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December. I've been lucky to have this job for four years running. It pays well, and it's my only source of income besides my summer job. My sister wants the job after me, but I'm not quite ready to let it go, yet. But she will be a shoe-in since Sam adores me. My parents have never wanted me to work during the school year – in high school or college – but I think that will have to change next year once I transfer to a university. Maybe the University of Wisconsin? I'd never really considered it before, but I spent some time researching UW last night after the “Chase tour.”
I look up to see how many children are on the trolley. I grab a handful of glow sticks and pass them around to the kids. As I near the back of the trolley, I hear a familiar voice, “Excuse me, miss? How long is this tour?” I turn to find myself looking directly into Chase's handsome face. I can't believe I hadn't noticed him, or that I hadn't noticed the tiny flecks of blue in his coppery eyes the night before.
“You didn't get enough of the cold last night?” I laugh. My heart is racing with excitement to see his face again. “There are four tours tonight, each lasting around of 35 minutes,” my official sales pitch begins. “If you ride all four tours in one night, you will receive this souvenir shot glass free!” The glass has some goofy slogan on it about Eagle Canyon. It only costs $2.50 in Sam's little gift shop, but it is a fun perk for riding the trolley, I guess.
“ That's a tempting offer,” says the sweet face in front of me. His attention turns to my hands, “I'm glad to see you have warmer gloves tonight.”
Suddenly, I hear Sam's voice on the speaker saying, “Folks, we're ready to start the tour as soon as our guide, Katherine , makes her way to the front of the trolley.”
I turn in embarrassment and head quickly up the aisle, amidst a few giggles and grins from passengers who had taken notice of my extended conversation with Chase. Endless cups of hot cocoa emit curls of steam from almost every location on the trolley. Another of Sam's specialties: hot cocoa for 50¢, offered at the front of the trolley ticket line. He could make a killing on hot cocoa sales alone. I'm not sure what's in his secret recipe, but people can't seem to resist.
The four back-to-back tours fly by, since I have a pleasant focal point of my own. I look back at Chase every chance I get. Every single time, he's staring back at me. He even manages to embarrass me again with a question about the bluff above the Christmas display, “Is there a name for the highest cliff up there, past the light display?”
“ Lover's Lookout,” I say. My face turns bright red, and I hear people saying, “aww!” as they look back and forth from Chase to me.
“ Thanks a lot for making me lose my cool up there,” I laugh as I greet Chase after the last trolley tour.
“ How could anything make you lose your cool? It's downright frigid here!” Chase grabs one of my glove-covered hands and asks, “Can I get a lift back to my cabin again?”
I laugh and ask, “Did you get stranded here on purpose?”
“Of course, I did!” He grins. “I was actually hoping to treat you to a cup of coffee on the way home, though.”
I blush and agree, “That sounds very nice...and warm .”
Chase brushes little flakes of snow out of his hair as we enter the small diner on Fort Road. The wetness leaves his hair looking slick and more amazing than before, if that's even possible. I marvel at the color of his hair and notice that he even has a few caramel highlights.
The diner is a bit gaudy and dated. It's decorated with kind of a classic-diner-meets-hunting-cabin theme. The walls are covered with diagonal wood paneling, circa 1970's. The floor is a black and white checkerboard pattern. The bar stools at the counter look like they were once red vinyl, but now, they are a variety of materials and colors, some with the original red vinyl patch-worked into the
I look up to see how many children are on the trolley. I grab a handful of glow sticks and pass them around to the kids. As I near the back of the trolley, I hear a familiar voice, “Excuse me, miss? How long is this tour?” I turn to find myself looking directly into Chase's handsome face. I can't believe I hadn't noticed him, or that I hadn't noticed the tiny flecks of blue in his coppery eyes the night before.
“You didn't get enough of the cold last night?” I laugh. My heart is racing with excitement to see his face again. “There are four tours tonight, each lasting around of 35 minutes,” my official sales pitch begins. “If you ride all four tours in one night, you will receive this souvenir shot glass free!” The glass has some goofy slogan on it about Eagle Canyon. It only costs $2.50 in Sam's little gift shop, but it is a fun perk for riding the trolley, I guess.
“ That's a tempting offer,” says the sweet face in front of me. His attention turns to my hands, “I'm glad to see you have warmer gloves tonight.”
Suddenly, I hear Sam's voice on the speaker saying, “Folks, we're ready to start the tour as soon as our guide, Katherine , makes her way to the front of the trolley.”
I turn in embarrassment and head quickly up the aisle, amidst a few giggles and grins from passengers who had taken notice of my extended conversation with Chase. Endless cups of hot cocoa emit curls of steam from almost every location on the trolley. Another of Sam's specialties: hot cocoa for 50¢, offered at the front of the trolley ticket line. He could make a killing on hot cocoa sales alone. I'm not sure what's in his secret recipe, but people can't seem to resist.
The four back-to-back tours fly by, since I have a pleasant focal point of my own. I look back at Chase every chance I get. Every single time, he's staring back at me. He even manages to embarrass me again with a question about the bluff above the Christmas display, “Is there a name for the highest cliff up there, past the light display?”
“ Lover's Lookout,” I say. My face turns bright red, and I hear people saying, “aww!” as they look back and forth from Chase to me.
“ Thanks a lot for making me lose my cool up there,” I laugh as I greet Chase after the last trolley tour.
“ How could anything make you lose your cool? It's downright frigid here!” Chase grabs one of my glove-covered hands and asks, “Can I get a lift back to my cabin again?”
I laugh and ask, “Did you get stranded here on purpose?”
“Of course, I did!” He grins. “I was actually hoping to treat you to a cup of coffee on the way home, though.”
I blush and agree, “That sounds very nice...and warm .”
Chase brushes little flakes of snow out of his hair as we enter the small diner on Fort Road. The wetness leaves his hair looking slick and more amazing than before, if that's even possible. I marvel at the color of his hair and notice that he even has a few caramel highlights.
The diner is a bit gaudy and dated. It's decorated with kind of a classic-diner-meets-hunting-cabin theme. The walls are covered with diagonal wood paneling, circa 1970's. The floor is a black and white checkerboard pattern. The bar stools at the counter look like they were once red vinyl, but now, they are a variety of materials and colors, some with the original red vinyl patch-worked into the
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