"Guess we’re spending the night then, aren’t we?"


"Yep, looks that way."


A chill swept through the inside of the helicopter as the door opened and a tall form climbed in. "Whew! That’s a little cold out there." The surgeon settled into her customary seat. "Stuck for the night, aren’t we?" She posed her question to her teammates.


The nurse and the pilot slowly nodded their heads while their faces turned into beaming smiles at the prospective of being down for the night. Within seconds the giggling started as Danni reached for her small bag of clothing and Garrett grabbed her duffel. They looked up to the pilot.


"Hey, I told you I always have extra socks. What do you think I carry in that flight case?" He laughed as he pointed to the large bag that was to carry all of his maps and navigational tools. "I don’t need much room for a map of the Tri-state area. Got to keep them from bouncing around somehow. You ever try reading off of a dog-eared page?"


Garrett shook her head at the antics of the pilot. "Only you, Cowboy, only you."


"Well, I for one vote that we get out of these Flight suits and relax a little, what do you say?" The young nurse was feeling excited. "I wonder if any of the people from work are staying over. I know that some of them did last year."


"Speaking of staying over, I think we better go and see about getting some rooms." The surgeon patted her zippered pocket holding her wallet. "Never leave home without one." She unzipped the pocket and pulled out her ever-present credit card. "I’ll take care of the rooms." Garrett winked and threw open the door, heading for the main lodge.


"Hey! Wait up for me." Danni was scrambling out the door.



* * *

The late hour and the weather conditions on the mountain had sealed their fate, just like most of the skiers there. The best that Garrett was able to muster even with the corporate clout of the hospital and the medivac company behind her, was a single room for the night. The harried desk clerk had apologized but there was nothing more that he could offer to them, aside from sleeping in the halls or lounges warmed by the ever-glowing wood stacked fireplaces of the resort.


The surgeon looked down at the single set of keys that she held in her hand. ‘Well, at least we got a room.’ She turned away from the desk and looked over to her crew. ‘I’ve shared less space with guys on the submarine. Besides, it’s only for a night.’ Garrett took in a breath and shrugged her shoulders as she walked over to her team.


"So what did you get us? What floor are we on? Oh…." Danni looked up at Garrett her eyes twinkling like a child’s on Christmas morning. "Or did you get us a cabin, instead?"


"Hmm…." Garrett thought for a moment, "A room, the second and sorry, no." She watched the twinkle slowly fading from Danni’s gaze as the petite woman slowly associated the words to her earlier questions.


Then the green eyes flashed with a new brilliance as her eagerness bubbled over into her speech; "You got us a suite!"


"No, sorry, just a room. It’s all that they had left." Garrett felt bad that she had to burst the child-like excitement of her friend.


"Hey, at least we won’t have to sleep in the helicopter." Danni, the eternal optimist, tried to make light of the situation at hand. "What do you say we get rid of our bags and get changed while we’re at it."


Cowboy looked around. "You ladies go on. I’m going to get me a cup of java and warm up a bit first over there by the fire."


Garrett handed him one of the room keys. "Then take this, you’ll need it to get into the room."


"Thanks, Doc. I’ll see you a little later at dinner."



* * *

The sound of metal interacting with metal could faintly be heard as Garrett turned the key, unlocking the door to their room. Standing at the threshold, both women stood peering into the blackness, each one conjuring up in their own mind what they hoped the room would hold.


Danni’s head swam with thoughts of soft candlelight and gentle sounds of intimate mirth brought on by the shared revelations of emotions long held in. She closed her eyes tightly, offering a prayer that they would not be met with rejection as she took that first step into the unknown. Her right hand slowly inched along the wall on the left side of the doorframe in search of the switch as she leaned further into the room. The nurse’s mind thought about how much time she had spent in the dark to her own feelings. Now, could she illuminate the room and possibly what was to become of this newfound life of hers all at the same time. One, hopefully, that would include the dark-haired woman next to her as well.


Danni’s fingers felt the switch as she accidentally turned it on. The glaring brilliance of the light caused her to squint in an effort to shield her eyes, just like her mind had shielded her growing up. Never once had she thought of a woman as she did now. Why all of a sudden was there a change? Was it her or was it fate that had finally taken the nurse’s blinders off? It was like seeing a marvelous jewel for the first time, dazzling the eye and tempting the senses.


Slowly the radiance dulled, revealing a typically set up hotel room, complete with a large king-sized bed and a small love seat off to one side. Danni thought about her own queen-sized bed at home and how she made use of all of its abundant space. ‘Hmmm…guess it will be big enough for the two of us…well, maybe if we get real close.’ She giggled to herself at that thought. Her head turned enough to take the tall woman next to her into her view. Out of the corner of Danni’s eye, she could see the thoughtful expression etched on the surgeon’s face. ‘I guess I’d feel the same way if I liked having my own space all the time. Maybe I could…’


"Mind if I take the bathroom first?" Garrett threw her duffel bag down on the desk along the wall.


The voice startled Danni out of her thoughts. "No, go ahead. I’ll just get my things ready."


The tall woman nodded then moved into the bathroom and closed the door.


The nurse sighed deeply and ambled over to the other side of the bed. "Now, let’s see what’s in store for the night." She plunked her bag down on the huge bed, removed her leather jacket, and started to assemble her clothing to change into.


Garrett stood looking into the mirror, her face showing signs of disappointment. "Well, at least we have a room." Her voice was not very enthusiastic. "I’ve shared before." ‘Space, Gar, that’s all you’ve ever shared with anyone,’ the little voice crept into her brain. She let her hand wash over her face trying to rub away the guilt of never really being able to let another human get close to her. It had been so simple before, why wasn’t it now? What had changed to make her even feel guilty now? "Maybe if I freshen up I’ll feel better." The surgeon lingered, trying to make herself feel more at ease with her own reflection until she finally gave up with a shake of her head. ‘I’ll just get my toiletry bag.’ She reached for the doorknob and slipped out into the next room.


The surgeon grasped her duffel and quickly untied the flap. Grabbing the small bag that she used for her call nights, Garrett turned and caught an eyeful as she stopped abruptly. A few seconds was all that it took for the tall woman to become embarrassed that she was seeing her friend in the act of dressing. Slack jawed and mesmerized she stood there, unable to move, her hand holding tightly onto the toiletry bag.


The petite nurse hadn’t heard the door open as she started to slide her jeans on over her sock-covered feet. Tugging at the waistband of the jeans, she extended her left leg allowing the denim to slide up along the curve of her calf. The strong musculature of her legs was becoming evident in her actions as she shifted from side to side, the soft faded material inching over them easily. The higher up the material rose, the more it clung to the underlying form that held it in place.


Danni straightened up, letting her gaze sweep upward from the bed that she was facing. There, across the room, she locked gazes with blue eyes that were transfixed on her. The exchange of information was inevitable from one to the other as longing haunted each of them in the recesses of their minds. Within seconds, Danni realized that she was standing there, practically nude and facing the woman that was gnawing at her very soul.


The blush of embarrassment started as Danni thought about the lace trimmed underwear that she had brought along, hoping that Garrett would see her in. She’d changed into them and now her wishes had come true. Her presence of mind was coming back to her as she quickly turned her back to the tall woman.


Garrett could sense the embarrassment as she watched the woman suddenly turn in an attempt of modesty. Or was it? Now, the surgeon could clearly see the full contour of the nurse's buttocks as revealed by the almost non-existent thong. The blue eyes watched as the rear portion of the waistband snuggled just under the smooth looking skin of the petite woman’s derriere.


It was at that exact moment that Danni realized she was now giving more of a show than she was before. ‘By the gods!’ Danni paused only momentarily before she hurriedly shifted the material, allowing it to slink smoothly over the posterior portion of her body falling into place at her waist. She sighed at her own thoughtlessness as she fumbled with the button. ‘What’s she going to think of me now? I must look like some floozy to her.’ Danni grabbed for her sweater and held it up to her chest as she turned to look back at her stunned friend. Her eyes opened to see no one. Darting from corner to corner she searched for the tall familiar form only to find it gone. The sound of bathroom door closing stopped her from hunting any further.