Page 42 of Winter With You

‘You said that like it’s a bad thing.’ He sat down on the sofa. ‘You don’t like my style?’

She did like his style. It was somehow that perfect mix of put together and effortless. Plain black trousers, a slim-fit crew-neck jumper in a camel colour that not every guy could pull off. He did though. With those green eyes and those curls like Michelangelo’s David…

‘Well, I’m wearing a bathrobe,’ she answered. Then she sat down at the other end of the sofa. Close but not too close. A respectful business distance…

‘I noticed.’

What did that mean? Nothing. Of course he noticed. It was bright white and he was a stylist!

‘Ha!’ she said quickly. ‘Did you think of a hundred different ways you could make it into haute couture?’

He shook his head, taking a sip of the drink before putting the glass on the coffee table. ‘Ninety-nine.’

‘So,’ Gabriella said, taking a sip of her drink. ‘How was your mum’s birthday party?’

He nodded. ‘Yeah, it was a thing. Family eating like New York was coming out of a famine era. Too much wine. Them not me.’

‘But did your mum have a good time?’

‘I think so but maybe there was… not enough love and understanding.’

Gabriella laughed and then stopped herself. ‘That was a Cher lyric, right?’

He smiled. ‘Yes. But, you know, perhaps there is truth in it too. My family. It’s complicated.’

‘I hear you,’ Gabriella said.

‘You don’t talk about them,’ Luca said, leaning forward a little. ‘In your book. In your interview tonight.’

‘I talk about the best bits,’ Gabriella answered with a wry smile.

‘OK,’ he said, nodding. ‘I’m hearing you.’

‘My mother says “if you have nothing nice to say it’s best to say nothing at all”.’

‘Do you think she’s right about that?’ Luca asked.

‘No,’ Gabriella stated firmly. ‘I am a great believer in speaking the blunt truth. But I also know not everyone wants to hear it and sometimes you have to take that into consideration. And, most of the time, in those situations, it’s for everyone’s benefit to say less.’ She took another sip of her drink. ‘Like when your niece asks you about dating.’

‘Oh really?’

Why the hell had she said that? If ever there was a time for saying less it was now. ‘Yeah, I mean, teenagers dating, not something I want to think about. I might need to pull out my Russian and mace if anyone messes with Phoebe’s heart.’ Wow, what a great save…

‘So what was your advice to her?’ Luca asked. ‘When she asked you about dating.’

God, why did his eyes smoulder like that? It should be a criminal offence. And why the fuck was she only wearing a dressing gown? She would never mooch around the suite in anything less than a full outfit ever again. She felt inappropriate all of a sudden, in her own room.

‘Don’t do it,’ Gabriella said fast. Perhaps too fast.

‘Because?’

‘Because it never ends well.’

‘No?’

She was finding this difficult and uncomfortable. Why? She was a seasoned professional when it came to public speaking, as she had proven just tonight on television. Speaking about other things. Other people. White lies about herself when she needed to…

She paused and drew strength from that. ‘Are you interviewing me, Luca?’