A Slippery Slope by Emily Harvale Page B

Josh said.
    ‘Why?’
Verity asked. ‘Because my dad’s dead or because they divorced when I was young?
Or did you mean because my mother’s like a moth when it comes to relationships?
Always attracted to a brighter flame.’
    ‘Mum.
Not the time or place.’ Lucy threw Verity a ‘remember he’s our boss’ kind of
look even though she was smiling.
    ‘I
meant, I’m sorry I asked something that clearly upsets you,’ Josh said.
    ‘It
doesn’t!’ Verity snapped, annoyed with herself for letting her guard down and
bringing up the subject of her mother’s numerous marriages, but she caught
Lucy’s glare from the corner of her eye and forced a smile for Josh. ‘I mean,
not really. Sorry. Please tell us about Meribel.’
    He
gave her an odd look. ‘Okay. Well, there’s a large British contingent here. I’m
not sure if you’ve read that Meribel was established as a ski resort in the
late 1930s by a British Colonel, Peter Lindsay and, unlike many other resorts,
Meribel still has that quaint ‘chocolate box’ charm. That’s one of the reasons
it appeals to so many of us Brits. And the skiing is superb. Meribel’s in the
heart of the Three Valleys as you no doubt know, so it’s part of the world’s
largest ski area. It’s also got plenty of shops, restaurants and bars and the
nightlife is great. But you’ve already sampled the nightlife, haven’t you?’ His
eyes held hers.
    ‘We’re
planning,’ Lucy said before Verity could open her mouth, ‘to nip down the
valley to the old spa town of Brides-les-Bains when we have a chance.’
    Etienne
smiled. ‘That’s another great thing about Meribel, isn’t it, Josh? There are
tons of other places to see, some better than others, but all worth a visit if
you’re here for a few months.’
    Josh
merely nodded in agreement, his gaze still fixed on Verity.
    ‘I’ll
take you on a few guided tours to the ones we can ski to if you like,’ Etienne
offered.
    ‘That
would be good, wouldn’t it, Mum?’
    ‘It
would,’ Verity said, glancing up at Josh from beneath her lashes. She’d been
trying to avoid looking at him for the last few minutes but she’d felt him looking
at her. ‘Assuming we have the time that is. We are here to work, after all.’
    Josh
sighed, pushed his empty ramekin to one side, ran a hand through his hair and
grabbed a bottle of wine.
    ‘We
appear to have got off to a bad start,’ he said, topping up Verity’s glass.
‘I’m not the tyrannical, slave-driver you seem to think I am. You’ll have
plenty of free time to ski or do whatever else takes your fancy, and you do get
one day off a week. I’ll admit I have certain standards but as long as the
guests are happy, the chalet runs smoothly and the food is good, I really don’t
mind what you do – within reason. I’m afraid I do draw the line at sleeping
with the guests though. It can cause all sorts of problems.’
    Verity
could feel her jaw drop but she quickly recovered her equilibrium.
    ‘Damn,’
she said, smiling at Josh as provocatively as she could. ‘I suppose we’ll have
to cross that off of our ‘how to keep the punters happy’ list then.’ 
    The
look Josh gave her in response wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
    ‘I’ll
serve the main course,’ she said, desperately needing to get away from his
deeply unsettling eyes.
    Lucy
followed Verity into the kitchen. ‘I think it’s going well. If you can manage
to keep your temper and the facetious remarks to a minimum, we may still have
jobs this time tomorrow.’
    She
was grinning but Verity realised her daughter was only half-joking. Lucy had
been looking forward to working this season in Meribel from the minute her best
friend Joanna had mentioned the possibility.
    ‘I
promise I’ll behave,’ Verity said, ‘and no matter how much the man annoys me,
I’ll remain cool, calm and collected from now on.’
    ‘Hmm.
Why do I think that’s about as likely as Grandma deciding to become a nun?’
    But
Verity was