Page 44 of The Only Way Is Up

Daisy stared at him for a long second, her brain slowly processing what her eyes were seeing. He looked different. Nervous. Daisy realised she’d only ever seen him poised and confident. She tried to keep her voice even, though she was internally raging.

‘What are you doing here, Christian?’

‘I need to talk to you.’ He looked down at his boots like he wished the mountain would swallow him up.

‘I’ve told you, we’re finished,’ said Daisy through gritted teeth. ‘What else is there to say?’ You lying, cheating—

‘Just half an hour,’ pleaded Christian. ‘I know you’re angry with me.’ He stared at her, his eyes beseeching.

‘I’m on holiday, Christian. Partly to get away from you. And Ruby is here. Why on earth would you think this is OK?’

‘I didn’t know what else to do,’ Christian said. ‘I knew you wouldn’t see me if I asked, and I thought this was better than turning up in the village where you’re staying.’

‘I don’t want you turning up anywhere,’ snapped Daisy, struggling to keep her voice down as people turned to look. ‘I don’t want to see you, full stop.’

‘I know, but I’m desperate. Please.’ That wasn’t a word Christian often used.

Daisy narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, taking deep calming breaths. It was clear that the only way she was going to get rid of him was to give him some time, much as she’d rather toss him into the path of an avalanche. ‘Fine, but not now. I’ll meet you at Helga’s Bar later. One thirty.’

‘Thank you,’ Christian looked relieved. ‘Where’s Helga’s Bar?’

‘Halfway down red run number three,’ Daisy murmured, her face grim and unreadable. ‘You’ll have to ski there.’

It was hard to hide her glee at the fear in Christian’s eyes. ‘Isn’t there any other way? Or somewhere else?’

‘No!’ Daisy said firmly, pushing away with her ski poles.

The last thing she heard before disappearing down the mountain was Christian yelling, ‘Fucking hell, Daisy!’

She grinned as she whisked off towards her favourite warm-up blue run, feeling a tiny bit evil and frankly all the better for it.

Daisy sat outside Helga’s with a tall glass of cold beer, watching Christian tentatively snowplough the final few metres and come to a juddering stop, looking very much like a man who’d had an urgent appointment with his own mortality. He was led by an unfeasibly handsome male instructor, who looked even more relieved to have reached their destination than Christian. Daisy wondered how much falling and getting up and gentle coaxing it must have taken to get him here, and how painful Christian’s thighs must be if he’d snowploughed the whole way. She almost felt bad, until the image of him shagging a woman in a doorway last night popped into her head. There was no doubt in her mind that Christian was the owner of the Bobbing Buttocks – which Ruby and Will had also seen – so frankly there wasn’t enough thigh pain in the world for him.

She sipped her beer, watching Christian as he tried to release his boots from the bindings, getting increasingly frustrated and tangled. The instructor walked over and clicked the release levers with his ski pole, leaving Christian to tumble out of his skis and flounder in the snow on wobbly legs, like a newborn giraffe. The Daisy of a few months ago would have gone to help him. Instead, she drank some more beer and helped herself to a handful of French fries from the bowl in front of her.

Christian scrambled upright and clumped over to Daisy, leaving the instructor to deal with his skis. ‘I made it,’ he whispered, his face etched with trauma.

Daisy scanned his bloodshot eyes. ‘You look like you need a drink.’

‘Definitely.’ Christian hefted himself onto the stool opposite.

The instructor walked over and smiled bleakly down at him. ‘Christian, we are finished with your lesson now.’ He said in careful English, ‘If you like I can come back in an hour and we can do more this afternoon.’ He looked like he’d rather roll naked down the mountain.

‘Thanks, Lukas,’ mumbled Christian. ‘I . . . oh, God. No—Yes. I don’t know. What are my options?’

‘It’s fine, thanks, Lukas.’ Daisy put her hand on Christian’s arm. ‘I’ll get him back down the mountain. We’ll give you a call if we want to book for tomorrow.’ Even though Daisy was determined that Christian would be back in the UK by then.

Lukas grinned, his relief obvious. ‘OK, no problem.’ Then he looked at her properly. ‘You are the woman from the singing television show, no? I did summer in Manchester last year, working in BBC canteen. I watch your show. You are very famous.’

‘Just having a little holiday right now,’ smiled Daisy.

Lukas gave them both a conspiratorial nod and waved as he swished expertly off down the mountain, spraying a wave of snow behind him as he took the corner at high speed. Christian watched him go, his face now ashen. Daisy waved her beer glass at the waiter and held up two fingers.

‘So, remind me again why you’re here?’ Daisy crossed her arms over her chest in a gesture that she hoped communicated I am not to be messed with, you bastard. She’d calmed down since seeing Christian this morning and decided that yelling at him further was only going to prolong the meeting and attract unwanted attention. She’d hear him out and then get rid of him.

Christian took a deep breath. ‘I wanted to apologise in person,’ he muttered. ‘For being such a dick.’

Yeah, right. Your regret is so deep you shagged a woman last night. In public.