“A little place ten minutes from here. It’s where I like to have coffee and read the papers on my days off.” Stella pointed to a huge pile of newspapers under Lisa’s feet.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I thought it was old rubbish.” Lisa picked them up, dusted off the sole marks from her trainers and placed them on her lap.
Stella laughed. “No need to be precious about them; they’re usually in a worse state when my cats have gotten hold of them.”
“So many,” Lisa mumbled, going through them.
“Twelve from all over the world to be precise.” Stella winked. “I like to stay informed, but I hate being on my phone the whole time.”
Lisa looked at her with interest. “Twelve newspapers, huh? You must be very informed indeed.” She smiled. “And how many cats?”
“Five at the moment.” Stella took a left turn and drove down towards the coast. “They come and go. I take on some of the stray ones and they tend to stick around.”
“Five?” Lisa laughed out loud for the first time, and Stella felt weirdly proud for being the cause of it. It was an honest and lovely laugh and going on Lisa’s reaction as she slammed a hand in front of her mouth, she suspected she hadn’t laughed in a while. “I somehow have trouble picturing you as a cat lady.”
“Yeah, well, even though I hate to admit it, I probably am. Do you have pets?”
“No. I’ve always wanted a dog, but…” Lisa fell silent and stopped herself. “No, I don’t have any pets. I love animals, though.”
“Me too.” Stella steered her white Beetle into the curb and parked in her usual spot. “Sorry, no more personal questions, I promise. Anyway, here we are.”
“This looks lovely.” Lisa glanced over the pebbled beach and the small café built on a concrete platform right by the water’s edge. The building was painted in a soft pink and covered in wisteria. Surrounded by palms and tropical plants, it looked like the perfect little hideaway. “Your local?”
“Something like that. It’s nice to get out of town sometimes.”
“It’s beautiful. Do they have iced lattes? I haven’t had one of those in weeks.”
Stella smiled as she got out of the car and held open the door for Lisa. “Yes, they have the best iced lattes, and it’s on me.”
10
The coastline was gorgeous and rustic here, with wild rock formations that rose from the sea and the waves splashing up against them, leaving a trail of cool condensation in the air. Lisa took in a deep breath, cherishing the tranquillity as she took in the premises. The cute coffee house blended in beautifully with the outdoor terrace that was laid with artisanal, patterned grey, soft pink and cream coloured Cristobal tiles. Natural pigments and materials were used throughout, from the fabric on the canopies to the cushions on the robust wooden benches, and light grey, linen curtains were blowing out of the open doors as Stella walked out with two coffees.
“Here you go.” Stella put a huge, iced latte in front of her and handed her a straw.
“Thank you so much. Next one is on me.” Lisa shot her a smile and took a sip, then searched for a pen in her handbag before she openedTheTimes.“Mind if I do the crossword?” She watched Stella run a hand through her hair again and wondered if it really was a nervous thing, or just a habit. The wind had blown it into a messy do and she looked cute. A fleeting thought about Stella possibly being gay crossed her mind, but she shook it off as it seemed pointless to speculate. It wasn’t like she was interested; she had way bigger things on her mind right now than women, and the last thing she needed was some fling that would turn highly awkward as they’d be seeing each other at the hotel every day.
“Go ahead. That one is way too difficult for me.” Stella pulled theChina Morning Postfrom the pile and flicked through it, then focused on an article that caught her attention.
Lisa turned to her crossword, surprised that Stella seemed to know exactly what she needed. This way, they wouldn’t have to talk, and at the same time, it was nice to have the company. She hadn’t done a crossword in years. Not because she didn’t enjoy it, but because she hadn’t taken the time to relax and allow herself to do something entertaining and pointless just for the sake of it. In the past years, there had always been work, commuting, social obligations, household chores, and all those little things that got in the way of alone time. Sandrine considered anything that didn’t lead to a gain of some sort as a waste of time and without knowing, Lisa had taken over that mindset herself. Things were different now, she reminded herself. She’d had more than enough time to relax since she’d arrived, but having been so set on finding a job, she hadn’t given herself any slack.
Hours passed while Stella read, occasionally making a remark about something in the news that led to a short discussion. Lisa asked her for word suggestions in return and it soon became clear that Stella had been underselling herself when she’d told her it was too difficult for her. It was a strange way of spending the morning with a potential new friend—barely talking—but Lisa felt at ease in Stella’s company, and the serene setting calmed her.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and as it neared midday, it was starting to get very warm. She searched for a hairband in her handbag and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “I’m so hot,” she said, fanning her face.
“Yes, you are.” Stella laughed as she put her newspaper down and used one of the three ashtrays the waiter had brought over to weigh it down. “Sorry, that was a dumb joke. But you are,” she added, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as if cursing herself. “Want to go for a swim?”
“A swim?” Lisa blushed and nervously chuckled at the ‘hot’ comment that had come out of nowhere. Avoiding Stella’s eyes, she glanced at the sea instead, not wanting her to see how much that had startled her. The idea of a swim with Stella suddenly seemed incredibly intimate, even though she knew she was imagining things. “But we don’t have towels and it looks really rocky.”
“We don’t need towels; we can dry in the sun, and yes, it’s rocky but I know where to go in. I’ve done it before.” Stella pointed to the bikini strings that were tied together at the back of Lisa’s neck. “I see you’re already wearing your swimming costume and I have suntan lotion in the car, so you won’t have to worry about that either.”
“I have some in my handbag too,” Lisa said, her heart beating even faster now. What was wrong with her? Why was she overanalysing a joke? And why was she suddenly thinking of Stella applying suntan lotion onto her back?
“Well?” Stella stripped off right in front of her, leaving her clothes on her chair, and Lisa tried really hard not to stare. She hadn’t seen Stella in her swimwear; she always wore her Paradise uniform at work, and she hadn’t been prepared for the indulgence of a hot woman in a bikini. Because if she was honest with herself, Stella was sexy as hell.
“Okay.” She stood up, took off her trainers and stripped off her dress, conscious of Stella’s eyes on her.Nothing she hasn’t seen before,she reminded herself. “What about my handbag?”
Stella yelled something in Spanish at the barista, and he yelled back at her and gave her a thumbs up. “Sebastián will look after it.” She started walking down the cement steps that led to the thin strip of shelled beach and gestured for Lisa to follow her. Her behind looked deliciously perky in the boy shorts. Her shoulders were definitely swimmer’s shoulders; broad and muscular, and her arms were toned and strong. Lisa tiptoed after her, careful not to cut her feet on the shells as she stepped onto the beach, now admiring Stella’s abs as she turned slightly to look over her shoulder. “This spot right here isn’t too bad.”
