Page 6 of The Snowflake Effect

“And?”

God, I hate when he’s right. “And…next time I tell you no woman in her right mind will spend six hundred bucks on a jacket with a bunch of zippers and buckles all over it, I give you permission to waterboard me.”

“If waterboarding is going down,” Nico says, “count me in.”

“Actually”—Sawyer faces me—“since you’ve just admitted I’m always right, I’m going to tell you why your no-women excuses are bullshit.”

I stare at him flatly. “Is it still called mansplaining when you condescend an explanation to another man?”

“In this case, yes,” Nico confirms.

“You’re living your life for Jackson,” Sawyer continues, talking over us. “Which, don’t get me wrong, is awesome. That kid deserves the best. But you’ve gotta get out and live your life, too. You don’t get these years back, and you won’t stay twenty-nine forever. Believe it or not, that girly hair of yours won’t reel ’em in when it’s gray and thinning.”

I slap the edge of my hand against the water, spraying Sawyer’s face. “So what? Going from woman to woman like you is the answer? That’s what you call living?”

Using his forearm, he wipes the water from his face. “First. Do that again, and I beat your ass. These pools are nasty. Second. Yeah, I’m living a great life. The life I want. For me. That’s all I’m suggesting. Nico here is your relationship guy. That works for him. I think having a partner is your jam, too, and you can’t meet someone if you’re not open to it. Either way, you need to figure your shit out because one day Jackson will fly the coop. I say have fun in Aspen, let loose for a change, then maybe start into dating again back home.”

I close my eyes on an exhale. What’s it been since I dated? Six months? Seven?

Sure, work, Jackson, and life in general make it tough to find the time, but these days I can’t muster up the interest. Sawyer and I used to take advantage of our Moondog status, bagging women more than happy to list us as conquests. After a couple of them turned creepy stalker, we canned that routine and stopped telling women what we do for a living. Then came dating. Everyone telling me they had the girl for me. The perfect match. A month here, a couple there, but no one with any staying power. Just thinking about those days is exhausting.

Nico moves to use another jet, and the water sways like in one of those wave pools. “Sawyer might have a point, dude. You have been really uptight lately.”

I cough on a swallow of beer. “Seriously? You’re siding with the guy who slept with your last girlfriend a month after you broke up?”

He cracks his thick neck. “There wasn’t much between us, so I gave him the okay. Besides, I knew what a letdown it would be after riding the Nico Train.”

Sawyer copies my move and blasts water in Nico’s face. “Asshole.”

Nico retaliates with a punch to the shoulder that has Sawyer cursing, then Nico turns to me. “We’re in Aspen, hot women everywhere. You should’ve seen the two we met on the slopes today. Might as well use the time to get back in the game. Have some fun. Then maybe hit the dating scene with more enthusiasm, like Sawyer said. Even online or something.”

“Right. Online dating. Like that works. And if you guys met hot women on the hill, why are you here?”

Nico shrugs. “They took off too fast. Something about meeting a friend at the bottom. And don’t diss online dating. I’ve done it. It might not have lasted, but you never know.” He points a finger at both of us. “One smartass word from either of you, and I aim for the throat.”

Sawyer and I take one look at each other and burst out laughing, beer almost spurting from my nose. “What did your profile say?” I ask. “Searching for Amazonian woman to handle massive dick?”

A slow smile lights Nico’s face. “If the shoe fits.”

Chuckling, I push up to sit on the edge of the tub, needing a break from the heat. The boys sink lower, shoulders shaking with laughter.

The snow keeps falling, hopefully dumping inches on top. A powder day tomorrow would make up for today’s fail. Still, I can’t stop reliving every aggravating detail.

The bra. The careless instructor. That woman with the attitude and her effortless turns as she blew past me on the slopes. Picturing her again has heat pooling south, my dick nudging me to get some play. Maybe the guys are right. If I relax and have some fun, maybe I could approach the whole dating thing with a bit more optimism when home.

“Fine. Let’s do it,” I say. “But not tonight. Tonight, it’s steaks and beers in. The way my day went, going out could be painful. We’ll hit the bars tomorrow. Cool?”

Nico grunts, and Sawyer says, “Works for me.”

I jump up. “I’ll head to town for food.”

I grab my towel, looking forward to a low-key night and a better day tomorrow. Checking out the nightlife and getting laid are starting to sound good. Damn good.

Between my assistant, Stella, and Marina’s mother, Jackson’s in safe hands. Work won’t implode over the next four days, and the past months of no action are catching up with me. If this trip is about living it up and letting loose, I may as well push the boundaries.

For four days. Starting tomorrow.

This particular day can still kiss my ass.