is, and I have half a mind to take her as far away from here as I can, but I tamp down my greed.

"Let's get these skis off!"

"That is by far the most wonderful thing I've heard all day."

Ten minutes later, we're situated at an outdoor table, our boots unbuckled, coats unzipped, and hats removed once again. Bella's ordered a hot apple toddy and I've got a cold Budweiser. She's noticeably more relaxed than she's been all day, even before the alcohol starts working its magic on her.

"So do you live in the area?" I ask.

She nods, "Denver. What about you?"

"Boulder."

"Born and raised here?" she asks.

"No. I'm from the Northeast. It's kind of Emmett's fault I settled out here," I admit, though saying it out loud, I realize it's rather lame that I followed my little brother's trajectory rather than forging one for myself. "I figured I could do what I do anywhere, and he convinced me that this was a really fine place to do it."

"It…being lawyering?"

"Yeah," I chuckle. "Lawyering."

"What kind of law?"

"Corporate litigation, stock offerings, M&A…the exciting stuff," I say with a derisive eye roll at my life.

She pulls her drink to her lips, watching me, and sets her mug back down. Her tongue makes a long swipe across her lower lip that makes me want to jump across the table and retrace its path with my own.

"It doesn't sound like your job makes you very happy," she observes.

I sit back in my seat and pick at the label around the neck of my beer bottle.

"It's none of my business," she offers quickly. "Sorry."

"Please, don't be. I guess I just don't really like to think about the fact that I'm not where I wanted to be at this point in my life." Okay, wow. How many beers have I had? Dude, easy on the confessional. She's not your priest; she's a girl, and one you just met at that. And I seriously doubt she'll appreciate you oozing your midlife crisis all over happy hour.

"Where did you want to be?" she asks, warm gaze offering understanding.

I allow my eyes to get lost in hers, and in doing so, I permit myself to believe that she sincerely wants to know me. And I share with her what I've barely been able to admit to myself, starting with a great exhale.

A/N: Ahhh, apres-ski begins. Now before anyone yells at me about ball-less Slopeward or wimpy BellaBunny, I'd like to remind you that both of them knew she'd be seeing his brother the next morning. K? KEA posts tomorrow (Thursday). ~BOH