Page 131 of The Chalet Girl

‘You can’t work it out?’

Tristan looked vague and panicked.

‘You and Lexy Harrington. You and my fucking boss.’

He hung his head and looked at his feet, before letting out a huge sigh.

‘Of all people! Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Please, let me come in, I can explain…’

Emme opened the door and walked away from it, towards the window, her arms folded, her heart broken.

Tristan reached an arm out, desperate to touch her.

‘Genuinely, it was nothing.’

‘Nothing? You two go way back! How long have you two been at it?’

‘Seriously, she’s hit on me ever since she moved here…’

‘You were here first?’

‘Yes– her kids were really little and they were new in town. Of course she knew I was here– she knew what had happened to my father. Our mothers are friends. But I swear… I took them out for dinner and since then she has been relentless.’

‘Gross,’ Emme spat.

Tristan told Emme about the surprise on Lexy’s face when she and Bill turned up to that one dinner. Tristan still owned Vitreum then, and Lexy’s jaw almost dropped to the floor to see the boy Tristan Joubert, manly and ripped, in the restaurant ofhisspectacular hotel.

The last time they had seen each other Tristan had been fourteen, with fluff around his top lip and a skinny body– as a teen he hadn’t dared look Lexy in the eye.

Tristan had welcomed Lexy and Bill with a hug and a handshake. He had always thought of Lexy as a much-older cousin, pin-up hot, but the pretty redhead was now a little tired from the ravages of parenthood.

‘My, how you’ve grown!’ she’d said with an avaricious smile, as she pressed her body into Tristan’s, before pulling back, tilting her head to one side and saying, ‘So sorry to hear about Charles.’

Tristan stroked his temples in despair as he told Emme how she’d plagued him ever since.

‘She’s been like it for years, hounding me at any opportunity, until I finally thoughtfuck it.’

‘Nice,’ Emme scowled.

‘But I swear, it only happened once. A one-night thing after a wine event got crazy. I suppose my teenage self got the better of me…’

Emme shook her head.

‘I explicitly asked you!’ she said, tears stinging her cheeks.

‘No you didn’t.’

‘I did!’

‘You didn’t!’ Tristan said more firmly now, an obstinate twitch in his stubbled jaw. ‘You asked me about a Jenny, I didn’t sleep with Jenny.’

‘Oh right but you conveniently omitted that you had fucked Lexy.’

Tristan shook his head.

‘It was before I even knew you existed. I would never…’