Linda's Story

Ski Trip

Linda groaned as she and her family waited in a very long line to get onto the plane. Already this vacation was off to a bad start. She would be stuck between Jimmy and Wendy for three hours.... in coach. She was starting to dread the whole trip, and a fight hadn't even happened yet.

After three long hours of cramped legs, a pounding headache, airsickness, and listening to her siblings complain, they were finally on the ground. "Thank heaven!" Linda muttered as she stepped into the cold Ottawa air. After waiting for another hour at baggage claim, the O'Shea family finally got on the bus that would take them to their lodge. Their lodge was near the end of the semi-circle of lodges, with the administration lodge being in the middle.

Linda impatiently waited as her mother and father checked them in; as always, it was taking forever. She spoke up as the receptionist looked at the computer screen. "Is there a telephone?"

"Over there," she pointed ti the wall as her brows furrowed. Apparently, there was something wrong with information Tony gave when he booked the place.

The teenager walked over to the line of phones on the wall. She reached into her pocket and produced the right amount of change for the call. She dialed a number she memorized as soon as she heard it, and waited for him to pick up.

***********

Joe picked up the phone, "hello?"

"HI, Joe. It's Linda. Is Danny there?"

"Yeah, hold on." On the other end, she heard yell for his older brother. "Danny!"

"You don't have to shout," Danny told Joe as he grabbed the phone from him. "Hello?"

"I said I'd call- I'm calling!" Linda's voice filled his ear.

"Hey, you made it! How is it up there?"

"Very, very white. And cold." Linda relayed all the information about what she had done since she saw him last before Jimmy tugged on her elbow, informing her they had to go to their lodge. "Danny, I gotta go. I'll call tomorrow?"

"I'll let you go. Have fun."

"Thanks, bye."

"Bye."

She hung up, blowing out an annoyed breath; she had wanted to talk more. She grabbed her suitcases and followed the family to the lodge.

**********

The next day, Linda planted herself in the administrative lodge as her family did their own things. She took out her journal and wrote about how much she didn't want to be in Canada.

"Are you Linda O'Shea?" A voice above her wondered.

"Yeah, but you'll have to wait a sec. I'm a little busy right now," Linda looked up from her journal to see a hot young guy. "Period, done! You wanted me?" She stood and smiled, wondering why this guy wanted to talk to her.

"I'm your ski instructor- Josh."

"When does the lesson start?"

"When the student is ready," he answered, giving her a crooked smile.

"Consider the student ready!"

Linda and Josh spent the day skiing; she was surprised how fast the day went. Soon it was time to head back to the lodge for a potential family dinner.

Josh walked her to her cabin, "tomorrow we'll try a harder course."

"Harder? You mean what we did today was easy?"

He laughed, "I was wondering if you'd like to have a later lesson. That way, we can grab a bite to eat afterwards."

"That sounds—" she bit her tongue. She wasn't supposed to be having fun; she wasn't supposed to be enthralled with the guy. She was supposed to be moping about being away from her boyfriend. "—Like I'll have to think about it."

"Think about it?"

"Look, Josh, I'm late for dinner. I'll see ya tomorrow." She quickly escaped into the cabin, closing her eyes in frustration. She didn't like Josh- she liked Danny.

***********

"Nonna!" Linda called to her grandmother as she ran up to her. "Nonna, I have a problem."

"A problem?" Rosita frowned, "It doesn't have to do with your ski lesson, does it?"

"That's my problem." She sat down next to her, "my ski instructor- Josh- well, he asked me to go on a picnic with him."

"What did you tell him?"

"I said I'd think about it."

"Do you want to go?"

She sighed, "it sounds like fun, but... he... he was asking me out, Nonna, and I almost said yes."

"Yes? But what about Danny?"

"See, that's my problem! Josh asks me out- and I know it's a date offer- but if I pretend that it's just a guy friend asking his girl friend to eat with him..."

Rosita frowned, "I think you know exactly what to do, Miele."

That was not what she wanted to hear.

**********

"I'm glad you agreed to eat with me," Josh plated some steamed corn on Linda's plate.

She looked down at her plate, "Josh, I need to tell you something." She turned to the tables, and he followed, both of them sitting down.

"Okay, what is it?"

"I know what this is- or what it's supposed to be. A date. And... I can't go through with it."

"Go through with it?"

"See... I've got a boyfriend back in the states, and I couldn't hurt his feelings like this."

"He won't know."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, Josh. But I just can't do that to him. You're really nice, but.... I can't hurt him that way."

**********

The week went by faster than Linda had anticipated, and before she knew it, she and her family were on the plane back to the US. She was back at home, unpacking, when the doorbell rang. Someone must have answered it, since the visitor didn't ring again.

"Linda! It's for you!" Jimmy's voice carried into her bedroom.

She took the small trek down the stairs, a grin spreading on her face when she saw who it was. "Danny, hi!"

"Hey, I know you just got back, but wanna head to the food court?"

"Actually.... can you come in for a sec?"

"Sure." He sat down with her on the stairs. "What's up?"

"I want our relationship to be totally honest," she started, not being able to quite meet his eye. "In Canada, I met this really amazing guy- but not nearly as amazing as you! Anyway, he wanted to go out with me. I agreed to eat with him, but then I left. I told him I couldn't hurt your feelings like that.... I didn't see him anymore after that."

Danny didn't say anything. How was he supposed to respond to that?

"Anyways, onto the mall!" She bolted up, heading towards the door.

"Linda," he stopped her from leaving. "As long as we're being honest...."

"Yeah?"

"Next time you meet an amazing guy and you decide that you like me better than him.... don't tell me."

"Deal."