Learning to Fly - 5

Chapter 5 - All part of the job

"I can't thank you enough Carly. I didn't know who to turn to." Camilla's gratitude was so intense, that Carly started to feel embarrassed. 

Camilla lounged on her bed the other side of the room swirling the wine around her glass. The irony of the alcohol wasn't lost on Carly. After the test, Camilla was more than relieved, but wasn't really up to going anywhere, so Carly sensing that they needed to do something, nipped out to the hotel bar and bought two bottles of wine. 

Here they were halfway into the first, drinking from tooth mugs from the bathroom. Camilla was surrounded by friends all the time, this was the first time she'd spent an evening in the room, and Carly had been here more than five weeks. Yet typically, the time she needed real friendship and support, she'd had to deviate from her usual crowd to lowly old Carly. 

Carly had had plenty of time to work out the mechanics and the make-up of the workers in this resort. Apart from the locals, and there were quite a lot of them, approximately half of the remainder were indulged children, what she would term 'posh kids', people who didn't know what they wanted out of life, but were supplementing Daddy's trust fund with a modest income and unlimited access to one of the greatest ski resorts for a season. Most of the rest were good ski or boarders who's only opportunity to have lots of access to the snow was to work here. 

Then there was Carly. Was she the only person here seeing this as a career move? A stepping stone to greater things?

By the time they'd started the second bottle, Camilla was tired, the emotions of the day causing her to slur, a good thing as suddenly her tongue was loosening. She started to tell Carly about her family, her oppressive father and mother, and Oliver her golden-balled brother, who was following her father into the family business - the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in Britain. 

"I'm the disappointment!" she closed her eyes and groaned. "I flunked my second year of Psychology," she popped open one eye, "that's after dropping out of my initial English degree." The eye closed, "so you see? I'm a disappointment...to everyone." 

This loose tongue was very unlike Camilla, and Carly wondered if she'd regret this the next day.  She bit her own tongue not wanting to think about her own loss. She'd didn't get the chance to go to university once...this girl had failed TWICE!

"So Daddy pulled the funding for college so I couldn't resit. Luckily I heard about the job here...I thought I may have to be a chalet girl..." Her eyes were open now and she frowned, "I'm such a bad cook! But it was purely chance that got me an office job. Phew!"

Another thing that went to plan, Carly couldn't help the resentment that built up in her. 

"So he cut my trust fund, because he wants me home...and it looks like he'll win!"

"Why does he want you home?" Carly asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

Camilla sighed, "would you believe he wants me to marry someone!"

Now Carly WAS sympathetic, "just anyone, or someone he has in mind?"

Laughing Camilla swung her legs around to the floor and stood up, "would you believe my parents had an 'arranged' marriage? The Cartwrights have married well for generations or so my family keep telling me! So either I go home by choice, or he'll cut my money and force me home!"

Carly laughed out loud, "you earn money, have a roof over your head...are you telling me that you can't live here without getting more money than everyone else?"

Shrugging, she topped up both their glasses, "I can't!"

Carly got angry and jumped to her feet, "if you want to stay here, not be dictated to, then clearly you need to grow up! Maybe if you prove to your father you're more than he seems to think then he'll have a change of heart."

Camilla's heckles had immediately risen at the tone of Carly's voice, but as she listened to her roommate she couldn't argue. Shrugging she slumped onto the bed and groaned. Carly didn't push the matter, she merely finished her drink and watched Camilla fall asleep.

The next morning Carly was working the early start, Camilla was sleeping when she left. It was a particualrly busy day, the creche was full and Rochelle had called in sick. That meant one of the temporary workers was called into help out. 

Legally it was an extra man, but practically it meant a lot more pressure on Carly and Marta. 

Just after lunch, Carly found a young girl crying in the corner. Millie was a four year old girl from New York, it was her first day in the nursery and she knew some children found it intimidating.

"You ok?" Carly asked squatting down beside her. Despite the nod of reply, her face remained solemn. "You look a little sad. Can I help make you happy?"

She shrugged, "I miss my Daddy."

"Really?" Carly pulled up a chair next to her and smiled, "Is he skiing?"

Millie swiped at a stray tear, "yup, and Mikey. But I don't like being away."

"Mikey? is that your brother?" Millie nodded an answer. "Is he in ski school?" She asked sensing Millie's increasing distress. "Did you want to do ski school too?"

"I'm too little."

"Ah, I see. Well how about a skiing picture to give to Daddy?" When Millie nodded, not overly enthusiastically, Carly tapped her nose. "I'm going to get you a special secret surprise, ok?"

She came back to join the little girl with a painted landscape of white snowy mountains and a lovely blue sky. "How about we make some ski men, then stick them on this picture? We can add other things..."

"A snowman?"

Carly nodded, "and maybe a ski lift or..."

"A toboggan?" When Carly nodded, Millie asked, "can you help me?"

"Of course!"

Through the course of the afternoon, the picture became a masterpiece. 

Various images cut from an assortment of old Christmas cards, magazines and brochures were added to the rather lopsided skiers, tobogganers and ski jumps that Millie had created. When she left at five pm, she was beaming and ran across to hug Carly.

"My Daddy will LOVE it!"

Carly watched the little girl skip happily out of the door. 

"I'm taking you out for dinner!" Camilla announced as she bounded through the door to see Carly lying on her bed tapping into her laptop later that evening.

"Dinner?" Carly closed the lid and smiled. "May I ask why?" 

"Because you've been such a star. I went to the doctor today and they agree I'm not pregnant. And if it wasn't for you I'd still be crying into my coffee and pretending it wasn't happening. Instead I'm happy, and appreciating that you were a friend to me when you didn't need to be!"

Carly smiled, "it's not like you owe me anything!"

Camilla reached to her bedside table and picked up a scarlet lipstick, and drawing it across her lips, she smiled, "it's just dinner Carly!"

"Last night you were talking about being skint, today you're buying me dinner? What's wrong with the canteen?"

Camilla's face was a picture of disgust, "breakfast is bearable, but I mean how many ways can you present a schnitzel?"

Less than an hour later, Carly was sat opposite Camilla in a small restaurant tucked into a side street, away from the bars and shops. The food was a real mixture, and whilst Camilla ordered lasagna, Carly went traditional...she was getting an unhealthy passion for sauerkraut!

"So have you thought anymore about staying here?" Carly'd been wondering all day whether Camilla would end up leaving.

Camilla shook her head, "are you kidding? There's no way. But...I think I may need your help. I've no idea how I'll survive!"

"Now it's you who are kidding surely?" When she shook her head, Carly groaned, "well for a start you've brought me to a restaurant which costs about forty Euros a head. That's a start. Then there's the continued stream of boutique bags that appear in our room most days. If you're serious, about this then you have to stop bloody spending! It's as simple as that!"

"What about make up?"

Carly laughed, "essential only..." She saw Camilla try to speak and held up a hand, "by essential I mean life or death! If you can't do that I'll confiscate your purse!"

Camilla giggled, and Carly realised it was the first time she'd seen her completely relaxed, being herself.

Once their plates were empty, Camilla convinced Carly to join her for a few beers. When Carly protested about the immediate lack of saving, Camilla swatted her hand away. 

"You are worse than my parents! The future starts tomorrow! I promise!"

Carly had sloped off earlier than the ever popular Camilla, but then she was working another early shift the next day.

Working in a creche really fed Carly's maternal instinct. She loved kids, but a full day with twenty plus stopped any urge to think of her own. She was still full of ideas, and that day, she'd promised the children a fairytale castle. The kitchen had provided lots of cardboard boxes, and one of the other workers on evening baby sitting duty had painted them all grey. Today they were making the castle, and of course dressing up.

By morning snack time they had a huge castle with turrets and a drawbridge flanking the longest wall of the creche. Then after bread, cheese and the obligatory glass of milk, they set about making windows and a moat from blue blankets.

"Right!" Carly sat back on her heels and admired their handy work. "This looks fantastic, what we need now, are pretty princesses and knights in shining armour!"

Marta clapped excitedly, "how about all the possible knights come with me to make helmets and shields?"

Nodding Carly added, "and any Princesses can come with me to make beautiful hats. How's that?"

Most of the children spilt up appropriately, and Carly chuckled at Colette and Maggie, two of the older girls who wanted more than anything else to be knights in shining armour. Three others wanted to paint pictures of characters rather than be them, which was cool too.

"What a beautiful hat!" Carly announced squatting down next to Millie. 

They were making Medieval style cone hats with fine net pouring in a train to fall down their backs. Some had heavily decorated the cones of cardboard, the others had sparsely placed coloured stickers and paint. All were equally pretty. 

Millie looked up at her, "My Mummy always called me Princess!"

"Did she?" Carly hated the past tense in the comment.

Millie nodded, "she's in heaven now, do you think she can see me?" She tried on her hat then looked at Carly, "Daddy says she can, but I'm never sure."

Carly felt her heart literally break, the poor thing. "What Daddys say is always right darling, you know that."

Millie swallowed then nodded, returning her eyes to the awesome hat. Carly didn't push the conversation, she'd talk if she wanted to.

When the parents came to collect the children the creche was a full on Medieval world and they'd all had fun. Carly though was shattered. Dragging herself up to her room she flopped on the bed, just as the door burst open and Camilla bounded in.

"Come on! There's a Christmas Fayre on in town. Apparently Santa, lights, reindeer...the works! You can't stay in tonight again Miss Antisocial!"

Camilla was chuckling as she stripped out of her uniform and into what she always called 'snow chic' clothing, a fur gilet over a thick black catsuit and fur topped boots. 

Carly pulled herself up into standing and sighed, "ok, but only because it's Christmas, right?"

As usual she felt like the poor relation in her skinny jeans and winter coat, but she was long past caring. Like a lamb to the slaughter she followed Camilla out into the cold wintry night.

At the heart of the town was a ceremonial square, and tonight is was crammed full of people all stood around the huge clock tower. Children looked skyward in the hope of seeing something, anything. It was all different to Carly who was used to a very commercial British Christmas. But as they stood at the fringe of the gathering sipping on Gluhwein Camilla explained that in Austria, similar to a lot of other European countries, Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas comes to town this early in December to give children gifts and sweets. Hence the dozens of children flocking around the central stage.

Carly loved watching the spectacle unfold. There was something so romantic about Christmas, and the children were SO excited. Once the Big man in red had disappeared on his sleigh, the crowds started to disperse.  

As she turned to look for Camilla, she'd agreed to go for a few beers with her in a nearby bar, she heard a small voice calling her name.

"Carly? Carly!"

Turning Carly had to immediately squat down to catch the Tazmanian Devil that flew towards her a great speed. Pulling back a woolly hat Carly smiled, "Millie? How are you? Did you enjoy seeing Santa?"

When the little girl nodded jabbering excitedly, Carly looked around, unable to see an obvious parent. "Where's your Dad chicky? You havent' run away have you?"

She shook her head, then turned and pointed, Carly followed the direction of her finger to a man, dragging a boy through the crowds towards them. As he got closer his face broke into a relieved smile, and what a smile! A row of perfect teeth emerging from between the loveliest lips she'd ever seen. 

Looking up she met piercing blue eyes and smiled. "She must put years on you!"

He laughed thankfully, "like you wouldn't believe. I wish she was half as calm as her brother." He nodded to his right and Carly smiled at the older boy at the end of his gaze.

"You must be Mikey, Millie's told me lots about you."

Carly shook the boy's hand, she'd have placed him as being seven or eight, and he responded with a polite nod. Looking back at Millie's rather delicious looking father, Carly silently reminded herself that he was a widow, recent if Millie's conversation was anything to go by, the last thing he needed was her doe-eyed devotion.

"You must be Carly!" She nodded at his comment, loving his warm voice, even poorly travelled Carly could recognise a New York accent. "I'm Paul. Millie's Dad."

Carly smiled, "so I see. She's a lovely girl, aren't you darling?" She dropped her eyes to the young girl's face as she ruffled her hair. Rewarded with a  smile she looked back at Paul. "She talks about you constantly!"

He nodded, "ditto. All I've heard this evening is damsels in distress, castles and knights. Sounds like you have a ball!"

Carly grinned, she was finding it difficult to concentrate in his firm gaze. he really was a distinctive and attractive man, clean-shaven with strong features, she could see the hint of thick fair hair peeking from under his designer beanie hat. 

Realising she hadn't responded she giggled, "I do enjoy my job!"  

They settled into a reciprocal stride as they followed the crowds away from the square. 

"I'm so pleased she's happy. I did worry. Mikey's old enough for ski school, but she's too young." He turned and grimaced, "she's had a tough year."

Carly returned the glance, "she hinted at as much."

Paul's eyes widened, and he stopped dead in his tracks, "she mentioned 'things'." When Carly nodded he shook his head in wonder, "really? She's not said a thing about Jen." Glancing at his watch he sighed, "is there any chance you could explain it to me a little later? When they're in bed maybe?"

Carly had half promised to stay out with Camilla, but her heart wasn't really in it. So she nodded, "there's not much to say, but I'll meet you, of course. There's a bar next to the hotel, I can see you there later?" She wasn't allowed to drink in the hotel bars, but the small independent bar near the main hotel building was a permitted place. 

He nodded, "I'll use the baby sitting service. Half past nine? Maybe ten o'clock?"

Within seconds they were separated by crowds and Carly was left feeling a little anticipation of the coming evening.