Sebastian
Aspen gave off the vibe of a small-town. It’s the place for popular snowboarding and
skiing but only for those that want the ‘wow’ factor and to be close to town.
They had taken a small area and packed it full of resorts, shops, parks, and restaurants.
Given that it was only September, it was relatively slow-paced at the moment. Which was just how I like it.
There was a slim chance of people noticing who I was but an even smaller chance of
them giving a shit because most of the people here are locals, as long as I kept my
head low and didn’t do anything stupid, I should be safe.
They’re not looking for celebrities, rather enjoying this tiny bit of slow-season between summer and winter.
This was, however, the most beautiful time of year to be here. The leaves were starting to turn from crisp green to a sunset-like gold, the air was a little lighter with cooler breezes.
I was able to gulp in a deep breath of fresh air and it solidified my coming here. I was glad that I allowed myself to be selfish enough for a break, and that I was here to live in the moment for a while.
I wandered the streets for a bit, taking in new and old shops and wondering which one’s
of these I came to as a kid.
My Gran moved to Woody Creek when I had left the nest to try to go on this adventure and make money doing it. I grew up down the hill, in the city parts of Colorado that I was more than happy to leave behind, my Gran didn’t want to leave the state so she moved up here to get away from the hustle.
Being close to Aspen was ideal for her, giving her the close-to-town feel without being overwhelmed.
I loved that she moved here. It meant when I visited, I had easy access to the slopes. When I hit it big, I bought the big ol’ cabin on the hill. One that had been unfortunately neglected for far too long.
I wandered in and out of shops, getting polite nods from the shopkeepers. If they
recognized me, they didn’t show it. It was refreshing.
I stumbled into one shop that was filled to the brim with everything you could think of.
Touristy stuff mostly. There were dream-catchers in the window, handmade blankets on
almost every surface, there were art pieces on the walls and other homemade items
hanging from the ceiling. Gorgeous pieces of pottery lined an entire shelf in the shop and I was stuck looking at them for several minutes before moving on.
I had to duck to maneuver around the space.
There was a mellow beat being pumped out of the stereo and I tilted my head at the sound of Hurts So Good, smiling to myself when I heard a soft voice singing along. I slowly made my way toward the sound. When I found the source of the music, there was a woman standing behind the glass counter that housed jewelry and more knickknacks, she was drawing something in a notebook, singing and swinging her hips.
She had long brown hair that I could admire from where I was standing and her lips were ruby red, she still hadn’t seen me yet. I leaned against one of the wooden pillars and watched the show.
“...Hurt so good
Come on baby make it hurt so good
Sometimes love don't feel like it sh—ahhh!” A jar of rocks flies off the
counter, flung all over the floor.
Caught red handed, I made my way toward her, hands in the air unable to
hold in my laughter. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh. Ha.” She fumbled awkwardly, pushing her hair behind her ears and I finally
got a chance to see her face. I sucked in a breath, feeling a punch to my lower belly.
Her face was free of makeup, something that wouldn’t happen in my world, but her
cheeks are perfectly rosy and to match her adorable lips.
Adorable lips? Where did that thought come from?
“I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in!” She practically yelled in my face, her cheeks flaming red when she did.
She came around and dropped to the ground to gather the rocks, I crouched down and
helped pick up the different colored stones.
“It’s alright, I was admiring the place.” When I stood, I underestimated how close
I was to her and she and I bumped into each other, I steadied her with the hand now
holding the rocks.
“Oops! Ha! Sorry about that,” She smiled and for a moment I couldn’t seem to look
away. She was beautiful.
“All good.” I replied, smiling at her. She made her way around the counter again
and dumped the rocks back into the bowl. I tossed the ones in my hand in after her
and casually leaned against the counter.
“So,” She started after she stands straight again. She tucked her hair back again.
I’m guessing this was a nervous habit. “How can I help you today?” Her voice was too
loud for the small space we were in, her nervous antics made me smile.
Something I couldn’t seem to stop doing.
“I’m just browsing a bit. Enjoying the weather.” Enjoying the weather? That’s
really smart, Sebastian.
“Oh yeah, definitely! It’s great.” She paused and noticed her notebook open,
she snapped it closed before I could get a look. “So, are you local or just visiting?”
Eyeing her I said, “I’m just visiting my grandma.”
Her eyes softened. “Oh really? That’s so nice. Does she live nearby?”
“Woody Creek.”
“Close then. That’s great.” We entered a moment of silence while I thought of what to
say, I could just leave, but I wasn’t ready yet. Something seemed to be holding me in place.
I had a feeling I knew what it was.
“What’s your name?” I asked, sticking my hand out for her to shake. She took it
gently in hers.
“I’m Violet.” Her smile had me dumbstruck for a moment, when her eyes narrowed
a bit in question I realized she was waiting for my name.
“I’m Sebastian.” I grinned my most charming smile at her. It felt good to go by my
real name for once. It felt even better to say it to the woman in front of me and
as I walked back to my car to drive myself home, I couldn’t help but wonder why I cared
what Violet thinks.
~
The next day I took my time, hanging around the cabin, enjoying coffee on my deck
and watching the sun rise over the mountains. It was nice, not having a schedule or a plan I had to stick too.
It didn’t stop my internal clock from waking me early though.
The last eight years have been this way. Up early, work all day, and schmooze until I dropped at the end of the night.
It wasn’t an easy life. It was a lot of work and a lot of pressure.
Having my phone off the the last three days had been a reprieve that I needed more
than I thought, my mind was finally, blissfully quiet and I loved it.
I especially loved being in Colorado again. I forgot how beautiful it was here. Even
down on the foothills, you couldn’t get over the majestic views of the mountains. But Gran had the right idea to retire up here in the mountains, and I could see why she never wanted to leave.
Even though there was a hustle and bustle of people from time to time, the downtime
in between was a glorious break.
When my restless body needed to move, I get dressed quickly, slapping on a beanie
and surveying my growing beard, it worked to help conceal my identity a bit and while a beard wasn’t something I ever got used to, for now I was grateful for it.
I headed into town, driving my rental down the hill.
Walking the streets of downtown Aspen was somehow very relaxing. I looked up things
to do before I shut my phone down and made myself stopped trying to jam things into my days.
This was a vacation.
But none of those thoughts stopped me from wanting to head to the little shop in town
that housed a pretty brunette who was stuck in my mind. I had left shortly after our
introduction yesterday.
I hadn’t intended it to be so soon but as I walked past the coffee shop and saw her
sitting in a overstuffed chair inside, head bent over that notebook of hers and her hair
tossed on top of her head in a messy bun, I couldn’t stop myself from wandering inside.
I made my way to the chair next to her, thinking over what I wanted to say once I got
her attention and kept coming up blank. What was it about her that made me stumble
over my words?
Her head suddenly snapped up and her mouth creates a little o. “Uh, hey,” Her brows
furrowed. “Where did you come from?”
Without thinking I said, “God.”
She tilted her head and when she registered what I’ve said her lips tip up. “God, huh? Are you saying you’re an angel or something?”
I quirked a brow and took a seat. “Are you flirting with me Violet?”
Her eyes widened. “No!”
“No? What’s so wrong with that?”
“Oh, no! I don’t mean no like no... just, you know. No. Like I wouldn’t do that.” She
stuttered and I held back the laugh at the embarrassed blush that rose to her cheeks. “Not that I wouldn’t! Like... you know. I would.... Oh my God, please, please stop me now.”
I laughed then. “Don’t worry Violet, your crush on me is flattering. I won’t tell.”
“What?” Her chocolate colored eyes widened. “I don’t have a crush on you!”
“Violet, it’s okay.” I leaned closer like I’m about to divulge a secret. “It’d be hard not to,
I’m sure.”
She choked on a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Oh I’m sure.” Shaking her head she said, “You sure are full of yourself. What was it you said you did, again?”
My mouth, open for some sort of retort, paused. While Violet seems to be a normal,
trustworthy person, I didn’t want to spill my secret. Partially because I didn’t want to get
outed and the other part was, I liked being anonymous. I liked that she didn’t know who she was talking to.
Her reactions were real because she wasn’t trying to impress me.
And that brought me to the lie— or omission. “This and that. I’m on a little break right
now.”
“Right, staying with your grandma.” She nodded when the memory of what I told her
came back.
“Right.” I agreed. I checked my watch. “Which I need to head over to her now, I promised
I would do some yard stuff.”
For some reason, her expression became softer at that. Is that all it took? Being a
good grandson? This was in the bag. “I’ll pick you up at the shop at seven.”
“Wait, what?”
“Bye, Vi.”
Maybe I wasn’t not being very smart, getting involved with someone while I was trying to reconnect with myself, while I was trying to get away from the pressure of pleasing other
people.
I was a smart guy though, I wouldn’t let this go any further than just having a little fun.
Yay chapter three! I hope you enjoyed it. Look out for chapter four next week!