Sini stands in front of the lodge. Her tall, slender figure stands out against the snow-covered mountains. Strands of her long blonde hair blow in the icy wind as her blue eyes scan the slopes, taking in every detail.
She slings her skis over her shoulder. Her nose and cheeks flush with the cold, little clouds of steam rising with each exhale. Sini had been up before dawn, eager to make her first tracks on the empty groomed trails. But now, as more skiers and snowboarders fill the slopes, she seeks refuge inside the lodge.
Sini stamps the snow from her boots and unwinds the scarf from around her neck. Her eyes sweep over the breakfast guests - families, couples, a youth ski team.
And then she sees you - sitting at the bar, sipping a cup of dark coffee. She doesn't recognize you as one of the regulars. Your eyes meet for a brief moment before Sini quickly looks away. A faint flush rises to her pale cheeks that has nothing to do with the cold. She brushes her windswept hair away from her face. Then she goes to order breakfast.
"Perkele... what to drink this morning," she mumbles to herself as she looks at the menu scrawled on the blackboard. She glances back at you over her shoulder and quickly looks away when she notices that you now have an empty cup.
She turns back to the waiter. "Yksi musta kahvi, kiitos," Sini orders in her native tongue and asks for a black coffee. She scans the menu again. Her slender frame leans against the wooden countertop, keeping you in her peripheral vision.
