Fraser Mountain - Living the snow life

Chapter Twenty Eight

'Lisa!' Jim exclaims, blushing red. 'It's none of our business!'

'Oh, it's fine!' I add hastily, hoping that I'm not coming off as some deranged stalker that's been obsessing at Aaron's bedside. 'I'll let you off, seeing as you're bed-ridden.' I wink, hoping to sound more relaxed than I feel. 'We're just friends... he told me about the whole 'not-dating-season-workers thing.'

Lisa looks shocked. 'Poor Irv... I honestly thought he was over her.'

'Over who?'

'He talks about you all the time, you know. Not just about how much you like the damn dog.' she smiles, ignoring my question. 'It's always Lexie-this and Lexie-that.'

Jim gives me an apologetic look before he stares pointedly at his wife. 'Honey, I really don't think we should be...'

'Oh, shush!' she chides, giving him a pat on the arm. 'I'm sure he'd tell her himself if it occurred to him. Idiot.'

'I thought there might have been a relationship in the past that had gone wrong, hence the no-dating rule. But I'm sure I'm not even his type anyway...'

Lisa interrupts me. 'Oh honey, you're totally his type, believe me.'

'Lisa!' Jim exclaims, turning back to me and shrugging apologetically. 'She's on really strong medication...' he explains.

Lisa folds her arms and nods towards her husband. 'Ignore him...I know exactly what I'm saying. There was this French girl ... two winters ago, I think? She worked in the RFM office and he fell for her hard. He'd only been here for a few months and they started dating, even though everyone warned him that it was a bad idea...I think her name was Chantelle?'

I interrupt her for a moment. 'Can I ask a question? I often wondered if there's this unwritten rule that locals and season-workers don't mix? Is that true?'

Lisa cocks her head to one side and scrunches up her nose. 'Kinda... it's not that people are following a rule, eh. It's just that most of the kids who come for the winters are so young, and all they want to do is party. I guess some folk frown on it.'

'But Aaron doesn't just hang out with me.' I point out. 'He's friendly with a lot of people, like Dan and Taz... it doesn't seem to bother him that we're not locals?'

'Well, you're a nice bunch.' She says dreamily, before picking up a glass on her side table and taking a sip of water.

'So the girl went back to France?' I ask.

'Pretty much. But she already had a boyfriend back home too, and he found out about it. That hurt.'

I wince, remembering the sickening moment I'd read Emma's text on Henry's iPhone. 'I know what that's like. I left the UK for pretty much the same reason.'

'Oh, it's too sad!' she exclaims, almost spilling her water everywhere. 'You guys are so perfect for each other!'

'Okay! That's enough!' Jim sighs, rescuing the glass and getting up from his chair He leans in close and gives her a kiss on the nose. 'Enough...' he repeats quietly before turning to me. 'She loves to match-make and I guess the pills are loosening her tongue a bit. Don't take what she says as gospel, okay?'

'It's fine.' I smile, trying to reassure him that I'm honestly not offended. Actually, I'm quite happy that my theory about Aaron wasn't too far from the truth. Lisa's determination to get us together is endearing, if a little misguided.

'I'm going to go... she looks a bit tired.' I say, getting up from my seat.

'Just a bit!' Jim chuckles, looking back at his wife. Lisa's head is now slumped back on the pillows, her eyelids fluttering as she tries to stay awake. 'These pills she's on... one minute she's ready to take on a logging truck and the next minute, she's sound asleep.'