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Description
The Gstaad Palace Hotel stood like a fairy-tale castle, its turrets dusted with snow. As a successful spine surgeon, Matteo had looked forward to respite at the end of a crushing year. As a bachelor, he looked forward to mingling with friends at the après-ski. The grand hotel's glittering chandeliers and snow-draped gardens held special promise. Amid the twinkling lights, he noticed outdoors there were heated transparent domes, with guests dining inside. Curious, he approached a blonde posh Maître d' standing at the entrance to the outdoor patio.
She was exceptionally tall, and commanded attention in a sequined corset minidress. She looked down at him with pleasure at his discomfiture. "Welcome to the Palace," she said, her melodic voice with an accent. "You need assistance?" she asked with a haughty expression.

He asked, “I’d like to reserve a dome?”

“I’m sorry, these are for top floor guests only,” she said and smiled with satisfaction. “Lower guests belong over there” she gestured to the main dining room.

Looking up at her face, he realized he’d never such a beautiful girl, but felt flushed with rejection. Her name badge Živa was practically at eye level. “There’s no exceptions that can be made?” he asked with a trace of despair.

“Perhaps..” she inspected him in one glance, and he felt like a schoolboy being examined by a governess. “You are a hotel guest?”

As she consulted the calendar, a short female in a skirt suit appeared at her elbow. “Živa, the VIP at dome 4 needs a menu! You can’t slack like this” she reprimanded, with unexpected fervor.

Živa protested, “I’m just helping this-“

“Don’t talk back to me.” the small woman barked, and put her hands on her hips, trying to make herself appear larger, looking straight up at Živa. “That’s direct defiance. You think you’re too elite for this work?”

Živa stammered, “I just –“

The boss was irate, “Go do as instructed.” She looked at the fancy dress and her eyes narrowed. “And change out of that dress, its too revealing” she ordered.

Živa wrinkled her mouth in distaste, but assented, “Ok”, and walked out to attend her frigid outdoor station near the domes.

“And if you ever talk back to me again“ the boss turned to shout up at her, “You’re packing to go home to your village in Slovenia.”

Živa looked down at her, and glided away, her heels clicking like icicles breaking free.

“Sorry for that interruption” said the manager. “She acts like its our privilege to have her, and just stands there like a mannequin at fashion show. Christmas is our busiest season.”

Matteo felt bad, “I think she was trying”.

The manager sneered, “Živa is so tall and pretty, she can do no wrong” she mocked. “She needs to know her place.” She took a breath. “To make up for this, we’ll give you an Alpendome at 20:00 tonight, ok?”

Later than evening, Matteo was thrilled to dine with friends inside the dome, watching the lit up winter landscape. The dome afforded a 360 view. Covertly, he also admired the lithe body of Živa as she braved the cold weather. She escorted guests, who looked like dwarves walking next to her.

“Hurry up Živa!” he heard the manager call. Walking out quickly with her head high, Živa carried out a tray of drinks, but inadvertedly crashed into the manager, who was darting inside. The boss bounced against Živa’s pelvis, her face at the same level as the tray, and fell backwards with drink stains all over her suit.

‘Looks like it’s the boss’s turn to change her clothes’ thought Matteo, grinning.

Soon after, he noticed the short manager dumping a pitcher of icewater on the patio near Živa’s station. Some time later, he heard Živa yell Hudiča!, and fell back with her heel skating the frozen surface. He came out to her aid.

“Are you ok? I’m an orthopaedic surgeon.”

The girl held her long thin legs gingerly. “I think my ankle is torn.”

“Allow me.” Matteo inspected her shapely foot which was red and swollen. “Let’s try using this snow to make an ice pad.”

She applied it, looking at him carefully.

“Your boss doesn’t like you much. I think she poured this ice for you to slip.” he said kneeling.

“She hates that I’m tall and beautiful, and want to exert power over me.”

“Why not just leave here?” he asked.

“I just came for this season from a small village in the Julian Alps, far to the southeast.” she recounted. “I can’t give up now. A talent agent saw me in our village.”

“Your quite the fit for a grand hotel – if I may, you should be in charge .” said Matteo. “Your ankle is twisted. Need help?”

He helped the girl to her feet, and she limped along, using the man’s shoulder as a crutch. “You’re ideal height to lean on.” she said amused.

Matteo felt dwarfed but intoxicated to walk alongside such a goddess.

On seeing this, the hotel's petite but venomous boss seethed with envy. She despised Živa's height, her grace, and the way guests flocked to her like snowbirds seeking warmth.

They met by the outdoor station, where she orchestrated snowy soirées under the moonlight.

---

The next day, a managing partner happened to be on the floor. A wealthy patron made an expensive purchase of Weingut ice wine, but told him “Promote that girl Živa, she’s too charming to be yelled at like this.” The partner discovered the treachery—the spilled ice, the whispered lies—and confronted the boss.

"You're demoted," he told the small woman, “Živa is now your manager. “ his voice as cold as the snow outside. "You get to take orders from her now."

Matteo smiled with satisfaction, seeing the short woman standing at attention, looking up intimidated, before the beautiful tall girl. It seemed like nature was right again. Despite her youth, Živa was a natural leader who no one dared to argue with.

And so, on Christmas Eve, as fireworks painted the sky, Živa danced with Matteo. Her ankle healed, her laughter echoed. Matteo and Živa stood on the hotel's terrace, snowflakes kissing their faces. And so, in the heart of Gstaad, beneath a sky ablaze with Christmas lights, they wove their love story.

Description
The Gstaad Palace Hotel stood like a fairy-tale castle, its turrets dusted with snow. As a successful spine surgeon, Matteo had looked forward to respite at the end of a crushing year. As a bachelor, he looked forward to mingling with friends at the après-ski. The grand hotel's glittering chandeliers and snow-draped gardens held special promise. Amid the twinkling lights, he noticed outdoors there were heated transparent domes, with guests dining inside. Curious, he approached a blonde posh Maître d' standing at the entrance to the outdoor patio.
She was exceptionally tall, and commanded attention in a sequined corset minidress. She looked down at him with pleasure at his discomfiture. "Welcome to the Palace," she said, her melodic voice with an accent. "You need assistance?" she asked with a haughty expression.

He asked, “I’d like to reserve a dome?”

“I’m sorry, these are for top floor guests only,” she said and smiled with satisfaction. “Lower guests belong over there” she gestured to the main dining room.

Looking up at her face, he realized he’d never such a beautiful girl, but felt flushed with rejection. Her name badge Živa was practically at eye level. “There’s no exceptions that can be made?” he asked with a trace of despair.

“Perhaps..” she inspected him in one glance, and he felt like a schoolboy being examined by a governess. “You are a hotel guest?”

As she consulted the calendar, a short female in a skirt suit appeared at her elbow. “Živa, the VIP at dome 4 needs a menu! You can’t slack like this” she reprimanded, with unexpected fervor.

Živa protested, “I’m just helping this-“

“Don’t talk back to me.” the small woman barked, and put her hands on her hips, trying to make herself appear larger, looking straight up at Živa. “That’s direct defiance. You think you’re too elite for this work?”

Živa stammered, “I just –“

The boss was irate, “Go do as instructed.” She looked at the fancy dress and her eyes narrowed. “And change out of that dress, its too revealing” she ordered.

Živa wrinkled her mouth in distaste, but assented, “Ok”, and walked out to attend her frigid outdoor station near the domes.

“And if you ever talk back to me again“ the boss turned to shout up at her, “You’re packing to go home to your village in Slovenia.”

Živa looked down at her, and glided away, her heels clicking like icicles breaking free.

“Sorry for that interruption” said the manager. “She acts like its our privilege to have her, and just stands there like a mannequin at fashion show. Christmas is our busiest season.”

Matteo felt bad, “I think she was trying”.

The manager sneered, “Živa is so tall and pretty, she can do no wrong” she mocked. “She needs to know her place.” She took a breath. “To make up for this, we’ll give you an Alpendome at 20:00 tonight, ok?”

Later than evening, Matteo was thrilled to dine with friends inside the dome, watching the lit up winter landscape. The dome afforded a 360 view. Covertly, he also admired the lithe body of Živa as she braved the cold weather. She escorted guests, who looked like dwarves walking next to her.

“Hurry up Živa!” he heard the manager call. Walking out quickly with her head high, Živa carried out a tray of drinks, but inadvertedly crashed into the manager, who was darting inside. The boss bounced against Živa’s pelvis, her face at the same level as the tray, and fell backwards with drink stains all over her suit.

‘Looks like it’s the boss’s turn to change her clothes’ thought Matteo, grinning.

Soon after, he noticed the short manager dumping a pitcher of icewater on the patio near Živa’s station. Some time later, he heard Živa yell Hudiča!, and fell back with her heel skating the frozen surface. He came out to her aid.

“Are you ok? I’m an orthopaedic surgeon.”

The girl held her long thin legs gingerly. “I think my ankle is torn.”

“Allow me.” Matteo inspected her shapely foot which was red and swollen. “Let’s try using this snow to make an ice pad.”

She applied it, looking at him carefully.

“Your boss doesn’t like you much. I think she poured this ice for you to slip.” he said kneeling.

“She hates that I’m tall and beautiful, and want to exert power over me.”

“Why not just leave here?” he asked.

“I just came for this season from a small village in the Julian Alps, far to the southeast.” she recounted. “I can’t give up now. A talent agent saw me in our village.”

“Your quite the fit for a grand hotel – if I may, you should be in charge .” said Matteo. “Your ankle is twisted. Need help?”

He helped the girl to her feet, and she limped along, using the man’s shoulder as a crutch. “You’re ideal height to lean on.” she said amused.

Matteo felt dwarfed but intoxicated to walk alongside such a goddess.

On seeing this, the hotel's petite but venomous boss seethed with envy. She despised Živa's height, her grace, and the way guests flocked to her like snowbirds seeking warmth.

They met by the outdoor station, where she orchestrated snowy soirées under the moonlight.

---

The next day, a managing partner happened to be on the floor. A wealthy patron made an expensive purchase of Weingut ice wine, but told him “Promote that girl Živa, she’s too charming to be yelled at like this.” The partner discovered the treachery—the spilled ice, the whispered lies—and confronted the boss.

"You're demoted," he told the small woman, “Živa is now your manager. “ his voice as cold as the snow outside. "You get to take orders from her now."

Matteo smiled with satisfaction, seeing the short woman standing at attention, looking up intimidated, before the beautiful tall girl. It seemed like nature was right again. Despite her youth, Živa was a natural leader who no one dared to argue with.

And so, on Christmas Eve, as fireworks painted the sky, Živa danced with Matteo. Her ankle healed, her laughter echoed. Matteo and Živa stood on the hotel's terrace, snowflakes kissing their faces. And so, in the heart of Gstaad, beneath a sky ablaze with Christmas lights, they wove their love story.