Page 33 of The Christmas Holiday
Chapter Eight
Sandeep was right. The food added to what was already probably the best restaurant experience I’d ever had. And OK, admittedly I was definitely the less travelled and least experienced of all of us at the table, so that might not have been saying a whole lot, but I had a feeling that even when I was working as a full-time travel journalist, which I was determined I would be,this was still going to be one of my favourite experiences.
‘You look like you’re far away.’ Hunter leant over to me and spoke close to my ear. The music had started now, which meant conversation took a little more effort.
I smiled at his comment and turned, shaking my head. ‘No. I’m right here. This place is so magical! I can’t believe it. Have you been here before?’
He nodded calmlyand I suddenly felt more like the newbie I clearly was.
‘Why are you wrinkling your nose? What’s up?’
I really needed to remember that Hunter knew all my ticks and quirks.
‘I suppose you think I’m kind of dopey for getting all excited over everything?’
‘No. Not at all.’
‘Says Mr Unimpressed, Seen-It-All-Before…’ I gave a head tilt. ‘OK. Look, I do know it’s probably not theright way to act or anything. And I will calm down. I promise. Just give me a couple of days.’ I’d had a glass of wine with my meal and, although the fabulous food was doing a fairly good job of soaking it up, it was definitely adding to the buzz I already had going on.
‘Mia, listen to me.’ He was close again, his breath warm on my skin and… ‘Are you listening?’ He dipped his head round tosee my face. I nodded enthusiastically and thought I saw a twitch in his lips but it could well have been the light playing tricks.
‘Don’t let anyone ever tell you there’s a right or wrong way to do your job. You’re doing just fine from what I’ve seen so far.’
‘We’ve only been here a day!’
‘I’ve learned to make assessments pretty quickly.’
‘And your assessment is?’ My chin wasin my hands now, watching the light from the candles on our table highlight the hollows under his cheekbones and a scar along his jawline I didn’t remember.
‘My assessment is that you did a great job when we were out today, and that your enthusiasm is something you most definitely don’t want to lose or feel you need to cover. It’s part of you, and it will come across in your writing and yourvoice when you write about places. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to be all cool and act as though none of this excites you.’
I blinked a couple of times. I really was pretty rubbish at dealing with wine. It would have been so much easier if I didn’t actually like it. I turned Hunter’s words over in my head.
‘Are you saying I’m not cool?’
He pulled his head back and laughed,a big burst of chest-rumbling laugher ‘Really? That’s the only thing you took from all that?’
‘Well no, obviously. I got the other stuff too. And thank you. I do appreciate that you wanted someone else on this trip, and not me. And I’m sure she is totally “cool”…’ My finger emphasising coaxed raised eyebrows out of him. ‘But—’
He gently took my hands down from where they were still upready for more bunny ears emphasis. ‘But nothing, Mia. It’s all good. Just keep doing what you’re doing.’ He frowned. ‘Except maybe drinking that wine. You’re still really shit at holding your drink.’
‘I know,’ I said, a little sadly.
He smiled and poured me a glass of water. ‘Drink this. There’s no time for a doze, and if you fall asleep I’m not carrying you out. I’ll have absolutelyno qualms about leaving you here.’
I took the glass he held out to me. ‘You’re meaner than I remember.’
He gave me a look I couldn’t quite work out and I knew it wasn’t because of the wine, or the flickering lights. ‘I’m a lot of things different from what you remember.’
I didn’t have a reply to that.
***
The next day was spent exploring the city again, this time with Oliviaand Sandeep. Having already experienced much of what we were seeing the day prior with Hunter, I was far more able to concentrate on the story I was there to cover that day – that of Sandeep and Olivia – and it was fun to approach things from yet another perspective.
For lunch, we sat in rattan chairs in an airy, palm-strewn courtyard where fans moved the warm air around us and crockery gleamed.Quite a contrast to the tin trays and wonky plastic furniture Hunter and I had experienced the day before. It was, of course, perfect. But I knew my lunch the day before would be the one I’d remember the longest.
***
