Stuck on You

by Patricia Mar

  “You seem disappointed.”

  “I am, but just a little.”

  “You’re a lousy liar. You’re going to miss me.”

  “You arrogant so-and-so!” she laughed.

  “You know I’m right, you’re going to miss me.”

  “How long will you be away?”

  Daniel’s eyes sparkled. “Not long – four days.”

  “Is it for work or for pleasure?”

  “Both, I hope.”

  Sara’s face darkened for a moment, but she managed to hide her annoyance by sipping her mojito with fake nonchalance.

  Daniel looked even more pleased. Men and their egos…

  “Come with me, Sara.”

  She almost choked on her drink.

  “Are you ok?”

  “Yes, sure.” Sara coughed and took a deep breath. Had she heard right?

  “I’m going to Chamonix. There’s snow, mountains, a fabulous resort. Come with me.”

  “Daniel, I don’t follow you.”

  He seized her hand without hesitation. “I like you, Sara, and you know it. And I’d like to spend more time with you, but I travel a lot and you haven’t found a job yet so you’re free to come, if you want.”

  “But what would I be coming as? What am I, or what would I be?” she stammered, surprised and confused.

  Maybe she needed another mojito? Daniel smiled as though he could read Sara’s confusion in her face. She was cute when she got agitated.

  “If you just want to be a friend, we’ll just be friends. I don’t want to force you into saying or doing anything. The magazine I’m working for booked a few rooms in this resort, so you can have your own room. We would spend some time together while I’m not working, we could meet in the evening or during the breaks. It’s not much, I know, but you could enjoy Chamonix in the meantime. It’s a lovely place, well worth a visit.”

  “If – if – I came, I’d pay for my room.” One last outburst of dignity before her next surrender. He seemed so happy to have her with him… Or did he just want to sleep with her? What was she supposed to do? Yes… no… yes… definitely no.

  “No, I invited you. None of us will have to pay anything, I’ll say you’re with me, that you’re a friend, my wife, my sister, my aunt,” he laughed. “Whatever you want, but come with me.”

  “You seem to want me to come a lot and I can’t help wondering why,” she admitted frankly, trying to get straight to the point.

  “Are you afraid this is just a clever way of getting you into bed?” said Daniel, raising an eyebrow and looking irked for the first time.

  “Can you deny that such an appealing proposal is maybe a little premature after only three dates?”

  “We’re not kids, we’re grown ups. What are we supposed to wait for?”

  “That does sound reasonable,” Sara admitted. What was she supposed to wait for? Divine enlightenment? A fairy godmother with a pumpkin carriage? Or another lecture from her mother?

  “I’ll behave myself. I’m not going to force you. If you’re not interested and you don’t feel like it, I’ll accept that – though I’ll be sorry.” He moved back, but continued looking at her. He hadn’t given up yet, even though his words might suggest otherwise. Sara kept looking at him in silence, hoping she could read his eyes and heart.

  She didn’t want to be just one of his many girls. She cared too much. She recalled Grandma Glicine’s words, Virginia and Lia’s scolding, even her mother’s frank words. Everybody seemed to agree that Sara needed to learn how to let herself go and live for the moment, without torturing herself by trying to sort out all the pros and cons. And Daniel was staring at her with those big eyes which dared her to agree and urged her to fall into his arms.

  So she heard herself saying in a confident voice that she hardly recognised, “I accept your proposal – but we’ll be staying in separate rooms.”

  Chapter 14

  A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes…

  What with the preparations and the constant doubts, the following days flew by too fast. Sara thought she had been stupid to accept, and wondered what Daniel might think of her, seeing she had agreed to leave with him after only three dates. But Virginia and Lia would always make her see reason. They would remind her she was twenty-five, that she was a woman now, and not a little girl, that she liked Daniel and that he liked her, and that if she didn’t feel like indulging in hot sex sessions with him, she didn’t have to. The worst that could happen was that she would come back home disappointed, having realised that he wasn’t the man for her, and they would never meet again. But if she was lucky, maybe she would come back happy that she’d got to know him better. Daniel had reminded her that they would be staying in a new resort outside town, where there would be a spa, an indoor pool and a heated outdoor one too. In other words, a paradise where she could relax and daydream before returning to harsh reality. As the days passed and her departure grew closer, Sara grew more nervous, but the anticipation made her feel excited too.

  The question she was constantly asking herself was how Daniel would introduce her to others. She desperately wanted to know, but was afraid that if she asked him she would look like a prude or a worrier.

  Before their journey, Sara and Daniel went on another date to see a romantic comedy starring Henry Cavill at the cinema. Virginia was green with envy – she would have given anything to be in her sister’s place. Though she liked the actor and enjoyed the plot, Sara was often distracted during the film, secretly observing Daniel through the darkness of the theatre hall: the reflections from the screen lit his face, revealing his profile, his sparkling eyes and his smile – sometimes sweet, sometimes thoughtful. From time to time he would look at her too, making Sara’s heart, which seemed deaf to the warnings of her brain, accelerate mercilessly. She could have drowned in his eyes, and wouldn’t have asked to be saved. It was gradually sinking in that she was really into him – so much so that her head was spinning around like the General Lee in The Dukes of Hazzard.

  And for a moment, the people kissing passionately on that screen were not film characters, but Sara and Daniel. The Caribbean setting had turned into French mountains, and she could almost see the snow falling softly onto their heads. Everything was idyllic. From time to time Daniel whispered a joke in her ear which made her smile, while his warm breath awoke every nerve ending she had. Sara had turned into a modern day Sleeping Beauty. She had slept for too long – it was time for her to wake up.

  *

  And the time came. The day of departure. Daniel picked her up in a car that the magazine commissioning the shoot had laid on. Funnily enough, that magazine was Inside Look. The driver, with his red cap and deferential manners, put her luggage into the boot while she took her seat in the back of the car next to Daniel, who was smiling at her astonished expression.

  “Daniel Gant, I’m starting to feel like a character out of a romantic comedy!”

  He laughed and kissed her gently on the lips, then settled back into his seat. “I’ll admit I’m really happy you decided to come with me.”

  Sara lifted her eyebrow to look more astute. “Listen, I really need to ask you something. I wish I didn’t, I’ve been torturing myself about it, but I have to.”

  “Let me guess – you want to know how I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the crew and the resort staff?” he cut in, flicking her nose.

  Sara frowned. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Maybe I’m just starting to get to know you, my dear Ms De Michele.”

  “I’ll have to remember to be more unpredictable.”

  “Do you want to act mysterious with me?”

  “Of course – that way you won’t be able to resist my charms.” She leaned her head on the headrest and gave him a challenging look.

  “I’m not planning to.”

  “You didn’t answer my question, though,” pointed out Sara. What did she have to lose by insisting? In for a penny, in for a pound, right? She couldn’t put it off a
ny more, she had no choice.

  Daniel’s answer was to raise her hand to his lips and kiss it. “At first I decided to say you were a cousin of mine, but then I thought about it.”

  He moved closer to her and whispered, “If I do something like this in public, for example…” he kissed her hand again and remained poised over it a moment, without taking his eyes off her, “after saying you’re my cousin, we might cause a scandal, you see?” He winked at her and sank back into his seat.

  “So? I suppose kissing a friend’s hand might be compromising too – if she really is just a friend, that is.”

  “I agree.” His tone had become predatory.

  “Daniel,” she said, feeling in danger even though she was not – or was she? “What did you tell everybody?”

  “That my girlfriend was coming with me.”

  Sara swallowed slowly, unable to move a muscle. Daniel laughed and drew her towards him. The young woman found her head between his neck and shoulder, while his arm made its comfortable way around her shoulders. He kept her close, making her feel safe and happy in a way she couldn’t explain. It was as if everything was as it was supposed to be. As if she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  That position seemed to have been made just for her. Daniel continued talking, and Sara remained silent.

  “We’ll stay in separate rooms like I promised, but I don’t want to pretend there’s nothing between us.”

  Daniel really didn’t want to hide. He was a man – a self-confident and determined one. That was why photographers had caught him so often in the company of beautiful women. She felt her heart jump. It was struggling, reminding her of its presence again as it had so often over the past days. Something was happening between them, she couldn’t hide that, but were a few innocent kisses, four dates (she was actually keeping count, damn it!) and her constant racing pulse really enough to make her his girlfriend?

  The short chartered flight was comfortable and brief, which was a good thing: Sara didn’t like any means of transport which left terra firma, and Daniel could barely control his claustrophobia.

  Some of the crew had been with them on the plane: the make-up artist Polly Petty, an English girl who was Sara’s age, with short, spiky blonde hair and a couple of earrings in her right ear, quite talkative and completely comfortable with the situation; Jim Simmons, the photographer – fortyish, tanned, elegantly dressed and never missing a trick; Kim Castairs, the lighting tech, so pale that he looked like a vampire in the sun; Selene, the costume designer, a young black girl with an afro and the loveliest smile Sara had ever seen. And then there was Fiorella Benzi from Inside Look.

  Sara didn’t like Fiorella. She was a perfect looking career girl, with icy eyes and full lips ready to leave lipstick stains everywhere, especially where she shouldn’t. She was staring at Daniel as though he was a succulent dish she wanted to sample. Or, more precisely, as though she wanted second helpings… Had she already had a taste of that delicacy?

  Sara was glad she’d agreed to participate in that private party, happy to talk comfortably in English with all the others. And all the while thinking, “he’s mine, get your claws off him, you shark.”

  So was she calling him ‘hers’ now? Yes, damn it, she was! If Daniel was allowed to tell people she was his girlfriend, wouldn’t it be stupid to pretend he wasn’t her boyfriend? But Sara had to admit that if Fiorella had already participated in Daniel’s Masterchef, knowing the ingredients she had used could only be an advantage. Why was she using cooking metaphors now? She snorted mentally and called herself an idiot. Everybody was chatting and joking with each other, except for that killjoy, Fiorella, who was on her laptop, probably pretending to write just so she could look important. Daniel must have known those people quite well – they had worked together before. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, and Jim even invited her to attend the following morning’s shoot. Sara didn’t miss the glance Fiorella gave her at this. She looked back at her unhesitatingly.

  Daniel Gant was her perfect date, and Fiorella was just a pimple to get rid of. She smiled at the thought.

  Everything happened quickly. They landed, were taken to the resort in a minibus, and entered the luxurious entrance hall. She felt lucky – on what she had in the bank she could have never have afforded a weekend in a place like that, and she thanked the destiny which had granted her this opportunity. A stupid smile on her face, she walked into the room that had been assigned her. It was spacious and full of lights, there were exposed spotlights and warmly coloured lamps which seemed to greet her, saying ‘You’re in the right place, girl.’ The room was huge, bigger than the apartment she shared with Virginia. She took some pictures with her smartphone to prove that she wasn’t just making it all up, and immediately sent them to her sister. Virginia answered immediately, as though she had been waiting by the phone for news.

  Shiiiiiiit.

  The pictures had been clear, then. There wasn’t really anything to add. The room was actually a suite comprising of a small, beautifully furnished sitting room, a flat screen TV so big that Sara felt like a Smurf next to it, and a room with a double bed so huge she could have spent the night rolling from side to side without falling out. And what about the enormous wardrobe she had no idea how to fill? She looked at her suitcase and smiled at the irony of the situation. She could have done with a wardrobe like that back home. And the bathroom? She could have spent the whole day in there! Apart from the marble, the golden sinks, Jacuzzi and shower, the place was so big that a whole football team would have fit inside it.

  A sinful thought suddenly made her blush. She thought about Daniel, naked, like in the photo she and her sister had gone crazy over, slowly lathering himself up, touching every last centimetre of his silky skin. She swallowed and went back to the bedroom to calm down. She sat on the edge of the bed, peering around her. She was living in a fairy tale.

  All the pieces were there: the castle, Prince Charming, and even the evil witch, Fiorella; everything was as it was supposed to be. She was the main character who was about to win the prize her heart desired. And maybe by the end of the weekend she would be singing A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes like her famous predecessor. She threw open her arms and fell backwards on the bed, thinking how it had all happened because an alarm clock hadn’t gone off and a bus driver had decided to set off early. Destiny had gone overboard to make sure she had a weekend with the man of her dreams. Where was the catch? Why was she so certain that disaster awaited at the end of that fabulous chain of events?

  She got up and pushed aside the heavy curtains. Outside there were snowy mountains, pink in the sunlight. She couldn’t deny she was happy that – for once – she had listened to her heart’s crazy ideas. It’s up to you now, Daniel Gant. You’ll have to do your duty and prove to me that appearances are deceptive and that there can be more to all this than just gossip. There can be a man who plays the piano divinely, who adores his little dog, who cooks like a chef, who loves Celtic music and who knows how to hold my hand to make me feel loved. Daniel, would you like to be the Prince Charming in my personal fairy tale?

  Chapter 15

  Playing With Fire

  The first evening was lovely. She was surprised by the laughter and the warmth she felt around her, Polly and the others welcomed her as though she had always been one of them. Sara was grateful, and before long she had relaxed and revealed her funny side to her new friends. This way, she didn’t have to ask herself too many questions about what would happen when she and Daniel were alone. And even less about what the rest of the gang thought of her. They accepted her, and that made everything easier. They had dinner together at the resort restaurant, then decided to continue the evening in a pub in the town centre, when they drank delicious vin brûlé. They chatted away pleasantly, but what made the evening so unique were Daniel’s eyes, smiling at her happily, studying her carefully, gently encouraging her – and seemingly never leaving her. Sara realised that there was an entire univers
e behind those eyes, and she was thrilled to be at the centre of it. She wanted to believe that. If the others hadn’t been there, she would given herself up to those eyes with no regrets. One silky blue look at her and she was lost. She laughed. She was happy.

  She really was. And everything was made even easier by the fact that Fiorella had decided to stay in her room, meaning Sara could forget about her for the evening. Now she only wanted to let herself go and enjoy her night out with the crew. But the vin brûlé eventually finished, and so did the evening, and they went back to the car singing together, Daniel holding her hand and standing beside her like a guardian angel. Sara thought the way he was always seeking physical contact with her was sweet – she felt like she belonged to him. Daniel wasn’t embarrassed to do it in front of his friends and colleagues either. He was happy to show his affection – he hugged her with no fear of seeming inappropriate. They all said goodnight to each other and went off to their rooms. Daniel and Sara were finally alone, holding their electronic room keys.

  And in the lift.

  “I thought you would have taken the stairs,” said Sara, smiling like someone who knows all the answers. Daniel moved closer to her and put his arm around her waist. “I’m not scared of being stuck in a lift with you – I’m sure you can cure any panic attack I might have.” He arched an ironic eyebrow and bent down to kiss her cool lips.

  She felt a sudden warmth spreading through her whole body, as though she was standing before her personal sun. The doors opened too quickly and Daniel moved away.

  “This is your floor.”

  In a daze, she nodded, and Daniel let her go. But before she could say goodnight, he jumped out of the lift. Daniel laughed at her expression. “I’m not staying in that box without you.”

  Sara laughed too and took his arm. “In that case, you’ll have to walk with me.”