Chapter Seventeen
Friday, 10 th November
‘Where’s Rico?’ Emily helped herself to one of the breakfast croissants Stacy had just taken out of the oven. ‘Yum! These are much nicer than the ones we get at home.’
Stacy passed her the jam. Having Emmy here gave the place a tinge of home. Yesterday, the two of them had gone to a lace exhibition in the Textile Museum in St Gallen before meeting Rico in a veggie restaurant at night. Being with Rico was quite different when someone else was here to keep the conversation going. Stacy sighed. It was hard to know what to think about the new, determinedly neutral side of him she’d been seeing recently, and maybe she’d been too touchy, shoving him away like that when they’d hauled her from the lift. He must have been as hurt as her dignity was, and that wasn’t what she’d intended, not really. Last night, though, tongues had wagged wildly.
‘He’s gone for petrol,’ she said. ‘We leave at half nine, and we’ll be in Lugano in time for a late lunch with Ralph.’
Emily fetched more coffee. ‘He totally fancies you, Stace.’
‘Ralph? I doubt it.’
Emily spluttered into her mug. ‘No! Rico. He’s hiding it well, but I know the signs.’
Stacy shook her head. ‘I doubt that too. He’s barely said a personal word to me all week. It’s not as if we’re continually having long and deep discussions, or belly laughs about whatever. And it’s not what I want, anyway, after David.’
‘Stuff David, he’s ancient history. It’s the way Rico looks at you when you’re not looking. He’s probably just shy, and you do come over a bit ice maidenish at times.’
It was Stacy’s turn to splutter. ‘I do not! I got on beautifully with Kim straightaway, for instance, and with Martin too, if you want a male example. Apart from his aftershave, but that’s a minor detail.’
‘Rico’s more the strong, silent type. He’ll be feeling it all inside, and suffering, so be nice to him.’
‘I am nice to him!’ Yikes, her voice was hitting the rafters here. Stacy cleared her throat and went on in more hushed tones. ‘Anyway, Rico and I have to work together all year, and I don’t want to start anything complicated with my boss.’
‘Wonder how many people have said that over the centuries.’ Emily raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘We can talk about this at the weekend. Like tomorrow. Or even tonight.’ She blew a kiss across the table.
Stacy gave up. She did not want to start anything complicated with her boss. She was still thinking about that when a message pinged into her phone. Ah. Martin.
Drink next week? Will call when I’m back.
Stacy’s thumb hovered, then she tapped
Sounds good,
and a thumbs-up, and sent it. There. She had a date. Almost.
***
It was easier with three of them, but not in the way he’d been hoping. Rico glanced across at Emily in the passenger seat beside him. She was chatting away, and sometimes Stacy answered and sometimes he did, so somehow, the convo between him and Stacy always went over Emily. They were halfway to Lugano, and as Stacy had insisted on Emily taking the front seat to get full advantage of the scenery, he couldn’t even see her in the seat behind him.
He pulled out to pass a convoy of army vehicles, and Emily sat up straight to see them better.
‘Wow – all those soldiers! Am I right that Switzerland has conscription, Rico?’
‘Yes, all the guys have to do military service, and women can too, if they want to. Most people do the first training school between school and uni or college, then it’s three week courses every year until you’re in your forties. The alternative is to do it all in one block, which is what I did.’
‘Wow. What happens to people’s jobs when they’re away for three weeks every year?’ Emily turned round to look at the leading army vehicle as they passed it.
‘It’s not a problem. Employers are used to it. I’m glad I’m finished, though. It means I won’t be called up in the middle of the Lakeside renovation.’
There was silence for a while after that, then they entered the long San Bernardino tunnel and Emily was full of questions about that, and hell, Stacy hadn’t said a word for ages. Rico took advantage of a lull in the chat to include her.
‘Still alive in the back seat?’
‘I’m nearly asleep with all this tunnel. I’m looking forward to seeing the Ticino at the other end.’
And there was a non-personal remark if ever he’d heard one. Rico gripped the wheel, his eyes fixed straight ahead. What had happened to the pleasant atmosphere between him and Stacy when she’d first arrived here? It seemed that the more she saw of him, the less she liked him, and for him it was exactly the opposite. Maybe he should give up on her ever wanting to be with him – it was getting to the stage he felt embarrassed just talking to her. This weekend might have been his biggest mistake in years.
On he drove, with Emily’s chatter filling the kilometres. They arrived at the south side of the tunnel and sped on through the Ticino, where it wasn’t what you’d call warm and sunny, but definitely more pleasant than the grey north side of the alps. Rico pulled himself together and pointed out various landmarks as they passed, then left the motorway to drive through quieter streets as they approached the town and Lake Lugano. At this point both girls sat up straight and he had to admit, the views over this lake were stunning, even in November.
‘Wow – this couldn’t be more different to Lake Constance, could it?’ Stacy leaned into the middle of the back seat to see over Rico’s shoulder.
‘It’s the way the hills come right down to the water,’ said Emily. ‘Can we go to the lake this afternoon, Rico?’
Was he included in the invitation? Rico played it safe – at least they were all talking again.
‘Sure. I thought dump your things at your B good, the children were gathering in a circle for the ‘goodbye’ song.
Two minutes later, they were nearly knocked down in the noisy rush as children fled the building. Elijah flung himself on his father, and Kim went in to say hello to Frau Mathys, the kindergarten teacher.
The older woman came forward, hand outstretched. ‘Hello, Frau Burri. Herr Burri. Elijah, why don’t you show your brother our hand prints?’
‘Come on, Ben!’
The boys ran off, and Kim moved closer to Tobias. Why did you always feel guilty when you had to talk to a teacher?
Frau Mathys gave the boys an indulgent smile. ‘Elijah was terribly pleased to have your English friend with him for the lantern parade,’ she said. ‘Even the next day, he made sure we all knew about how she can’t speak German yet but he was helping her to learn! It’s so nice when children have the confidence to cope like that when their mother’s ill.’
‘Oh, Elijah’s good at coping,’ said Kim faintly.
‘He certainly is. He’s a lovely little boy, you should be proud of him. And of course it’s good for children to have contact with different people from different cultures, too.’
Kim could have kissed her. Tobias had been pretty tight-lipped about Stacy taking the boys to the parade, but that was him worrying too much. And never mind the different cultures, it was the different people bit that Tobias needed to believe.
The boys raced back, agitating to go. Ben had evidently let slip the hamburgers part of their outing. Kim settled them into the car, feeling happier than she had all week. This might be the starting point for a new discussion about child care and stay-at-home mothers – but for now, hamburgers were more important. Being a mum was fun.
But so was going to work.