Falls Creek Lessons

Chapter 6

I was a little surprised to be woken up by the small sounds of Dan making himself some breakfast, rather than Garret storming into the room like a bull elephant on heat. I turned my head to look at the other bed but, as expected, it hadn’t been slept in.

With a stretch and a yawn, I swung myself off the bed and lowered myself to the ground. With a grunt and a half-raised hand to Dan to acknowledge his “Hi, Greg,” I staggered into the bathroom.

Exiting a few minutes later, slightly more awake, I walked over to the kitchen area and sat down on one of the stools there.

“Tea or coffee?” Dan asked me quietly.

“Coffee, I think,” I replied as I struggled to put my mind into gear.

Dan waited for a moment without doing anything. When I looked up at him as if to ask why the hell he wasn’t preparing a caffeine infusion to wake me up properly, he gave me a wry half-smile.

“How do you have it?” he asked.

With a guilty start, I realised that of course he didn’t know.

“I’ll have black with two sugars today,” I answered, “though I can have it practically any way. At some of the jobs I’ve been on, they keep running out of things. So, I drink tea and coffee, black and white, with or without sugar.”

“Okay, Greg. One black coffee coming up,” Dan responded.

When he placed the drink in front of me, I gave him a smile of appreciation. After a couple of sips, I felt a bit more alive.

With a nod in the direction of the bowl of cereal he was eating, I asked, “Is that one yours? I wasn’t sure yesterday whether the cereals were common property or belonged to particular people.”

It was his turn to give a guilty start.

“Sorry, Greg. I just didn’t think to tell you about things like that. To answer your question, yes this one is mine. That’s more because we have different tastes than anything else, though. Feel free to have some if you want. The bread, tea, coffee, milk and sugar are common property. You should ask Kelly if you’d like some of her muesli, though I’d advise against trying Garret’s cereal. That box has been there since the start of the season and it’s probably stale. He’s not often here for breakfast,” he explained.

I made a mental note to go to the shop later today to buy some supplies for breakfast. Since I was going to be staying here for the week, I should contribute.

“Speaking of Garret, it looks like he’s going to miss his shift this morning,” I remarked. I didn’t mind, as I was enjoying having a quiet chat with Dan while he got ready for work, rather than watching the maelstrom of activity that occurred yesterday when Garret was here.

“He has Sunday and Monday off,” Dan explained. “That way he can spend Saturday and Sunday nights with whatever girl he’s currently shacked up with. He’s never here on a Sunday morning. Me? I have Wednesday and Thursday off, as the mountain is a bit quieter then if I want to go out skiing. Also, if I have to go off-mountain for something, everything will generally be open.”

I don’t know why I was surprised. It should’ve been obvious that they wouldn’t work seven days a week. It just never occurred to me that they would have staggered days off. As with many things, it made sense once it was explained.

“What sort of things do you go off-mountain for?” I asked, interested in how often he left the village.

Dan shrugged. “It varies. There are a lot of things you can get done here, but for a few specialty items you have to go to either Myrtleford or up to Albury-Wodonga. To be honest, most of the time people leave the mountain is simply to get away. Everyone gets a little stir-crazy after being here for months on end.”

He then gave me a wry grin.

“If you ever bring a girl up here for a couple of weeks, someone made a recommendation to me once that I thought was excellent. What they did was to leave the mountain and go to Beechworth for the middle weekend. It’s an old historic town that’s well worth a visit in its own right. It broke up their trip and they avoided the longer lines at the lift that the weekend traffic brings.”

An interesting idea, but I doubt it would be a girl I’d do it with. I had heard of Beechworth from some friends of my parents who had stayed there earlier in the year, but I’ve never been there myself.

“What do you think drives Garret? Surely he’ll settle down with one girl eventually,” I asked, returning to the subject of the missing piece of eye-candy.

Dan just shook his head. “As far as I can work out, he just loves sex. It’s like the Robert Palmer song — he’s addicted to love.” He paused, as if reconsidering what he just said. “No, that’s not quite right. It’s more than just the sex, though I think that’s his driving force. He’s demonstrated several times that he honestly cares for the girls he sleeps with. He puts in more effort than what’s just needed to get them into bed. Maybe he really loves girls, all girls, and the sex is just a way of showing it.”

“Will you two stop talking about sex!” Kelly yelled from her bed. “I’m not getting any at the moment, and I think you going on about it is in extremely poor taste.”

“Speaking of sex, if you’re going to change the topic,” Dan remarked to Kelly with a grin, “when is your boyfriend coming back up again.”

Kelly’s sour expression melted away. “Friday night,” she answered in a dreamy tone.

“Friday!” Dan said, surprised. “But Greg will still be here then.”

He turned to me with a worried look.

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked him.

“Mike prefers it if Garret and I sleep elsewhere while he’s here with Kelly. He’s a little fussy about things like that,” Dan explained quietly. “Normally, I don’t mind, and Garret never has a problem finding somewhere else to go, but there is no way I can find somewhere else for both of us for the weekend.”

I glanced over at Kelly, who was looking thoughtful.

“Mike needs to grow up eventually,” she said slowly, almost as if she was talking to herself. “Either we wait until everyone has gone, or he learns to overcome his shyness.”

She grinned down at the two of us. “His blush is almost as cute as yours, Greg,” she added.

I felt myself going red at the comment. I think it was a complement but with Kelly I wasn’t sure.

“We have a few days to work things out,” Dan remarked, though he looked a little uncertain. “As a last resort we could try to book a room at one of the lodges, though I’d prefer it if we didn’t have to.

“Now it’s time for me to finish getting ready for work!” he finished, forcing himself back into a cheerful mood.

I don’t know how anyone can be cheerful about going to work.

“And Greg needs some time for striptease practise,” Kelly piped up.

Then again, if it gets him away from Kelly, he must take that as being a positive. Work or Kelly? Which is the bigger horror? A tough call…

“Sorry, Kelly, but today’s a rest day. Maybe tomorrow,” I replied. That gave me a day to think up another excuse. I’ve decided that putting on that show for Kelly yesterday was a big mistake.

Grabbing some clothes, I retreated to the bathroom. I’ll have my breakfast after a shower, which should also mean that I won’t be in Dan’s way while he prepares for another day of labour.

When I came out Dan was standing by Kelly’s bed, having a quiet conversation with his roommate. After a glance at me over his shoulder, Dan reached up and shook hands with Kelly.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” he said simply to her.

Turning back to me, he waved a hand. “I’ve got to go. Where will we meet up for lunch?”

“How about the Frying Pan?” I suggested, watching carefully for his reaction. As I saw him relax slightly, I thought my guess from yesterday was correct — he’s running out of cash.

“Okay, sounds good to me. See you then!” he replied happily before disappearing out the door.

Turning to Kelly, I asked, “So what was that about?”

Swinging herself out of bed, she landed lightly on her feet. “If Mike is going to be a prude this weekend, I offered to find the two of us a room.” Leering at me, she added, “That’s unless you’d be interested in a threesome. Then all we have to do is to get rid of Dan, and we can all stay here.”

Struggling to contain the terror I felt at that suggestion, I replied, “I wouldn’t have thought Mike would like that.”

She shrugged, “He’ll come around once I get him alone. So I take it that the answer is yes?”

“Ah, no, I don’t think so,” I stammered. I knew I had completely failed to keep my expression neutral.

She laughed as she reached over and gave me a pat on the cheek, “You’re so easy, Greg. Okay, no threesome. Does that make you feel better?”

I gave her a nervous smile. “Thanks, Kelly. Did anyone ever tell you that you sometimes come over as a bit scary?”

She frowned and looked worried. “Shit! Only sometimes? I must be slipping.”

As I started to prepare some breakfast for myself, Kelly made some more coffee.

“Kelly, I’ve got a question, but I don’t want to offend you,” I started cautiously.

She stopped what she was doing and just looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“How much do towies make? I suspect that Dan is running out of money, but I don’t want to insult him by asking directly,” I explained, keeping a nervous eye on her reaction.

After an initial startled look, she smiled at me. This was one of her gentle smiles.

“He probably is,” Kelly admitted. “No, we don’t make a lot of money. After all, we get a room, meals and a season ski ticket. Take out union dues as well, and there’s enough left over for drinks and the occasional night out, but not much more. Dan doesn’t go out much, but he just bought himself a new pair of skis about a month ago, so that probably wiped out all his savings.”

I nodded to myself, before giving Kelly a smile of thanks. “Okay then. I need to make sure we don’t make him spend too much money. Thanks, Kelly. It’s really appreciated.”

“No problems, Greg,” she replied. Her normal caustic nature was curiously absent as she continued, “Let me know if you need any help. He deserves to have a good time while you’re here.”

As I ate my breakfast, I pondered that it’s now been two days in a row that Kelly has offered comment on Dan, almost bluntly implying that he doesn’t normally have it easy up here. All the more reason to make sure he doesn’t get stressed about this week because of money worries.

Following Dan’s advice, I left early and bought myself a seven day lift-and-lesson ticket. As soon as the Eagle chairlift opened, I headed up to get a couple of practice runs in before I was tested. From what Dan told me, I would have only once chance to show what I was capable of doing, and if I stuffed it up, I’d be put in a class of total beginners.

I was a bit rusty on the first run, but by the end of the second run I was feeling comfortable. Checking my watch, I had time for another run down the Playground before the classes started. Rather than stand around getting stiff again, I took off for one last practice run.

That was a mistake.

There is a little guy called Murphy that delights in causing problems. Today, just as I started off on that last practice run, Murphy’s Law struck. Another beginner, an older guy in his early thirties, started a run just after me. If he wasn’t about to take lessons, he should be, as he quickly lost control and resorted to the time-honoured technique to let everyone know it.

“LOOK OUT!”

Twisting around at the scream from behind me, I saw him accelerating on a collision course. Arms flailing widely around, endangering everyone within ski-pole distance of him, he crashed into me and we were both knocked to the ground.

Not only did we end up in a tangled mess, but my skis took this as an opportunity to show me what they were capable of, and headed straight down the run at a furious rate of knots — without me.

After picking ourselves up, and listening to him apologising furiously, which I waved off as not important, I started the walk down the slope to recover my skis. Internally, I was fuming, but that was more at my skis than the guy. It was only luck that I hadn’t wiped someone out myself so far. I’d come close a couple of times, but I’d always managed to fall over before hitting anyone.

Eventually retrieving my recalcitrant skis, I put them back on and joined the line to go back up the lift. Exhausted from walking down the slope in ski boots, I really wasn’t in the best condition to be tested on my skiing ability. However, I was running out of time. The lessons were due to start in ten minutes, and I still needed to get across to the ski school meeting place outside Cloud Nine.

I managed to make it with a few minutes to spare.

They told me to go to the top of a small slope nearby, and to ski down towards the head instructor, doing a couple of turns along the way. I was already tired from the walk before, and now I had to walk up the slope in my skis. Dan had shown me the way of doing it — lots of side steps — but it’s exhausting and slow to go any significant distance. Consequently, when I skied down the slope, I was largely on automatic. I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing, but at least I didn’t crash.

The tester pointed me to the first group waiting under a large number ‘5’. I remembered being told that they grouped the skiers from level 5, beginner, to level 1, expert. I did notice a couple of other poles listed as ‘First Lesson’ and ‘Third Lesson’, so they obviously considered me to be beyond that.

“Hi, I’m Russ,” said the ski instructor waiting by the group I was sent to. Probably late twenties with black hair, he had a broad American accent.

“Hi, I’m Greg,” I replied as I slowly manoeuvred into position next to the others.

“Well I think you’re the last,” Russ stated, as he looked back to where the testing had taken place. Seeing the tester nod his head and wave his arm, Russ turned back to us.

“Okay, follow me, everyone. We’re going to head over to the Playground. Once we get there, just line up in front of me. Remember, always join the line on the downhill side. Let’s go!”

Dan had been right about taking lessons. Russ quickly sorted out our individual skill levels. There were five of us in the class. An elderly couple, probably late thirties, by the names of Owen and Rachel, seemed to be the most knowledgeable of the students. At least, that’s the impression they gave as they questioned Russ on the fine details of what he was trying to teach. If I wasn’t being generous, I’d say they were trying to sound like know-it-alls, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt and decided to call them simply eager.

There was a girl, Caroline, who was up here with her boyfriend. He was in a more experienced class, as he had been skiing for years. When I questioned her why he was still taking lessons, she told me that he always does, because he wants to keep improving. Rather than simply skiing the same slopes all the time, the instructors take them out over a wider range and in different conditions than he’d probably ski if he was by himself.

The last one in the class was a Greek guy by the name of Yanni. He looked in his early twenties, and if it wasn’t for the thick glasses he wore, would’ve been reasonably good looking. He was very serious, though, always paying close attention to what Russ would say. I tried striking up a conversation with him a couple of times, but he was too reserved. Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I left him to his own devices after that. It wasn’t as if I needed to find someone to ski with after the lesson.

After explaining what we would be learning this week, Russ had us doing balance exercises for the first part of the lesson. They were similar to the ones that Dan had been showing me, like balancing on the downhill ski while skiing across the slope of the hill. Russ complicated them a bit by getting us to lift the top ski off the ground, but they were exercises I was familiar with.

While waiting for each of the students to finish the exercise, Rachel asked Russ about where he was from. It turned out that while he’s a regular instructor here at Falls Creek, he lives in California near the Nevada border. He teaches skiing at one of the resorts in the Lake Tahoe area during their winter, then comes down here for our winter. He gets a bit of spring each year, but he hasn’t seen a summer for five years now. While I’m enjoying the snow, I think I’d go crazy not being able to enjoy a hot day on the beach occasionally. It’s obvious that Russ enjoys his job though, and that seems to be enough for him.

After a few runs at the Playground, we headed over to the Towers to practice turns. Russ explained that the steeper terrain actually helped because the slope did more of the work to make the turn. He explained how the skis were wide at the ends and narrow in the middle. By putting our weight onto the outside ski, the edge formed a curve. As long as our weight stayed there, the curve would cause the ski to make an easy and natural turn. It sounded easy, but putting my weight to the outside of the turn felt so unnatural — I was used to riding bikes where you would lean to the inside to turn, not the outside.

Russ had us do single turns, one at a time, and would give each of us some advice as we reached him. It was an easy exercise; just ski straight down the hill and then put the weight on one side to turn. We were to just let the ski go until we ended up pointing partially up the hill and slowed to a stop. I quickly realised that part of the purpose was to build up confidence that the skis would do the work if we let them. Russ’s only comment to me was I needed to get my weight over further; I was still being a bit tentative.

When we got to the bottom, Russ gave us another pep-talk, and then took us to the special ski school entrance to the lift line. This put us up near the lift so we wouldn’t have to wait as long before heading back up. I was the last one in my class through the gate.

“Look who’s the towie’s pet. He gets to jump to the front of the line!”

I turned my head to find Chris and Paul grinning at me. They were just behind me in the queue.

“It’s nothing to do with knowing the towies,” I retorted, glaring at Chris who had made the comment, “This is where I was told to join the line.”

“Yeah, sure, Greg,” Chris replied sarcastically, “It’s only the rest of us poor skiers who have to start at the back.”

“Russ told me to get in here. He said it was the entrance for the ski school classes,” I said defensively.

Paul laughed, “We know, Greg. Ignore Chris; he’s just teasing. You’re in a lesson and that means you get to join the line near the front so you don’t waste your time standing around.”

“How did you know I’m having a lesson?” I asked, surprised that they knew. I hadn’t mentioned it to them last night.

“We saw you in the class when you were practising on the slope. The ski instructor outfit is pretty noticeable,” Paul explained. “We waved as we went past, but you were busy and didn’t see us.”

“So, what made you decide to take lessons?” Chris asked, as we continued inching our way along the line towards the lift.

“Dan suggested them. He said that I should be able to ski Ruined Castle by the end of the week if I take lessons. He told me that it was the quickest way to improve, especially for someone new,” I replied.

Finding myself at the front of the line, I moved into position and was surprised to find Chris taking the place next to me. Grabbing the T-bar, we headed off, following the rest of my class.

“It’ll be good if you can do Ruined Castle, but that’s a pretty quick improvement. You’ve only been skiing a few days!” Chris remarked.

I shrugged. “I can only go by what Dan’s told me. Russ, my instructor, also said he expected to be able to take us there near the end of the week, so I’m hopeful.”

“Well, best of luck then. We’ll catch up with you after your lesson, if you like, and we can have lunch then,” Chris suggested.

“I promised Dan I’d have lunch with him at the Frying Pan after his shift,” I apologised. “You’re welcome to join us, if you want to.”

Chris looked across at me. “Why not Cloud Nine? It’s a bit of pain skiing down to the village and then coming back here afterwards. Most of the best beginner and intermediate runs are on this side of the mountain.” His puzzlement was clear.

“Dan gets his meals for free at the Frying Pan, because they are included as part of his employment. If he came up here to Cloud Nine, he’d have to pay for them. I can’t ask him to do that for me, so I’ve told him I’ll join him down there,” I explained.

“Fair enough,” Chris agreed. “I’ll check with Paul, but we’ll probably join you. I think your lesson will finish before Dan’s shift, so we’ll still meet up outside Cloud Nine. We’ll ski back to the village from there. Sounds good to you?”

I grinned. “Sounds good to me!”

Getting off the lift at the top, I quickly skied over to join the rest of the class, while Chris waited for Paul to join him. As soon as I got there, Russ had us repeat our balance exercises at the top part of the run, where it was flatter, and then changed to the turning exercises for the lower half where it was a bit steeper.

By the end of the lesson, I was feeling really good about my skiing. Even if I couldn’t feel any improvement in my ability, I could sense an increase in my confidence levels. From what Russ had said, that alone would help me ski better.

After being told by Russ where to meet up tomorrow morning, I waved goodbye to my classmates, and headed over to Cloud Nine. I quickly spotted my two friends waiting for me outside.

“Hi, guys,” I cried out, as I skied up to them.

“G’day, Greg,” Chris said. “How about going inside for a hot drink before we head down to the village?”

“I’ll go for that,” I answered as I stepped out of my skis. I realised that a quick sugar-fix would be useful; the lesson must have taken more out of me than I’d realised.

Once inside, we grabbed our drinks, and sat down at a table by the windows. The view looked quite different from the other weekend when it had been sunny. The overcast skies made the whole place look dreary and flat.

“Did you enjoy your lesson?” Paul asked me.

“It was good. I think a lot of it is just confidence, and having the instructor there means I’m not being pushed too fast,” I replied.

Chris nodded, in agreement and then grinned at me. “And it’s also a good way to meet people. Who’s the girl you were skiing with?”

I hope my surprise, and mild disgust, didn’t appear on my face. I would’ve thought Chris and Paul would be the last people in the world to try pushing me towards girls. I just wanted to ski to have fun, not as a way to pick up people!

“Caroline? She’s nice. She’s going home on Friday, so I should be seeing her each day until then.”

“Have you asked her out, yet?” Paul asked, obviously interested.

Were they trying to gang up on me? I was getting irritated at the intrusion into my personal life. It was time to nip this in the bud, before it got out of control.

“We talked about it, but she needs to check with her boyfriend, first,” I stated. “I thought Dan and I could go out with them one night after you two have gone back to Melbourne.”

I could see Paul rock back in his seat at that. I think some of my anger must have filtered through, though I was trying to stay calm.

“Look, guys. I appreciate the sentiments, but I just want to have fun skiing. I’m not up here to chase girls. I want more than a one night stand!”

I may have said that a bit too forcibly, but the last thing I wanted this trip was to be put under pressure to find someone to sleep with. Especially a girl!

“Sorry, Greg,” Paul said contritely. “It’s just that you’re young and good looking and I just assumed you’d be keeping an eye out for opportunities.”

Paul said I was good looking! I felt an immediate buzz go through my body. I knew I couldn’t hide the smile that appeared in response to that, so I had to say something to hide the real reason.

‘That’s okay, Paul. I did ask her about herself; it’s just that I’m not going out of my way to look at the moment. I’m going to have fun skiing this week, and I don’t want to waste my skiing time doing other things.”

Though if Paul asked me back to his room, I’d make an exception. He thinks I’m good looking!

There was a lull in the conversation at that point, which was just as well as I found my mind going off on a tangent. It’ll never happen because Chris and Paul are too solid as a couple, but if Paul did ask me out, am I ready to say “Yes” and come out of the closet?

I think it would depend on the circumstances. Getting to know the other two guys has taught me a lot. My confidence in being able to survive as a gay guy in today’s society has increased as a result of their example. There are still some scary parts, such as the issues of not being able to dance together, or show affection in public, but the love the two of them so obviously share is something worthwhile. They have something good going, and if I could have that too, I think I’d be ready to come out for it.

Back to my hypothetical — I’d say “Yes” if it was for love, but I’d say “No” if it was just for sex. No matter how much I want to have a night of hot sex with Paul, I’m not ready to change my life for just one night.

“What are you thinking about?” Chris asked.

“My mind just went off on a tangent to a TV show my parents used to watch when I was younger,” I replied. It wasn’t too far off the truth. “Do you remember Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals?”

“I think so,” Paul said hesitantly, while Chris shook his head. “Wasn’t there one on AIDS?”

I grinned “‘Does Dracula have AIDS?’ I remember that one.”

“What was it about?” Chris asked.

“Geoffrey Robertson was the moderator who would present a hypothetical situation to a panel of experts and ask them questions about it. The show about Dracula was exploring different aspects and consequences of the disease, as it was still largely unknown to the general public at that time. I don’t remember too much about it, but I’ve never forgotten the title. It was too catchy to forget.”

“Sounds interesting!” Chris remarked.

“I’m not sure, but I think they are available on video. It was on the ABC, so try one of the ABC shops in the city sometime,” I suggested.

“I’ll look into it,” he answered thoughtfully.

Shortly afterwards, we left Cloud Nine and headed off down the home trail. I asked the other two if they could let me try to find the turn-off for the Frying Pan. Sooner or later, I’d have to do it by myself, and this seemed a good chance to see if I could do it. They agreed, which meant that they skied behind me instead of shooting ahead.

Nervous at being watched by the guys behind me, as well as being concerned that I’d make a fool of myself by missing the turn-off, I did something stupid.

I crashed on the home trail.

I should’ve known by now that I needed to concentrate when I was skiing. Too many distractions and I lost control of what I was doing. Quickly getting back to my feet, I glanced up the hill to where Paul and Chris were stopped. Paul was grinning at me, but Chris was studiously looking at the view off the side of the home trail. That was probably the best of both worlds. Chris was trying to avoid embarrassing me further, and while Paul was obviously amused, I could forgive him a lot for that grin. Plus, he thinks I’m good looking!

After that incident, I was happy when I spotted the exit I wanted. I was almost past when I recognised it and ended up stopping a few feet downhill. As I side-stepped my way up the hill to the turn-off, Paul and Chris pulled up just short of the exit.

“Well done, Greg!” Chris smiled. “Let’s go get some lunch.”

I didn’t waste my breath with a response; I just grinned a thank you back at him instead.

We timed it pretty well. As we pulled up outside the Frying Pan, I could see Dan just starting to trudge across the snow from the lift he had been working at. After taking off our skis and finding some empty spots in the racks to put them in, we waited for Dan to join us.

“Hi, guys! Thanks for waiting for me,” Dan cried out cheerfully as he approached.

“Not a problem, mate,” Chris called back, equally cheerfully.

I glanced across at Paul, and I could see him forcing a smile onto his face. I wish there was some way I could get him to like Dan, but I knew it would just take time. Until he could see past his memories to the real Dan, I would just have to put up with a grudging acceptance.

“Hi,” Paul said when Dan reached us. “Shall we go in and eat? I’m starving!”

The Frying Pan was busy that day. I think the outside weather was bitter enough that most people wanted to eat inside, rather than outside. Spotting a small group leaving a table along the side wall, I pushed quickly through the crowd to get to it before anyone else could. Sitting myself down, I waited for the others to follow.

Paul and Chris slid into the bench seat opposite me, but Dan remained standing.

“I’m just going to the back room to get my lunch. I’ll bring it out here shortly,” he explained, before heading to a door at the far end of the room.

“You two get your lunch. I’ll hold the table until you get back,” I offered to Paul and Chris.

“If you know what you want, we can get it for you at the same time,” Chris suggested.

Quickly making a decision, I replied, “Any one of the focaccia, and a hot chocolate.”

Digging into my pocket, I pulled out a ten dollar note and handed over. As they headed off, I settled back into the seat.

Soon, they were all back and we settled down to eat. Dan and I sat on one side of the table, and Paul and Chris on the other.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Paul asked, as he dug into the plate of pasta he’d bought.

“I was thinking of having a quiet night,” I answered quickly, before anyone else could say anything.

Chris looked up from his lunch in horror. “A quiet night? How can you even think it? If you’re up here, you’re supposed to party!”

I scowled back at him. “Not all of us are made of money, Chris,” I responded, pointing to myself. As Dan leant forward, I also tilted my head towards him, hoping the other two would get the hint that I was worried about Dan’s finances.

“There are options up here that don’t take a lot of money,” Dan stated. “We could go back to the lodge we went to last night. The mixed drinks are a little expensive, but the entertainment is good and the beer is moderately cheap.”

“I thought it was good, too,” Paul confirmed, “but I’d really prefer to do something different.”

“We have a pack of cards at our place,” Chris mentioned. “We could all meet and play cards. How about strip-poker?” he asked with a straight face.

“No, no, no and NO!” I exclaimed, beginning to panic on the off chance that it was a serious suggestion. After the incident with the cocktails on the last trip, I wasn’t absolutely sure Dan would turn it down. He just might find the idea amusing.

Chris laughed, while Dan and Paul looked at me in amusement. “You’re pretty easy to get going, Greg. You need to lighten up,” Chris remarked.

“I can be as light as you like, as long as it doesn’t involve taking off clothes!” I retorted.

Dan looked thoughtful. “You know, they’re showing the original Star Wars movie on TV tonight. I wouldn’t mind watching it again,” he suggested.

“I’ll go for that,” I quickly jumped in.

After exchanging glances, Chris and Paul grinned. “I think we have a deal,” Paul said.

“Okay, we’ll bring the food,” Dan stated, “Popcorn and chocolates. How does that sound?”

With a nod of agreement, Chris added, “And we’ll get the beer. Do we need anything else?”

After a glance around the table, the answer appeared to be “No.” It looked like we had organised the activity for tonight.

“Changing the topic, I understand you guys are heading back on Wednesday,” Dan remarked.

“Yeah,” Chris replied despondently. “Unfortunately, I have a new project starting up on Thursday, and I have to be back by then.”

“Well, I don’t believe Greg has been to a Happy Harvey Hour, yet. We should do that on Tuesday night. What do you think?” Dan asked.

Paul grinned, “Definitely! You can’t have a week up here without a Happy Harvey Hour.”

I look at the three grinning guys, perplexed. “What’s a Happy Harvey Hour?” I asked nervously, not sure I really wanted to know the answer. I recall Rob mentioned it on my last trip up here, but he didn’t say what it was.

Dan looked across at Paul and Chris. Paul waved a hand back at him. “You explain it; you’ll know it better than any of us.”

Dan turned to me. “You know about pubs that sell beer by the jug, don’t you?” he asked.

I nodded my head. Most bars and pubs did that. A jug of beer was cheaper than buying individual glasses.

“Well, at the Falls Creek Hotel, on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, they sell Harvey Wallbangers by the jug,” Dan explained. “That’s Happy Harvey Hour. You get a bar full of people making themselves absolutely pissed on Harvey Wallbangers.”

“What’s in a Harvey Wallbanger, again?” I asked. “I know it’s a cocktail, but I can’t remember what’s in it.”

“Orange juice, vodka and Galliano,” Chris answered enthusiastically. “Not normally my drink of choice, but when you can buy it by the jug, I certainly don’t mind it!”

“Falls Creek sells more Galliano than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere,” Dan announced. “They sell so much that the executives from Galliano came out here once to find out why. They were horrified to find out what was going on. It wasn’t the image they wanted their company and drinks to portray. Of course, they didn’t stop the sales, but they weren’t happy.”

“Okay, then,” I replied, “Happy Harvey Hour on Tuesday, it is!”

We quickly finished our lunch and headed out to ski. Chris and Paul starting skiing with us, which I thought was very kind of them, until Paul spotted Kelly as one of the towies at Towers. After a whispered conversation with Chris, the two of them decided to head off to Ruined Castle instead. Kelly had nothing to do with the decision, of course; they just thought the other run would be more challenging for them.

Who did they think they were fooling?

Since we had to buy supplies for the night, and I also wanted to get some breakfast foods, Dan and I finished skiing a little early. Taking an alternative route from the main home trail, we ended up outside the small local store. It was only a few minutes before we were out again, loaded up with microwave popcorn, chocolates, corn chips, salsas and some food for breakfast. Not everything was on the shopping list, but I just can’t resist impulse buying, especially when it’s junk food.

At this point, I would have taken off my skis and trudged back up the hill until I could ski down to our room. Dan, however, told me he’s too lazy for that, so he took me a different way. Skiing down through the village, we ended up near the car park. There, we found what Dan told me was the Gully chairlift. Its entire purpose appears to be to take people from the car park area, up to the top of the village, near the Frying Pan. It certainly saved me a long and tedious walk, so I don’t begrudge its existence in the slightest.

After dinner, we headed off to the Snoweagle. Just before we knocked on the door, Dan turned to me with a grin.

“Can you do me a favour, Greg?” he asked.

I looked at him suspiciously. He was up to something and I wasn’t sure who the target was going to be.

“Tell me what it is and I’ll tell you whether or not I can do it,” I answered cautiously.

“Just cover your eyes when they answer the door. I’ll do the rest,” he responded ambiguously.

It sounded crazy, but I couldn’t see what harm it would do, unless he had already set something up with Chris and Paul, so I nodded my head. I decided I’d peek a little anyway.

Dan knocked and then turned to me with a grin of anticipation. As the door began to open, he quickly covered his eyes with his hands. Following suit, I looked through the gap between my fingers to see Chris standing there, puzzled at our behaviour.

“Are you decent?” Dan asked, “We didn’t catch you at a bad time, did we?”

Chris laughed. “No, we’re not decent, but we are dressed, if that’s what you meant!”

Dan dropped his hands and then pretended to wipe sweat from his forehead. “Phew, that’s a relief. I don’t think I could have survived another encounter like the last one.”

Entering their room, we found Paul in the kitchen, pulling out bowls to put the junk food in.

“Hi, guys!” he said when he spotted us. “I wasn’t sure what we would need, so I thought I’d drag out what was here. Oh, and the beer is in the fridge.”

“Get your priorities right, Paul,” Dan said cheekily, “You need to tell us where the beer is first, and then tell us anything else we need to know.”

“Okay,” Paul replied, “The beer is in the fridge. I don’t think anything else is important, is that right?”

Dan laughed. “Absolutely!”

Seeing that Dan and Paul were chatting, I decided to encourage it. If Paul talked more with Dan, then he’ll see what sort of guy he is and should get over his worries.

“Okay, you guys. Out of the kitchen. I’m going to cook the popcorn,” I said, pushing Paul out.

“Yes, Mum,” Dan and Paul said in unison. They even managed to do matching little-kid tones.

Chris laughed while I turned to hide a smile. The two of them were enough alike that they really should get along great. It’ll just take a bit of time.

I cooked a couple of bags of popcorn, while Chris broke out the corn chips and salsa. Soon, we were all settled in front of the TV. Dan and I were lounging at opposite ends of the couch, with bowls of popcorn and corn chips on the coffee table in front of us. Chris was slouching on the chair, with Paul sitting on the ground between his legs. Paul’s head was resting against Chris’ stomach, with one arm draped over Chris’s leg.

While the introduction to Star Wars was starting, I noticed Chris absentmindedly running his fingers through Paul’s hair. It was something I’ve also seen Rob and Diane do at various times when they were relaxed. It was as if Chris just needed to touch and feel Paul when he was able to do so. From the way the two of them were watching the movie, I don’t think it was a conscious action on Chris’ behalf; just a natural way of him showing affection to his boyfriend.

I must have been staring a bit too hard, dreaming of being able to run my fingers through Paul’s hair, because Dan twisted a bit in his seat to look at the other guys. Turning back to me, he gave me a wink before returning his attention to the movie. Feeling myself blush, I forced myself to focus on the TV and push my fantasies to the back of my mind. Well, some of my fantasies anyway. Luke Skywalker was good eye-candy, though he needed to keep his mouth shut. He’s always come across to me as a boastful little brat. Funnily, Han Solo is just as boastful, but I don’t mind him. I think it’s because Harrison Ford manages to portray him as a likeable rogue.

I was surprised during one of the ad breaks to find I wasn’t alone.

“Did I ever tell you, I used to have fantasies about Luke when I was younger,” Paul remarked to Chris as he looked up at his boyfriend.

“No, you didn’t,” Chris replied with surprise. “I always thought he was a bit of a brat. Han Solo is a lot more desirable, in my opinion.”

In response to Paul’s raised eyebrows, Chris smiled and quickly added, “After you, of course.”

Bending down, he met Paul’s upturned face with a quick kiss on the lips.

Chris suddenly straightened and glanced over at Dan and me. His face had gone red. “Sorry, guys. I hope we didn’t offend you.”

Dan laughed. “Not at all! Just as long as you keep your clothes on, I won’t be bothered. Anyway, I’m jealous.”

Paul glanced over at him, puzzled. “Jealous?” he asked.

“Yeah. You two have Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to dream about. Princess Leia is a fiesty girl, but that hairdo of hers is a complete turnoff,” Dan stated with mock disgust.

Paul looked at him with surprise and then shrugged his shoulders. I agreed with him. I’ve never understood what anyone could see in Princess Leia, either.

“Did you know that someone once tried to tell me that Chewbacca was a girl?” Chris threw in.

“I think the sex of a Wookiee is only really of interest to another Wookiee,” I threw back. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure Chewie is referred to as ‘he’ at least once in the movies.”

“He’s definitely male,” Dan piped up, “Whoever told you that had rocks in their head.”

Chris put up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say I agreed. It was just something someone told me once.”

With that, the ad break was over and the movie started again.

As the end of the movie approached, I couldn’t help glancing over at Paul and Chris. While a lot of people would probably disagree, the sight of two guys acting as an old and relaxed couple looked natural to me. There wasn’t anything odd about it. At that instant, I made the decision that I was going to come out of the closet this week. I’m not sure if I’ll tell Dan first, or whether to tell all three at the same time, but I felt ready. I wanted a piece of what those two guys had, and I couldn’t do it hiding away.

My musing was distracted by Dan leaning forward and interrupting my view of Chris and Paul.

“Miss! Miss! Miss!” Dan started to chant.

Checking what was going on in the movie, I could see Luke coming in for the final shot to try to destroy the Death Star.

As the three of us just stared at him, Dan glanced around at us.

“What’s wrong? I’m a Darth Vader fan. I’ve always wanted to see what would’ve happened if Luke missed that shot,” Dan stated mildly.

“Ahhh! He got it!” Dan cried. The disappointment in his voice was clear.

“You are one strange person,” Chris said, shaking his head.

“You know, I think it’s rigged,” Dan remarked, ignoring Chris’ comment as he slouched back into the couch. “It doesn’t matter how many times I see the movie, Luke never misses.”

“Do you really think so?” I asked, straight-faced. If Dan wanted to treat the movie as real, let’s see if I can keep up with him.

“Yeah. I just don’t know who to complain to,” Dan replied, shaking his head.

“Another beer anyone?” Paul asked, getting to his feet.

“Me! Me! Me!” I cried out, sticking up my hand. I didn’t want to be overlooked. Having already drunk five beers, I wasn’t going to miss out on the even half-dozen.

“Not for me, thanks,” Dan said, “I have to work in the morning.”

“How about complaining to the Imperial Senate?” Chris suggested to Dan.

“No good,” Dan said sadly. “That bunch of liberals would just question why the Death Star existed in the first place and never would get around to investigating any accusations of cheating by the Rebel Alliance.”

“Instead of complaining, why don’t you just contact the builders of the Death Star and tell them about the fault?” I asked.

“Tried that. Unfortunately the details of the builders are top secret and not listed in the phone book.”

I thought about asking which phone book he looked in, but I wasn’t sure I’d like the answer I’d get.

“You do realise that all’s fair in love and war. Cheating by the Rebel Alliance is therefore allowed,” I pointed out.

Dan looked at me as if puzzled, before shaking his head. “You know, I’ve never looked at it that way. Personally I don’t believe the Rebel Alliance is in love with the Empire, but if you do, I can see why you think that.”

At that, I conceded. I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with Dan, at least not after five beers. Maybe I could if I was sober, but then I wouldn’t enjoy the sparring anywhere near as much.

Paul came back with my beer, and we settled down for the end of the movie.

Nights like this make you realise that you don’t need to spend a lot of money, or do fancy things, to have fun. Reflecting back on the best moments of my life to date, it’s always been the people I’ve been with that have made them great. The place and the things we’ve been doing are usually secondary to the company I was keeping.

After finishing up with a cup of coffee and the last of the junk food, Dan and I said goodnight to Paul and Chris and headed out. There was a bit of wind blowing the snow around, and I could feel the sting as snowflakes were blown into my face.

We made it back to our room with little trouble. I slipped in the snow a few times, but I blamed the ice for that. Dan tried to tell me I was smashed, but I knew I was only a little drunk. It had been a great night, and I was just having a good time. Beer does that to me. While some people can get aggressive when they’ve had too much to drink, I just get happy.

My mood was shattered when we entered the room. The lights were all on, and Kelly was pacing the room, obviously anxious.

As we came in, she looked at us distressed. The normally caustic and worldly towie had disappeared.

“It’s Garret. He’s been bashed!”

NEXT CHAPTER