Chasing Daisy

unbothered.
    ‘Jesus,’ he exclaims. ‘I hope you’re not trying to say I look like Wayne Rooney.’
    I laugh. ‘No, I think you look more like Leonardo DiCaprio. Not now,’ I quickly add. ‘More back in his Titanic days when he was really hot.’ Dammit, Daisy! Now he thinks I fancy him! I instinctively put my hands to my cheeks to try to stop them from heating up.
    He regards me with amusement. I hurriedly turn my attention to my watch. It’s ten o’clock. ‘Where the hell is Holly?’ I ask out loud, thankful for the change of subject. I dig out my mobile phone from my bag. ‘Excuse me,’ I say. ‘I’ll just try her again.’ This time the phone rings, but she doesn’t answer. Eventually it diverts to voicemail so I try again. She picks up on the tenth ring.
    ‘Holly! Where are you?’
    ‘I’m still at the track.’ Her voice is muffled.
    ‘ What? ’ I screech. ‘Why?’
    ‘More to do here than I thought.’
    ‘Oh, no! Is everyone really pissed off with me for ducking out?’ I ask worriedly.
    ‘No! Not at all! The others have all left. I’m just helping out with a few little things.’
    ‘Oh, okay. Will you be here soon?’
    ‘Er . . .’ She sounds hesitant. ‘I’m not sure. Don’t wait for me. I’ll call you if I can make it. Sorry,’ she adds.
    ‘Don’t worry, it’s okay.’
    We hang up and I look at Will. ‘I don’t think she’s coming.’
    ‘She’s not?’ He looks surprised.
    ‘I’m really sorry.’ I feel awful for dragging him here.
    ‘It’s alright,’ he says.
    ‘Shall we go and rejoin the others?’ I ask, making to stand up.
    ‘Sure, let’s.’ He downs the last of his beer and follows me out.
    Back in the other bar I just can’t relax. I’m not in the mood for mingling and I can’t take up any more of Will’s time, so after another hour I tell Pete I’m heading back to the hotel. I refuse his offer to walk me – it’s not far and the streets are so full of tourists that I feel safe enough.
    When I get there, I find Frederick having a nightcap in the hotel bar with Klaus.
    Italy! Ask him about Italy!
    ‘I thought Holly was coming?’ Frederick queries, once I’ve put my ‘please-please-please-please-please-let-me-go-to-Italy’ face on.
    ‘Holly?’ I ask, confused.
    ‘Yes. You know, that girl with the blonde hair. Petite. Goes out and gets pissed a lot with another naughty girl who works for me.’
    ‘Ha ha,’ I say sarcastically. ‘I know who Holly is, I just didn’t know she was going to Italy?’
    Frederick looks nonplussed.
    ‘Anyway,’ I move on. ‘Can I come?’
    ‘What about the catering jobs you had lined up for Ingrid in London?’
    I shift from foot to foot. ‘Do you think she’d let me out of them?’ I ask, pleadingly.
    ‘I suppose Charlotte might be able to step in.’
    Charlotte is another girl I work with occasionally. She’s doing a fine arts degree, so is only employed part-time.
    ‘So can I?’
    ‘I guess so. You’ll have to speak to Ally about booking a hotel . . .’
    ‘That’s the best bit.’ I grin. ‘I’ll be able to stay with my grandmother in the mountains. So you’ll only have to pay for my plane ticket!’
    ‘Only?’ He humphs. ‘Well, you’d better speak to Ally about that, then.’
    ‘Yay! Thanks, boss!’
    ‘Be off with you. Let me finish my drink in peace.’ He raises it up and knocks it back in one, while I hurry away before he changes his mind.
    Holly is in bed when I get up to our room. I shake her roughly.
    ‘What the bleeding hell are you doing?’ she snaps, groggily.
    ‘I’m going to Italy! Are you?’
    One eye opens. ‘What do you mean you’re going to Italy?’
    ‘With you! Are you going?’ I ask again.
    The other eye opens and she props herself up in bed. ‘Yes.’ She yawns, loudly.
    ‘How did that happen?’
    ‘Simon asked me to come,’ she replies.
    ‘When?’ I’m a little taken aback. I’m supposed to be his on-hand girl.
    ‘This afternoon. He would have asked you,’ she says quickly. ‘I’m sure it’s just because he knows you have catering jobs in London, that’s all.’
    ‘Oh, right.’ My voice must be filled with trepidation because she continues to reassure me.
    ‘Don’t be offended,’ she urges.
    ‘I’m not,’ I reply. Holly obviously impressed him much more than I thought when she stood up to him about Catalina. ‘Anyway, how cool is that?’ I try to inject the enthusiasm back into my voice. ‘Only,’ I realise suddenly, ‘I’m