Fraser Mountain - Living the snow life

Chapter Thirteen

I sit at the little desk in my room and mull over my last few weeks, amazed at how quickly I’ve settled into my new life. The wood-burner is crackling away happily and a wall of soft snow is falling outside my window. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the next ad that Jenn’s booked in the Local, advertising our new breakfast special. My ‘Monday Morning Muffin Freebie’ idea was a roaring success, and Jenn and Terry were thrilled when we started getting more customers in. It makes a pleasant change to create something that has nothing to do with mortgages or pensions.

I save the file and email it off to the classifieds editor, before taking a sip of the steaming cup of tea. My next job consists of trying to reply to a long roll of emails in my inbox. First on my priority list is Evie, who is losing patience with my sloppy correspondence record. I start tapping quickly on the keyboard.

To: LexieMcGinty@yahoo.co.uk

From: Evelyn.Cotton@bbc.co.uk

Subject: Hello?

So, you don’t write, you don’t phone. Obviously, you’ve been eaten by a grizzly bear. Or did a sexy Mountie come and sweep you off your feet already? If so, is his name Dudley?

Miss you (not that you deserve it).

Vee

Xxx

I feel suitably chastised and I start typing like a demon, pausing every now and then for a glug of coffee.

To: Evelyn.Cotton@bbc.co.uk

From: LexieMcGinty@yahoo.co.uk

Subject: Re: Hello?

Hey poppet,

I know, I’m crap. You’ll be relieved to hear that I have neither been eaten by a grizzly or snapped up by a Dudley.

I can’t believe I’ve been here for over a month. We’ve had so much snow and Fraser looks so festive and pretty and very Christmassy… I’ve attached some pictures to show you. Check out the hot-tub! Dan is on the left, and Travis and Taz are the couple in the middle.

What else can I tell you? My room is much warmer than I hoped it would be and it’s looking proper cosy now. I’m getting pretty good at chopping wood – get me, I’m a proper lumberjack and I don’t care. The café seems to have picked up nicely, helped by the fact that all my mates tend to drop in and sit downstairs, which I thought might be a problem, but Jenn is totally cool about it. I’ve come up with a few ideas to get more punters through the door, and they seem to be working. Talk about a world of difference from Susannah. I mean, I know Jenn is my boss, but she’s so laid-back she’s practically horizontal. And as for her muffins, I need to cut back. My tummy is seriously bulging in all the wrong areas. Thank Christ the mountain opens for the season on Saturday.

Ooh – I do have some hot goss for you. Taz and Travis are officially ‘bumping uglies’, as they say… I’m really happy for them. They make a cute couple as you can see from the pictures. Dan, is, well… just Dan! He’s a one of a kind, that one. I think he’s got slightly hidden depths. He plays the big man when the lads are around, but he’s a very different individual when he’s by himself. I really don’t fancy him in the slightest, but I enjoy his company. I don’t think there are any hidden agendas with him. We’re just really good mates. I hardly see Tim anymore because he’s working full-time at the Mine now, but I’m glad to have found some solid mates.

I’m definitely enjoying being single. Yes, there are many lovely-looking boys here, but that’s all they are – BOYS. They drink a lot, talk a lot and fart a lot, and that’s about it. Or they talk about drinking and farting. Try and have a conversation about anything remotely unconnected to snow or beer and you won’t get very far, so I lose interest. I keep thinking about Henry and how different he is from anyone I’ve met out here. Don’t worry – I’m not missing him, but I can’t help feeling that all the guys I meet here are a bit immature, I suppose. There are so few girls here that it’s nice to have Taz and Emily around as we can talk about girly stuff and get away from all the testosterone.