Hunter
When we get back into my truck, we’re exhausted and dirty but incredibly content too. The hike was grueling, but Faith is an athletic girl. Maybe she doesn’t think so because of her curvy figure, but I saw how she scaled those rocks, and how she was able to walk for three hours straight. She’s healthy, active, and round, which is exactly how I prefer my women.
After slamming the truck doors shut, I rev the engine and start backing out of the lot.
“So, tell me more about your skiing,” Faith says conversationally. “What’s it like?”
I grin.
“Well, what do you want to know?”
“Where do you usually compete? I know you said all over the world, but are most of your tournaments in the U.S.? In Europe?”
I think for a moment.
“It depends. When I was younger, I went to a lot of overseas competitions because there are a lot of amazing mountains all over the world. But now that I’m getting up there in age, I stick to the United States.”
Faith giggles. “You’re not old!”
I shoot her a sideways look.
“Maybe not chronologically, but I am for a professional athlete. Most of the people I started with have retired by now, if you can believe it.”
Her eyes widen. “Wait, really? Are you serious?”
I nod.
“Things like knees and backs get worn down fast when you’re going down a hill at sixty miles an hour. In our sport, it’s possible to have the body of an eighty year old even when you’re only thirty.”
She nods solemnly.
“So do your friends have other jobs now?”
I shrug a bit. “Some do, but most of them earned enough money as professional athletes to live a good life, so long as they manage their finances right.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize how much money there was as a competitive skier! I thought it was maybe a middle-income job at best.” Then, she covers her mouth with her hand, turning to look at me with wide eyes. “I’m sorry for being so rude,” she says quickly. “I hope you don’t hate me.”
I shake my head.
“No, honey, it’s totally fine.” And it is. I love when Faith blurts something out because it tells me what’s on her mind. But she deserves to know a bit about my finances. “I do make a lot of money, but it’s not about that for me. I keep racing because I love being on the slopes, and feel most like myself when I’m on skis. Plus, winter is my favorite season because I get to travel and experience the finest, most challenging mountains in the world.”
“But you’ve never been to Medina before? Even though we have such an amazing resort?” she teases.
“I’ve never been here to ski,” I say, somewhat evasively. “But I’ve heard of this little town before.” After all, I’d rather not rehash the last time this city came up in my life. Faith’s right – me landing here isn’t completely random, but I want to keep that under wraps for now.
“I hope you enjoy the slopes here,” she giggles, suspecting nothing. “Maybe you won’t want to travel as much if you fall in love with our mountains.”
I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I bought my house because I’m ready to settle down. I used to live out of hotels and rent apartments during the summer when I wasn’t traveling as much, but it gets old after years of constant moving. I wanted a real place to live, and Medina’s pretty awesome, don’t you think?”
She bobs her head happily.
“Yes, def,” she chortles. “Absolutely. It makes me happy to hear you’re here long-term.”
I grin and kiss her cheek, making sure to keep an eye on the road. “It makes me happy, too.”
The rest of the drive is calm, and the sun sets in a glorious array of purples, oranges and pinks as we head back to our small town. Meanwhile, I find my mouth running away from me. This girl is just so easy to talk to, that I open up in ways I haven’t done before.
“A lot of people want me to give up skiing,” I say in a conversational tone. “They keep asking what I’ll do next. Even if I have enough money to retire, there’s an expectation that I’ll start selling supplements or partner with some sportswear company, but I’m not too sure about that. I’m not certain that I want to give up my skis yet.”
Faith nods with understanding.
“I totally get it. Someone always expects more from you. It’s as if what you’re doing right now isn’t enough.”
I shoot her a sideways look.
“It sounds like you have some personal experience with this.”
Faith doesn’t answer right away, but then after a brief pause, she adds to her initial comment.
“I do. It’s strange, really. At least once a week, someone asks me what I’m going to do next. I know that being a waitress at a diner isn’t exactly a huge professional accomplishment, but I love working at Harry’s. I genuinely enjoy being a waitress, I like interacting with the staff and the customers, and I’m damn good at it! I don’t understand why I always need to be looking for the next bigger, better thing.”
I nod.
“I guess for most people, being a waitress is only a transitional job. It’s not something that usually turns into a career.”
Faith bites her lip and her eyes are a bit misty. “Yes, but what if I want it to be my career? Is that so wrong?”
Immediately, I reach my hand out and put it on her knee.
“No of course not. You’re good with customer service, and you enjoy food. If you can make it work, I don’t see why it would be a problem because everyone should do what they love.”
She sniffles a bit.
“I mean, I understand why people think what they think, and Harry’s isn’t perfect, I’ll give you that. They pay minimum wage, and as a result, I worry about money a lot. But I’m taking community college classes right now and last semester, I took one on hospitality. I aced that course because I know how to serve people and make them happy, and I got that from Harry’s!”
I nod.
“That’s definitely a real skill you can work with, honey. Being a waitress is good experience for other hospitality jobs, like working at a hotel or casino. Have you thought about moving to a bigger venue?”
Faith shrugs, looking unhappy. “I don’t know if I want to work somewhere else though. I mean, does that mean moving into management? I hope not because being a waitress is what I see myself doing for a long time. I like interacting with people, and I feel like I would die if I had to sit behind a desk all day.”
I squeeze her knee.
“Same here, baby girl. That’s how I feel about being indoors. I, too, would die if I had to be locked in a soulless gray cube.” But Faith’s not done, and she turns to me with a sad smile.
“My dad, Marcus, just doesn’t get it though. He loves me, but he wants more, and I think I disappoint him with the smallness of my dreams.”
I squeeze her knee again.
“Yes, but those are your dreams, no matter what size they are. You have to dream your own way, and your dad can’t dictate that.”
She nods and takes a deep breath.
“I guess you’re right. I hope you’re right. Thanks, Hunter. I needed to hear that.”
I nod, but continue in the same vein as we speed down the road.
“You know, when I first started skiing professionally, I lost a ton of competitions in a row. I wasn’t earning any money, that’s for sure, and if anything, I was burning through cash because traveling and competing take a lot of money. My parents wanted me to quit, and I lost three different agents because no one wants a client who doesn’t earn a dime.”
She nods slowly.
“But you didn’t give up right?”
I squeeze her knee.
“I could’ve given up. Honestly, I probably should have given up because that was the logical thing to do. But I didn’t, because skiing is something I love more than anything in the world, and I knew I could make a career of it if I stuck with it.”
“And you did,” Faith says with a tremor to her voice.
“Exactly. Which is why if you think waitressing is going to be worth it, then you should keep at it, no matter what anyone says. Even if the money isn’t much now, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be in the future. Besides, money is only one aspect. We need to breathe and thrive as humans, which means you need something that feeds your soul and nourishes it too.”
Her eyes look watery again.
“Thanks for that, but does that mean you plan on skiing until you retire?”
“Sort of, in a way.”
Faith looks at me with confusion. “What do you mean?”
I grin.
“Well, the average age of retirement in the United States is sixty-five or older, and there’s no way I’ll still be skiing for that long. I meant it earlier when I said I’m getting up there in age.”
“Oh right, that makes sense. But do you mean you’ll compete in Masters events? Or what did you have in mind?”
I shrug.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. I have some things in the works, but none of them have really popped yet. I guess we’ll see when the time comes.”
She looks at me curiously.
“So you do have other plans?” Faith asks.
I nod.
“Yes, but they’re really just the beginnings of projects. Certainly nothing that’s going to earn me the big bucks. But I just try to go with it and not focus too much on ‘the next big thing’ or having a ‘successful second act.’ I haven’t even finished my first one yet, so I don’t want to get carried away with what might or might not be.”
She looks at me with warm eyes.
“I know you’ll be successful no matter what you do, Hunter.”
At that, I can’t resist. I lean across the seat and kiss her softly.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I’m glad you believe in me, and I’m glad we’re doing this,” I say simply. “I needed to talk to someone, even though I didn’t realize it myself. It’s been a long time since I let this all out.”
She smiles gently.
“Me, too. The friend I told you about, Bella, she and I used to have these kinds of long conversations. But Bella recently had a baby, which means she doesn’t have as much time anymore, although I don’t fault her for it or anything. I’m just saying it’s nice to have someone to talk with again.”
I shoot her a lopsided grin.
“I can always be that person. You can call me whenever you need to talk, and I’ll be there for you, even if it’s just to say hello.”
Faith smiles, her face glowing with happiness. “Thank you, Hunter. The same goes for you. I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener in the past, so just call if you’d like to run a few things over.”
With that, the rest of the drive continues and my heart thrums with contentment. I like being with this woman. She’s beautiful, and it’s easy to walk with her, to talk with her, and to generally be myself in her presence. The conversation flows, even when we touch on serious topics, and this woman understands me in a way that no one ever has before. As I glance at Faith’s delicate profile, my heart warms and blooms and suddenly, I know with certainty that I’m falling in love.