It was a pity ‘everything’ didn’t include her date with Eraldo. She couldn’t leave Cate to go alone to the opera tonight; she’d have to go back to the shop or call him. Either way, she’d be letting him down. She couldn’t understand why the thought made her feel so wretched. His smile made her heart leap, but starting a new relationship was the furthest thing from her mind.
Reluctantly, she turned around.
‘You’re going to go the wrong way again, Nat!’
‘I have to go back to see Eraldo, tell him in person I can’t see him tonight.’
‘Not so fast, hang on a mo! Let me check this message first; looks like it’s from Lucia.’
‘Probably telling you everything she told me just now.’
‘Not quite,’ Cate said. ‘She’s just confirming the arrangements for the opera tonight.’
‘Better tell her I’m going with you.’ Natalie tried not to sound as though it were the last thing she wanted to do.
‘No, you’re not.’
‘Okay, go by yourself if that’s what you want.’ It seemed Cate’s commitment to rebuilding their friendship was over already.
‘I decided my Dior handbag deserves its own seat.’
Natalie stared at her.
‘I’m kidding you; I’m not that precious! I’d love you to come with me but the moment you told me Phil was stranded, I texted Lucia to check she was free. She’s so happy; she’s been desperate to seeLa Traviata. Now I get someone to go with and you’ll still have your hot date.’
‘Hot date? What a lot of rubbish you talk!’
‘Whatever!’ Cate grinned.
‘Lucia works so hard, it’s nice she’s getting the chance to dress up and go out tonight.’
‘Even nicer, you get to see Eraldo and have a few glasses of wine and make eyes over a bowl of spaghetti.’
‘I don’t thinkbacariserve pasta,’ Natalie said primly.
‘Well, whatever you do eat, I can’t wait to hear about it. Now let’s get a move on. I want to call Phil before I sink into that ridiculously over-the-top bath in my en suite.’
‘I’ll let you know how it goes with Eraldo,’ Natalie said, surprising herself. She had plenty of people in her life: her lovely parents – but they were so far away – people she knew in the TV business, acquaintances and neighbours. But she hadn’t had a real, close, gossipy girlfriend in years. She’d never been as close to anyone as she’d been to Cathy. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed her.
20
Eraldo patted the top of an oak barrel. ‘We are lucky we got this before anyone else spotted it.’
Natalie shimmied up onto one of the wooden bar stools. There were just three outside tables squeezed into a corner by the entrance to Il Turacciolo; the rest of the patrons stood shoulder to shoulder on the strip of paving or crowded inside the tinybacaro, pressed right up against the long, marble counter half-obscuring the glass-fronted displays of Venetian snacks.
Natalie peered around Eraldo’s shoulder. ‘I guess there’s just no room for more seating.’
‘We are used to doing it this way but I thought you would like to sit for a while after walking all over the city today. It must have been tiring.’ His dark-brown eyes met hers.
Natalie’s cheeks warmed; she wasn’t used to people looking out for her. ‘That’s kind,’ she mumbled.
‘Now, what to drink? It is traditional to pair thecicchettiwith a tiny glass of wine we call anombra; it means “shadow”. I usually leave it up to the waiter to recommend the bestcicchettithen let him pair it with a wine.’
‘Sure.’ Natalie hoped she sounded casual. She didn’t like the thought of anyone else choosing her food. She was sure she’d read somewhere that Venetians ate horsemeat and considered cartilage a tasty snack. But there was no time to backtrack. Eraldo was already chatting with the bearded waiter, who was running through the list of today’scicchettiat a bewildering rate. A few more nods and hand gestures and the man vanished back into the throng crowding at the door.
‘Allora, so tell me, Natalie, how long have you been in television? Floella tells me this is your first time in front of the camera for many years. You presented a television programme for children a long time ago, I believe.’
‘Oh,Panda’s Place! That was rather embarrassing.’
