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stride back into the lobby, my eyes sweeping across the lounge as I
pass. I know she's still not there. Her shifts are nights. I'm starting to feel
like a creep, but I only have one day left to put my mind at ease and assure
myself Natalia is no different from the other women I've met. Manipulative and
fucking deceitful. But I have to know for sure. And time is running out quick.
    Says who?
    Hm. I actually don't have to be back. The next two weeks are free.
I stop at the lounge entrance. The barman and a busboy are setting up for the
lunch shift. He looks up, acknowledging me with a nod. I nod back and scan the
room, but there are no signs of Natalia. Maybe it ’ s her day off. Shit . I feel like an
asshole, obsessing over a girl I barely know. Reminding myself she has a
fucking fiancée, I shake my head and stride to my room. I decide to hit the
slopes to rid my body and mind of the irrational thoughts that haunt me.
    At the summit, the mountain is silent. The fog is so thick I can't even
make out the outline of my skis. I lower my goggles and speed off. I need this.
Feel the burn in my muscles. The exhilaration that comes from skiing at
blinding speed.
    The snow is shit. I hit ice as I fly down a double diamond and almost
lose my balance when I catch an edge. The jagged end of a tree branch grazes my
forehead with a sting. As I get off the trail I hit a long patch of powder. It
makes the shitty morning worth it and for the next two hours my mind is only on
the trail ahead.
    By the time I call it a day I am wrung up. I hand my ski boots to the
valet, eager for food and a shower. He tells me I ’ m bleeding and it takes me a few seconds to
realize he ’ s referring to the scrape on my
forehead. I wipe it off with a tissue I find in my pocket.
    In my room, I open my laptop and check email while I wait for room
service. It ’ s been almost a week since I
sent the modifications to the plans for the surf shop to the contractor, but he
still hasn ’ t responded. We need all the
permits cleared so we can close the deal on that open spot by Cardiff Beach in
San Diego. I fire another email to him, stressing we are pressed on time and
letting him know I expect an answer in the next 24 hours. He better get on this
if he wants to keep his job.
    By the time my food arrives I am famished. I make quick work of devouring
it, then take a quick shower. Free of all the tension from this morning, I
stand by the massive window and stare at the receding fog. What the fuck am I
after here…I should leave tomorrow and use the free time I have to find a place
to live in San Diego. If everything moves forward and I open the surf shop,
commuting to Santa Monica is out of the question. My mind wanders to my father.
He would be pleased to know I will have something to call my own. I drown that thought.
    Shaking off the irrational impulse of staying, I pack my bag and get
ready to check out the next morning. Without much left to do, I decide to go
for a short swim and relax at the Jacuzzi, knowing Natalia will most likely be
working or having a day off and I won ’ t risk
running into her.
    I swim a few laps, enjoying the fact that the fog chased off the usual
guests I see here. The fatigue from this morning skiing pulls at my muscles and
I call it a night. I leap off and slip into the steaming Jacuzzi, letting my
body unwind.

Chapter 7: Natalia :

 
    I hang up and throw my phone on the bed. Dani looks up from her laptop
and gives me a wary look.
    “What was that all about?”
    “Shit. Shit .” I sit down on the bed and drop my face on my hands.
    “Nati!” she scolds. I meet her expectant eyes.
    “The hotel, in San Diego.” I sigh in irritation. “They were just calling
to confirm I got into the internship. They want me to start April second.”
    “How is that not great news?”
    “Because I will start in the kitchen, but the internship is in general
hotel management and the hotel wants all their interns to be able to rotate
between