‘Actually, yes, there is. As I said, I’d quite like a proper tour of this place.’
‘A tour?’
‘Yes.’
‘Of my property?’
‘Yep.’
‘I’m sorry, enlighten me – why would I give you a tour?’
‘So I can start getting my bearings and plan what I’d like to do once it’s returned to my family.’
I let out an incredulous laugh at the sheer nerve of this guy. I can’t believe I have actually done what I’ve done with him; regret and disgust course through me as instantaneously as though they’d been injected into my bloodstream.
‘You heard what Charlotte said, Maxime. I think it’s probably time to leave.’ Bianka has inserted herself in between myself and Maxime, as though there might be a physical altercation, and judging by the fury I feel just looking at him, there may well be. I feel suddenly grateful for Bianka and that I’m not here by myself with this guy.
‘I want to see the house, Miss Vinge.’ He pronounces my name ‘whinge’ rather than the correct ‘vin-gay’. ‘I have a bit of a proposition for you.’
‘I know what your parents want and I’ve already said no. I’m sorry to confirm that no part of Can Xara is for sale but you, like everyone else, are of course entitled to cross the land to reach the cala.’
‘That’s not what this is about.’
‘So what is it about?’
‘It’s about returning to my family what was always rightfully ours.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Ximena swindled my father for the finca and its land in the first place. The entire coastline has been in my family for generations.’
‘Swindled?’
‘I think you know what I mean. Used her charm. Got him to sell the finca and its land to her for basically nothing. Well, nothing but a few blow jobs.’
‘How dare you,’ I whisper, my voice trembling.
‘If you won’t give me a tour, I suppose I’ll just have to show myself around. Now, if you’ll excuse me, ladies.’
Maxime spins around and charges up the stairs, Bianka and I following close behind him. I just can’t believe the sheer nerve of this guy.
‘You need to leave,’ I shout.
‘No, I don’t, really.’
‘This is my property. I’ll call the police if I have to, believe me.’
‘It won’t be your property once we’re done with you.’
‘I will call them.’
‘And tell them that the guy who made you come three times a couple of nights ago and who is trying to give you several million euros for a little strip of land worth a fraction of that, which is part of an estate your mother swindled off my family, is such a baddy?’
‘Please just leave.’
‘Maybe I should just call your husband. In fact, that’s what I should have done to begin with. Trying to do business with Ximena’s daughter was always going to be a challenge. Lives up to the family reputation in other ways, though, I’ll give you that.’ Maxime has come to a momentary stop on the steepest part of the path, just before it branches in two – one leading to the finca and the other to the main house at the top of the property. Bianka and I stop just below him.
‘My husband has nothing to do with this.’
‘Charlotte, don’t let this douchebag trigger you,’ says Bianka, and places a hand lightly on my shoulder but I shake it off.
‘Of course your husband has something to do with this. Are you seriously telling me he wouldn’t be a little weirded out by what happened between us at Sa Capricciosa?’
‘Well, it would be your word against mine. My husband trusts me one hundred per cent, as I do him.’
‘Brave guy. Would he trust you if I showed him the footage of you giving me a blow job?’ Maxime fishes his phone out and dangles it from his fingertips. ‘Got me some great porno the other day,’ he says.
‘I’m sure you’re aware it’s completely illegal to record someone without consent?’ says Bianka.
‘It’s also illegal to steal other people’s property,’ Maxime retorts. ‘We can make this easy, or we can make it really fucking difficult.’
‘I’m going to call your father.’
‘Yeah? Please do. In fact, why don’t we call him right now. He wouldn’t believe his luck if I told him you and your lesbian lover stopped by my party, basically drooling all over my dick. He’ll get even more excited when I tell him I caught a couple of your tricks on camera. I mean, what do you think all your wholesome fans are going to say when you break the internet with your oral skills?’
‘This is blackmail and emotional extortion, both punishable offences,’ says Bianka, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen her look truly flustered. I feel another wave of gratitude for her but then I remember this is all thanks to her in the first place – if I’d never involved myself with her, or succumbed to the sheer insanity she instigated at Sa Capricciosa, I wouldn’t be in this position at all.
‘Like I said, we don’t have to go down that road. We can settle this nice and easy.’
