Page 37 of Another Lucky Number

‘I was glad to be of assistance.’ He takes off his jacket and hangs it over the back of his chair, before sitting down to join us. ‘How is your evening? Where did you dine?’

‘At Tide. It wasmagical,’ says Cat.

At first, I wonder if she’s remembering the experience accurately – it was lovely, but I wouldn’t call it ‘magical’ – until I realise, she too has fallen under Sébastien’s spell.

‘It’s a lovely setting being over the water like that,’ I pitch in. ‘C’est une experience nue.’

On saying this, I tune into the singer, who’s now crooning an impressive rendition of Shakira’sUnderneath Your Clothes, and it dawns on me that‘dans la nature’was the term I was looking for – which means I’ve just mixed up my rusty French and…oh no… did I just talk about eating dinner naked?

I glug at my mineral water to cover up my embarrassment, however Sébastien either misses my faux pas, or he’s too polite to let on that he heard it.

‘D’accord.’ He nods thoughtfully. ‘It is a pleasant experience, dining with the water around you. You speak a little French, Emma?’

‘I… erm…un petit peu?’

‘Very good. We all must start somewhere.’

I’m at a loss for what to say next, my cheeks still burning from my error, so I shoot Amber a silent SOS, which she acts upon immediately.

‘Sébastien, I noticed from the brochure in my suite that you have several resorts in the Caribbean. Seems to be a hotspot for your company. Which is your favourite?’

He rubs his chiselled jaw with us following his movements like hypnotised serpents.

‘I think my favourite is this resort,’ he says. ‘For tworeasons. It was the first I purchased in this part of the world, so it is… I think you might say… close to my heart. But also, I have put some of myself and my roots into it.Par exemple… this very bar was inspired by the area where I grew up which has many caves that one can visit. They are spectacular… feats?’

‘Feats, yes.’ Amber confirms correct use of the term.

‘Bien. They are spectacular feats of nature.’

‘Yes, they are.’ I finally come back to life. ‘I remember visiting one on a school trip years ago.La Grotte de la Salamandre… I think that’s what it was called anyway.’

‘Ah, yes, I know this one.’ Sébastien looks wistful for a moment. ‘It is very impressive.’

‘The singer is really good, Sébastien,’ says Cat. ‘Is she a regular entertainment act here?’

‘That is Lola.’ Sébastien glances across at her, catching her eye, as if she was waiting for him to notice her. ‘She has been with us for the last seven years.’

We simply nod by way of a response and focus our attention on Lola, who is continuing to do justice to her ballad. A handful of couples are up dancing, making the most of the romantic ambience, and I feel a pang for how amazing it would be to enjoy this experience with a significant other. Maybe James? Or Sébastien, my mind offers me unexpectedly. I quickly shake the thought away.

‘It’s lovely seeing those people up there, all so in love.’ Cat props her chin up with her hand and it’s obvious she’s engaged in a similar romantic fantasy about Mike.

‘Do you like to dance, Sébastien?’ Amber asks.

‘I do.’ He nods. ‘It is something I have always enjoyed. But not something I manage often, working as I do.’

‘That’s sad,’ says Cat. ‘There must be lots of women – or men – here who would be willing to dance with you.’

Sébastien seems amused by Cat’s added inclusivity clause. ‘I prefer to dance with women, but that is just personal taste.’

‘I’m sure Emma would be happy to dance with you,’ says Amber.

My eyes widen at this statement and I give her my laser beam stare, urging her to retract her statement. Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t.

‘You are fond of dancing also, Emma?’ Sébastien asks me.

‘I’m… eh… not sure I’d say that.’ I give an awkward chuckle. ‘My dancing isn’t much better than my karaoke.’ I’m hoping this is enough to put him off, but it seems it’s not.

‘I can teach you if you would like?’

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