‘I see you have reception here,’ Callum notes as I end the call.
‘Yep.’ I didn’t look properly at him while I was speaking to Samira but now I register that he is unbelievably sodden.
Drops of water are literally dropping off his eyelashes and nose and earlobes and it is genuinely comedic. I find myself beginning to laugh even though obviously that is not polite or very sympathetic and I shouldn’t.
Also, I note further: his very thick, dark, curlyish hair is not totally wet through because it’s so thick the water hasn’t penetrated to the underneath bit, and now the top has started to dry and is curling a lot at the nape of his neck and on top. Basically, it looks very, very cute.
I’m not laughing so much now; I don’t want to look at him and think he’s cute.
I shift my gaze down and oh my goodness that was a mistake. His shirt is not as thick as his hair and isentirelysoaked through, and even though the fabric is dark, hisextremelynicely muscled chest and stomach are outlined in a very Mr-Darcy-coming-out-of-the-lake-in-the-1990s-version-of-Pride-and-Prejudiceway and I’mreallynot laughing now; instead I’m blushing like nobody’s business.
Okay. So I need to stop this. Apparently I am ogling my soaking-wet ex of many years ago while he is just irritated that I didn’t mention that I have reception.
‘I was about to phone the nearest garage and ask if they would be able to come here and replace the wiper,’ I say, in my best business-like manner, keeping my eyes firmly away from his chest. ‘It’s too far to drive there in this and it looks as though the rain’s going to continue for a while.’
‘I already phoned them,’ Callum says. ‘They can’t come until tomorrow because they finish early on Mondays. They need us to drive there. Which clearly we cannot do.’
‘Oh.’ I frown. ‘Maybe there’s another garage.’
‘I asked one of the executive assistants in my office to call around and she couldn’t find anyone who can do it today.’
‘Oh,’ I repeat. This is not welcome news. I was totally pretending to myself that it would all be fine and someone would come and do the wipers and we’d make it to Florence today as planned. ‘There must be other garages. I’ll call a few more.’
I open up Google Translate and type‘Would you be able to come to a forest to mend my windscreen wipers?’but Callum shakes his head.
‘Obviously you’re extremely welcome to check and I could be wrong,’ he says, ‘but also I don’t think I’m wrong.’
‘Maybe it’s worth a shot, though.’ I just don’t want to be stuck here with Callum.
More water drips off him.
‘The van’s open,’ I say. ‘So if you want you can get a towel from your bag.’
‘I don’t have a towel. I was staying in a hotel.’
‘Oh yes. Let me give you one of mine.’
‘No, no, it’s fine, honestly.’
I look at him. He’s got the set-jaw look he always used to have when he was going to refuse to listen to me. Usually when I was trying to be the voice of reason. Unless he’s changed alotthere’s no point trying to argue with him when he’s in this mood and this is not a battle worth having because he’s a grown man and he’s going to feel disgustingly damp all day at this rate but he’ll befine. Plus, I recall, my towels have all already been used by me because I’m on my way home and didn’t want to do any more laundry.
‘Okay,’ I say, and start phoning garages.
Ten minutes later I have confirmed that Callum was completely right. We’re stuck here until tomorrow at the earliest unless the rain stops.
I walk over to the edge of the clearing to peer up at the sky.
Yup. It’s very grey and the deluge is showing no sign of letting up.
‘I guess we should both find a hotel, then,’ I say when I get back to Callum where he’s still standing next to the van. His clothes and hair are a little bit dryer-looking now but he must still be feeling very uncomfortable.
‘I also checked out the hotel options,’ he says. ‘And taxis. And they aren’t that great.’
‘How un-great?’
‘No taxis at all, probably because of the volcanic ash situation, and only one hotel within walking distance and it looks quite… basic. I’m guessing a lot of tourists have had to stay on because of the flights.’
‘I don’t want to be rude, but I might just phone a couple of places myself.’
