No, no, no!
Amyâs heart leapt wildly about her chest, pounding even harder than it had the time sheâd tried a spinning class.
It has to be a different Josh Carter. It has to be!
Despite the crackling fire in the fireplace and cosy underfloor heating, Amy shivered.
âAre you okay there, Amy? Have you got those tree decorations? Weâre running out of time, especially if Scott and Holly have a clear run back from Geneva Airport,â Sophie called out from the open plan living area.
âEr, yes.â Amy hastily put the bookings print out back by the telephone. That would teach her for being nosy. She picked up the cardboard box full of Christmas lights, glass icicles and shiny red baubles and walked into the room, taking it over to Sophie.
Itâs not my Josh, it canât beâ¦
âGreat.â Sophie twisted her caramel-blonde hair up into a ponytail and got up from the cowhide sofa to take the box from her. âI think weâll have enough now.â
They both looked at the non-drop Christmas tree that soared up to the double height ceiling in the corner opposite the fireplace. Theyâd already put two boxes worth of decorations onto the tree and were fast running out of time before a minibus full of guests descended on them.
Tash and Amelia walked in, carrying four mugs of hot chocolate between them.
âDrink up, Iâve made them Irish.â Tash winked at Amy who attempted a weak smile but it felt forced and unnatural. A reflection on how she was feeling - disconnected from her surroundings.
If it was her Josh Carter she needed the alcohol. And the chocolate. In fact sheâd need a shedload more of bothâ¦
âThanks.â Amy took her mug and tried to let the Michael Buble tracks playing softly in the background get her into the Christmas mood. Candles flickered on the windowsill and thick flakes of snow fell steadily outside, the sky so white it felt like they were immersed in the snow cloud.
It should be perfect. She had been looking forward to Christmas, even though sheâd be working. Thereâd be parties, skiing and snowâ¦
But now her mind was full of Josh, the thoughts had latched on, unshakeable. Memories of the last Christmas theyâd shared together at his parentsâ house in Devon taunted her. Josh had saved up to buy her a silver hare brooch, heâd always joked she was like a hare, full of bounce and a bit wild. If anyone had suggested it was going to be the last time sheâd celebrate it with him sheâd have laughed.
Unthinkable.
She lifted the mug to her lips and swallowed a lump of pain down with the warm chocolate. The instant rush of sugar helped to take the sting away a little. She was used to swallowing down pain when it came to Josh. Sheâd had a lot of practice.
Christmas in Verbier had sounded such fun. Far better than going home to her parents and being asked if sheâd met any nice boys yet, or when was she was going to settle to a âproperâ job?
âAnyone know anything about the guests coming today?â She tried to sound casual, getting down on her knees on the cowskin rug to sort out the Christmas lights, testing the bulbs so she wouldnât have to look any of the girls in the eye. Sharing a dorm room meant they all knew each other pretty well.
Sometimes too well.
Tash was only too happy to share the gory details of her latest sexual conquests. How she got away with the things she got up to Amy didnât know. Luckily for Tash, Scott and Holly were great to work for and made it clear that what their staff got up to in their own time was their own business.
âI think itâs a stag party.â Sophie flopped back on the sofa with her mug and a packet of silver strands to untangle.
Amy and Amelia groaned but Tash whistled. âJust think of the tips, girls.â
âBut what will they expect us to do for those tips?â Amelia pulled a face. âDonât you remember the time that stag group made us have a drinking competition to compete for our tips?â
âHey, you might enjoy it. Donât knock it until youâve tried it.â Tash retorted. âAnyoneâd think you were forty-six, not twenty-six.â
âWhere are they from? Oh crappitty, crap, crapâ¦â Amy cursed as the plastic casing of one of the lights snapped in her fingers. Sheâd have to make sure that one went around the back of the tree.