Trying not to drop any chips, I slide them through the window to the cashier. He takes them efficiently and then grabs a wad of euros.
I watch in disbelief as the man counts out five hundred. I will definitely be treating Soraya to a bottle of champagne here for that, and I’ll save the rest for a little extra spending money.
I almost bump into the man waiting behind me as I turn around.
I am still wearing the biggest grin on my face when I hear a distinctly recognisable voice.
‘It must be your lucky day.’
Umm, it is now, I think as I look at him dressed up in his suave black tie and tuxedo. He is quite the sight for sore eyes. If Carol thought he looked good in shorts, then she hasn’t seen anything yet. The sophisticated version of the Mystery Mancunian of Monaco is even more pleasing to the eye.
But before I respond with anything I might regret, I remind myself that it was me who made up theno menrule. There is no romance happening on this trip. Besides, he is off on that imaginary trip to Antibes with his wife tomorrow. So, I try to stop my thoughts from running away with me as he stares into my eyes, awaiting a response.
‘Well, hello. Fancy bumping into you here,’ I say.
‘We were only just saying how small Monaco is, weren’t we? Beautiful casino, isn’t it?’ says Elias.
I look around for a wife behind him, but all I see are two couples nearby.
‘Oh, it’s lovely here. So, umm, are you here with your friends… Or…?’
‘No, it’s just me.’
‘Ah, a holiday alone then. It’s nice to have time on your own sometimes.’
I feel flummoxed and don’t know what to say as I look at him standing there in front of me. This vision of godliness is making me tongue-tied!
‘I’m here with work, actually. I’m a skipper on a yacht.’
He is smiling that gorgeous grin again, and as our eyes meet, there is some kind of sparkly connection. I tell myself I mustn’t look into his eyes, so I avert my gaze to his black tie, which is tied so perfectly around his neck. All I can think of is how enticing it would be to pull it off. Oh god, I don’t know where to look that is not going to give me palpitations!
‘Yeah, so I’m just hanging around waiting to deliver the boat to wherever my boss wants me.’
Ah, so does this mean his wife is waiting for him back in Manchester?
‘Might head towards Andalusia next, I’m not really sure,’ he adds.
‘Gosh, that’s some life then.’
‘Yeah, it can get a bit lonely sometimes, though. That’s why it’s nice to meet a fellow Brit.’
Nice to meetme, or just because I’m a fellow Brit? I try not to analyse his words and tell myself to focus on the conversation.Do not look at his eyes, his bow tie, or any part of him that is attractive.I look down at his perfectly polished shoes.
‘Hmm. I can’t ever imagine it would be lonely when you have a yacht at your disposal, but I suppose it could be.’
‘Well, it’s not mine. As I say, I’m just the poor skipper. Luckily, my boss is a very good person.’
‘Right. Cool.’
Cool?Cool?I haven’t used that word since the Eighties. What am I saying? The girls would scold me for being full-on cringe if they heard me.
‘So, how long you here for?’ he asks.
‘We leave the day after tomorrow.’
‘Can I be direct and ask you something?’
‘Umm. Okay.’
