Chasing Daisy

Nonna?’
    ‘Certainly,’ she replies.
    ‘Cool. I don’t want him to worry.’
    I direct him to the phone in the kitchen and return to the sitting room, where Nonna is already making up the sofa with sheets and blankets. Moments later, he joins us.
    ‘All done?’ I ask.
    ‘Simon didn’t answer so I left a message at reception.’
    ‘It’s my bedtime,’ Nonna interrupts, collecting our espresso cups. ‘I’m going to listen to my radio show. Good night!’ she says to Will.
    ‘Good night! Thanks again.’
    ‘You’re welcome.’ We watch her amble out of the room.
    I turn back to Will. ‘I could call Holly if you like? Just in case Simon doesn’t get your message?’
    ‘I’m sure it will be fine.’
    ‘I don’t mind.’
    ‘Okay, then. Just to be on the safe side.’
    But there’s no answer from Holly’s room, either.
    ‘Probably all out on the piss,’ Will says.
    I take a seat on Nonna’s recently vacated armchair because I don’t feel right about cosying up next to Will on his makeshift bed, and we fall silent, listening to the rain beating against the windows. Darkness has enveloped the mountains and it’s chilly in here. I shiver.
    ‘Are you cold?’ Will asks.
    ‘A little.’
    ‘Want one of my blankets?’
    ‘No, it’s okay,’ I say quickly. ‘Actually, I’ll go and grab one of my own.’ I head to my room to fetch Nonna’s hand-stitched quilt and remember the bottle of duty free red wine that I bought at the airport on the way over here. On a whim I get it out of my wardrobe and poke my head around the sitting-room door.
    ‘Do you fancy a drink?’ I ask Will, holding out the bottle.
    He sits up in his seat. ‘Er, sure.’
    I put the bottle on the table and my quilt on the chair. ‘I’ll just go and get some glasses,’ I tell him, returning a minute later. Will has already found a bottle opener on top of Nonna’s small liquor cabinet, there from the days she used to share an aperitif with Nonno.
    I snuggle up on the armchair and tuck my legs underneath myself while Will pours the wine and leans across to hand me a glass.
    ‘Thanks.’
    ‘This is cosy,’ he says, climbing under his blankets.
    ‘Isn’t it?’ I take a sip of my wine and watch him over the rim of my glass as he gets comfortable. ‘Did you enjoy driving around the mountains today?’ I ask.
    He visibly perks up. ‘Loved it. At times like this I wish I didn’t live in London.’
    ‘You could buy yourself a pad up here.’
    He looks thoughtful.
    ‘Have you got a second home?’
    ‘Funny you should ask that,’ he says. ‘I’m thinking about getting one in Monaco. I know it’s a racing driver cliché,’ he adds, grinning, ‘but it’s so bloody beautiful there. Have you ever been?’
    ‘No. I can’t wait for that race, actually. Holly’s always going on about it.’
    ‘Oh, yeah.’ He nods. ‘The lads are the same. Non-stop parties, that weekend. You’ll have to see if you can go on a yacht.’
    ‘I don’t know how I’ll manage that unless I’m catering on one.’
    ‘I might be able to get you an invite to something.’
    ‘Really?’ My eyes widen in delight. ‘That would be amazing!’
    He smiles at my excitement.
    ‘Have you ever won at Monaco?’
    ‘No.’ He shakes his head. ‘Came close a couple of years ago, but some pillock took me out.’
    ‘You crashed?’
    ‘Yep. It wasn’t too bad,’ he says when he sees my face.
    ‘Have you ever had a bad one?’ I ask worriedly.
    ‘Mmm. A few years ago I had a really big accident.’
    ‘What happened?’
    He leans back in his seat and pushes his hair off his face. ‘I was driving towards a concrete barrier at 190 mph when the steering locked and I hurled straight into it.’
    I gasp. ‘What did you do?’
    ‘Nothing. There was nothing I could do.’
    ‘What went through your mind?’
    ‘My life didn’t flash before my eyes, if that’s what you’re asking. But I did know, with absolute certainty, that I was going to die.’
    I stare at him, troubled.
    He continues, ‘I landed upside down with zero chance of getting out of the car and then the damn thing caught fire. All I could hear were the track marshals yelling to people to stand back because the car could explode at any second.’
    ‘Jesus . . .’
    ‘I’d only just refuelled so I knew that was a distinct possibility, but luckily the fire truck arrived in time and they managed to get me out of there.’
    I shake my head in confusion. ‘I don’t know how you do