Slippery Slopes Read Online Free PDF

sizes, giant tea cups, costumes ranging from queens and kings to devils and angels, as well as chandeliers and strings of multicolored beads illuminated by track lights.
    Talk about inspiration. They have everything. Suddenly, the photos in the Main House don’t seem out of reach. All I have to do is come up with a kick-ass theme. But what? Melissa wanders the room, her hand resting on a jack-in-the-box as tall as a tree, then passing by a yellow-brick road all rolled up. Wizard of Oz? Has it been done? She pauses, her brow furrowed. Surfing — no. Ice Age — no. Something without boundaries. From outside, the bells chime, alerting Melissa to the ticking minutes.
    “Sir?” She calls out to the salesman.
    “Yes?”
    “Can I come back? I just can’t … I’m rushing and I’m worried I won’t …”
    “Fine with me,” he says. “I’ll even give you the key if you like.” He stares at her, bemused. “Don’t look so shocked—it’s not unheard of. Plus, you have a nice manner. I bet you’ll come up with something wonderful.” He hands her the key.
    Melissa slips it into her pocket, takes another look at the wondrous collection of objects. Maybe something will magically occur to me if I close my eyes. She tries it. Nope. “I’ll be back,” she says. I don’t know when I’ll find the time, but since the ball is happening so soon, I’d better figure out a way.
    The back door to the Main House won’t budge. Dove tries to pound it open with her knee, but she can’t, and doesn’t want to risk making a scene. Guests with skis jauntily perched on their shoulders and other staff members walk by, which makes Dove flinch. If I get caught, I’m done. I won’t even be able to afford to get to the airport for my flight to Nevis, let alone have fun once I’m there.
    “Hey, Dove!” Charlie shouts from the very end of the gondola lift line. “Coming up?”
    Do I look like I’m heading for the mountain? Dove wonders, but smiles and just shouts, “Nah, not right now. You have fun!” Charlie waves, then goes back to inching forward in line. Dove uses her hand as a sun visor, checking out who else is in line. Sure enough, James is a few people ahead of Charlie. Dove watches her try to worm her way ahead in line so she’ll be in his gondola. She’s so determined, Dove thinks. Melissa better act fast if she wants to get James’ attention.
    Dove gives up on spying and on the back door, and instead traipses around the front. Inside the Main House, the stately room is nearly empty, with just one chalet worker on the pay phone, speaking in rapid French. Dove, who is fluent, understands what the guy is saying, that he misses the person on the other end of the line, that he wishes she could just come here.
    “That’s it!” Dove says aloud before clamping her mouth closed with her palm. I can ask William to come here. He has funds put away from all the boat charters he’s had. He can come here, be with me, and then we’ll go off together after New Year’s! She goes to Matron’s office and tentatively knocks on the door, even though she knows Matron is at her pre-Christmas planning session with all the cooks. Not only is Dove skipping out on this (I’ll blame it on being new, she thinks, knowing this might not fly), but now she’s breaking one of the cardinal rules. Thou shalt not enter Matron’s office uninvited.
    This would be so much simpler if I had my laptop and wifi, she thinks. But her parents stripped her of most of her belongings, feeling that since she was choosing to leave her Oxford University acceptance behind, she could do without the luxuries they’d bought for her—computer, designer clothing, jewelry, and, primarily, her large trust fund.
    Dove takes one last look around to make sure no one’s watching and then slides the red barrette she had clipping her bangs out of her hair. First she bends it all the way open, then, once it’s shaped like a wide V, she carefully slides one end into the