Maddy smiled. ‘Oh yes. I feel wonderful. That was a great overhaul.’
‘What did you have done?’
‘Everything. I must have shed a kilo of dry skin. And then the massage and the Thalgo body wrap and the facial… I fell asleep halfway through it.’
‘I had a wonderful time too.’
‘I can see that,’ Maddy said, admiring Claudia’s radiant face and flawless make-up. ‘But then you looked great before, too.’
‘Thank you.’
Maddy picked up the menu but Claudia stopped her with an imperious gesture. ‘I already ordered. Grilled fish and salad, then a little cheese and a light lemon sorbet. A bottle of Pinot Grigio and a carafe of water. Is that okay? You can change it if you like.’
‘No, that sounds perfect,’ Maddy said, letting out a giggle. Claudia was an unstoppable force but you had to let her run with it or you’d be risking a heated argument or some scathing remark. How did she do it?
‘What are you laughing at?’ Claudia asked suspiciously.
‘Nothing. I just feel very good right now.’
‘That’s not true. You find me amusing, so let me hear it.’
Maddy sighed. ‘Okay. I was just thinking how you always get your way. It made me laugh but it also makes me envy you. If I had had just a fraction of your – self-confidence, I might have managed my life better.’
Claudia snorted. ‘Self-confidence? I think you meant selfishness but were too polite to say it. Some call me a bitch but that’s going too far. Not that I think this aspect of my personality has made my life a breeze, but it has certainly helped me survive. The women in my family are strong and independent. We’re matriarchs more than wives and mothers. I’m sure you’ve seen that streak in Lucilla too. She manages both her career and her personal life with an iron fist.’
‘Yes,’ Maddy had to admit. ‘Lucilla is definitely one of those strong women. Poor Carlo –I mean…’
Claudia sighed and waved at a waiter. ‘Bring us the wine, please.’ She turned to Maddy. ‘Yes, Carlo. Hmm. Their relationship is strange, to say the least. Lucilla keeps him on a long leash and he seems to like it. But that’s their business. I’m glad Leanne didn’t get too involved. That could have been a mess. But then again, she looks like the strong type too.’
‘Well, yes, but she is also vulnerable. I wouldn’t like to see her hurt.’
‘She’ll be fine.’ Claudia nodded at the waiter who had just arrived with their wine in a cooler. Once they had been poured a glass each, she turned back to Maddy and lifted her glass. ‘Chin chin, Maddy. I’m glad we have this evening to ourselves.’ She drank deeply and put the glass on the table. ‘So, what about you and that handsome Scandinavian, then? Are you getting serious?’
Maddy gulped down some of the crisp white wine. ‘Uh, yes, we are. I mean it was quite hot when I left and now we’re writing to each other and trying to work out what we’re going to do. He wants to move to this little farm in the mountains in Provence. Gorgeous place. He has plans which sound––’
Claudia put up a hand. ‘Hold it right there. He has plans? What are they? And do you agree to them?’
‘Most of them, I think.’ Maddy fiddled with her cutlery. ‘And I’m sure I’ll get used to the new life he’s building. He’s bought this old farm in the mountains above Nice, where he wants to start a new life. I love the place and I feel we could be happy there. It’ll mean I’ll have to give up some things and leave my life in Ireland, but that might be a good thing.’
Claudia stared at her incredulously. ‘You’ve only known him a couple of weeks and he is already telling you how to organise the rest of your life?’
‘Seems crazy, I know. But that’s the way he is.’ Maddy looked at Claudia, willing her to understand. ‘I love him already, even though it hasn’t been long. I know it sounds mad but I don’t want to lose him.’
They were interrupted by the waiter placing a huge platter of grilled fish and a plate of salad on the table.
‘Delicious,’ Maddy said, savouring the salty, buttery flavour of the white fish and the crisp salad in an olive oil and lemon dressing. ‘And with this wine, it’s all heavenly.’
‘Fabulous,’ Claudia agreed. She paused, holding her fork up. ‘So, you were saying?’
‘Oh, nothing,’ Maddy mumbled. ‘My little problems aren’t that important.’
‘They are to you. I have a feeling you’re the kind of woman who wants to please everyone even if it makes you miserable in the end. You have to stop that. You’re too old to play the doormat.’
‘I’m not old,’ Maddy protested. ‘I’m forty-four. He’s ten years older.’
Claudia nodded. ‘That’s what I mean. You’re at a very important crossroad. If you take the wrong path, you’ll end up where you were before.’
Maddy looked at Claudia thoughtfully. ‘You know what? You might be right.’
‘I am,’ she stated in a tone that didn’t allow argument. ‘Without knowing the details, I feel the only way forward is to give him your terms and stick to them. Make him fight for you. Don’t just say yes to everything. If he’s worth keeping, he’ll respect you for it. Nobody likes a martyr, you know.’
‘That’s a good point.’
‘Just one more thing before we get back to the delights of this meal: the mountains in Provence are freezing in the winter.’ Claudia shivered. ‘It can be like Siberia for over a month. Paradise in summer, yes. But a freezing hell in winter. Just give your Scandinavian hunk that thought, okay?’
Maddy frowned. ‘Oh my God, I never thought of that. You’re right. It was so warm and sunshiny when I was there. I forgot that there must be a winter. And a cold one so high up. Thank you, Claudia, for that piece of advice. And for the rest. You’ve given me a lot to think about.’
‘Glad to help,’ Claudia chortled. She raised her glass. ‘To men. What would they do without us?’
Maddy laughed and clinked glasses with Claudia. What a hoot she was. And how wise. While they continued eating and chatting, Maddy started to compose a message to Erik in her head. Following Claudia’s advice would really make him sit up. But how would he take it? And was she ready to risk this new chance of love?
Claudia looked at Maddy as if she could read her thoughts. ‘Go for it,’ she urged. ‘Save the rest of your life.’
Twenty-Eight
The tiny restaurant, tucked into a wall in a narrow lane in the Old Town, had a rustic charm to it. Wooden tables covered in red and white checked tablecloths were crammed together in the vaulted room that Tony said had been a bakery centuries ago. Now it was a candle-lit Italian restaurant that smelled of garlic and oregano.
‘Is this okay?’ Tony said as he pulled out a chair for Leanne.
‘It’s lovely.’ She sat down and placed the white napkin in her lap. ‘So Italian. Even with the straw-covered Chianti bottle with a candle in it. Like in a nineteen fifties movie.’
‘I know. A bit cheesy, but I’m told the food is really good. And really Italian, very authentic.’
‘In Croatia,’ Leanne remarked.
‘I know. But I was feeling homesick.’
‘Buona sera,’ a waiter interrupted, lighting the candle and handing them menus. He then placed a carafe of water and a basket of fresh bread on the table, smiled, winked at Leanne and left.
Tony laughed. ‘See? Very Italian, even a flirty waiter.’ He looked at her with a glint in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. ‘You look gorgeous tonight. New dress?’
‘Kind of.’ Leanne blushed and smoothed the short skirt of her black dress. ‘I bought it in Nice before we left.’
‘Black suits you.’
‘Thank you.’ Leanne smiled and nibbled on a piece of bread. ‘And thanks for asking me out tonight. I didn’t feel like spending the evening with anyone else.’
‘Especially Carlo?’ Tony asked casually.
Leanne looked away. ‘Yeah. Especially him.’ She looked back at Tony. ‘Oh, I know I was a compete eejit over him.
But it was a flash in the pan really. A bit of madness in the moonlight. Nothing happened. Not that I didn’t want it to at that moment, but it was just… I was… Oh, God.’ She felt her eyes sting and before she could stop it a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. ‘Shit.’ She fanned her face. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t want it to ruin this thing between us.’
Tony smiled and brushed the tear away with his finger. ‘Shh. Don’t be sad. It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything. You drank too much wine and you got carried away and thought he felt something else for you.’ He stopped. ‘Is that what happened?’
Leanne nodded. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘We were on the boat and—’
‘I know,’ Tony interrupted. ‘I found your knickers in the couch the next day. Do you want them back?’
‘No. Throw them away,’ Leanne replied, going bright red.
He nodded, looking pleased. ‘So then we can forget it and move on?’
Leanne laughed, feeling better already. ‘Oh, yes. Absolutely.’ She picked up the menu. ‘We’d better order. The waiter is hovering.’
‘What do you want to eat?’ Tony asked from behind the menu. ‘Pizza? Or something else?’
‘How about the aubergine and mozzarella bake? Never had that.’
‘It’s like a lasagne without the pasta or meat. Really nice.’
‘Let’s try that. And a salad?’
‘Great choice. And a bottle of Chianti. Or –’ Tony smirked ‘– maybe some of that Croatian wine? A guy could get lucky.’
Leanne stuck her tongue out at him. ‘Ha ha, very funny.’ Then she couldn’t help laughing. ‘Okay, that was funny.’ She looked at Tony, and before she could stop herself, it all came out in a long stream. ‘You know what? The whole thing was ridiculous. There we were, going at it like rabbits and then I said I was falling in love with him even though I didn’t really mean it and he just collapsed like a pricked balloon.’ She giggled and put her hand over her mouth. ‘Shit, now you know the whole story. Sorry,’ she said looking at his inscrutable face. ‘A typical case of TMI. Feck it, me and my big mouth. Maybe I should just go?’
Tony’s mouth quivered. ‘And leave me here looking stupid? Come on, Leanne, don’t feel bad. I’m glad you told me. And now, can we really, really forget it?’
‘Oh yes, please,’ Leanne sighed, feeling a flood of relief wash over her. She had told him everything and it didn’t seem to matter.
‘These things happen,’ he soothed. ‘Do you think my love life hasn’t been full of mishaps?’
‘Uh, I have no idea. I thought maybe you were this cool, intellectual who never put a foot wrong.’
‘Ha, my foot has been in my mouth many a time. I can tell you worse things than your little fling. But let’s not go there, okay? We’re here now and the past is the past. Let’s keep it that way.’
‘Good idea,’ Leanne said. ‘And now I’m starving, so please feed me.’
The waiter approached and Tony placed their order. Then he turned back to Leanne and put his hand on hers. ‘But enough about that. Here we are, in this romantic place… Let’s talk about us.’
Leanne looked at their hands. Hers, small and brown, and his freckly, fair-skinned one. He had nice hands, with the long fingers of a pianist – or surgeon. Gentle, healing hands. She looked at his sweet face, the glasses slightly askew, his unruly red hair and his honest hazel eyes. ‘Us,’ she said. ‘Yes, let’s talk. Starting with you. What will you do now? I mean when this holiday is over?’
He didn’t move his hand but gripped hers a little harder. ‘I told you I want to go to Ireland and qualify to be a paediatrician. And now I’ve just got an email from the secretary of one of the top paediatricians in Dublin that he will have me on his team. It won’t be easy, fitting in studying with hospital, but I’m looking forward to it. Then I want to work towards a better health care especially for children across the country. Maybe start a campaign to build paediatric emergency clinics in remote rural areas. But that’s a long way off.’
Leanne couldn’t help admiring him. ‘Sounds amazing. Hard work, but I have a feeling you thrive on that.’
‘I’m a bit of a workaholic all right.’
Their food arrived and they were momentarily distracted by the delicious aroma of tomatoes, herbs and garlic.
Tony picked up his fork, still holding Leanne’s hand. ‘Do you think we can eat like this? Holding hands and talking and eating at the same time?’
‘Of course,’ Leanne replied, not wanting to let go of the feel of his warm hand on hers.
Tony laughed. ‘We’re nuts. But I like being nuts with you.’
‘Me too.’ Leanne smiled and took a bite of the aubergine bake, with its rich tomato sauce where garlic and herbs mingled in a delicious mix of flavours.
‘Your turn,’ Tony said when he had taken a few bites and drunk a little more wine. ‘What do you want to do next?’
Leanne put down her fork and thought for a moment. ‘You know, I haven’t thought much about that until now. It was all about planning for the holiday, leasing the car, driving through Europe, doing the blog, spending the money, getting away from my mam, finding my dad and, ahem, meeting sexy men.’ She blushed. ‘The last bit wasn’t so clever, but I thought it might be fun. Until now.’
‘When you’re sitting here with a not-so-sexy man who wants to know your plans for the future?’ Tony removed his hand.
‘No!’ Leanne grabbed his hand again. ‘Now I’m with an interesting, attractive man I want to know better. And who I want to spend more time with. With whom, I mean.’ She stopped and blushed. ‘You know what I mean.’
He smiled and touched her cheek. ‘Yes. I was only teasing you. But go on.’
Leanne took another bite of the aubergine bake. ‘Okay. What I want to do next is… Go back to Ireland. Buy a flat and move out of my mam’s house. Then go back to teach science at St Concepta’s for the next year and then – who knows? I’ve actually been thinking about the blog and how much I love writing. I might see if I can keep doing that and turn it into something bigger. Just an idea, but…’
‘A very good one. I like it. Especially the bit about being in Dublin. Then we can keep seeing each other.’ He paused, cleaning his plate with a piece of bread. ‘What about your dad and his company? Didn’t I hear you say something about taking over from him eventually?’
Leanne shrugged. ‘Oh, that. I haven’t thought much about it until now. And I don’t need to because I’m quite sure. I don’t want to take over from him. Then I’d have him breathing down my neck even though he says he’ll go native and live like a hippie with Maddy in the mountains. Because he won’t want to let go completely. It’s his business, and I feel like I need to do my own thing. In addition it would scare me rigid, to be honest. Especially as I’m lousy at maths and accounts and anything to do with big money.’
‘And your mother? I know this is none of my business, but are you going to tell her about your reunion with your dad? And confront her about how she kept him from keeping in touch with you?’
She stared at him. ‘How did you know about that?’
‘Maddy told me a little bit about it.’
‘Oh. I see.’ Leanne nodded. ‘Yes. I’m going to have a serious chat with her when I get back. We need to talk about it. Don’t know how she’ll react but I’m guessing she’ll be upset. But we need closure on all of it.’ She sighed. ‘Anyway, I don’t even want to think about that right now. I just want to enjoy the rest of the holiday.’
‘Me too.’ Tony hesitated. ‘I have an idea for the trip back to Trogir.’
‘Yes?’ Leanne looked at him, noticing he looked a little nervous.
‘I… well… this is just a suggestion, but I was wondering if you’d like to sail back with me rather than going back on the yacht? Carlo and Lucilla seem to be reconciling and will probably share her cabin on the yacht, which might make it awkward for you.’
‘Sail back with you?’ Leanne felt a dart of sheer joy at
the thought. Sailing with Tony in that fabulous boat through that wonderful archipelago. Heaven. ‘It would be lovely,’ she said, trying not to sound too eager. ‘But I’ll have to clear that with Maddy. She and I are a team, so…’
‘Yeah, but you’re not like Siamese twins, are you?’ Tony remarked.
‘Of course not. I’m sure she’ll say it’s fine. But then there’s Bridget. I feel she’s very attached to me so…’
‘Why can’t she come with us? She’s a lovely little thing.’
‘Oh.’ Leanne couldn’t think of more obstacles. ‘Then in that case…’ She felt her face break into a happy grin. ‘I’d love to come sailing with you, Dr O’Grady.’
Tony winked. ‘Welcome aboard, Miss Sandvik.’ He looked around for the waiter. ‘Now I suggest we get out of here and get an ice cream from the stand nearby for dessert. Then I’ll escort madam back to her quarters before I retire to my cabin on the boat.’
‘The boat? I thought you were staying at the hotel?’
He sighed. ‘Ah, no. My budget doesn’t stretch to five-star accommodation, I’m afraid. I like sleeping on boats in any case. The gentle rocking and the clucking of the water against the hull is very soporific.’
Leanne nodded. ‘Yeah. It makes you go to sleep as well.’ She winked. ‘Thought I didn’t know big words, did you?’
Tony laughed. ‘You’re a scream, Miss Sandvik.’
‘Ah sure, I try me best to entertain.’
After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, they walked to the ice cream stand, where they bought two cones of coconut and chocolate ice cream topped with whipped cream. Licking the delicious concoction, they continued hand-in-hand down the street, looking into shop windows, peering at the beautiful old buildings and talking until they reached the bus stop.
Leanne chewed on the last of her cone. ‘Lovely evening. Thank you, Tony. I can take the bus from here back to the hotel. No need to go out of your way.’
Tony pulled her close. ‘Your way is my way. Oh, and you have ice cream on your nose.’
A Holiday to Remember: An absolutely hilarious romantic comedy set under the Italian sun Page 21