What Happens in the Alps... Read Online Free Page B

person to solve it for me.’
    â€˜Anything I can do to help.’
    â€˜Are you, by any chance, familiar with the new Montalto Hotel?’ Annie certainly was. The ski resort of Montalto was situated directly above the town; a fifteen-minute drive up a series of tight hairpin bends that climbed hundreds of metres in a short distance. In fact, one of the places she was planning to visit in her search for an apartment was Montalto. The new hotel was being heralded as the valley’s latest five-star hotel, offering luxurious accommodation to visitors, as well as employment to a good number of local people.
    â€˜I certainly am. It must be nearly finished by now.’
    Signor Lagrange nodded. ‘Yes, indeed. Anyway, I’m the general manager of the hotel. As part of my duties, I have to ensure that our staff all have a satisfactory command of English.’ Annie leant forward in her turn. This was sounding promising. ‘This is where you come in.’
    Annie resisted the temptation to get up and hug Signor Lagrange, but it took willpower. Here she was, the school not yet open, being presented with the sort of contract she could only dream of. ‘I’d be delighted to help.’
    Together, they discussed the details and Annie soon realised that there was going to be enough work in this one contract alone to keep a teacher fully occupied for months and months. She spared a thought for the two new teachers she had engaged to start in January. It looked as if she was going to need them both. She and Signor Lagrange discussed everything and she arranged to come up to the hotel the following week to meet the staff and do a preliminary assessment of their levels. Finally, they shook hands on it and she promised to email him everything that afternoon. He looked relieved.
    â€˜That’s excellent. The hotel opens to the public in March, so if lessons can begin early in the New Year, so much the better.’
    Annie thanked him and stood up. But, before leaving, Signor Lagrange had one more surprise for her. He dropped an envelope on her desk. ‘It’s very important you get to know the hotel and the ski resort as well as possible. That’ll help a lot when you’re teaching my staff. I thought you might like one of these.’
    Intrigued, Annie opened the envelope and pulled out what looked like a big credit card attached to a blue ribbon. It took her a moment to work out what it was. As she realised, her breath whistled out. ‘A season ticket?’ She looked up at him in wonder. ‘You’re giving me a season ticket to the ski lifts?’
    He was smiling more broadly. ‘It’s a full season lift pass. Matt tells me you’re a very keen skier and I thought you might like one. I’ve got half a dozen to give to VIPs. You’re the first.’
    Annie very nearly kissed him. She had been skiing for as long as she could remember and she always bought a season ticket. A split-second calculation told her this little piece of plastic was worth hundreds and hundreds of euros. She felt quite overwhelmed.
    â€˜But… really, this is too much.’
    He waved away her protestations and then caught her eye. ‘Your husband and I were good friends. It’s the least I can do.’
    This time Annie did hug him. ‘Thank you so very much, Signor Lagrange.’
    â€˜Massimo. Please call me Massimo.’
    â€˜Thank you, Massimo. And I’m Annie.’
    He saw the expression on her face and smiled at her. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Annie.’
    Matt arrived, as arranged, just after one o’clock and Annie’s first act was to hug him as well. When she released him he took a step back and smiled at her. ‘And I’m pleased to see you, too.’
    She smiled back and told him about her visit from Massimo Lagrange and the amazing business opportunity he had offered. ‘So, lunch is on me, Matt.’
    She showed him round the