Falls Creek Lessons

Chapter 5

Standing at the Oversnow terminal with Paul and Chris, I couldn’t help being excited. After two weeks of waiting and preparing, I was back up at the snow!

It was unfortunate that Rob and Diane couldn’t be here as well, but Rob is still nervous after the last time we were at the snow. Diane has forgiven him for his actions, but she certainly hasn’t let him forget them. So, instead of joining us for the weekend, Rob is taking Diane to a B&B at one of the wineries in the Yarra Valley. It’s his idea of a romantic weekend away, which should appeal to my sister as she likes mushy stuff like that. They’ll be going out for dinner on the Saturday night at one of the restaurants, as well as indulging in a bit of wine tasting over the weekend. As long as Rob avoids getting shit-faced on the wine, it should go a long way to wiping out the mistake of two weeks ago.

Personally, I think Diane is milking the situation for everything she can. She was certainly angry at the time, but I can’t believe she would still be holding a grudge now. If she was still that upset, I would’ve expected her to be moving back home. However, that’s Rob’s concern, not mine. If he wants to make a big deal to keep her happy, that’s his call.

Rob certainly seemed happy last Saturday when he took me shopping for ski gear. He asked my opinion on his plans for Diane, which I said sounded great, and he otherwise dropped the subject. Instead, he explained the pros and cons on the different types of ski boots and clothing. I eventually came away from the store with a considerably larger hole in my credit card than I had expected. But, as Rob said, it should all last for years. He tried to convince me to get a pair of skis as well, but I passed on that. Dan had advised me to wait, and I wasn’t game to go against that advice without understanding the consequences.

Paul and Chris were also great in the planning of this trip. Most of it was done via the phone, but I visited them at their house last weekend while we sorted out the details. They offered to come around to my place, but I wasn’t ready to handle questions from my parents about their relationship. I don’t know what Rob and Diane had said previously, and it was just so much easier to avoid the issue.

Paul told me that they were staying at the Snoweagle again, but this time in a one-bedroom apartment. Chris couldn’t get the whole week off, so they’ll be leaving on Wednesday night. That still gives us five days together, which should be fun. I’ve already booked the bus to take me back to Melbourne on the following Sunday night, so that means I’ll have a full nine days of skiing!

The trip up was good. When we planned it, Chris suggested I take my P-plates, so I could do some of the driving. It’ll be great when I’m no longer a probationary driver and I don’t have to stick a big red-and-white P on the car to tell the other drivers, but it’s only really a hassle when I need to drive someone else’s car. What it did mean is that I couldn’t have a beer after work on the Friday, as probationary drivers are supposed to have a zero blood-alcohol level. With the amount of weekend traffic to the snowfields, the police often have random breath-testing units set up on the main roads.

They gave me the easy drive up the Hume, with Chris taking the difficult section through the mountains between Myrtleford and Mt. Beauty. Chris’ Holden commodore was a dream to drive. Smooth acceleration and the road noise was minimal. When I wasn’t driving, I had the back seat to myself, so I could stretch out and surreptitiously admire Paul in complete safety.

We talked about skiing and I checked out the scenery that I missed on my first trip. I was really too tired on the trip back to pay that much attention, and I’d slept most of the trip up. I was surprised to see all the vineyards after we left the Hume, but it seems that it was one of Victoria’s major wine growing regions. Its specialty is ports, or fortified wines as they are supposed to be called now, but they also have quite a few standard wines as well. The big name there was the Brown Brothers winery in Milawa, but Chris told me that the smaller Campbell’s winery near Glenrowan made a liqueur Muscat that was absolutely heaven. Personally, I prefer beer to wine, but my parents had educated my palate from a young age and I knew a good wine when I tasted it. My problem was a good wine was a lot more expensive than a good beer, and the size of my wallet had a good deal of say in what I liked drinking.

“Ready, Greg?” Chris asked with a grin.

Shaking myself out of my recollections, I smiled back. “Ready and rarin’ to go. This is going to be the best week of my life!”

“Time to get on the oversnow then,” Paul remarked. “I’ll let you know which room we’re in as soon as we get to the Snoweagle. Feel free to drop around at any time!”

I looked around cautiously to make sure I wouldn’t be overheard before I responded quietly. “And run the risk of finding you two running around naked again? I don’t think so! I’ll let you know in advance if I’m going to be dropping around.”

Paul blushed and gave me a small wry smile. “If it’s an emergency, come around at anytime, but otherwise, okay. Let us know when you’ll be showing up.”

“How about we all meet up at the ticket office near the Eagle chairlift tomorrow morning? We can at least start the morning skiing together,” Chris suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” I answered amiably.

Chris and Paul had already indicated that they were happy to spend a lot of time with me this week. I think it was because they knew Dan would be working part of the time, and didn’t want me to be left on my own. In hindsight, it was probably good that Rob wasn’t coming up. I could just see him pressuring me to ski with some of the girls like the one at Towers last time. With Chris and Paul, I know I won’t be put under that sort of stress.

As the oversnow made its ungainly way up the hill to the lodge, I reflected that my attitude this trip was such a complete contrast to last time. Then, I had been anxious about what I was going to find, and that made me a bit sullen and introverted. Now, I’ve been looking forward to this trip so much that I’ve found it hard to think about much else. At work, Mr. Young just smiled at my enthusiasm, as I don’t think I’d stopped talking about it for the last week. At least my work didn’t suffer — if it had, he would have verbally dropped a load of bricks on me, to bring my feet back to earth. He’ll put up with a reasonable amount of chatter and horseplay at work, but only as long as the quality of the painting doesn’t fall off.

When we arrived at the Snoweagle, Chris and the oversnow driver unloaded their gear, while Paul rushed into the manager’s office. The driver had climbed back into the vehicle and was about to head off when Paul came back and told me what room they were staying in. I didn’t see what the rush was about, as he could’ve told me tomorrow morning, but he seemed to think it was important to tell me, going as far as waving for the driver to wait. As I was the last one to be dropped off, I suppose it didn’t matter too much, but it would have annoyed any other passengers, if there had been any.

With my excitement reaching fever-pitch, the driver pulled up outside the Frying Pan. While I was helping him unload my bags, I felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw a face with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

“Welcome back, Greg,” Dan said, reaching past me to grab one of my bags.

“You don’t know how happy I am to be back,” I enthused.

He laughed. “I just hope this week lives up to your expectations. The weather forecast isn’t as good as last time, so you’ll get to see the mountain in bad weather. That may dampen your enthusiasm a bit.”

Turning to the driver, who had was just climbing back up into the vehicle, Dan waved a hand.

“Thanks, Kale,” Dan said.

The driver stopped and gave the two of us an unreadable look. With a shrug of his shoulders, he entered the oversnow without saying anything.

After he had gone, I turned to Dan. “Not very communicative,” I remarked.

Dan shrugged his shoulders while frowning slightly. “He’s not a big speaker at the best of times, though he’ll usually say hi. Maybe he’s just having a bad day.”

Restoring his normal grin, he arranged the bag he had grabbed earlier over his shoulder. “Pick up your other bag, Greg. It’s time to welcome you to the den of iniquity.”

Walking over to his room, he told me that the spare bed was still available, which was good news. This late in the season, the company was unlikely to hire anyone new, so there shouldn’t be any hassles with me staying there.

As we approached the building, he paused for a moment and turned to look at me with a serious expression.

“Practically everyone who stays here is a worker, and they aren’t impressed if they are woken up late at night by noisy neighbours, especially if they have an early start in the morning. We need to be reasonably quiet, okay,” he explained.

“Seems fair to me,” I responded with a shrug.

With a wry twist of his lips, Dan added, “I’m going to be one of the early starters tomorrow, too. I couldn’t get out of it. Will you be okay by yourself until lunchtime?”

“Yeah, no problems. Chris and Paul are going to meet me first thing, and we can ski together until you’re off work.”

Flashing a quick grin as he started walking again, Dan remarked, “They’re a couple of great guys. You’re lucky to have them as friends.”

There wasn’t much to say to that. Considering I haven’t known them very long, the gay couple were going out of their way to help me out. All I could say was that Rob has some high-calibre friends.

Following Dan up the outside stairs, I accidentally banged my bag against the metal handrail, and the noise it made seemed all out of proportion to the size of the contact. Dan froze for a second with his head cocked to the side listening, before he flashed me a relieved look and whispered another reminder about the noise. I moved to the other side of the stairs for the rest of the short climb; I didn’t want to get Dan into trouble on my first night.

Quietly entering the room, Dan didn’t turn the light on. Instead, he whispered “Wait here,” and moved silently away. A few seconds later, a small desk lamp at the far end of the room started glowing. I could see Dan putting my bag into the corner out of the way, and I took that as the signal to go into the room.

In the soft low light, the room looked different to the one time I’d been there before. I could see someone stirring on the upper bed on the right-hand side, but all the other beds were empty.

“Kelly’s asleep,” Dan whispered needlessly, as I’d already worked that one out, “Garret’s not here, so I wouldn’t expect him back tonight. If you’re tired, you can sleep in his bed,” he continued, pointing to the bed below Kelly, before turning and indicating the top bed on the other side. “Otherwise, this one is yours for the week.”

“I’ll take the top bed,” I replied quietly. “Where should I put my other bag?”

Dan quickly showed me where to put it so no one would trip over it, and we both stripped off down to a T-shirt and underwear. Climbing the ladder to the upper bed, I climbed under the covers and lay down. I must have been more tired than I realised, because that was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.

I was awoken by the bang of the front door being slammed shut. Lifting my head off the pillow and raising myself up on my left elbow, I peered over the side of the bed to see a good-looking guy taking off his ski jacket. Not much older than me, he had shoulder-length wavy blonde hair that looked like it came out of a peroxide bottle. After hanging up his jacket, he headed over to the empty bed on the other wall and started emptying his pockets. As he did so, I saw his white teeth glowing like a beacon on his well-shaped tanned face; the lazy smile of someone who was extremely content with life. I could see why he didn’t find it difficult to meet new girls each week — that face alone would attract their attention.

Turning away from the bed, he headed down the room towards what I suspected was his clothes closet, when he noticed me. The lazy smile brightened up at least two notches into a stunning display that left me momentarily dazzled.

“G’day! I’m Garret. You must be Greg,” he said cheerfully, as he reached up and offered me a hand. He made no effort to keep his voice down, so I guessed this was the normal wake-up time for the occupants of the room.

Grabbing it, I shook his hand. I personally like my guys a bit more masculine than Garret, but he’s certainly pleasant to look at. Eye-candy was the term I heard once, and Garret was an excellent example of that, a good looking guy with a close-to-perfect complexion. He needed to be a bit more rugged, and have a slightly stronger grip, before I’d start drooling over him, but he was certainly easy on the eyes.

“Hi, Garret! Thanks for letting me stay here,” I replied, as I let go of his hand.

“No problema, mate,” Garret replied, as he continued on his way to the closet.

“Thanks, anyway,” I heard Dan say gratefully from below me, before his head appeared. Standing up, he continued, “You’re in early, Garret. You usually leave it until the last minute before showing up.”

“I don’t want to take a chance on my lift ticket being cancelled again. Those days were the worst I’ve had up here,” Garret replied as he pulled the jacket of a lift company uniform out of the closet and threw it on his bed.

As Garret picked a few other pieces of clothing and disappeared into the bathroom, Dan noticed my perplexed expression.

“If we miss our shift, or show up late, they cancel our lift tickets for up to a week. After oversleeping with one of his girlfriends, Garret’s lift ticket was cancelled for three days last week. He was moping around all day, as the girl he was sleeping with was out skiing and he was left by himself. He even tried to find someone else to take consolation with, which I thought was a bit rich, but the weather was so great, all the good looking girls were out on the slopes. He promised us that he wasn’t going to do that again. It looks like he might actually mean it,” Dan explained as he also started getting his gear together.

“I preferred it when he was late,” Kelly called out caustically from the top of the other bed. “At least then he didn’t wake us all up when he came storming in. I had been hoping for a sleep-in this morning.”

“Sorry, Kelly,” Dan called out, with no discernible trace of contriteness. With his back to Kelly, he gave me a wink, and then rolled his eyes.

“It’s not you, Danny boy,” Kelly responded in a sugary tone, though I could see a nasty smile on her face. “It’s pretty boy that should be apologising.”

Dan grimaced and then whispered up to me, “I hate that name, and she knows it. She only uses it when she’s annoyed at something.”

I smiled back at him, and whispered my reply. “That’s okay, Danny boy. I promise not to use it too often.”

Dan froze for a second, and then lifted his head back and laughed. In a more normal tone, he added, “I think this is going to be a great week, Greg. I’m really glad you’re here.”

As Dan and Garret looked busy as they got ready for work, I stayed on my bed so I wouldn’t be in their way. It also gave me a chance to watch them getting dressed, which made for interesting viewing. Dan had explained on my last trip that most of the workers had tanned faces because they got a double dose of sun when it was shining — directly, and then a second time as the sunlight was reflected off the snow. However, because the rest of them were usually covered up, their bodies were quite pale. It wasn’t something I had noticed before, but that morning made it so clear. The contrast between the face and chest on both Dan and Garret was striking. It had an almost surreal nature, which was probably just as well, as it wouldn’t have done to get too excited as I watched.

Garret was definitely the pretty boy. A model of youthful beauty, he had a slender body that just flowed together into an attractive shape. A few inches taller than Dan, he was also considerably thinner.

Dan had the physique of a construction worker. Where Garret’s body flowed, Dan’s showed tight muscle definition. Broad across the shoulders, he presented as a solid wall of muscle, almost twice as wide as his roommate. He wasn’t bad to look at, but didn’t have the clear complexion or ethereal qualities that Garret exuded. A beauty contest between the two would have Garret as a clear winner by the proverbial country mile.

Despite that, I felt I liked Dan more than Garret. I had only just met him, but my image of Garret was tainted by previous comments from Kelly and Dan. They had given me the impression that he was shallow, which would kill any chance of building a decent friendship with him. I’ll reserve judgment until I’d had a chance to speak with him, but for the moment I preferred Dan’s company. He was an interesting and complex person that I was enjoying getting to know.

After agreeing to meet me outside Cloud Nine for lunch, Dan headed off. Garret took a bit longer to get ready, as he was carefully applying some sort of lotion to his face. It was only after a sarcastic comment from Kelly about girls and their make-up that he finished up and rushed out for his shift. Kelly’s parting comment was that he’d have to run if he didn’t want to be late.

Checking my watch, I saw that I still had almost an hour before I was due to meet the other guys. Clambering out of bed, I dropped lightly to my feet and strode across to where my bags were stowed. Bending down, I opened one bag and started to get out the clothes I’d be wearing that day.

“Nice arse,” Kelly called out appreciatively from behind me. “Now, if you’ll just take off that shirt, I’ll be able to see what I missed at your last show.”

I felt myself blush as that comment, and then shrugged. Why not? She’s got a boyfriend, and she had said last time that modesty had gone out the window a long time ago. She’d also probably just had an eyeful of her other roommates, and I knew I was no match to Garret, so there shouldn’t be any harm.

Feeling nervous, but also partly exhilarated at my daring, I straightened up and turned to face Kelly. Trying to smile, I grabbed my shirt and slowly lifted it up over my head. My attempt at a theatrical fling of the shirt to the side, however, was completely ruined when it got tangled on my hand. I ended up having to shake it off — not exactly a sexy striptease.

“Nice one, Greg. I can see why you retired,” Kelly laughed. “Now how about losing the shorts?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied nonchalantly, “Sorry, Kelly, but I need to take a shower. If you want someone to go all the way, you’ll need to get your boyfriend to strip for you instead.”

Grabbing my clothes, I retreated to the shower. I think that was enough of being adventurous for today.

When I came out, already dressed as I didn’t want to give Kelly any more ideas, I headed around the corner to where the small kitchen area was located. Kelly disappeared into the bathroom as I started going through the cupboards to see what there was for breakfast. I found a couple of boxes of cereal, but I didn’t know whether they were Dan’s or not, so I eventually decided to just have some toast and coffee. I had just made the coffee, when Kelly came out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair dry with one towel and dressed in another.

“A cup of coffee would be very much appreciated, Greg. White with two sugars, please,” she called out politely as she headed back to her bed and the clothes she had placed there earlier. I stared after her for a moment, surprised the change in tone, before I realised she was about to drop the towel that was wrapped around her.

Diligently preparing two cups of coffee, I heard Kelly chuckle from behind me. I put her coffee on the table next to me, and started eating my toast — carefully avoiding looking around.

“It’s okay, Greg, I’m dressed now,” Kelly eventually said gently, from just behind me.

Glancing cautiously around, just in case she was joking, I found her reaching for the coffee that I made for her, with a small twisted smile on her face. Taking a sip, she nodded in appreciation.

“Thanks for this,” she said, “Sometimes I’m not very sociable until I’ve had my morning caffeine fix.”

I thought of all sorts of responses, such as whether or not she was ever sociable, but as I’d be spending the week here, I decided a small amount of discretion was in order. After all, she did seem to have put her caustic personality aside for the moment. So I contented myself with a small smile and nod of thanks for the compliment.

Remembering the box of chocolates that I had bought for her, at Dan’s suggestion, I put down my coffee and went back to my bag. Finding it undamaged, which had been my biggest fear, I stood up and handed it to her.

“Here you are, Kelly. This is to say thanks for letting me stay here,” I said.

She hesitated before taking the box off me. I wasn’t sure, but the look she gave me was one of puzzlement, or maybe wonder. Maybe it was just the surprise at being given a present, but it was clear she hadn’t expected it.

“Thanks, Greg!” she eventually said, as she opened the box and took out one of the chocolates. “Ernest Hiller! You went for quality, didn’t you,” she continued as an expression of bliss spread over her face.

Not wanting to imply anything, I thought it would be safest to just smile. I went back to pick up my cup of coffee and my now-cold piece of toast.

“Did you get anything for Garret, too?” she asked, curiosity dripping from every word as she carried the box back to her bed.

“Dan suggested a couple of large boxes of condoms,” I admitted shyly. I could feel a blush spreading over my face at discussing condoms with a girl, even one as rough as Kelly.

Kelly threw her head back and laughed. “Absolutely perfect!”

I just shrugged.

“You’re a bit quiet, aren’t you?” she asked, frowning slightly, as she returned from putting the chocolates away. “Have you known Dan very long?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I’m normally a bit shy, but that’s until I’m relaxed. I can be outgoing when I’m comfortable but I clam up when I’m stressed.”

As I took another sip of my coffee, she asked, “And Dan?”

“The day I first met you was also the first time I met Dan. He was just being helpful with suggestions on my skiing, as it was my first time on skis, and we just got talking,” I replied. I didn’t see any need to bring up the subject of crashing at his feet, as she’d probably just make some sort of wisecrack about it.

“Wasn’t there something about a spectacular crash, as well?” she asked with just a touch of sarcasm.

“I’m a beginner. Of course, there was a crash or six involved,” I answered, trying to avoid discussing the issue.

“You must be either a good judge of character, or pretty trusting, to accept an offer of a room after knowing Dan for only two days then,” Kelly dryly commented.

Pausing to gather my thoughts, I answered slowly, “I don’t really know what it is, but I just feel I can trust Dan. Maybe it was the way he was being so helpful and generous, but even though I had only met him the day before, I felt I had a good understanding of what sort of person he is. So, I didn’t have any hesitation or reservation about accepting his offer.”

Kelly smiled at me. “Well in this case, you’re right. Despite his flaws, Dan is a great guy and I think he’s trustworthy. He’s never done anything to make me question that.”

I frowned at her. “Flaws? What do you mean?”

Up until then, Kelly had been maintaining a healthy eye-contact with me, as if she wanted to see what sort of person I was. Now, however, she turned away, almost sheepishly.

“Everyone has flaws. Some are critical and some are minor. I don’t think Dan’s flaws are significant. They don’t stop him from being a nice guy. Of course, he’s too nice for me, but he’ll make some lucky person a good boyfriend, one day,” she said, a little bit too fast.

I narrowed my eyes at her, but she was still looking away. She was hiding something, something about Dan, but I didn’t know what. I doubted she’d tell me, but I thought I’d ask anyway. However, before I could do so, she turned back to me.

“I know I’m coming over a bit strong, but I don’t want to see Dan getting hurt. You see, he doesn’t have many friends up here,” she stated seriously.

“What do you mean? I would’ve thought he’d have tonnes of friends. He seems to know a lot of people,” was my surprised response.

“He knows lots of people, but he doesn’t have many people who he can just sit down and have a drink with,” Kelly clarified. “It all stems back to when he first arrived last year.

“It’s a small-town atmosphere here in Falls Creek, which means that everyone knows everyone else, and gossip travels faster than the speed of light. Dan was a little naïve when he came up here, and accidentally managed to upset one of the influential locals. It doesn’t matter how, but it destroyed any chance he had of fitting in. So, in the social circles, he’s very much persona non grata. Unlike Garret, he usually doesn’t mix with the resort guests, so he doesn’t have much of a social life.”

As she paused, I reflected on what she had told me. Having never lived in a small town, I’m not sure I understood everything she had said, but I saw it as being analogous to school life. There are a number of kids who are the social leaders, and a publicly expressed disapproval or disgust from any of those would severely limit the size of your social circle. I thought that sort of thing would’ve disappeared when people grew up, but obviously not.

“You said that happened last year. What about this year?” I asked, curious about what Dan has been going through.

She frowned before starting to answer slowly, “I honestly don’t know why he came back, this year, after what he had gone through the previous season. I’m certainly glad he did, though, because he’s an excellent roommate. I’ve had some shockers over the years, but Dan is not like that at all. He’s considerate and generous, and pulls his own weight when it comes to keeping the place tidy.

“I’m not surprised that the company accepted him back when he re-applied, because he’s a very good worker. Employment-wise, he’s in a very good position. The bosses all like him and know that if they give him something to do, it’ll get done quickly and well. He’s been angling all year to get into one of the snowmaking teams, but that’s an uphill battle, as positions there don’t come up very often, and lots of people fight pretty hard for them.”

Shrugging, she gave me a small smile. “Of course, if he did get onto one of those teams, it’ll help him socially too.”

“How?” I asked, perplexed.

Kelly explained. “The social ladder mirrors the employment structure to some extent, because it’s based on how important the people are to the success of the village. The bosses are at the top of the tree, naturally, but after them come the instructors and the ski patrol. Then come the office workers and snow makers, with us towies at the bottom of the ladder. If Dan can get onto a snowmaking team, it’s an almost certain step up the social ladder.”

I nodded, though I didn’t really understand how the different jobs impact on the social life. I decided I needed to think about this a bit more, before it would make sense to me.

“Kelly, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you telling me this?” I inquired, tentatively. She was being very forthright about Dan’s situation to someone who was effectively a stranger.

She thought for a moment before slowly, almost reluctantly, starting to speak.

“Dan is one of those nice guys who’s had a rough time. He’s starting to come out of his shell now, and you seem to be the catalyst. Why, I don’t know, and I’m not going to ask him. Despite my reputation as a bitch, I do care about people, at least some of them, and I don’t want him hurt. I’m just glad he seems to be happy,” she replied.

As I absorbed that piece of information, Kelly drifted back to her bed, drinking her coffee as she went. I, in turn, finished off my toast and coffee, before putting on the rest of my ski outfit and headed off to meet Chris and Paul. I had a bit to think about, but nothing threatening. Kelly was indicating pretty strongly that there is some sort of mystery about Dan, but I wasn’t sure it was relevant. I liked Dan the way he was. If this is not the way he’s been, then that’s just history. Kelly’s comments intrigued me, but I had all week to find out what was going on. If I was patient enough, I’m sure Dan would tell me.

Chris and Paul were waiting for me at the ticket office. The towie was just starting up the Eagle chairlift, so I knew I hadn’t been keeping them from their skiing. I could also see Dan firing up the Nursery Poma nearby. Thinking about the fun times we would be having this week meant that I was wearing a huge smile by the time I reached the other guys.

We all bought tickets for the day, and skied over to the chairlift. This early, and with an overcast day forecast, there was effectively no one in the line, so we hopped straight onto the lift and started up the mountain. I made sure Chris was sitting in the middle so I could stare across at Paul while pretending to be also talking to Chris.

“You seem inordinately happy, this morning,” Chris remarked.

“Just looking forward to this week. I’m going to have an awesome time!” I grinned back.

“How was the accommodation?” Paul asked. For some reason he wasn’t smiling, but since he was talking to me, I could admire him without worrying about being spotted.

“Not as nice as the Snoweagle, but it’s comfortable. And I also don’t have to worry about someone feeling me up during the night,” I teased back.

Paul blushed, and looked away. “It was an accident, Greg. I’d never do anything like that on purpose.”

I laughed. “I know, Paul. I forgave you the next day. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you forget about it, though.”

Chris frowned. “You haven’t told anyone else, have you, Greg? I don’t want Paul to get a reputation as a molester.” The concern in his voice was crystal clear.

“Of course, not,” I replied, soothingly. “It’s purely between the three of us. I agree that too many people would misunderstand. If you like, I’ll promise to never bring it up again, even when we’re alone. You can consider it forgotten,” I offered. It was only a partial lie. I’m happy to never mention it again, but there was no way I’d ever want to forget the feeling of Paul running his hand up my leg.

“Thanks, Greg,” Chris replied with a sigh of relief.

Just like last time, we did a couple of warm-up runs down the Playground. I was very tentative and unsteady, and fell over three times on the first run. However, it all started to come back to me and I managed the second run with only one fall.

Chris and Paul were waiting for me at the bottom of the run.

“How are you feeling? Do you want to do a couple more runs, or do you want to head over to Towers?” Paul asked.

“Maybe one more warm-up run here?” I suggested, “It’s coming back, but I don’t want push it too fast.”

Paul smiled, “Okay then. One more run and then we’ll head over.”

I spent the morning remembering Dan’s lessons and practicing. Rather than trying to ski the entire run, I concentrated on little exercises, such as two linked turns and then stopping. Just before lunchtime, I managed to get all the way down without falling over. I stopped more times than I could remember on the way down, but I didn’t care. The first time without a crash is a milestone that I was happy to reach!

Most of that morning, I was skiing alone, with Paul and Chris going past on a regular basis. We’d stop and chat every so often, but I generally rode the lift with strangers. A couple of them chatted with me on the way up, but most were silent. It wasn’t a cold silence, despite the surroundings, but rather it seemed the ride up the T-bar was a chance to stop and think, or even just to absorb a little of the ambience of the snowfields.

I probably should’ve used the time to think about my skiing, but my mind kept drifting back to the conversation I’d had with Kelly. I was slowly beginning to appreciate what she meant about a small-town atmosphere. It was different up here. You feel isolated from the rest of the world, as if the hustle and bustle of the city just didn’t exist. With less options for release, human nature dictated that the going-ons of the other residents would become of increasing interest, as much because of boredom as anything else. If there was any sort of scandal, no matter how small, it would take off like a bushfire in summer.

If Dan was the victim of that, it would have been hell for him. Isolated by distance and then isolated from his peers, he would’ve been extremely lonely. However, there must be something up here that he loves, because he came back this year. Despite the problems of the year before, he returned.

That was as far as I got that morning. I wasn’t fussed. If it was important, I had all week to find out what had happened. If it wasn’t, it didn’t matter.

Chris rode the lift up with me after the last run before lunch. He and Paul had been waiting for me at the bottom when I finally made it down the hill. They gave me a few compliments on my skiing — being generous, because I could tell how bad I was when I looked at most of the others on the slope — before we joined the line for the T-bar. I was surprised when Paul elected to ride the lift up by himself, rather than with Chris.

Once we were on the lift, I asked Chris, “Just curious, but why didn’t you ride up with Paul?”

“I asked him to go up by himself. I wanted a quiet word with you,” Chris replied.

That sounded ominous.

“Paul’s a great guy, but because of his past he can be a bit paranoid around people he doesn’t know,” Chris explained slowly. His eyes were fixed on his boyfriend’s back while he spoke. The T-bar that Paul was riding was far enough ahead that he wouldn’t be able to hear what we were saying.

“For reasons that really aren’t important, Paul is a bit uncomfortable about Dan. I just wanted to let you know, so you don’t get upset by his attitude, if it gets worse,” he added.

“But why?” I asked, puzzled. What could anyone have against Dan, especially as they had only met him a couple of times, and they seemed to get along so well?

“The reason is private, as it relates to things in Paul’s history that I can’t tell you. All I’m asking is that you give him a bit of room.”

The answer popped into my mind as I recalled the scene from Christies from two weeks ago. Paul had looked disturbed when Dan had left to order the drinks, and then made a comment about old memories. For some reason, Dan must remind him of the time he was attacked. Maybe Dan looks like one of the attackers?

“Okay, Chris,” I replied, “I think I understand. Don’t worry about it. Do you want me to say anything to Dan?”

“No,” Chris replied slowly, as if he wasn’t sure that was the correct answer, “I don’t think so. Everything should be fine, but thanks anyway.”

We finished the rest of the trip, each wrapped in our own thoughts. I hoped that this wasn’t going to mess up the week. Mentally shrugging, if the worst case eventuated I could just go back to my original plan and pretend that I was up here alone. I didn’t need to be with Chris and Paul; it was just a great gesture on their behalf to come up here at the same time.

When we got to Cloud Nine, I checked my watch and realised we were early. Told the other two to go inside and find a table; I’d wait for Dan out here. Without much more discussion, they disappeared inside.

The weather was not unpleasant, but the overcast skies made the whole place seem drearier than the brilliant sunshine I had experienced last time I was here. The skiing itself was the same amount of fun, though, and I couldn’t honestly say that it was the weather that made me come back.

While I was waiting for Dan, I watched groups of skiers forming up near a series of numbered markers. Eventually, I realised that these were various ski lesson pupils, forming up in their classes. The mass arrival of the ski instructors in their distinctive one-piece ski-suits made it easy to work it out. I was watching them ski off when Dan skied up next to me.

“G’day Greg! I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” he said, as he stepped out of his skis.

“Not too long,” I replied. “It was my fault for showing up early, anyway. Chris and Paul are already inside.”

“Great, because I’m starving,” Dan said, putting his skis into a nearby rack. “Let’s go eat!”

We found the other two guys involved in a heated discussion that terminated as we arrived. It could be my imagination, after being prompted by Chris, but I thought Paul looked up at Dan with a glare before he relaxed into a reserved smile.

“Hi, Dan! Good to see you again,” Paul said.

“Yeah, hi, Dan,” Chris added, though his concentration was clearly on his boyfriend and not Dan.

“Good to see you guys again,” Dan replied cheerfully, as he sat down. “Life’s been pretty boring up here without you two to liven things up.”

Chris twisted quickly around to look at Dan, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then closing it. From the bright red he went, I knew he was thinking about that Saturday afternoon. Anyone would think he had a guilty mind!

Paul and Chris had already bought their lunch, so after asking if they wanted anything else, Dan and I headed over to buy ours.

It was only because I was going to ask him what he suggested we do tonight that I caught a glimpse of his face as he looked in his wallet. When he proceeded to order the cheapest meal on the menu, I knew he was short of cash. Thinking about it, I had no idea how much a towie makes. Given that they have accommodation and some meals thrown in, I suspect they don’t make a lot. I don’t want to embarrass Dan, so I’m going to have to find a chance to ask Kelly or Garret. If Dan doesn’t have enough to party all week, then I’m either going to have to find a way to fund it for him, which would stretch my own cash supply, or simply adjust our plans to suit.

I felt a little guilty, like I was trying to buy a friendship, but that wasn’t why I was doing it. I wanted to show that I could be relied upon to help out when needed, and to step back when it wasn’t.

As we finished lunch, we started making plans for the night.

“How about we meet at Christies for a cocktail after dinner to start with? We can head off from there to wherever we want for the rest of the night,” Dan suggested.

“That sounds fine to me,” I responded, “but I’m going to order my own cocktail. I’m not letting you order another one for me like the last one!”

They all laughed at me.

“Well I’m ordering another Virgin Delight — with the garnish!” Chris insisted.

“You better lift your game, Paul. It looks like you have some competition,” Dan quipped.

Paul gave him a wry smile. “I’m not worried. I’ll still get what I want at the end of the night.”

“Too much information, guys,” I exclaimed. “I do not need any details.”

After waiting for the other three to stop laughing at me again, I steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.

“So, where are we going to go after Christies?” I asked.

Dan looked thoughtful, “Both the Man and the Frying Pan have live music on tonight. It’s basically going to be a dance party at either place.”

Chris and Paul exchanged glances. “What other options are there?” Chris asked, obviously not impressed by what’d been suggested so far.

“I thought you guys would like dancing?” Dan asked, surprised at their lack of enthusiasm.

“We do, but most people around us don’t. There is no point setting ourselves up for abuse,” Chris explained with a sorrowful look.

Comprehension swept over Dan’s face, “Okay, sorry about that. I wasn’t thinking,” he mumbled an apology, as he turned to look out the window. From where I was sitting, I could see that his face had gone red.

There was silence. Every time I think Chris and Paul are showing me that I could be accepted as a gay man in today’s society, I learn differently. Being unable to dance with your partner, simply because they are the same sex as you, must really hurt.

“I’ll come up with some other suggestions of things to do tonight,” Dan promised, as he turned back to look at the gay couple. “Just give me a little time to think about it.”

With the conversation dying, we all got up and hit the slopes.

Having a cautious run down the Towers, I found that Paul and Chris were waiting for us at the bottom instead of just heading up as they would normally do.

“Look guys,” Chris started, “If you want to go dancing tonight, that’s fine with us. Don’t let us spoil your fun.”

“Do you really think we’ll have fun if you’re not?” I asked bluntly. It’s not as if I had anyone I wanted to dance with anyway, and if I did, I’d be in the same situation as them. I like dancing, but dancing with girls often brings with it an obligation to get to know them, and that isn’t what I wanted to do tonight.

“Don’t sweat, I’ve got a couple of ideas already that you might like,” Dan added. “We can discuss them tonight at Christies.”

“Thanks, guys,” Paul said with relief, “We really appreciate it.”

Dan grinned at me, before turning back to the other two. “That’s what friends are for.”

I reached over and clipped him over the back of the head for being so clichéd. At least that was the intention. Having a pair of skis strapped to me feet meant I over-balanced doing so, and I had to grab hold of Dan to stop myself from crashing at his feet, again.

“Easy, Greg,” he laughed. “You don’t want to give these two ideas.”

I blushed. As Dan helped me back onto my feet, I couldn’t help wondering if there was any way I could arrange to crash into Paul like that. I know he’s totally committed to Chris, but I wouldn’t mind the excuse to grab hold of his body, even if it was for just a couple of seconds.

Telling myself to behave, I just gave a nervous shrug of apology to the others.

As we joined the line for the lift, I noticed Kelly moving down the line, checking tickets.

“G’day, Greg,” she said cheerfully when she reached us. “Any chance of another show?”

“I keep telling you, I’m retired,” I grinned back. Though she was pretty rough around the edges, I liked Kelly.

“After your performance this morning, you probably would’ve been fired anyway,” she shrugged. “Unless you’re better in bed than you are at stripping, you don’t really have much of a future as a porn star.”

Turning to Dan, she added, “He’s cute, Dan, especially when he blushes. As long as he keeps bringing me chocolates, he can stay as long as he wants. Either that, or make sure at the next strip show, he goes all the way.”

I don’t know why, but I was feeling really relaxed. Normally, I wouldn’t dream of trying to continue a conversation like this. Whether it was because I was away from home and work, or because I was with good, and tolerant, company, but I felt bold.

“I told you this morning, Kelly, you need to get your boyfriend to strip naked. I don’t do that sort of thing.”

She scowled at me. “You’re lying,” she insisted, “How can you be a porn star, if you don’t go all the way?”

“I’m retired, remember,” I pointed out.

“Sacked, more like it,” she retorted. “I don’t know if I should let you stay in our room, if you’re going to cancel the morning show.”

I smiled, mischievously. “Oh, you never know. I may feel like practising, some mornings.”

She grinned back at me. “In that case, you can stay. Until then, how about introducing me to your cute friends?”

I turned to the other three. Dan was looking amused, while Chris and Paul were looking shocked. I wasn’t sure if it was at my behaviour, or Kelly’s, or both.

“Dan, this is Kelly. Kelly, this is Dan,” I said, cheekily.

“I said the cute ones, Greg, not the wimp,” she retorted, though I could see the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to avoid a smile.

“I love you too, Kelly,” Dan replied, dryly.

“I know you do, Danny boy,” she smiled back with a sickly sweet tone, “Now shut up while I talk to the real men.”

I laughed at that. Kelly wouldn’t understand it, but I found that last comment amusing on so many different levels. One of my favourite songs is “Real Men” by Joe Jackson; a song about gays. The fact that she used that phrase in reference to Paul and Chris, and that Paul considers himself to be a “real worker” just tickled my funny bone.

“Paul, Chris, this is Kelly. She’s one of the Dan’s roommates,” I said, still chuckling. “Kelly, this is Paul and Chris; a couple of friends of mine.”

After saying hi to Chris, Kelly looked up and down Paul’s body. “Let me guess. You’re another porn star, like Greg?” she asked.

“Er… No,” Paul replied hesitantly, beginning to blush.

She shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. If you show me what you’re capable of, I’m sure I can get you a job.”

Now that’s one show I’d kill to see! While there is not a chance in the world that Paul would do something like that, fantasies are fun.

Dan came to Paul’s rescue. “Kelly, you know your boyfriend doesn’t like you flirting. How about you leave the guys alone and get back to work?”

She sighed, “Work. Is that what I’m supposed to be doing?”

“Yep,” Dan confirmed, “Sorry, but it pays the bills.”

As she walked off, Dan turned to me.

“Now, how about filling us in on what happened this morning? Something about chocolates and a show this morning?” he asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows as he waited for an answer.

With a laugh, I filled them all in on what happened this morning. There must be something in the air up here that loosens the inhibitions. I would never have done anything like that in Melbourne.

We had a good time skiing there that afternoon. Now that Kelly had Paul as a target, she didn’t pick on me as much. Or rather, if Paul was in the line, he was the target of all her comments. Otherwise, I was fair game. Paul was heartily embarrassed by the attention, especially since Kelly seemed to think that Paul was a little hard of hearing, and would speak loudly to him at all times. Most, if not all, the people in the line heard her comments.

Chris seemed amused by the whole thing, but Paul wasn’t happy. He waited for us at the top of the lift after one particularly suggestive monologue from Kelly.

“How about we go ski Ruined Castle for the rest of the day?” he suggested, his eagerness to get away palatable.

“I don’t think Greg is up to that, yet,” Dan pointed out. “I’d offer to say something to Kelly, but it would be a waste of breath. Once she’s on a roll, there’s no stopping her.”

Paul slumped, and I immediately dropped any intention of teasing him about the situation. For some reason, he was getting really stressed by this.

“Why don’t you and Chris go off by yourself for a bit?” I suggested kindly. “It’s been great that you’ve stayed here, but you’re obviously not enjoying it. Skiing is supposed to be fun!”

Paul chewed on his lip as he stared at me. “As long as you don’t mind,” he eventually said. For some reason, he seemed reluctant to go.

Dan looked at him thoughtfully, then leant over and whispered something to Chris. It must have been crude, because Chris went bright red before giving Dan a half-smile and a nod.

After Paul and Chris headed off, I asked Dan what he had said.

He grinned. “I suggested he take Paul on a hard ride down the Village, just like last time they were here.”

I stared for a second in shock, before laughing. Dan is obviously really comfortable around gays if he can suggest something like that. All I needed to do now is to build up my courage enough to tell him the truth before the week is over.

I was just about to push off to start another run, when Dan stopped me.

“Greg, while I remember, I’ve got something to say,” he said with a serious look.

I just raised my eyebrows and waited for him to continue. While I kept it off my face, I was suddenly incredibly nervous. Given what we had just been discussing, was he about to ask if I was gay, too? I didn’t think I could lie to him — that would destroy any chance we could be friends in the future.

“Tomorrow, I think you should book a week of lessons. I’ve taught you pretty well everything I’ve learnt from watching the instructors at the Nursery Poma, but you’re getting beyond that real quick. If you take the morning classes, that’ll give you something to do while I’m working. We’ll still be able to ski together in the afternoon. If you do this, I guarantee you’ll be a better skier than your sister by the end of the week. It’s obvious that she’s never had any professional instruction.”

Internally, I sighed with relief. I didn’t know what I would’ve said if he had asked me.

“Sounds like a good idea to me! I want to see some of these other runs that you guys keep mentioning, and if taking lessons means I’ll get there quicker, I’m game!” I replied, part of my enthusiasm being fuelled by relief.

With a grin, Dan challenged me, “Race you to the bottom,” as he got ready to push off.

“Only if you’re blindfolded first,” I retorted.

We headed off down the run, both laughing. I’m now well and truly addicted to skiing. Crashing twenty feet down the run didn’t make me change my mind about that.

That night, we met up as agreed at Christies after dinner. Chris and Paul both ordered Virgin Delight’s, but I went for a Sex on the Rocks. Dan ordered something that I didn’t catch the name of, but accepting the taste he offered, was really quite good. Maybe a little sweet, but that’s not uncommon for fruit-juice based cocktails.

After the boys put on an absolutely gross display of how not to eat their banana garnish, we settled down to discuss our plans for the evening.

“How does a bar and piano music sound?” Dan suggested.

The rest of us exchanged glances. No one seemed to have any objection, so the decision was made. Finishing our drinks, we followed Dan to a nearby lodge.

Entering, I was blown away by the room we had entered. I suppose all I’d seen so far is the Snoweagle and Dan’s room, so I expected all the lodges to be small and cramped. Instead, we had high ceilings with exposed beams in a huge room with a large open fire. At one end were a bar and a baby grand piano. Scattered around were couches and chairs that wouldn’t look out of place in the living room of an upper-middle class home. A bit over half were taken by groups holding conversations. Some groups were a little loud, but not so bad that it was annoying. The pianist was playing pleasant background music, and I could see maybe a dozen people who were just listening to that.

As we worked our way to and empty couple of couches near the bar, we were unexpectedly hailed.

“Dan, Greg! Good to see you guys!”

Looking around, we saw Garret slouched in one of the couches with his left arm around a red-haired girl, and his right hand raised in a greeting. He was grinning wildly, though I think that was more due to the girl’s hand stroking his thigh than the pleasure at seeing us.

“G’day, Garret,” Dan replied with a wry grin. “I didn’t expect to run into you. We just came here to have a few drinks and listen to the music.”

“Well, sit on down!” Garret said, waving a hand at the seats nearby. “Everyone, this is Serena,” he added, kissing the girl next to him.

“Hi, Serena,” Dan responded with a smile. “I’m Dan, one of Garret’s roommates, and these guys are Greg, Paul and Chris,” pointing to each of us in turn.

“Hi, guys,” she responded shyly. The way her attention remained focused on Garret made me wonder if she would still remember our names in five minutes time.

After taking our drink orders, Paul disappeared in the direction of the bar.

“So how long are you up here for?” Chris asked Serena.

“We’re up here for the week,” she replied, reluctantly turning her attention away from Garret. The cheeky grin on his face made it clear that he knew where he’d be sleeping that night.

“You’re lucky!” Chris stated, envious. “Paul and I have to head back on Wednesday, but this guy,” flicking a thumb at me, “gets to stay until next Sunday.”

Serena smiled, and then whispered something to Garret before she rose gracefully to her feet. Bending down, she kissed him lightly and then strolled off. She looked a little unsteady, so I wondered how much she’d already had to drink.

Paul arrived back at that point with our drinks. As everyone started reaching up for theirs, I was startled by a hand on my arm. Turning, I found Garret leaning forward.

“Greg,” Garret whispered to me, “Serena has a sister, if you’re interested. It’ll give you something to do at night,” he continued with a wink.

I shook my head as I gave him a wry smile. “Thanks, Garret, but I’ll pass. I’m not really into one, or even five night stands. I’m looking for something more in a relationship and I don’t want to just mess around.”

I hoped my nervousness wasn’t too obvious. Going out enough to hide what I am wasn’t hard in Melbourne, as the girls tend to be looking for a long-term relationship. However, Garret’s world seemed different and frightening. If I had accepted his offer, I knew I would’ve been expected to be in bed with Serena’s sister that night and each night after that. I just couldn’t do it.

He shrugged as he settled back into his couch. “Your loss,” he remarked with a grin and another wink.

Accepting my drink from Paul, I watched Garret discreetly to see if I had raised any suspicions, but it looked like I’d gotten away with it.

We chatted for a couple of minutes, until Serena came back, carrying a coat.

“Time to go, I’m sorry. Nice to meet you all!” Garret said cheerfully, as he rose to his feet. Slipping his arm around Serena’s waist, he gave her a quick kiss before they wandered over to the exit.

Dan watched them leave, before he turned back to the rest of us with a shake of his head.

“I don’t know how he does it. He always finds a girl. The only time he’s spent more than one night in a row in our room was when he picked up an STD and he was forced to rest for a week.”

Paul looked surprised. “He doesn’t use condoms?”

Dan shrugged, “Normally he does; at least that’s my assumption based on the number of packets he goes through. My best guess is that he ran out and continued on his merry way without protection for a few days. I’ve never asked him how it caught it, and he’s never volunteered the information.”

“I know I’ve always heard stories about the ski instructors chatting up the girls in their class, but does it really happen that much, up here?” Chris asked.

Dan grinned, “Most of that is flirting. They think they have a reputation to uphold. Some of them take it further, but most don’t. We towies are actually the worst bunch of offenders. There are so many young hot-blooded males working here, that there is a testosterone overload at times. I overheard one of the medical staff workers joking that he thought Falls Creek was the STD capital of Victoria. Having said that, I will admit that Garret is probably the most promiscuous guy up here. I know a few other guys are in awe at the sheer number of girls he goes through. Most of them are first timers, though. The repeat workers tend to be a bit more laidback.”

After that, we settled back and listened to the piano music. The guy was actually quite good and a bit of an entertainer too, for the people who bothered to watch and listen. There was one piece of classical music that I recognised, though I don’t know its name, which has a series of chords marching up the keyboard. The pianist tried one set of chords too many, and ran out of piano — falling off his stool. Most of the people in the room didn’t even notice, but we and maybe a dozen others, all laughed at the guy’s antics. What impressed me most, though, was when he somehow managed to play a quite good rendition of “Duelling Banjos” on the piano.

I made a point of leaving him a good tip at the end of the night. Entertainers like that deserved to be encouraged.

It wasn’t a late night, but the alcohol and the generally relaxing time we had meant that when we returned to our room, I quickly crashed.

And this was only day one. I still had another eight days to go.

NEXT CHAPTER