Chapter 9: The Sly Shrink

Saturday, August 27, 2011, 10:10 am

“It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day,” Eve commented as they drove the Stanley Park Causeway toward the Lion’s Gate Bridge and the highway to Whistler.

Kirsten was sitting beside Eve in the front, while Jesse sat behind Eve, giving himself a good view of Kirsten. He was tense, anticipating how this day would go. He really wanted to get closer to Kirsten, and this was the best opportunity he was likely to get.

Interestingly, Kirsten was thinking along similar lines. A day with Jesse might tell her more about him. Eve assured her that she could trust him, but Kirsten was still battling demons from the past, and it wasn’t going to be easy to overcome them. On the other hand, Jesse was acting the way she hoped he would. Mind you, his surrogate mother was with him, so it was unlikely he would do or say anything out of line. Eve’s presence was the main reason she felt confident enough to agree to come with them today.

Eve, on the other hand, had her own plan to put them together. A quick phone call to Anika Gustafson had provided the answer to an important question. Anika was completely on board with Eve’s plot. Now, to make it happen.

Both Eve and Kirsten were pointing out places of interest to Jesse. He had never been further than Squamish, in the past, a mill town at the head of Howe Sound, and it hadn’t been the nicest place to visit, nor the easiest highway to travel. However, as he marvelled at the newly improved highway and all the new homes along the way, he could see that the changes he saw in Vancouver were just as dramatic along this road. With the added benefit of a beautiful sunny day, it was a much more pleasant drive than he expected.

The road to Whistler wound northward out of Squamish though the forest and along the Squamish River, allowing glimpses of the nearby mountains. It wasn’t until they approached their destination that Jesse caught first sight of Whistler and the surrounding area. It seemed like it had been plucked out of the Swiss Alps and dropped into the wilderness of B.C. as if by magic. It completely surprised him.

The Mikeska lodge was on the south entrance to the town, across from a golf course. When Eve pulled into the driveway and moved up toward the lodge, Jesse was dumbstruck. It was a palace in log and stone, the likes of which he had never seen. Eve drove into the driveway past the building to a three car garage, pushing another button on her sun visor. The middle door opened revealing two open spaces and a large dark coloured vehicle.

“Is someone already here?” Jesse asked.

“No. The Toyota stays here year around, but we’re going to make an exception to that today. It seldom gets used at all except at Christmas and New Years. But I have a space for it at the apartment, so we’ll take it back to Vancouver with us and you can use it until we come back here in December.”

“Really?” Once again, Jesse was shocked at what he was being told. “What is it?” he wondered aloud.

“It’s a Toyota Land Cruiser. It’s about ten years old and has a lot of kilometres on it, but it runs well and gives us no trouble. It was another thing that my father bought for a distressed price, along with this lodge.”

They began to climb out of the Subaru and move toward the back door. Jesse, however, moved to the Toyota to inspect it. It was big, and looked in very good condition. It had leather seats and power windows and all the fancy trim anyone could ask for. If he was allowed to use this, he would be delighted beyond words. He turned and hurried back to the lodge to catch up to Kirsten and Eve.

As they entered the home, Jesse passed through the small anteroom that led into a kitchen that was huge and equipped with every possible modern appliance. Although the outside of the building was log and stone, the inside walls were smooth like plaster, while the ceilings were cedar decking. The kitchen had at least a nine-foot ceiling, but when he entered the dining area, he estimated the ceiling expanded upward to at nearly twenty feet at its peak.

“This is amazing. Did your father have this built?” he wondered.

“No. It was originally designed and built by a dot.c0m millionaire. When the market crashed in 2008, he had to sell it and since he lived in San Diego, he was happy to get rid of it at a bargain price to my father. The Toyota was part of the package.”

“Look at that window,” he said in awe as the gazed at the floor to peaked ceiling window wall in the main room, and the view beyond.

“We were grateful that he installed thermal windows to avoid heat loss in the winter and keep the temperature down in summer,” Eve explained. “Otherwise, our heating bill would be enormous.”

Jesse was wise enough not to question the “dot.c0m” or “thermal window” comment. He could ask about it with Eve when they were alone.

Kirsten was smiling at the exchange between Eve and Jesse. She had been in this lodge before and had been just as awestruck at it’s as Jesse was.

“There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main floor, and three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the loft floor,” Eve said pointing to a hallway and then the stairs up to the large loft at the rear of the lodge.

“Five bedrooms,” Jesse said, shaking his head. “The other owner must have had a big family.”

“Actually, there was just he and his wife,” Eve noted. “But I hear they used to entertain quite regularly and threw some pretty wild parties if the stories are true.”

“I can tell you’ve been here before, Kirsten,” Jesse said.

“Yes, my parents and Eve and her parents are good friends, so we get together when we’re both in Whistler, though our parties are not very wild,” she grinned.

“Where is your place?” Jesse asked.

“Why don’t I put a lunch together first, then you can take Jesse to your place, Kirsten?” Eve suggested.

“Of course. I am hungry,” she admitted. “We can walk to our place, Jesse. It’s not far.”

“It’s really nice here. Where is the main part of town?” he asked as they strolled down a connecting street past numerous townhouses and the occasional chalet.

She pointed to the right. “Just over there. We can come back that way and you will get to see it then. There is always something happening, even at this time of the year.”

“Do you come here often?” Jesse asked her.

“No ... not really. Both my parents work at the store and unless they take a vacation, they do not get an opportunity to get away on the weekend. I am playing hooky today ... with their permission. Working at the store is my part time job.”

“Do your parents have help that can run the store when they aren’t there?”

“Yes, fortunately. They have a reliable manager and a good staff, so they are not trapped at the business every day. I think father could let his manager run the shop without him, but he needs something to do and the business gives him that. When they need a break, they can take time during the week when it is not so busy. Many people come to the store on the weekend because they know him or about him. He brings in business because of his past career.”

“I have only met your father to say hello, but I thought your mother was very nice. She and Eve seemed to be very friendly.”

“Yes ... they are good friends. You will like my father too when you get to know him,” she assured him.

The Gustafson’s condominium was very nice and modern, although not nearly as big as the Mikeska lodge.

“This is nice, Kirsten. Not so big that you would have to spend a lot of time keeping it clean.”

“Yes, it is the right size for us. The Mikeskas have to hire people to come in and take care of their lodge, even in the summer. But I must admit, the lodge is very beautiful.”

“It is. But it seems so empty with just two or three people living there. It’s almost a mansion,” he suggested.

Kirsten laughed. “There are many places like that, not just here in Whistler, but in many ski areas in North America. So many rich people who can afford such a place.”

“Yes,” Jesse agreed. “This is like Disneyland for the wealthy. It doesn’t seem real somehow.”

“My father was very fortunate to play hockey in North America. He was paid a lot of money, but he was very careful with it. Not all the players are so wise.”

“You know, I can hear a bit of an accent in your voice and your speech pattern. How long has it been since you left Sweden?”

“I was five when we moved to Detroit. I spoke only Swedish, so I had to learn English. My father and mother had some English already because of their travels and my father’s hockey career. I had a tutor for my first two years, so I did not start school until I was seven years old. Over the years, my accent has lessened I suppose. I do not think about it much. I can still speak Swedish, but not as easily as I can speak English now.”

“I like the sound of your accent,” he said with a smile.

As they neared the center of the village, the crowds of tourists and locals increased and they passed a number of people on the sidewalk as they strolled side by side. As they neared the town center they were approached by three noisy young men who had obviously been drinking. Kirsten reached for Jesse’s hand and held it tightly. It surprised him, but he could tell immediately she was nervous, likely because of the behaviour and language of the trio.

As they got closer, one of the three spoke up. “Hey Blondie, why don’t you come with us and party? We’re more way more fun than your asshole boyfriend.”

Jesse felt her grip tighten even further and her shoulder was pressed against his. She was clearly frightened.

“Watch your language,” Jesse warned.

“Oh, shit, the boy hero has spoken,” one of them stopped, posturing aggressively. “Whatcha gonna do about it, shithead?”

Jesse knew his blood pressure was rising rapidly and sizing up the twenty-something year old drunks, knew he would be in trouble unless he dealt with them quickly. He wasn’t going to let them harass Kirsten.

“If you want to find out, just keep bothering us,” he challenged.

“Come, Jesse,” Kirsten said nervously tugging at his hand. “You do not want a fight here in the street.”

“Don’t worry, Kirsten, they’re not going to start a fight they can’t finish.”

“Hah!” the lead drunk spat, weaving slightly as he advanced toward the two.

He was almost within reach of Kirsten when Jesse took a step forward and without warning or preamble, delivered a solid kick between the legs of the first man. The drunk went down in a heap, while Jesse turned and without hesitation, used a soccer style kick to the outside of the knee of the second man. He fell, his voice screaming his pain. The first man was now retching, still on the ground. The third man, having seen the swift and decisive blows Jesse had delivered, held up his hands in a defensive posture.

“Hey, lighten up, man. We weren’t gunna do nothing,” he said, his eyes wide while he backed away from Jesse. The look on Jesse’s face was enough to discourage the man while his friends were still on the ground in pain.