‘It was a good job you turned up when you did, otherwise I might have started humping his leg under the table.’
In the space of a minute, Gabi had swapped their coffees for glasses of wine and sat herself back down.
‘Right, tell me everything.’
Half an hour later, it was all out.
‘What do the girls say?’ Gabi asked. ‘They obviously know him.’
‘That’s just it,’ said Isabella, ‘everyone knows him. You could say he has a bit of a reputation.’
‘A player?’
‘Sounds like it. A series of one-nighters. No relationships. There’s even a local phrase–have you been Etienne’d?’
Gabi eyed her sternly. ‘Do you like him?’
‘No, it’s not even that.’ Isabella rolled her eyes. ‘It’s that my body goes into some kind of sexual frenzy whenever he’s around. I can’t think straight.’
‘So have a fantastic one-night stand and get it out of your system!’ Gabi said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Isabella felt a stomach tug of lust in response, but something still held her back.
Gabi had never been left so publicly that she couldn’t show her face in the local shops. Gabi had never had to build herself up again from not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. And Gabi had never felt the need to prove herself successfully single. She’d worked her way up the stuntwoman ladder since she left college– all on her own, without any help from anyone.
‘But what about my promise to myself?’ she said.
‘Break it.’
Isabella couldn’t believe it could be that easy. She could go across the road and ride Etienne round every room of his restaurant. And that would be the end of it.
But she knew it didn’t work like that. If she had sex, that was breaking half of the promise. What if it jinxed the other half? What if she couldn’t make the restaurant a success?
No. She’d made herself a promise. Given herself the luxury of time to be single, with no sex, and make a success of things. That was what she’d been telling herself for months.
‘No. I think I should stay away. Stick my year out,’ she said grimly. ‘It’s only a few more weeks. . . and it wouldn’t be worth breaking my promise on something that’s just a bit of fun.’
‘Probably a good plan,’ Gabi said. ‘Especially because you’ve just heard the news about Daniel’s engagement. You don’t want it to be a knee-jerk reaction.’
‘I think it would make my knees weak, not jerk,’ Isabella said. Gabi snorted and topped up their glasses.
Isabella wondered briefly if she should delete the photo on her phone. But then decided sometimes life was all about small pleasures and she saved it to her favourites instead.
Mia Famiglia WhatsApp group
Isabella: Look who came to surprise me! (uploads picture of Gabi raising a glass in cheers)
Mamma: Gabi! Looking beautiful!
Papà: My favourite niece.
Mamma: You’re not supposed to say that!
Papà: Don’t worry, I say it to all my nieces.
Isabella: I love you, Papà. You’re adorable.
Girl Gang WhatsApp group
Amber: Gabi’s so cool!
