She was amused by this conversation. Did big, muscular men like fondue? “I don’t think I’ve ever had fondue.”
“Never?”
She shook her head and sipped her wine. “Are you a fondue fan?” she asked innocently.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, but it’s a fun thing to do on a ski trip. Do you ski?”
“I can get down the mountain but it’s not particularly pretty. More survival skiing than anything.”
She was rewarded with a laugh, and the deep, husky appreciative sound burrowed inside of Charity, warming her. He really was incredibly attractive, and it wasn’t just his looks—which were exceptional—but it was his smile and laugh and the way he just seemed so much larger than life. More real, more alive somehow.
“Since you’re not a travel agent, why are you here?” she asked, crossing her legs and opening her notebook. “Are you doing an article on ski resorts, or are you writing specifically about this one? What’s the scoop?”
“I know the owner here. The resort needs publicity, and I thought I’d see if there was some way I could help them out.”
“That’s nice of you.”
His broad shoulders shrugged. “I try to be nice.”
She had a weakness for a man with a sense of humor, and he definitely had one. “I confess I don’t really know a lot about Wyoming resorts.” She lowered her voice so no one else would hear. “In fact, this is my first time here. I didn’t even know that Little Teton existed.”
“Jackson Hole gets most of the attention. Then for those who want to ski this side of the mountain, they usually hit Grand Targhee. Even though Little Teton Resort and the Grand Targhee were built just five years apart back in the sixties, the Grand Targhee was just managed better, and found their customers, and kept them. Little Teton passed from one owner to another, and each owner did less and less to take care of the place. Peter Pace, the new owner, has poured money into this resort but they don’t have a lot of bookings and they can’t afford to go through the winter without revenue.”
“Which is why we’re all here.”
He nodded. “I’m a little worried, though, as Peter can’t compete with Jackson Hole, at least, not with those who want trendy and luxury. This place isn’t going to be for the jet-setters who want to be seen.”
“Not everyone wants to be seen. I know I’ve only just arrived, but I’d think it’d appeal to those who want great snow and the authentic Rocky Mountain ski experience.”
“It’ll be interesting to see how family friendly they are,” he added.
She nodded as a pair of women squeezed past them to sit down in their row. Others were taking chairs in the row ahead of them.
“Have you gone on a lot of fam trips?” he asked.
“No, this is my first.”
“So why this one?”
She glanced up into his handsome face with the piercing blue eyes and didn’t know why she felt compelled to be honest. Maybe it was because the past few weeks had been so hard, or maybe it was the relief of being someone new, somewhere new. “I needed a break, and this seemed to be the perfect change of scenery. Work and vacation all in one.”
“Is travel that hectic this time of year?”
“No, just my life right now.” She made a face. “I have inadvertently become the queen of bad decisions.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He waited a moment, eyes narrowed as his gaze swept her face before lingering on her rueful smile. “What’s the most recent bad decision?” he asked.
Charity hated the sudden ache in her chest. It was so stupid to let Greg hurt her and she forced a shrug, not wanting to let Douglas know just how bruised she felt. “Turns out my boyfriend wasn’t as committed to me as he let me believe.”
“What a schmuck. You’re better off without him.”
“I agree. Unfortunately, we work together so it’s extra uncomfortable.” She shook her head. “I should have known better. There’s a reason why they tell you not to date anyone from work.”
“Hopefully, he’s just another agent and not your boss.”
It took Charity a moment to process what he meant and then she grimaced. “Not my boss, thank goodness. I’ve made some mistakes in my time, but thankfully have never made that one.”
Conversation was curtailed by the appearance of a man at the podium. For the next ten minutes they watched a video about the history of skiing in Wyoming and the creation of the Little Teton Resort in the Grand Teton Mountains. The short film used old photographs and some home movie clips to convey the history of the resort, before seguing into the new owners’ vision for Little Teton, and the developments they’d done since acquiring the resort two years ago. By the time the film was over, Charity wished she was a real travel agent who could send the resort dozens of guests.
“That was really interesting,” she said to Douglas as the lights went back on and they were all excused to go enjoy the rest of their evening. “I loved the film, too. I’m glad they’ve added it to their website. I’ll have everyone in the office watch it when I return.”
They stepped out of their row so everyone else could escape. Resort staff were stacking the platters and collecting dirty dishes from a tray in the corner.
“What are your plans for the rest of the evening?” Douglas asked, as she added her empty wineglass to one of the big trays.
“Go back to my room and read.”
“Read?”
She slipped her notebook into her purse. “I love to read.”
“What kind of books?”
“Romance,” she said a little defiantly, waiting for him to make fun of her.
He didn’t, although the corner of his mouth lifted and his blue eyes gleamed. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I love that they always end happy. I love that in a romance the woman is just as important as the hero. In fact, I think
she is the hero.” Charity lifted her chin, expression challenging, again waiting for him to make a smart remark, but he just gave her another smile, creases fanning from his eyes.
“I’m not going to fight with you. We all have different ways to relax. I play Xbox. I even carry the console and controller in my suitcase when traveling. My girlfriend wasn’t a fan, so I tried to play only when on the road, but sometimes it was the best way for me to unwind and unplug, necessary in my line of work.”
“So we all have a guilty pleasure.”
“Exactly. What was your boyfriend’s? Do you remember?”
“Baseball.”
“He played?”
“No. He’s a die-hard Cubs fan. He had one of those sports packages and he’d watch almost every single game on TV, and baseball has a lot of games.”
“Yes, I know.”
“What was your girlfriend’s guilty pleasure?”
“Shopping,” he said without hesitation. “She was the very definition of a shopaholic. But she could afford it so I’m not judging.”
“Wow. Lucky. That’s one thing I don’t do. I was raised in a family that didn’t have very much, and it’s still pretty tight.”
“Travel agents don’t earn a lot, do they?”
Charity thought of all the fun opportunities Tricia did have, working in her industry. “But there are lots of perks. Like this one. Being here.” She glanced around and realized they were the only two left in the room that weren’t staff. “I guess we should let them clean up without having to work around us.”
“I know you’ve got your book waiting for you in your room,” he said, as they stepped into the hall, “but I’m going to check out the Ice Shack and their incredible cheese fondue. Want to join me? We each have a dinner voucher and we can use it in any of the resort restaurants.”
Douglas was handsome and smart and very appealing. She was enjoying his company a little more than she should. But this wasn’t a dinner date; it was business. She was networking. “I think it’s time to try my first fondue.”