Lisa thumped her way across the lobby, flumped into the chair behind the front desk, and tossed her crutches into the corner behind her.

Jennie heard the commotion and came to see what was wrong.

"Oh, it's nothing," Lisa said. "I'm just frustrated by this stupid cast on my stupid foot."

Jennie leaned across the desk toward her. "You weren't this frustrated last night," she said. "Did something happen this morning?"

Lisa tried to pretend that nothing had happeed, but finally Jennie convinced her she'd feel better if she told someone. "I might even be able to help," she added.

"Fine," Lisa said with an exaggerated sight. "Since it seems to be the only way I'll get any peace: I shaved my legs this morning." Seeing the look of uncomprehension on Jennie's face, she went on: "You try shaving your legs while standing on one foot, with the other foot hanging outside the bathtub with a trash bag on it to keep it dry. I almost fell so many times that it's a wonder I didn't break my neck. And I cut my myself and bled all over. It was just horrible."

"Did you think of asking me for help?" Jennie asked. "I could have help?"

"What, are you gonna shave my legs for me?"

"I could," Jennie said, "if that's what you need."

Lisa scoffed. "You're so busy running the lodge. You're constantly running here and there and doing something."

Jennie nodded. "Which is I think you should jump at the chance to have a legitimate reason to have me between your legs-" Jennie stopped short, blushing, as she suddenly realized they were having this conversation at the front desk. "I mean. . . I don't mean that like it sounded. . . I mean, I like being between your legs for other reasons too, but that wasn't what I was talking about just then. . . I mean-"

"Why Jennie Kim, you charmer!" Lisa said with a laugh. "You keep this up and you're going to have a sore tongue!"

Jennie blush deepened. "That wasn't what I meant! You twisted my words!"

Lisa put on her best innocent expression. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, before collapsing into a fit of laughter.

"Well, it sounds like you're feeling better now," Jennie said. "Seriously, though, if there's anything I can do to help you, no matter how small and stupid you might think it is, all you have to do is ask me."

Lisa smiled and took Jennie's hand. "I appreciate this. I'm just so used to doing things for myself that I forget I can ask you."

"Well, you need to remember," Jennie said. "What if you had fallen and hurt yourself this morning? Who'd help me with this week's guests?"

"Speaking of this week's guests," Lisa said, "the tour group of Americans rescheduled for late January. So this week's guests are Dahyun and Sana out in cabin 6."

"Don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject," Jennie said, her voice all business again, "but since we're talking business, what do we have for upcoming weeks?

Lisa tapped a couple of keys and then looked at the computer screen. "We're booked solid the next two weeks for Christmas and New Year's, then we've got a week off, then there's a week with 4 different couples, then the week with the American group."

Jennie nodded, as she took this all in. "So in the next 5 weeks, we've got 3 busy weeks, 1 quiet week, and 1 week off. That's probably about the easiest time we'll have for the rest of the season. We'd better enjoy it while it lasts. We'll be swamped in February and early March, then things should start tapering off."

"At least until the birders start coming in April and May," Lisa said. "Which got me to thinking last night: Do you think it would be possible to come up with a range of summer activities compelling enough that we could bring in enough tourists during the summer to be worth staying open during the off season?"

Jennie thought for a second. "It might be possible, but certainly not this year." Seeing the puzzled look on Lisa's face, she went on. "Chaeyoung and Jisoo will be leaving for their honeymoon as soon as the season ends, and Jisoo might be going back for another semester of culinary academy. Plus Sunmi will be having her baby right around the end of the season. I think this year we're pushing it try to stay open long enough to get all the birders."

"I hadn't even thought about staffing, Lisa said. "I'm so used to us all being here." "

"But even if we can't do it this year, it's certainly something to consider for future years. If you ever find yourself with free time at the desk, you can start researching summer vacation opportunities here in the valley. And maybe also see what lodges in other places do during the off season."

"I can do that," Lisa said. "I did that kind of stuff all the time when I was at university." She laughed. "After a while, the professors got tired of me trying to make every assignment about Fire Lodge, they told me I was forbidden to write anything else about ski lodges!"

Jennie laughed. "I can just imagine how well that went over."

"It was probably good for me," Lisa said, "but