‘Il tuo italiano è impeccabile,’ she gushed. ‘Naturalmente, farò venire qualcuno al vostro tavolo.’
‘Grazie.’ The waitress scuttled off into a back room. Sofia sighed loudly. Apparently, she was doomed to have to witness the obnoxiousness of Chief Chad up close, and wait indefinitely for a drink.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to push in. I’ll get you a drink to make up for it,’ he intoned over her shoulder. She looked up, annoyed by his sudden faux chivalry.
‘I’m fine, thanks, I can wait until you guys have wrapped up your little flirtation.’ It came out sounding more bitter than she’d intended. He laughed and her rage resurfaced with a vengeance.
‘British?’ he asked. She hoped he wouldn’t follow with an inane comment on how cute her accent was.
‘Yes,’ was all she said.
‘Well, my experience with Brits has generally been that you guys need to learn how to take it easy sometimes. Look around, we’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and you won’t let a nice guy like me buy you a drink?’ He was leaning even closer now, looking at her in a way that she assumed he thought was alluring, but was actually incredibly off-putting.
Sofia was not about to be beguiled by those green eyes. ‘You think quite highly of yourself, I see.’
‘Well when faced with a beautiful woman such as yourself, a guy has got to psych himself up.’
Sofia rolled her eyes. ‘How many women have you called beautiful this evening?’
He laughed again, and despite herself Sofia cracked a smile.
‘And she smiles, too! Only you, sweet cheeks, oh and that lovely little waitress who is having trouble finding the mop.’ He ran his hand through his hair and held Sofia’s gaze. She felt like the one-woman audience for a one-man show.
‘Is that your signature move?’ she asked.
‘Buying a beautiful woman a drink?’ He smirked. ‘Kinda, yeah.’
‘No the whole hand through the hair, intense eye contact thing, and enough with the “beautiful woman” schtick.’ She thought she caught a glimpse of him looking something akin to wounded and it thrilled her. He quickly composed himself.
‘Even the wet shirt isn’t doing it for you?’
‘Ahh yes, nothing gets the girls going like a beer-soaked polo.’
Right then the waitress came back, much to Sofia’s relief. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep up the witty comebacks; she hadn’t flirted with a man for months. She wasn’t even sure that’s what she was doing, but wasn’t that what strangers did at bars?
The waitress pulled two draught beers, and placed them on the counter, quickly lowering her eyes when she caught that sparkle of green.
‘So what are you drinking?’ He wasn’t looking at her; he was still smiling at the waitress.
‘Um, I think it’s called a Crodino.’
The waitress finally seemed to notice Sofia.
‘Si, Aperol senzaalcool?’ she said as she busied herself with an orange and a tall glass.
‘Yes, the Aperol one, thank you.’ Before she could get her card out, Chief Chad swiped his.
‘I could have got that myself, thank you.’
‘Well, I mean it’s not like you need to worry about me trying to get you drunk and take advantage. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as alcohol-free Aperol.’ That smirk again. ‘You’re really not out to have a good time, are you?’
Any feelings of warming to him rapidly evaporated. Sofia was angry. What did this guy know about her life? She was getting ready to quite literally embark on a new, terrifying, and exhilarating chapter in her life, she didn’t need a hangover right now.
‘I’d really like to enjoy my drink in peace if you don’t mind, so I am going to go back to my table now and if you and your boys could keep it down I think everyone else in this bar would really appreciate that too.’
For a moment he looked stunned. He turned to pick up his beers and gave her a slow once-over. ‘Such a waste when a beautiful woman like you turns out to be so uptight. You need to learn to live a little.’
She didn’t really even think about it. It all happened so quickly she could hardly believe she had pulled it off. As the Chad was speaking the waitress had gingerly put the bright orange drink on the counter. Next thing Sofia knew, it had made its way into her hand and then promptly all over the once cream polo standing in front of her. For a second she felt embarrassed, and then newly empowered. She put the glass firmly back onto the counter and turned to walk away, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
