A driver loads our bags into a glossy black SUV while soft snow falls around us. St. Moritz glows ahead of us like a luxury fairytale, golden lights, frozen lakes, designer shops, and mountains surrounding it. And with Charlie’s hand in mine, everything feels right.
We pull up to a luxury hotel that is absolutely not a chalet like I thought we were staying in.
“We have the penthouse,” Everly tells us.
As we step out of the car, the staff are there ready for us, and we waltz through the lobby which looks like Hemingway himself would be propped up at the bar. It has a very old-worldly vibe about it. Women are dressed in furs and heels as they walk through the foyer to the bar, diamonds glittering around their necks. We step into our private elevator and head up to the penthouse. I knew Charlie’s family was rich, his home in Montana is insane, and his dad does stuff in tech up in the Bay Area, but this is kind of mind-blowing. But as Charlie likes to remind me, his parents are rich, he is not, still, these are pretty nice perks. I need to up my styling game to keep him in the lifestyle he has become accustomed to.
We step into the penthouse, and it’s like walking straight into a movie where royalty vacations. The entire front wall is glass, floor to ceiling, and beyond it the Alps explode in white peaks. The frozen lake glows beneath us like someone poured diamonds over the ice. St. Moritz twinkles around the shoreline, and snow is falling in slow, perfect flakes. The living room is massive and elegant. White marble floors reflect the firelight from a long, modern fireplace. A sweeping staircase curves up to a mezzanine level, and above it hangs a chandelier that looks like falling icicles, shards of crystal catching the light in a way that makes the whole place glitter.
There’s a dining table big enough to host the UN, a private bar stocked in the corner, and a grand piano.An actual grand piano.
“Wow, Mom, you have out-done yourself this time.” Charlie laughs.
“I wanted to make Derrick’s first time here special,” she explains.
This is for me. I don’t want to know how much all of this costs.
“Don’t use Derrick as an excuse, you’ve been wanting to stay in this room for years,” Faith says.
“It is always sold out, so when it was available, I had to book it,” she explains.
“Well, thank you so much, Caroline, because this is extraordinary,” I compliment her.
“See, Derrick, I knew you would appreciate the aesthetics.”
“Looks like Derrick is the new favorite child,” Faith teases.
“You know I have no favorites. I love you all equally.”
The kids all burst out laughing.
“Sweetheart, sounds like they don’t believe you,” Charlie’s dad teases.
“Well, now Derrick is my favorite, he wouldn’t tease me like that.” She pouts.
“I would never,” I add, joining in on the joke as my eyes continue to take in my surroundings. There’s a terrace that wraps around the penthouse, and a hot tub on the terrace that looks straight out over the frozen lake.
“Charlie, your room is at the far end. Why don’t the two of you wash up? We have dinner in a couple of hours. Dress up,” Caroline tells him.
“Dress up?” he asks.
“Yes, we are eating at the Michelin restaurant downstairs,” Robert, Charlie’s father explains.
“Didn’t bring my tux,” Charlie tells him.
“You don’t need that, but you do need a suit or at least a dinner jacket,” he states.
“Um …” Charlie says. I look at him in a panic. We didn’t bring anything like that. Fucking, Charlie, he told me it was a casual trip.
“Shopping trip. We still have plenty of time before we need to head to our reservation,” Caroline says excitedly.
“Guess we’re going shopping.” Charlie looks at me guiltily.
“I’m always up for shopping.” I smile at him. “Not sure if I can afford these shops, though,” I whisper to him.
“I’m sure there are some non-designer places.” Charlie grimaces.
“You two don’t worry about a thing, it’s my treat,” Caroline cuts in, obviously hearing our whispers. “If my boys need suits, my boys will have suits.”
