Page 37 of Too Busy for Love

‘Yes. I’ve never seen so much stuff,’ I reply as we put the seats down and start loading their cases into the back.

When we get back, I leave Chris and Tim going through the piles of equipment in the dining room, change into my bikini and wander down to the pool for a swim. It’s going to be off-limits as soon as the contestants arrive, so I’m determined to make the most of it before then. When the heat starts to go out of the day, I come back up to the house for a shower before going to help Rosa in the main kitchen. I say ‘help’, but really I’m just standing by the pass chatting to her in Spanish while she prepares the dinner.

‘I’m not at all happy about all those cables,’ she complains for the umpteenth time. ‘I won’t let them make a mess in Mr Mancini’s beautiful home. You tell them that, Beatrice.’

‘I did,’ I reassure her. ‘They’ve promised me that they know just how to lay them so they’re practically invisible, and they will leave the house just as they found it.’

‘Hmph.’ She shrugs her shoulders, clearly unconvinced. ‘Where are the others? Dinner is nearly ready.’

I glance at my watch; nearly two hours have passed since I got back. Even with the car-hire queues, it shouldn’t be taking this long. I’m just about to call Gus to find out what’s going on when the buzzer sounds to indicate that someone is at the gates.

‘I’ll start plating up,’ Rosa tells me. ‘You go and greet them.’

‘Everything OK?’ I ask as I walk out to meet Gus, Dom and Raquel, who are climbing down from an identical minibus to mine. ‘We were starting to worry.’

‘We, umm, had a spot of difficulty,’ Gus admits sheepishly. ‘The car was a bit bigger than I thought it would be and, well, I’ve not driven anything quite this size before.’

‘He misjudged the width when we met a tractor coming the other way,’ Dom adds. ‘Had a bit of an argument with a wall.’

Curiosity gets the better of me and I walk round to the other side of the minibus, which is now sporting some impressive gouges and scratches.

‘Ah,’ I say, unable to suppress a grin. ‘Don’t worry. It’s insured, so they’ll just give you another one if you take it back, and you’ll soon get used to the size, I’m sure.’

If Gus realises I’m parroting his own condescending remarks back to him, he has the good grace to allow me my victory and says nothing.

‘Rosa’s just dishing up,’ I explain as I lead them through the house. ‘We thought we’d eat on the terrace to make the most of it before the guests arrive.’

‘How are you getting on with her?’ Gus asks quietly as we step through the back door. ‘I found her a little prickly when I came to do the reconnaissance visit. I don’t know whether it’s just the language barrier or something else.’

‘She’s really nice, but she’s very houseproud and understandably worried about how much mess you’re going to make with all the filming equipment,’ I tell him honestly. ‘She practically had kittens when she saw how much there was on the lorry yesterday.’

He stiffens. ‘It’s not really any of her business. Our agreement is with Mr Mancini, not her, and we made it very clear in the paperwork what equipment we’d need to rig up. I’ll be relying on you to keep her docile, OK?’

‘I’ll do my best, but she’s not going to react well if you start smashing the place up.’

‘We’re not going to smash anything up. We’re going to rig up a few cameras and lay a few cables, that’s all. How come the table is laid for eight? There are only six of us.’

‘I’ve invited Rosa and Pedro to join us. They’ve been incredibly hospitable to me since I’ve arrived, and they’re just as much part of the crew as the rest of us.’

Gus just grunts and takes his place, turning to talk to Dom in a low murmur. Thankfully, the slight tension in the air is dispelled completely as we tuck into the generously filled bowls of gazpacho that Rosa and I bring out to start with. By the time we’ve finished the main course ofpollo al ajillo, juicy pieces of chicken heavily fragranced with rosemary, garlic and white wine, the atmosphere is positively convivial. The wine is flowing and I’m relieved to see both Gus and Rosa are looking a lot more relaxed.

‘What’s your job on the show?’ I ask Raquel, who’s sitting next to me.

‘I interviewed all the contestants as part of the selection process,’ she tells me. ‘So I know what kinds of things they’re looking for in a partner, and I also know what qualities they bring to the table. Let’s just say there are certain people who pair up very well together on paper, so I’m here to give them the appropriate nudges if they need them. I’m also going to be running some workshops on successful relationships, to give them the best chance of taking any budding romances back to the real world. Are you in a relationship?’

An image of Jock forms in the front of my mind. ‘No. Not currently,’ I tell her. The ache of longing in my chest as I say that catches me by surprise.

‘But there is someone important to you. I can sense it.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘When I asked the question, a wistful expression crossed your face. Most people wouldn’t spot it, but I’m a professional. That makes me think you have unfinished business with someone.’

I feel a little uncomfortable under her gaze. Although I’ve been busy, Jock has been on my mind a lot. I haven’t heard from him and, although I did think about texting him a couple of times, I don’t want to come across as clingy if he’s moving on with his life. Raquel is looking at me expectantly.

‘It’s definitely finished,’ I tell her, before turning to chat to Rosa in Spanish. I make a mental note to stay as far away from Raquel as possible for the duration of her stay. If Jock has moved on, I need to do that as well, and being psychoanalysed by her all the time is not going to help.

14

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