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‘So, didn’t you have business to do today?’ Anissa leaned her head on one of her hands as she watched him.
He waved one hand. ‘Three calls to New York, about a hundred emails, and I have a conference call with Japan later.’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Oh... I meant family business. Isn’t that what you’re here for?’
He took a breath. Truth was, he wasn’t exactly sure what to say. ‘I’m kind of in limbo at the moment. I’m just waiting to hear a bit of news before I decide my next step.’
It wasn’t untrue. He was still hoping his lawyer would find some magical loophole that would set him free from the terms of the will—even though he’d already been told it was highly unlikely.
He stayed silent for a few seconds as Anissa ran her hand up and down the neck of the bottle. ‘What do you do in New York?’ she asked. ‘A businessman—what is that? It’s like a multitude of sins.’ She gave a little smile then leaned back in the booth, keeping her eyes fixed on his. ‘Maybe you’re a serial killer? Or a spy?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Or maybe you’re one of those crazy guys who do real estate in New York and star in that reality TV show.’
He couldn’t help himself. ‘Do I look like a reality TV star to you?’
She ran her eyes up and down his body as if she were really contemplating it.
He laughed. ‘Wrong question. I should have asked if I looked like a serial killer.’
Now she laughed too and clinked her bottle against this. ‘Thanks for this, Leo. I needed a little fun.’
He stopped for a second and licked his lips, looking at her appreciatively. ‘So did I.’ And he meant it. Every word.
This was ridiculous. He couldn’t wait to get out of Mont Coeur. He never should have been here in the first place. And it was the last place he’d ever expected to meet someone. But somehow meeting Anissa had made the last few days a bit more bearable. Made the waiting game not quite so difficult.
Christmas was everywhere in Mont Coeur. And for Leo right now it was whipping up a whole range of emotions he didn’t quite know how to deal with.
The waitress appeared with their food and set it before them.
Even though it was just early afternoon, the place remained busy and as they chatted the noise levels were rising.
Leo found himself leaning closer and closer across the table to talk to Anissa. She didn’t seem to object, mirroring his movements and shifting in her seat until their heads were almost touching. Her hair fell forward and the scent of strawberry shampoo drifted towards him.
From the first time he’d met her he’d been attracted to her. But the more time he spent around her, the more he seemed to learn. Each encounter made him think that he’d peeled back another layer.
Anissa had qualities he admired. A real edge of determination. The ability to work hard. Drive. But all of these things were partially clouded by a veil of something else—something he strongly suspected was a woman who’d been hurt at some point, and not just by her injury.
It only made him relate to her all the more, and today she seemed more relaxed and at ease around him than she had before.
He was noticing things. Little things. The kind of things that he didn’t normally take the trouble to notice. When she chatted she always toyed with the earring in her left lobe. She preferred to tuck her hair behind her right ear. She was observant—and it wasn’t that he thought she was bored by him—or at least he hoped she wasn’t. But she seemed to love to people-watch, remarking on the things she noticed.
‘The girl in the red jacket. Do you think she’s on a first date?’
Leo looked to where she was watching, seeing the girl shifting uncomfortably in her chair and sitting stiffly as a guy in a black jacket tried to engage her in conversation.
Leo cringed. ‘She doesn’t want to be there, does she? Look at that poor guy. He obviously can’t stop talking. He looks so nervous.’
Anissa nodded to the right. ‘What about the four girls in the booth over there? I sense trouble...’
Leo checked them out and smiled as he sipped the last of his beer. ‘I think you could be right. Things look as if they’re getting fierce.’
Sure enough, a few seconds later one of them grabbed her bag and jacket and stomped out the front door.
Leo couldn’t stop watching Anissa. ‘You like this, don’t you?’
She finished her beer. ‘What? People-watching?’ She gave a little shrug. ‘Of course. Doesn’t everyone? I just usually don’t get time. I normally have a shift in the chalets in the morning then I do lessons most afternoons and sometimes into the evenings. It’s nice to get a little downtime.’
She gave a wicked kind of smile. ‘I sometimes like to imagine whole other lives for people.’ She gestured with her head to the couple behind them. ‘Those guys? They look normal, but she’s actually a princess from some principality and he’s her bodyguard. But...’ She leaned forward and whispered behind her hand, ‘They’re actually in love with each other.’
Leo shook his head but couldn’t help but smile as Anissa continued. ‘And those two over there—at the bar?’ She winked. ‘They might look like they’re just your average couple who just spent the morning skiing, but they’re actually time travellers. He’s a Roman warrior and she’s an Egyptian queen.’
Leo leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘You have a very vivid imagination.’
She gave him a naughty nod. ‘Oh, believe me, you have no idea.’
He liked this. He liked this a lot.
Her phone screen lit up and she leaned forward and smiled, reading the message and tapping out a quick reply.
He couldn’t help but ask. ‘Who is it?’
‘My mum and dad. They’re still at home in Austria and they text me every day.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Except when we’re all watching the latest episode of our favourite sci-fi show at the same time. Then we text every five minutes.’
Her comments were easy and throwaway. She obviously had parents who loved her and supported her. A relationship he hadn’t experienced in the past and couldn’t develop in the future. The thing that surprised him most was now much that actually gnawed away at him. How much it unexpectedly stung.
The waitress appeared beside them again. ‘More drinks?’
Leo reached over and grabbed the cocktail menu. Another drink. Exactly what he needed right now. ‘Do you have a preference?’ he asked Anissa.
‘This early?’
He shrugged, ‘It’s afternoon. Anyway...’ he leaned forward again ‘...don’t we have more people-watching to do?’
She nodded her head, ‘I guess we do.’ Then leaned her head on her hand. ‘So, surprise me.’
His eyes ran down the cocktail list. ‘We’ll have two of these—the Stormy Slopes.’
The waitress gave a smile, disappeared for a
few minutes then returned with two tall glasses.
Anissa leaned over and breathed in. ‘Hmm, interesting.’ She took a sip through the straw. Almost immediately her eyes sparkled. ‘Wow, that’s nice. What’s in it?’
Leo took a drink from his too and gave a nod of approval. ‘Rum, ginger beer and lime. Tasty. Not too heavy.’ He gave her a smile. ‘Afternoon cocktails. We don’t want to fall over. Not yet, anyway.’
She studied him for a second. ‘Have you visited any of the shops yet?’
He shook his head. ‘Apart from the ski shop? Not a chance. I’ve been too busy. I’ve spent most of my time on the phone to New York.’
‘Not much of a holiday,’ she reflected.
‘It was never meant to be a holiday.’ His tone had changed and she looked up sharply and licked her lips but she didn’t talk. She didn’t try to fill the silence, just ran her fingers up and down the side of her glass.
It was another of her habits. Another thing he’d noticed about her.
He took a deep breath. ‘The shops. Are they any good? Anything you’d recommend?’
She gave a little smile, knowing that he was changing the subject. ‘Maybe. There’s lots of quirky shops in Mont Coeur. Do you have anyone to buy gifts for in New York? I can probably show you where to get something a little different.’
His stomach gave a little flip. This would have been the first year he could actually have bought something for his mother and father. The effect was instant. Underneath his jersey T-shirt his skin prickled. Christmas. The time of year he liked to best avoid. What about Sebastian and his family? What about Noemi? Should he buy gifts for his brother and sister, and what on earth could he buy them? He barely knew them.
The face of his PA floated into his mind. Keisa had worked for him for the last six years. He usually bought something online and had it delivered. ‘I always buy something for my PA.’
‘Male or female?’
‘Female.’
‘What age?’
He wrinkled his brow. ‘I thought I wasn’t allowed to ask that?’ He smiled for a second. ‘I think she’s probably early fifties.’
