What Happens in the Alps... (16 page)

Annie was impressed. ‘Sounds great, but I'm too tired even to think about going out again.' She headed for the kitchen with the dirty mugs. ‘Have a good evening.' As she left him it occurred to her that it was very strange for Matt to be going out on his own. Very strange indeed.

Chapter 11

When Paolina arrived on Monday morning, Annie was relieved to see that she had abandoned her vamp outfit and was more conventionally dressed in jeans and a jumper. Nevertheless, the fact that the jumper had a series of concentric circles across the front of it still maintained her quirky style. She looked like a dartboard.

‘Morning, Annie. Here's the post.' She put the letters on the counter and hung up her coat.

‘Morning, Paolina.' Annie picked up the handful of envelopes and then remembered her promise to Paul. ‘Could you send an email to the ski school for me please, asking your friend Paul Cornaz to come down for a second interview? I'm not quite sure of his level and I need to double-check.' She was delighted to see interest on Paolina's face.

Annie went through to her office. The newly painted ceiling made the room a lot lighter and she murmured a silent thank you to Matt for his efforts. She was just sitting down to check her post when she heard a commotion coming from reception. She got up and went to see what was happening. The window was open and all she could see was Paolina's bottom as she leant dangerously out over the snow-covered sill.

‘Paolina, what on earth's going on?'

‘It's Matt. He's in a fight.' She sounded worried.

‘A fight?' Annie pulled Paolina back inside and peered out in her place.

‘I heard raised voices and looked out. It's Matt and some man down there.'

Annie could just see the top of Matt's head and, from where she was, it looked very much as though he was holding another man by the scruff of the neck. She ducked back inside and headed for the stairs, wondering how Matt had managed to get himself into a fight at that time of the morning.

‘Got that? Now, sod off and don't let me catch you round here again.' Matt's normally mild voice was full of menace and this, as much as anything, caused Annie to stop at the front door. As she looked on, Matt dismissively pushed the other man out of the way. The man almost fell, pulled himself together, swore at Matt, but then turned apprehensively and ran off. But not before Annie had had time to recognise him as the same man who had tried to steal her sign. She opened the door and went across to where Matt was picking papers from the frozen pavement. As he saw her, he visibly relaxed and gave her a smile.

‘Not a very nice person, Annie. I found him standing outside your door, handing these out.' He handed a leaflet to Annie. There was no missing the bold
ABC School
logo on the front. ‘I think I'm going to need to have to have a few words with these people.'

Annie took his arm. ‘No, don't worry, Matt. Don't get involved; it's not your problem. I'll get on to the local police. I recognised him. It's the same man who was trying to steal my sign. The police can deal with it.'

Matt didn't look convinced, but he collected the last of the flyers and allowed her to lead him back inside the building. Upstairs, Paolina stared at Matt with unconcealed admiration as he came in, hung up his coat and went off to wash his hands.

‘Did you see him, Annie? He looked ever so tough. I've never seen Matt like that before.' Neither had Annie. She had only ever seen him as a gentle, normally light-hearted sort of guy and the sight of him leaping to her rescue was actually rather touching, maybe even stimulating. The way he had pushed the other man across the street had been like something out of a movie. She shook her head pensively. She was just so glad that Matt had been there to help out. Certainly, his occupation of one of the rooms looked like being the best thing that could have happened to her while this sort of thing was going on. It felt really good to have a strong, supportive man at her side.

Just then she remembered what she had been meaning to ask Paolina for a few days now. ‘By the way, the man was the same one I saw trying to steal our sign the other night. So it's clear that the ABC School man was behind that as well. Did you or Rita find out anything about him? What was his name? Gruppio?'

Paolina shook her head. ‘Gruglio. Not yet, but Rita knows somebody who knows one of the teachers. I'm seeing her tomorrow; hopefully she'll have some information.'

When Matt emerged from the bathroom, Annie took him across to the café for an espresso, leaving Paolina in the school, looking wistful. When she told Matt that Rita might have some news about the ABC man, he nodded. ‘So might I. There's this girl I know who works in the local government offices. I'm going to ask her if she can dig up any dirt on that place.' He caught Annie's eye. ‘If he can play dirty, so can we.'

‘But it's not your fight, Matt. It's mine.'

He smiled at her across the top of his coffee cup. ‘Your fight is my fight. Trust me, Annie, it's mine, too. I have a vested interest, after all. If your school fails, then my office disappears. Let me have a word with her. Hopefully she can dig up something on him that we can use to shut him up.'

‘But why should she go out on a limb for you?'

He looked almost apologetic. ‘I rather think she's got a soft spot for me.'

‘But you don't feel the same way?'

‘She's not my type, Annie.'

Annie didn't ask what his type was.

Annie heated up some soup for lunch and then phoned her mother to tell her she had decided she would be coming home to the UK for Christmas. She had booked her flight for the following Saturday, the last before Christmas, and would come straight down to Devon by train for the festivities. Her mother was delighted, and even more delighted when Annie told her about the lovely new house she had been offered.

Five minutes after putting the phone down, it rang again. This time it was Karen.

‘Hi, Annie. Mum just rang and she tells me you're coming over for Christmas. That's great.' She went on to relate news of her family, school pantomimes and sports triumphs, before asking, ‘So, what's new with you?'

Annie paused, unsure whether to mention Alex or not. In the end she opted for full disclosure. ‘Erm, I've been out to dinner with a man.'

Karen pounced. ‘I knew it. It's Matt, isn't it? You've gone and done it and you and he are an item now. Good for you, Annie. I'm so jealous. He's such a gorgeous…'

Annie leapt in to put her sister straight. ‘Not Matt, Karen. I told you; that's never going to happen. No, this is a different man.' She paused.

‘A different man? Go on, tell me more. If he's more attractive than Matt, then I'm filing for divorce and coming straight over there.'

‘His name's Alex. He's half English, half Italian. He's about Matt's height, similar build, dark hair, very good-looking, but he's not a “get them into bed and then dump them” man like Matt.' As she spoke, she found herself hoping desperately that this would not prove to be the case. ‘At least I don't think he is.'

‘And he does what?'

‘He works in the new hotel at Montalto.' She decided to keep the fact that he owned the hotel secret for the time being. ‘I've been out to dinner with him and I've been skiing with him and we get on really well.'

‘So could you be getting interested in another man, after all? I thought men were off the agenda for now. Don't get me wrong; I think you're doing just the right thing. I reckon you need a strong, supportive man at your side.'

Annie reflected that she had just used those exact same words to herself, but referring to Matt, rather than Alex. ‘Goodness, who knows? It's early days, Karen, and nothing's happened between us yet. But let's just say that we get on really well together.' Then she went on to tell her sister about the guest chalet and how she would be living only a few kilometres from the pistes. Unsurprisingly, Karen was impressed, and jealous.

‘Well, you deserve some good luck after the past two years. New man, fabulous house, loads of enrolments at your school; things are looking good, Annie.'

‘Not necessarily a new man. Like I say, it's early days. As for the house, although there's only one bedroom, I've got that sofa bed, so there'll be room for you, with or without Chris, any time. If I can find a couple of spare mattresses, I should be able to squeeze the boys in as well.'

‘Don't tempt me. And, anyway, if Matt's going to be living in Santorso, why on earth would I want to bring my husband?'

‘Karen, behave.'

As she finished her lunch, Annie wasn't thinking about Matt, whatever her sister thought of him. No, she was thinking more and more about Alex. They shared a number of common interests. There was his ability with languages, a shared love of skiing and fine dining.
Well
, she admitted to herself,
his tastes are maybe a bit more refined and a bit pricier than mine, but we both like good food
. Then there was his love of dogs. Apart from that, she reluctantly realised, she didn't actually know that much about him and she resolved to do a bit of digging next time they met up. Hopefully his commitments wouldn't prevent him from having dinner with her one night that week.

It was mid-afternoon when Annie got two phone calls in quick succession. The first was Matt, to tell her he was on his way down to Florence to sort out his house move. ‘I should be back on Wednesday or Thursday evening. Can I buy you a pizza then?'

‘I'll buy
you
the pizza. It's not every day a kind man decorates a girl's ceiling. It's the least I can do.'

Only a matter of minutes later the phone rang again. This time it was Alex. She was delighted to hear his voice.

‘Hi, Annie, how about dinner on Wednesday night?'

‘Absolutely.' This was just what she had been waiting to hear.

‘Terrific. What time shall I pick you up?'

Annie thought for a moment. Paolina had asked to be excused early that evening as she was meeting Rita, so Annie would have to be on duty until eight.

‘Would eight o'clock be all right?'

‘Perfect. And, Annie, I'm really looking forward to seeing you again.'

‘Me, too. See you on Wednesday.'

Annie put the phone down with a smile on her face and went through to tell Paolina what was happening. Since Matt's heroics that morning, Paolina had changed out of her dartboard jumper into a very tight pink top that showed off her figure to advantage. Having since discovered that he was on his way to Florence, she was looking disappointed, and slightly chilly. Annie sighed inwardly. Clearly, her attempts to warn Paolina off Matt weren't working.

‘Any word from the police?' After the leaflet incident, Annie had gone to the municipal police station to make a complaint about the man distributing the ABC brochures and the attempted theft of the sign. Although the police officer on duty at the desk had been polite and courteous, Annie had distinctly got the impression that nothing would be done.

Paolina shook her head scathingly. ‘Of course not. They're useless.'

‘Well, in fairness, they did say the leaflet thing wasn't a criminal offence and removing a screw from the sign was hardly serious criminal damage.'

‘Well, I'll see what Rita says when I meet her on Wednesday. We'll sort him out, don't you worry.'

Annie hoped she was right.

Chapter 12

On Wednesday Paolina came to work wearing a strange nineteen-sixties trouser suit in a scary orange and green swirly pattern, made of some primitive man-made fabric that kept giving her little electric shocks whenever she touched anything, and that included Annie. At least, Annie thought to herself, she couldn't imagine this outfit being a turn-on for Matt, if he should return from Florence early.

Paolina checked the diary. ‘By the way, Annie, don't forget your interview with Paul Cornaz at noon.' Annie
had
forgotten that and wondered what effect Paolina's orange sparkler would have on the ski instructor. She nodded and headed off to her office. As she got there, her phone began to ring. It was Matt.

‘Hi, Matt, how's Florence?' She could hear background noise. ‘Where are you? Are you driving?'

‘Yup, just coming up the motorway from Genoa now. I managed to sort everything out quicker than I expected so I thought I'd come back up. It's peeing with rain down here.'

Annie glanced out of the window. ‘Not here. It's grey, but it's dry.'

‘So, do you want to take me out for dinner tonight?'

‘I'm sorry, Matt, I'm going out. Can we make it tomorrow?'

‘Tomorrow's fine. In fact, that'll be excellent, as the removal men are bringing my stuff tomorrow and, after an afternoon sorting through boxes, I'll be up for a meal out. So, going out with your boyfriend tonight?'

‘He's not my boyfriend.' Annie just managed to avoid adding the word
yet
. ‘He rang yesterday just after you'd gone, and he invited me out.'

‘Well, I hope you have a good time. I should be in the office in a couple of hours, so I'll probably see you before you start tarting yourself up for him.'

‘Matt.' She tried to put as much menace in her voice as possible. ‘When have you ever seen me tarted up?' Mercifully, back in the days of the infamous tarts and vicars party she hadn't known Matt.

‘You're right. You always look just naturally gorgeous.'

‘Matt…' This time her tone was despairing. ‘You can ditch the sweet talk with me. Now you just drive safely and I'll see you later.'

Paul the ski instructor arrived at noon and Annie went through the motions of interviewing him before ushering him back to where Paolina was waiting in reception. Glancing at her watch, Annie announced that she was going up to see Janet at the B&B and then doing some shopping, and left the two of them to it.