You look so self-possessed, I won’t disturb your rest. It’s lovely when you’re sleeping but wide awake is best.

The mingled aromas of brewing coffee and frying bacon gently teased Kayla awake. She found a big fluffy bathrobe and wrapped it around herself as she followed her nose to the suite’s kitchen. Bob stood at the range armed with a stainless steel spatula, flipping one of his patented French Toast breakfast sandwiches, her favorite.

The girl quietly crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his back.

“Mmmm, morning Babygirl.” He moved the sandwich from the cast iron skillet to a plate and bent to pull a baking sheet full of perfectly crisp bacon from the oven. “Breakfast is served.”

She waited for him to put the pan down before moving around to his front and standing on her tiptoes to give him a warm kiss. “You know, old man, I love you.”

Not the first time she’d said it. “I know, Babygirl.” When she said it she meant she loved him as a friend. Maybe as a big brother or even a surrogate parent.

“No. I…” he shut her up by planting another kiss on her mouth. “Eat. It’s getting cold.”

A little while later, comfortably sated, Kayla had dressed and was about to depart. Bob was in the process of cleaning up when she once more approached him. “Bob…”

“Have a good day hon. I’ll see you later.”

“God damn it, Bob! Let me talk.”

He looked like a deer in headlights, and was about to reply but thought better of it and shut his mouth.

“I love you. I mean it. I love you you idiot. I get that I have to share you, but I don’t want to.” Tears were pouring down her cheeks now. “I think I have for a long time. I think maybe I have since day one. You’re kind and you care and that’s why I’ll deal with sharing you because I know there’s enough love in you for all of us. But I need you to know that I love you…”

She grabbed him, kisses him hard, and walked toward the door. Just before she closed it she turned to look him in the eye and finished her statement. “…Daddy.”

As the door closed behind her Bob sighed.

Yep. I’m fucked.

He’d just finished his shower and was toweling off as he walked into the bedroom. There, on the bed again (which had clean sheets and was made with hospital corners to boot) was an outfit set out for him. This time it involves jeans and a turtleneck, and in addition to that a pair of snow pants and a Gortex jacket.

Guess I’m going skiing today.

This is the point that he noticed that the room had been completely redecorated while he was in the shower. Fuck, there’s even a different carpet.

I may never get used to this place.

He’d just finished getting dressed and was in the midst of drinking a bottle of water when the knock came at the door. He rose to answer it and was relatively surprised to find not Cassie but one of the neckbeards. “Mornin’ Highpockets. I’m s’posed to get yinz to yer date with Miz Cassie. She’s ‘spect’n’ ya at the top o’ Lost Boy. We gotta get ya outfitted wi’ skis ‘n’ boots ‘n’at.”

He couldn’t tell which was more disconcerting, the oversized Pittsburgh Penguins jersey the dwarf was wearing or the horrible parody of Pittsburghese it was speaking.

Lost Boy turned out to be a double black on the north face of the mountain. Bob dropped off the lift and pushed himself away from the. Hair before it caught him in the ass. In front of him was the open window of The Warming Hut, a sort of coffee kiosk. Sitting on a chair was Cassie. Bob had never really looked at Cassie as a romantic prospect before; sure he had noticed her phenomenal rack, but usually she hid her figure, either under bulky street clothes or the shapeless chef’s coats and aprons of the kitchen. Her ski gear wasn’t much of a change from that, but he couldn’t have been more pleased to see her.

“Hey Boss.”

“Not sure that’s really the case anymore Bob.”

“Hrm… guess not. So…”

“Oh sit down, you dork. Have a cup of coffee.”

There had always been some tension between him and Kayla, but time spent with Cassie was… comfortable. It was easy to just be with her, no pressure, nothing to be surprised by. Cass and he had hit it off almost immediately, bonding over similar palates and quickly finding common ground in their preferred nerdities. If he were to be honest with himself he’d have to admit that she was probably his best friend at this point in his life. So just talking with her is like putting on a comfortable pair of pajamas.

They finished their coffee and were slowly duck walking their way to the head of the trail. “So what’s the plan today?”

“If you catch me, I might tell you.”

“What…?” But she’s already gone, having launched herself onto the slope.

(Title: ‘Wake Up and Make Love To Me’ by Ian Dury & The Blockheads)