Champagne Romance (Romance Novel)

  Bear’s eyebrows lifted a fraction and he had a difficult time stifling a grin. “Well, well,” he thought, “Leave it to Slater to crash on a mountaintop with some gorgeous chick. Further-more, perhaps my buddy, Slater, may well have boxed himself into some deep feelings from which he may never return,” he smiled. “It was about time.” Bear was finding the thought more than amusing. After all, everyone should have that feeling of being castrated for all women but one. With a chuckle to himself, he proceeded to climb in the front seat of the Black Hawk helicopter.

  Slater rarely looked back from any kind of confrontation in his personal or professional life--no exceptions. But, as the helicopter ascended into the dreary drab sky above, the forlorn call of the wild caused his gaze to rivet below to the devastation that he had left behind.

  The black devil had mounted the top of their makeshift home. His devoted clan gave homage to the great leader by surrounding and commiserating with their powerful general. His frustrated howl of not outwitting the enemy, his dead soldiers, or a cry of victory for chasing away the intruders in his territory continued as they retreated from this deserted ice land into civilization.

  The intelligence of this powerful wolf animal would probably turn the war experience into a conquest by establishing a new den within the tin tail dwelling that would house the pups his mate would bear him in the spring. One thing was for sure--he remained king. Slater gave this savage black creature a silent salute and promptly turned his attention back to the present.

  Swan was terrified. She remained exceptionally quiet, but the ordeal of a mass attack by creatures unknown and the flight of something airborne was driving her close to hysterics. Her only stabilizer was a stranger with whom she had intimate relations for the first time in her life. She clung to him with the tenacity that only pure terror could evoke. Slater felt her body language and understood her need as he once again gathered her close in his arms and tried to shelter her from the unfamiliar world that was crashing down upon her. For now, he was her solid rock and he accepted that. The gesture was not lost on his amused pals in the front seat.

  Bear was concentrating on the area below. Because of the blizzard storm, the burned area of the unfortunate Flight 330 blended into the mountainside and was camouflaged beneath a foot of debris and the snowy sustenance. There was no evidence of life, but because of the shortage of fuel and all spaces of their small craft were occupied, they radioed the location and continued their journey back to the nearest helicopter pad. When they landed, an ambulance was waiting and whisked the previous passengers of the ill-fated 707 to the emergency room of the nearest medical facility at the Breckenridge ski resort.

  Med-act finally persuaded Slater to let go of Swan and place her on the small gurney. Although they were separated by body, there was no way that they were going to pry their fingers apart. Slater’s stern frown booked no argument from either emergency worker as he climbed into the back of the ambulance. The door shut, the flasher was turned on, and they took off at top speed.

  The whole ordeal was an extremely emotional upheaval from which most people never survive without a lifetime of consequences. For Slater, it was business as usual, but for Swan and the ordinary “Joe” it was understandable very traumatic. Her head began to throb painfully. She soon escaped from the blaring siren of the moving med truck by retreating into the world of darkness. It swirled around her like a warm cozy blanket. She wasn’t afraid. She knew Slater was there protecting her and just maybe he even cared for her a bit.

  Slater knew the minute that Swan was no longer in the present. Her hand became limp, but he never let go. He continued to stroke her extremities and speak to her in a soothing and comforting voice. He only hoped that he was penetrating the fog that had encompassed her mind and caused her to enter a deep sleep beyond his reach.

  CHAPTER 12

  Previous memories began to intrude and fade away as Swan revisited her growing-up years. They were not “Happy Day” memories. Swan had had a difficult childhood that only escalated as a high school adolescent.

  A working mother whose only source of income was waiting tables at the local diner was the only parent Swan could remember. Her mother provided as best she could, but money was scarce as was her love and concern for Swan.

  Swan never knew her dad. He had disappeared when she was a toddler and had never resurfaced again. It was probably just as well as he was a predicted alcoholic and most certainly had long ago passed into another world.

  Because of Swan’s life in the low-income bracket, there were never enough coins to buy something new. It was a sacrifice to buy any clothing at all. So, when they went to the local second hand store, it was a special treat.

  Swan was always an exceptionally tall skinny child with frizzy red hair. As she grew older, nothing changed. The taller she grew, the more other children delighted in ostracizing her at every opportunity from grade school through high school. It was, especially, unpleasant during her growing stage, as she was nearly a head taller than even the boys. Her unruly medusa red hair made it impossible for her to blend into the woodwork, which is exactly where she most wanted to be.

  Unfortunately, one day a teacher made the mistake of using her middle name, Swan, when she was calling roll. The snickering vibrated around the entire school. It wasn’t too long before she was dubbed the “The Ugly Duckling” or just plain “Ugly”, which stuck with her through most of her school years. Just when the term seemed be dying down, out of necessity, glasses were perched on the tip of her nose. They were much too big for her face with totally outdated rims that had a way of “geekinizing” her even more.

  Swan’s humiliation became almost unbearable when other young girls began to realize that she was wearing “their” hand-me-downs from the second hand store. They would joke and tease her so much that she could hardly function.

  As she approached her senior year, Swan’s outward appearance began to change. She had a small job after school working as a “gofer” for a small advertising firm. Although it brought in a very small income, she was able to buy cheap clothing of her very own at Wal-Mart and Target. The new clothing fit her flourishing figure and it was not long before the opposite sex began to take notice. As it turned out, this was not necessarily a good thing.

  Billy Branson who was the high school star quarterback was the first to zero in on Swan’s blossoming bosom. He began to joke about it in the workout room. It wasn’t long before she was the butt of locker male humor whenever the topic arose and wouldn‘t it be a “hoot” to deflower “The Ugly Duckling”. It was a game they liked to play.

  The little game was more than a little disturbing when they began to be more aggressive with their sexual verbal assaults whenever the opportunity presented itself. Billy and his buddies became more and more brazen simply because they knew they could. They continued these sexual innuendos because they were typical cowards and because they enjoyed it. They also knew that they would not be pursued if a criminal act of rape were to take place. They were probably right.

  All of Billy’s little gang came from wealthy families and with that wealth came powerful friends in high places. Over the years, they had committed several minor crimes, which the local officers chose to overlook with very little encouragement. It was just a mentality that was accepted in this small community.

  Swan was no novice to this cruelty by her fellow classmates. She dealt with their obscenities and tried to cope with them the best she could as she always had.

  One evening as the sun was going down; Swan decided to walk back to the school to get an assignment that she had left in her locker. As fate would have it, Billy and his gang of buddies were hanging around the facilities’ parking lot in his high-powered four-wheeler truck drinking beer. The lot was empty except for a few unoccupied cars scattered throughout the area. They observed Swan entering through the open side door. This was the perfect opportunity that they could not pass up. Perhaps if they had not been drinking or perhaps if they had n
ot been goaded by each other, Swan’s nightmare may never have happened.

  The gang of four entered shortly behind Swan. The halls were silent except for an occasional squeak from their sneakers. They listened for any human activity. There it was on the top floor of the institution. They scrambled in that direction.

  After gathering up the necessary book and papers to complete her homework assignment, Swan slammed the locker door to proceed on her journey back home. Behind her, a cynical snicker alerted her that she was not alone. With a sickening feeling of dread, she whirled around. She was not prepared for what she saw.

  Four young men that looked like the Ku Klux Klan were standing behind Swan. Their faces were covered with white t-shirts. Swan did not doubt for one minute who had surrounded her. The one that she knew was Billy had a dirty rag in his left hand. She had no doubt that the situation boded ill for her.

  The ghastly gang began to taunt and tease. Swan tried to run, but she was no match for this football team. Although she was hysterically kicking and screaming, it was not long before they had roughly torn open her blouse, ripped off her panties, and spread her legs on the hard cement surface of the third floor of the high school. Stuffing the rag in her mouth, Billy began to unzip his jeans. It was at that point, the custodian flipped on the hall lights and the rapists all scattered like the cockroaches they were.

  The police were notified that a near rape had taken place in the halls of their small town alma mater. The law enforcement; however, of this minor town refused to believe such a thing had taken place in their community much less in their local high school. Neither Swan nor the janitor could identify the assaulters without a doubt because of their covered faces. So, it was cataloged in the police annals as a misdemeanor or a prank-- after all, boys will be boys.

  Two weeks later, Swan’s mom suffered a fatal heart attack. The day after the funeral, Swan left the good town of Edgerton, Pennsylvania and never looked back.

  It was only in later years that Billy Branson became a drug dealer and user. One day, he was fatally shot in the head and found in the gutter where he belonged.

  CHAPTER 13

  Swan sat quietly on the hard wooden bench of the bus depot waiting to board the Greyhound vehicle that belched out thick black smoke from its exhaust. This was Swan’s golden coach to another life and she was squirming inwardly with excitement.

  The husky bus driver finally climbed into the front seat of the elderly bus, started the ignition, and began collecting tickets. The soft seats were worn and a little stained in some areas, but Swan who was first in line, didn’t seem to notice as she found her seat at the front of the bus. For her, it was the grandest carriage she had even seen. This was her initial adventure into the unknown and she was thrilled about the days to come for the first time in her life.

  It was a beautiful sunshiny delightful day without a cloud in the sky. Swan hoped that this was an indication of good times ahead. She smiled, a rare moment in her lifetime, and crossed her fingers for a new and happier future.

  The Greyhound bumped over the Allegheny Mountains, which twisted and turned in the state of Pennsylvania from southwest to northeast. They were not the majestic mountains of the Rockies, but beautiful nonetheless.

  The wildlife dotted the Pennsylvania countryside and seemed to be thriving in abundance as it was a very mild winter. Female deer and an occasional stag were often seen eating the grain among the farm animals of dairy cows and hogs. Grouse and songbirds also blended into the green pastures with the mountain laurel and denuded hemlock trees. It was a typical scene that sprinkled the hills and valleys as each wild animal came out for their daily dinner.

  The bus accelerated through the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Swan with her face pressed against the glass only got a small glimpse of the capital with the state flag of royal dark blue that displayed the State Coat of Arms upon it. It flew at the very top of the dome, attracting the attention of visitors from many places around the country.

  The coach and its passengers continued to bump through Allentown. Strangers persistently got on and off the bus throughout the journey. It did not become crowded until they reached Philadelphia. It remained that way until they passed through the Holland Tunnel and arrived at their final destination in the NYC Port Authority. Then, everyone grabbed their bags or purses, formed a line to empty the bus, and dispersed in different directions.

  No one paid much attention to the tall fuzzy redheaded skinny woman in jeans, a light denim jacket, and a backpack slung over her shoulder. That in itself was a wonderful feeling as Swan looked up and viewed the magnificent New York skyscrapers.

  It was late morning and Swan with all her belongings in the world started down 42nd Street. She grabbed a quick burger at the nearest Mickey D’s where she found a discarded NY Times newspaper. In it, she found some information that gave her a direction. Tucking the Times under her arm, she caught a city bus to Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan. By darkness, she was checked into a crowded comfortable YWCA. She was grateful to take a warm shower down the hall and climb into a clean cozy bed where she dreamed of new friends and a new beginning.

  Swan awoke to the unfamiliar sound of busy city traffic. New York horns were honking, breaks were screeching, and obscenities were being shouted as “The Big Apple” began its morning. Pedestrians were hailing cabs and scurrying in different directions. Street vendors were setting up shop and merchants were opening their doors. A few leftover derelicts from the night before were hanging around the street corner. New York’s finest were patrolling the streets. It was a typical city scene.

  Swan pulled a V-neck black top over her head, stepped into some basic black pants, and generic black flats. She combed her unmanageable curly locks back from her face and put it in a ponytail. It made her aqua eyes look huge, but they were soon covered-up with the heavy rim of her glasses. Her final touch was a little lip-gloss and some cheap pearl earrings that had been purchased at Claire’s boutique. She grabbed her light jacket and headed for her first interview in the city of New York.

  Swan soon landed a job in another advertising agency with duties that were similar to the one she had in high school. It was a large agency and had many possibilities for advancement. It was exciting, busy, and pleasant. Her happiness began to show in her body language and personality. It wasn’t long before she began to make friends for the first time in her life.

  After six months, Swan’s responsibilities began to grow. She received her first raise and was being sent to agencies throughout the city to delivery information or act as a mini-embassy for her company. One Tuesday she walked into “World Glamour Models”. It was on that fateful day that her life did a one-eighty. It changed beyond her greatest hope or imagination.

  CHAPTER 14

  Swan awoke from unconsciousness to a familiar agitated voice. Slater was grilling the doctor. It might have been rather humorous, if her head had not begun to ache.

  “It has been three days and by god it’s time she woke up.”---As if on cue, a groan caught the attention of both men giving the doctor a reprieve from a cross examination from her Ace.

  Slater immediately jumped to her side, took her hand in his big one, and began to speak to her in soothing tones. “Come to me, Babe.”

  But, for Swan, as much as she wanted to obey him, could not cope with the pain and fell back into darkness. It was not until the next day that Swan began to cross the line back to the living. She opened her eyes, but to her grave disappointment, she saw nothing.

  A nurse was checking on Swan as she was beginning to wake up. She asked her how she felt.

  “I think better, but my head still hurts.” Swan swallowed an emotional swallow and continued with a shaky voice, “I still can’t see anything.”

  The doctor was making his morning rounds and soon entered Swan’s hospital room. Slater was right behind him with a cup of steaming coffee that he had picked up at the local Starbucks downstairs. He hovered over the doctor as he examined his pat
ient’s empty eyes. The pupils were no longer dilated, but vision still remained elusive. A local specialist was called to the scene. The doctor gave her very little encouragement. He only told Swan to get plenty of rest and perhaps the trauma that had affected her eyesight would heal as well. That was not the desired information, but Slater held her hand and reassured her that there were plenty of other avenues to explore at the center for the blind in Los Angeles.

  When Slater decided that Swan was being nursed back to health to his satisfaction, he boarded a plane to the John Wayne Airport to take care of some impending company business in Newport Beach, CA. He planned to return to Swan in Breckenridge two days later. In that time frame, Swan was dismissed from the hospital and evaporated from his life forever; severing any possibilities with the one woman that he might have had a serious relationship.

  Because Slater was not a relation, the hospital would not release any information about Swan. Slater was not adverse, however, to using his charm to get the information that would give him a hint as to where she had gone. What he found out made him furious! Swan had specifically instructed hospital records that HE was to be given nothing to give him an indication of her whereabouts! He could have pulled in some “markers” to get that information, but he was angry, he was frustrated, and he wasn’t going to do a damn dangle dance for anyone!

  CHAPTER 15

  Long before Breckenridge was a ski resort, it was the summer hunting ground for the Ute Native Americans. The Town itself was established in 1859 as the call of gold beckoned many white settlers to cross the Continental Divide. Twenty years later, it was a flourishing town with their fair share of saloons, dance halls, churches, a school, bank, post office, and several other establishments. It continued to grow as silver was discovered and another wave of hopeful fortune hunters began to invade the growing boomtown community. Much of the Breckenridge establishments disappeared as it entered the twentieth century. In the late 1800’s, this little town tried to achieve the status of a ghost town with a population of around 250---it failed.