Cupcakes and Christmas - R.J. Scott Page 0,60

Who said he was young?” I teased because that was my safe place.

“We all know you have a crush on that Justin fellow. Spill.”

So I did.

Early the next morning I was at the parking lot first, standing by my Toyota with its winter tires and wondering if it would be me driving. Justin’s car was right there all big and luxurious, and I bet it had all the bells and whistles. Part of me hoped he would suggest driving.

“Morning!” he called, quickening his stride toward me, closely followed by Ivan along with Kristen, who hadn’t left to go home, and instead moved into Ivan’s room. As soon as Justin got near, he mouthed something that looked like couldn’t help it, sorry.

“Hi!” Ivan said jovially as he and Kristen reached us. “We have our stuff, and we were heading for the springs, Justin here said we could join you.”

Kristen shook her head. “Actually, what happened was, we met Justin in the elevator and found out we were all going to the same place, and Ivan here invited us to go with you.”

“It’s good. I’ve heard the springs are beautiful.” I defused Justin’s worry with a smile. “Who’s driving?” I tapped my trusty car, but Ivan was all about the big Ford.

“Justin, wanna show us what this beauty does?”

I wondered for a moment if Justin knew about cars, but he shrugged and held out the keys to Ivan. “We can take it, you drive.”

Ivan was in heaven. I sat in the back, and Justin gave up shotgun to Kristen, and that was cool.

Because in the back Justin and I could hold hands.

The hot springs weren’t far up into the mountains, and we got to see more of Banff and the surrounding area.

“It’s stunning,” Justin confessed. “I’d never been to Canada before this.”

“I hadn’t either,” I added.

Justin sighed. “In fact I never saw much of L.A. outside the stage when we filmed season one. All I recall is that I was exhausted the entire time I was there.”

“It’s fun this time,” Ivan and Kristen held hands for a brief moment before he returned his attention to the road.

“Even if one of us is out of the competition,” Kristen said without heat.

Ivan patted her arm. “I’ll be joining you soon, and then we get a real vacation together.” Ivan stared at Kristen as if she hung the stars.

“How did you meet?”

“At the last reunion, we chatted, spent two hours in the dark out the back just talking, and realized there was something there.” Kristen blew Ivan a kiss. “Love this big lug.”

“Love you too, Krissy.”

“That’s so cool.” Justin glanced at me.

I just squeezed his hand and sue me if I couldn’t stop grinning.

The baths weren’t busy when we arrived, snow was falling, and the flurries were icy cold but we all agreed we couldn’t come to Sulphur Mountain and not do the springs. We paid for tickets, then changed into our swimwear in the small cubicles. When we first arrived a faint scent of sulfur hung in the air, but weirdly enough the smell seemed to grow less noticeable after a few minutes.

“Probably burned our sense of smell or whatever,” Ivan said as he stuck a toe in the warm water. “None of us will ever be able to bake again.” He and Kristen went in and bobbed out of sight in the rising steam. I went to follow, only Justin wasn’t moving. He was eyeing the water with trepidation, freezing his ass off as snow floated around him.

“You need to get in. It’s warm in here.”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll stay out here.”

“What’s wrong?”

He looked from me to the mountain that loomed over the springs. “You ever see the movie Dante’s Peak?”

“I’m guessing it has a mountain in it?” I deadpanned.

He rolled his eyes at me, which was cute, then he hitched up his swim trunks, a bright red and orange pattern, the only ones that they sold in the lobby gift shop. I’d packed my own knowing I wanted to try out the springs, so mine was a more sedate dark blue, but he looked good in those bright colors. Admit it, he looks good in anything, and particularly nothing at all.

“For real, these two young beautiful people decide it’s a good idea to go into a hot spring and then just like that,” he snapped his fingers, “the volcano starts doing some crazy shit and boils the water, with them in it.”

“Well, that’s okay then,” I said and waited for him to take