Page 53 of It's All Sun and Games

‘Oh, no, come on, everyone knows the moves to this one,’ I protest. ‘I don’t have a clue.’

‘So what?’ Andrea says, his smile widening. ‘We’ll do our own dance.’

‘You will take me out onto that dancefloor, where everyone is doing the same thing, and just freestyle with me?’ I reply in disbelief.

‘Why not?’ Andrea replies nonchalantly. ‘I never did like to do what everyone else did, or what anyone else thought I should be doing. One song, come on!’

How does anyone say no to such a charmer? Before I can overthink it, I find myself jumping to my feet and heading for the dancefloor with Andrea.

The song playing is some kind of catchy Italian pop tune, and while everyone else seems to know all the moves, Andrea stays true to his word. He takes me by the hands and dances with me, swinging me around effortlessly, twirling me, pulling me close as we move to the music.

I feel my temperature rising as a shirtless Andrea pulls my bikini-clad body up against his.

‘Wow, are all Italians this good at dancing?’ I ask him, a little breathlessly.

‘Only the incredibly sexy, talented ones,’ he jokes, flashing me a playful grin. ‘And the ones who eat their crusts.’

I’m almost disappointed when the song ends, but I’m also desperate for a drink.

‘Okay, I need a drink,’ I say as my cheeks flush with the heat and (truthfully) the low-key sexy dancing.

‘Are you going to order it?’ Andrea asks encouragingly.

I chew my lip anxiously. Earlier in the day, Andrea was helping me learn some basic Italian phrases. He said I was doing great, but I know that the main thing I lack is confidence in saying the things I have learned.

‘Come on, you can do it,’ Andrea urges me. ‘The waiters will probably be used to English visitors, so even if you make a mistake, it’s okay. They will know what you mean.’

‘Okay,’ I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll do it.’

We have a tab for the group, so the only thing I need to do is ask. It’s that simple. I just need to do it. Come on, Robin, you can do this!

Deciding not to overthink it, as soon as I spot a man in orange trunks, I flag him down.

‘Vorrei… Vorrei…’ I start, but I can’t help cringing at how quiet I am, almost like I’m telling him a secret, not ordering a drink. ‘Vorrei… coca.’

It takes me a few seconds to blurt it out, but I get there, even if it is barely audible. I probably didn’t get it quite right, but he must know what I’m asking for because he dashes off to get it, albeit with a funny look on his face.

My heart races as I make my way back to where Andrea is sitting.

‘Did you do it?’ he asks eagerly.

‘Sì,’ I reply excitedly as I sit back down next to him.

‘Robin, I was thinking—’ Andrea starts to say, but he stops abruptly when waterpark security surrounds us.

‘Cosa c’è che non va?’ Andrea says, standing up.

At first, I’m concerned, but then I realise that one of the guards is pointing at me, and my concern turns to pure terror. Oh, God, what have I done?

Andrea steps in front of me, almost protectively, as he tries to get to the bottom of it. Even Leonardo comes over to see what’s happening – then he starts laughing. Is that a good sign or a bad sign?

After some discussion, the guards stand down, disappearing as fast as they came, but as word spreads around the family, almost everyone is laughing now.

‘Oh, God, why is everyone laughing?’ I ask, feeling utterly mortified, but not knowing why.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Andrea reassures me. ‘Just a misunderstanding.’

‘I’m one of those people who needs to know,’ I explain. ‘It can’t be as bad as all the things I’m worrying about in my brain.’

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