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‘Terrine à deux,’ he said, ‘I’ve saved you some for later as well.’
Food was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to get through this shift without any irreversible disasters.
I put on my most winning smile and took the starters upstairs, placing them down gently in front of Genevieve and Luca. My hands were shaking, which was absurd. It was two small plates. I wasn’t doing heart surgery. Just carrying two small plates up some stairs and putting them on a table. Well, I’d managed to do it successfully, without throwing anything down Genevieve’s red silk dress, so I’d take that as a win.
‘Your starters are served,’ I said, stating the obvious. ‘Lamb terrine edged in green apple jelly, served with spiced brioche toast and balsamic fig jam.’ They both nodded and stared at me as I stood back. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided on a curtsy.
‘Is there… anything else?’ I asked, cautiously.
‘More Champagne?’ Luca asked with a smile.
‘Oh, yes, of course!’ I said, whipping out the bottle from the fridge and topping up their glasses. Slowly nose-breathing to calm myself down. I was a nervous wreck.
‘Merci, Holly,’ Genevieve said smiling, as Luca gave a dismissive half-nod.
I quietly left them to it, retreating back down to the kitchen where Xavier was lost in his own world, violently playing air guitar to ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’, briefly stopping when he saw me, until I picked up a spatula and head-banged with him through the ah-ah-oh-ohs.
‘I love Bon Jovi!’ he said, when it finished. ‘Do you like rock music? You have a wild streak, I think?’
‘Really?’ Did I? I’d been one half of #Geolly for such a long time that I’d forgotten who the Holly part of that equation was. Was she wild? Would she like to be?
He nodded, giving me a cheeky look. ‘Right, go and clear the starters and I’ll prepare the main courses.’
I went upstairs and collected the plates, then retrieved the wine from the fridge, which was chilled to perfection.
‘We have a wine straight from Etna to accompany your main course,’ I said, peeling back the aluminium at the top of the bottle and easing out the cork. ‘It is from a small, family-run vineyard on the east-side of the volcano. They only produce a small quantity of bottles each year, so we are incredibly lucky to have this one to taste.’
I poured a small amount into my own glass to check David wasn’t playing a trick on me – it would be just my luck for the wine to be disgustingly vile and astringent, after bigging it up to Genevieve and Luca. I swirled the honey-coloured liquid into a spin, gave it a good sniff and tipped it back. It was good. It was very good. Nectar from the Gods. I wasn’t sure I wanted to share it, now I’d tried it. I closed my eyes and savoured the taste. Then poured them out two glasses.
‘A very light and soft wine, with a gentle aroma. Peaches, apples and a hint of volcanic soil on the palate as an aftertaste,’ I said, nodding. Margot would be so proud of me. ‘Should be perfect with the Bouillabaisse.’
‘Delicious,’ Genevieve said, nodding with approval.
‘Where did you get it?’ Luca asked, clearly impressed. ‘I thought I knew all the winemakers in Sicily. It is one of my favourite places. There is a whole section in the cellar dedicated to Sicilian wines.’
I laughed, ‘I can’t start giving away my sources in week one. How will I stay one step ahead to impress you otherwise?’
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘Well, you’ve impressed me tonight. This is delicious,’ he said, snaffling it down and holding out his glass for more. I topped them both up as the kitchen bell pinged.
‘That’ll be your main courses. Excuse me while I get them for you.’
I ran downstairs, giving myself a teeny tiny fist bump on the way. Thank fuck for that.
Xavier had the Bouillabaisse in a huge bowl that was destined to spill all over the floor if I had anything to do with it.
‘I’ll take this upstairs,’ he said, wisely.
‘I think that’s best,’ I said, picking up the ladle and dishes for serving and going ahead of him. We paraded into the dining room and placed the bowls and stew on the table. Xavier took the lid off and a steamy cloud of fishy deliciousness poured out. He ladled a large serving into each bowl while I topped up the breadbasket with thick slices of baguette. Hot chunks of white fish, prawns and scallops, with garlic croutons and a hint of orange coming through in the sauce.
‘Xavier, you have outdone yourself this evening,’ Genevieve fluttered. ‘You are SO talented.’
‘The starters were superb,’ Luca said thoughtfully. ‘The spicy rosemary jus was divine with the terrine. Is that a new recipe?’
‘Holly and I made them on Monday,’ Xavier said. ‘It shouldn’t have been spicy?’
‘Mine wasn’t spicy,’ Genevieve added, perplexed.
‘Oh. Yes, I added a little something extra to the one I made,’ I said, blushing.
