“You know, the other girls he dated in the past. They’re usually much more obnoxious. You seem much nicer. Nice change of pace.”
“Have you known Blake long?” I asked.
“I’ve known him since kindergarten. He’s a good guy. Just be careful.”
“I’ve heard he’s not really the faithful type,” Kim chimed in. “Although, I don’t know him that well. Zach and I became mates while he was away at school so I only recently really met him, but I’ve heard stories from the other guys.”
The guys all came back with trays of food. Blake slid in next to me, putting his tray between us. “Take anything you want.” He smiled at me. “I got plenty of food for both of us.” I grabbed a container of chili and a spoon.
After lunch, we all went back onto the slopes. At one point, while Blake was laughing with his other friends, Jack pulled me aside and said, “Hey, Jasmine. It looks like you and Blake have gotten really close.” I nodded, not sure how I should respond. He continued, “I say this as someone that’s practically a brother. Just be careful with him, okay? He’s a good guy, but he’s not someone that normally takes relationships seriously. I just don’t want you to get hurt, especially after everything that happened.”
I nodded and asked, “How’s Tyler?”
He smiled widely and said, “Tyler’s great. You should get to know him. I think I’ve almost convinced him to join our pack. He’s mostly interested because, I think, he wants a relationship with you now that he was finally able to meet you.”
“Tell him sorry for not responding to any of his texts, please. I just haven’t had the energy.”
“Don’t worry, he understands. When you’re feeling up to it, maybe we can all hang out.” I nodded. Blake came over and took my hand to take me over to the next chairlift.
After we were done skiing for the day, we all returned to the house and made a large order for pizza delivery. While we waited, Zach and Pat poured drinks for everyone. I took a vodka cranberry and Blake grabbed a beer. Brooke and Kim pulled me over to them while Blake went to go hang out with his friends.
“So, Jasmine, tell us more about you.” Brooke smiled at me.
“What do you want to know?” I asked.
“You can start with what do you do for work?”
“I’m a college student but I also work part time at the café in town.”
“Ah! That’s right! I thought you looked familiar. That’s where I’ve seen you before. Jack’s sister, Beta Luke’s girlfriend, works there too, right?”
“Right,” I replied, not liking where this conversation was going. Steering the conversation away from the topic, I asked, “What do you two do?”
“I teach first grade at the pack school,” Brooke replied.
“I’m not currently working. Zach and I are hoping to start a family soon, after we get married in the spring,” Kim responded. I noted that Kim was already marked.
“Are you married?” I looked at Brooke.
She nodded. “Yes, we got married not long after we realized we were mates.”
“So how did you meet Blake?” Kim asked.
“Through friends,” I replied, deciding it was best to keep it simple.
“So, what do you think of him?” Brooke asked.
“He’s nice,” I replied.
“Hmm. Most people don’t normally describe him as nice.” Brooke looked at me as if she was trying to figure me out.
There was an awkward pause and Kim asked, “Have either of you watched any good shows recently? Zach and I are looking for a new one to start.”
I was thankful for the change of subject. As the three of us sat talking with each other, Charlie kept coming over to hand me a new drink. I subconsciously kept accepting them, not keeping track of how much I was drinking. Before long, I was starting to feel buzzed and realized I really had to pee. I excused myself and walked to the bathroom.
On my way back, Charlie cornered me in the hall, away from the group. “You’re really cute, Jasmine. Very shy and quiet though. Not normally Blake’s type.”
I could smell that he had also been drinking heavily, likely more than me. I was really nervous as he stared into me. I tried to walk away and he put his arm on the wall, stopping me from leaving.