Lost in You

Chapter 2

I was right. By the time we were done with the rooms and were allowed to leave the hotel, I am very tempted to stay inside and relax in bed, especially as tomorrow will be an early morning and there had been a lot of chaos in the hotel since the first athletes arrived around noon. Maja is still excited about what we might overhear, but I'll be glad when the chaos settles a little. I still let her pull me along to the hill to watch the training as the nice lady at the reception advised us to do. "How is it that there are fewer people here than in our hotel if they all came to see them?" I moan when we'd made it to the barriers around the hill. Next to us there are only a few other viewers shivering a few metres away and media people who test their cameras or make notes. "Because we're early as I hoped we would be and most will only come for the competition tomorrow." We both stop talking when a jumper sails down the hill next to us. I have to admit that it does look a lot more frightening to see them fall down a hill up close than when it's on TV. And the impact of the landing is a lot louder than I thought it would be as well. Maja frowned when the athlete stops and starts to unbuckle his skis. "Was that good or bad now?" "I have no idea. Maybe we should have gone to the competition instead, at least there we'd be able to watch the crowd to get an idea." Maja laughs and looks back to the hill where the next jumper arrives. There is no screen to show the lengths and no announcer to comment on what's happening. Just test runs that only Maja and I seem to find interesting while we start stroll over the place that will be packed with people in less than a day. Everyone else has fallen into a routine that is familiar to them. They all know what to do, it's just us who have no idea why we even came in the first place. We could have been on skis and between the dark green trees right now, enjoying the freshly prepared tracks. Instead, the chat with the secretary made us come here. She even invited us to come to the competition with her, but Maja and I would need the time to clean the rooms with almost all of them being filled with guests, athletes and their teams now. "I'm sure this is fun to watch when you actually know what is going on," Maja said and leaned against one of the barriers to watch another jumper. We're right next to the path they need to take to get back up now. There's not much else to see, so we stay there and watch one jumper after the other come down, unbuckle the skis and pass us without a second glance. There's something meditative in it, the repetitive movements, the quiet around us without other onlookers, the announcer or the music, only broken by the echoing sound of the landing and the rush of the skis over the snow."My fingers are freezing off. Aren't you cold?" Maja says after a while of us standing there in silence. "Not really. But we should still get back and get a hot bath before the real work begins tomorrow," I say. It had started to snow in the last minutes as well. Maja nods, glad about my suggestion. I'm about to turn to follow her back to the exit when I see something drop next to me. I turn back around and pick up the black glove that landed in the snow next to me. It's got the Norwegian flag printed on the fingers. The jumper that passed us, keeps walking, seeming lost in his thoughts. "Hey, you've lost your glove," I call after him. I watch his steps falter as he's seemingly checking while not being sure if the words were meant for him. If their jackets were constructed like football tricots, I could call his name, but as it is there's nothing but sponsors and the country name printed on it. At last he turned around without me having to call again. I wave the glove like a flag because he still let his eyes wander over the empty place, confused before he sees me. "You just dropped it right next to me," I say when he comes closer because I feel like I have to explain how I'd come into the possession of his glove. He looks at me, grey eyes meeting mine before the hint of a smile curls at his lips. "Thank you." His fingertips brush my hand when he takes the glove from me. They are surprisingly warm against the cold air around us. "Sure. Looks like you're still going to need that," I mumble. His smile becomes a little amused, but he only nods before leaving. "Are you coming? First at the hotel gets to take the bath first," Maja shouts somewhere behind me, not caring that people turn to her. Including the jumper who now tucks his gloves safely in the pocket of his jacket. I almost blush when his eyes wander to me again. I turn to my friend before it gets embarrassing."Not fair, you're ahead of me," I call back and start jogging towards her. "I warned you early enough," she laughs and starts to run before I can reach her.