‘Of course. I’ll go into town to stock up. Let me know if there’s anything else you need. I’m so sorry everything wasn’t ready for you. It was inexcusable.’
Lucia laughed, and it sounded just like Sam. ‘Not at all. You weren’t to know we were coming. And if I’d thought about it we could have waited until tomorrow, when Gabi and Sandro come back. But I was so desperate to get out of Paris, we just upped and left this morning. The heat in the city was so oppressive, I longed for the lake.’
Cesca smiled, placing glasses on the silver tray she’d found in the cupboard. ‘If you’d like to go back outside I’ll bring your drinks out. Your rooms are made up now, too, if any of you would like an afternoon nap.’
‘A riposo,’ Lucia said. ‘We used to have those when I was a little girl. Foster doesn’t like napping, though. He says it wastes the day.’
Even the mention of Foster’s name was enough to rile Cesca. She’d heard his exchange with Sam while she was hiding in the bedroom, and she’d wanted to run outside, to tell him what she thought of a man who enjoyed hurting his son. But deep down she knew she’d only make things worse for Sam. If they could get any worse.
When she took the tray of drinks out to the terrace, the whole family was there. Sam, his mother, the older, silver-haired man she recognised to be Foster, and two teenage girls who were lying on loungers, letting the afternoon sun warm their bodies.
‘Let me help you with that.’ Sam jumped up to take the tray from her. His hands covered hers, and for a moment everything felt right. Until she looked into his eyes, and couldn’t see anything at all. Just a blankness that made her stomach contract.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, letting Sam hold the tray while she handed the drinks out. When there was only one glass left, they attempted to swap, Cesca taking the tray while Sam took the glass.
‘Actually, I think I’ll have a beer,’ Sam said. ‘I’ll run in with you and get one.’
‘I can bring you one out.’
‘It’s fine, I could do with some cooler air, anyway.’
‘Stay here, Sam,’ his youngest sister called out. Cesca tried to remember her name from their conversations, but couldn’t recall if she was Izzy or Sienna. ‘I want you to tell me about your new movie.’
‘Yes, stay. Cesca can bring you a beer out, can’t you, Cesca?’
‘Of course I can.’ Her smile was tight. She didn’t know why she was feeling so put upon. She’d had enough waiting jobs, she knew the score. Waitresses were meant to be seen and not heard, silent bringers of food and drink who then disappeared into the background. But in the weeks she’d been here, she’d shrugged off that persona. Let go of the Cesca she’d been, the one who was talked down to by patrons and managers alike. She’d come to see this beautiful villa in Varenna as a haven, a home, not a place of work.
That had been her first mistake. A big one, too. She should have known better than that.
She carried the empty tray back into the kitchen, wiping it clean before storing it away. Then she pulled the refrigerator open, reaching inside for a bottle of beer. The glass was cold and damp, rivulets wetting her hand.
‘You don’t need to ignore me, you know.’
Cesca whipped around to see Sam standing behind her. ‘I wasn’t ignoring you. I was doing my job.’
He blinked a couple of times, looking confused. ‘Are you angry at me?’
‘No.’ She leaned back against the worktop, still holding the bottle. ‘I’m angry at myself more than anything. I got too comfortable, I’d forgotten why I was here. It feels as though everything I’ve done has been so disrespectful to your parents. They’re paying me, after all.’
‘Disrespectful?’ Sam frowned. ‘How have you been disrespectful?’
She looked around him, to confirm they were alone. ‘Sam, you know how. I was lying in bed with you when they arrived. That’s not exactly star employee material, is it?’
His face relaxed as he laughed. ‘Did you want to be a star employee?’
Cesca sighed. ‘They were good enough to give me a job when I needed one. If they find out about us it’s going to look terrible.’
He took a step towards her, reaching out to grab her by the arms. ‘There’s nothing terrible about us.’ The next moment she was in his arms. She stiffened for a moment, still afraid of being discovered, but then her emotions got the better of her. She melted into him.
‘I just want to go home,’ she whispered. ‘I feel really out of place here.’
‘Hey.’ He brushed his lips against hers. ‘What happened to that girl who was celebrating finishing her play? You don’t need to feel out of place. You’re as good as any of them out there. Better. And I hate seeing you serving us all like some fucking maid.’
‘I hate it, too,’ she confessed.
‘The sooner Sandro and Gabi get here the better,’ Sam said.
Cesca looked up at him. ‘But I’ll be leaving after that. And I won?