Getting Through Italy

|24| Radiatori

|24| -  "His dark sense of humour cracks me up." -

While Nathan and I had had ups and downs, arguments, tears, new firsts and uncomfortable encounters with his colleagues over Christmas, nothing in Italy seemed to have changed. That included our group of British friends, who made Jasmine and I feel like we'd never left.

"I was hoping she'd have mellowed a bit by now," Abbie said as Meg strolled away from the table for a cigarette. "But she's still as miserable as ever."

"Maybe she just doesn't like us," Ant said. He leaned to top up our glasses, leaving Meg's.

"Who can blame her?" Abbie said. "You're fucking annoying."

Ant just smirked and placed the jug of prosecco back in the centre of the table. Their banter had only intensified since the last time we met up, leading Jasmine and me to speculate privately about a budding romance.

Speaking of budding romances, Jasmine and Sean had their heads ducked in some form of deep conversation, completely oblivious to the rest of us. At least, almost completely oblivious, as Jasmine reached out for her newly-filled glass without drawing her eyes away from Sean.

"How's Nathan?" Abbie asked me. "Is he coming to visit soon? We should all go out for drinks together when he does. Not enough eye candy around here..."

She shot a sideways glance at Ant, her lips twitching in amusement, but he seemed far from offended.

"Izzy's hardly going to want to bring her boyfriend along if she knows you're going to be drooling over him," he said.

"I do have some dignity, you know. You're not uncomfortable with it, are you, Izzy?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Not at all. Drool all you want."

"So, not that I stalk you on social media or anything," Abbie continued, "but I saw some photos over Christmas where he really reminded me of someone, and then it started to bug me, you know? Like, I couldn't work out who he looks like. But New Year's Eve, we were at the cinema, me and some girlfriends, and the trailers came on, and then it clicked."

She paused, as if for dramatic effect, and Ant rolled his eyes. I, too, was curious. If Nathan had a famous lookalike, then it was the first I'd heard of it.

"Well?" Ant prompted. "As fascinating as that build up was, just spit it out."

"Thor."

"Thor?" I repeated. "As in Chris Hemsworth?"

"No, the other one."

"Liam Hemsworth?"

"Yeah, he plays Thor, right?"

"No, that's his brother. Chris."

"No, I'm definitely thinking of Liam."

"Possibly, but I think it's Chris who's Thor, right, Ant?"

Ant leaned back in his chair. "Don't ask me. This conversation couldn't get any more annoying if you both tried."

"So, who does he look like, then?" I asked Abbie.

"Why are you asking her?" Ant said. "He's your boyfriend."

"Because I'm so used to seeing his face every day that I don't associate it with celebrities. It's interesting."

Meg returned to the table, her eyes flickering between the three of us with mild interest. Abbie grabbed onto that like a moth to a flame.

"Meg, don't you think Izzy's boyfriend looks like the hot guy out of Thor?"