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Maybe he wanted Johan and Dan to bond and get along for the rest of the stay, I think as I go to my room to freshen up for my dinner on the terrace with Roxie.But what sense does that make, if Andries wants me to end up with Johan?I would think he’d want Dan out of the picture as much as possible. I wish my brother was easier to understand!
Once I make it to the terrace, I see Roxanne sitting there, a bottle of red wine open on the table beside her. She isn’t exactly the person I’d like to be having a private dinner date with, but in a way, she and I both have been ditched by our men, so I feel some kinship with her there. It’s a stunning evening, the sky painted pink and burnt orange as it reflects off the sea and the water of our infinity pool.
The server pours a glass for me as I sit before disappearing to give us some privacy. The first drink is delicious and jammy, but I’ve been drinking quite a bit since we arrived, and make a mental note to order a Perrier as well when the server returns. Roxanne is already most of the way through her glass, but she doesn’t look nearly as upset as she did earlier.
“Guess we’re just two introverts tonight,” she comments, holding up her glass for me to clink mine against it.
I do so, taking a drink afterward and set the glass down. “I really thought the boys would be back by now. I don’t know what Dan is up to, but I was sure Andries wouldn’t have left you alone for dinner.”
Roxie shrugs one shoulder, and I can’t tell if she’s hurt or really just doesn’t care. “It’s fine. I don’t care that he’s spending time with his friends. I just hope he doesn’t drink too much.”
“I managed to get a hold of Johan and told him to keep an eye on him,” I assure her. “But have you talked to any of them?”
She nods as the server brings out a fruit and cheese board, spearing a piece of white cheese with her fork once he departs. “Andries answered my call, but he seemed distracted. Affectionate, but distracted, so I’m positive he doesn’t know about Bar Rouge yet.”
Silence stretches between us as I nibble on a piece of pungent cheese and sweet candied pecans between sips of wine. Roxanne isn’t meeting my eyes, and I know she doesn’t want to talk about the cabaret incident anymore. Well, too bad. I still have more to say.
“Roxie, are you going to tell him while we’re still here or are you trying to drag it out until we’re home?”
She sighs, rolling her eyes to the sky as she does so. “You’re being so nosy, Elise. No, I don’t plan on telling him while we’re here. It will just make things more awkward for everyone, and I don’t really care what you think about it. I actually want us to enjoy the rest of our time in Capri.”
“I’m not being nosy when people are sending me the video! That’s the opposite of nosy; it’s being thrown in my face!” I resist the urge to flick one of the nuts on my plate her way to emphasize my point, popping it in my mouth instead. “Every second you don’t confess is another chance for someone else to tell Andries. You’re really playing with fire here. Especially when my father has threatened to tell Andries himself.”
We’re interrupted when the server returns with two plates; beautiful fig and pear salads with a basket of crunchy fresh bread placed between us. The entire time the table is set, Roxie glares at me, daring me to say anything else about the incident in front of the staff. I have no plans to, even if my anxiety about it all is rising by the minute. There is no possibility of a good outcome if she doesn’t tell Andries the truth.
Once the server departs, she relaxes, pouring her own wine refill, apparently not content to wait for someone else to do it for her. While she drinks deeply, I sip my Perrier, squeezing the accompanying lime beforehand. One of us needs to be fully sober for the upcoming evening.
“Now,” Roxie says, picking up her fork and smiling as if nothing is wrong, “Let’s drop the subject and enjoy our dinner, shall we?”
I pick mine up too, but I don’t have it in me to answer her, because Roxanne doesn’t want to hear what I have to say. I just hope that I’m wrong and she’s right because otherwise, this entire trip is going to implode around us.
6
Dan
As exhausted as I am,I can’t help but cheer just as loudly as everyone else. After all, I’ve had a shit couple of days, and this is a welcome reprieve after being the scapegoat for everyone.
We’ve made fast friends with all the other sailors, and a large portion of Le Grottelle is now filled with the bulk of us who were on the water today. And this isn’t a sit down kind of dinner, either. Everyone is up and moving around, laughing and watching the drone footage from today to critique each other’s form. This restaurant, picked out by the coach, sits high on a rocky cliffside of Capri with stunning, almost frighteningly high, ivy and olive vines crawling up the railing and trellises, keeping everyone safe. The boats still on the water are turning on their lights, and look like little stars in a deep blue sky as they float.
As it gets dark and the overhead lanterns flicker to life, the coach holds his beer stein in the air and proposes a toast, his arm slung around Andries’s shoulders.
“I want to make a toast to Mr. Andries van den Bosch here, who has been our student today, along with his friends!” The rest of the team cheers, whistling, and clapping. “Andries here is not just a savant at sailing… this is also part of his bachelor’s trip. He’s getting married, and still made some time to come hang out with us!” More cheering arises from the drunken athletes, a few of them coming up to slap Andries on the back. “So, let’s all wish him good luck and a long, prosperous marriage. To Andries!”
“TO ANDRIES!” the room echoes back. I join in, too, glad that my friend is enjoying himself even if he is a pain in my ass.
Andries holds his pint glass up in return. “Well, I want to toast to you all, and how welcome you made us feel. To the team, and more regattas!”
“TO MORE REGATTAS!”
I find Johan amidst the crowd, sidling up to him and nudging him with my shoulder. “This is a lot, eh?”
Johan just laughs. “I think it’s nice. Andries seems like he might not be the most social person on the planet. I bet he’s loving this.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I hardly ever see him let go like this. We call him a broody poet for a reason.”
The broody poet himself makes his way over to us after finishing celebrating with all his new friends. There’s color in his cheeks and he’s grinning so widely that the corners of his eyes crinkle. As he saunters over, he throws his arms around our shoulders so he’s in the middle of us, giving both Johan and me a shake.
“You know, I wasn’t sure how you two would handle being together all day, but I’m really impressed. I’ve had so much fun. In fact…” Andries looks around until he finds a server, waving him over. “Another round of drinks for everyone! I want to make a toast to my two friends here!”
