Submitted for the Changing Seasons contest by (Round 3) by ChallengeCorner

Prompt: a <1,000-word forbidden romance set "once upon a mountain...", using only dialogue. 998 words.

"Hey, Mister! Yes, you... with the briefcase..."

"Well, if it isn't the spirited young lady from the dining car!"

"And the bean counter who brings his attache case to a ski resort."

"Contrary to appearances, I'm here on official business."

"Let me stop you right there, buster. I don't want to hear another word about office work right now."

"That's all very well, Miss, but why are you lingering outside my quarters?"

"This is my room, silly! Look!"

"Hmmm... Most queer. It appears we've been assigned the same lodgings."

"Well, it seems like the hotel's fully booked. So I hope you don't mind sharing."

"I suppose there would be little alternative, given the circumstance, Miss... Meyer, isn't it?"

"Please, call me Tess."

* * *

"Gee! You sure brought a lot of things for a business trip."

"Pay no mind to my equipment, Tess. I need it to survey the property. The canton hired me to make sure the resort declared the correct taxable land area."

* yawn *

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it! They're not terribly fascinating but they're indispensable for my work. Suffice it to say that I will keep my tools out of your personal space. "

"Oh, no worries at all, Hank. There's enough room for both of us here."

"Hmmm... Didn't you say you work as a switchboard operator? These accommodations seem rather plush for someone at your pay grade, if you don't mind me saying."

"It's quite fortunate, actually. I won an all-expense trip from Grace magazine."

"How curious! Rotten luck to end up stuck with me then."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've been fine company so far. It almost feels like this was meant to happen."

"Now you're the one being ridiculous. There's no such thing as fate or kismet. This was probably the result of some clerk's mistake."

"Whatever the case, it's been a pleasure."

"Well, we didn't come all this way just for banter."

"Right! Let's get to the slopes!"

"After you, my dear."

* * *

"This isn't moving as quickly as I expected."

"Well, it's a series of metal pods hanging from wire cables. Frankly, I'd be worried if they went any faster."

"Did you see that sweet old couple in the next car?"

"I'm afraid they escaped my notice. What about them?"

"Sometimes I wonder how it's possible to be around the same person for that long."

"Perhaps they've simply gotten used to each other. The need for regularity does strange things to people. Even this vacation could be part of their familiar routine."

"Just humor me, will you! I bet you're real fun at cocktail parties."

"I'll level with you, Tess. After that mess in Cuba, I'd be perfectly happy if we just make it to the 21st century without nuking ourselves ... unless we're all learning Russian in labor camps by then."

"And that's if the little green men don't invade us first, right?"

"You mock me now but things will probably get much worse before they improve."

"Well, if that's how it is, Mr. Glass-Half-Empty, then wouldn't you want someone by your side you can trust, all the more?"

"Tell you what... Ask me again after a negro becomes President and I might just sing another tune."

* * *

"My feet are killing me! It's like those skis were crushing my poor toes."

"Put them up here. Let me take care of that."

"Ahhh... You sure know how to make a lady feel good."

"I must say, that's quite a fetching shade of red."

"But it's all chipped now! Unsightly, I know."

"Nonsense! Why, modern nail polish is a marvel of chemical engineering. Durable enough to last yet non-toxic enough to be ... kissed."

"Mmmm... Oh! Clearly you're enjoying this at least as much as I am..."

* * *

"Quite a magnificent view!"

"I much prefer the Azores in springtime."

"Especially when paired with a chilled Lambrusco."

" ... "

" ... "

"So is the garden all clear?"

"The weeds have proven... hardier than in other seasons."

"Most unfortunate. It would be a shame for the groundskeeper to lose a contract ... Last minute replacements are always such dirty business."

" ... "

"You know what to do, woman."

* * *

"Hank?"

"I'm just in the bathroom. Come on in."

"I found this ledger in the hallway. You must have dropped..."

"Nothing in that book suggests it belongs to me."

"Oh! So that was a gun in your pocket!"

"You were saying something, Tess? Or should I say... Irina?"

"Yes, I lied to you... but not about how I feel."

"I don't believe you."

"Then believe this. красные глаза intercepted it from A.E.G.I.S. this morning. The file's coded but my intelligence says you should be able to understand it."

"This can't be right!"

"That microfilm sewn into your jacket lining? Your own people were ready to kill you for it."

" ... "

"It doesn't have to be this way, Hank. I have a contact in Grosshausen. We can take the 4:15 Alpine Express to St. Roche. There's a pair of unregistered snowmobiles parked near the station. If we make it there by midnight, we'll be in the clear."

"When both sides realize what happened, they'll just frame us for something. It will be a man-hunt!"

"Do you think I hadn't considered that? I already got us fake passports."

"Hmmm... Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen does have a nice ring to it."

"I've always wanted a honeymoon."

* * *

"My dad believed he was conceived that night; which is pretty cool, I guess, because that's why I'm here now ... I just didn't need that kind of mental image, you know?"

"That's quite a tale, Chuck! ... And that's all the time we have for today, folks. You've been listening to 'The Alpine Connection', the story of Henry Brock and Irina Josipović.

I'm Lana Umewezie-Roth. Join us again next week for Undercover Lovers, The Foremost True Espionage Romance Podcast."