This is an extra for my short story "Taking the Fall Line" that was in the Snowed In anthology. It came out for release day last winter. Now that it is starting to have a nip in the air, and Thursday this week was the last day of summer, and Friday is the first day of fall, it seemed the right time to dust it off and post it here. Especially since the story is about spring coming around.
Spring Conditions
~~~
The chair lift slowed to a stop, swinging back and forth in the brisk breeze.
"Do they not pay their electric bill?" Leon asked.
"It does seem to happen a lot," Beau said. He looked around. The chairs in front and behind them were empty for quite a distance, and the slopes below were equally unused. "But I'm not complaining. Gives me time to do this." Beau slipped his gloves off and stuffed them into his pockets. He scooted the several inches sideways until his thigh pressed against Leon's leg. Then he slithered his hands into the open underarm vents on Leon's jacket, and ruched up the cotton t-shirt underneath. It was spring and the amount of clothing needed to protect against the elements had decreased.
Beau touched Leon's warm skin and resisted the urge to tickle, but instead pressed his hands against Leon. The position wrapped Leon and Beau into an intimate, though awkward embrace.
"Are you trying to get us to fall to our deaths because we slipped off the seat?" Leon asked, even as he turned his body to accommodate Beau's off-kilter hug.
"We aren't that far up, we'd probably only break a few bones," Beau said. "Now stop talking and kiss."
Leon's lips were faintly cool with the early spring air and slightly slippery from recently applied lip balm. A hint of coconut wafted from him, a reminder that in the spring, the sun bounced off the reflective snow and sunburns were common if sunscreen was forgotten. The angle of the kiss kept it more chaste than Beau would have liked, and he broke away to give Leon a suggestive leer.
"How about a lunch time break?" he asked. "My legs could use a rest. Then a little more skiing and riding this afternoon."
The chair lift eased back into motion and Beau regretfully removed his hands from Leon's vents. He wiggled back into position on the seat, but didn't break eye contact with Leon. They'd been meeting at the resort most weekends during the winter, Leon learning to ski with greater proficiency each time. With spring conditions softening everything, there would come an eventual end to the season. Beau wanted to grab every moment he could with Leon before that happened.
"I am hungry," Leon said. The catch in his voice and the uplift of his eyebrows told Beau he meant the double meaning quite earnestly.
"Me too," Beau said, and a rush of warm anticipation flooded into his gut. He knew the perfect, secluded spot where they could take a lunch break too, and remain undiscovered by other resort guests. Then he could hug, kiss, and caress Leon directly, instead of twisted sideways and forty feet in the air. Beau wished the winter would never end, but time kept marching on. "Mountain closes in two weekends," Beau said as they continued to travel upward. "Then what?"
Leon shrugged. "Then it'll be your turn to drive down to see me."
Beau smiled. "Gladly."
~~~
The extra long links to Taking the Fall Line:
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=4599
And to the Snowed In anthology:
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4591
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