Chapter 4-9
441 Words
Laura found Akbar asleep in the afternoon sun; he looked as comfortable as a cat. She generally went for the taller guys, and because she’d lived her whole life in central Oregon, they were mostly pretty conservative white guys.
Akbar fit none of that. He was strong, funny, and had saved her behind. And the tourists. She hadn’t been prepared for the jerk to be stupid enough to ignore so many of her explicit instructions simultaneously. She’d have to remember that for the future. Remember it was okay to boot a tourist back down the chair lift because they were a safety risk.
If Akbar hadn’t been there… She shuddered and pushed the thought aside. He had been. And together, they’d saved the day. Move forward from here.
She sat in a chair facing his, almost every inch of her sore from the multiple attempts to brake the fall. She’d be hurting in the morning. Trail ride. She could ride Mister Ed no matter her condition. Besides, there was one name she could cross off the list. She’d offered today’s people a free ride tomorrow if they wanted it.
“Thinking deep thoughts, Space Ace.” Akbar’s voice sounded slow, thick with his nap.
“Thinking sore thoughts.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll have a nice tip to make up for it.”
She laughed at him, “Not likely.”
“Let’s just say that if he doesn’t want to meet me again at the bottom of a dark hole…” His grin looked evil and she decided not to ask.
“I’m done for the day,” more like done in. But she wanted to spend some time with Akbar. Just him and nobody else. “Can I interest you in dinner?”
His smile was slow this time, “I hear the Lodge has pretty good food.”
“It does,” she acknowledged. What kind of alone time did she want with him? Not a hard question. “Or I could cook? I have a cabin about halfway between here and your airfield.”
That stopped him. The slow smile went away, but it wasn’t replaced by a leer as she’d half expected after meeting him at the Doghouse. Instead his voice was soft. “You sure, Laura? Really sure?”
She nodded, not quite trusting her voice. This wasn’t like her. None of this was like her. But she was more sure after seeing his thoughtful reaction.
He looked up at the Lodge for a long moment.
Laura was half afraid that he was going to refuse her. It was too fast. She was being wanton or needy or—
“I wonder,” Akbar said slowly, as if testing the idea. Then he aimed that smile at her and she felt herself melt inside. “I wonder if the Lodge does take-out?”
“Don’t trust my cooking?” She tried to feel offended, but take-out sounded wonderful.
“Don’t want to waste one moment of an evening with you in the kitchen.”
She smiled back at him.
That too sounded wonderful.
- Writer
