Chapter 1 I saved the final draft and mailed it to my boss. “That’s it, I’m out of here!” I said, shutting down my computer. “Go and have fun, you lucky duck.” Mrs. Lane, my personal assistant, took the last files off my desk. I was going on a girls’ holiday. Ella’s husband had connections and he’d gotten us most of it for free. The bit that we had to pay for was ridiculously cheap. It paid to have the right friends. When I left the office, my phone rang. “Anna! Are you packed yet?” Kate was my closest friend of the three girls. “I just got out of the office now. I’ll be ready, I promise!” We were going to be away for a whole week, a glorious week where I didn’t have to worry about accounts and ledgers and clients who couldn’t make ends meet. I was going to leave my lonely apartment behind and find myself a man, even if it was just a holiday fling. I’d gone shopping the week before for winter clothes. The clothes I’d found were all the latest stuff, form fitting but warm at the same time, I would look sexy and on top of my game. I couldn’t wait! We met at the airport an hour before our flight. I was the last to arrive, and when I spotted our group I ran to them. “I can’t believe we’re finally going!” Kate cried out. Her brown curly hair sat in a messy bun on top of her head and she looked good in just about anything she threw on. And she knew it. “This is going to be the best time of your life. And I heard the ski instructors are hot.” Ella did a little jiggle on the spot. “You’re married,” Kate pointed out. I laughed. “Just because we already bought our merchandise doesn’t mean we can’t window-shop, right Ella?” Ashleigh and Ella were both married. Kate was in a different relationship every few months because she didn’t like to commit, but with her body and looks she could get any guy she wanted. I didn’t look nearly like her. My hair was a redder-brown than hers and my hips wider. But I was special in my own way. My mom told me so. “We have to get Anna someone then, at least,” Kate said and nudged me. I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. We were going to have the time of our lives. The flight from Phoenix to Kalispell took four hours. When we stepped out of the airport in Montana I smelled the snow in the air. I could almost taste it. A cold breeze whipped around us, making my cheeks numb. I breathed deeply, taking a chest full of icy air. It burned on the way in, and swirled in my chest. “This is amazing,” I breathed out. Arizona was an oven with red dirt and merciless sun. It was so hot that even at night the heat smothered you like a big warm blanket. The crisp white layer that covered everything here was magical. Nothing like home. We got a car to take us to Whitefish Mountain Resort. It was about 21 miles’ drive through winding snowy scenery and pine trees. The mountain rose in the distance as we drove towards it, peaks frosted with snow. The resort was just as amazing as everything else. Ella’s husband had gotten us a condo with four bedrooms so we each had our own private space. Beige walls with light wood finishes rounded it off. We had a fully stocked kitchen and a private patio. “What are we going to do first?” Kate asked after we’d each dumped our bags in our rooms. “I want to go skiing! No reason we should wait,” Ashleigh said. The resort was at the foot of The Big Mountain. Most of the chairlifts were at the front of the mountain and there were already a lot of people skiing on the slopes. They were tiny dots sliding down the white strip that ran down the mountain. Ella disappeared. With her Mike arranging everything, she was the one in control of the itinerary. Fine by me. This week I didn’t want to have to think or take responsibility at all. My brain was conveniently going to switch off and I was going to spend my vacation in a state of bliss. I had chosen a bright pink jacket with black and