Page 79 of You Had Me at Chateau
A reply comes through almost instantly.
Looking forward to it xxx
I know what they say, sisters before misters and all that, but I don’t think I have any sisters here and, anyway, Henri isn’t a mister, he’s a monsieur.
40
The day I am having with Caleb might honestly be the best day of my life and I am in no way exaggerating when I say that. He’s just so much fun, and so thoughtful, and he really knows how to show a girl a good time. The effort he has put into today so far is just… wow. And it’s only lunchtime.
It all started when I arrived at his chalet earlier and found out he had hired a car, complete with a driver, who took us to Switzerland for breakfast. Actual Switzerland. Okay, sure, it’s not that far from the resort, but no one has ever taken me to another country for breakfast before. We had pastries and coffee, and then strolled through the quaint streets, breathing in the crisp morning air, chatting – and honestly, I thought that was it. How wrong I was.
As if breakfast in Switzerland wasn’t enough, we got back in the car and headed to Italy for lunch. Yes, Italy. Another country. How amazing is that?
Right now, we’re sitting outside a charming little café, eating fresh focaccia, drinking cocktails, taking in everything this piazza has to offer, and although it’s not exactly summer here,it’s a lot less wintry than the resort. It’s nice to be outside and to not be freezing.
Caleb leans back in his chair, looking at me with a satisfied grin.
‘So, are you having a nice time?’ he asks.
I smile back at him, feeling genuinely happy.
‘I’m having an amazing time,’ I tell him, making sure he can tell by my tone that I mean it. ‘The furthest a man has ever taken me before is Thorpe Park.’
Caleb snorts with laughter, then tries to contain it.
‘I shouldn’t laugh, but as great as Thorpe Park is, that’s just not good enough,’ he replies.
I laugh along with him – well, if you can’t laugh at yourself…
‘Well, thank you for ruining men for me,’ I tell him. ‘I’ll never be impressed again. You’ll always be the guy who took me to three countries in one day.’
He smiles.
‘Oh, this is nothing,’ he says. ‘Imagine how great a date this would be if I was actually trying.’
I tilt my head, curiously.
‘Is this a date?’ I dare to ask.
‘Of course it is,’ he replies, leaning forward. ‘If you’re pretending to be my girlfriend, you deserve a real date. Some might say you deserve a medal.’
‘In all honesty, you’re a great fake boyfriend,’ I reply. ‘I can’t imagine ever fake dumping you.’
Caleb’s expression shifts slightly.
‘Well, Annabelle didn’t have a problem real dumping me,’ he says.
I hesitate, but then curiosity gets the better of me.
‘If you don’t mind answering, why did you two break up?’ I ask.
He sighs.
‘It’s a tale as old as time, really,’ he replies, trying to keep it light, but I can tell that it bothers him. ‘She realised that being really beautiful and really famous meant she could have anyone she wanted. And, hey, there will always be someone hotter than all of us, right? And if people think they can do better, there’s not a lot you can do about it.’
Wow. That’s brutal. Did she really think she could do better than Caleb? Mr three countries in a day, who has done nothing but try to help me over the past few days.
‘That’s why you should go for an average chick,’ I joke, trying to make him smile. ‘We’ll never let you down.’
