The rawness of that argument lasted all through her lunch break and then the afternoon part of her shift as Carly helped in the restaurant. She'd genuinely hurt Lucas AGAIN, physically this time. She felt bad, but through all this, she remembered Camilla and how devastated she was when she thought she'd been pregnant...he'd not shared that load, in fact she'd barely seen him with Camilla since. Men seemed to waltz through life without taking responsibility for their actions, and that infuriated her beyond belief!

Still there was no excuse for her behaviour. She felt dreadful First port of call after her lunch was back to reception. Lucas was helping an elderly gentleman at the desk, so she hung around for a moment, sorting out a few brochures in a stand.

                "Can I help you?" Lucas' voice was clipped with restrained anger.

                "I wanted to apologise. I should never have hit you."

He shrugged, "whatever. I have no further interest in you or anything you have to say, but thanks for the apology. I'll take it at face value."

Then he turned away.

Carly was glad that is was busy, it gave her less time to think, contemplate what a mess everything was. The restaurant was full all evening and it was difficult not to be swept into the Christmas spirit. When she finally finished at eight pm after a twelve hour day, she was more than glad to return to her room, collapse on the bed only opening her eyes to Skype her parents.

The next morning there were only six children booked into the crèche. She was doing the early half of the day; Marta was relieving her at lunchtime to finish the day. There was no sign of Lucas at breakfast or during the morning which meant Carly could limit just how guilty she was feeling.

After finishing her shift, Carly changed into snow gear; it was starting to snow, though not heavily, then wandered down into the town. It was quiet, but then for non tourists Boxing Day was a family day, and of course the tourists were eating their fill at the variety of hotels that skirted the town. But quiet was good, Carly appreciated it.

She had a lot of reflection to make on her behaviour. She was still mortified that she'd slapped Lucas, not that she felt any more amenable towards him. Now she also had to think about her 'date' with Jens. She wasn't lying when she talked about her clumsiness, and she was dreading the actual skiing part. But then...it was easier to worry about that than think about the man she was skiing with. He was a first class womaniser, a little rich boy who was used to having everything his own way. She had no intention of falling at his feet, she kept reassuring herself though she also knew that it seemed a weak defence even to her own ears.

Carly ordered a coffee in one of the cafes then settled in the corner alone. Her whole negative outlook towards men was in no small part due to the witless boyfriends she'd had in the past. She'd never been swept of her feet. There had also been the rejection in her life.

Carly had only been fourteen when she'd met Max, his wealthy parents had bought a summer home in the hills near her village, and she'd first met him whilst walking her dog. They instantly become friends, and looking back Carly could see it was a mutually beneficial relationship. He'd got to know the area; she'd loved having an older experienced friend.

She didn't believe that she'd fallen in love with him back then, but two summers later after the usual winter of text messages, and emails, Carly had decided that she had to tell him how she felt. He arrived as usual the first weekend in July and she'd rushed up to the croft that sat on the rugged hill.

Max had come rushing out to meet her with a beautiful perfect blonde.

                "Carly! It's so good to see you!" He hugged her in a way she'd began to think was more than friendly, but as soon as he pulled back and introduced her to Mia, the blonde, she spotted the closeness of the two.

Nursing her sorrow and embarrassment, she'd tried to keep her distance from him, or rather them all summer. But they seemed to be everywhere, every party, the cinema, it was a small town and it was almost impossible to avoid them...It hadn't been until she heard Mia and her friend who visited talking about 'Max's desperately keen yokel' that she realised that the joke had been on her...the whole time. 

It had hurt, and Carly knew her heart had been hardened then, and the next few men she'd agreed to date had never captivated her in the same way. She'd never been in love, she wasn't sure she'd even encounter lust! This was why her attraction to Jens or rather her attraction to the flattery of Jens was so different to anything else. It scared her, yet excited her too. The unknown. But there were so many similarities between him and Max.

Finishing her coffee, she wrapped herself back up in her layers, the snow was getting heavier and the last thing she needed was to get caught in a blizzard. The cleared paths were getting harder to pass, so she had to concentrate as she climbed slowly back up hill.

As soon as she hit the grounds of the hotel, the maintenance men were out in force gritting, clearing and making things safe, Carly smiled at them as she passed them. She was almost up to the main hotel building when a car pulled level with her, and the window lowered.

                "You look like a snowman!"

She recognised Jens voice before she turned. He was leaning on the open window of the car, a smile on his face.

                "Let me get you a hot chocolate, warm you up?" there was such innuendo in his voice that Carly gulped, for a moment speechless.

Whilst she'd walked she'd convinced herself that she would meet him to ski the following morning, but that was as far as it would go. She was resolved not to let it go any further, not that she was heeding warnings from Lucas or even Rochelle and Marta. This was her own analysis. Hot chocolate...somewhere...with him...was definitely against that. So she shook her head.

                "Thanks Jens, but I really need to make some calls and stuff..."

He shrugged, but there was a glint of humour in his eyes, he was enjoying this game, "eight am tomorrow? Dress for skiing, what you don't have get from the hotel hire...tell them I've ok'ed it. See you then!"

Jens immediately wound up the window and accelerated around the building and out of her view, leaving her there alone to contemplate the next day.

Carly ate her breakfast at six am, she'd hardly slept her mind was so active. A hearty breakfast would settle her churning stomach, that was her thought anyway. She didn't have any suitable ski attire, so she visited the hire store. Frank, the manager there raised an eyebrow as she explained Jens had wanted her to be kitted out. After glancing at her for a moment more than was necessary, he pulled out trousers and a jacket, then goggles and boots.

Grinning she lumbered out to the hallway, and there stood Jens, immaculate in black trousers and a vivid black and white jacket. She'd not be losing him in the snow!

                "Ready?" he asked tossing his skis over his shoulder. She nodded struggling to carry her own in such a casual manner and followed him out into the unknown...a handsome rich boy, pristine white ski slopes...what could possibly go wrong?

Jens was at home on the slopes. He strode with confidence to the lift, only pausing once to see if she followed. Once he'd reached the lift, he’d clipped into his skis and looked at her expectantly.

                "What bit of complete novice don't you understand?" Her smile was more bravado than happiness as she laboured across the snow with all her equipment.

                "You really have NEVER skied?"

She shook her head, "I don't even know how to put them on!"

He laughed, a real hearty laugh that shook his whole body, "I can't believe you're THAT much of a snow virgin!"

She blushed, "I told you I'd never skied!"

Nodding he kicked off his own skis and led her away from the lift towards the small undulating nursery slope. Despite it being barely an incline she felt a little apprehensive as she stood on the snow. Fear was not a pleasant emotion. Jens dropped to his knees and lifted a foot, talking her through the mechanism of the ski, how to put it on, how to get it off...quickly if she fell. Once she stood on the two pieces of highly polished wood...or was it fibreglass? She could feel the lack of friction; her feet would slip quite easily if she didn't fight to keep her legs still and together.

Terrifying!

Jens stood in front of her in just his boots and called out instructions. 'Bend knees...weight onto toes...keep feet hip distance apart...push your heels apart...' There was so much to think about, but as she felt the skis move; she started to slide down the slight slope. Jens caught her after twenty metres and smiled. Gave her a few more tips, then made her re-climb that slope and start again. After fifteen, or maybe twenty trips down an increasing length slope, she was shattered, collapsing onto the snow.

                "This is too hard!" she panted.

                "No one said it was easy! But SO worthwhile. Imagine climbing to the top of that piste..." he pointed to a curving trail in the distance. "And whizzing down, wind in your face, no resistance with the ground. It's as close to flying as I've ever found!" He dropped to the snow next to her, relaxing back on his elbows turning his face up to the sun.

Carly struggled to catch her breath, despite the slope they were using being so small, it still seemed to have drawn every ounce of her energy.

                "Tell me it gets easier!" she gasped looking at him.

Jens tilted his head to glance at her, "It does...you'll be so much better by this evening."

                "Evening?" she sat up. "I'll never last that long, and may I remind you that there are twenty one children booked into the crèche tomorrow. I need to be able to squat and bend, the way my quads feel already that's unlikely."

He laughed, "you do make me laugh! As you British say - in for a penny in for a pound. They'll hurt anyway, may as well do as much as you can manage!"

Carly leaned forward supporting her weight on her knees, glad her racing heart was starting to calm. It was such a beautiful location, perfect white snow, beautiful blue skies, and the lush green conifers, but she was too exhausted to truly appreciate it.

                "You're passionate about this aren't you? Skiing..."

Jens was watching her intently and there was an almost awkward silence before her offered, "skiing was...is everything I've always wanted to do..."

                "More than run a hotel!" she laughed but suddenly saw the strange look in his eyes. "You'd really love to what? Ski all day? Wouldn't we all?"

Again Jens was studying her, almost as though he was contemplating what to say, eventually he replied, "I'm not stupid enough to think I could live as a skier, but I wanted to teach, then that'd leave me time to ski myself too. But..." he sighed, "that wasn't on Papa's agenda. So I'm here...working to the bone!"

Carly patted the snow with her gloved hand, "there are worse jobs than being the boss!"

                "You're angry that I said that?" When she shrugged, he added, "all my life my father has been lining me up for this job. This was my obligation...not this resort obviously, but following in his footsteps, helping to run the company."

                "And all you want to do is ski?" she finished for him a little too sarcastically.

Jens tried to reach for her hand, but she kept her head bowed, avoiding looking at him, "it's not like that Carly, really it isn't."

She laughed, "don't you feel like you owe him anything? Even if though it's not exactly what you want?"

                "Do I owe him my life? My future?" he asked with wide eyes.

Carly shrugged, she'd already said more than she'd realised, but she'd started now, "you've had a good life, his hard work ensured that didn't it?"

Jens was bemused as he watched her, gesturing for her to carry on, "the opportunity to become a good skier was all because of your father's hard work and money. He created a situation that enabled you to experience so much, yet you resent the commitment he expects back. Where I stand a job like this, all these chances and opportunities sound anything but a chore."

Her comments were met by silence and when she finally looked up she saw Jens watching her, a look of amusement on his face, "you've managed to sum up fourteen years of arguments with my father in two sentences!"

Carly was a little embarrassed she'd more than spoken out of turn, "I don't mean to sound judgemental..."

It was his turn to shrug, "would you do it? Give up want you want for what's right?"

Suddenly this wasn't about her, pulling herself to her feet she smiled down at him, "do you think it's normal for someone to start living at twenty-four? Life is a sacrifice! Now. Snow ploughing?"

And so it ended. Just like that. A couple of hours later, after a lunch break and several stops for water, she was ready for her first attempt at a small downhill. Jens led her to the lowest stop on the ski lift, and from there they came halfway back down the piste.

                "Right...remember everything I said. If you're scared or out of control bring in your snow plough, or turn and stop...stop being the operative word, I'm not pulling you out of the bushes. You ready?"

Carly looked up at him terrified, her heart was pounding like she couldn't believe her whole body thrummed with nervous tension...but with a smile she used her poles to push herself into the start of the descent...and then she was flying. Her skis whizzed over the snow, the wind almost took her breath away. Yes she wobbled, almost fell a couple of times, and yes, she only came down a hundred metres...but she LOVED it!

Until she spotted an uneven section of the run, panicking she tried to avoid it, veer to one side, but she failed to remember Jens' words of relax and make subtle changes, instead she threw herself to one side and lost balance completely. Her outstretched body fit the snow face down, and it almost felt as though her legs were going to hit her head. The skis came loose and she tumbled very ungracefully the remaining twenty metres down the slope.

As she finally slowed, she saw Jens, or rather his feet, skid to a stop in front of her. Kicking off his skis, he dropped down beside her limp body.

                "Are you ok?"

She tried a smile despite her exhausted and battered body, "I take back everything I said earlier, screw the family and do this forever!"

                "You liked?"

She rolled onto her back testing each of her legs as she went, "I loved...but it might actually kill me!"