from the ski lifts and ski school. She gave each of them a short oral test to establish the different levels. Paul was very friendly while Daniela was more reserved. Her English was already quite good and Annie wondered if she was nervous that Annie wouldnât think it good enough. At the end of their interview she gave Daniela an encouraging smile and the news she wanted. âDefinitely the top class for you, Daniela. Your English is very good.â For the first time she saw a smile on the girlâs face.
As she finally closed her file after the thirty-second interviewee left the room, she sat back and glanced at her watch. It was almost half past five. She ran her hands through her hair. The idea of a swim was very appealing after a long afternoon glued to a chair. The knowledge that she might be accompanied by Alex gave her a shiver of excitement. She picked up the phone on the desk in front of her and dialled Danielaâs number.
She was ushered into the empty changing rooms by Daniela herself who pointed out a huge pile of towels. âJust help yourself and, when youâve finished, drop the towels in the basket.â She returned to the door and pointed at the lock. âIâll leave the door locked so nobody else can get in. When you want to leave, just press down on the handle.â
Feeling rather self-conscious in the large room, even if there was nobody about, Annie changed into her trusty old one-piece costume and pinned her hair up. She left her clothes on top of her briefcase and picked up a large, fluffy, white towel, embroidered with
Hotel Montalto
in dark blue. She wrapped it round herself and went out through the door to the pool. It was blissfully warm in there and the water itself, as she slipped off the towel and climbed down the ladder, was like a warm bath. She swam around lazily, enjoying the peace and quiet. All along one side of the room, a whole wall of glass looked out over the piste, casting a yellow glow across the snow. Although there was nobody out there, she felt quite conspicuous.
Luckily
, she thought to herself,
nobodyâs going to be out there in the dark.
Almost nobody.
She heard tapping and glanced up. Standing outside, nose pressed up against the triple glazing, was Alex. He waved and she waved back. He mimed getting changed and swimming and she smiled and beckoned him in. As he disappeared from view, she felt that same sense of excitement she had felt the previous night. She did her best to concentrate on doing a few lengths of the pool to occupy her while she waited for him to appear. As it was, she wasnât aware of his arrival until she heard a splash and water sprayed across the pool. A neat white circle showed where he had dived in. Seconds later he surfaced in front of her and shook the hair out of his eyes.
âSorry if I splashed you. Thereâs a sign there saying NO DIVING, but as itâs just us, I thought, what the hell!â
âHi, Alex.â She gave him a grin. âNice of you to drop in.â Although all she could see of him was his head and shoulders, along with occasional glimpses of a hairy chest, the knowledge that he was less than a metre away from her and nearly naked was very stimulating. She shook her head, partly to rid herself of the drops of water, but mainly to try to establish some order in there. Once again, Alex had her mind in a spin. If he noticed her confusion, he didnât show it.
âComing out in the open?â Alex didnât give her time to reply before turning and guiding her to the far corner of the pool where a narrow channel led towards the windows. A series of rubber flaps formed a thermal barrier between them and the outside. Annie pushed through them and came out into a totally different world. The warm water billowed clouds of steam into the sky as it came into contact with the near freezing air and it was almost like being in the middle of a Turkish bath, except that the skin of her
As she finally closed her file after the thirty-second interviewee left the room, she sat back and glanced at her watch. It was almost half past five. She ran her hands through her hair. The idea of a swim was very appealing after a long afternoon glued to a chair. The knowledge that she might be accompanied by Alex gave her a shiver of excitement. She picked up the phone on the desk in front of her and dialled Danielaâs number.
She was ushered into the empty changing rooms by Daniela herself who pointed out a huge pile of towels. âJust help yourself and, when youâve finished, drop the towels in the basket.â She returned to the door and pointed at the lock. âIâll leave the door locked so nobody else can get in. When you want to leave, just press down on the handle.â
Feeling rather self-conscious in the large room, even if there was nobody about, Annie changed into her trusty old one-piece costume and pinned her hair up. She left her clothes on top of her briefcase and picked up a large, fluffy, white towel, embroidered with
Hotel Montalto
in dark blue. She wrapped it round herself and went out through the door to the pool. It was blissfully warm in there and the water itself, as she slipped off the towel and climbed down the ladder, was like a warm bath. She swam around lazily, enjoying the peace and quiet. All along one side of the room, a whole wall of glass looked out over the piste, casting a yellow glow across the snow. Although there was nobody out there, she felt quite conspicuous.
Luckily
, she thought to herself,
nobodyâs going to be out there in the dark.
Almost nobody.
She heard tapping and glanced up. Standing outside, nose pressed up against the triple glazing, was Alex. He waved and she waved back. He mimed getting changed and swimming and she smiled and beckoned him in. As he disappeared from view, she felt that same sense of excitement she had felt the previous night. She did her best to concentrate on doing a few lengths of the pool to occupy her while she waited for him to appear. As it was, she wasnât aware of his arrival until she heard a splash and water sprayed across the pool. A neat white circle showed where he had dived in. Seconds later he surfaced in front of her and shook the hair out of his eyes.
âSorry if I splashed you. Thereâs a sign there saying NO DIVING, but as itâs just us, I thought, what the hell!â
âHi, Alex.â She gave him a grin. âNice of you to drop in.â Although all she could see of him was his head and shoulders, along with occasional glimpses of a hairy chest, the knowledge that he was less than a metre away from her and nearly naked was very stimulating. She shook her head, partly to rid herself of the drops of water, but mainly to try to establish some order in there. Once again, Alex had her mind in a spin. If he noticed her confusion, he didnât show it.
âComing out in the open?â Alex didnât give her time to reply before turning and guiding her to the far corner of the pool where a narrow channel led towards the windows. A series of rubber flaps formed a thermal barrier between them and the outside. Annie pushed through them and came out into a totally different world. The warm water billowed clouds of steam into the sky as it came into contact with the near freezing air and it was almost like being in the middle of a Turkish bath, except that the skin of her
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