Adrian obviously now knew the good news and Ginny’s compulsion to speak to him was like an itch from a rash. To chase it away, she forced herself to look at his dating profile again.
While she was on ChainReaxions, a new message arrived from him.
Hey, Jenny. It’s been a while. Do you still fancy meeting up? x
The temptation to call him back, to yell at him, consumed her. Their daughter was pregnant and he was still thinking of someone else, but mainly about himself.
Ginny let out a growl and tossed her phone across the bed. After all the hurt Adrian had caused, that he was continuing to stir up, she wanted to catapult him out of her head. She paced around the room but couldn’t stop thinking about her husband. There was only one thing she could think of that might dull her senses.
Ginny jogged downstairs to see if Edna fancied a game of bingo.
Edna was delighted and insisted that the others should join them, too. She sat down at the dining table and doled out yellowing numbered cards to everyone, smiling as she placed faded pink plastic balls into a bag and gave them a shake. When she plucked one back out, she held it delicately, as if it was a Fabergé egg.
Curtis stared at his bingo card. He lifted his baseball cap and scratched his head. “This wasn’t in our schedule. How will it make us feel better?”
“It’s a game,” Ginny said. “We’re trying to have fun.”
“Fun? Yeah, right.” Curtis reluctantly reached out for a pen. “Don’t tell anyone I’m doing this. It’ll spoil my reputation.”
“Reputation for what?” Edna asked, her gray eyes growing narrow. “Skulking around the hotel surreptitiously making notes?”
The room fell quiet and Ginny pursed her lips. “I’ve noticed you doing it, too,” she said, remembering she’d promised Nico that she’d speak to Curtis about his snooping around. “You’re the only one who hasn’t shared with us why you’re here.”
Curtis folded his arms tightly. “Eric hasn’t said much either,” he said.
Eric lifted his eyes. “I’ve lost my dog. Everyone knows that. We don’t know anything aboutyou.”
Curtis raised both hands as if being arrested. “Hey, don’t gang up on me. Let’s have a little trust around here.”
Edna hadn’t finished with him. “How can you expect to feel better if you’re not fully involved or committed?” She rapped the dining table. “You haven’t even suggested a heartbreak activity yet.”
Things were getting a little heated and Ginny felt the need to play devil’s advocate. “Maybe Curtis needs more time to—”
“Shh, enough with the advice,” Edna said. She turned and pointed a finger at Curtis. “Come on, young man. We’re waiting for an explanation.”
He looked a little scared. “I’ve got nothing to confess. All’s good.”
Edna plucked a bingo ball out of her bag and threw it at him, hitting him on the nose.
“Ouch,” Curtis yelled. He caught the ball and held it in his fist. “My business is none of your business, okay?”
Ginny slowly became aware that Nico was standing behind them.
He pressed a hand to his chest and nodded solemnly at Curtis. “I have also seen you searching around Splendido. My hotel can never compare to the luxury of the castle hotel. What I offer here is good food, comfort and friendship. It breaks my heart to think you might want to criticize that.”
Loretta stood alongside her father, her eyes shining with tenderness toward him. “Papà is right,” she told Curtis. “This is our family home and you should respect that.”
“Thank you, Lolo.” Nico hitched an eyebrow, instantly regretting using Maria’s nickname for his daughter.
Loretta nodded, assuring him that it was okay.
Everyone stared at Curtis, waiting for him to talk.
He bounced the bingo ball despondently on the table. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “I kind of like to keep a private diary. Nothing wrong with that.” He glanced at each of them in turn and his right eye twitched. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’ll explain everything, before you beat it out of me,” he said.
“We need to trust you,” Ginny said. “Perhaps we can also help you, too...”
“Doubt that,” Curtis said.
