Vince hopped into the shower. After a full day of skiing the long runs of Heavenly Valley, he was anxious to freshen up for an exciting night in Lake Tahoe. Jerry, his long-time ski buddy, was pacing around the room like a caged grizzly bear.
"Hey man, don't take all day, okay?" Jerry shouted into the steam-filled bathroom.
"Will you fuckin' relax? We got all night to find you a playmate," replied Vince with a loud laugh.
"Did you see the cool bar in this hotel? Man, I'm ready for a martini and a little action," yelled Jerry.
Jerry's enthusiasm for a good party never waned, but at the moment, Vince's mind was elsewhere. While he wiped a small clearing in the foggy bathroom mirror to shave, he replayed the phone conversation he'd had with Carrie several nights earlier.
"Were you able to book a flight and a room?" Vince asked.
"Yes. I should arrive at the hotel about five-ish on Monday. Do you still want to pretend we're strangers?
"Absolutely. Jerry's a lot of fun to ski with but he thinks every woman he meets wants to fuck him. Last year in Aspen, he met a scary-looking woman with spiked hair and a pierced tongue, then dumped me for two nights. I've been waiting to return the favor ever since. This should be hilarious."
"I can't wait to see you again. I'm getting all turned on just thinking about 'picking you up' in a bar."
"Me, too. Do you have a good story worked out?"
"I think so. How's this? I had planned to do some gambling with a girlfriend but she cancelled at the last minute, so I decided to go on my own."
"Sounds believable to me. So you should show up at the hotel bar about 6:30?"
"Sure. This is going to be such fun. And the best part is I get to fuck you for two whole days on top of it all. Yummy!"
After the shower and a fresh change of clothes, Vince was anxious to get going.
"You finally ready?" Jerry grumbled.
"Let's fuckin go," Vince said. "There's a couple of martinis out there with our names on them."
The hotel bar appeared to be a comfortable place to start the evening. It resembled an island of mirrors and glistening bottles floating amid a sea of overstuffed lounge chairs. Vince liked that it was small and intimate. He took a seat at the bar next to Jerry. A few moments later, the bartender walked up and introduced himself.
"How ya doin fellas. I'm Carl."
"Hey Carl. I'm Jerry and this is Vince. Good to meet you."
"You guys ski today?"
"Yeah. We did Heavenly," Jerry said. "Pretty awesome place."
"How long you here for?" Carl asked.
"'Til Friday," Vince answered.
"You'll get a ton of skiing in by then. The weather is supposed to be pretty good all week. What can I get for you guys?"
"I'll have gin martini, straight up. You got Bombay Sapphire?" Jerry asked.
"Jesus. I don't know how you can drink that shit," groaned Vince, "give me a Belvedere on the rocks, with pearl onions."
"For a dollar more, you can get the happy hour double," Carl said.
"Works for me," Vince replied.
"Many women hang out in here?" Jerry inquired.
"Not as many as there are in town, but we have our nights," Carl answered with a smile.
Vince nursed his jumbo martini with nervous gulps. Using the tip of his index finger, he subtly lifted the shirt sleeve off of his wristwatch to check the time. It was 6:45 and Carrie still hadn't arrived. Worried that Jerry might get impatient and want to leave, Vince exclaimed, "Hey buddy, next rounds on me. Carl, how about two more of the same?"
The little bar began to fill with the aprรจs ski crowd, and the jumbo gin martini was having its desired affect on Jerry. He studied the women in the room with growing interest.
"I don't know Vince. So far, I'm disappointed in this place. No tens that I can see. Let's head into town and see if we can find greener pastures," he said.
"Okay, but in due time. This place is supposed to have great steaks. Let's hang out here and eat first, and then go downtown," Vince suggested.
Jerry bought the little ploy.
Vince went to the restroom while the bartender mixed two more double martinis. When he returned, he found Jerry all worked up about something.
"Hey man, one hot bandit at two o'clock. Check it out," he said.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" asked Vince.
"There, in the main lobby. At the concierge desk. This pasture just got a lot greener."
Vince twisted around in his seat to get a better look. Even from a distance, he could see it was Carrie.
Vince's heart rate quickened as she strolled gracefully into the bar. It had been four months since their torrid affair in LA and he was instantly reminded just how beautiful she was. Her long, blond hair draped over her shoulders in lush folds. Wearing a short fur jacket, black, skin-tight ski pants and a lime-green silk blouse, she looked stunning.
While she weaved her way through the maze of lounge chairs, a hush fell over the room. Vince finally made eye contact with her. She flashed her hallmark smile, gave him a faint wink and immediately turned her head away. He could see she was well prepared to begin their game of make-believe.
Carrie stood at the bar, only two seats from Jerry. She flipped her hair off her shoulders, removed her jacket and draped it on the seat back. Her blouse was sufficiently unbuttoned to provide a teasing glimpse of her luscious breasts. Her nipples were visibly erect through the sheer silk fabric of her blouse, making it obvious she was not wearing a bra. She made certain to give Jerry a tantalizing peek as she climbed on to the barstool.
"And what can I get for you, young lady?" Carl asked with heightened interest.
"Oh, I don't know. Let me think for a sec. Okay, how about a Belvedere on the rocks? And can I get it with pearl onions?" Carrie replied.
"You got it."
Vince could see Jerry fumbling with his drink while searching for something to say to her. Jerry was rarely without a line, but he dumbstruck here. Finally, he blurted out, "Let me buy the lady her first drink, Carl."
Carrie turned to Jerry, looked directly into his face, smiled, but said nothing for several seconds. She finally held out her hand and said, "Well, thank you, dear sir. How gentlemanly of you. My name's Carrie, and you are?"
"I'm, uh, Jerry. Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine. And who's your friend?"