Phone Numbers, Lies and Octopi
Something about the silence and the deep-seated dread that clawed at my gut was familiar; I searched frantically for the memory, desperate to think about anything but what was going on in front of my eyes in the here and now.
Grinning like a maniac, I burst out of the woods into a huge untracked glade and bent low into my first turn. My skis whispered through the pristine white and I reveled in the sprays of powder that hit my face and goggles, thinking this was possibly the most amazing feeling a body could experience...until I realized that the gentle hiss of skis on snow was the only sound in an otherwise deafening silence.
An ominous silence very much like the one that descended on Pam and Ken's living room the moment we walked in.
The snow beneath me seemed to shift, and I could hear a faint rumble in the distance.
I was following a few steps behind Kim and nearly ran into her when she abruptly stopped in the entryway. I put a hand on her back to steady myself and got a fleeting impression of tension before she flinched away and took a step forward, her eyes riveted on the couch.
I dropped my hand and looked at her in surprise, then followed her gaze and watched as an extremely attractive blonde - hell, who am I kidding? The woman was fucking gorgeous - gracefully unfurled herself from the couch, crossed the room to where Kim and I were standing, and wrapped herself around Kim like an octopus. An extremely attractive, extremely tall, extremely blonde, Nordic octopus - all arms and legs and straight teeth and flawless skin and ice-blue eyes and cheek bones like the frigging alps...I wondered what it was like to walk around making everyone around you look like a troll.
For purposes having to do far more with self-preservation than logic, I firmly told myself that this must be a friend of Kim's. It couldn't be what it looked like. Friends hugged hello, didn't they?
The rumble became louder, and the world around me started to shake.
"Hey, baby," said the Nordic Octopus and loosened her tentacles enough to pull back a little from Kim and give her a brief kiss.
My rather childish hope that octopus-girl's perfection might be flawed by a voice like Fran Dresher was dashed, and it was becoming harder to squash the panic welling up inside me. Friends called each other 'Baby' and kissed hello, didn't they? She looked European - they were notoriously affectionate, right?
She turned to me with Kim firmly tucked under one arm and detached the other to shake my hand.
"Hi, I'm Simone. You must be the famous Greta. Kimber has told me so much about you - it's so nice to finally meet you!"
Kimber?!? Who the fuck was Kimber? And goddamnit, did she have to have good manners as well?
"Uh...I uh..." was all I got out before Octopussy leaned down and nuzzled Kim's ear.
The same ear that not an hour before, my own lips had nuzzled as we rode up the lift for our last run of the day. The same ear into which last night I had whispered words of pleasure and delight as we tumbled into my bed in a tangle of half-clothed limbs.
Friends might hug and kiss hello, and even call each other 'Baby', but friends did NOT nuzzle. Even European friends.
The rumble became a roar, and chunks of ice and debris slid past me.
I looked at Pam, who was standing in the kitchen, and saw worry and sympathy on her face.
I looked at Ken, who was glaring at Kim and Octopus...I mean Simone...angrily.
I looked at Kyle, who avoided my gaze.
And finally I looked at Kim and got all the confirmation I needed. I closed my eyes against the sadness and apology I saw on her face.
"Darce..." Her voice was pleading, and cut the last thread of hope that I had been clinging to.
I looked up to see a churning wall of snow rushing towards me and skied for my life.
I had managed to emerge from the avalanche unscathed, reaching the sheltering trees just in time. I doubted I would emerge from this as lucky - there was no shelter in sight.
"Come on in, you two," Pam said in an overly cheery voice, startling me out of my gloomy thoughts. "There's cheese and crackers on the table, and lasagna in the oven. You'll stay for dinner, won't you hon?"
I blinked, straightened my slumped shoulders, and took a steadying breath. Pam had been using her lawyer voice, which I am sure over the years had gotten her many things, but it was not going to get me to spend one more second with the woman who had, in only 24 hours, taken my heart and then given it back to me, purИed.
"Not this time, thanks anyway Pam." I congratulated myself on the steadiness of my voice. "Good to see you all, maybe I'll see you next time you come into town. And Kim..."
Panic flashed across Kim's face as she looked at me, and then quickly to Simone.
"Nevermind," I said, anger starting to seep through the numbness. I turned away from her, and gave Simone a nod. "Simone, nice to meet you - have a great stay."
Heck, I even sort of sounded like I meant it.
She looked at Kim, then at me, confusion evident on her face.
I sent her a smile that was all teeth and no feeling and with one last look at Kim, headed out the door.
After the door closed behind me, I sagged against it and took a few deep breaths of cool night air.
Fuck. From glory to shit, all in 5 minutes.
Absently, I watched the mist of each exhale, wondering what in the hell to do now. I wanted to hit something. I wanted to drink myself stupid and cry on someone's shoulder. Neither of which were particularly healthy options, so instead I started walking.
I had just reached the end of the walkway when I heard the door open behind me.
"Darcy, wait."
I kept walking, pissed off at my body for reacting to her voice.
"Please."
I still kept walking, picking up the pace a little. I heard footsteps, and then a strong hand on my arm dragged me to a stop. I was surprised by her strength, although I shouldn't have been. I had seen the well defined arms and shoulders, felt them ripple beneath my fingers, my tongue...
Oh, God...
"Goddamnit, Darcy, wait!" She sounded like her mother. I almost smiled.
Slowly, I turned to face her. She was breathing hard, her face flushed with anger as she looked up at me. The light evening breeze ruffled her dark hair, sending a few errant strands across her face.
Jesus, she's beautiful. Why does she have to be so goddamned beautiful?
My hand rose automatically to brush the strands aside, but I stopped myself and quickly stuffed the offending hand into a pocket to stop it from betraying me again.
My stillness seemed to assure her that I wasn't going to run away and she cautiously released my arm and took a deep breath.