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‘I’m heading down to the bakery to grab breakfast. I didn’t know if you wanted to come with me?’
Holly hesitated. One trip out when she hadn’t realised it was a date could have been an accident, but going with him again now would be a conscious decision and make the disappointment of it ending even harder.
‘On the Vespa?’
‘If that’s what you want?’
She pressed her lips tightly together. Whether she was setting herself up for a fall or not, she didn’t want to give up another go on the Vespa. Not when she didn’t know if she’d ever get the chance again.
‘Give me five minutes to get dressed.’
‘And clean your teeth?’ Evan added with a hopeful smirk.
‘And clean my teeth.’
The scenery looked entirely different in the morning. The sky was a powdery blue, dappled with the thinnest clouds, which would soon be burned through by the sun. Once again, Holly felt no concern as she wrapped her arms tightly around Evan and pressed her chest against him. This time they travelled inland, past yellow stones houses, and gated manors, until he brought them to a stop outside a small square.
While most of the shops were relatively quiet, one already had a substantial queue weaving its way out of the door and onto the square.
‘Let me guess. That’s where we’re heading?’ Holly asked.
‘It’s how you know the place is good. If there isn’t a queue, skip it. It’s like restaurants. You always go where the locals eat.’
Leaving the helmets on top of the Vespa, they headed over and joined the queue. All around them, people were chattering and Holly wished once again that she spoke a different language. Maybe when she went home, she would download one of those apps that promised to teach you. It would be useful if she was ever to come back with Evan. She stamped out the thought, almost as quickly as believing she’d seen Giles at the vineyard. Whatever this was with Evan, it would likely fizzle out the moment she stepped foot on the plane and she needed to remember that.
In what felt like no time, they were inside the shop and confronted with a range of pastries which caused Holly’s eyes to bulge.
‘So, do you see anything you fancy getting?’
‘I fancy everything,’ she said. ‘I don’t have a clue what half of it is, mind. But look at it all. Look at that cheese. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sandwich with that much cheese in.’
Evan pointed to the item in the cabinet and spoke to the baker in French. A moment later, she was handing him the cheese baguette.
‘We might as well get a few things. I wanted to get some food to take on the yacht with us, anyway.’
‘I love it. It’s so different.’ Holly was unable to contain her excitement. ‘I know it’s just a shop, but it feels so exotic.’
Evan let out a light chuckle.
‘You’re laughing at me.’ Holly slapped his arm lightly.
‘I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughingwithyou.’
‘I’m not sure that can work if the other person’s not laughing.’
‘You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just you’re so cute.’ As he kissed her again, Holly wondered if she’d ever been referred to as cute by anyone else before. It wasn’t an adjective she associated herself with, but she wasn’t going to object if that was what Evan thought. But she wasn’t going to get used to it either. This was a holiday flirtation, nothing more. And she needed to remember that.
As he paid for the pastries, he hooked his hand into hers.
‘If you’re finding the bakery exotic, and you're in the mood for some cheese, we’ve got a spare half an hour. We could head to the supermarket.’
‘Really? We can do that?’
He laughed again. ‘Don’t get too excited; it’s just a shop.’
* * *
It was not just a shop. The smell hit Holly the moment she stepped inside. Rich and exotic, there were too many aromas to make sense of.
