Page 28 of Hot to Go

‘Too much,’ Emma says out of the side of her mouth, thinking I didn’t hear that.

‘Je ne sais pas what you may mean? ¡Hola, Carlos!’ she says, pulling a basket bag over her shoulder.

‘Bonjour…you said brunch last night. Did I get the time wrong? You look like you may be going somewhere?’ I ask them as I see another cousin emerge from the villa, craning her head to have a look, also dressed as if she’s heading out, with a cloth bag on her shoulder. There are so many of them.

‘Oh well, Lucy invited you over but we forgot we’ve booked other plans,’ Beth explains.

‘Plans?’

‘A euphoric dance workshop,’ Lucy says excitedly.

‘And as you can see, we’re euphoric,’ another cousin tells me. ‘Meg…bonjour.’ Meg feels like the matriarch cousin. Her look and tone are a bit more judgemental.

‘Bonjour…so we’re cancelling brunch?’ I say despondently, unable to keep that feeling from flooding my face. I also ate a light breakfast so am starving. ‘That’s cool. I don’t live far. I can…’

‘Oh no!’ Lucy interrupts. ‘We’re going out but Aurelie is here. You guys just…have some brunch, chill, use the villa, explore the rooms, you know?’

The other cousins go quiet as I stand there trying to figure out this little welcome party. I don’t know whether to be scared or amused. And then, she appears. Aurelie. It’s bizarre to see her in daylight but everything I remembered about her is still there, the big brown eyes, the sheen to her dark hair, the way her smile creases the sides of her eyes. She wears a white vest top and short skirt over a bikini. I look away for a second to hide the fact I’m so excited to see her.

‘Carlos,’ she says, coming over to me and leaning in for the double kiss. She smells amazing. ‘You found us then?’

‘I did. And I found all your lovely cousins too. Are you sure you can’t join us for a drink before you head off for your dancing?’ I suggest.

‘Non,’ says Lucy confidently. ‘Or we will be late.’She opens the doors to their hire car and pushes one of her sisters in. ‘Maybe we can catch you later though?’

‘I am sure. Lovely to meet you…’ And with that a car door slams shut, windows winding down to wave us goodbye. ‘¡ADIÓS! AU REVOIR! ARRIVEDERCI!’

And in a flutter of activity, the car reverses in a cloud of dust and they’re gone, leaving Aurelie and I standing on that driveway.

‘They’re really subtle,’ Aurelie says, smiling.

‘I thought so,’ I say, laughing. I catch myself looking at the curve of her shoulder, tanned and smooth, and have to distract myself. I probably shouldn’t do that by rubbing my hands over my helmet. My moped helmet, obviously. Be cool, Carlos. We start walking down the pathway to the villa. ‘So this place…it’s amazing. Emma told me your family works in champagne?’

‘Did she?’ she says turning towards me. ‘Yeah, champagne. It’s been a family thing for decades,’ she says nodding.

‘Fancy.’

‘It is. Can I get you a drink?’ she asks me, anxiously.

‘It’s a bit early for champagne but I’ll take a water if you have it,’ I tell her.

‘There’s juice as well, or wine, Coke, tea, coffee…’ she nervously lists every beverage in the house.

‘Water is good,’ I say, smiling and trying to reassure her. I put my helmet and belongings on the kitchen table, standing at some open windows that look out to a view of mountains, sea and sky. I take a deep breath to drink it all in. This is not like the balcony of my hotel at all. ‘What are the bedrooms like?’

There’s a notable silence as I say that.

‘Oh, I meant…I’m just nosy. Nothing more…’

‘Umm, they’re great. Just…not as great as this view though.’

She appears beside me, two glasses of water that she places down on a coffee table.

‘It’s a pretty awesome view, eh?’

Iturn to her. It is. ‘So I am the seaman, am I?’ I say, as we both look out of the window. ‘My English is not so great, like a sailor?’

‘YES, exactly like that…’ she replies, trying to stifle her laughter. She looks over at me and blushes immediately. ‘I don’t…I mean…today…this…it’s just…thank you…I don’t know how to do this…’

---