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isitgintimeyet · 4 years

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Just A Friend

The response to this story has been lovely, so thank you all for reading. liking, reblogging and commenting on this piece of fluff. Hope you continue to enjoy.

Thanks to @wickedgoodbooks for the beta

AO3

Chapter 6: From Irritation to Interrogation

And just like that, we’re friends, Jamie and I. It’s strange how quickly you can go from strangers to acquaintances to friends. After that walk in the park, something seems to have clicked with us, there’s an ease in our friendship that doesn’t happen too often. Despite our vastly different upbringings, we have many things in common: a shared love of irreverent comedy, a fondness for very good quality chocolate and wine and a determination to succeed in our chosen careers.

Of course, it helps that we don’t have the whole fancying-sexual-tension-romantic thing lurking in the background. As I’ve said before, Jamie is not my type and, judging by the pictures on his Facebook timeline, I am definitely not his, which appears to be doe-eyed, tanned, petite blondes— their pneumatic breasts frequently struggling to break free from their restraints. No tall, wild-haired brunettes with only-slightly-above-average breasts usually firmly encased in sensible lingerie.

I may even invite him to Geillis’ wedding as my plus one. We’ll see. I don’t think I’ll be dating by then, I quite fancy a few months without any of those complications.

********

One of life’s pleasures, for me, when I’m not on-call, is to walk to the local newsagents on a Sunday morning for the newspaper. If it’s fine, it’s another opportunity to sit on my balcony and read it at my leisure. A mug of freshly brewed coffee and a cinnamon bun enhances this experience.

Today, it’s not so fine, but sitting on my sofa while listening to the rain pounding against the window is pretty good too. I’m just about to start the crossword when my phone rings. I quickly swallow my mouthful of bun and glance at the screen—private number. I offer up a silent prayer that it’s not the hospital as I answer it.

“Claire Beauchamp?” The female voice sounds familiar.

“Yes.” I answer cautiously.

“Jes’ a wee word of warning. Karma can be a bitch, ye ken.” The voice grows louder and angrier. I recognise that tone, last heard berating Jamie. “Ye’ll get what ye deserve. Ye canna trust James Fraser, but ye’ll find out soon enough—the hard way, like I did… thanks tae ye.”

“Look, I—“ I begin, but before I can finish my sentence, she’s gone.

My initial reaction is irritation. Laoghaire, no doubt looking around for someone to blame for her recent break up, has cast me in the role of home wrecker, clearly using my carefully honed feminine wiles to lure Mr. Fraser from her clutches. Like Frank, she can’t quite believe that anyone could break up with her, without there being another waiting in the wings, ready and willing to take her place.

My irritation dissipates as I begin to see the funny side of this. She’s obviously thought long and hard about this—checking his Facebook friends, keeping records of his phone calls when they were together. Perhaps she sees herself as Jennifer Aniston against my Angelina. I hope Jamie can see this for what it is and laugh. Besides, in this scenario, that makes Jamie what? Brad Pitt?

*****************

Two days later, Jamie and I have arranged to have a quick drink after work in a mutually convenient bar. Summer has not yet returned to the city. Whilst not actually raining, the air is damp and there’s a definite nip in the air. I do a cursory check of the outdoor seating, just to see whether Jamie is heroically braving the elements, but there’s no sign of him.

I make my way into the bar and have a quick walk around before snagging a corner table. The seats are comfortable and it’s in a prime position for me to keep an eye out for his arrival. This bar has always been one of my favourites in the city. It feels grounded, like it’s been here forever. The stone walls and dark oak beams are unchanging and watching the inebriated trying to negotiate the uneven wooden floor on their way to the toilets always makes for good entertainment. In fact, people come from miles around to marvel at its very crookedness.

I check my phone for any messages. There’s one from Geillis, accepting my invitation for girls’ night on Friday at my flat. I reply and put the phone down just in time to see Jamie heading toward me. He’s obviously come straight from work as he’s still in his navy blue suit and white shirt. I’ve come straight from work too but am not nearly so smartly dressed. Having worn my blue scrubs all day, I’m now clad in jeans and a wrap around top which used to be orange, but has faded to a light amber colour. I feel somewhat underdressed next to him.

“Drink?” He asks, before even sitting down.

I nod. “I’m parched. Think I’ll have a shandy, please.”

“Lager shandy? Half pint?”

“Bitter,” I clarify, not being a great believer in girlie drinks. “And pint.”

He returns a couple of minutes later with a pint and a packet of crisps in each hand.

He takes a huge slug of beer. “Sae, what do ye ken? What’s new wi’ ye?”

And so, I recount my day of surgery to him. And, bless him, he looks interested all the way through my narration. He does turn a bit pale as I begin to explain my use of the bone mallet and chisel, and his crisps remain untouched, but he soldiers through.

“In other news,” I change the subject as his colour returns and he rips the crisps open. “I had an anonymous phone call from your ex, warning me about you and blaming me for your break up. But, never fear, I’ll get what’s coming to me when you do the same to me—“

A bout of coughing from Jamie breaks into my conversation. I get up and thump his back a couple of times. The coughing stops as he takes a swig of beer.

“Sorry,” he clears his throat and continues. “Crisp stuck in ma throat. She did what? How does she ken who ye are?”

“Presumably she kept a record of your phone calls and is monitoring your Facebook friends. Maybe you need to check your phone, see if she’s set up any other little apps so she can track where you are or what you’re doing.”

He shakes his head. “Aye, I’ll do that. I canna believe she would go tae such lengths. Although…” he pauses for a moment. “... mebbe I can. She was always the, er, suspicious type—asking me about women at work, convinced they were ready tae pounce on me. Perhaps I’m not the best judge of character, Claire. Ye need tae advise me.”

I laugh. “Ok. I’ll be your wingman, if you like. Or vet all your potential girlfriends. How about that?”

Jamie joins in with the laughter. His eyes twinkle and it’s funny the way he wrinkles his nose as he laughs.

“How about you? How’re the Spanish influenced dinners going? What are you up to?” I ask him.

“The plans are going grand. We’ve three dinner options planned out.” As usual, his face lights up as he explains the various menus to me.

“They all sound delicious. I’m looking forward to trying them.” And that's the truth.

“Weel, funny ye should mention that. We are looking fer people willing tae test them. How about it? Fancy trying one out? This week, mebbe? Free, of course.”

My weekend plans are getting better and better. Girls’ night at my flat could be turning into a bit of a Spanish fiesta, a mini replay of our Barcelona trip.

“I’d love that. Thanks. I’m having Geillis, Mary and Anna ‘round on Friday for a catch up. I could give you their opinion on the meal too.”

Jamie types something into his phone. “Great, I’ll sort it. So, good weekend plans then?”

“Oh yes, what about you?”

“Oh, I’ve got a sort of date type thing,” he mumbles into his pint and, to my surprise he goes a little bit red. Is he worried about telling me? Does he think that I will mind?

“That’s nice...isn’t it?”

“I dinna ken, really. I… I suppose so. It’s ma sister, Jenny’s, idea. A friend of hers from university. Ma sister canna quite believe that I’m no’ yet married and she keeps trying tae make it happen. And Jenny, weel, let’s jes’ say that she’s a force of nature. Ye dinna want tae mess wi’ her.”

***************

I’m not exactly the most gifted cook, but I think it would be hard to go wrong with the box of food and wine that Jamie has delivered. The asparagus is waiting to be cooked, the mouth-watering smell from the simmering chicken and chorizo fills my flat and bowls of juicy Spanish olives— some plain and some with garlic and chilli are dotted about the dinner table. Feeling inspired, I root out a large jug and begin to cut up fruit for sangria.

Like alcohol-seeking missiles, I’ve no sooner prepared the sangria when the doorbell rings. With many hugs, Geillis, Mary, Anna and I greet each other. I accept their gifts of wine, chocolate and flowers as we head into the flat.

As usual, everyone gravitates to the kitchen as I pass the drinks around, complimenting me on the wonderful aromas. Geillis’ stomach rumbles in eager anticipation.

When the four of us are together, the conversation flows as freely as the wine. Honestly, you would swear that we had not seen each other for months, when, in fact, I saw Anna on Tuesday in theatre, and squeezed in a coffee catch-up with Mary and Geillis only two days ago. The topics we cover are wide-ranging and random. Sangria and olives are accompanied by Anna’s search for a new flat, then the conversation turns to the destructive tendencies of Mary’s kitten as I serve the asparagus and Serrano ham starter.

For the main course, we have the tale of Geillis’ father refusing to wear a kilt for her wedding—he is prepared to don tartan trews but, according to Geillis, that will spoil the whole symmetry of the wedding photos. Neither, at the moment, seem willing to back down but, having known Geillis for so many years, it’s obvious to me who will win.

By the time I bring out the selection of Spanish biscuits and turrón, the conversation has moved on to men, more specifically Mary’s crush on a locum doctor newly arrived in the department. There’s a lot of good natured teasing about this—Mary seems to develop a new crush every couple of weeks, and why not?

Geillis drains her wine and turns to me. “Fantastic meal, Claire. Better than yer usual offerings.”

She pulls me close to her as she says this, and squeezes my arm to show she’s joking.

“Well, I have to confess. I did have a bit of assistance. I mean, I did the cooking, apart from the cookies, but everything came from FraserFood.”

“In that case, give me those chocolates back. I’m no’ sure ye’ve earned them.”

“But I have,” I moan. “I did all the cooking…and made sangria.” I reach across Geillis and help myself to another biscuit. They are melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

“It’s part of a new range they’re launching,” I try to explain as Anna and Mary start to squabble over the last biscuit. “Three course dinner party boxes. Everything you need. Jamie asked if I would test one of them out—“

Immediately Anna and Mary shut up, the last biscuit now abandoned on the plate.

“Woo-hoo,” Anna grins at me.

Geillis nudges me in the ribs. “Jamie, is it? And what else has Jamie given ye, eh?”

“Nothing, we’re friends, that’s it.”

“But we’ve seen pictures of him. Don’t ye want there tae be more tae it? I mean, c’mon look at him.” Now Mary joins in the questioning.

I sigh. “We can just be friends, you know.”

“Friends with benefits, mebbe?” Geillis isn’t giving up.

“No, just friends. Although…” my friends lean forward expectantly, perhaps awaiting some heartfelt confession from me, as if I’d suddenly realised my undying love, or, at least, a good bit of lust for Mr. Fraser. They’re going to be disappointed.

“...Although, I suppose you could say this free food and drink is a benefit. So,yes, I guess that makes us friends with benefits.”

Anna and Geillis look as if they don’t believe me, but say nothing. Mary isn’t prepared to drop the subject.

“So,” she starts. “So, suppose I meet yer—“

“Not mine,” I mutter under my breath.

Mary shrugs her shoulders and continues, “—yer Jamie Fraser. And suppose he asks me out and one thing leads tae another… ye’re telling us that ye wouldna mind?”

“No, I wouldn’t mind. Might be a bit awkward if you break up. I mean, can I still be friends with both of you?”

Geillis, laughing, joins in now. “Suppose our Mary marries Jamie Fraser and asks ye tae be a bridesmaid. Would ye mind then?”

I pretend to give this some thought. “Ah, now that does depend. Just how awful will the bridesmaid dress be, Mary?”

“Och, just hideous. We’ll be having a Disney themed wedding.”

All talking and laughing at once, we try to decide which would be the worst Disney outfit for a bridesmaid and finally settle on Moana.

I get up from the table to go and make coffee, but not before making one final statement on the whole platonic situation with Jamie.

“Look, I know it’s hard to believe, but I have no romantic interest in Jamie and neither does he. In fact, he told me that he’s got a date this weekend and that’s totally fine with me.”

Geillis grabs my hand in passing. “Ok, as long as ye’re fine. We jes’ dinna want ye getting hurt, Claire. We love ye too much fer that.”

I smile at my closest friends gathered around my table and feel a rush of warmth and love for them too. They’re my family, these girls, and, for all the joking and teasing, they have my best interests at heart.

“I know. Thank you for looking out for me. But, Jamie and I are friends, nothing more.”

And with that I head into the kitchen, giving Anna, Mary and Geillis, no doubt, the opportunity to continue to speculate about Jamie’s and my friendship. But really I don’t mind, they’ll get fed up soon enough when they see I’ve been telling the truth all along.

#outlander fanfiction #outlander fanfic #Just A Friend #Jamie Fraser #Claire Beauchamp #Chapter 6

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localfreshies · 8 years

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New Post has been published on Local Freshies | Be a local wherever you go

New Post has been published on http://localfreshies.com/lookout-pass-snowiest-ski-resort-idaho/

On the Lookout for the Snowiest Ski Resort in Idaho

Where is the snowiest ski resort in Idaho? Is it Sun Valley? How about Schweitzer? Nope. It’s a small spot nestled on the border between Montana and Idaho called Lookout Pass. With nearly 400″ of snow annually, our Idaho road trip wouldn’t be complete without releasing our inner powder hounds on their snowy slopes. But, first things first… it’s breakfast time. Asking around, we heard the Red Light Garage is a sure thing to start our day in “Historic Wallace.”

A Huckleberry Pancake the size of your Head

Classic license plates & street signs in Red Light Garage

Loading up our gear, we slowly meander our way to the restaurant. Immediately stepping through the front door, we’re impressed with the atmosphere. It’s cozy and eclectic. The walls are checkered with license plates and memorabilia dating back to the 20’s & 30’s, while in one corner sits a working jukebox filled with classic rock from the 50’s & 60’s. Decades of history harmoniously living together!

Sitting down, we start with two cups of coffee and a couple of menus. Not knowing what they’re famous for, we ask Dirk, our server, what we should get. With a friendly smile, he suggests homemade biscuits and gravy with a huckleberry pancake. Yup, I said pancake not pancakes. The pancake is massive… The size of a dinner plate and boy is it good! It’s a bit denser than a normal pancake and filled with lots of huckleberries. The bitterness of the fruit matches perfect with the syrup and sweeter pancake batter. Their specialty though is the biscuits and gravy. The soft biscuits are covered in a thick homemade sauce that is spicy with little peppery notes. Both meals are just the right size allowing us to finish them without feeling over stuffed. With our stomachs full, it was time to head out.

A Tea Room and Moose Antlers for Sale

A great example of a classic taxidermy mount at North Idaho Trading

With uncharacteristically cold weather lingering and no new snow reported, we weren’t in a rush to get to the slopes until it warmed up a bit. This was the perfect chance to check out the town. Wallace is not your typical destination. In an old Hardware Store, you have Price Tag Antiques & Silver Tea Room, an antique shop with an official tea room. Next door is the North Mountain Idaho Trading company filled with vintage guns and amazing taxidermy items like moose antlers for $30/lb. You’re definitely going to experience things you wouldn’t see anywhere else. We meet up with Dave again, from last night’s dinner, but this time he has company. Ryder, a newer transplant to Wallace, also has a shop in town that we needed to see.

A professional bull rider becomes a high end boot designer

A self made man, Ryder Gauteraux started making chaps for himself during his time as a professional bronc rider. They were so good that people started requesting other leather items like purses and even cowboy boots. He knew he couldn’t rodeo forever and needed something else. With such a growing demand for his leather, why not do it for a living? His can do attitude transformed his craft into a full time successful business called Gauteraux and Co.

Custom cowboy boots… From the wild to your closet!

The major obstacle for Ryder was finding alligator skins for his boots. All the best hides were coming through a tannery in Georgia but he couldn’t buy the volume he needed. He figured out that if you provide your own ‘gator, they’ll tan it for you without any issue. Connecting the dots, he remembered a friend telling him the best alligator skins were from SE Texas. That particular region is clay instead of swamp so the alligator population has less competition, translating to fewer fights and scars. Now every spring, Ryder gets his tags, goes down TX, and hunts 25 alligators himself. He processes the meat and gets the hides tanned ensuring he has the leather needed for his custom boot orders. Some of his clients even join his hunts, making it a truly customized experience.

Ryder’s workshop has everything in its place & a place for everything

After a tour of his workshop, it was time to hit the snow and get some turns in. Before we left, we made sure to schedule another meetup with Ryder at his coffee shop 6th and Cedar AND to check out the old historic hotel he was renovating.

Snowiest Ski Resort in Idaho

Lookout Pass Ski Patrol lodge

Hopping onto I-90, we did the quick 20 minute drive up to the snowiest ski resort in Idaho, Lookout Pass. Arriving around 11 AM, the sun shone brightly even though it was still a bit brisk outside. In the parking lot, there were only a handful of cars, and remember, it’s almost lunch time! This was going to be the theme of the trip… Nonexistent lift lines and amazing snow. Throwing on our warmest clothes, we looked up to the slopes. The front face is wide and has a gentle pitch perfect for carving. Even at 11 AM, the majority of the corduroy was still untracked! We quickly load onto the first lift and leisurely ascend to the summit. From there, three lifts are laid out to access separate zones across the 540 acres.

Great place to learn

Even though the trail map doesn’t show a lot of easy terrain, it’s a great place to learn. Most of the steep slopes can be avoided, but if you do accidentally end up on one, you’re able to navigate down smoothly. For the easiest terrain other than Chair 4, head to Huckleberry Ridge and follow it around the mountain. Besides a gentle run, the views are spectacular. Take it slow and snap lots of pictures!

Intermediate Terrain

Jaime enjoying the soft snow & sunshine at Lookout Pass

If you’re an intermediate, this resort is perfect for you, especially if you just graduated up from beginner. Red Dog and Marmot are a good introduction to intermediate runs, located on the North Side. For something a bit more steep, hit runs off the Idaho side like Bonanza or Black Bear, heading over to Gold.

Experts

There aren’t any massive cliff bands or scare-your-pants-off descents, but they do have a few quick shots of steep runs that will keep you alert and entertained. Even though there wasn’t a ton of fresh snow for us, we did hear the Lucky Friday Glades are a lot of fun when it’s dumping as well as the trails off of Chair 3. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t share fresh Pow with us but it just means we have to come back another season.

Be VERY aware of schedule

Without a large population in the area, Lookout Pass’ lift schedule varies quite a bit. During January/February, they run their operation 6 days a week, closed on Tuesdays. In March/April, they’re open Thursday – Monday, still giving you 5 days of ride time. This just means you get more powder days on a Wednesday or Thursday depending on the time of year!

The Future of Lookout Pass – Steep Terrain is coming!

The future of Lookout Pass… St. Regis Basin in the distance.

Finishing up on the slopes, we met with Jason Bergman, Marketing Director of the resort. Even with 18 years in the industry, skiing has kept him young both physically and at-heart. We talked about how amazing it would be to have more steep terrain access. His face illuminated as he said that is EXACTLY what they are planning in the next few years. He asked if we remember looking from the top of the Montana side. How could I forget!? The steep terrain in the St. Regis Basin looked amazing with massive steep faces dropping down into the valley. Jason grinned and said their plan is to install two new lifts to offer exactly that access!

Our conversation drifted to tomorrow’s plans. We definitively wanted to ride more but also hoped to get some backcountry in while we were in the area. Directly from his office, he pointed towards the other side of the expressway. Jason said the low angle terrain was perfect for us to experience their backcountry and find some secret stashes. With a plan set, we slapped high fives and headed back into town to celebrate the day. It was time to hit up Wallace Brewing. Yes, there are TWO breweries in town. Talk about my kind of place!

Wallace Brewing – An Award Winning Brewery

As day became night, snow began to lightly fall. Watching the flakes dance their way down in the orange glow of streetlights, we walked into the tasting room of Wallace Brewing. This isn’t your typical brewery. First, they’re known for their Lagers, which is a rarity in and of itself. Second, they are multi-award winning. Wallace Brewing is one of the ONLY Idaho breweries to win a Gold medal at Craft Beer Week in Bend, OR.

The Full Lineup

Chase, the owner, greets us and brings out flights of all their beers. He sits down and gives us the scoop on each one. All eight varieties were unique, memorable and worthy of a mention.

Huckleberry Shandy – The first ever Shandy was invented in Germany for a bike race. The organizer didn’t order enough beer so he cut it with lemonade, which now has become a staple for cycling. With Wallace being such a mecca for summer biking, it makes sense they needed a Shandy. Wallace Brewing starts with house-made lemonade and throws in over 25 LBS of Huckleberries, locally picked. On a hot summer day, this is a nice light lager with a slightly tart finish that isn’t overly sweet.

Compressor Smash (Amber Lager) – Between the town of Wallace and Mullan, an industrial region sits named the “Compressor District.” During the mining heyday, this area housed all the compressed air units needed for the mines to power the drills and pump fresh air underground. The complex flavors compressed into this light bodied lager fits it’s name perfectly.

Red Light Irish Ale – Wallace was home to a “red light” district until the late 1980’s and was only shut down because the FBI was relentless. This apricotty Irish Ale has a texture reminiscent of marshmallows. It’s understandable that they won a bronze medal at the North American Beer Association.

It’s true, the beer is of historic proportions

1910 Black Lager – Out of all the beers on the list, this is THE beer everyone should try. A German Schwarzbier, this is the one that earned a gold medal at the Best of Craft Beers in Bend, OR. Just as the Great Fire of 1910 was the largest forest fire in US History, this beer will knock your socks off! The chocolate malt is cold steeped allowing you to taste the grain kernels. Words honestly cannot describe how delicious this beer is.

6:60 Pale Lager – The 6:60 stands for 6% ABV with 60 IBUs. This crisp brew doesn’t have the bitterness a 60 IBU would normally hold. The introduction of orange citrus notes allows the beer to finish smooth.

Vindicator IPA – Named after the Mullan mine, this IPA goes back to the original style guidelines of what an IPA should be. This means you should taste the malts along with the hoppiness. Definitely a good option for anyone that enjoys an IPA.

Jack Leg Stout – This slightly sweeter stout was off the menu for a few years, but it’s now back! Made with crushed oats, it tastes of dark chocolate and cherries. Normally stouts aren’t summer beers but this one pairs extremely well with vanilla ice cream.

Wallace Strong Ale – Another medal winning beer. It’s a big, malty English strong ale that packs a wallop in taste and ABV. Once a year, they release an oak barrel aged version filled with oak spirals soaked in rye whiskey. If you find one of these limited edition ales, be sure to pick it up because they only produce 1000 bottles a year.

Bat Waves?!?!

Touring the brewery, we learned Chase’s past is just as exciting as his present. In a corner of the brewery is a coat with a Bat Waves symbol on it. Chase is one of the founding members of this famed mitten manufacturer. I stood there dumbfounded! Back in the 90’s, this brand was seen EVERYWHERE in the world. Known for their quality, even Pros who weren’t sponsored by them wore their gloves. He pointed over to the other side of the street and said that was where they used to make them. Wow… This little town was a mega hot-bed in the snowboard culture arena! After a great conversation and a growler in-hand, it was time to grab dinner next door.

1313 Club

If you’re looking for a comfortable bar with character, amazing staff, and a great burger, then 1313 Club is your place when in Wallace. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, it felt like we’d been here a dozen times. With a big hello, Eric, the owner, sits us at the bar. He has a big up-beat positive personality that any true bar owner should hold, quickly cracking jokes and making you feel right at home. This is another great reason to visit Wallace in the winter. In the summer, the place is PACKED, trying to get everyone in and out. During the winter months, you get a chance to feel the soul of the town and connect with people. With a bit of guidance, we ordered some food.

Classic bar fare done right

Macho Nachos & 5 Alarm Burger at 1313

In a jiffy, the five alarm burger and Macho Nachos show up. The burger had the right amount of spiciness to ignite your taste buds but not too much so you actually taste how juicy the burger is. If you do get a burger, be sure to ask for the beer battered fries. The batter is extra crispy yet still soft on the inside for the perfect fry. Now, the Macho Nachos are exactly what the name connotates… IT’S HUGE! They might not look big to some, but once you dig in, it feels like they’re never ending. To wash down your meal, their beer selection is amazing. On tap, they have quite a few of Wallace Brewing’s beers along with a North Idaho Mountain brew as well.

Looking outside, the light snowfall began to transition to bigger flakes. Finishing up dinner, it was time to head back to the Wallace Inn and get some rest. Tomorrow’s backcountry mission was going to be off the hook!

Our next day’s adventure would lead us into the wilderness to find some untracked pow…

This leg of our trip is sponsored by:

#For the Winter #Idaho #Wallace

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