Page 23 of The Riviera House Swap
‘For starters, it’s not my house for much longer so it doesn’t really matter,’ replied Nina. ‘And Jean-Luc, well, he sounds really nice. I’ve checked him out, as much as I can. He has great feedback on the site. He’s a mechanic, but wants to study history – hence wanting to explore St Albans and London. He sounds really interesting, actually.’
‘History?’ Sal said, her interest piqued.
‘Yes, particularly the Romans, apparently. So he’s very excited about coming here.’
‘Maybe you should stay here?’ Bess suggested. ‘Sounds like he could be quite a catch.’
Nina gave her a look. ‘There’s only one French man I’m interested in,’ she said, grinning. ‘You know that.’
‘Aw chick,’ Bess touched her hand on Nina’s briefly. ‘I think it sounds like it could be a lot of fun. But I’m worried you might get your hopes up too much about Pierre.’
‘You mean the potential love of my life? The man the stars are suggesting I’m meant to marry and have hundreds of babies with, so long as my biological clock hasn’t gone into a downward spiral?’ joked Nina. ‘Yes, I know. I mean, I realise the whole thing sounds barking mad. And it sort of is. But it’ll be the chance for a break, a holiday. To immerse myself in French culture. And yes, I am going to try to meet him to see if there’s any… well, spark. If he’s single. If maybe there is something out there organising our fate.’
Bess smiled, ‘But you know that?—’
‘Wait, hang on,’ Nina said. ‘I’m not completely deluded. It’s not all about Pierre. It’s more about… me. I suppose it’s my way of saying this is a new chapter in my life. A chapter in which I have adventures. And if love comes into it, all the better.’ She smiled, triumphant at her own rehearsed speech. She didn’t mention the daydream she’d had earlier in which Pierre whisked her up into his arms, cue romantic music, curtain falls, happy ever after. Because however crazy it seemed, she was allowed to dream.
Bess was silent for a moment. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘Well that sounds like fun. I wish. I mean, you know I’d have come with you – for some of it, at least.’
‘I know. I just feel as if I need to seize the day. Before I get bogged down in house moves and work and I don’t know, meet some average guy at a work do, and make another sensible choice,’ said Nina.
‘You could always join Tinder?’ Sal suggested.
‘Hang on, you said when you tried it last time, the only matches you seemed to get were balding, elderly men wanting one-night stands!’
Sal shrugged, grinning. ‘Well, trust me. After a few years of being single, you take what you can get.’
‘Think I’ll take my chances in France, if it’s OK with you?’ Nina said, smiling.
‘Fine. But if you do meet up with the gorgeous Pierre, ask him if he’s got a friend?’
‘It’s a deal!’
‘Anyway, for what it’s worth…’ Bess said, scraping back her chair and taking another piece of bread from a sliced packet on the side then waving it at Nina and Sal. ‘Want some?’ Both shook their heads. ‘For what it’s worth,’ Bess repeated, putting the bread into the toaster and pushing down the lever, ‘it sounds quite… fun and, well…’
‘And what.’
‘Well, quite sensible – for the most part,’ she finished. ‘Although that’s probably not what you want to hear. But, taking time out, with your work waiting for you. Who wouldn’t want that? Getting away after everything you’ve been through. It’s just what you need. As long as you aren’t going to start rugby-tackling unsuspecting forty-year-old men and forcing them down the aisle, I think it sounds like an ideal trip.’
Nina laughed. ‘Thank you. I’ll try to restrain myself!’
‘So you have my blessing,’ Bess grinned.
‘Or your Bess-ing?’ Nina suggested. ‘Sorry that was awful.’
Sal grinned. ‘Don’t worry, you’ve said worse. And for what it’s worth, I think it sounds like fun.’
‘Thank you.’ Nina smiled. It felt better having told them – more real. She was really going to do this!
‘Actually, I need to ask you a favour as well. Can you kind of look out for this guy, Jean-Luc when he’s here? He’ll need to collect a key off one of you, and I guess – although he seems great on paper – can you just check he’s not too weird? Or, like, that he doesn’t turn up with a thousand friends determined to wreck the place? I’ve told Rory a friend is staying, and he’s nottoo happy about that. I don’t think he’d agree at all if he knew he was actually a complete stranger.’
Sal looked at her. ‘You’re asking me if I’ll keep an eye on your interesting, historically curious, possibly single, French houseguest for you?’
‘Well, yes.’
‘And you said he has a penchant for Romans?’
‘Not a penchant exactly…’
