004

Colette went to speak, only to be accidentally cut off by Brenda. "Speaking of Gio, please tell me he's coming tomorrow tonight. And please tell me he's still as hot as he was in high school."

"Oh yeah," Michelle answered, "he's still hot as hell. He's working IT for some company up in Cheyenne and we've got plans to ski Loveland next winter for old time's sake." She leaned back in her chair and playfully fanned himself. "That boy's going to be a silver fox when he hits old age."

Brenda couldn't help but say, "Yet in four years of being on the ski team AND being his date to prom AND running into him on Spring Break you never once made a pass at him."

"We were way too close and he just wasn't my type. But I can damn sure admit when a man looks attractive. Gio? Is a very attractive man."

"Sounds like the high school reunion might end up panties optional for me then," said Sadie.

"Come on," Brenda chided, "that's an image we didn't need."

"Garrett mentioned Gio's getting into town tonight," Colette finally managed to say. "Those two and Vienna will probably be drinking over at Pike's until last call."

"Garrett mentioned? When did you talk to Garrett?"

Before Colette could answer Brenda's question, Rosemary came up to the table along with a teenaged busboy who refilled their glasses before setting two full pitchers of ice water down. "I've got a decanter of white and a decanter of red," Rosemary said as she reached onto her tray. "Who's drinking what?"

"Just set them down," Colette said, moving one of the pitchers of ice water to make room. "We'll figure it out after we order."

"Got it." Rosemary handed the tray to the busboy before taking out her ticket pad. "Here are the specials for the evening..."

X X X X X

"So when are we going to meet Andrew?" Brenda smirked. "We've got to vet him after all."

"I keep telling you, you're more than welcome to visit anytime. Colette and Sadie have come out twice already, even if Sadie spent more time as a lodge bunny than as a skier."

"Always play to your strengths," Sadie laughed.

"Next winter," Brenda promised. "I'll ask for time off as soon as I get back to Denver. I haven't put on a pair of skis in a couple of years, though. You'll have to give me remedial training."

"I'll give you a private lesson when you come out. On the house."

"Don't think I won't take you up on that." Brenda turned in her chair to face Colette. "You didn't answer my question. You said Garrett said Gio was coming into town tonight. When did you talk to him?"

Colette reached behind her to scratch the back of her head. "He mentioned it... Wednesday night?" After a moment, she gave a firm nod. "Yeah, two nights ago at Pike's."

Brenda leaned forward. "Wait, Garrett's already in town?"

"He's been in town for the past two weeks actually." Colette leaned to one side, putting an elbow on the table in order to rest her chin in her hand. "I got interrupted before I could say anything. He came back from Florida two weeks ago and Vienna voluntold him to help me out around the store. He's been a huge help. Definitely made the opening a lot less stressful... don't." She pointed over towards Sadie, who had her mouth open, comment at the ready.

"Did you know about this?" Brenda asked Sadie.

"I found out after the fact. According to Colette I left for Seattle the day he showed up, and I just got back from LA this afternoon. Figures the two weeks I'm out of town were the two weeks Garrett broke radio silence. We texted back and forth after graduation and one day, bang." Sadie gently clapped her hands together.

"Nothing. How's he doing?"

Colette tilted her hand in a see-saw motion. "Physically, he's doing better. No one's going to be calling him 'Scarecrow' anymore. Mentally? He's working on a couple of issues."

"Let me guess," offered Michelle. "He's still hung up on Danny. That guy did everything he could to make Garrett's life a living hell for most of high school. Now there's someone I'm not looking forward to seeing tomorrow night."

"The good news is that Danny's not going to be in town," Colette said. "He's got a big game in Philly Sunday afternoon. Just giving you a heads up," she said, nodding towards Brenda.

"Any feelings I had towards Danny died after I caught him cheating on me." Brenda shook her head. "Sometimes I don't believe I dated that guy for a year and a half."

"Don't beat yourself up," Michelle said. "He was the most popular guy in school, a star athlete, and attractive as hell. You were 18. It happens. Everyone at this table has dated a guy who turned out to be a loser in the end."

"Hell," Colette added, "I married mine."

"They still worship Danny around here," said Sadie. "They show all his games down at Pike's, local boy done good and all that. He might have been a massive dick, but no one could deny that he put in the time and effort to make the pros."

"Good for him," Brenda said. "Basketball was his entire life. Still, it would have been weird seeing him tomorrow night... first love and all that."

"You ever think about him?" Sadie asked while taking a sip of wine.

Brenda lightly bit her lower lip. "Yes and no. The only time he crosses my mind is when we have basketball on in the kitchen and he's playing. I don't tell people we dated in high school. If anything, I think of Garrett more than I do Danny." The platinum blonde took a large gulp of wine before adding, "Did I ever tell you guys he's the reason Danny and I broke up?"