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I woke to the sound of loud snores. It didn’t sound like Liv though, so who…? I blinked at an unfamiliar wall and it all came rushing back. Le Rouge, the storm, the kiss with Xavier… what a week. I closed my eyes again to push it all away. Xavier had somehow managed to wrap himself around me and was holding me close, playing big spoon, his arms lying loose across my body. I tried to untangle myself but he snuggled me back in and I could tell from his breathing that he was in a deep sleep. I didn’t want to scare him by waking him suddenly, so I lay still for a few moments enjoying the feel of his big arms around me; his wife was a lucky woman.
Maxim’s snores reached a crescendo and he woke Xavier up with a particularly loud snort. I quickly closed my eyes as he rolled over to stretch.
‘Morning,’ he whispered.
‘Morning,’ I said. ‘Can you have a word with your friend, please? That level of snoring is unacceptable.’
Xavier smiled. ‘Was I sleep-cuddling you?’
‘I think so. I’m not sure how it happened. I’m so sorry,’ I flustered.
‘There’s nothing to be sorry about; it was me. I’m used to having the whole bed to myself, don’t worry about it,’ he said.
‘I just don’t want to create any problems with Christina.’
‘Honestly, it’s no big deal,’ Xavier said, getting out of bed.
Twenty-Five
28th January
There was a loud chime as the doorbell went, making Liv and me jump.
‘They’re early,’ I said, glancing at the clock, ‘like, really early?’
‘Can someone answer that?’ Genevieve shouted down the stairs. I pulled the front door open with an overzealous smile, ready to welcome Mimi and Frank in for dinneragain– honestly, they may as well move in – only to find George staring up at me with my red snood in his hands.
‘George! What are you doing here?’ I asked, glancing behind me to make sure Genevieve didn’t see.
George gave a low whistle as he took in the chalet and the Porsche on the drive.
‘Wow! Pretty sweet place to live,’ he said, putting his nose over my shoulder and taking a good look inside. ‘Landed on your feet here, didn’t you?’
‘Rather than in a heap on the floor, you mean? Yeah, I guess I did.’
‘You left your scarf behind in Le Rouge last week, so I thought I’d drop it over,’ he said, handing me my red, woolly snood, which was wet and raggedy and looked like it had been chewed by a cow.
‘Did someone spill beer on it?’ I asked, taking it from him with two fingers and holding it in the air. ‘Thanks for bringing it over… I think.’
‘I thought, you know, since it’s the one I got you at uni on our first date, you might want it back…?’
‘God, no, that one’s long gone. Abi sent me this one for Christmas. It was brand new.’
Xavier appeared in the doorway, resting his chin on my shoulder and hugging me from behind. He felt so strong and warm and his George-radar was finely-tuned. I’m not sure I’d want him behaving like this with another woman if he was married to me. Although his wife was always so friendly, she didn’t seem like the jealous type. It must be a French thing.
‘Everything OK here?’ he asked. ‘Oh, hi George, didn’t see you there.’
George gave him an uncomfortable nod.
‘What brings you over to see us?’ Xavier asked, giving him a cool stare.
‘I just wanted a quick word with Holly before I fly home tomorrow,’ he said, looking at the ground, ‘and to bring her scarf back.’ George pointed to it in my hands.
‘Ahhh! She’s been looking everywhere for that!’
‘Glad I could be of service,’ George replied archly.
