Christmas at the Cabin | ONC 2023 (Complete)

Four | Who's The Client?

He really wasn't joking about taking direction well. We have the fire started and the food cooking in no time, huddling near each other in the kitchen for warmth while it does.

"What makes you so unwilling to take life-saving advice from me earlier and so willing to take wood-finding advice from me now?"

A glimmer flashes in his eye. Yes, I heard it too.

"I've decided I don't hate you," he says. "I take direction well when I want to take it."

I shake my head. "I still can't believe you are telling me you did not want to listen to me when I was responsible for keeping you alive but now that it hurts your man-pride to let an injured lady do something physical. . . well, now you can help out."

"I resent that implication."

"You should maybe not be the kind of person who warrants it, then." My shoulder hurts. Blame the sass on my shoulder and the fact that I'm keeping this man alive off the clock.

"Absolutely nothing about me says 'big manly man need protect woman'." He adds an awkward half-assed growl at the end for effect.

"Well, that definitely sold it." I can't keep myself from laughing. "You are definitely not ... what was that, a caveman?"

"I don't know," he sighs. "I just hate that I come off that way."

I can't hold in my smirk and I try to cover a laugh with a cough but it pulls at my shoulder and results in a small squeak. "Oww."

"Were you going to say if I don't want to come off that way I should stop acting that way?"

"I might have been thinking something along those lines," I admit. "Plus I'm a little intrigued about this meeting you're being all grumpy gus over. You are a mystery, Damien."

"I'm not that mysterious. Promise. Real life me is quite dull."

"No way." I shake my head. "You're here making a trek I've only ever dreamed of. Not dull."

"I can't believe I agreed to it, honestly. My brother just finished telling me about a trip he and his family took and he joked I have enough money to do it myself but none of the gumption."

"Well, he was right about the first part. I guess he was wrong about the gumption. What is gumption?" I muse, mostly to myself.

"Spunky initiative or resourcefulness, usually done with enthusiasm and determination," he answers, staring at the stove. "Anyway, that's why I got ahold of your boss there at Cliffside Lodge and he set me up with your grandest excursion. The man I am going to meet is my father. We were going to spend Christmas together."

"Wait. Hold on back up. Are you trying to tell me Mr. Business Man is going up a whole mountain to impress his brother and spend Christmas with his father? That's what you want to tell me?"

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No. I'm just. They told me it was a client. You told me he was exacting."

"I didn't say it was a client. I said it was a guest. I guess they assumed."

"Wow. We are jerks."

"You know what they say about assuming."

"I do. Sorry for accidentally being a dick."

"I think I was far more of a dick than you," he sighs. "I just really wanted to prove I wasn't boring."

"If it's any consolation, this has been anything but boring. Most adventurous day of my whole career."

He laughs. "At least I have that to fall back on, then."