Resort to Romance (The Duttas #1)

2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Alisha

" S o you want me to write an article about Austria?” I asked my boss, Grayson, as he sipped his chai, which was one of my favourites. I clutched my nearly full notebook with my trusty gold pen, and my knuckles were probably about to burst through the skin, given my grip. Even my eyes felt like they would pop out of my skull. I felt nervous as I could finally get my work noticed properly. This was it. My big break. Well, hopefully, it was.

“Not just write. You’re going to go there too, Alisha.” As soon as he said this, I felt as though I was going to faint on the spot. Travelling had never been my forte and getting on planes made me nervous, which was interesting because the company I worked for was heavily invested in that. I had just about managed a few trips to India in the last few years alone to visit my family.

Heaven help me now.

“I am?” was all I could muster as the room had stopped swirling. I tugged at a loose strand of chestnut hair that had fallen across my cheek. I wasn’t that tall but I felt like I had suddenly lost a few inches. I needed to somehow keep it together for my boss, who had one eyebrow slightly raised.

“You are so don’t look so nervous. It’s a ski holiday too–perfect for writing and skiing. Taste some good food, explore the culture. You are very talented, Alisha. Now is your chance,” Grayson said, giving me a gentle smile.

He had always been a good boss to me over the years. I started working at Culture Horizon as a part-time copywriter at twenty-two. The company published various articles, focusing on places that weren’t often highlighted enough as well as events that took place there. It was a company I enjoyed working for, somewhere I felt my voice was valued. I was now twenty-five and working as a full-time editor, but I really wanted to be a journalist, write with passion, and be proud of something I could call mine. Maybe even have the chance to publish every month. It was a big ambition but no dream was impossible. You just had to work hard for it.

I came from a family of six, being the second eldest sibling. I had two brothers and one sister, all of whom I was close to. We’d experienced a great childhood together, full of laughter and fun. We were very blessed to have a close relationship and most nights, we’d hop on a group FaceTime call to catch up. I knew they’d be excited for me regarding the article and that I’d also be stepping out of Surrey for once.

Grayson was now in his early forties and originally lived in Holland. He was a kind man, with salt-and-pepper hair and dark blue eyes that held a lot of wisdom. He had two kids and utterly adored them. That was a life I envisioned for myself in the future.

However, I had been unlucky in love. My parents hoped I would settle down by now, but thankfully, they never pushed me. They were quite docile and didn’t like to be involved in much drama. They were popular with their neighbours in Soho. I lived in a one-bed apartment in Surrey with a tuxedo cat named Chou for company. A cat that I absolutely loved and treated like a baby at times.

“Can I take anyone with me?” I asked Grayson and he took a moment to pause before nodding.

Good, at least that makes it more bearable.

“I’ll talk to Ophelia. She’s skied before,” I said, knowing she would be very excited and start packing immediately.

“Everything will be arranged for you. You’ll be flying there next week, on Thursday,” Grayson said, checking something on his laptop before looking back up at me. He must have noticed my worrisome expression and sympathetically gave me a smile. It was November 25th, meaning that I had less than a week to prepare for this trip. My family would have a lot to say about it.

“So soon.” I hummed and then gave my boss a nod to signal I understood. So be it .

I supposed it was a free holiday, with everything paid for. This opportunity wouldn’t come around again. Plus, Ophelia had always wanted to go to Austria. She loved travelling whereas me…not so much.

“I know. You’ll be going to Ischgl. A lovely town, in the state of Tyrol. It’s a very popular ski resort,” Grayson said, beckoning me to come over and show me what was on his laptop. He brought up several images of the town as well as the self-catered chalet we’d be staying in. It did look very cosy. One evening, I could imagine myself by the fire, laptop on my lap with a cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows. That didn’t sound too bad at all.

Maybe I needed to give myself a chance.

I definitely needed to do my own research and it was my lunch break, so it was the perfect chance to do so. I would rope Ophelia into this, and I already knew that as soon as I told her the plan, she wouldn’t need any persuasion to go.

“Thank you. I’ll get ready then,” I said to Grayson, as he then dismissed me. He mentioned he would email over the flight and accommodation details in the next few hours but not to panic, as I would really enjoy it. The alpine air was apparently something else.

I hummed to myself as I made my way back to my cubicle to pull out my sandwich from my drawer. Cheese and tomato, one of my favourite fillings. In fact, I hadn’t changed my sandwich fillings in the last two years. Perhaps I needed to extend my palate and Austrian food was apparently quite tasty.

As I sat in my chair eating, I switched on my laptop to go to Google. I took another bite of my food and searched up the town of Ischgl until I felt a presence behind me.

“Ah, Ischgl. Why are you browsing that?” I turned to face my friend of three years, Ophelia. She had streaks of purple in her chestnut hair and bright sparkling green eyes that could draw you in and make you surrender. She stood tall at five-foot-eight, well, taller than me. She was Greek and moved to England about five years ago. She was a senior copywriter here at Culture Horizon, and we occasionally worked together. She was really the only person I was close to at this company. In fact, the only close friend I had.

Overall, Ophelia was absolutely stunning. A few of the staff members had openly admitted their feelings for her, which she dismissed. She was perfectly content being single and enjoying life. She was quite the opposite of me, alert and extroverted. Whereas I was reserved and introverted. A night out in the town versus sitting on the sofa with a good book and a bowl of chocolate raisins was my idea of fun.

Yes, chocolate raisins . They’re delicious, sue me.

“Well…you and I are going there,” I said and just as I predicted, a squeal erupted around the room. A few heads peeked out from the cubicles, and a few looks of bewilderment were thrown in my direction, but this didn’t phase Ophelia, who had a grin on her face like a mad woman. She was also bouncing on the balls of her feet with her hands clasped together.

“I can’t believe it. Tell me the details. Now.” My friend gushed and took a seat next to me. So, I told her all the nitty gritty details.

“A two-week holiday? I’m so in! We need to do some shopping!” Ophelia exclaimed, she had pulled up a chair next to me and was eating her lunch.

“It’s quite cold there, so we’ll need to get lots of warm clothes,” I said, taking a sip of my smoothie I had prepared this morning. Mango and passionfruit which felt refreshing on my tongue.

“We haven’t had a day out in a while. This’ll be fun.” Ophelia smiled. She was right, as we’d both been caught up in work for the past few months. Plus, I was getting over a horrible break-up.

“I feel like I need to do something with my hair.” I tugged on a strand of my hair, which had become a little frayed at the ends.

“Hey, how about you dye your hair like mine? I think it would suit you.” Ophelia pulled at a purple strand of her hair, twisting it around her finger. She had painted her nails a dark red and they were perfectly shaped. I took a moment to glance at my own nails and grimaced; yes, they definitely needed a makeover. I twisted a lock of my dark hair around my index finger and then released it, watching it spiral.

“I don’t think I’ll dye my hair, it just needs a trim,” I said. And if I was going to go all out with my appearance, I’d even get a manicure.

After we ate our lunch, we got back to work, and I did some extensive research into Ischgl and the ski school that was available. I would definitely need to book some lessons and perhaps I would ask Grayson if the company would cover this. I would only really need to book at least five or six. I wasn’t planning on skiing for the whole two weeks. There was a lot to see and do in Austria.

As soon as the clock hit four o’clock, Grayson popped his head around to say we could go home. I was relieved, as my sofa was calling me. I was desperate for a takeaway too. I locked my laptop away in my drawer and wheeled my chair under the desk. I placed my bag on my shoulder and turned around to walk to the lift.

“Fancy a drink out tonight?” Ophelia met my side as I approached the lift. I pressed the button and turned to my friend.

“I’m going to order a takeaway. You can join me if you want. I’ve got wine at my place,” I said, not feeling the urge to be in a crowded bar with people I didn’t know.

“Okay Ali, sounds good. Let’s make it a sleepover. Might as well,” she said and I nodded, she already had some spare clothes at mine and whenever she had a few to drink, I always insisted on her staying anyway. We got into the lift as it arrived on our floor and I listened as Ophelia started to talk about her ski trip to Japan last year.

My car was where it normally was and I drove us both back to mine within ten minutes, surprisingly the roads hadn’t been too busy. As we entered my apartment, I immediately put on my fluffy slippers and tied my long hair into a bun. My cat Chou was eating his bowl of dry food, meowing at me as I reached down to stroke him. He was the cutest company I needed in my life, and no man could compare to Chou.

“I’ll get the wine,” Ophelia announced, making her way to the kitchen. We both knew what we wanted to order, Dominos pizza was our usual, with some wedges and garlic bread–delicious. I placed the order online as it was easier plus I often got nervous talking on the phone. I sighed, wishing I could be more confident but I had grown used to my own little bubble. My own haven. Did I really need to change it?

Ophelia poured us two glasses of rosé, to which I thanked her before sitting down on my blue corner sofa. My apartment was cosy, with a small kitchen and living room combined. The bedroom was near the front door and the bathroom was just opposite. The rent was decent each month, which I could mostly afford with the salary I was earning.

Our food arrived in twenty minutes and my wine glass was half drained. I wasn’t looking to top it up but Ophelia was on it straight away. We dived into our pizzas, a Hawaiian pizza for me ( yes, you heard me ) and a Meat Feast for Ophelia. Both small too, as going for large ones would be a waste.

“So, we get a free holiday AND we get to write. Doesn’t that sound amazing?” Ophelia asked as she chewed her pizza. She was more excited than me, and I knew she would have no trouble speaking German while we were there. She was very good at languages.

“A little scary,” I replied, finishing my slice after picking at it with my fingers. The cheese had gone a little hard as I was eating it slowly. There were still knots in my stomach as I thought about the ski holiday.

“I think you need to expose yourself a little more to the wide world, Miss Dutta. You’ll see Ali. This will be the best holiday yet,” she said, reaching over to give my hand a squeeze. I only hoped she was right. These could be either two weeks of heaven or hell.