"I should probably clear up and head home soon," she said glancing at her watch. "The roads will only get worse as the night goes on."
Sofia's eyes widened with alarm. "Nat, I don't think that's a good idea. The storm looks dangerous. Maybe you should stay here tonight."
Nat smiled and shook her head. “I'll be fine. I've driven in bad weather before. I hope you don’t mind if I take care of the dishes tomorrow, otherwise –" Just as she got up to clear her plate and leave Sofia to finish her meal in peace, the lights went off, leaving them in near darkness.
“Oh, God.” When I mentioned the generators, I didn’t actually think the electricity would go out. This hasn’t happened in years. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Sofia got up too. “Just tell me where the generator is and what to do and I’ll take care of it.”
“It’s not that simple I’m afraid.”
Nat tried to recall where the manual for the generator was kept. She'd never actually had to turn it on before, and the sudden darkness made it hard to think clearly.
"The generator's in the basement," she said, more to herself than to Sofia. “Let me find a flashlight first. There should be one in the hallway.” Nat returned moments later with two flashlights and put one on the table so Sofia would have light while she was gone. "Okay, wait here. I'll go down to the basement and see if I can get things up and running again."
Chapter Eight
Nat emerged from the basement, her face flushed and hair slightly disheveled from the exertion. She'd spent the better part of half an hour fumbling around in the dark, trying to decipher the intricacies of the generator system. In the end, it had been almost comically simple – a single, somewhat hidden button that brought the entire chalet back to life with a low, reassuring hum.
As she climbed the stairs, she could hear the wind howling outside. Its fury seemed to have intensified during her time below, and the chalet creaked and groaned under the assault.
She found Sofia in the great room, curled up on the sofa with Moxie nestled in her lap. The flickering light from the fireplace cast a warm glow over the scene, creating an oddly cozy atmosphere despite the tempest raging beyond the windows.
"We have light!" Sofia said, looking up as Nat entered the room. “Well done.”
Nat nodded, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Eventually. Turns out, all it needed was the press of a button. A very well-hidden button, mind you, but still just a button."
Sofia chuckled. "Isn't that always the way? The simplest solution hidden in plain sight."
“Yeah…” Nat checked at her watch, surprised to see how much time had passed. "Okay, time to head home."
"Nat, I really don't think that's a good idea." As if on cue, a particularly violent gust of wind rattled the windows, making both women jump slightly. Nat moved to the window, peering out into the darkness.
Sofia stood up, carefully setting Moxie down on the sofa. The kitten mewed in protest but quickly curled up on the warm cushion. "Nat, be reasonable. It's not safe out there. There's no reason why you can't stay here tonight. We have plenty of bedrooms, all made up and ready."
Nat hesitated, torn between her professional instincts and the very real concern for her safety. She looked out at the swirling snow once more, then back at Sofia's worried face. Finally, she nodded. "You're right. It would be foolish to risk it. If you're sure you don't mind..."
"Of course I don't mind," Sofia said. "I'd feel terrible if anything happened to you because you felt obligated to leave."
"Okay," Nat agreed. “Thank you. I should let my parents know, though. They'll be worried if I don't come home."
She pulled out her phone and recorded a quick voice message. "Hey, Mom and Dad. Just wanted to let you know that I'm staying at the chalet tonight. The storm's too bad to drive home safely. I'm fine, so don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow once the roads are clear. Love you."
As she put her phone away, Sofia cleared her throat. "Well, now that you're officially off duty, how about we have a glass of wine together? It seems a shame to let a good bottle go to waste."
Nat raised a brow at her and smiled. "You know what? That sounds lovely. But first, let me clean up after dinner. She held up a hand when Sofia was about to follow her. “No, you relax. Please. It’s my job."
With the kitchen tidied and two glasses of rich red wine in hand, she returned to the great room. The fire had died down to glowing embers, and she added more logs while Sofia made a bed for Moxie by arranging a throw into a doughnut shape.
"Do you enjoy your work?" she asked.
Nat took a sip of her wine, considering the question. "I do, actually. It's not what I imagined doing when I was younger, but I've grown to love it. There's something satisfying about creating a perfect experience for people. Making their vacation special."
"I can see that. You're very good at it, by the way. Even with a difficult guest like me."
Nat chuckled. "You weren't difficult," she protested. "Just... private. Which is completely understandable."
"That's a kind way of putting it," Sofia said with a self-deprecating grin. "Is this what you want to do long-term?"
