The Apprentice
by and © N Fourbois
Chapter 56
Because they were late coming up from the annexe, Jack, Kieran, Toby and William had to take seats at tables where they could find them, which was none too bad a thing to prevent their becoming cliquey. It was thus that Toby came to sit next to Carruthers. Because they were English, it was no wonder that that became their set places for the whole week. No one forced any of the party to sit where they sat. It was an unwritten convention.
The boys tucked into their food when it was served. Since they were not only in Germany, but Bavaria in particular, there was no such thing as small portions. Everybody ate heartily. At the end of the meal the party members were not free to go for they had to be briefed, which they took more readily on full stomachs. Mr Bridgeman stood up to begin his talk and introduce the party leaders. The three members of the teaching staff everybody knew, of course. The school doctor was known by those who had already come under his care. Then he introduced Olaf who stood up.
"My name is Olaf Olafssen. I see that I am known by some of you already. I am a qualified physical education instructor and teacher. I am from Norway where I worked as a skiing instructor, sometimes with tourists, but mainly with visiting NATO troops. In the part of Norway I come from it is dark for twenty-four hours each day at this time of year and so my work as a skiing instructor was confined mainly to spring and autumn. I look forward to working with you and getting to know you."
After that came the usual parish notices about safety and dos and don'ts. The ski passes were handed out.
"If you lose these," emphasised Mr Bridgeman "it will be rather expensive to replace them, as will be 'pay as you go' too. You have been divided into groups according to experience and age and each group will have a party leader with it and Mr Olafssen will be taking the most experienced boys." He read out the names. "Because we are limited by the daylight we shall have to leave the hotel at eight o'clock immediately after breakfast." There were spontaneous groans. "And so you come to breakfast in your kit ready to go and you collect a packed lunch. You will not necessarily find yourself by the café at the top of the lift at lunchtime. My final warning is don't be fooled by the sun. It will look warm, it may feel warm, you will need sun screen, but..." and here he paused. "I do not want a repeat of what happened last year when one boy decided to ski without gloves. He came off the mountain in the afternoon with severe frost bite and it was only due to Dr Finlay's prompt attention that he still has his fingers today." Some of the older boys looked at each other and nodded for they knew who Mr Bridgeman was talking about. "Now I suggest you turn in early. It's been a long day and you have six days of hard physical effort ahead of you."
The boys got up from their tables, mingled and chatted for a few minutes, but took the advice and headed for their rooms. Our four regrouped and trudged through the snow towards the annexe.
"We're all in different groups," said Toby. "Do you think they did that on purpose?"
"That's quite reasonable," said Jack. "After all, you and William are beginners and although I can ski, Kieran's done a lot more than I have. Also I'm rugby fit whereas he's gym fit and that's different."
"It's a good job we're not together all day," said Kieran. "It'll make us integrate. It would be a PR disaster if the four gayboys never split up, and have you noticed? None of us is in Olaf's group."
"I'm in Mr Bridgeman's," said Toby and grinned.
"One of us had to be," said William. "It's logical if we're being split up and none of us is in Olaf's group with four groups left." They were getting scratchy with one another.
In a couple of minutes they had reached the annexe and said good night as they went to their rooms. Fun and frolics were out that night. The boys were far too tired and had to be up early the next morning.
Over the week our four boys established a routine. They would come off the mountain by four in the afternoon, go back to their rooms. After that they might go and socialise in the hotel, but more likely go out in a group and sample one of those gorgeous cakes with cream that the Germans were so famous for. Most of them were learning German at school, but the pronunciation of the locals was not quite what they had learnt in College. However, they were received sympathetically by the Bavarians when they made the effort to speak in the language. Then they returned to the hotel and would rest for a while, which gave them ample opportunity for some fun before dinner at seven.
It was while the four were trekking across to the main hotel for dinner on Sunday that William piped up and said we ought to be making plans for the week or it'll be time to go home."
"What sort of plans?" said Jack.
"You know," said Kieran, "our wife swapping plans."
"Ooh, of course," said Jack. "I hadn't forgotten, but I didn't realise how quickly the week would go by. I thought we'd have plenty of time yet."
"The easiest way is if two of us swap rooms each night," said Toby.
"Welcome into the twenty-first century, Tobes," said William. "We'd decided on that. We just need to decide who and when." Toby threatened to sulk, but Kieran put his arm round him, gave him a hug and said
"I'm coming to your room on the first night. Is that okay with you, William, Jack?"
"Fine with me," said Jack, "but can we start tomorrow night? Kieran and me got a bit too much sleep last night. Then Tuesday night I move into your room, Toby, and William sleeps in ours, then we'll worry about Wednesday when it comes."
"We've still got to sort out Carruthers," said Toby.
"That's your problem," said Jack, "but I suggest the time between skiing and dinner. If you were sleeping in the main part of the hotel it would be different." They went into the hotel, stamped the snow off their boots and joined the others. The four purposely split and sat on their normal tables. Toby was not only sharing the same table as James Carruthers, but they were both also in Mr Bridgeman's skiing group.
"So, Toby," said Peter Armitage, "what have you been up to with that boyfriend of yours down at the annexe? McLarney isn't it?"
"First he's not my boyfriend... well, not yet!" Toby accompanied the 'not yet' with a tarty flash of the eyes. "That's rather a long term project all the time Kieran Williams is around. Secondly if you want to know what we get up to, we are at home by appointment between skiing and dinner. You just have to let us know you're coming... and I don't mean by breathing heavily, either. And..." Here he lowered his voice, "we're trying to work out a way to sort our crush on Mr Bridgeman. Now you are as wise as I am." During this conversation it hadn't gone unnoticed by Toby that James Carruthers had pricked his ears up and was listening rather intensely.
The skiing course ran smoothly throughout the week. If it snowed, it snowed at night and left the days clear and sunlit. Those that were sufficiently awake could enjoy watching the sun rising over the mountains as they made their way to the first skilift. With some satisfaction the party could return to England without any major calamities or broken bones.
By day Toby openly courted Carruthers. 'Slowly slowly catchee monkey' was his motto. On Sunday morning while going up in the cable car together, packed as it was, he whispered in his ear
"You know, James, I never realised what beautiful eyes you've got," and turned away to admire the scenery, unconcerned as to what his reaction might be. Over lunch while they were sitting eating their packed lunches, absorbing the full warmth of the sun, Toby put his arms round James's shoulder and pulled him in to him. If there was going to be any resistance, this would be the time, but James just leant his head on Toby's shoulder. During the afternoon his attention was divided. Mr Bridgeman was wearing one of those skintight skiing suits that professional skiers wear for competitions and when he wasn't admiring that, he was admiring the shape of James Carruthers's bottom in his salopettes. On the way down to the village the cable car was again packed. Toby and James had managed to squeeze into a spot by the window so that they could admire the view, but again, hemmed in by the crowd, they couldn't move, but it gave Toby the opportunity to fondle James's bottom surreptitiously. Again no protest from James was forthcoming.
At dinner our four arrived early from the annexe. From their bouncy mood it was clear that they had settled in and were enjoying the first fun of the holiday. They took their seats at their various tables even though their earliness had provided a perfect opportunity to sit at the same table together. James Carruthers turned up and although he had a choice of the remaining five seats on his table he claimed the one next to Toby.
"Toby, I want to ask you something."
"Go on."
"Do you fancy me?"
"How could I not fancy you when you keep smiling at me so sweetly?" James blushed, but in truth he had not been smiling at Toby, sweetly or otherwise. This was just evidence of what a smooth operator Toby was, plus it ensured that thereafter James did smile sweetly at him. "So I'm not disgusting after all?"
"Well, maybe a little bit," smiled James. Who was playing the tart now?
"You will have to wait your turn, James. I'm on a promise tonight."
"What sort of promise?" he asked naïvely.
"That's for me to know and you to find out later in the week," he answered mysteriously. The table began to fill up as seven o'clock approached and thirty odd starving boys drifted into the dining room to feed.
After dinner Mr Bridgeman stood up to announce that it was Sylvesterabend, New Year's Eve, and that there would be celebrations with fireworks. Our four friends decided not to return to the annexe, but socialise. Some of the breeders had heard that there was a disco in the village and had gone off to try their luck there. Kieran went down to the basement and played pool, Toby tried his luck with James Carruthers, but only at table soccer. William sat upstairs in the lounge with a group that was telling jokes and Jack was with another group that was talking about the day's skiing. As if on cue all four made a move to return to the annexe. They donned their anoraks and made their way through the frosty air to their rooms and they would return to the hotel at half past eleven. In the meantime they had important things to do.
The New Year celebrations lasted little beyond the firework display since the boys knew they had to be up early in the morning. The cable car was just as packed as it had been on Sunday as this was a Feiertag, a public holiday. The skiing went well. Mr Bridgeman escaped the attentions of Toby who was thinking of no one else but James. His career as a schoolmaster would be safe for a little longer. Toby slowly became a little more physical with James who was beginning to respond. If their hands touched, James would give Toby's an encouraging squeeze. James stroked Toby's butt more times than Toby stroked his. No words were spoken; no words needed to be spoken. After dinner William and Toby took James out into the village and found an inn where to drink hot chocolate. On the way back to the hotel they invited him in to see their room. 'Come into my parlour,' said the spider to the fly, but that evening he was safe. William and Toby had other things on their mind. This was to be the night of the first 'wife swap'. Nevertheless, Toby kissed James's cheek as he let him out into the cold night.
Next day, Tuesday, there was not such a throng for the cable car. It was a normal working day. William and Toby were dying to exchange notes over what had happened the previous night, but they had no opportunity to talk after breakfast and wouldn't meet again until they came off the mountain late that afternoon. Toby and James, however, could talk.
"Why did you kiss me on the cheek last night, Toby?"
"Because I couldn't kiss you on the lips."
"But surely, boys don't do that."
"That's what I thought until W... until someone did it to me. Then wow! Do you want to try it?'
"Not here."
"I don't mean here, but what about later?"
"Is it as good as you say?"
"Better. It'll make you feel all nice and warm inside. Let's fix up something for after dinner."
They got on with their day's skiing. They had made sufficient progress for them to ski down to the village from the top station of the cable car. Toby and James said goodbye at the hotel and Toby continued on down to the annexe. When he got to his room he found William was already back, taking a shower.
"Hi, William."
"Hi, Toby. We were allowed to ski down to the village today."
"Yeah, so were we. Stay there. I'm coming in to join you as soon as I can get these salopettes off. They're certainly passion killers." He finally got out of them, peeled off his long johns and briefs and stepped into the shower with William. "It seems like ages since we did this."
"It is ages," said William. They finally managed to soap one another up after several games of dropping the soap.
"After dinner I'm going to teach Carruthers how to snog."
"Don't go too far with him. Don't forget we're swapping again tonight and you're with Jack."
"Oh, yeah. You still haven't told me how you got on with him last night."
"We'll get dried and dressed and go into the village for some hot chocolate and I'll tell you all about it."
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