Twilight belongs to S. Meyer. I just play around and make some of her characters Canadian.
WitFit Prompt: "That sounds like a really good deal."
Highline
Chapter 3
Rose and I went back to the hotel and put on our bathing suits.
Our room was pretty basic, but very cozy. With two queen beds, a wood burning fire place and more of the rock and wood finish that seemed to be a theme in the hotel, you got the feeling that you were nestled deep in a cabin in the woods. The best feature, in my opinion, was the deep two-person Jacuzzi tub.
We soaked until our skin was pruned, drinking the bulk of a bottle of wine and playing rounds of "marry, screw or kill" to pass the time.
The next morning we went out and finished our shopping. We hit up the North Face store - where we both picked up a new Flash-Dry under layer for our hike - as well as a few other boutique style shops where Rose collected souvenirs for everyone back home.
By the time we'd finished browsing the shops in town, we figured it would be best to pass on the gondola. I was feeling a little less than stellar after the bottle of wine the night before, and Rose kept dropping hints that she wanted to see Emmett again. I could tell that she was trying to be subtle, but Rose didn't play subtle well.
A soak in the hot springs sounded like a good idea.
From everything I had read in the travel books, the springs were said to have a healing effect on both the body and the mind. According to my guide book, the location that we were visiting was structured like a pool, with a deep and shallow end, a deck area for lounging, and changing rooms. Apparently there was other more "rustic" hot springs that blended into the mountains like lakes, but they were far from the town limits.
The rain let up just as we arrived at the hot springs. People were everywhere and music could be heard from way beyond the front gates. A big banner hung over the front entrance saying, "Spring Kick Off 2012 – No Minors".
"You sure this is a good idea?" Rose asked, handing over some cash for our tickets.
"You're the one who wanted to see the big dude."
"That's not the only reason I wanted to come, jerk. He was just nice."
"Might as well check it out now that we're here." I shrugged. If I had known that it was going to be as big of a party as it was, I probably would have opted for another night in the Jacuzzi.
We striped down and left our belongings in a locker, and Rose pinned the key to her bikini strap. As soon as we walked out on deck, we were hit by heavy steam rising from the turquoise pool. I tiptoed in gradually, instantly relieved that the water was hot. Even though it was May, the temperature in the air was chilly with the sun down. Although it looked like a full sized swimming pool, it felt much more like a giant hot tub.
Half the large pool looked to be segmented off for relaxing while the other half had balls and noodles and basketball nets, complete with a much rowdier crowd. Signs were posted pointing to a beer gardens just off the pool deck and bright colored lights flashed over the water surface in time to the live music.
"It stinks in here, hey?" Rose asked, wading up to her belly button. I followed her over to a quiet corner and ducked in up to my shoulders. The water felt heavenly.
"Yeah, must be the sulphur or something."
She scrunched up her nose, leaning back against the wall. "Smells like rotten eggs, but at least it feels good."
We surveyed the area in silence, taking in the scene. It didn't take me long to spot Emmett, his large frame easy to pick out in the crowd. He was passing around a volleyball with a group of ten or so guys and a few girls.
It didn't take me long to pick out his brother, either. I watched as a curvy, muscular blonde hopped on his shoulders. He spun her around a few times then dunked her head first into the water. She sprung up and leaped on his back, trying to tackle him down with her.
He was smiling and laughing and looked much different than he did at the Grizzly House just the night before. My eyes were drawn to his angular jaw and the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he laughed. He was beyond handsome – I couldn't help but stare.
"Don't think I've seen you girls around here, eh?" A tall, dark guy asked, startling me from my gazing.
"Nope. We're tourists." Rose answered for us. "We were told to check this out tonight. It's a busy spot!"
"It is. It's kind of dumb, 'cause it's opened year round, but we have a party to kick off the spring season anyway. It's a whole other place to visit in the winter." He had deep dimples and a bit of a giggle in his voice. I could tell he was young, but he gave off a friendly and harmless vibe.
"I'm Bella, this is Rose."
"I'm Jacob. Nice to meet you girls."
"What do you do around here, Jacob?" Rose asked, though she didn't appear too interested in his answer. While she wasn't rude, Rose attracted a lot of attention from men wherever we went. She was used to deflecting.
"I'm apprenticing as a tour guide for Highline Adventures this summer– a few more classes and a handful of hours in the mountains and I'll be certified for advanced guiding."
"Nice. Sounds pretty exciting." She replied, scanning the crowd. I had a feeling she was looking for Emmett.
"So why Highline? I've heard good things." I asked, snooping. I was hoping to get a little insider info on our outfit.
"They're a well-respected company. Not overly commercialized like some of the others. Client experience means more to them than the money – I get behind that."
"Good to know." I nodded, feeling very satisfied with our choice. He seemed completely sincere, and I respected that.
"I also get free room and board at their lodge as an employee in the on-season."
"That sounds like a really good deal." I replied.
"It is. I teach skiing and snowboarding lessons in the winter at Sunshine, but I'm hoping to get hired back as a ski guide with Highline for the winter season too. It would save me rent. Around here it's crazy expensive."
He seemed like a good kid. "How old are you if you don't mind me asking?"
"I just turned twenty." He wasn't as young as I thought. His dimples and baby face gave him a younger appearance.
"And you've already done all of that? That's pretty impressive!"
"Nah, I've been doing this stuff my whole life – I was raised on the reserve just outside the park limits. Comes with the territory, I guess."
"Jacob – I hope you're not terrorizing my lady friends!" I recognized Emmett's loud voice immediately. He appeared so quickly I hadn't even noticed him coming. "You girls made it. I didn't scare ya off, eh?" he asked with a wink.
"We were curious" Rose answered, eyeing him up. His muscular build was impressive in just swim trunks, but even still, my eyes were drawn over his shoulder – back to his brother. He was whispering to the girl from earlier, steam rising all around him, droplets of water falling from his shaggy hair. He made absolutely no move to acknowledge us whatsoever.
"I think we're all heading over to the beer gardens. Want to meet up there?" He asked, focusing mostly on Rose.
"Sure, we'll do that." she replied, fidgeting with the strings at the hip on her bikini.
"Awesome." he replied, as he turned around in front of us. I couldn't peel my eyes off the wide jagged scar that stretched across his shoulder blades. "I'll make Edward buy us all a round."
A/N Thank you so much for reading! Big thanks to those of you who have left reviews too – I love to hear your thoughts!