"I'm heading into Calgary tonight to meet with some reps that are trying to sell me a different kind of board. Do you want to go out for dinner?" Hudson asked as he slipped his board back into his bag. The words came out casually like they always did with him and at this point in my career with them I was getting used to this kinds of requests.

"There are different kinds of snowboards?" I said dumbly. At that all four of my snowboarders turned and just gawked at me. I'm sure if anyone else on the mountain had heard me I would've gotten the same reaction. "Right, I'm obviously joking," I lied.

"They're offering me an extruded base, but I prefer sintered," Hudson explained. "I wouldn't usually entertain the idea, but they've been pretty persistent and I haven't gone back to extruded since I originally transitioned out of it. It might be time to try it out again and I'm not one to turn down free stuff."

"What's the difference?" I wondered as I hoisted my camera backpack onto my shoulder. Once again all of the men stared at me in disbelief, but I rolled my eyes this time. "Come on, if I started pulling out photography lingo you would have no idea what I was talking about. I know how to get the good shots, not do the tricks. You're paid for snowboarding and I'm paid to snap the pictures."

"They're different bases on the snowboards," Graydon assisted. He was still so willing to offer up his kindness. "Sintered is more dense and absorbs wax better making it faster on the snow. However, it needs to be waxed more often, is more expensive, and they're usually harder to repair. Extruded is the obvious choice-"

"Yeah, maybe if you constantly damage your board by hitting rocks and shit. Rush won't pay to keep replacing your expensive boards so they make you use cheap shit," Tyson interrupted, his words sharp and cutting but his smile humorous. After our weekend together in Whistler I was starting to understand him a little better. True, I was still guarded because of everything he had done previously, however I was beginning to realize that being brash and harsh was just a part of him. In those rare moments that he had no one to impress he could be really sweet.

While the men continued to banter on and on about things I didn't understand I packed up my car and started it up. My question had been answered and I wasn't going to stick around for this great debate that could probably take hours.

"So, what do you say?" Hudson asked, his voice low and quiet as he left the arguing group and helped me put my final bag in my trunk.

"I'd love to, but I already agreed to go out with my sister. Maybe next time?" I offered, tossing him an apologetic smile.

"Or you can invite your sister to come with us?" he suggested, like it was no big deal. "I found this place that just released a new poutine. Can you even imagine what a maple chicken poutine tastes like because I can't."

"Oh, a maple chicken poutine, you really are pulling out all the stops for me. You're trying to hit my love of poutines and my sweet tooth all in one shot. Sounds like a risk to me."

"If you think it's a risk then let's put a wager on it. You hate the poutine and the place then we go back to shooting only in the park for a weekend. No hip deep snow, no threats of avalanches, just packed snow and simple jumps."

That was a more enticing offer than he knew. Despite the warm gear he had gotten me the snow was still finding its way underneath, soaking my clothes. By the end of the day I was freezing and wet and usually grumpy because of it. A weekend in the terrain park sounded like a dream in comparison.

"And if I love it what do you get?"

"Bragging rights I guess and another weekend when I get actually touch fresh powder that hundreds of eight year olds haven't snow plowed over."

"Alright, deal. I'll text my sister and tell her plans have changed."

As I expected Jen was all over it. When I called her from my car she practically squealed in my ear then shouted at Richard to tell him the good news. She insisted several times that it was a double date but I profusely disagreed though the idea of going on a date with Hudson made my cheeks warm to the touch.

I drove home with a small, but nervous smile on my lips. I told myself over and over again that this wasn't a date. It couldn't be. We worked together and I had made myself a promise. But there was something about Hudson. The way he smiled with such gentleness warmed my heart and when I had seen him shirtless I had lost my breath. He had offered to let me stay in his apartment without a thought and even let me use his clothes and sleep in his bed. Plus, there was no hiding the fact that I was physically attracted to him. Who wouldn't be with those muscular arms and tight abs.

But this wasn't going to be a date. No man was brave enough to invite a girl's family on a first date unless he was crazy and I had already told him multiple times that I wasn't on the market for a new man.

Those thoughts didn't matter when I got to my new apartment. I weaved through the kitchen, laying all my clothing out on the second hand table because there was no way all of my outfit options could be presented so obviously in my shoebox room. I couldn't remember the last time that I had put so much effort into getting ready.

In the end I was wearing dark skinny jeans that hugged my hips just right, black heels, and a knitted blouse that tied at the hip. My hair was pulled back in a high pony tail while my lips were painted a soft pink, my eyelids shimmering and my cheeks glowing with high lighter. Each time I looked in the mirror I wondered if I was trying too hard or not trying hard enough.

However, I used my good sense to ask Jen for a ride. At the very least my sister would have the good sense to keep me from going home with him tonight. I prayed I wouldn't let myself slip that far but that damn smile was more powerful than I had originally thought.

~~~Question of the Day~~~

What super power do you wish you had?