Chapter 24
Nikita
“Sardinhas! Sardinhas!”
Yep, Calvin and I are at a Sardine festival. No one seems to realize that it’s impossible to make a booking for most restaurants in this area - it operates on a more ‘first come, first serve’ basis. So, instead of allowing everyone to do their own thing, the entire wedding party decided to go to the festival nearby after it was suggested by one of the receptionists at the hotel.
I love music festivals and I love sardines. I believe no one made them better than my vó though, but I’m always open to trying. This is exactly the kind of event I would have attended myself, which is why I find it interesting that Calvin, and his friends, would agree to this. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would enjoy sardines. I bet that he is not one to get his hands dirty trying to eat. If he were to eat them, he will attempt to use a fork to try and separate the bones from the meat but will fail miserably because no one is capable of doing that. I say this after years of trying myself before giving in and eating it the only way it should be eaten.
“Use as suas m?os, Nikita” my grandfather would say when he saw me attempting it any other way. One Sunday lunch, I did exactly that and there was no going back.
My back is still on fire from this afternoon’s burn debacle, and I can feel the fatigue weighing over me, but I am also starving and on the clock. I have to keep an eye on Calvin to make sure he doesn’t backslide straight into Violet.
I can’t explain it but there is something about her. I’m big on connecting with people’s energies and there is something about hers that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s just… off, and even though I don’t care about Calvin and his choices, I still feel that he can do better.
I’m surprised by the odd rush of satisfaction I got from the way her eyes drop at the sight of Calvin’s hand wrapped around mine when we arrived. It bothers her to see me with him, which is also something I don’t quite understand because I swear I was told that she was the one who did the dumping.
“We have to try it!” Britney exclaims, clapping her hands together as she turns to Kenneth, “All of us have to. We are here in Portugal and we’ve got to do as the locals do.”
The look on Kenneth’s face reveals he does not share the same enthusiasm as his bride to be.
“I hope you aren’t hungry.” I lean closer to Calvin, “Cause there is nothing here that you’d eat.”
He glances down at me with questioning eyes, “How do you know that?”
“Do you like sardines?” I ask, my eyebrow raising.
“I have never tried them before.”
“Wow.” I feign surprise, lacing my words with sarcasm, “I am truly shocked by this revelation.”
He rolls his eyes as he glances around the festival set up that is filled with rows and rows of pop-up restaurants and people scattered throughout. “Is that all they are serving though? Surely, there are other options.”
“You can’t come to a Sardine festival and not at least try them.” I nudge him playfully.
A couple walks past us at that precise moment, holding a polystyrene plate with the sardines laid out on it. The distinct smell of the olive oil, herbs, garlic and fresh seafood is unmistakable and unless you enjoy this particular kind of meal, the smell will be considered somewhat unpleasant.
“Ooh, those look so good,” I gush before turning back to Calvin who looks less than convinced.
He opens his mouth to say something, but Violet pops out of nowhere, stepping to join us in the line I have stepped in to place our order.
“This place smells like fish,” she says, shaking her head. Violet is draped in a baby pink linen dress that wraps around her body, creating a contrast between the light color and the orange tinge on her skin that can only be achieved by poor spray tans.
“Are you not a fan of seafood, Vi?” I ask, finding it quite amusing how out-of-place she looks.
“No. Besides the god-awful smell…” I turn my head to the side, allowing my eyes the opportunity to roll without being seen as she continues, “It’s cruel and disgusting.”
“Maybe there’s a veggie fest you can find,” I mumble.
“Hm?” Violet asks.
“Maybe there’s some veggies here you can find.”
“We’re going to have to find you something to eat,” Calvin says, pulling my gaze back to him. Violet has taken up a spot next to him as they both glance at the writing on the chalkboard hanging on the side listing the available meals, “They have salads.”
“What are you getting?” she asks him.
There my eyes go again, involuntarily rolling at the two of them. I’m aware that my relationship with Calvin isn’t real, but Violet doesn’t know that part. She’s incredibly blatant with her advances. The two of them aren’t together, but she definitely doesn’t act like it.
“Here’s an idea,” I pipe up, reminding the two of them of my presence, “Vi, honey, why don’t you go get us a table while we get the food?”
“No need,” she replies with a smug smile, “Kenneth’s already sorted that out for all of us.” She points to a row of tables where Kenneth stands, gesturing to a couple of other people in the wedding party to where they can sit.
Plastering the fake smile back on my face, I respond. “Great.”
She turns back to Calvin, completely dismissing my presence. Eventually, she starts laughing, asking him about some ridiculous memory. “Do you remember that time we were on Kenneth’s yacht and they caught that big fish …”
Violet is about as subtle as a fucking fireworks display, but I’m not going to take her bait. I step forward, the line leaving me next up while the two of them continue chatting it up, Calvin proving yet again that he is not the brightest bulb in the box.
“Seguir!” The voice booms from the older gentleman who is taking the orders. I move to head towards him, but I bump into someone I don’t see coming.
“Oh-sorry.” I look up, my eyes widening as I realize who it was,”Blake, hey.”
The cute bartender I had befriended flashes a smile my way, “‘ey beautiful, good to see ya.”
“You too.” I return the smile, a small rush of butterflies flutters in my stomach at his clear interest.
“Next!” The gentlemen shouts again, this time in English, snapping me back.
Blake turns towards the voice before looking back at me, “You’re up, linda.” His delivery of that compliment with his accent has me flushed.
“Nikita,” Calvin’s voice suddenly interrupts our conversation, his hand on the small of my back as he guides me forward, further away from Blake. I turn to try and apologize to him, but Calvin’s body blocks my view.
“You caveman,” I mutter, turning towards the older gentleman who looks less than impressed at how long it took us to get to him.
“Why did he call you Linda?”
I burst out laughing before placing our order which only seems to test the strength of Calvin’s teeth from how hard he is clenching them.
“Why are you laughing?”
We move to the side where we have to wait for our order and I glance around, noticing that Violet is no longer in the vicinity.
“He didn’t call me Linda, he called me linda.” Switching to Portuguese to try and demonstrate what he said.
“What does that mean?”
“It’s like calling someone pretty.” This seems to annoy him, which I can’t understand. Why the hell is this such a problem for him? “Why’d you interrupt my conversation with Blake anyway?”
“You were holding up the line, Nikita. Do you know how rude that is?”
“Do you know how rude it is to interrupt someone’s conversation?”
“I was simply stopping you from flirting with the bartender,” he explains, an air of nonchalance to him,”Again.”
I tilt my head to the side, my arms folding across my chest, “Why? Are you jealous?”
“I don’t get jealous.”
“No?”
“No.”
My eyes narrow, “I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I prefer the personality you had back at the hotel.” I shake my head and click my tongue, making my annoyance known to him. “Plus you were the one who was too busy climbing his way back up Violet’s ass.” My eyes scan around us again, careful to make sure no one is watching this interaction because I’m struggling to hold back my irritation. In the corner of my eye, I see Violet heading back in our direction.
Stepping forward, my hand reaches out to cup Calvin’s cheek, the fingers of my other hand getting lost in his hair. His eyes flash with surprise before being replaced by, what I can swear is curiosity. Leaning closer, my lips hover close to his, “I never thought Calvin Rhodes of all people would be so desperate.”
His jaw tenses, eyes narrow but he doesn’t respond because he knows we have a pretense to keep up. His eyes dash to the side where Violet is coming from before landing back on mine.
“You need to learn when to watch that pretty little mouth of yours, linda.” His voice is low and his delivery of that compliment is a welcomed surprise. What isn’t welcome is the way my body reacts to that word. There is absolutely no need for the flush of arousal that drops from my head straight to my toes.
“Or what?” I taunt.
“Or it’s going to get you into trouble.”
My stomach leaps at his words, a thick tension begins seeping between us. His eyes drop to my lips before lifting back up to meet mine. He knows I’m watching his every move. I open my mouth to send another sharp-tongued comment his way, but they call our order number just as Violet arrives.
“Ah perfect timing!” she exclaims, her presence becoming increasingly more annoying to me.
Without a second thought I push up onto my tiptoes, my lips landing on the side of Calvin’s mouth, his five o’clock shadow brushing against my lips. Pulling away, it’s evident that I’ve caught him off-guard, but that’s my way of pissing a circle around him, marking my territory in front of Violet.
Petty, I know, but I don’t care.
Something I also don’t care for is how my stomach reacts to my lips against his skin. It does a flip, sending a new rush over me that threatens to knock me off balance. I move to collect our order, careful not to overthink my actions.
I am here to be his girlfriend.
Girlfriends do things like that.
That’s all it is.