Page 22 of Under A Sicilian Sky
‘Oh gosh, I’m so sorry.’
He held up a hand. ‘No, don’t be. It’s been two years now. I try to come out for a few months a year. Been thinking about selling up again, but every time I arrive here, I change my mind.’ He paused. ‘Look… I know this is a little forward, but would you like to come in for a coffee? It’s fresh and Italian.’
She tucked her hair behind her ears and glanced back towards her temporary home. A few spots of rain hit her shoulders and she shivered. ‘Oh no, I shouldn’t, thank you though.’
He nodded. ‘That’s okay. I totally understand.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Although, I could bring it out onto the covered terrace and leave the gate open if that would make you feel better?’
She glanced behind him to the terrace he’d mentioned and then back at Clark. If he knew who she was, he was doing a great impression of someone who had no clue. And she reasoned that, with the gate open, she could make a run for it if she felt uncomfortable.
She’d spent so long avoiding risks of any kind that a surge of courage led her to reply, ‘Oh, go on then. That’d be lovely.’
‘Really? Great. Come on in.’ He hit a button on the wall and the gate opened wide.
With a little trepidation, she followed him to the terrace and took the seat closest to the gate and Nero promptly jumped into her lap.
‘To be honest, you’re the first English-speaking person I’ve encountered since I arrived a few days ago. I’ve been feeling quite lonely,’ she admitted.
He smiled. ‘Huh, and here I was thinking I’d hooked you with my charm and wit.’
She laughed. ‘Nope. Just the English thing.’ He was easy to talk to and she began to relax.
He reached out to pet Nero. ‘And who’s this cute little fella?’
Nero snarled and snapped, thankfully missing Clark’s hands, and Ruby gasped.
‘Nero! That’s not nice. Gosh I’m really sorry about that. He’s usually so sweet.’
Clark frowned and examined his fingers. ‘No, it’s fine. I should’ve known better than to try and pet him when he doesn’t know me. And Nero, huh? That’s a big name for a little dog.’ He smiled awkwardly. ‘I’ll go make the coffee.’ He disappeared into the house and Ruby turned Nero to face her.
She narrowed her eyes. ‘You can’t behave like that, you know. That’s not how we make friends.’ The dog licked her nose and wagged his tail, and she took it as an apology. ‘Ugh, it’s a good thing you’re so flipping cute.’ She placed him back in her lap and he curled up, nuzzled into her.
Clark returned a few moments later with a cafetière and two mugs. Nero grumbled and Clark chuckled. ‘Let me have the first mouthful, and then you and your dog know you’re safe.’ He grinned and she wondered if he watched a lot of crime drama on TV.
‘Deal,’ she replied.
‘So, what do you do back in England?’ Clark asked after he’d taken a good long gulp of his coffee.
‘Oh… I don’t… I mean I’m… in administration.’ Yep, she hadn’t thought this through at all. ‘For the government,’ she added with a nod as if that would be more believable.
His eyes widened. ‘Oh wow. I’m just in retail.’
‘What kind of retail?’
‘Records. I own a good old-fashioned vinyl shop in New Jersey.’
‘Oh! Really? I might have…’ She clamped her mouth shut. ‘That is, my friends might have visited your shop. I have friends in New York.’
‘Really? Small world, huh?’
‘Sure is.’ She took a sip of the coffee. It was incredibly strong, and she had to fight the urge to shudder. She was definitely more of a tea drinker.
‘Has anyone ever told you, you bear a striking resemblance to that actress? Oh god, what’s her name…’ He clicked his fingers together and Ruby fidgeted in her seat, panic rising inside her.
Nero must have sensed her fear as he woke with a start and growled again. She stroked his fur in long, slow motions in the hope that it would calm both her and the dog. As soon as Clark said her name she would bolt, she decided. She stared at him and hoped the horror she was feeling wasn’t obvious in her expression.
Clark drummed his fingers in frustration. ‘You know, the one with the long blonde hair, very prim and proper. She’s British too.’ He tapped his forehead. ‘Jeez, I’m sorry, movies really aren’t my thing… Wait a minute! Got it! Kate Winslet!Titanic. Bingo.’ He held his fists in the air as if he was going to shout ‘eureka’ and Nero let out a yip that made him jump. He side eyed the dog and added, ‘You really do look like Kate Winslet, only as a brunette, obviously.’
Relief flooded Ruby’s veins and she almost collapsed back into her chair. She scrunched her face and scratched her head. ‘Really? Do you think? No one has ever said so before,’ she lied.
