Chasing Daisy

wrap by six o’clock. It’s five forty-five now, but my car isn’t coming to collect me to take me back to Nonna’s until seven, so we still have over an hour’s work to do. By six thirty though, it’s all done.
    Holly disappeared a few minutes ago and when I come out of the kitchen, she’s standing outside talking to Simon.
    ‘All set?’ he asks me.
    ‘My car’s coming to collect me in half an hour. I’m staying with my grandmother not far from here,’ I remind him.
    He nods. Behind him, a couple of other crew members approach. The people carriers to take them back to the hotel have been parked up for the past fifteen minutes. Simon hates to be kept waiting so he’d rather pay for someone else to do it.
    Holly breaks away from the gathering and comes over to me. ‘Will you be okay here on your own?’ She looks anxious.
    ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine,’ I insist. ‘My car will be here shortly.’
    I notice Will and Luis come out of one of the trailers. The make-up girl emerges and locks the door behind her.
    ‘Okay, well, I’ll see you in the morning,’ Holly says, wandering back over to the waiting cars. Luis stops to chat to Simon, but Will continues on towards me.
    ‘What are you up to tonight?’ he asks.
    ‘Just going back to see my grandmother,’ I say.
    ‘Where does she live?’
    ‘About fifteen minutes’ drive away.’
    ‘Want me to give you a ride?’
    ‘No, no,’ I brush him off.
    ‘I don’t mind. I’m driving the Aston Martin back to the hotel anyway.’ That’s the blue car he’s been racing around the mountains in today.
    I hesitate. I would love him to drive me! ‘I have a taxi coming in half an hour,’ I tell him regretfully.
    ‘From Lucca?’
    ‘I presume so.’
    ‘Cancel it,’ he suggests.
    I guess I could . . .
    ‘Go on,’ he urges. ‘Here, use my phone.’ He hands me a slick iPhone, but I pull out my crappy mobile instead.
    ‘It’s okay, I have mine here. Are you sure?’
    ‘Absolutely.’
    I dial the number, nervous excitement making me feel a little shaky. I worry Will can hear it in my voice.
    ‘All done?’ Will checks when I hang up.
    ‘Yes. Are you sure?’ I ask again. ‘Will the Aston Martin people mind you going on a detour with their car?’
    ‘Nah. I was thinking about getting one of these babies anyway so they can consider it an extended test drive.’
    ‘Will, are you following us?’ Simon calls. Everyone else is piling into the waiting cars, but Holly is still standing outside pulling a sad face, presumably because we’re going our separate ways.
    ‘I’m going to drop Daisy back.’ Will nods towards me.
    Holly purses her lips, mischievously. We hear the sound of a sports car roar into life and, seconds later, Luis pulls around the corner in a lime-green Lamborghini. The window slides down and Simon goes over to talk to him.
    ‘Come on,’ Will urges. I follow him over to the pale blue Aston Martin where he unlocks the car and opens the passenger door for me. Just as he closes the door behind me, I notice Luis staring our way with a perplexed expression on his face. He says something to Simon, who glances towards our car before answering Luis. Will climbs into the driver’s seat and slams the door, just as Luis screeches out onto the mountain road in front of us, sending a cloud of dust in our direction.
    ‘That was thoughtful of him,’ Will comments sarcastically as the dust envelopes the car. ‘Someone’s going to have to polish that off in the morning.’
    He pulls out onto the road slowly, beeping his horn at the others as we go. Holly laughingly shakes her head at this turn of events and I’m relieved when Will doesn’t seem to notice. After a minute he kicks up the speed and I have to hold onto the armrest as he manoeuvres the Aston Martin down the windy roads.
    ‘Am I going too fast?’ he asks after I do a sharp intake of breath at one particular turn.
    ‘No,’ I lie through clenched teeth.
    After a while I get used to the speed and start to relax.
    ‘Is it a nice car to drive?’ I ask.
    ‘Very,’ he replies, glancing across at me with amusement.
    ‘Eyes on the road!’ I bark.
    He chuckles. ‘What car do you drive back in the States?’
    ‘I don’t, really,’ I admit.
    ‘I thought everyone drove cars in America.’
    ‘I’d drive one of these if I could.’ I reach forward and run my fingers across the dashboard.
    ‘You like it?’
    ‘I like the colour.’
    ‘That’s such a girl thing to