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Jen set up the centrifuge for the initial casting of the pendant she had been working on. As she worked she continued to think about Ryan. From her short talks with him, he seemed rather interesting and better yet, artistic minded. This was a sharp contrast to the boys whom she dated in the past. But, what if Sam didn't approve of him? Sam had quickly established herself as the best friend she would ever have and Jen didn't want to disappoint her. What if she moved in with Ryan and Sam had to find a new leaser. She would have seriously let Sam down. What if then she broke up with Ryan and had no place to stay? Her hands started to shake. What if!

"Calm down Jenifer," she thought to herself. "You need to live in the here and now. Quit what if-ing. This is the same thing that almost ruined it for you at school. Don't worry about what other people think. Do what makes you happy."

Jen closed her eyes and took several slow, deep, breaths, calming both her body and mind.

"Where are you? Here, when is it? Now. Much better."

Besides, Sam would probably be proud of her. If it hadn't been for Sam, Jen would have never had the courage to even talk to Ryan. Who knew how things would go? Felling better and looking forward to telling Sam about her date, Jen returned to her work, checking the mold and charge of silver casting shot. She was just about to light the Oxy Acetylene torch when the alarm on her watch whet off. She had a bad habit of getting caught up in her work and losing track of time, so to make sure she quit and got ready for dinner with Ryan, Jen had set the alarm. Well, this would have to wait till tomorrow.

Jen untied her fire resistant smock and folded it over a stool. She walked down the hall to her room and picked out an outfit for dinner. After undressing, she went into the bathroom to wash her hair. Jen came out ten minutes later with a towel wrapped around her head, sat down on the bed, and began cleaning herself. She had just finished when the sound of the front door announced Sam's arrival. Jen quickly slipped on a bath robe. She wasn't in the mood for Sam to catch her naked again. She got up and paced over to the railing to se Sam closing the door behind her, holding a grocery sack. Jen joined her in the kitchen to help out.

"So, how was your day?" Sam asked.

"Great, I got a lot of work done."

"Really! Can I see some of it?"

"All I have are some blanks, I had to quit before I started casting."

"Why?" asked Sam, her voice full of suspicion as she took in Jen's freshly cleaned appearance.

"I have a date!" Jen stated excitedly, voice full of pride.

"A what? A date! Who with? You just got here two days ago."

Sam became very inquisitive about Ryan. She quizzed Jen about all the details until she seemed satisfied.

"Well, congratulations! I'm glad to see you're more outgoing," Sam said approvingly, but Jen detected a hit of something else. Was it resentment or jealousy perhaps?

She ignored it, and soon forgot as she replied "It's like you said; I just needed some self confidence."

They talked in the kitchen a while longer before Jen noticed it was 5:55.

"Shoot! I need to get dressed."

Having been raised by two retired lieutenant colonels, Jen, as a rule, was never late. Sam giggled as Jen ran upstairs. Jen struggled into a pair of pants and a blouse. She opted for flats over heels, knowing how treacherous the sidewalks could be and hoping she wouldn't look too bad. She finished drying her hair and tied it back into a quick, but elegant pony tail. Running over to the studio, Jen put on a necklace and earrings of her own design. She grabbed her jacket and just had enough time to say goodbye to Sam and get a good luck in return before hurrying out the door.

She walked quickly down to the corner where she had told Ryan to meet her. Ryan was already waiting, sitting behind the wheel of a silver Lincoln 4x4. He was wearing khaki slacks and a PSIA sweater. To her surprise, he got out, walked around the cab, and held the door for her. So, he was the gentleman type. Her father, god rest his sole, would approve.

"You look great," commented Ryan.

"Thanks," breathed Jen, "sorry I'm running late."

"No worries, I just got here a minute ago."

Jen climbed in admiring the interior. Ryan shut the door behind her and got into the driver's seat. He put the big truck into gear and pulled onto the street.

"So," asked Jen, catching her breath, "where are we going."

"I got reservations at a great restaurant in Headstone if you don't mind a short drive."

Headstone was a nearby town and resort owned by the same company as Ridge. It was only a twenty minute drive or so. The drive was spent mostly in silence. Jen could tell Ryan was way more nervous than she was.

Ryan, with another awkward attempt at conversation, looked over and stated "I really like you're necklace. That's a rather intricate design, but there is a distinguishable pattern to it if you look. Where did you get it?"

Jen was surprised that she hadn't talked about her work before.

"I made it," she replied.

"Really! That's amazing. Where did you learn to do that?"

"Art school. I made this while I was apprenticing after graduation."

It seemed that they had stumble upon a subject they were both interested in and they spent the rest of the drive talking happily about art. It seemed Ryan knew just about as much as she did. She'd have to find out what he did to know so much.

The restaurant they were going to turned out to be one of the more famous ones in the area. It was built high on one of the peaks of the ski resort and you had to take two separate gondolas to get to it. It was supposed to be impossible to get reservations during the ski season though. Jen had no idea how Ryan had managed it.

They were handed blankets when they arrived at the base of the lift and were helped in by a nice, if rather short, lift worker. Jen sat down on the side facing the town and wrapped the blanket around herself against the cold night air. Ryan stood in the door unsure whether to sit next to her or across from her. Jen took mercy on him and patted the seat next to her.

"Sit down, before you fall over."

She spoke not a moment too soon, because just then the gondola attached to the cable and lurched as its inertia was overcome by the speed.

"So I can't imagine how you know so much about art. What do you do in ridge?" asked Jen.

"I opened up an architecture firm with a friend of mine from school."

"You're an architect? Impressive."

"Actually, I majored in inferior architecture and product design, but I can still license as an architect in the majority of America."

"How long have you been out of school?"

"Three years."

"Three years and you already have your own firm?" asked Jen skeptically.

"I know, we worked at a large firm in Chicago while getting our licenses, and did some intern work while in school, but with the real-estate boom here in Summit County, me and Jim decided it would be foolish to pass up on such an opportunity."

"It must be difficult without a large portfolio."

"Well, the big guys get a lot of the condominiums and government buildings, but we specialize in commercial and private residential. Also, with my specialty in interiors, there are always buildings to be redone."

The gondola reached the top and they climbed off. There was a short walk to the next lift which would take them to where the restaurant was. Ryan helped her into the compartment and climbed in after her. This one, rather than ascending, crossed the span between two peaks. It was suspended high above the out of bounds skiing and offered a spectacular view of the valley.

"That's some good looking skiing down there," Ryan commented, inspecting the terrain below them.

They discussed the pros and cons of all the local resorts and tree skiing vs. big mountain as they crossed over to the second peak. Jen could tell Ryan was feeling more comfortable about being out. She was surprised to find that she was more relaxed too. She hadn't thought of herself, but now Jen realized the tension was gone from her neck and arms. She noticed Ryan looking at her and smiled at him.

They departed the second gondola and crossed to the restaurant. They left their shoes at the door. A tall, thin, ferret in an impeccably clean and pressed uniform immediately seated them near the large stone fireplace with a real log fire. The dining room was still relatively empty. Jen now understood why it was impossible to get reservations. There were only about twelve tables in the expansive room and the waiter explained that each table was used only once per night.

As they talked over appetizers, Jen learned that Ryan was also a part time ski instructor at Peak Three ski school. It was his "fun job," as he put it, though he admitted how much he loved designing. However, the job did have its benefits. He knew the manager of the restaurant personally (he was designing his house). The restaurant was also owned by the company who owned the resort, and with his employee discount, made it almost affordable.

They enjoyed a great evening together. The food was exquisite. Each course was timed perfectly and a few were accompanied by a different glass of wine meant to compliment the taste of the food. They sat and talked long after the last crumbs of their dessert had disappeared. Jen had to remember to take Sam up here sometime to hopefully pay back a little of her hospitality.

Ryan was an amazing person. He was fun to talk to, and, unlike most of the guys she knew, actually had interesting stuff to talk about. Jen was comfortable around him. He didn't make her feel like she had to act a certain way to fulfill some "social obligation." It was reminiscent of the way Sam made her feel. Sure of herself and at peace with the world.

"Well, shall we go?" asked Ryan after a long break in conversation.

"If you're ready," Jen replied.

They got up and retrieved their shoes. Ryan held Jen's jacket for her as she pulled it on. As they left, they were bowed out by the young receptionist.

The night had gotten darker and only a few thin clouds obscured small portions of the beautiful starscape laid out at eye level as the climbed into the gondola to head back down. It was even colder now then when they had ridden up and the thin blanket did little to ward off the chill inside the cabin. On a whim, Jen slid over on the bench until she was right next to Ryan. She pressed herself to his side. Ryan's body was warm and she could feel him tense when she touched him. He soon relaxed and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. Jen's heart jumped and she could feel the butterflies rising in her stomach as he pulled her closer to him. She smiled softly as they slowly glided down the mountain in silence.

All too soon, they were exiting the second lift at the base. They walked out to the parking lot, Ryan's arm back around her. The drive back was quiet as well, the two of the only exchanging occasional jokes.

As they approached the town, Jen directed Ryan back to the house. He parked on the opposite side of the street and got out to let Jen out of the cab. They walked up to the door together.

Jen stopped on the porch and turned to Ryan. She took his hands in hers and stared into his eyes. He looked back. It was amazing how clearly the night sky was reflected in them. Jen now understood the saying "the eyes are the gateway to the soul."

"I had a great night," She whispered to Ryan.

It was amazing how his eyes seemed to go on forever. All of the universe and heavens reviled in their depths. Jen seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

"So did I, thank you." Ryan replied softly, "you reminded me of one of life's greatest beauties."

The next moment, her eyes were closed, and Jen's lips had met his. Had her heart stopped, or perhaps time had slowed down so that one beat could last an eternity. Then it was over and Jen was looking back into those beautiful eyes, a look of shock and longing left on Ryan's face. Jen smiled passionately and kissed him again on the cheek, the scent and taste of his fur filling her nostrils, before wishing him a good night. Her hands slid out of his and she slowly walked inside. Ryan stood there and waited for the door to close before walking back to his truck.

Jen stood inside the door. Her heart seemed to have fixed itself and now was working double to make up for the lost time. She stood there, back to the door, eyes closed for a minute. Then a loud "Ahem" brought her back to consciousness. Jen turned and saw Sam standing in the living room in a mock stance of disapproval with a giant smirk on her face.

"Oh shut up!" laughed Jen looking at Sam.

"I didn't say anything," Sam replied suppressing giggles.

Sam's expression turned serious and companionate.

"I know how you're feeling," she said walking over and hugging Jen, "I'm happy for you."

Jen returned the gesture, appreciative of Sam's support. Sam backed up and smiled at her.

"Now get to bed young lady," chided Sam laughingly, "you can tell me about it tomorrow, but for now, you look like you need some sleep."

Jen looked at the clock and realized it was nearly a quarter to one. She also suddenly felt how tired she was. Jen had forgotten how much emotional stress wore you out. Jen trudged up the stairs and slipped out of her cloths. She pulled on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt and climbed into bed where she lay thinking about Ryan as the weariness slowly overcame her, and her eyes closed from exhaustion.

***

Sam lay awake in bed for a while. She had been worried about Jen, so she had stayed up until she got back, but now Sam still couldn't sleep. Jen was an amazing friend. It was good that she had found a guy. Sam had heard about Ryan now that she knew who he was. From what she had heard, he was a good guy. She should be happy for Jen. She was happy for Jen. If that was true why were her current feelings anything but happy? Why did she feel betrayed? Did she honestly expect Jen to throw herself into her arms? No, but Sam defiantly felt something for Jen that was more than friendship. Perhaps she'd get over it. Perhaps someday Jen would realize it too! No. For now, Sam needed to support her friend and be happy for her. She would expect no less from her best friend. Sam was happy for Jen. Ryan would treat her well, and Jen needed to have some fun. Yes, this was for the best, and who know, maybe one day... but Sam fell asleep before the thought was finished.