“I suppose it’s too far out of the way for tourists who stay along the coast, and conquering those narrow roads isn’t easy if you’re not used to it. Too much effort, maybe? It’s mainly the hikers who come here and you don’t really see them during the day as they’re out walking.” Stella took her bag out of the boot and Lisa took hers. As they walked into the town centre, she felt calm and happy at the serene scenes that played out around them. A group of elderly local women were drinking coffee on the terrace of a café, two men were playing a boardgame on the square at the end of the street and a couple of dog walkers were chatting while their dogs played together in the streets and alleyways that were safe for them to roam around as there was no traffic here.
With its white houses, serene lanes, flower filled stone beds and water springs twisting through the centre, it was an idyllic little town, and the handful of small churches in the quiet squares and a monastery that stretched around its outskirts added to the peaceful vibe. It was a little cooler here than in Benidorm, and the streets and squares were shaded by trees, canopies, parasols and the two and three-storey white buildings that were clustered close together. The facades of the town houses were well kept and presented with pride and love; little cast iron benches under the windows, wooden chairs and other small social areas where locals gossiped over their morning coffee.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Lisa said, squeezing Stella’s hand.
“I just thought you should experience it. If you want to soak up Spanish culture, it doesn’t get more authentic than this. The villages around here are so isolated from modern society that they don’t even compare to the rest of Spain.”
“I can see that.” Lisa looked excited as they strolled through the high street that only held a couple of traditional crafts shops, cafés and restaurants. Without even asking, the women in front of the café spotted their bags and pointed out the direction of the only hotel in town. Stella chatted to them for a while and enquired about restaurant recommendations before they headed towards the converted farm at the outskirts of the village, where they would sleep tonight.
Walking out of town, a lush green landscape of fields and pastures greeted them, the walls of the monastery stretching over the hills in the distance. The old farm consisted of three two-storey stone buildings, clustered in a half-circle around a courtyard with a well in the middle. The six rooms on the second floor overlooked the courtyard and the mountains and there was a little shop and a breakfast area on the ground floor. Sheep were grazing in the field in front of them, a huge, hairy pig was sleeping in the sun—not in the slightest bothered by the visitors—and chickens were roaming around freely in the courtyard.
“This is lovely.” Lisa gently nudged Stella, then planted a soft kiss on her temple. “Why did you say it was basic? It’s so incredibly romantic…”
“Well, I know you’re used to the finer things in life. But I suppose after Paradise you may have redefined your standards.”
Lisa laughed. “Hey, I’m not that bad.”
“I know you’re not, babe.” Stella held open the reception door for her. “Let’s check in and get some food, shall we? We can go for a hike tomorrow morning if you don’t mind getting up early again? The best time for wildlife watching is during sunrise.”
48
The spread of regional food made Lisa’s mouth water. The terrace tucked away in a courtyard on the outskirts of Pampaneira was lively, as if the whole town had suddenly awoken with a raging appetite. As the only non-locals in the place, they’d been the centre of attention when they arrived, subjected to both small talk and recommendations on what to order. The Alpujarran soup they’d tried as a starter had been superb, and now they were throwing themselves onto a variety of small dishes. The simple salad of thickly sliced local juicy tomatoes with a spicy dressing, the Jamón de Trevélez, the patatas a lo pobre ‘poor man’s potatoes’ with black pepper, the chickpea stew and the manchego cheese with chutney and fig bread were a delicious fusion between Moorish and Andalusian cuisine. A guitarist was jamming at one of the tables, while patrons sang along to their favourite songs and bought him beers to keep playing.
“This is so much fun. I’ve been on many holidays, but I’ve never done something as adventurous as this,” she said.
“Really?” Stella frowned as she took a sip of her ice-cold beer. “But you had a really good job and the opportunity to travel anywhere you wanted.”
“I know. But Sandrine preferred five-star hotels along the beach over off-the-grid places, and massages over hikes.” Lisa shrugged. “I didn’t blame her. She worked sixty hours a week and I wasn’t far behind.”
“And you? What did you want?”
“I guess I never put myself first,” Lisa said. “Maybe I should have.” She spooned more stew onto her plate and dipped the bread in its juices. “What about you? Have you travelled much?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. I mean, I used to travel regularly, but like most people, I haven’t been away in the past two years,” Stella said. “I used to jump at any opportunity to see new places. Although three weeks holiday in a year isn’t much, I still managed to get away once or twice a year, aside from my trips to Seville for the holidays. Sometimes I explored Europe and sometimes I went further away but now, even a short trip through the region feels like a holiday. Or maybe that’s just because you’re with me.”
“You’re sweet.” Lisa smiled and her stomach fluttered as their eyes met. “Or maybe you just needed reminding how versatile and beautiful your region is.”
“That too.” Stella reached over the table and traced a finger over Lisa’s arm.
“Should we be doing that? Especially here…” Lisa glanced around, but no one was paying attention to them.
“I’m not worried. Yes, the average age may be over fifty here but it’s still Spain, and Spain was the third country in the world to legalise gay marriage, after The Netherlands and Belgium. The Spanish are generally very open-minded when it comes to love.”
“I like that.” Lisa tilted her head and studied Stella. “And your parents? Are they as open-minded?”
“Seville is a very religious city, so I suppose their upbringing was slightly on the conservative side. It took them a while to get used to the idea, but overall, they just want me to be happy.”
“You’re lucky. So were mine. Have you ever brought a woman home?” Lisa asked.
“Once. I was dating this girl who really wanted to see Seville, so it seemed silly not to invite her to my parents’ house, even though it wasn’t very serious.” Stella shot Lisa a reassuring look. “So don’t worry; you won’t be the first girlfriend to set foot in their house and they’re long over the first shock of me dating women. But just like in your parents’ house, we’ll have to share a single bed.”
“You know I don’t have a problem with that.” Lisa chuckled and glanced over the menu. “Want to share some strawberries with me?”
“I do. But maybe we should ask them to bag them up and add some whipped cream.” Stella’s eyes sparkled with flirtation. “What do you think?”
“I think that’s a genius idea.” Lisa sat back, creating some space between them so she wouldn’t catch fire, because that was how she felt. Heat spread through her body each time they were together, each time they flirted, and each time Stella even as much as looked at her. It was quite puzzling how this woman was able to throw her off her game, erase her train of thoughts and turn her into a much younger version of herself in a matter of seconds. The younger version of herself that was curious and open to anything. The younger version of herself that was led by her intuition, rather than her brain. To just sit here and talk, not thinking about work, was refreshing and she was soaking up every moment with all her senses. “Dinner’s my treat by the way.” She beckoned the waiter over and ordered the strawberries, then looked at Stella to finish the order with the whipped cream as she had no idea how to say that. When she opened her handbag to find her credit card, her phone lit up, and her stomach dropped when she saw the name on the screen.Sandrine.She picked it up and read the message.‘Hi, hope you’re okay. Please call me when you have a moment.’
“Everything okay?” Stella asked. “You look startled.”
