Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,58

a holiday after all and he would go on at her and HR would send some officious email and it was all too much hassle. It wasn’t even really a holiday, it was a long weekend, Friday to Monday, and she’d picked that weekend purposely as the Monday was a bank holiday, which meant she only spent one day’s leave. (She wasn’t allowed to sell them all, there were regulations against it, but she certainly wanted to max out her allowance.)

She walked over to the beaming man with the sign and was directed to a minibus outside Florence airport. As she stepped on board her heart sank further as she noted a collection of . . . she didn’t want to say oddballs – that was unkind. In any event, she was there too, but it was becoming clear to her that people who booked a singles’ weekend were not necessarily busy high-flyers looking to make like-minded new friends.

Abby took a seat in an empty row, nodding hellos at those she passed. One or two of the girls looked at her with a sharp eye of appraisal, clearly summing up the competition, and all of the men’s gazes were open and hopeful.

As she sat down, the man opposite, dressed in a black T-shirt and ripped black jeans, leaned across the aisle.

‘Hi, I’m Sean.’

She shook his outstretched hand, noting it was slightly sweaty. ‘Abby.’

‘What do you do?’

Flipping heck, it was one hell of an opening question. No warm-up at all, and the way he’d said it, it sounded like a test. Abby had the distinct impression she was about to be defined by her job.

‘Business analyst.’

His eyes remained blank, then he quickly covered with a knowing smile. ‘Cool.’

You have no idea what that is, thought Abby.

‘You?’ she asked.

‘I’m a music producer,’ he said faux-casually as he attempted to cross his leg and rest an ankle on the other knee, but he was hampered by the tight leg room and had to drop it to the floor again.

‘Oh yes? What kind of music?’

‘Bit of grime, garage, jungle. Some hip hop. I did Shanga Weed’s debut – you heard of them?’

She shook her head. ‘Sorry.’

He looked downcast. Or was it relieved? She couldn’t tell. But then another female boarder, a not unattractive blonde who cast her eyes over the bus looking for a seat, took his attention. Sean was about to indicate the space next to him when she slid into one at the front. Did she just swerve him? thought Abby, hiding a smile.

The blonde was the last to board and the rep opened with his effervescent welcome as the bus drove off. Sean took up where the rep finished, non-stop jabber the entire journey to the hotel, and Abby began to wish she’d had the foresight of the blonde woman and eyed up the seating arrangements with a little more nous.

There were a number of excursions organized that they were encouraged to sign up to – all included in the price! the rep kept enthusiastically reminding them – and later that day, after the welcome drinks, Abby found herself, along with about eleven others, following the rep around the highlights of Florence. They explored the Piazza della Signoria, taking in the Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio, outside which stood the vast copy of Michelangelo’s David. Abby was happy to hang back and listen and wonder at the genuinely magnificent buildings. She found she was even beginning to enjoy herself. As they gazed upwards at a spectacularly painted dome, or marvelled at a statue, Abby was increasingly aware of Sean zoning in on the blonde girl from the bus again, always within two feet of her, gesturing, talking. Even when Blondie moved away he managed to find her again, always at her shoulder. Abby amused herself as she noted how, as much as Blondie continuously batted him away, he kept coming back for more.

The afternoon wore on and they stopped outside a gelateria in another picturesque square, where, unable to decide between chocolate and cherry, Abby went for both.

‘Lucky you don’t have to watch your figure,’ said Sean, grinning as she took her first lick.

He was proud of his ‘compliment’, Abby could see. She really couldn’t be bothered to explain to him how objectifying his comment was and, looking around for the blonde girl, Abby saw she was talking animatedly to another man from their group.

So Sean had finally been elbowed away and now she, Abby, was next in line for conquest.