Destination Chile. Katy Colins

that you and Ben are top of the list because you were the inspiration behind the show, but there’s a long list of potential contributors as it’s such a great premise. That’s why I needed to see you today and to let you know to act fast if you think you and Ben would be up for it. Also, have you not seen the weather here? If someone was giving me the option of jetting off to the sun, all for free, with my partner, well I wouldn’t have to think twice.’

      He had a point. This storm Bertha was beginning to get to me. What he was proposing sounded too good to be true. An all-expenses-paid trip to South America in return for doing some interviews, probably on a white sandy beach or while taking a salsa class. Ooh, I wondered if I could wear a flamenco dress, and I could so see Ben dressed as a hunky Latino stallion. Minus the heavy gold chains and love-rug chest hair.

      ‘Well, why don’t you have a word with Ben and then let me know?’

      I nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, all right.’

      ‘Ace. Right, now leave me in peace to give this meat the attention it deserves.’

      After finishing our plates, both of them almost licked clean, Rahul got up from his seat and nodded to the lingering young waitress so that he could pay for our lunch. Amazingly, it seemed like big Bertha had gone for a nap as even the heavy dark clouds had floated off slightly.

      ‘Have a think about everything and give me a call, Georgia,’ he said, before gently kissing me on the cheek and filling my nose with his expensive-smelling aftershave. ‘You more than anyone should know that you have to say yes to things in this life. I honestly think this would be the ideal chance to grab an opportunity that hardly anyone gets offered.’

      I nodded distractedly.

      ‘Right, I’d better be off. Call me as soon as you’ve decided.’ With that we said our goodbyes and he headed off in the opposite direction.

      I was just about to make my way back to the office when I realised that I’d left my umbrella in the restaurant. Even though the downpour had stopped, I didn’t trust my chances that the heavens wouldn’t open once more. I turned to head back inside when I saw that right next door was an art gallery.

      Large colourful canvases hung in the windows lit by uplighters that brought to life the bright swirls of yellow and orange paint of the stunning paintings. The main three pieces of art were clearly from a collection by the same artist. One was a painting of a wrinkled and grinning old woman in Peru with a chubby arm casually slung around a gurning llama; another was a close-up of a glamorous, busty lady with an incredible afro shaking what her mother gave her at Rio Carnival, wearing a barely there but intricately beaded costume in the colours of a peacock feather; and the third and the largest was of a city scene that appeared to be made of bright and wonky Playmobil buildings, tagged in graffiti print ‘Valparaíso, Chile’.

      I pressed my nose closer to the glass to read the small glinting plaque attached to a stand.

       ‘Jose Vasquez’s collection has been inspired by the artist’s journey through South America, where he felt compelled to replicate the colours, flavours and ambiance of this fascinating part of the world.’

      I couldn’t contain the smile trying to escape. This was a sign.

      I rummaged in my pocket to grab my mobile and quickly dialled Ben’s number. He answered in a few rings.

      ‘Hey there, beautiful, how was your lunch? I hope you’re bringing me back a doggy bag?’

      ‘Ah sorry! No doggy bag, but I can go one better.’

      ‘Oh yeah? Wait, why do you sound so excited?’

      ‘Well, because I’ve just been offered the chance for both of us to take an all-expenses-paid trip to South America!’ I squealed. Despite working in the travel industry we rarely received perks, unless you counted the stacks of branded luggage tags or passport covers piled in the bottom drawer of my desk. Somehow the ‘Don’t be flighty, get your life insurance plan sorted first’ fountain pen didn’t have the same gravitas as this potential freebie.

      ‘What?’ He let out a confused laugh.

      ‘Rahul works for a TV company who want to send us, along with some other couples, to Chile for some documentary they’re filming on people who work together in the travel industry. He said that everything will be paid for, we get time to travel and explore, just in return for doing a short interview or something!’ That was what he’d said, wasn’t it? Well I’m sure that was the gist of it.

      Ben started to laugh. ‘Did this lunch turn into a boozy one? You want us to be stars on the small screen?’

      I nodded down the line, still keeping my eyes trained on the stunning art in front of me before realising that Ben couldn’t see me. ‘Yep! How amazing is this? We can promote the business and take our first holiday together. I’m sure from what Rahul said the filming part of it all will be so minimal we could get it done in a day or so and then head off to finally travel together!’

      There was a strange silence on the phone as Ben thought it over. I could hear Conrad’s booming laugh in the background at something.

      ‘Ben? You still there?’

      ‘Yeah, yeah, sorry, G. Erm, wow. It sounds amazing and I don’t want to be a party pooper but how are we going to manage everything going on with the business if both of us are taking time off?’

      My heart sank. He was right. Maybe I was getting totally carried away with Rahul’s enthusiasm.

      ‘Well, the show will be going ahead with or without us, as they have other couples lined up. If we don’t take them up on it then we’ll miss out,’ I said. ‘And now we have Conrad, I’m sure he can handle things for a couple of weeks without us. And think of the PR opportunity! They’ve asked us to go to London for some pre-filming meeting thing to discuss things further. We’d be under no obligation to take it any further; it’s just to get some more details on it all…’ I trailed out and began chewing my lip. Come on, Ben.

      He let out a breath he’d been holding. ‘Ahhh…okay. Let’s at least go and hear what they’ve got to say, hey?’

      ‘Eeeee! Okay!’ I did a little jig.

      ‘It’s never boring with you, Georgia, that’s all I can say.’ He laughed. ‘Right, get yourself back here before I change my mind.’

      As soon as I’d hung up I hurriedly dialled Rahul’s number to tell him we were in. This was going to be the start of a whole new adventure; I could just feel it.

CHAPTER 6

       Vagary (n.) – An erratic, unpredictable or extravagant manifestation, action or notion

      Once we had agreed to at least look into Rahul’s offer by heading down to London to meet the producers of the show, I’d been unable to get the conversation I’d had with Marie and Shelley out of my head. A trip to Chile would be the perfect opportunity for us to talk, and for me to make sure I was one hundred per cent on the same page as Ben. Maybe he’d even make use of the opportunity to propose? If Ben so obviously thought we were there, then surely I should too? It was definitely time I met his family.

      Just this morning as we’d been rushing to get ready I’d brought up the possibility of popping in to see his dad whilst we were down in London. He had met my parents enough times and they liked him as much as I did, but it was starting to feel one-sided. Previously Marie and Shelley had told me that I needed to just let him go at his own pace, that he was just a typical man and that putting off learning all about him – warts and all – for as long as possible meant the dewy-eyed shine would last longer. But finding the engagement ring had changed all of that. The other night at Marie’s house had been a sort of wake-up call that I needed to get some answers to my questions before we even thought of getting married.

      When I’d broached the subject of meeting his dad as I brushed