One Foot Onto the Ice (14 page)

“It’ll be fine. I’ll just explain what happened. I won’t talk
about anything else.”

“Can I come with you?” asked Daisy.

“I don’t see why not.” She stood up and nodded towards the door,
pleased to see another group of girls arriving down for breakfast on time. “Let’s
go into the lounge area.”

Jenna stood up as well. “I’ll come too.” She lifted Susan’s
untouched plate of pastries. “Just so everything’s on record.”

“Fine.” Susan led the group out of the dining room, past the
staircase and through the guesthouse reception area, quickly turning left into
the small lounge. She stood to the side as everyone came in and shut the door
firmly, signalling for Jenna and Daisy to take a seat on the plump velvet couch.
She tapped Marcus’s mobile into life and pulled her own from her fleece pocket.
She retyped the last dialled number from his screen onto hers and placed
Marcus’s down on the stained coffee table. She lifted her own phone to her ear
and gave Daisy a reassuring smile.

“Please don’t tell her what I told you about Justin,” whispered
Daisy, clinging onto her own knees.

Jenna frowned at Susan, wondering what she’d missed, but Susan just
shook her head and mouthed: “
It’s fine
.”

Susan listened to the international dial tone and felt a prick of
apprehension as the call was connected.

The voice on the other end of the line sounded relieved. “Daisy,
I’ve got some good news.”

Susan coughed lightly. “Hello. Mrs Button? Sorry this isn’t Daisy,
it’s Susan Quinn from St Wilfred’s.”

“Oh. Oh right. Is everything okay? I assumed it was Daisy using
someone else’s mobile again. It’s six thirty in the morning. No one else calls
me at six thirty in the morning. Is she okay? I do hope she’s not pestering
people for their phones all the time. Is that what you’re ringing for? I really
should have got her a cheap pay as you go one, but things have been a bit—”

Susan cut in. “Mrs Button, it’s fine. She’s fine. I’m just ringing
to cover our own backs really. There was an incident last night that you need
to be aware of.”

“An incident? What incident? Is she okay?”

Susan continued to pace. “Daisy popped into Professor Ramsbottom’s
room last night to borrow his phone and unfortunately he’d just stepped out of
the shower and she caught a glimpse of him naked.” Susan stayed silent, waiting
for a reaction. Nothing came so she filled the lull. “It was momentary and she
says she hasn’t been affected by what she saw, but I just wanted to make you
aware.”

“What’s she doing waltzing into a teacher’s room like that?”

Susan nodded reassuringly into the phone. “It was just a
misunderstanding.”

“What sort of misunderstanding? Is Daisy there? Can I speak to
her?”

Susan waved Daisy over and bent down next to the coffee table. “Yes
she is. I’ll put you on loud speaker if that’s okay, Mrs Button?” She pressed
the tab and placed the phone down.

“Daisy, can you hear me?”

Daisy knelt down and leaned over the phone. “Yes, are you okay,
Mummy?”

Mrs Button lowered her voice. “I’m fine. Tell me about this
misunderstanding. What’s been going on?”

“Nothing, Professor Ramsbottom thought it was Madam Quinn, that’s
why he had no clothes on. He wants to be her boyfriend.”

The voice on the line was aghast. “Daisy! Don’t talk about your
teachers like that.”

“He didn’t know it was me, Mummy, and I just wanted to use his
phone because I needed to see how you were. It was late, and I shouldn’t have been
knocking anyway. It was my fault.”

The voice puzzled. “He told you to come in even though he had no
clothes on?”

“I’ve told you, Mummy, he thought it was Madam Quinn.”

The voice was louder. “Madam Quinn, can you hear me?”

Susan sheepishly lowered her head to the phone. “I can, Mrs
Button.”

“I’m not quite sure what’s going on over there, but I’ve paid good
money, money that I can barely afford, to send my daughter skiing. I haven’t
paid for Daisy to get tangled up in the love affairs of her teachers.”

“I can assure you, I’m not having a love affair with Professor
Ramsbottom.”

“Well that makes this worse. What was it then? Casual room
hopping?”

Daisy chirped up. “I think Madam Quinn should have a love affair
with our ski guide instead. The older girls said Jenna likes—”

“Daisy, stop.” Susan was shaking her head. “Mrs Button, Daisy’s
fine, Professor Ramsbottom’s fine, it was all a silly misunderstanding that you
needed to be aware of.”

“I’m aware!”

Daisy spoke softly. “Don’t be cross, Mummy.”

The voice sighed. “Oh, Daisy, I’m not cross. You know how things
are.” She paused, suddenly conscious of the audience. “Can you pick up the phone
a minute, love?”

Daisy lifted the mobile and checked with her teacher before
tapping the loudspeaker button off. She drew the phone into her ear. “I’m
here.”

Susan looked to Jenna for guidance, but Jenna just smiled and
rubbed the sofa seat next to her instead. Susan ignored the request and tried
to decipher the quiet conversation on the other end of the line.

Daisy Button started to jig up and down on her knees. “Really?
Really, Mummy? You’re sure?”

Susan watched as the little girl’s face burst into a huge smile. “
Okay?
”
she mouthed.

Daisy nodded and gave a thumbs up with her left hand, quickly
turning her attention back to the conversation. “Never again? He’ll be gone?
You’re sure?”

Susan closed her eyes and tried to decipher the voice on the other
end of the line.

Daisy’s excitement grew. “A better job? We don’t need him? Mummy,
I’m so happy! I can enjoy myself now! I think I’m going to be quite good at
skiing.” She paused for a second. “Can I still call you every day, just to make
sure?”

Susan spoke up. “We can call your mum every morning in here before
breakfast if you like?”

Daisy talked quickly. “Did you hear that, Mummy? We’re going to
call you every morning.” She laughed at the teasing voice on the other end of
the line. “6.30 a.m. isn’t too early!” Daisy smiled into the phone. “Thank you,
Mummy. I’ll be able to enjoy my ski trip now.”

Susan felt a pang of emotion. Daisy Button looked much younger
than her eleven years of age. She was underweight, under-height and naturally
pale, with thin shoulder length white hair. Her thick prescription glasses, which
were held together with Jenna’s bright pink tape, looked terrible, and her
clothes were unbranded and slightly too small.

“All done?” asked Susan, taking back the outstretched phone.

Daisy was beaming from ear to ear. “She’s got a new job. They
phoned her last night. She’s asking Justin to leave. She said she’s sorry for
putting me in that position.”

Jenna pulled herself forwards on the sofa. “Who’s Justin?”

“Oh just my mum’s new boyfriend. Well he’s going to be her old
boyfriend soon. She’s telling him to leave when he gets back from his night
shift.” Daisy lifted herself up from the floor. “She says he’ll be gone by
tomorrow.”

Jenna held out the plate of pastries. “You didn’t like him?”

Daisy took one and bit hungrily into the flaky croissant. She
wiped her mouth and shook her head. “No, I saw him kissing Auntie Shell last
week and I told Mummy and Mummy got cross at him and he…” She stopped herself.

“Men!” said Jenna. “You’re better off without them.”

Daisy dropped her head. “We needed him to help with the money. It
costs so much for me to be at St Wilfred’s. I told Mummy I’d go to the local comprehensive
instead. I just wanted him to leave so he couldn’t hurt her again, but she said
I’d be bullied for being an albino.”

Jenna jumped up and wrapped the little girl in a full bodied hug.
“You’re gorgeous, Daisy. You have perfect porcelain skin, you have the most
beautiful dainty little china doll features, and best of all you’ve got a
totally wicked smile.”

Daisy looked up and grinned, showing off her slightly wonky teeth.
“You’re so nice, Jenna.” She lowered her voice. “I wish Madam Quinn
did
like you.”

Jenna bent down to the little girl’s ear. “Oh don’t worry, she
does.”

Daisy did a little squeal and jumped around to leave. “I need to
go and have breakfast. I’m hungry. Madam Quinn, you should sit down and tell
Jenna what’s been going on. I want her to know what I told you.” She smiled.
“You two can bond over me.”

Susan stood up and watched the little girl rush from the room. She
turned to Jenna as the door slammed shut. “You are
so
terrible.”

Jenna waved away the remark. “I’m not. We used to gossip about
Madam Fisher and Professor Richards all of the time. Kids love this kind of
stuff.”

Susan frowned. “I didn’t gossip about anyone.”

Jenna stepped forwards and reached out to tuck Susan’s brown hair
behind her ears. “That’s right. You were too busy being a good girl.” She
started to lean in closer. “I think you have some making up to do.”

Susan stepped backwards, sending Jenna off balance. “What are you
doing?”

Jenna caught hold of herself and frowned. “I’m trying to kiss
you.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

Susan flattened her lilac fleece. “We’d been drinking last night.
It was late. We were alone.”

Jenna reached out and stopped Susan’s hands from flapping. She
kept hold of them and squeezed lightly. “I didn’t kiss you because I’d been
drinking. I didn’t kiss you because it was late.” She paused and spoke clearly.
“I kissed you because I like you.”

Susan closed her eyes. “You don’t.”

Jenna moved in closer. “I do.”

Susan’s mind was in overdrive. She should be out in the dining
room, greeting the students. She should be talking to Marcus about the phone
call. She should be doing anything other than standing alone with Jenna and
desperately wanting to be kissed. She took a deep breath and found the courage
to look up. “You like me?”

Jenna gently reached forwards and held Susan’s face. “Yes, I like
you. But I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do. Last night you asked
me to stop, so I stopped.” She smiled. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t try and
restart things again this morning.” Jenna maintained the eye contact and
punctuated every word. “I. Like. You. Susan. Quinn.”

Susan felt her heart surge. Jenna was staring at her with earnest
eyes.
Could this really be happening?
Was this really how it felt?
Susan’s response was quiet. “I think I might like you a bit too.”

Jenna smiled and moved her hands down to Susan’s waist. “You only
think?” She drew their bodies together. “And it’s only a bit?” She gently
stroked a thumb up and down Susan’s back. “Let’s see if we can change that to a
know
.” Jenna moved her head forwards and kissed Susan slowly. “And a
lot
.”

Susan closed her eyes and melted.

Chapter Thirteen

“Please can we go, Madam? Please?” Champagne Willington had her ski
poles clasped together in front of her chest and was begging her teacher.
“We’ll go with Hugo this morning and we’ll come back with you two after lunch.”
She glanced around at the girls who were all clustered together in their
allocated groups. “Please say yes, they’re about to go.”

Susan ignored the wide eyes and bent down to close the clips on
her boots. She looked sideways at Jenna who was also crouching down and dusting
the snow off her skis. “Where’s Hugo going?” she asked.

Jenna’s smile was wide and her dimple was deep. “He’s taking the
intermediates over to the penguin play park.” She eased herself back up and
grinned at an eager Champagne. “I told the girls how much fun it is. They have
obstacles to ski through, moguls to dodge, and there’s even a ski jump you can
try.”

Susan stood up straight and stamped her skis, ensuring they were
secure. “So why aren’t we going?”

Jenna rolled her eyes teasingly. “We’re the advanced group. We ski
long distance endurance routes. We don’t mess around at the penguin play park.
Plus it’ll be full of ski-school kids.”

Priggy clomped out of Sylvie’s boot room, wary of the slippery
decking. She dropped her skis onto the snow and nodded at Champagne. “Are you
talking about the play park?”

Champagne pouted. “Madam Quinn’s not said yes yet.”

Priggy clipped herself into her skis and stabbed her poles into
the snow. “We want to go! Please? Hugo says it’s fine. It’s only for the
morning session and I’ve always wanted to try a ski jump.”

“Pleaseeeeeeeeease,” pleaded Champagne, trying a different tack.
“It’s only the second day. I think we need some more warming up before we do
these endurance routes that you’re talking about.”

Susan shrugged her shoulders. “Fine. If that’s what you’re happy
doing.”

“Yesssss!” laughed Champagne, sliding herself backwards and
sidestepping towards the group of intermediates. “We’re allowed, Hugo!”

Jenna nodded at her colleague. “You’ve got two extras, Hugo, and
watch it, they’re trouble.”

“We are not!” laughed Priggy, sidestepping in her long skis and
joining the other group. She glanced back over her shoulder and smiled at her
teacher. “I’ll see you at lunchtime,” she mouthed the last word, “
Susan
.”

“
Très bon,
” whistled Hugo, tapping his ski poles together
above his head. “Follow me.”

Susan watched as the group of intermediates began to snake off
behind their instructor. She turned to Jenna and shook her head. “You talked up
that whole penguin play park area just to get them interested.”

Jenna nodded. “Totally. I wanted a morning alone with you. You
can’t kiss me in Sylvie’s lounge and expect me to behave myself all morning.”

Susan laughed. “You kissed me, actually.
Again.
” She rubbed
the side of her chin, and strained her eyes towards the group of intermediates
that were almost out of sight. “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with this on a
professional level.”

“Yes you are.” Jenna pointed her ski pole in the direction of the
beginners who were all clumsily carrying their equipment towards the cable car
and heading back down to the ski garden for a second day. “All schools are
different. Sometimes the teachers are beginners and they stay with Lisa all
week. Sometimes I get a group of competent skiers who want me as their guide
and they insist there’s not a student in sight.” She pulled her large beanie
hat over her ears and smiled. “While the students are in their lessons they are
the legal responsibility of the ski instructor. You, Madam Quinn, are totally
free to relax for the next two hours.”

“And what’s your role?”

Jenna started to slide through the snow. “Let’s head over to the
Nabor. I have a beautiful run planned.” She grinned. “I’m the facilitator. I’m
the person who makes things happen. The person who makes sure that everyone’s
needs are met.” She slid closer to Susan as they started to pick up pace down
the small incline. “I’m going to make sure your needs are met.”

 Susan reached out and hit Jenna’s pole with her own. “Stop it.”

“Make me,” laughed Jenna, bringing her skis together and speeding
straight towards the bottom of the chairlift.

Susan felt a rush of butterflies. The wind was in her face, the
sun was on her back, and her heart felt like it was dancing. She smiled to
herself and sped after her old classmate.

Jenna reached the bottom of the slope and pulled to an abrupt scraping
stop, noisily spraying snow against the metal barrier. She laughed as Susan
pulled up beside her. “You’re grinning like a Cheshire Cat. It’s because we’re
alone, isn’t it? You want this just as much as I do.”

Susan lifted her arm to the sensor and pushed her way through the
first barrier. “How long’s this chairlift?”

“It’s a short one. We’ll be on it for about three minutes. But
then we’ll ski over to the Chavannes Express and that one’s much longer. Why?”

Susan slid forwards and positioned herself in front of the yellow
barrier. “I want us to talk about this, but only once. I want us to get it all out
in the open and then I just want to forget about it.”

Jenna pulled up next to her. “Forget about what? The kiss? The
connection?”

Susan heard the beep and shuffled herself though the barrier. She
stopped in the designated position and waited for the chairlift to scoop her
up. “No, I want to forget about having to
worry
about the kiss and the
connection.” She smiled. “But I think we’re actually onto
kisses
now.
We’ve progressed to the plural.”

Jenna lifted herself slightly as the chairlift swung around the
corner and hit the back of their thighs. She checked that Susan was in the
right position and pulled down the safety bar. “You’re worrying about it?”

Susan moved her poles into her left hand and turned towards Jenna.
“Of course I am. We kissed. Twice. I want to get it out in the open. I want to
know where I stand.”

Jenna made a low groaning noise. “Let’s save that for the longer
chairlift. Can we just keep it superficial for now?”

Susan frowned. “Superficial?”

“You know what I mean. Let’s not get too deep. We’ll be nudged off
in two minutes.”

“So there’s nothing you need to know? Nothing you want to ask?”

Jenna tilted her head up and looked at the clear blue sky. She
thought for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. “Okay, tell me
about the emotion you experienced when I kissed you.”

Susan laughed. “And that’s not deep?”

“No, there’s a difference between emotion and feeling. Emotions are
raw, intense, passionate.” Jenna paused. “You can trust your emotions. But
feelings.” She shook her head. “Feelings are dangerous. It’s when you start talking
about feelings that it all gets too deep.”

Susan studied Jenna’s animated face and laughed again. “When was
the last time you had a proper relationship?”

Jenna adjusted her beanie hat and pushed her shades further up her
nose. “I’ve had lots of
things
with women and some of them have lasted a
while, but nothing’s been exclusively relationship based.”

“Exclusively relationship based?”

Jenna flicked some snow off the safety bar. “Oh you know, I’ve had
girlfriends but it’s always been in a loose, more friendshipy, type of way.”

Susan laughed. “Did they know that? These girlfriends of yours?”

“Why am I feeling uncomfortable? Tell me about you. Tell me about
last night. Tell me about this morning. Tell me why you didn’t insist we stayed
together as a group.”

Susan looked forwards and saw the drop-off point approaching. “You’ve
said you don’t like deep, so I’ll keep it short and sweet and I’ll stick to
keywords.”

“Make sure they’re emotion based, not feeling based.”

“I’m still not sure I know the difference.”

“Emotions are intense, but temporary. Feelings are low key, but
sustainable. Lust is an emotion, love is a feeling.”

Susan lifted the safety bar in preparation for their arrival. She
looked straight ahead at the fast approaching mound of snow. “So being in love
is dangerous and feeling in love is bad?”

Jenna nudged herself to the edge of her seat. “Lust is much more
fun. Come on, you’ve got about five seconds to give me your keywords.”

Susan took a ski pole in each hand and prepared for the forward
shunt. “Okay, last night, when you kissed me … I felt like I fell in love.”

Jenna jolted in her seat and mistimed her rise from the chair. She
lunged forwards and managed to get the tip of her ski wedged into the snow,
causing her to topple over as the chair swung quickly around the corner.
“Shit!” she shouted.

Susan, who had slid perfectly from the chair, pulled to a stop and
looked back over her shoulder. “Oh my goodness, Jenna, I’m sorry. Are you okay?
I was only joking!”

Jenna quickly stood up, shuffled forwards, and scrambled to grab
the ski that had fallen off and slid under the orange safety netting. “You
were?”

Susan skied over to help. “Of course I was.” She laughed. “Look at
you! I mention the L word and you fall off the chairlift. You’re a good kisser,
but you’re not that good.”

“Susan Quinn, this is why I like you. You have a wicked sense of
humour. That was totally mean.”

“I can tease too,” smiled Susan.

Jenna dropped her ski onto the snow. “You see what I mean though?
What I experienced then was fear. Fear’s an emotion. It was momentary. You said
you were joking, so now I’m fine. In fact, I
love
the fact that you made
me fall off the chairlift. That hasn’t happened in over three seasons.” She
nodded. “Fear can be momentarily exciting.” Jenna carefully took her weight on her
poles and clipped her boot into position. “Now if you seriously
were
in
love then I’d be worrying. Both love and worry are feelings, hence my case in
point.”

“Have you
ever
been in love?”

Jenna lifted her pole and pointed in the direction of the red run.
“This way to the long lift. You have the time it takes to get to the bottom to
think of your
real
keywords.”

Susan smiled. “Fine, and I give you the time it takes to get to
the bottom of the run to think of your excuses.”

Jenna frowned. “Excuses?”

“Yes, the long list of reasons you’re going to spout out for not
wanting to fall in love.”

Jenna wailed, “Please don’t make me go deep.”

Susan smiled. “What if I like going deep? I thought you were my
facilitator. I thought you were here to give me what I want?”

Jenna narrowed her eyes. “Susan Quinn, are you double-entendre-ing
me?”

Susan saw the smirk and blushed. “No I jolly well am not!” She
nodded towards the slope. “Just ski, woman. I’m following you.”

Jenna pushed herself forwards and playfully tapped Susan’s bottom
as she passed. “I like it when you call me
woman
.”

Susan looked down at the snow and attempted to disguise her smile.
She tried to think of a quick witted response, but failed. Instead she pushed
off with her poles and followed in Jenna’s wide arcing tracks, wondering how
she could possibly make the pounding feelings of excitement and desire that
were resonating across her chest sound a lot less extreme. She brought her skis
together and broke free from Jenna’s tracks, speeding vertically down the
slope. “See you at the bottom,” she shouted.

Jenna watched with admiration as Susan bent her knees and tackled
the slope head on. She smiled to herself, realising that her old classmate was
much more than just a competent skier; she had real talent. Jenna jumped her
skis together and joined Susan’s fresh tracks, enjoying for once the
opportunity to let someone else take the lead. “I’ll follow your bottom all the
way down,” she shouted.

Susan tilted her head to the side, sure that Jenna had just
shouted something. No doubt it was rude or teasing, or possibly both. She kept
her head facing forwards and let the fast-flowing air take her breath away.
Never before had she felt this free, this liberated, or this relaxed; such a
strange sensation, given the total incomprehensibility of her situation. She
bent her knees as she spotted a small dip approaching. She hit it with speed
and jumped out with ease, giggling excitedly at the rush of adrenaline it
brought.
All this from one kiss?
she wondered, quickly correcting
herself.
Two kisses
. She closed her eyes for a split second, re-living
the arousing sensation of Jenna’s lips on her own, Jenna’s tongue tenderly
entering her mouth, Jenna’s fingers wandering teasingly up her back. She suddenly
felt a different sort of shudder. A shudder that could only mean one thing: she’d
dropped into another dip without realising. Susan flung her arms out to the side
in a last ditch attempt to steady herself. It failed and she felt that dreaded
wobble start at her feet and move quickly up her body. Her right ski crossed in
front of her left and she was about to have her first wipe out of the season.