Page 45 of It's All Sun and Games

‘What?’ I squeak back.

‘It’s not a croissant, it’s different,’ he tells me. ‘It’s Italian. Croissant is French.’

‘Well, I’ll eat it just as quickly, either way,’ I point out. ‘So it’s all good.’

‘You want to eat it like a true Italian?’ he asks.

‘I do if it’s quick,’ I joke.

‘You take the cornetto and you dip it in your coffee,’ he says. ‘Like this.’

Andrea demonstrates.

‘Mmm,’ he says. ‘Buono.’

I’ve never thought to dip pastry in my coffee before – I’m more of a custard creams in a cup of tea kind of chick, but I’ll give it a go.

I dip the pastry into the coffee, holding it there for a second or two, before popping it in my mouth and taking a bite.

I feel my eyes widen.

‘Okay, that’s good,’ I tell him. ‘That’s really good.’

Andrea laughs at me.

‘Come here,’ he says.

He reaches out and, with his thumb, he wipes the side of my mouth for me. I’ve managed to make a mess already – stunning.

‘You two seem like you’re having fun,’ Liz points out as she approaches us.

‘You know the fun isn’t supposed to start until Rick arrives,’ Cait jokes.

I glance around and see the girls, with James and Henry behind them.

‘Oh, God, are you feeding each other?’ Henry jokes with a scoff.

‘I never thought you were the type,’ James adds.

‘Huh,’ I say simply. ‘Perhaps there’s a lot that you don’t know about me, James.’

‘Well, that’s?—’

‘Okay, everyone, gather round,’ Rick calls out, cutting James off. ‘Meet me by the diving board in a couple of minutes.’

The others rush over – the butt-kissers that they are – whereas Andrea and I take the couple of minutes Rick said we had to finish our breakfast.

‘I can’t believe we’re doing this,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘As though we don’t have enough going on, while we’re on this trip. Rick is really forcing fun and games – I guess he just wants his money’s worth out of this trip. At least I’m getting paid, though – you’re in this weirdness by choice. I feel like I should apologise.’

Andrea laughs.

‘Hey, it is no less weird than pretending to be my fiancée, surely?’ he replies. ‘Hanging out with my family, pretending you love me – that must be more weird, no?’

Right on cue, Julie hands him a roll of duct tape.

‘You’re going to need that,’ she tells him.

Andrea waits until she has gone to lean in closer to me.

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