Destined by Chance

Chapter 12

Neil didn't know when he had had so much fun last. He had been skiing since he was five. And this was Miss Mouse's first attempt ever. No wonder she had looked as if she was going to faint. He had to stop from laughing at the expression she had worn over her face when she had looked down the hill.

It had been a feat to get her to agree to get the gear from the rental shop at the base. Once she had agreed she had refused to sit on the bench lift that took one up the hill. Finally, when she had sat on it she was huddled next to him holding on for dear life. With any other person he would have been sorely irritated. But not with her. Which he had found very strange. Because though he hadn't admitted to himself nor will he in near future but there was something about Miss Mouse he really liked.

Finally, they had reached the top and she had immediately been enamored by the beauty that surrounded the place. There was a clear view of Lake Tahoe nestled between the snowcapped mountains in the distance. And white layers graced peak after peak around them. It was cold. No doubt. But it was beautiful. And she had stared with the innocence of a child trying to take in everything at once. The thought had unnerved him. He had been unable to stop the protectiveness that one thought had inspired within him. He had never felt this way for a girl before. Not even when he had been in relationships. Sure, he had been protective of his girlfriends then too but this was more intense. Almost foreign. But he had quickly clamped down on it.

He had let her admire the vistas before he had reminded her of why they were there. Reluctantly she had followed his instructions. He couldn't let her take the run down the snow all the way to the base without any basic knowledge. She fell numerous times. He had expected her to quit but she hadn't. It was as if she had suddenly become determined to give it a try at least once. And he had admired her grit. Not many had it. Besides she had seemed to be enjoying it too. He had made her ski gently down the other side of the slope where most beginners were enjoying a lazy easy path to follow. He had gone with her. Made sure she was okay. By the time they had reached the base it had been well over an hour and a half. When she refused to go for another round he had agreed. He had wanted it to be fun for her. Not a punishment.

She was a gentle person. He had seen it. Someone had taken a plunge right before them and she had stopped just to make sure that person was alright. Nobody else had even paused. Next, she had helped the girl up and then started down again. He hadn't intervened. He had just stood by and watched. Who did that for strangers these days? He lived in a very fast city and he had seen people ignore even pleas for help at times. But Simi had stopped of her own and enquired. And he had appreciated that quality in her. She was a sweet girl. She had her bursts of moments every now and then but she was mostly a very nice person. Trusting. Accommodating. Smart. Even humorous. He had already had a few laughs since the time he had met her. The best part she could enjoy a good joke as well, even if she was at the receiving end. Most didn't. Finally when they had reached the base he had made sure she was okay and returned her gear but not the snow boots. He had told her there was more to come and winked.

She had just shaken her head at him but there had been a smile on her face and a glint of anticipation. She had sat on the porch bench of a restaurant sipping her coffee as he had gone up again. It was always fun. The speed. The exhilaration. The adrenaline rush. And of course the blowing snow behind you. He must have taken at least five rounds within another hour. It was good. They had come in early. A lot of people were now coming in and it was getting crowded. He had headed for the restaurant Simi was waiting at after returning his gear. They had lunch together. And then he had taken her for tubing and sledding.

She had freaked out on the tube the first time round. It was a steep slope for the adults with more bumps on the way and he was sorry she couldn't try out the easier slope with the kids. No adults were allowed in that section. He had laughed and she had made a face hitting his arm good naturedly. So he had gone down with her the next time. She had still screamed but maybe not as much. Sledding had been fun. Because two could sit on one sled. She had enjoyed that the most. Maybe because he sat right behind her. And it was a much smoother ride with him holding the reins and controlling the direction in which they went. She was done after that though. They had sat at Starbucks and enjoyed a good cup of coffee over jokes and laughs. In all it had been a relaxing day. Tiring for Simi the mouse. She had fallen off to sleep on their way back. And just in time too because the snow had started to fall as he had parked their car in front of their resort.

Neil stood at the glass doors of the balcony with a glass in his hand. He wasn't sure how Simi would take him having a drink so he had opted for wine. She was sleeping in her room. He watched the steady fall of the white tufts of cotton from the sky. Slow and gentle. Very much like Simi. He had had such a relaxing fun day. When was the last time he had enjoyed himself this much. Simi had provided the right company. She had set her own pace and let him set his own. His other friends who skied were highly competitive. And sometimes that took the fun quotient out of the activity. He had felt comfortable with Simi. Relaxed. And very much himself. She had been a sport. Something that had surprised him about her. He had fully expected her to throw her hands in the air and tell him to go do whatever. But she hadn't. And she had enjoyed just as much. Despite her reluctance. Despite the screams coming down the slope on the tube. Her laughter at the end of every act proved as much. Her smiles. Her grins. A trait he had found worth admiring was that every time she had made a mistake she had laughed about it. She hadn't made a fuss.

He remembered Preet's first skiing lesson. She had given in right after her second attempt at trying to bend her knees the correct way. And she had sat on the bench for the rest of the day. That way Simi had proven to be much better. Neil frowned. Why was he comparing her with another? He wasn't drawing parallels here. And why was he listing her attributes? He wasn't going to see her after Christmas, ever again. They were here together because of a mix up. Or else they would never have even met.

She wasn't his type of girl either. He wasn't attracted to her. Was he? The doubt he heard in that one question made him frown fiercely. There couldn't be any room for doubts. He wasn't looking for an affair or a romance. Period. He wasn't even looking for friendship. So why had he taken her out? If he had wanted to go, he could have leaving her behind. But she had intrigued him since the start. He may not be drawn to her physically but he was interested in the kind of person she was. Maybe because she was so unusual. Or maybe because he had never met anyone like her. Either way he couldn't afford to get entangled with the girl. He didn't have any room for her or any other in his carefully planned life. He wasn't the committing types. And she was very much that type. He didn't know how he knew it but he did. Just at that moment he heard her stir in the room. Whatever he was feeling he better sort it out by himself and fast. Before it started reflecting in his behavior. He didn't want to let the unusual situation get out of hand. And he drained the contents of his glass in one go.

What he didn't know was that sometimes it could be someone else's doing that might make the situation get out of hand. So was it going to be Simi or someone entirely different?

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