27: Ski: Heather and Alejandro

"I hate you Alejandro."

"No you don't mi amor."

"Yes, I do! I am not putting on those skis."

"Why, are you afraid?"

Heather glared at her fiancé. "I am not afraid! I just don't like skiing."

The twenty-seven year old chuckled as she proceeded to throw a bit of a fit on the ski mountain. After their previous vacation went hay wire, they took an extra week off and found a better place. Heather liked it, until she found out they were signed up for a ski class. By then, Alejandro already booked the place so it was too late to cancel, hence why she "hated" him.

"You don't like it because you think you won't be in control, but you will be, trust me."

After the almost decade they had spent dating, Alejandro knew Heather well enough that she didn't like trying new things. She hated not being good at things right off the bat, as did he, but he had grown used to being bested, thanks to his brother José. That didn't mean he liked it though, so he understood Heather's frustration. If she didn't look so hot all flustered and angry he probably wouldn't be enjoying this as much as he was.

People whizzed by them as they sat outside on a bench. Alejandro had yet to put his skis on because he knew if he did it would take forever to get Heather into hers. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, which she proceeded to shrug off as she crossed her arms.

"Awe, come on Heather, this is our vacation to make up for the last one! At least try to have some fun," he pleaded with a slight pout.

Heather sighed and glanced at her fiancé from the corner of her eye. "That snowed in cabin is starting to look real appealing," she grumbled. Considering their trip started with a proposal, he wasn't surprised by her answer. He glanced at her hands, covered by mink gloves, and pictured the ring on her finger. God were her parents ever happy. They finally looked at him with approval. His parents really didn't mind, for they already loved Heather to pieces for some strange reason. Even his brothers gave the thumbs up that their brother finally popped the question.

"How about we make a deal."

"What kind of a deal?"

"We try skiing today. If you don't like it, we'll skip the rest of the lessons and do anything you want. But if you do like it, even just for a minute, then we go skiing as much as you want and do some other stuff. Sound fair?"

Heather eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "Like shopping?"

Alejandro nodded. "Like shopping."

The businesswoman sighed in annoyance but agreed. "Oh alright. Put these darn things on and let's get this over with," she grumbled.

It was surprising how easily Heather could be won over if you just played your cards right. If only he had known that during "Total Drama", he might have been able to use her as an ally. Then again, if that happened, he likely wouldn't have given her his number. Alejandro liked a challenge, and the nice thing about Heather was that's what she would always be. She'd give him a little leeway, but he knew not to step on her toes because she would not hesitate to snap at him like a crocodile. She kept things interesting, and that's what he needed in the long run; someone who would play their own hand and be willing to push back.

He got her to try the bunny hill first, and in a half hour, she was actually getting the hang of it. He even caught her smiling, though she hid it so she would "win" the compromise. Soon enough, they hopped on the ski lift and headed up to a more challenging hill. The couple spent the rest of the day on the slopes and near the end she wasn't hiding her grins any longer.

Alejandro let out a deep breath as he untied his skis. He was exhausted. Heather leaned back against the wall of the lodge where the bench was and shut her eyes briefly. "I'm bushed," she yawned.

He chuckled and agreed, helping her with her skis. "Me too. So what's the verdict? Skiing or shopping tomorrow?"

Heather pursed her lips as she thought. "Both. Shop in the morning, then ski for the afternoon. I don't want to be sweaty for shopping."

Alejandro just nodded. "Sounds good to me. Although, we could just ski in the morning then shower before shopping."

She chuckled as she stood up and took his hand. "Come on Mr. Heather let's go back to the room. I could use a shower," she winked then proceeded to drag him back to their room. He hadn't even noticed she used one of his old nicknames from the show. Ah well, one day soon she would be Mrs. Burromuetro, so he was satisfied with being Mr. Heather for a little longer.