Page 39 of The Riviera House Swap
Mum xx
The attached picture showed Rupert stretched luxuriously on her parents’ couch, a feline smile on his fluffy face. That cat knew how to make himself at home. Nina smiled, shaking her head, as she typed a response.
Hi Mum,
Have fun at the theatre.
Things are good here – just settling in and finding my feet. Give Rupert a stroke for me!
Lots of love,
Nina x
Nina closed her emails then, unable to help herself, opened up a chat to Sal.
Nina
Bess tells me Jean-Luc is quite the hotty!
Sal
Really? I haven’t noticed *winking emoji*
Nina
Is this why you’ve volunteered to wash his smalls?
Sal
Nina! No, he just asked me for some info on the washing machine. Hot or not, I’m not going near someone’s underpants. But he has asked me to give him the tour of St Albans.
Nina
Are you going to? You don’t have to you know. Don’t feel obligated or anything.
Sal
I am! But don’t worry, it’s not any sort of obligation. He’s just a nice guy, good company. Speaks good English thankfully. So I thought – why not?
Nina
Well, have fun. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.
Sal
That’s a pretty wide remit these days!
Nina
Good point. Well, have fun.
Sal
Oh I will!
A delicious smell curled up the stairs from the kitchen and Nina put her phone down and made her way towards it. In the kitchen, Sabine was standing over a stove, dipping in a wooden spoon and lifting it to her mouth for a taste. She looked up as Nina entered the room and smiled.
‘I hope you like chicken in red wine,’ she said.
