“Hey there.” Stella felt her face pull into a cheesy smile as she started the engine. “Hungry?”
“Yes, but it’s my treat.” Lisa returned her smirk, then turned to look ahead.
“If you insist.” It wasn’t uncomfortable, but they certainly were in a weird space and that grey area between new friends and potentially something more physical was confusing. “You look beautiful,” she said, deciding to take a chance. It wasn’t something she’d say to a friend, and with that one simple sentence, she knew she’d established what was happening here. They were on a date.
“Thank you. You look great too.” Lisa’s cheeks flushed a pale shade of pink and Stella let out the breath she’d been holding. “I don’t know any places around here, so you’ll have to pick.”
“No problem. What do you feel like?”
“Something Spanish. Something like that little bar that I stormed out of when…” Lisa bit her lip and winced. “Somewhere with nice tapas.”
“Okay. We can’t go back there though, as I can’t risk being seen with you.” Stella shot her a regretful look as she merged onto the coastal road. “Just in case my colleagues are there. I’m not supposed to…” she hesitated.
“Privately mingle with guests? Yes, you told me that. It’s also why I didn’t text you after you’d sent me your number, but I figured as you contacted me, you felt it was okay.”
“Yes, I’m not too worried as long as we don’t hang out in Benidorm.” Stella smiled at her, relieved Lisa understood how important it was that no one could know about this. “But there’s a nice tapas bar in Altea, if you don’t mind going there again?”
“That sounds fantastic.” Lisa stuck her hand out of the window and did that thing with her hand again. The way she let it fly on the wind was something only a child would do, and Stella found it adorable.
“Sorry, I’m not used to being in the passenger seat,” Lisa said, drawing her hand back when she caught Stella looking.
“Don’t stop. It’s cute.” Realising she was openly flirting, Stella chuckled to herself and shook her head. “Why are you not used to being in the passenger seat?”
“Sandrine didn’t drive in the UK. She’s originally from New York and only moved to London because of her job. She wasn’t used to driving, let alone on the left side of the road, so whenever we went somewhere I drove, and I didn’t mind.”
Stella nodded. “Okay. Do you still have your car?”
“Yes, it’s on my parents’ drive as I don’t have anywhere to keep it at the moment. I thought about driving here from the UK but there was no parking space at the hotel, so I figured it would be easier to just fly.”
“True. Parking long-term is a problem at Paradise,” Stella said. “It’s a beautiful drive though, especially through Basque Country.”
Lisa smiled. “So I was told. But for now, I think I like the passenger seat. It’s a nice change. Refreshing.”
“Good. Because I intend to take you out on more trips if you’re up for it.” Stella’s heart raced as she glanced at Lisa, but she didn’t seem fazed by her comment.
“I’ll hold you to that, you know.” Lisa winked. “Any chance to leave the hotel is a blessing. Especially if it involves you and the passenger seat.”
20
Their chemistry was undeniable tonight, and Lisa felt overwhelmed by a jumble of emotions that hit her one after the other, sometimes all at once. Nervousness, arousal and happiness caused her to be hyperaware of her surroundings and especially the company she was finding herself in. Stella looked gorgeous in a casual blue shirt, and her hair had a certain flair to it which made Lisa think she’d put a lot of effort into making it look effortless. She was on a date—or at least she thought it was a date—with a hot and exciting woman and all she could think of was where the night would end. Her legs freshly shaved and her hair styled in loose curls, she felt confident about how she looked, and it was clear that Stella liked her dress from the way she kept glancing at her shoulders.
The hole in the wall with three tables outside was called Miércoles, as it was only open on Wednesdays. Inside, the bar was crowded with locals and Stella, who knew the owner, had called ahead for him to hold a table for them. Situated on the outskirts of Altea, wedged in between a small supermarket and a tobacco shop, it was off the tourist track and the food was deliciously fresh and authentic.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking… are you gay? Or bisexual?” Stella asked as they were feasting on a selection of freshly prepared Spanish dishes. Iberian croquettes with a spicy chutney, black aioli with nut bread, wild croaker ceviche, manchego cheese, Andalusian aubergine and octopus with violet potatoes crammed the table, only leaving space for two small plates and their wine glasses. The bottle of white wine they’d ordered was in the ice bucket next to them and their glasses were topped up each time the waiter came out.
“I’m gay,” Lisa said, her heart skipping a beat at the turn their conversation was taking. Stella was fishing and that was a good thing. As much as she’d wanted to be left alone after their first encounter, she really, really wanted to talk now. “But I was a late bloomer; I didn’t realise I liked women until my mid-twenties, and I’ve only had two girlfriends since, one of which was a serious, long-term relationship.”
“With Sandrine?”
“Yes.”
“So, you’ve only been with two women?” Stella looked baffled as she asked the question. “Or have you had flings in between?”
“No. I’ve only had sex with Sandrine and Bette. It’s not that I’m against one-night stands or anything, it’s just that I’ve been in relationships since the moment I knew I was into women, and that was when I developed a crush on Bette. She was a consultant I worked with briefly.” Lisa laughed as Stella whistled through her teeth. “What? It’s not that strange. A lot of people end up with their school sweethearts and never date anyone else.”
“I know. It’s just that you’ve been missing out. A lot.”
“That’s your opinion.” Lisa locked her eyes with Stella’s and Stella held her gaze for long moments. “What about you?”
