Lisa frowned as she let his words sink in. She’d never thought she’d hear those words from her brother’s mouth. Sure; he had girlfriends, but it never led to anything serious, and he’d never talked about grown-up things like buying a house or moving to the countryside. “You really have changed.”
“Yes, I have,” he said plainly. “I’m grateful for my life and that’s the best place to be when starting over. So, don’t fret about what you don’t have, look at what youdohave and create your life around it. If this woman makes you happy, go for it. Why not look for a job in Spain? Even if it’s in Barcelona or Madrid, at least you’ll be closer to her.”
“It’s a little early for that. As I said, it’s not serious. Anyway, the job market here is even worse than in the UK.”
“Then create a job. You’re an expert, so why not start your own business?”
Lisa thought about that and realised he was right. There was no reason why she couldn’t attempt to work for herself. She had contacts in all the right places, a wealth of experience and knowledge and she didn’t need starting capital to present herself as a consultant.
“You’re buffering,” Fergi joked when she remained silent.
“I am. Frankly, I’ve never heard you talk so much sense and I’m looking forward to meeting the new and improved Fergi.”
“You’d be surprised. I’m even thinking of cutting my hair short,” he joked. “But seriously, Lisa, you make your own destiny. In life there’s no such thing as luck, only hard work and determination. But if you love what you do, it will be a hell of a lot easier.”
27
“Do you need a rest?” Stella asked. “I’m not sure making a woman walk for two hours just for a view is appropriate, even if that view is worth it in my opinion.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s really pretty here.” Lisa shielded her eyes from the sun as she glanced up at the last bit of hill before them.
“Okay. But let me know if you get tired.” Peñón de Ifach, also known as Calpe Rock, is one of the most famous sights along the Costa Blanca,” Stella told her. “It would be a shame not to experience it when you’re staying so close.” The hike was intense, and she was glad they’d left early, before the heat of the day would kick in. They’d seen beautiful, rare plants and flowers, including wild orchids and brugmansia, and a falcon was circling overhead. Lavender grew along both sides of the narrow path they followed, attracting bees and colourful butterflies. Dotted over the hill were pine trees that grew horizontally on the slope; their trunks curling around their own base in places.
“As I said, I’ll welcome any opportunity to get out of the hotel and believe it or not, I love long walks, especially through beautiful landscapes.” Lisa smiled as she turned to Stella. “Anyway, finish the story you were telling me. What did the police say about the tattoos?”
“Right.” Stella adjusted her rucksack and pulled her cap further over her forehead. “They’re going over to the tattoo parlour today to talk to the owner and said they would arrange for the ladies to get their money back. The damage is already done but still…”
“Won’t they lose their licence?”
“They might. I’m not sure how close the owners are to the police. It’s not really corrupt here, but it’s not like in the UK either, so we’ll see.”
“I saw the woman with the big bandage by the pool yesterday. She looked pretty miserable; I was wondering what had happened to her.”
“You should have seen it.” Stella couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head. “It was seriously bad. It looked like some random weirdo on acid, inked by a drunk artist with very little talent for anatomy or anything else for that matter.”
Lisa laughed along as she glanced at Stella. “You don’t have any tattoos, I noticed. It’s quite rare in this day and age.”
“No, I’m all natural.” Stella shot her a flirty look, fixing her eyes on Lisa’s mouth. She wanted to kiss her badly, but early hikers kept coming from the opposite direction. They hadn’t kissed this morning when Stella picked her up, perhaps because kissing was one of those strange things that defined the fine line between casual and something more and neither of them knew exactly how to behave in the physical sense now that they were just hanging out.
“That makes two of us. But maybe I should get my first one before I return to the UK. “Benidorm. Been there, don that,” Lisa joked.
“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to stop you from waltzing into Beni Tattoo if you ever hit the tequila at Pit Stop,” Stella retorted. “Although you having a drink at Pit Stop seems just as unlikely as the idea of you getting a ridiculous tattoo.”
“True. There are many things I’d rather do than setting a foot in Pit Stop,” Lisa said with a chuckle. “Last time I walked past there a woman was flashing her boobs at anyone who was willing to look.”
“I’ve seen it so many times that it doesn’t even shock me anymore. Do you miss London?”
“No, actually. I just miss a slightly bigger space, that’s all. And a kitchen, I miss that too. I didn’t cook very often, but now that I don’t have the amenities, I find myself wanting to cook and I’m longing for a fridge to keep a good bottle of white wine. It’s funny, isn’t it? How we never really appreciate things until we lose them. My brother’s accident made me realise I was lucky to have my health, and so my dreams are smaller nowadays. Before, I wanted a bigger flat in a nicer location, a better car and maybe another designer handbag. Now, all I want is a job, a social life and a place to live.”
“It’s a beautiful thing to realise you can do with less. It takes away the pressure.” Stella put a hand on her back as they climbed the last bit of the path and gestured to the remains of an old wall on the top of the hill. “Calpe Rock used to be a watchtower—a vantage point to spot pirates and intruders. The crumbled walls date all the way back to the fourteenth century.”
“Wow.” Lisa took a moment to catch her breath as they reached the top, then followed Stella to the edge of the cliff. “I can see why they used this place. The views are incredible.”
“Yeah. It’s quite spectacular.” Stella smiled as she looked over the Bay of Calpe, the Mediterranean Sea and the magnificent shoreline that were a welcome reward after the climb. The cliffs were steep, and it smelled so good up here, where the sea breeze mingled with the rosemary, lavender and juniper growing at the top of the rock. When the only other two people up there started descending again, her core fluttered, and she hoped they would get at least a couple of minutes to themselves. “See that tiny little dot there to the east?” she asked, coming up behind Lisa as she pointed it out. Her chin rested on Lisa’s shoulder while her hand snaked around her waist and, God, it felt good to have her close.
“Yes.” Lisa shivered and leaned back against her.
“That’s Ibiza. You can only see it on a clear day.” Stella nuzzled Lisa’s neck and inhaled against her skin. It was fine, she decided then, because Lisa’s body language didn’t lie; she wanted this as much as she did.
