KILTED DESIRE 2 - Russian Roulette (11 page)

Later in the day, after he mowed the lawn, he sat down in
his living room with a cold glass of water to watch some baseball. He actually
fell asleep for a few minutes, when the sound of his cell phone ringing woke
him. He didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello.”

“Hi, is this Scott?”

“Aye, who’s this?”

“Hi Scott, this is Tiffany Robinson. I hope you don’t mind.
I got your phone number from my Dad.”

“Hey Tiffany.
I
dinnae mind at all.
It’s
guid tae hear from
yer. How are yer?”

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Nae too bad thanks. What can I do fer yer?”

“I just wondered if you were up for a trip to the
mountains.”

“I’m nae sure what yer mean.”

“I’m going to Aspen next weekend with a few of my friends.
We’re going to ski a little, if there’s any snow left and have some fun. I was
talking to a couple of my girlfriends about you and they said I should ask you
to come.”

Scott was a little shocked. But, also felt quite flattered
that she was asking him.

“I’m nae really much of a skier, but it does sound like fun.
Do yer stay at a hotel or something?”

“No, Mom and Dad have a house there. It’s really
big,
there are plenty of room so you don’t need a hotel. We
can all stay there. All you need are your flights.”

“Are yer Mom and Dad going tae
be
there?”

“No, it will just be me and my friends.”

“Okay, I’m nae going tae break a leg or anything am I?”

“Don’t be silly, it’s easy. I’ve been skiing since I was
about three. Surely you must have learned when you were a kid. Didn’t you go on
any school ski trips or anything like that?”

Scott couldn’t help but smile. He liked her, but she really
had no idea what the area he’d grown up in was like.

“I grew up in a working-class part of
Glasgae
.
There were nae many kids in my class who took ski lessons. I’m afraid I come from
a different world tae what yer used tae,” Scott replied teasingly.

“What about if I teach you?” she asked.

“That sounds guid tae me. So, what day are yer getting
there?”

“We’ll be there Friday evening.”

“I work on Friday. But, I can try and get there early on Saturday.
How long do yer stay?”

“We leave on Sunday evening.”

“So, let me check oot the flights and I’ll call yer back.”

“Sounds good Scott, just let me know when you can. Do you
have my number?”

“The number yer calling me on now, is in my phone. Is that
the best number tae reach yer?”

“Yes, that’s my cell.”

“Okay, will do. Thanks fer asking me Tiffany. I’ll talk tae
yer soon. Take care.”

“Bye, Scott.”

Scott smiled, he knew the flights would cost him at least a
few hundred dollars, but he had the money he just received from Jim and Linda.
So, he was certain he could afford it. Plus, it would give him the chance to
see Tiffany again, which he looked forward to.

On Monday, Scott booked his plane tickets. He planned to arrive
in Aspen, Saturday morning. He needed to change planes in Denver, but it seemed
like a relatively straight-forward trip. Scott was surprised there was an
airport in Aspen. He’d never been there before and expected to fly into Denver
and then hire a car. He called Tiffany back and had gotten the address of her
parent’s place so he could get a taxi from the airport when he arrived in the
mountains. He also asked her about ski rentals and how much they would cost.
Tiffany assured him that there were plenty of them at the house and he could
borrow some of their equipment.

Scott looked forward to his weekend away. It was to be the
second weekend in the last three weeks that he had gone on a trip. And after
the previous weekend, he was thrilled to be getting far away from Ohio. He was even
more excited at the thought of seeing Tiffany again. He found her extremely
attractive and easy to talk to. He had wondered if he would ever see her again.
His last memory was of her as she pulled away from her parent’s house in her
yellow Porsche, her hair blowing in the breeze. He knew neither of them wanted
to get involved in a relationship, but it would be good for him to get out and
have some fun.

The week passed by really quickly. Soon, Scott departed the
airport and was in the air again.
This time, on his way to
Colorado.
As much as he enjoyed his previous trip in the First Class
section, this time he paid for the ticket, so he flew Coach. After landing in
Denver, he called Tiffany to tell her he had arrived. He quickly changed planes
and was on the next leg of his journey. Both flights were quite smooth and
uneventful, which suited Scott just fine. As soon as he landed in Aspen, he was
in a taxi and on his way to the Robinson’s house.

It seemed everywhere he looked; the mountains and scenery
were amazing! Some of the homes the taxi cab passed on the short ride from the
little airport were stunning. Scott expected the Robinson’s mountain retreat to
be pretty special and he wasn’t disappointed. It was a two-story log home, and
looked fantastic from the outside. Scott paid the taxi driver and walked
towards the residence, he couldn’t wait to see the inside. He climbed the steps
that led up to the front porch and knocked on the door. After a few seconds,
Tiffany quickly opened the door. She was wearing jeans and t-shirt, as was he.

“Hi Scott, how are you?” she said, as she cheerfully
extended her hand.

“Hey, I’m guid thanks. How are yer doing?” he replied,
shaking her outstretched hand.

He stepped inside and set his backpack down on the floor.

“So, this is yer parent’s other house then,” he said, as he
looked around and admired the place.

“Yeah, they’ve owned this place for about twenty years now.
We love it and come up here a few times a year. Hmmm…first, I guess I’ll show
you to your room. Then, I will give you the guided tour if you like.”

“Sounds guid tae me.
Lead the way.”

Tiffany showed Scott to his room and he left his backpack
there. He then proceeded to follow Tiffany, as she showed him around the home.
It took about half an hour to see all of the rooms inside the house. Virtually
every room had great mountain views. Then, she showed him the deck to the back
of the house with the pool and hot tub.

“This is amazing,” he said, as he walked towards the pool.

“Yeah, it is really pretty up here. I love sitting in the hot
tub with a glass of wine, just looking at the mountains. I actually enjoy that
more than the skiing nowadays.”

“Nice, so where are all yer friends?” Scott asked, he hadn’t
noticed anyone else around.

“We had a few people drop out, so there are only four of us
here. Five total, including you. Brooke is still asleep in her room. She drank
a lot last night so I haven’t tried to wake her yet. That was the room we
didn’t go into, on your tour.”

“Okay, I thought there must have been a reason.”

“And Rachel and her husband Travis have already gone skiing.
There’s not much snow here I’m afraid. It’s been very warm and only the very
high, more difficult runs are open, so I don’t think you will be able to ski.”

“Och well.
Never mind.”

“You don’t seem too disappointed,” she said, smiling.

“I’m nae too worried. It would have been fun tae see how
guid a teacher yer were. But, I’ll get over it. I’m sure we can do it another
time.”

“Definitely.”

“Could yer nae have gone with Rachel and her husband if yer
wanted tae ski?”

“I could have, but it’s no big deal. I’m just as happy
chilling here around the pool. It’s just nice to get away from home,
sometimes.”

“So, if we’re nae skiing, what are the plans today then?”

“No plans really.
We can just hang
out around the pool. Later tonight, we can head out for food and drinks. Does
that sound okay?”

“That’s fine with me. I’ve had quite a lot going on lately
so ‘just’ relaxing sounds guid tae me.”

“Really, what happened?”

“It’s nae big deal.
Nae anything tae worry
aboot.”
Scott replied, uncomfortably.

“Are you hungry, Scott?” she said, quickly changing the
subject. She could tell it was not something he wanted to talk about.

“Aye, I could go fer some lunch,” he laughed, since he was
always hungry.

“Okay, we’ll go get something to eat and then go to the pool
after. Maybe Brooke will be up and about by then. Is pizza okay?”

“Aye, that sounds great.”

After lunch, Scott and Tiffany changed and sat out by the
pool and talked. They chatted and got to know each other a little better for
about an hour. Later, they were joined poolside, by a weary-looking Brooke.

“Hi,” she said, as she approached. She was a tall blonde,
and was wearing shorts and a tank top.

“Hi Brooke, how are you feeling?” Tiffany asked, spritely.

“
Ugghh
, not so good, what was I
drinking last night?”

“I think, what weren’t you drinking, would be much easier to
list!”

Scott smiled. He had never met her, but Brooke didn’t look
well.

“I don’t remember much about last night,” she mumbled,
quietly.

“I’m not surprised. Anyway you’re up now. Brooke, this is
Scott.”

Scott stood up and offered her his hand, which she shook and
tried to force a smile.

“Hey Brooke,
it’s
nice tae meet
yer.”

“Hello,” she replied, as she sat down on the lounger next to
Tiffany.

It wasn’t long before Brooke decided she needed to go back
to bed. After she left, Tiffany and Scott resumed their conversation and afternoon
together. They talked, swam and had fun spending some time in the hot tub.
Later that afternoon, Rachel and Travis returned and Tiffany introduced them to
Scott. He soon learned they were Tiffany’s neighbors and her good friends.

Brooke re-appeared again, from her room. She felt a little
better and was re-introduced to Scott. They all got along quite well. While the
others visited, Tiffany arranged for all of them to go to dinner and then out
for the evening.

It was a pleasant evening, so they all walked to the
restaurant. Tiffany said she knew of a bar where there was a karaoke event. They
all agreed that they would go there, after their meal. Scott learned a lot
about all of her friends over dinner, and there were plenty of questions for
him, too. He learned that Travis and Rachel just celebrated their ten-year wedding
anniversary, and they lived eight of those years next door to Tiffany. They
were both Real Estate agents. Brooke was divorced and lived alone. She also
lived near Tiffany. She owned a Salon. Scott was having fun getting to know new
friends. He also noticed that everyone at the restaurant seemed to know Tiffany.
He finally asked her if it was owned by her parents, she grinned and said that
it was. Scott smiled and looked around, it was another really nice place, ‘Jim
and Linda have great taste,’ he thought.

A couple of hours later the group moved a few doors down the
street to the bar that Tiffany mentioned to them earlier. The place was very
busy, and a little rowdy. They found a table near the bar and sat down.

“So do yer parents own this place too?” Scott asked, as he
pulled the seat out for Tiffany, as they sat down.

“No, I’ve never been here before. But, I saw it was karaoke night
and I like to sing.”

“Och that’s cool. I look forward tae listening tae yer. What
are yer going tae sing?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll see what I feel like later.”

“She’s very good, Scott. We’ve all heard her sing many
times,” added Brooke.

“Cool. So I guess yer nae drinking tonight Brooke, after
this morning!”

“Well, I may have one or two.”

Scott laughed. They all chatted, had fun and listened to the
music. When the karaoke started, Tiffany signed up to sing. About half an hour
later, after they listened to a few other people sing, it was her turn. She
made her way to the stage. She wore tight fitted jeans and a grey top with lots
of sparkly sequins on it. She looked great on the stage. When the music began,
she started to dance. She chose Katy Perry’s, California
Gurls
,
and she sounded really good. When she finished, she received the biggest round
of applause, so far. She smiled, as she made her way back to the table.

“So, what did you think?” she asked, as she looked directly at
Scott.

“It was okay, yer were a wee bit pitchy in places.
But overall, nae too bad.”

Tiffany stood there for a second with her mouth wide open.

“Who are you?
The Scottish Simon Cowell or
something?”

Scott laughed, as did the others at the table. He had already
told them he was going to tease her when she came back.

“I’m only teasing, I thought yer were great,” he said, as he
stood up and hugged her.

“You’re so bad,” she said, smiling.

The fun continued for the remainder of the evening. They all
ordered drinks, but nothing excessive. Brooke especially, was being careful.
She wanted no part of suffering from another hangover in the morning. They talked
about whether they would walk or take a taxi back to the house. Brooke stood up,
excused herself and ventured to the ladies room, while the other continued the
discussion. Scott really didn’t mind either way, he walked all the time and was
quite happy to if that was everyone wanted to do. Rachel was adamant that they
needed a taxi. Her legs ached from the full day’s skiing, so she stated
vehemently; she didn’t want to walk anywhere. So that wrapped up the discussion.