Free Sno Ho by Ethan Day Page A

night."
    "So wh...oh." A huge grin spread over his face, like he was patting himself on the back for being such a stud.
    "Surely that's not the type of thing he'd..." I stopped, unable to make the words come out.
    "Oh, he most certainly would indeed," Wade said with a chuckle as I felt myself die another little death of humiliation.
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    "You can be sure the whole town knows we spent the night together."
    I couldn't believe he was so blase about it. I was mortified realizing the entire town knew what a party whore I was. All I wanted at this precise moment was to go crawl in a hole somewhere and die. The newly crowned Cum Queen of Summit City—Momma would be so proud.

    * * * *
Wade drove us back to the lodge after I'd decided to just-say-no to his idea of grabbing a cocktail at Staggs after dinner. I was finally beginning to calm down a bit, but I certainly didn't feel like being watched anymore. I was amazed that actually being alone with this man next to me, despite the icky chest squish, felt soothing somehow—maybe even familiar in some weird way.
    "How do you stay so skinny putting away so much crap?"
    Wade asked, rounding a street corner with his SUV.
    "Just lucky I guess." So much for the warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely moment I was having in my head.
    "So you actually eat that way all the time? It wasn't like, something you did just to irritate me?"
    "Your ego is truly amazing."
    "Stop!" Wade said as if I'd tossed a lovely compliment his way while he reached over and shoved me in a boyish way.
    "Man your insides must be a mess."
    How romantic. "Seriously? You're seriously going to start a conversation about my guts now?"
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    Wade rumbled out one his stock-in-trade low laughs. "I guess I never thought about getting the skinny on your eating habits."
    "How the hell would you..." I turned slowly as he slowed the car down a bit; obviously realizing he said more than he should have. "No way?"
    "Cool, I like that, let's leave it there, you're right on the money, no way."
    "I can't believe you would...they would! I could sue or something!!"
    "Baby, it's no big deal," Wade soothed, "and I didn't, but the Quad did...possibly put out a few feelers to the staff at the lodge."
    "Unbelievable!"
    "All good things, baby—all real good things."
    "This is insane—it's like Mayberry meets Moonlighting !"
    "Apparently you treat all the employees really well, they all like you. That was a definite bonus, and the fact that you just got dumped really pulled at the ladies heart strings. I think that's what pushed you so far ahead in the Gallup polls."
    "How in the name of holy gay hell does anyone know I just got dumped? Are my phone lines tapped?"
    "No!" Wade said, as if it was the first truly ridiculous thing I'd said all evening. "Even I knew that. The guy who paid for everything, including your skiing lessons, let it slip to the overnight concierge that he was sending you up here to dump you."
    I felt the car beginning to close in on me as I looked out over the road in front of me. I could spy the roof of the lodge 75

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    poking out of the trees up ahead. "So the entire lodge—hell possibly even the whole town knew I was getting dumped before I even did?"
    "Well I seriously doubt the whole town knew until after you slept with me." Wade pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the lodge.
    "Well ain't I just the luckiest little boy in the world!"
    "You're upset." He nodded, biting his lower lip.
    "You think!" I was nearing hysterics, so I took a few deep breathes. "I can't believe you...that's why you came onto me in the bar, you knew I was fragile...easy pickings...the deer that strayed too far from the herd?"
    "That's crazy! I had no clue who you were till after you...I mean we...you know...in your cabin...after your first lesson..."
    "We fucked, Wade. If you can't use the word in a sentence, you shouldn't be allowed to do it."
    "Damn it, Boone," Wade said, reaching over and