Page 58 of You Had Me at Chateau
‘Sounds good to me,’ I say with a smile.
Oh, and it tastes good to me too. I would crawl up this mountain on my hands and knees to get another one of these –thatgood.
We chit-chat about anything and everything while we eat but, honestly, I cannot get Caleb’s idea out of my head. I hadn’t even thought about it – but why would I? Why would I think to write such a crappy book that no one will want to publish it? I’ve been so focused on working out how to do a good job that I hadn’t even considered doing a bad one on purpose.
I’ve got my original draft still, but there’s no harm in saving a copy, and adding in some awful scenes, right? It’s something to think about.
28
I arrive back to the château to hear the muffled sounds of laughter and conversation drifting through the hallway. I follow the voices to the dining room, to say hi, and find Mandy, Bette, and Gina, sitting at a beautifully set table, glasses of wine in hand, chatting animatedly.
‘Amber!’ Mandy calls out, spotting me in the doorway. ‘We’ve been waiting for you to eat. Where have you been?’
‘I went for a walk,’ I reply, hesitant to mention that I’ve already eaten. ‘Sorry, I didn’t know you would be waiting for me.’
‘We always eat together,’ she reminds me. ‘So, unless we hear otherwise…’
I force a smile and take a seat at the table, feeling the pressure to join in.
‘Great timing,’ Bette says, uncovering a hot plate filled with… with… I’m not even sure what it is. Some kind of casserole. ‘We were just about to dig in.’
It does smell nice, and even though I’m not hungry, I load a small portion onto my plate.
The chatter resumes around me, and I find myself gradually relaxing.
‘So,’ Mandy says, topping off everyone’s wine glasses, ‘we’ve been talking about setting our next books here at the resort. See whose story turns out the best.’
‘I bet Bette’s will be the most scenic,’ Gina chimes in, nodding towards Bette.
‘Oh, definitely,’ Mandy agrees. ‘The worlds you build and your descriptions are always so vivid.’
‘And Mandy’s will of course be the funniest,’ Bette says with a smile.
‘And Gina’s book will be the spiciest,’ Mandy adds, winking at Gina.
They laugh and toast each other, but no one mentions me. Well, I doubt any of this lot have ever even touched one of my books, still, it would be nice to be included in the conversation. Pointing out that they’re kind of excluding me probably isn’t the best way to fit in. Plus, they did wait for me for dinner, I guess.
After a few bites, I clear my throat, and dare to speak.
‘I just wanted to let you know I’m planning to sleep in tomorrow, I’m feeling quite tired,’ I tell them. ‘So feel free to have breakfast without me.’
‘Okay, but make sure you’re in for dinner,’ Bette says, her tone leaving no room for argument. ‘I’m cooking dinner for us all tomorrow night.’
‘And I’m pouring the wine,’ Mandy jokes – topping up her glass for dramatic effect.
‘Okay,’ I reply, mentally acknowledging that this definitely doesn’t sound optional. ‘I’m really looking forward to it.’
As the evening ticks along I find more and more that, in all of their conversations, even the ones about writing, there isn’t really much room for me. No mention of me, no one asks me questions, and it’s impossible to get a word in.
I know, I shouldn’t be complaining, because I’ve been asking Jen for months if she could get me a seat at the table, and now I have one but… I don’t know. Just because you’re sitting at a table, doesn’t mean you have a seat at the table. I’m going to have to work on that one.
29
As I try to steady myself on my skis, my brother’s warning echoes in my head. I did promise him that I would stay away from skis and yet here I am.
Caleb stands beside me, looking effortlessly cool in his ski gear.
‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ he asks, concerned but amused.
