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Liv gave me a look. ‘Apparently, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. If you play it right, you won’t get cold. Everywhere indoors is heated, so as long as you’ve got your kit for the mountain, you’ll be fine.’ Liv stopped. ‘You have got proper gear for the mountain, haven’t you?’ she asked, looking at my high-waisted skinnies with a frown.
‘Yes totally,’ I said, re-thinking my Louboutins. ‘I wasn’t sure what the look was, so I borrowed a few bits and bobs to put an outfit together. I should probably check with you before I… er… ride though. Do you ski or snowboard?’
‘Board. And if you’re starting from scratch, I’d go with that. Skiing is very 1995.’
‘Which was an excellent year for the vine by coincidence,’ I said. ‘Maybe that’s why the ski lot are so into their booze. Genevieve and Luca must be loaded if they can afford to hire three of us at the chalet?’
‘Getting paid a lot, are you?’ Liv laughed.
‘Oh. Not really, no. Bed, board, a ski pass and 50 Swiss francs a week? Is that right?’
‘Yep, same as me. Don’t worry, they get their money’s worth. I clean the chalet and do breakfast and you’ll be working 4-11 p.m. as Xavier’s sous-chef in the day and serving dinner and organising the wine at night.’
I nodded, making mental notes.
‘I occasionally work dinner if I’m needed or if you want to swap shifts every now and then, that’s cool too. And we get Thursdays off.’
‘Amazing,’ I said, ‘can’t wait to get stuck in. I hear Xavier’s pretty impressive?’
‘You hear right. No idea what he’s doing up here. It’s not the money, that’s for sure. Must be the lifestyle, like the rest of us, I suppose.’
‘The party lifestyle?’
‘The mountain lifestyle. You can party if you want to or just enjoy the peace. The skiing, the food, the spas. Everything you could want is here.’
‘Sounds perfect. The peace for now, but maybe some partying later.’
‘Are you single? Into men? Women?’
‘Very newly single,’ I felt my voice catch. It was the first time I’d said it out loud and the first time I’d been single this decade. ‘From a man. We were engaged. I’m in heartbreak avoidance mode at the mo’ but I’ll let you know when I get to the rebound stage.’
‘The odds are in your favour out here. Eight men to every woman and the supply changes weekly, so you’ll have plenty to choose from when you’re ready.’
‘Honestly, I can’t imagine ever wanting to go near a man again. But good to know if I change my mind, there are options,’ I said, smiling.
Liv stopped beside a Porsche 4x4 with chains stuck to the enormous tyres and easily lifted my suitcase into the boot. I chucked my rucksack and my emergency travel handbag in on top, being careful not to scratch the paint. The Porsche had that delicious, brand-new-car smell, with a dove-grey leather interior. I climbed in and squidged into my seat as Liv started the engine.
‘Heated seats?’ she asked.
‘Ooh, yes please. As much heat as possible. Is this your car?’ I asked, mouth hanging open, I was so impressed.
Liv laughed as she reversed, handing me a packet of smoked almonds. There was half a Nutribullet of green juice sitting where I’d normally have a coffee or Coke, so Liv was getting her five-a-day in before the sun was even up.
‘Yeah, right. No, it’s the chalet car. We use it to ferry Genevieve and Luca about and run other errands. You’ll be insured on it too. Do you drive?’
‘Of course. But nothing like this before.’ My mind was being blown every step of the way. ‘Looks like it’s time to start living the high life,’ I said, popping a handful of almonds into my mouth. I’d have preferred chocolate peanuts, but they’d do for now.
Liv drove like a kamikaze racing driver up the never-ending hill towards Verbier. It was only just first light, so the roads were quiet, too early for most people to be up and about. The streets were silent, and the air was crisp and clean. A fresh dump of snow had fallen overnight, leaving a frosty layer of padding on the mountain for the holidaymakers to play in. We drove past a small, wooden church with a cross nailed to the roof and candles glowing in the window, a supermarket, a florist and restaurant after restaurant. All were dark and closed, quiet and sleeping, but this was clearly a place for the foodies and wine connoisseurs. I’d be among kindred spirits.
We eventually reached the top of the hill and Liv turned into an empty, tree-lined street and drove straight up onto the first drive, turning off the engine. This was it. This was my home for the winter. The building was chocolate-box perfect. Dark wooden slats with big windows, pristine white shutters, and a mashed potato lid. It was a Christmas house, and my insides went funny with excitement as I gaped up out of the window.
‘Pretty nice, huh?’ Liv said quietly, as I took it all in.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I replied. It really was.
The front door opened and a man in jeans and a hoodie poked his head out.
‘Morning,’ he said, giving a bleary-eyed wave.
