‘I see.’ I sat up straighter in the sofa. My curiosity had been officially piqued.
‘What do you think about going?’ Nico asked. ‘It could be very useful for me if you went.’
‘How so?’ I frowned.
‘Well, I have invested a considerable amount of money in these hotels and although of course I have done my research, it would be useful to have someone I know and trust visit as a guest to confirm that the hotels are as excellent as I have been led to believe. If you went, you would be helping me a lot.’
Nico had done so much for me in the past three years since we met at a networking event and he offered to mentor me. It was his advice that helped me take my business to the next level. Without him I would never have been able to sell it. I owed him everything and he had never asked for anything.
Until now.
Although I had no interest in going to a matchmaking hotel, he said it would help him if I did, so there was no way that I could refuse. It was the least I could do.
‘Of course I would be happy to help you, but what about the woman I will be matched with? Surely it would be unfair to go there when I know I do not want a relationship?’
‘Naturellement.’ He nodded. ‘If you decide to help, you must promise that you will go with an open heart and mind. Although you believe a relationship is not for you, you must be willing to try. If the matchmakers do their job, they will find a woman who is perfect for you and as long as you try your best to make it work, there will be nothing disingenuous about this.’
Laila’s face immediately flashed into my mind.
I was not interested before, but Nico asking me to go was reason enough to change my opinion. And as foolish as it sounded, somehow knowing that Laila had applied also helped.
She was one of the few women that had ever truly captured my attention.
Even back then, despite the fact that we were at different stages of life and came from different backgrounds, we still seemed to have a lot in common.
I always felt that we had a connection.
Although I was on speaking terms with my mother, I had no intention of visiting her in London which meant I would not get to see Laila again. So the news that she was potentially coming to Paris was interesting.
But of course, I had no way of knowing if andwhenshe would be here. The receipt showed the application was made days ago. So even if this hotel had already found her match, it was highly unlikely that we would be there at the same time, so like I had said, it was stupid to even think about her.
And I did not even know what her personality was like now. Just because I enjoyed her company before, a lot could change in seven years.
Non.
Laila’s application to go to the hotel had no influence on my decision. I was going purely because Nico needed me.
Plus, it would give me something to do whilst I worked out what my next venture would be.
‘Of course I will help you,’ I said. ‘How do I apply?’
3
LAILA
One month later
‘How’s Spain?’ I asked Ricky as I sat at the dining table with my laptop in front of me.
It’d been a long day at the car insurance call centre where I worked and the last thing I wanted to do this evening was sift through the bills that had stacked up in my email account, but I knew they needed to be paid. Receiving a long-awaited call from Ricky was a great distraction.
‘Hot, but great!’ Ricky said.
‘Are you using the fan and the sunscreen I got you? Your skin needs protection.’
I still remembered Ricky telling me years ago that because he was mixed-race, he thought he didn’t need it, which I told him was bollocks (I put it more politely obviously). Even with Jamaican parents, I still made sure I wore sun cream, so I’d tried to drum it into him that he had to do the same.
‘Yes, Mum,’ he groaned.
