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‘So how come you didn’t sleep with him?’ quizzed Roxy, mouth half-filled with chicken.
‘We were just about to, and then Grace interrupted us. It’s a miracle it even went as far as it did, as I was feeling a bit self-conscious because I hadn’t, erm, tended to my lady garden, so it was a teeny bit overgrown down there,’ I added sheepishly.
‘Ahem.Excuse me?’ said Roxy, now almost choking on a prawn. ‘Let me get this straight: Miss Prim-and-Proper Beauty PR, who preens more religiously than a Christian goes to church on a Sunday, was not groomed to perfection downstairs? I don’t know what’s harder to believe: you practically having a one-night-stand, or you having more than a single strand of hair out of place.’
I laughed as I nabbed more than my fair share of the plate of prawns.
‘I know!’ agreed Bella.
‘First you rock up to this restaurant looking all casual, then you tell us you’ve drunk from a dirty glass and have eaten not just salami but pâté too.Next, you drop a bombshell that you spent less than ten minutes on your make-up andweren’tdressed head to toe in Armani, and nowthisbombshell? Seriously, Sophia,’ said Roxy, running her fingers through her hair, ‘there’s only so many surprises a woman can take in one afternoon!’
‘Stop taking the piss!’ I said, laughing. ‘I don’t know what to tell you. This holiday,this man, the whole experience has kind of changed me…’
‘Understatement of the century!’ added Bella. ‘So, where are you at now? Have you messaged him since you got back?’
‘Well, I’m planning to go over there in a few weeks’ time for a dirty weekend,’ I said confidently.
‘No fucking way!’ screamed Roxy. ‘Bella? Who the hell is this woman sitting at our table? This isnotour friend Sophia. She has been kidnapped and replaced with some sort of floozy impostor. I refuse to believe the words that are coming from this stranger’s mouth!’
‘Roxy’s right, Soph,’ said Bella, nodding in agreement. ‘The transformation is incredible. Well done, you! So is it all booked? What stage are you at?’
‘Well, annoyingly, I’m waiting for him to get back to me to confirm dates, which I hate as it makes me feel like I’m in limbo,’ I said as I cut a piece of chicken in half, ready to devour. ‘It’s not helped by the fact that he’s not very verbose on messages and so far I’ve led the way, always being the first one to message, which I can handle, just about, provided he’s interested. He said on Monday night that he’d let me know re: dates and I still haven’t heard back from him. That’s almost a full five days, so I think I should start to chase. I don’t like feeling like I’m being dangled on a string.’
‘Maybe give him until Monday?’ suggested Bella. ‘Then it’s a clear week? What do you reckon, Roxy?’
‘Message him now!’ shrieked Roxy. ‘Why wait? Sounds like you’re on a roll. Better to know sooner or later if he’s interested or if it was just a little one-off fumble.’
‘You’re right. It’s a little daunting, though,’ I said, covering my eyes with my hands. ‘I feel like a fish out of water, and I’m trying to address my fear of rejection. I keep thinking, what if he says no? Or he does say yes, and then I end up going and he doesn’t show up or something? I know I should think positively, but he hasn’t really done anything to instil confidence in me and make me feel like he’s definitely interested.’
‘That’s a lot ofifs. If this or that happens, then you just deal with it,’ advised Bella sagely. ‘There’s so many wonderful places to visit in Italy, so you’d just go and explore. See the places you don’t get to see when you go there for work. Worst comes to the worst, it wouldn’t have to be the end of the world. I say give it a try, but be pragmatic at the same time. Don’t go with any big expectations of this being the love affair of the century. Just enjoy the ride.’
‘Yeah, quite literally!’ added Roxy, sniggering like a teenager. ‘I cannot believe you had that hot totty in front of you and didn’t sample the goods properly, as I wouldnothave let that slip through my fingers. But for you, as someone that’s been out of the dating game for so long, I get that this is a giant step, and like Bella said, we’re so proud of you.’
‘Thanks, Rox—that means a lot,’ I said, smiling.
‘You’ve got to keep the momentum going, though, and get your arse back to Italy,’ she added firmly. ‘If you leave it too long, he’ll move on to some other guest and forget about you. So first thing in the morning, chase him up about dates and then book that ticket pronto!’ she said, letting out an excited squeal. ‘And by the way, when we get the bill later, you are not paying a penny for this meal. I feel like I’ve just been to the cinema and watched a chick flick. What a show you’ve given us this afternoon, young lady!’
Ah, bless my friends. It was great that they understood me and the steps I was taking to try and enjoy living my life much more.
Like Roxy said, though, I couldn’t wait around. I needed to find out whether lesson number 2 was still on the cards, which meant taking charge again and messaging him.
This time tomorrow, would I be preparing for a weekend of fun with Lorenzo or cursing him for not replying?
