“I am.” Stella shot her a cheeky grin. “Maybe we should take a trip together.”
Lisa didn’t know what to say to that because even though it was a joke, she truly loved Stella’s company. Stella lifted her spirits and brought back a spark in her she thought she’d lost.
Reaching the small park at the top of the hill, she found herself genuinely smiling for the first time in months as she took in the romantic atmosphere from above. The sun was low now, casting a yellow glow over the rooftops. “I like it here,” she said, looking out over the town and the sea behind it. “It must be a lovely place to live.”
“It is. I’m happy here.” Stella’s eyes met hers, and she held her gaze for long moments before she looked down at her feet. Lisa sensed she was nervous as a loaded silence followed. “Are you hungry? You’re missing the wonderful and indulgent Paradise buffet.”
“Does that mean you want me to leave?”
“No, not at all!” Stella shook her head and laughed. “You really have trouble taking a joke, don’t you?”
“I’m just not used to human interaction anymore.” Lisa grinned. “But I can definitely live without the Paradise buffet. Areyouhungry? I’d like to take you out for dinner if that’s okay. To thank you for being so nice to me.” She felt herself blush again and internally cursed herself. “Unless you’re busy?”
“No, I’m not busy but I should probably feed my cats,” Stella said. “So why don’t I fix us some food at home? The view from my roof terrace is just as nice as this.”
“Are you sure? I can take a taxi back now and grab some food on the way…”
“Please.” Stella briefly took her hand and squeezed it. It wasn’t a flirty gesture, but her touch still brought a flutter to Lisa’s core. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”
“Okay. In that case, I’d love to. But let me at least get you a bottle of wine on the way.”
“If you insist.” Stella hooked her arm through Lisa’s and they headed back down through an alleyway on the other side of the park. This one was lined with galleries and craft boutiques. Some of their art was displayed outside, and most had little seating areas at the front, where the owners or artists were drinking wine and chatting with potential customers.
Lisa stopped to look at the sculptures and paintings while Stella made small talk with the locals. “Why are there so many galleries here?” she asked.
“I suppose because it’s a pretty town. The coastline and the light are beautiful, so a lot of artists have come here over the years and never left. Altea is actually known for its vibrant art scene.” Stella pointed to a corner shop as they reached the end of the street. “You can buy wine there if you want. I live opposite.”
“You live here?” Lisa looked over the pretty little square where a café, a small shop and a restaurant were housed. Along the back were two stone picnic tables where old men played chess under the light of lanterns that hung from big trees. “How dainty.”
“Dainty?” Stella laughed. “How English.”
Lisa shot her a smile over her shoulder and went inside to the wine. As she waited for the wine to be bagged, she glanced at Stella, who was standing outside. If she wasn’t mistaken, there might be some mutual physical attraction between them. Stella wasn’t her usual type; Lisa had always dated very feminine women, but for some reason she felt way more excited in Stella’s company than she had with anyone else. The woman was most certainly sexy. A cute face with big, sparkling dark eyes, sun-kissed skin, a dazzling smile, shiny dark hair that fell over part of her dark eyebrows and an athletic body. She was the polar opposite to Sandrine, who always pranced around in high heels, knee-length dresses, styled hair and full make-up. Never a hair out of place, but no room for spontaneity either.
“Señora?”
Lisa was pulled out of her thoughts as the shop owner handed her the bag. “Oh… gracias.” She took it and gave him a wave, still baffled by the way her mind kept going there.Stop imagining things. She’s just being nice.
15
“Welcome to my pad.” As Stella walked up the stairs ahead of Lisa, three cats immediately came running up to her. “Those little rascals are Chicken and Tuna, and this is Smelly.” She picked Smelly up and carried him up the last steps.
“You really are a cat lady,” Lisa joked. “And who is this?” She knelt down on the landing to pet a tabby and laughed when a fifth cat followed. “Oh, hello. One more.”
“The tabby is Pablo, and the white one is called Yeti.”
“They’re so cute.”
“They’re naughty mostly, especially Pablo but yes, they’re very cute too.”
“So, you’re the naughty one, huh?” Lisa said to Pablo as she stroked him. He stuck his head in her large handbag, then climbed inside and settled. “I can see that now.”
Stella laughed. “Do you mind? He doesn’t like to be picked up, but he’s quite happy being carried around in any item he settles himself into.”
“You’re a funny one.” Lisa scratched Pablo behind his ears and lifted her handbag from the floor, highly amused when he decided to stay inside. She straightened herself and shifted the now heavy handbag onto her shoulder as she walked into the long and narrow living room. The faded terracotta tiled floor was broken up with off-white handwoven rugs. A rustic coffee table stood before a wide, white sofa and the white curtains in the window behind it had a delicate orange pattern woven through them. The artworks on the walls, the plants scattered around and the photographs on the wooden beam above the fireplace made it feel cosy and intimate. It was very tidy, she noticed, and apart from a pile of paperwork on the sideboard that stood against the other wall, there was no clutter. “Your house is just as cute as your cats. It looks so authentically Spanish.”
“It’s an old townhouse and I didn’t do much to it when I moved in, so yes, I suppose the carcass is exactly as it was a hundred years ago. Downstairs is a spare bedroom, a bathroom, a utility room, and there’s a small patio at the back. Up here is my bedroom, bathroom and living area, and my kitchen and roof terrace are upstairs.”
“The famous roof terrace?”
