Christmas in Chamonix

by Christmas in Chamonix (retail) (epub)

  Lily and Imogen glanced at each other.

  ‘Thanks,’ Jamie said, nonplussed. He had clearly expected Luc to either ski past in a strop or rock up and make a dig about his poor sportsmanship. Instead, Luc had played the gentleman to the hilt and he had gone on a charm offensive.

  Lily met Luc’s eyes. His face was impassive, but she could see it in his eyes. He thought Jamie was a massive dickhead. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he thought Lily was just as bad. Presumably because he thought they were an item or that there were feelings.

  But there were no feelings now. Of that, Lily was sure. As Lily was watching them both on those slopes, Lily knew she was rooting for Luc. She was appalled by Jamie’s behaviour. It wasn’t major in any sense, it was just crap, and after leaving Lily on the slopes earlier and making her feel terrible about her skiing, cutting Luc up like that had finished Lily off completely. The strong feelings for him that had faded since she had come to Chamonix anyway seemed to have evaporated. Jamie just wasn’t who she thought he was. Or rather, she’d always ignored his bad qualities, and now it was as though they were being blared out over a stereo.

  ‘I must get back,’ Luc said politely. ‘I will see you all later. Thanks again for a good ski off.’ He gave Jamie a nod and then turned and skied away from them.

  Imogen glanced at Lily and pulled a face.

  ‘Well, I guess I’d better get back too,’ Jamie said. He looked confused, as though he realised he’d been outplayed. ‘Are you coming, Lily?’

  Lily swallowed but raised her chin decisively. ‘No. I think I’ll stay here for a bit.’

  Jamie looked disappointed – sulky, even. ‘Fair enough. See you at dinner then.’ And off he went.

  ‘He’s a massive dickhead,’ Imogen commented. ‘I’ve gone right off him!’

  Lily nodded. How much of her time had she wasted mooning around after Jamie when he was clearly an idiot? Why hadn’t she realised what he was like? Had she been so infatuated with him that she had missed these characteristics? She must have been. Perhaps it was seeing him in a different context, or because of Luc. Lily wasn’t sure.

  ‘Lily, stop beating yourself up.’ Imogen interrupted her thoughts. ‘I know you and I know what you’re doing. It’s just that Jamie has always been your friend. You’ve never seen him in a relationship before – not really. And sometimes you see someone’s true colours when they’re under pressure.’

  ‘I guess so. I just feel like an idiot.’

  ‘Nah. We’ve all been there,’ Imogen said. ‘We’ve all fallen for someone who has turned out to be a big knobhead. It’s just disappointing when that person is a friend as well.’

  Lily finished her drink. ‘True. But it’s Ivy too. I just don’t think Jamie cares about her and I don’t want her to get hurt.’

  ‘That’s for her to sort out,’ Imogen said gently. ‘Come on, let’s get back. It’s dinner time soon and we’re serving.’

  They got off their stools and collected their skis.

  ‘What about Luc?’ Lily asked. ‘I’m confused about him too. Everything Elodie has said…’

  ‘She’s lying,’ Imogen scoffed. ‘You just need to speak to him.’

  Lily fell silent as they made their way back to the hotel. What a day. She’d realised that the guy she thought was amazing and who she’d had feelings for was actually an idiot, and she realised that she’d fallen head over heels in love with a guy who might be dating Lily’s biggest enemy.

  I’ve really messed up this time, Lily thought to herself.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The following day, Lily was in the office looking for the notebook she used for booking her massages. Usually she kept it in the top drawer of the cabinet, but it wasn’t there. She had slept badly, tossing and turning as she thought about Jamie and Luc and Ivy. Every hour, almost on the hour, she had seen the time, and she felt bleary-eyed and exhausted today. She had dark shadows under her eyes. It had to be said that she didn’t really look her best.

  Where was this bloody book? No one else would find any use for it; it was only for her massages. She huffed and sorted through the drawers. She knew she was going to have to speak to Jamie today as well. They needed to clear the air and Lily was going to be as honest as possible with him, even if the thought of it made her want to curl up and die.

  Lily opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet and rummaged through it. Perhaps she had left her book in her massage room? She flipped through the paperwork and other notebooks and sighed. Then she frowned, tugging at something at the back of the drawer. It was a brown envelope, pristine and neatly folded. Lily peered inside. What were all these little slips? She took them out and leafed through them. They were from a casino – losses from a casino, more specifically, and there were a lot of them. Lily checked the dates. They were old, from a month or so ago, and they were from a casino some miles away, not the one in Chamonix Mont-Blanc. That one was a smart, glamorous building adorned with fairy lights and little bushes standing outside.

  Lily closed the envelope thoughtfully. Was this where the missing money was going? Someone had a gambling problem. It could be anyone, since they were all in and out of the office all the time. Or was the more obvious answer that these slips belonged to someone in the Devereux family?

  Lily’s brow knitted. Why hadn’t the person destroyed the slips? Put them through the shredder? These slips weren’t from the past week or so, and could therefore belong to Pierre. He could he be the one with the gambling habit, and could have forgotten about these slips before he broke his leg. Or what about Marc? He always seemed so together, but who knew what was going on behind closed doors. Elodie? As much as she wanted to think it was her, Lily wasn’t convinced. She could see Elodie floating around a casino in a designer gown looking fabulous, but she couldn’t see her sneaking off to gamble in secret.

  Celine? Lily paused. Again, could she really see it? Celine was highly-strung, but a gambler?

  ‘Oh hi.’

  Lily jumped out of her skin. Luc was standing right behind her. ‘Good God, man. You made me jump.’

  Luc looked amused for a moment before his expression became distant. ‘What are they?’ He turned his head to look. ‘Oh.’

  ‘I know.’ Lily put everything away and looked around to make sure no one else was approaching. ‘I just found them in there when I was looking for my massage book. Who do you think they belong to?’

  ‘I have no idea. Would you like me to take them? I’ll try and get to the bottom of it. Speak to the casino, maybe.’

  ‘Good idea,’ Lily nodded, handing the envelope over. ‘I won’t say anything to anyone.’

  ‘That’s good. I think we should try to keep this quiet.’

  Lily observed Luc discreetly as he had a quick look through the contents of the envelope. He looked tired, with dark shadows under his eyes that were almost as bad as hers. She kind of wanted to hug him, but he wasn’t giving off a vibe that encouraged any sort of contact whatsoever. In fact, for Luc, he looked positively unfriendly.

  ‘Listen, about Jamie yesterday,’ she started.

  ‘You don’t need to say anything,’ Luc said, shutting her down.

  ‘But I do,’ Lily insisted. ‘The way he was with me, definitely the way he was with you—’

  Luc raised his eyebrows. ‘He is your… friend. There is nothing to say.’

  ‘There is a lot to say,’ Lily said hotly, wanting to say her piece. ‘I couldn’t believe the way he acted towards you. That was so unacceptable. You would have beaten him hands down if he hadn’t cut you up like that.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Luc said, looking bored. ‘I haven’t given it a moment’s thought. It was just a silly race. As for this,’ he held the envelope up. ‘Leave this with me and I will get it sorted.’ He left the office without another word.

  ‘OK.’ Lily felt small and embarrassed and completely hopeless. Whatever spark had been between her and Luc in the past, if there even had been any kind of spark, had com
pletely disappeared now. Whatever they may or may not have had, Luc was clearly over it.

  Later That Day

  Lily was Christmas shopping. She had been out skiing with Ollie and Imogen, on blue runs only, and had thoroughly enjoyed it, even though she had a heavy heart. She had completed her massage duties for the day: four guests and no Sylvan. He was in hot pursuit of Charlotte, the new girl, which was a huge relief.

  In one of the more upmarket shops in Chamonix, Lily found a beautiful woollen scarf in emerald green for her mum, who had a scarf for every occasion, but always loved to receive a new one. She bought a funny kitchen gadget for Dave, which she knew he would love. Dave was easy to buy for. He liked to receive books or gadgets or new shirts or funky socks. He just appreciated any gift, really. He was that kind of guy.

  Next, Lily looked for something for Jamie. She wasn’t massively feeling the love for him right now, but they always bought each other token gifts. She found a pair of ski gloves that were similar to the ones he had, but a bit more stylish. Perfect. As she wandered to another department, Lily thought about Luc. Should she get him a present? She wasn’t sure. She didn’t even know what was going on between them. But they were friends at least, right? He probably wouldn’t buy her a gift, though, and then she’d feel like a moron and it would be all embarrassing.

  Lily caught sight of something. It wasn’t expensive, but it was a good one. It was also impersonal, but kind of personal, because Luc would understand why she’d bought it for him. Perfect! And if he didn’t get anything for her, she’d keep it for herself and pretend that she hadn’t thought about him either.

  She was nearly done, but then she found a sexy going out top for Imogen and a jokey book about skiing for Ollie. And finally, Ivy. Lily considered earrings for Ivy, but remembered she had encouraged Jamie to buy some. She opted instead for a beautiful slippery cream silk shirt that was suitable for both work and play, with gold buttons and elongated cuffs.

  Just at that moment, Ivy rang. Lily paused and composed herself, then answered the call.

  ‘Did you know I was buying your Christmas present just then?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ Ivy chuckled. ‘I just thought I would call you.’

  ‘I’m joking. I know it wasn’t some sort of psychic moment.’ Lily finished paying and left the store. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Not too bad.’ Ivy sounded rather upbeat. ‘I have this amazing new contract and I’ve been working on it for months. It’s kind of a big deal.’

  ‘Good for you!’ Lily loved Ivy’s work ethic. She might not have time for a relationship right now, but she was devoted to her work. That’s what made her heart sing.

  ‘How’s Jamie?’

  ‘Haven’t you heard from him?’ Jamie was going down in Lily’s estimation by the minute.

  ‘On and off, but to be honest, I’ve been way too busy to worry about his level of contact.’ Ivy sounded detached and Lily was glad.

  ‘I haven’t been that impressed with him since he’s been here, if I’m honest.’ Lily found herself outside the casino and it reminded her of her chat with Luc earlier. Fighting the dark mood that threatened to descend, Lily sat down on a nearby wall and dumped her bags next to her. She told Ivy what had happened on the ski slopes the day before.

  ‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ Ivy replied. ‘I’ve seen this side of Jamie a few times before. He’s super competitive and I think just a bit immature. I’m not sure he knows what he wants. I… did think he had the hots for you, to be honest.’

  ‘Oh God, really?’ Lily felt horribly guilty. ‘Listen, Ivy. I have a confession to make.’

  ‘Oh. I don’t like the sound of that.’ Ivy sounded flat.

  ‘No, no, don’t be silly. Nothing has happened. It’s me. I used to have feelings for Jamie.’ Lily came out with the words in a rush. ‘I don’t now, but I did for a while. For around six months or so.’

  There was a pause. ‘Oh, Lily! He was the guy you liked. You tried to tell me about him, but didn’t say who it was.’

  ‘That’s right. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything and then you two told me you were seeing each other that night.’ It felt so good to be honest with Ivy.

  ‘That must have been so horrible for you. No wonder you left abruptly. And, oh God, me and Jamie all over each other at Mum and Dave’s too!’

  Lily wanted to reassure her. ‘It’s not your fault. I did come here to get away from Jamie. Over him, I guess, but it’s been the best thing for me. The skiing, the people I’ve met…’ Her voice tailed off.

  ‘You’ve met someone!’ Ivy sounded pleased and Lily was fairly certain it didn’t have to do with her not having feelings for Jamie anymore.

  ‘It’s complicated,’ Lily said, laughing at her use of that immortal line.

  ‘Isn’t it always?’ Ivy fell silent. ‘I’m going to end it with Jamie when I get back anyway. We’re just not suited. I need someone more… mature. More work-focused, I think.’

  Lily sighed. God, it was all such a mess. But she was glad that the feelings – or lack thereof – were mutual between Ivy and Jamie. She had been so worried about Jamie finishing with Ivy and Ivy being devastated when, actually, Ivy was already on the case and she sounded clear, calm and happy.

  ‘Go sort this complicated thing out with whoever this guy is,’ Ivy told her. ‘You deserve to be happy, Lily.’

  ‘Thanks, you too. I just don’t think it’s as easy as that.’

  ‘It’s as easy or as hard as you make it, Lil. And that’s enough wisdom for me. I need to get back to work.’ Ivy signed off and Lily let out a sigh. She felt better already. She guessed she needed to speak to Jamie next.

  ‘Fancy a drink?’

  Lily jumped. This time it was Jamie. What was it with everyone today? Jamie was wearing the coat and trousers he had turned up in and Lily had a feeling he was leaving.

  ‘Yes, OK.’ Lily stood up and smiled as Jamie gathered up her bags. Well, at least he hadn’t completely lost his manners. They walked to a nearby patisserie and found a table. It was very Christmassy, with the window full of festive-looking pastries and cakes. There were little red macarons with reindeer faces and Lily ordered some to go with her coffee.

  Jamie looked uncomfortable. ‘I think I owe you an apology,’ he started. ‘For yesterday.’

  ‘Which part?’ Lily asked as their coffee arrived.

  ‘Leaving you on the mountain like that.’ Jamie shook his head and looked thoroughly awkward. ‘I got the skiing bug again and all I could think about was the powder and how I wanted to get back into it. I was a sod to you. I’m really sorry.’

  Lily squeezed his hand across the table. ‘It’s OK. I didn’t like you much at the time, I have to admit, but since I’ve been in Chamonix, I’ve seen what skiing does to people.’

  ‘And the way I cut Luc up.’ Jamie lifted his eyes sheepishly to meet Lily’s. ‘What a prat! I just wanted to beat him, and he was better than me and I had to stop him.’

  ‘Wow.’ Lily was impressed at his honesty but turned off by his words. She was also annoyed at herself because she knew there had been other times when Jamie had behaved like this and she’d ignored it.

  ‘I was jealous,’ Jamie admitted. ‘You and he have this chemistry and I thought you liked him. Well, you do, and he definitely likes you.’

  ‘He doesn’t,’ Lily replied in a dull voice.

  ‘Er, yes he does,’ Jamie insisted. ‘The two of you are just being total idiots. But anyway. I came here to tell you how I felt about you.’

  Lily bit her lip and said nothing. Oh God.

  ‘It’s OK.’ Jamie held his hands up. ‘I realise now it was just stupid. As in… I liked you for ages and you didn’t like me, and we were just friends. Then I got over it and fell for Ivy, and then you said you had feelings. It threw me all over the show.’

  Lily shook her head at the silliness of it all.

  ‘And then I tried to make it work, but we’re not suited, and I thought it was because I wante
d to be with you.’ Jamie wrapped his hands around his coffee. ‘But I realise now that it’s not about you or about Ivy. I just don’t really want to be in a relationship right now.’ He looked coyly at her. ‘And I can’t compete with a dude like Luc. He’s high end. Top drawer. And I’m a prat who cuts a guy up on a black because I treated it like a pissing contest.’

  Lily couldn’t help laughing. At least Jamie could admit that he’d been a massive dickhead. He had redeemed himself on that front.

  ‘Aah well,’ she said. ‘Lots of good things have come out of this. You’ve done lots of skiing. I moved here and it has been the best thing I have ever done.’ And Ivy is – and will be fine, Lily thought to herself.

  ‘And you’ve met a great guy,’ Jamie said, asking for the bill. ‘You just need to sort that out now. And I need to catch my plane.’

  ‘You’re off?’ Lily did feel a stab of sadness, but she knew it was for the best.

  ‘I’m off. I have stuff to sort out at home.’ Jamie met her eyes and unspoken words passed between them. He and Ivy were over – they just needed to say the words to one another. It would be amicable, though, and that had to be a good thing.

  They got up and left the patisserie. They started walking back to the hotel together.

  ‘It’s a great place,’ Jamie said. ‘Will you stay here?’

  ‘I don’t know yet.’ Lily still hadn’t decided. ‘I don’t know what to do in the summer months.’

  ‘There will be a job,’ Jamie said confidently. ‘You’ll be fine. It suits you here. You’re flourishing.’ He gave her a sideways glance. ‘Sorry I was such a dick about your skiing. I should have realised what an achievement it was for you to get down that blue run.’

  ‘You really should have,’ Lily agreed, giving him a shove. ‘But I forgive you.’

  ‘That’s because you’re awesome,’ Jamie told her. They were at the hotel now. ‘Luc is a lucky guy.’

  ‘Do stop saying that,’ Lily said crossly. ‘I can assure you, Luc doesn’t think he’s lucky at all.’

  Jamie smiled. ‘Nah. That’s just because you two need to admit your feelings to one another and get it on. Trust me. I’m a guy and I can read him like a book.’ He handed her bags over. ‘I’m going to say goodbye here. My bags are in the lobby.’ He hugged her. ‘Bye, Red. I’ll speak to you soon.’