Page 94 of All Mine
‘Isabella?’
She lifted her face and it had a new kind of nervousness on it. Hope. If the camera caught that look, she was going to be the best interview they ever got.
‘Would you do it with me?’ she whispered, squeezing his hand between them. ‘Youwerethe first one to take Fred in.’
Etienne pulled a face and she laughed.
‘You’ll be fine,’ she repeated back at him. ‘You don’t even have to say anything if you don’t want to. Just stand with me.’ She squeezed his hand again and he found himself looking at it this time. ‘Please.’
‘Okay,’ he said and she beamed.
‘Then later, maybe I could buy you a drink?’ she said unexpectedly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it again. She gave no excuses, or reasons. She left the invitation out there, hanging between them.
Her eyes were looking directly into his and he realised he was still holding her hand. His thumb ran over her knuckles.
He thought about his evening ahead and realised there was nothing he would rather do than spend it with her.
‘I’m buying the second round,’ he said, and her mouth curved into a smile and Etienne had a realisation like a punch in the face. He had feelings. Ones that he couldn’t control. Ones that fluttered in his stomach like a romance novel. Ones that made him want to see her, even without any non-sex. Ones that made him want to, right now, not let go of her hand.
‘We’re ready for you,’ Michelle Carter called and Isabella waved in acknowledgement. They walked over together, hands joined.
Isabella quickly updated Michelle on Etienne’s part in the process and she was happy to ‘add more colour’ to the story. The cameraman positioned them where he wanted them and still Etienne was holding her hand.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Isabella
Isabella’s heart was flapping like a trapped butterfly in her chest. But it had nothing to do with the cameraman pointing his lens at her, or Michelle preparing to ask the first question. It was all due to the fact that Etienne was holding her hand. Every now and then his thumb smoothed over her skin or he tightened his grip, but he hadn’t let go.
She’d seen something in his face, she knew it. That had been a true-life, real romance moment that they had shared. More than just a pep talk, or him trying to give her confidence. And he wasstillholding her hand. Surely, if they were just friends, he would have dropped it as soon as she agreed to do the interview?
And they were going for a drink. Okay, maybe just a friendly drink. A drink to celebrate the day. A drink to relax after the interview. They’d been for drinks before, in a group, and obviously for karaoke, but this time she had asked him simply because she didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to spend the evening with him and he had said yes. And he was still holding her hand.
Michelle Carter moved into position and counted them in. Etienne moved fractionally closer, and she could feel the touch of his elbow on her arm.
‘This is Isabella Tucci,’ said Michelle in her ‘on air’ voice, ‘the person behind the campaign for Spare Room Sleepover, created to come to the rescue of the elderly residents of Heart of Honeybridge, which suffered a serious fire earlier this morning. How did you come up with the idea, Isabella?’
She thrust the fluffy microphone towards Isabella. Etienne squeezed her hand encouragingly and she felt the smile stretching her cheeks as she answered. This time, she didn’t freeze and she wasn’t shy. She was happier in that moment than she could remember being for months– maybe ever.
‘It just came to me,’ she said. ‘I’m lucky enough to live with my own grandmother and thought that a lot of other people would love to do the same– have an honorary grandparent come to stay, even if it’s just for a few days.’
‘The council tells us that fifty-nine residents have already been matched for home stays,’ Michelle said. ‘How do you feel about that?’
‘It’s fantastic news,’ said Isabella. ‘Because every resident we match will have a home environment to recover in, and they can be part of a family, which is so important.’
‘And this is Etienne Martin,’ Michelle said, turning towards him. ‘The first person to take in one of the residents. How did that happen, Mr Martin?’
‘It was an easy decision,’ said Etienne. ‘I would class Fred Barrow as a friend of mine, so it seemed natural to ask him to come home with me until all this is sorted.’
Isabella watched him speak and bet that every woman watching this section on the news would be salivating on their sofas. And, out of shot of camera, he was still holding her hand.
‘Is this normal for Honeybridge?’ Michelle asked, indicating the queue of people waiting to sign up to the scheme. ‘This level of community spirit?’
All the sides of the community that Isabella had experienced in the last three months rushed through her head. From karaoke at The Bolthole to Story Stars with Rosie and Wren, the Italian lessons to the fundraiser and the market on the square.
‘Definitely,’ she said, glancing at Etienne, who nodded in agreement. ‘We wouldn’t live anywhere else, would we?’
‘Have you lived here long then?’ Michelle asked and Isabella recognised an opportunity when it was presented to her. After all, she did have a marketing degree.
