Chasing Daisy

me.
    ‘Budge over, will you.’
    I look up to see Luis standing by my side. I must have a delayed reaction because he pushes my arm and indicates the chair next to me. I reluctantly move across to it.
    ‘How’s it going, bun tart?’ he asks, when he’s seated.
    I glare at him. ‘You really expect me to answer?’
    He leans back in his chair and grins at me, smile sparkling in the low-level lighting.
    ‘You don’t like me, do you?’ he asks.
    ‘Where on earth did you get that idea?’ I reply sarcastically, flashing a look at Will amongst all the mechanics.
    Luis glances up at him and then leans towards me and whispers conspiratorially, ‘But you like him, don’t you?’ He laughs when he sees my horrified face. ‘Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.’
    ‘ Fottiti !’ I hiss at him.
    ‘Now, what does that mean?’ He’s still smiling and I want to slap him.
    ‘It means go fuck yourself!’
    ‘ Nossa Senhora . . .’ Luis looks disturbed and leans back in his seat again.
    I don’t speak Portuguese – the language of Brazil – but I recognise his words as being simply, ‘Our Lady’, as in the virgin mother.
    ‘You really are a piece of work, aren’t you?’ he adds.
    I instantly regret being so snappy. The look on his face tells me he really was only teasing and I’ve just been a complete bitch, but I still can’t help folding my arms in defiance.
    Luis taps his fingers on the table and stares across at Holly, unsmiling.
    ‘Is she talking dirty to you again?’ Holly calls, trying to clear the air.
    ‘If she were talking dirty, I wouldn’t mind,’ Luis calls back.
    I should apologise, but the words just won’t come. A few seconds later, Luis stands up.
    ‘I need a drink,’ he says unhappily, heading over to a few of the lads at the bar.
    Holly gives me a disapproving look.
    ‘I know, I know,’ I say crossly.
    She lets it drop, but the jittery sickness I felt earlier has been replaced with another kind of sickness, and it’s not pleasant.
    I glance at Will again, and at that moment, he catches my eye and joins us at the table.
    ‘Alright?’ he asks.
    ‘Hi!’ I immediately perk up.
    ‘Can I get you a drink?’ He looks from Holly to me.
    ‘Um . . .’ Holly considers his question.
    ‘No, no, we’re fine!’ I interject. Sorry, Holly, but I don’t want him to go off again. ‘Have a seat!’ I point to the one recently vacated by Luis.
    ‘We don’t usually see you out and about,’ Holly says as he sits down.
    ‘Mmm, Tarquin wouldn’t be too impressed,’ he replies wryly. ‘Luis dragged me along. Promised me we’d just stay for the one . . .’ He looks down at his watch, then casts his eyes over to Luis and the lads at the bar.
    ‘What are you drinking?’ I ask, just out of curiosity.
    ‘Water,’ he replies, holding it up. ‘Got to keep my fluids up in this heat.’
    ‘It was like, 70 per cent humidity today, wasn’t it?’ I grimace.
    ‘Something like that,’ he replies.
    ‘Do you ever drink alcohol?’ Holly chips in.
    He grins. ‘Sometimes.’
    ‘Just champagne on the podium?’ I ask, then inwardly cringe when I remember Alberta said a similar thing to Luis in Melbourne last week.
    ‘I might pop to the bar after all,’ Holly interrupts, distracting Will from the look of mortification on my face.
    ‘I’ll go.’ Will joins Holly on her feet, but Holly shoots him down.
    ‘No, I will,’ she insists. ‘I’m a feminist. I don’t like men to buy me drinks.’
    Which is utter rubbish, but it does the trick.
    Will settles himself back in his seat. An awkward silence ensues where I’m completely lost for words, but finally he speaks.
    ‘You’re not staying at our hotel, are you?’
    ‘No,’ I reply. ‘I will be in Bahrain, though.’
    ‘Cool.’
    Why is it cool? Do you want me there? Why?
    Girlfriend, Daisy, remember his girlfriend!
    ‘Is your. . . Laura coming out this weekend?’ Her name almost sticks on my tongue, but I manage to say it.
    ‘No, she’s attending some do in London.’
    ‘A charity event?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘Do you miss her?’
    ‘Course.’ He eyes me steadily. ‘It’s been like this for years, though, so we’re pretty used to it.’
    I look away uncomfortably.
    ‘Have you got a boyfriend?’ he asks offhandedly.
    ‘Er, no, not me.’
    ‘Really?’ He looks surprised.
    ‘Why? Should I?’ Did that sound too defensive?
    ‘Not if you don’t want one, no.’
    ‘I mean, I could get one if I wanted