Page 51 of It's All Sun and Games

‘I’m just saying, you know, if anything were to happen,’ he continues, each word dripping with anticipation, ‘it would stay strictly inside these four walls.’

It is crystal clear to me now that James is mine, when and if I want him, and that has been the goal for the longest time… but the problem is that, if I do this now, it could cause more harm than good. Obviously I’m single but perception is everything, and as far as everyone here is concerned, Andrea is my fiancé, so if I do this I’m going to look like a cheater. And not only do I not want to come across as an adulterer generally, but I need to think about Rick, and what he would think if he found out. He seems like he adores Andrea – what would he think of me, if he thought I was cheating on him? What could it mean for my job?

I can’t do it. I just can’t. I need to stick to the plan, to wait until my fake break-up is public knowledge, and then and only then am I free to do what (or who) I like.

James clearly isn’t on the same page, though. His face wasn’t all that far from mine anyway but now he’s leaning in with intent, his lips lightly parted as they approach mine. He’s coming in for a kiss – what do I do? Playing hard to get only seems to be driving him even more wild, but pushing him away in anger might go too far the other way. But I can’t kiss him right now, no way. I need to do something.

A loud knock on the door jolts us both back to reality – and saves me from a potentially awkward situation. It’s such a relief. I really don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t been disturbed.

‘You should probably get that,’ I tell him. I briefly clear my throat because my voice is dipping in and out.

‘It’s probably the food,’ James replies casually as he backs off. ‘To be continued, I guess.’

Oh, we’ll see about that.

James swings open the door and it is the food, technically, it’s just that Liz is the person holding the tray. James looks surprised to see her there – but not as surprised as Liz does to see me in here with him.

‘Liz, what are you doing here?’ James asks her. He actually sounds disappointed. ‘I mean, why are you delivering the food?’

‘Well, I was coming to see you, and the waiter was on his way up with your food, so I offered to bring it up,’ she explains. ‘But, erm, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise I was interrupting something.’

Normally I would be annoyed about Liz turning up – because this is just classic Liz, right? But this time she may have actually done me a favour. Well, I know that I have James well and truly on the hook, but I also know that he can’t be mine yet.

‘Oh, you’re not interrupting anything,’ I insist. ‘And I’m sure there is plenty of food to go around.’

‘There isn’t,’ James chimes in – a little too quickly for Liz’s liking. ‘I just mean, I only ordered two plates of pasta, and garlic bread that is also just for two.’

This is it. This is my out.

‘I know, why don’t the two of you eat this,’ I suggest. ‘Andrea really wanted to take me out for dinner tonight, but I told him I needed to work. But, seeing as though we had already decided not to talk about work, that means I can go.’

James looks disappointed. Liz, on the other hand, looks confused, like she doesn’t know whether to feel devastated or smug. Smug does seem to be winning, though.

For me this couldn’t have worked out better. I’m happy – well, as happy as I can be, given how starving I am. Everything is falling into place but I just need to be patient. Then, when the time is right, I’ll get what I want.

Then we’ll see how smug Liz is.

21

Today I am having a day off – but a working day off, I swear.

Andrea called me up this morning, saying that he was going to a local waterpark with his family, and asked if I wanted to join them. Rick told us that we should spend the day working on our pitches so… technically I am? I’m immersing myself in Italian culture, spending time around Italian families, eating Italian foods. Plus, Andrea has promised that he will help me, and he’s here, so… Yeah, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

I would say that I had been thrown in at the deep end, being here with Andrea and his family, but I’m actually having a really nice time. There is Andrea, his mum and dad, Leonardo and Antonia, his auntie Paola, his uncle Luca, their daughter Sabina, her husband Stefano, and their three adorable little kids: Tommaso, Rosa, and Elsa. I’m pretty sure I got all of that right but, truly, I cannot get over the sheer volume of cousins in play here. But, as Andrea keeps reminding me, his mum is one of seven kids and his dad is one of ten. He told me that his dad used to joke that his parents didn’t have a TV and I’m pretty sure that, if my dad gave me that mental image about my grandparents, I would never speak to him again.

Sure, it’s a little overwhelming at first – I mean, trying to keep track of all these relatives feels like a full-time job that is harder than my actual full-time job – but Andrea’s reassuring smile and subtle reminders make it all feel manageable. Plus, there’s something undeniably charming about being surrounded by so much love and laughter.

Today is not just an outing for me, it’s an official outing for one of my new bikinis too. Thankfully, it’s one that holds everything in the right place (if not a more preferable place, in the case of the top), and I feel surprisingly comfortable in it. I was a bit worried at first, being surrounded by babes in their super-skimpy bikinis, but everyone just seems so relaxed in whatever they’re wearing – even the men, in their budgie smuggler swim trunks. I’m seeing a lot of those, which surprises me. Even the male staff members are rocking them in a striking shade of bright orange. I suppose it makes them easy to spot in an emergency.

And then there’s Andrea. Oh, Andrea. He hasn’t quite gone for the budgie smugglers, but he is wearing a rather tight pair of swim shorts that leave little to the imagination. Seeing him without much on is, frankly, distracting. The guy looks like he’s been carved out of stone, and every time I catch a glimpse of him, the phrase ‘Italian stallion’ pops into my mind. I need to push that thought right out of my brain.

Right now, we’re all sitting in the shade eating one of the most delicious pizzas I’ve ever had in my life.

‘He wants to sell the Italian way of life to the UK, right?’ Andrea says in between mouthfuls of pizza, his voice carrying that effortless charm that seems to be his default setting.

I can’t help but watch him as he eats – I mean, really watch him. It’s ridiculous how cool he looks, even when he’s eating something like pizza. Not just cool – sexy, even. It’s the way the muscles in his jaw flex as he chews, the look of sheer enjoyment on his face, and don’t even get me started on how he casually sucks the tip of his thumb. Honestly, this should be pay-per-view material.

‘Yeah,’ I manage to reply, finally snapping out of my trance. ‘That’s the idea.’

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