One Foot Onto the Ice (25 page)

Susan could feel her heart pounding quickly in her chest. “I’d
love you to come back with us on the coach, and I’d love to spend next week
with you.” She giggled. “And I’d love to find out what other secrets you’ve
been hiding.”

Jenna grinned. “I can play the tuba.”

“No?”

“Yes, I learnt at uni. It’s good for us actresses to offer an
additional skill.”

Susan was shaking her head. “You were Jesus in the school play. I
should have seen this coming.” She laughed. “Crikey, the most exciting thing
about me is my thimble collection.”

“You have a thimble collection? You’re joking?”

“No, I’ve got about forty.”

“Do you sew?”

“No, I just display them in a cabinet.”

Jenna laughed. “Will you show me your cabinet next week?”

“With pleasure,” said Susan, smiling.

****

“They’re giggling again,” said Marcus, peering out of the steamed
up restaurant window at the picnic area outside. “If your boss was your way
inclined I’d start to worry.”

Amber frowned. “James? He’s not gay. Just because he’s hygienic
and clean shaven doesn’t make him gay.” She dropped the bowl of lasagne onto
Marcus’s tray. “You really need to stop stereotyping.”

“No, I mean the big boss.”

“Richard? When have you met Richard?”

“Who? What?” Marcus reached for a can of cherry coke. “I’m talking
about Jenna. She seems to have formed a real bond with my Susan.”

“Jenna’s not my boss.”

Marcus followed Amber’s lead to the front of the queue. “Your
director then.”

Amber dropped her tray in front of the cashier and ran her fingers
through her pink hair. “What are you going on about?”

“Jenna, she owns Club Ski, and she’s been getting rather close to
my
mon amie,
and I think Susan’s rather in awe of her entrepreneurial
status, and if she was like you I’d worry.”

Amber laughed. “Jenna’s a ski guide.”

“Yes, I’m aware of how she likes to keep her hand in at grassroots
level and that’s very admirable.” Marcus continued to talk over Amber’s
shoulder. “I mean she’s even calling around to Susan’s room in the early hours
of the morning to discuss one thing or another.”

Amber laughed. “Jenna’s been spending time in Susan’s room?” She
placed a twenty euro bill into the young girl’s hand and turned to look at
Marcus.

“Oh yes and poor Susan was so delayed that I found her in a state
of undress.”

Amber laughed loudly and took her change. “And what was Jenna
wearing?”

Marcus paid his bill and lifted his tray, following Amber towards
the window. “A ridiculous all-in-one outfit that I’m rather glad she decided to
change.”

Amber stared out at the couple. “What time was this?”

“Half seven.”

Amber blew out a low whistle. “So she’s gone and bloody done it. Wake
up and smell the coffee, mate. Was Jenna wearing any shoes?”

Marcus thought back to his encounter in the corridor. He’d been so
intent on racing round to Susan’s room to bask in his glory that he’d hardly
paid attention at all. “No,” he said slowly shaking his head, and she didn’t
have those awful bunches in that she wears every morning at breakfast.” He
frowned. “But then she arrived at breakfast with a different outfit on and the
bunches were back in.”

Amber nodded at the giggling pair. “Why go to an early morning
meeting in your night wear?”

“I’ve no idea, that’s why I’m so glad she’s not like you.” He
paused for a moment. “Maybe they had a girly evening reminiscing about the good
old school days. Or maybe they were discussing ways to reward me for my
heroism.”

Amber scoffed. “Oh get with it, Marcus. Miss Jenna James is the
lesbian of all lesbians and she’s also the champion of all dares.”

“What?” Marcus was pulling a face. “
What?
”

Amber laughed. “Jenna’s a lesbian, and if your observations are
correct then she’s a very good one at that.”

“Womanly Jenna? With the long hair and pretty face? A lesbian?”

“Absolutely, and she’s been talking some shit if she says she’s my
boss. She’s nothing more than a carefree ski-bum.”

Marcus gasped. “No? I thought she owned Club Ski?”

Amber hooted with laughter. “As if! The only thing she owns is the
record for most shags on the slopes.”

 Marcus wailed and wobbled forwards in his heavy snow boots,
trying to control his tray. “My
mon amie
, she must be warned.”

Amber smirked and followed him out. “For once I think you might be
right.”

****

Susan pulled her skis from the overcrowded rack and dropped them
into the snow. “We should wait for Amber and Marcus.”

“That queue’s huge. She knows we’re having a short lunch.” Jenna
glanced across the decking. “But they’ll probably come back before Priggy and
Champs get out of that blinking toilet. What
are
they doing?”

Susan clicked her boots into position. “I think they’re avoiding
Mischa and Phats.” She nodded her head towards the restrooms. “Look, they’re
hovering at the hand wash.”

The shout was shrill. “
Mon amie!
” Marcus clomped towards
the picnic bench and dropped his tray, quickly freeing up his hands so he could
scramble up the small snow incline towards the ski racks. “I need a word!”

Susan sidestepped towards his frenzy. “Okay.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes at Jenna. “Away from
her
.”

“What? Why,” asked Susan.

Marcus lowered his voice. “Trust me, this is delicate.”

“I’m sure Jenna can listen in.”

Marcus pointed his finger at the Club Ski guide, unable to hold it
in anymore. “No she can’t,” he hissed, “she’s a fraud. A lesbian fraud.”

Jenna laughed. “Oh, is that all? I thought it was something
important.”

Susan shuffled in closer. “For goodness sake, Marcus, just say
whatever it is you’re so desperate to say, but keep the noise down.”

Marcus growled out the words. “She doesn’t own Club Ski.”

“I know,” said Susan calmly. “It was a joke. It was a joke on you
because you treated her so badly at the service station.”

“You knew? Well why have you been so pally?” He shook his head.
“Forget it. That pales into insignificance when compared with THIS home truth.”
He placed his hands on his hips and declared his monumental news with a
snarling whisper. “
She’s
a lesbian!”

“I know,” said Susan just as calmly.

“But she was in your room! You need to watch out. I’m worried for
you,
mon amie
. You’re so inexperienced and so fragile. What if she tries
something?”

“I invited her in,” Susan took a deep breath, “and I’ve invited
her to spend next week with me. She’s coming back with us on the coach.”

Jenna butted in, “Actually I think I invited myself.”

Marcus was flapping. “What? Why?”

Susan took a deep breath and smiled at Jenna. “We like each other.
We’re seeing where it goes.”

Amber, who’d been straining her ears from the picnic bench below,
laughed loudly. “In your dreams, love,” she muttered.

Jenna sidestepped through the snow so she was shoulder to shoulder
with Susan. “We’re putting one foot onto the ice.”

Marcus shook his head. “This is ridiculous.” He started to pace around.
“Surely it’s not allowed.”

“Priggy and Champs. Finally.” Jenna spotted them crossing the
decking and hollered. “Come on girls, we need to go.”

Marcus was pulling on his moustache. “I need to think, I need to
think. What to do? What to do?”

Priggy scrambled up the small snow incline. “Watch it, Professor,
the slope’s…” It was too late, Priggy watched as her teacher lost his footing
and slipped backwards down the small mound of snow. “…right behind you. Oooo, and
there’s the decking.”

Marcus looked up to a daze of pink. Amber was crouching down and
whispering something in his ear. “Just calm it down, mate, it’s only a dare.”

“A what?” he asked frowning.

“A dare.”

Marcus found his feet and stared up at the advanced group who were
almost ready for their afternoon adventure. “She’s not a lesbian?”

Amber signalled him back down to the picnic bench and whispered. “Yes,
she is, but she’s not coming back on your bloody bus. I know that for sure.”

Marcus glanced down at his lasagne that already looked cold. “So
what was the dare?”

Amber ripped open her packet of sandwiches. “Just how slow are
you? Jenna and I do it with all of her teachers. She’s a legend on the slopes.
She gets a C for a snog, a B for a shag, and an A for sex in the snow.”

Marcus was shaking his head. “No, my poor Susan.”

“She’ll use anything she can to gain someone’s trust, and if that
means declaring her love for someone more prudish, just so she can get into
their pants, then that’s what she’ll do.”

Marcus gasped. “What can I do?”

Amber smiled. “You can tell her.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Susan reached up to the top shelf in Sylvie’s heated boot room and
took down her trainers. She dropped them onto the bench and bent down to lift
her damp ski boots. The afternoon on the Indian Run had been full of giggles
and Susan was pleased that Champagne and Priggy had seemed far too obsessed
with their Phats and Mischa dilemma to notice the way that Jenna had been
brushing her leg on the lift and stealing secret glances on the slopes. Susan leaned
forwards, fastened her trainers, and smiled.

Champagne plonked herself down on the bench next to her. “And
don’t think we don’t know why you’re smiling, Susie…”

“Yeah,” added Priggy, unclipping her ski boots on the other side,
“you two are so obvious.”

Jenna peeped out from the sliding ski racks. “Yeah right, says you
two who hang around the toilets for hours hoping your chav-tastics will flash
you their gold-plated grins.”

Priggy kicked off a boot. “Mischa’s got a couple of sparkling
tooth gems, actually, not a gold grill.”

“And it’s good that Phats is well off enough to afford all of
those gold chains,” added Champagne.

Jenna reached for her trainers. “So what’s the decision then? You’ve
spent the whole afternoon debating it, so you might as well tell us your
plans.”

“Will you tell us yours?” smiled Champagne.

“We believe them,” announced Priggy, not quite ready to have Madam
Quinn’s new found lesbian happiness rubbed in her face. “They said their
teacher caught them sneaking out at midnight and sent them back to bed.”

“So you’re giving them another chance?” asked Jenna.

Priggy blushed. “They’re tobogganing like us tonight and they said
we could share sledges if we wanted.”

“Ooo well you’d better hurry up and get ready then,” laughed
Jenna. “We’ve only got an hour and a half until dinner and then we’ll be
heading straight out.”

“Are you two going to be sharing a sledge?” teased Champagne.

“We’ll be sharing more than sledges if I have my way. Now scram,
we’ll see you at dinner.”

“Woo!” Champagne was laughing. “You’re so cool, Jenna, and you’ve
definitely made Madam Quinn my new favourite teacher. I can’t believe I didn’t
hang out with you on the other ski trips, Susie. You’ve been so much more fun
this year.”

“Thanks for that honour, Champagne,” said Susan, not quite
believing a word. “We’ll see you at dinner.”

“I think they’re trying to get rid of us, Priggs. Come on, let’s
leave them alone in this damp and dusty old boot room.”

“Are we okay to go?” asked Priggy.

“Of course.” Susan pointed at the row of skis. “All of the other
groups are back; we’re the last ones home.”

Champagne was standing at the door. “Come on Priggs, I want to try
on all of my outfits.”

“We’re tobogganing,” said Jenna. “It’ll be salopettes tonight.”

“Ugh, but those things don’t show off my figure.”

“It’s a good job tomorrow’s the disco then; you can wear what you
want to that.”

Champagne pouted. “But that means it’s our last night.”

Jenna waved her hand at the two girls. “So make it a night to
remember and go and sort out those outfits.”

“We’re gone,” shouted Champagne, leaving the room.

Susan smiled. “Do you think they noticed I took three attempts to
tie up my laces?”

“No, but I did spend far too long standing in that ski rack.”

“Twenty minutes, you say?” asked Susan, standing up and making her
way to the door.

“Tops,” said Jenna, peeping over her shoulder and glancing out
into the hall, “Lisa’s covering for us in the bar and if Marcus asks she’ll
tell him we’ve nipped to the first aider’s office to sign some forms about
Daisy.”

Susan shook her head. “He always spends this hour resting in his
room, we’ll be fine.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m the one driving.” Jenna crept out of the
boot room and dashed across the hall, sneaking out of the side exit and back out
onto the snow. She pointed at the black Ski-doo parked up next to Sylvie’s
decking. “My only advice,” she turned around and looked excitedly at Susan, “is
to hold on.”

“You’ve done this before, right?” giggled Susan.

“I’ve done everything before,” said Jenna, taking hold of Susan’s
hand. “Follow me.”

****

Marcus lay on his bed replaying his speech. It had taken great
restraint not to wait in the boot room for his beloved colleague and blurt it
all out. He’d convinced himself to take some time and plan his response to
perfection. He’d be sympathetic without sounding condescending, firm without
sounding strict, but most importantly he’d understand without appearing to
judge. His
mon amie
had been caught up in some sordid sex game and who’d
blame her for believing the lies. She wasn’t used to attention, and she wasn’t
versed in the laws of love. Marcus sighed and stared at the ceiling. It really
was rather ridiculous to think that someone of Jenna’s looks and expertise
would fall for a Plain Jane like Susan. He shook his head. He wouldn’t scoff
and he wouldn’t gloat, he’d just comfort her tears, insist she cut all ties,
and reassure her that she wasn’t to blame. Yes, he thought nodding to himself,
that was the way to play it. He’d be that shoulder. That strong, supportive,
sexually-open, shoulder.

****

Jenna sat down in the driver’s seat contemplating how she’d play
it. She’d driven a Ski-doo many times before, but sometimes the thrill of the
unexpected intensified the rush. “Now, let’s see if I can remember, where’s
that brake pedal?”

“Stop it!” squealed Susan, clinging onto her waist even tighter.

“You’re squeezing me and we’re not even moving.”

“I’m scared.”

“Really?” asked Jenna, twisting her head over her shoulder. “I’m
sorry, I’m just teasing you. I know how to drive it. You’re totally safe with
me.” She revved the engine. “Just hang on,” she screamed.

Susan felt her stomach lunge as the machine roared forwards on its
skis. “Ahhhhh!” she wailed as it zoomed up the small incline onto the main
slope. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere beautiful,” shouted Jenna.

Susan held on tighter, gasping as the cool air caught in the back
of her throat. They were picking up speed and Jenna had started to rise from
her seat. “What are you doing?” she wailed, trying to pull her back down onto
her bottom.

“Lift yourself up like me. It helps when we’re climbing the
slopes.”

“Really?” asked Susan, keeping her bottom firmly on the seat.

“No, but it makes us look cool.”

Susan glanced around the empty white slopes. “There’s no one here.”
She looked at the stationary chairlifts that were hanging silently in the sky.
“What if we get stuck?”

“We won’t,” laughed Jenna, using her thumb to ramp up the throttle.
“It won’t take long. Just sit back and enjoy the views.”

Susan turned her head to the left and tried to absorb the
picturesque scenery, before feeling a bump underneath them and closing her eyes
instead. She buried her face into Jenna’s back, comforted by the warmth that
was seeping out from her jacket. She inhaled deeply and found the courage to
tilt her head once more to the left, keeping her cheek pressed into Jenna’s
back for reassurance. She opened her eyes properly and gasped; the scenery was
stunning. They were climbing the huge red run that led to the top of the Pointe
de Nyon and the rugged grey rocks framing their route looked so tranquil and
serene covered in their white downy blanket of snow. “It’s beautiful,” she
whispered.

Jenna didn’t hear her; she was too busy pressing down on the
throttle for the big reveal. “Get ready,” she shouted. “Look straight ahead.”

Susan moved her body from its sheltered position and was hit with
a full face of wind. She wasn’t sure if it was that which took her breath away,
or the vision in front of her. The Ski-doo had shot over the peak of the run
and was now privy to a far reaching field of beauty. “It’s breath-taking,”
gasped Susan.

Jenna pulled on the brake lever and slowed the machine. “And
that
is Mont Blanc.”

Susan looked into the distance at the huge mountain that was piercing
the bright blue sky. “It’s incredible.”

Jenna turned off the ignition and stepped off the Ski-doo. She
held out her hand and helped Susan down. “It’s the highest mountain in the
Alps.”

“I know,” she said smiling, “and it means white mountain.”

Jenna laughed. “There’s not much I’m going to be able to teach
you, is there?”

“Oh I think we’re going to teach each other a thing or two.” Susan
allowed Jenna to lead her towards the wooden bench next to the large colour
coded sign post. “Like earlier in the boot room, when Champagne confronted me
about my smile. If you hadn’t been there I’d have panicked and flustered and got
my response completely wrong. Instead you just shifted the focus with one smart
remark about Mischa and Phats.”

“It’s called distraction. It works every—” Jenna pulled Susan into
her and planted a kiss on her lips, “…time,” she moaned.

Susan shuddered at the power of the embrace. “Will anyone come up here?”
she asked.

Jenna shook her head, talking in between the passionate kisses.
“No, maybe a snow plough, but there’ll be no skiers: the lifts have all
finished.”

“Good,” said Susan, pushing Jenna down into the snow, “I want to
take you right here, in the powder with that white mountain gazing down on us.”

Jenna reached up and pulled Susan down with her. “I
had
planned on sitting on that bench and taking in the views, but fine, I’ll take
you instead.” She rolled Susan onto her back and straddled her stomach, sitting
up and reaching her hand behind her, quickly finding her way down the front of
Susan’s ski pants. “You’re so wet,” she gasped.

Susan reached forwards and unzipped Jenna’s combats, pulling her
knickers to the side and sliding her fingers between her legs. “And so are you.”

Jenna was sitting vertically and groaning loudly. “What are you
doing to me, Susan Quinn?”

“Giving you pleasure, hopefully,” she said, dropping her head back
down into the snow as Jenna’s fingers found their rhythm.

“You’re doing more than that,” moaned Jenna. “You’re changing me.
I don’t want to be the person I was.”

Susan gasped as Jenna reached further behind her and pressed two
fingers deep inside. “I don’t know the person you were,” she said, mirroring
Jenna’s action and angling her fingers upwards. She moaned loudly. “I just know
who you are and I like who you are.”

Jenna started to move herself up and down on the fingers, finding
it difficult to speak. “You don’t … judge me?”

Susan kept her fingers in position and reached up to Jenna’s back,
rolling her over in the snow. “No, but I would have judged you if you’d kept me
down here in the snow while you stayed up there all nice and dry.”

Jenna adjusted her position and started to pump her fingers in and
out. “I’m anything but dry … and you’re the cause.”

Susan quickened her pace and pulled Jenna closer. “How could I not
like this?”

Jenna took a sharp intake of breath, losing herself to Susan’s
rhythm. “How could I not love it?”

****

Marcus flattened his moustache one final time and knocked on
Susan’s door. “Hello? Hello? Are you resting?” There was no response so he
placed his ear against the wood and listened carefully. No movement. He tried
the handle. It was locked. Marcus shook his head and marched up the corridor
towards Jenna’s room. He knocked loudly. “Are you in there?”

No response.

“Professor,” said Champagne, popping her head out of room ten,
“we’re having a fashion show in five minutes if you and the others want to come
and watch it?”

Marcus eyed the revealing pink body-contour dress. “How long have
you been back?”

“Half an hour, why?”

“I’m looking for Madam Quinn.”

Priggy joined them in the corridor, displaying her too-tight black
jump suit. “Can I wear this tobogganing?”

Marcus struggled to remove his eyes from her chest. “That’s a
lovely outfit, but it’s ski wear tonight.”

“Boo, that’s what Jenna said.”

“I can’t find her either,” said Marcus.

Priggy and Champagne shared a knowing glance. “No clue,” said
Champagne smiling.

“We left them in the boot room,” said Priggy.

“Right!” said Marcus, storming off down the corridor.

“What did you say that for?” hissed Champagne.

Priggy shrugged. “They won’t be in there now.”