‘We can all get ready together,’ Holly said. ‘Like the old days, eh, Abs?’
I almost preferred the getting ready part to the going out. A shot of tequila and Taylor Swift on full blast, while we tried on different outfits and experimented with our make-up.
The sun seemed to be following us and the heat was increasingly stifling. I was finding it hard to get a breath of fresh air. ‘Shall we move inside?’ I asked. ‘Or will it be even hotter?’
‘Yes, let’s,’ Mia said, wiping her brow. ‘We can sit in the lounge, with the fans on. They’ve been warning about a heatwave on the radio for weeks now. This must be the start of it.’
‘It’s finally here,’ Holly agreed, unsticking her thighs from the chair. ‘Although it is August, I suppose; it’s always sweltering this time of year.’
‘Not like this.’ Mia carried the string inside, as Holly and I each took a bin full of fans. ‘It has been unbearable these past few days.’
‘Xavier said the wildfires in Greece were on the news again this morning. Houses just burning to the ground overnight,’ Holly said, shaking her head.
‘That’s awful,’ I said, shocked. ‘I haven’t seen the news since I’ve been out here.’
‘It is like living in a tinderbox,’ Mia said. ‘One mistake and everything can be lost.’
‘Sometimes it isn’t even a mistake. Just bad luck. Dry land and a beer bottle in the wrong place can cause a spark.’
Even sat inside, the air hung hot and heavy over our conversation. The grounds of the vineyard were well-shaded by the farmhouse, the building loomed large to shelter the top of the field from the sun. It was easy enough to avoid direct sunlight, but I’d have to be mindful of walking anywhere further than the pool for a few days; I didn’t want to dehydrate or collapse from accidental heatstroke.
The front door creaked open and Xavier walked in, covered head to toe in fairy lights. He looked like a Christmas version of Action Man, with an enormous loop of wire hanging off each shoulder. He hunkered down to kiss Holly.
‘Salut,salut,’ he said, smiling. ‘Working hard here, I see?’
‘We sure are,’ Holly said. ‘The entire farmhouse will be wrapped in bows by the time we’ve finished.’
‘Same with the lights,’ he said, putting them on the floor. ‘Paolo asked me to bring these over from the restaurant and I said I’d help Tony put them up.’
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed twice, and Tony appeared in the doorway.
‘The beef has arrived,’ I said.
‘Si.’ Tony flexed his muscles and Xavier looked at us, confused. It was a treat to see the two of them side by side, like handsome bookends from different planets. Xavier, with his floppy auburn hair and green eyes, and Tony, tall and buff, morphing back into an Italian in front of our eyes, his chestnut hair getting lighter and fluffier as his tan deepened. He was wearing jeans, despite the horrendous heat, and a navy linen shirt, which accentuated his abs.
‘Looking more and more like a local every day,’ Holly said, summing it up perfectly.
Tony lifted his Aviators and wiggled his eyebrows. ‘Grazie, signorina.’ Mia giggled.
‘These are all the lights we have,’ Xavier said, passing one of the loops to Tony.
‘Awesome. Thanks for bringing them over – the ladders are outside – it shouldn’t take us long to put them up.’ The boys headed off to do their thing, leaving us to fanny around with the fans. Like ye olden days.
‘Good to see you and Tony have made up,’ Mia said quietly.
I blushed. ‘Yes. It was a misunderstanding. I over-reacted.’
‘Doesn’t sound like you,’ Holly said, lightly and I gave her a pointed look. Although she was right. When it came to men, it wasn’t like me to over-react. It wasn’t like me to react at all.
*
After three hours of tying fans, Mia and I kissed Holly goodbye and watched as she zoomed off with Xavier to getLavedrine Xready for dinner. The three of us had worked non-stop and were finally at the bottom of the first barrel of fans. It was satisfying to see the lengths of decorated string piling up, but I was hot and tired and glad we were done for the day. My dress was a strapless scrap of silk, but it still felt too heavy on my skin. I couldn’t wait to jump in the pool and cool off, then lie in the air con until the sun went down.
‘We have done so much!’ Mia said, pleased, looking at the enormous coil of fans and giving her shoulders a rub. ‘Thank you for all your help, Abi.’
‘No worries at all,’ I replied, standing up. ‘Shall we have a swim and an Aperol Spritz to reward ourselves?’
‘Not for me, but let me get you one,’ Mia said. ‘You’ve earned it.’
