Chapter Ten
Tuesday, 31 st October
‘How was your fondue last night?’ Rico joined Stacy in the kitchen, where she was slapping quince jelly on a slice of toast. Was he imagining it, or did she seem happier today? She’d been so down about Karen snubbing her yesterday, and the thought that Mum’s old friend was being mean to the girl he was falling head over heels in love with – because he was, wasn’t he? – was soul-destroying. He’d done as Stacy wanted, though, and said nothing to Karen, but he was going to keep a close eye on things, you could be sure of that. He was not going to tolerate bullying in his hotel.
‘It was yum – a bit heavy on the stomach, though. I should be cutting down today, but I’m not making a very good start!’
She took a large bite, and Rico grinned at the same time as a doleful thud hit his middle. She was happy, great, but why couldn’t he put that look on her face? At least today Karen would be right out of Stacy’s hair, as the receptionist was working Mondays and Thursdays only during the renovation.
‘Have a “no lift” day,’ he suggested. His phone buzzed as a text came in, and Rico glowered. It was Vreni, suggesting a drink tonight, and he wasn’t interested.
‘Problem?’ said Stacy, and he snapped his phone case shut.
‘An invitation I can easily refuse, that’s all.’ Rico stuffed his phone into his pocket, and Stacy smiled vaguely and went back to her breakfast. At least she was smiling at his joke. Or else she was happy that someone else wanted to go out with him, letting her off the hook. Hell.
He stuffed bread into the toaster and leaned against the work surface while it toasted. Now for his master plan. ‘I’ve been thinking – why don’t we all go to Lugano for a couple of nights when Emily comes? The weather’s usually better down there, and it would be a new place for you. I could drive, and we could find the two of you a B it would be much easier talking to Stacy when she was here too, and the visit to Lugano would be the ideal opportunity to spend more time together. He reached for the butter. Being with Stacy was only one reason he’d suggested the trip. He really should check his father was okay, too, and if Dad knew they were coming to the Ticino, he wouldn’t drive hell for leather up here to see how his beloved Lakeside had survived week one of the build.
A parallel thought struck as Rico was spreading his toast. This coming weekend would be the last for the hotel as it was. What were the odds that Dad would come up for a final, nostalgic visit? Astronomically high or sky high? Or just 100%? Stacy was looking at him, obviously expecting more, and he cleared his throat and went on.
‘November isn’t the best time of year to go, but Lugano would be milder than here and you’d see the mountains on the way. We’d drive south over the San Bernardino route. The pass is closed for the winter already, but there’s a tunnel.’
‘Lovely. I’ll tell Emmy tonight when we look at flight times.’ Stacy cleared her things from the table. ‘Okay – I’m sorting tablecloths and so on this morning. Anything else I need to do today?’
‘You could go through the bookings for the past few years and make a list of English-speaking guests. We’ll email them all a brochure for the new hotel in a few weeks when we have the re-opening date fixed. Then we need to talk about the spa staff. I’d thought one spa nurse on duty all the time the tubs are operational, plus one attendant. The attendant would be someone with a Red Cross diploma. We have some interviews scheduled next week. Do you think two people on duty is enough? Spa bookings would all go over reception, so you wouldn’t need to worry about those.’
‘I think that would be plenty to start with. I guess we’d soon see if we needed more people.’
‘Okay. Can we meet at ten in the office, and I’ll show you the candidates? And we’re still missing a beautician, so we can send out that advert again.’
‘Right. You can show me where we’ve advertised already.’
For a moment, he thought she was going to say more. Rico waited expectantly, but she shook her head, then left him alone with his breakfast.
Rico sipped his coffee. Her footsteps were lighter today, weren’t they? How very much he wanted this to work. Not that there was any ‘this’, yet. But he was hoping.
***
Kim gave the sideboard door a last polish, and sat back on her heels. It had taken her nearly all day, on and off, but the toothpaste had worked. She’d only done the sideboard door so far; the table leg would have to wait until tomorrow. Tobias would be home soon, and she had arranged for the boys to stay at Eli’s kindergarten friend Marcel’s for tea, to give her and Tobias the chance to talk in peace before they were both exhausted. The boys eating out had been his idea, so he must have something important to say. She flipped her phone open and read his message again.
If poss can we eat alone tonight? Have job news to share.
Something was going on.
She had a lasagne in the oven, and by the time Tobias’s car pulled up outside it was bubbling away and smelling divine. Kim had done a mega-clean-up in the kitchen where it was cosier, so they could eat there and still feel it was special. The dining room would only remind Tobias about what had happened to the table.
He came in the front door and she went to meet him, relaxing into his hug. ‘What’s the big news, then? Tell me they haven’t kicked you out?’
Tobias laughed. ‘They haven’t kicked me out. Let’s sit down with some food and talk. I have a couple of things to run by you.’
That sounded ominous. Kim served the lasagne as soon as he was changed and back in the kitchen, and he forked up a large mouthful and chewed silently.
‘The toothpaste worked on the sideboard, by the way.’ Kim smiled encouragingly. It wouldn’t do to make light of the damage to his inheritance, but hopefully this would reassure him it wasn’t permanent. ‘I’ll do the table tomorrow, then I’ll arrange to have it all professionally polished.’
He put his fork down. ‘You working so hard here is the second thing I want to talk about, but here’s the first to start with. I’m being promoted, effective almost immediately.’
‘Wow! Well done. What will that mean for you? And for us?’ Sudden apprehension flooded through Kim. Would they have to move house?
‘It means I’ll be responsible for North America orders, and don’t look so gobsmacked, it’s all right. We won’t have to move there. But I’ll have several business trips every year, mostly for a week or ten days. It also means quite a lot more pay.’ He lifted his fork again.
‘Okay. Do you think you’ll enjoy it?’
His face brightened. ‘Yes. I’ve met the US guys on video conferences and a couple of times in the flesh, too. It’ll be interesting to work more with them and develop the business over there, though of course I’ll miss you and the boys while I’m away. And that’s my second point here – you’ll be coping with the boys alone. I wondered about getting an au pair to help you?’
Kim nearly choked. No way did she want an au pair in the house. ‘Heavens, no! The boys aren’t babies any longer. Of course I don’t need help to cope.’
He grinned at her. ‘I thought you’d say that. It’s a lot more pay, though, so no problem if you change your mind. The other thing is, I think you should stop working from home, except maybe for favours for friends. We don’t need the money, and having you there for them is better for the boys. It won’t be long until Eli’s at school and Ben’s at kindergarten, and then we can think again. They’re so precious, Kim, we absolutely must do all we can for them.’ His eyes bored into hers.
Kim was silent. This wasn’t about the table and sideboard. It was about the fact that for nearly an hour, she hadn’t been in a position to notice what Ben was doing that day – and look what had happened when they both took their eyes off Elijah for a few moments last summer. The mental picture of Stacy racing across the beach then doing CPR on Elijah’s skinny, wet little body, one and two and three and four and… Those few minutes before Eli started breathing again had been her worst nightmare come true. And Tobias’s worst nightmare too.
And he was right. Okay, even here in traditional little Switzerland, nowadays most women went to work while their children were cared for outside the home. It didn’t hurt the kids. But Tobias didn’t want that, because he thought that someone who loved a child could look after them better than someone who was merely caring for him. Tobias was scared, that was all, and who wouldn’t be after watching their child nearly die?
The thought brought tears to her eyes. ‘I guess you’re right. I’ll stick to friends with nail emergencies from now on, and only when the kids aren’t at home.’
He leaned over and kissed her. ‘You’re a gem.’
No, she wasn’t. Kim finished her lasagne, but it tasted like sawdust. She loved her work, but she was scared too. Two years wasn’t long to wait, was it?
Who was she kidding… Two years was eternity.