Zoe nodded. “Confession?”
“Yes?”
“I used to swoon over you whenever you were sitting at the bar with your friend. You were always with the same girl, but I knew you weren’t together because you were way too flirty for that. I don’t even remember what she looked like, but I do vividly remember the younger version of you. I’d been watching you for months, but you never recognised me. You knew all the other bartenders; I even think you knew them by name, but never me.”
“I’m sorry.” Marcy swallowed hard. “I had no idea.”
“Don’t be sorry. You couldn’t have known, and you didn’t owe me anything. I’m not trying to guilt-trip you, but you were the first girl I fell in love with.” Zoe chuckled. “And I don’t mean just a crush; you were on my mind twenty-four seven. “I was so shy that it took me months to work up the courage to talk to you.”
“You asked me for my name.”
Zoe smiled. “You remember.”
“Yes, I do now.” If Zoe wasn’t trying to guilt-trip her like she said, she’d failed, because Marcy felt guilt like never before.
“I already knew your name, of course, since I had a thing for you,” Zoe continued. “And when you smiled at me and asked me for mine, it was like I lost all sense of logic. I’d never felt anything like that before.” She paused. “And making love to you on the beach was magical. They say your first time is never great, but it was amazing to me. It was just the aftermath that was shitty.”
“Because you never saw me again,” Marcy said, finishing her story.
“Yes. I waited for weeks for you to show up again. You used to come in every Friday, but you were clearly avoiding me.”
“I wasn’t avoiding you.” Marcy met her eyes. “My friend moved to Barcelona. She was the one who always insisted that we meet there as it was right next to her parents’ house.”
“But you obviously didn’t want to see me again. If you had, you would have returned.”
“That’s true.” Marcy reached for Zoe’s hand, and the effect of her touch shot something warm and electric through her entire body. “I didn’t really see you and I was way too absorbed with my own sudden popularity. I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t know it was your first time. I guess I just assumed everyone was like me.”
Zoe shrugged. “I owe you an apology too. I’ve been too harsh on you; you didn’t really do anything wrong. I was all up for it, and it wasn’t like we were dating. But it still hurt, you know? And when I saw you again after so many years, I just got really fucking angry, remembering how used I’d felt back then. So, I’m sorry too. I was unreasonable, and my behaviour was totally out of line.” She bit her lip and Marcy could have sworn she was staring at her mouth for a split second. “I just thought you should know, so you understand why I behaved the way I did. Can we just put this behind us now? I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“I’d like that.” Marcy’s smile returned and she shifted too, mimicking Zoe’s body language. “And now that I don’t have to worry about you throwing that drink in my face, maybe you could tell me more about yourself?”
Zoe laughed and tilted her head. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything. What happened between the age of seventeen and now?”
“A lot. I worked in that bar to pay my way through catering college. My parents weren’t wealthy, so I had to work hard but I made it through. And then I got an internship in Barcelona and lived with my aunt and uncle on my father’s side while I was there. The restaurant got a Michelin star and although that certainly wasn’t down to me, as I was basically at the bottom of the command chain, it still looked great on my CV. So, then I got a job in Madrid as a chef de partie and stayed there for two years before moving to Copenhagen where I worked for another amazing restaurant. They had huge gardens surrounding the restaurant, which was an old, converted factory, where they grew all the produce themselves and I was a sous chef there.”
“Wow, you’ve led a very interesting life. And you were in Hong Kong too, right?” Marcy asked.
“Yes. First, I came back here because I missed Spain and my friends and parents, but after a couple of years I felt this pull to go and explore my roots. I’d been to Hong Kong a couple of times before to visit my family from my mum’s side, and the city, the culture and the food always fascinated me.” Zoe smiled. “I got a job in a fancy hotel with a fantastic restaurant. I knew the basics of Asian cooking through my mum, but it was interesting to dig deeper and refine my palette and skills, so all in all, it was an invaluable learning experience.”
“Why did you come back now?”
“Same story. I missed Spain.” Zoe sighed. “My parents couldn’t visit me over the pandemic, so I hadn’t seen them for two years. I’ve always considered myself this free spirit who could live anywhere but when it comes down to it, there’s no place like home.”
“True,” Marcy agreed. “So, your mother is Chinese and your father?”
“He’s Spanish. They met here. My mum came to Spain to study and never left. Where she’s from, it’s important for women to study but as soon as you find a man, family comes first.” Zoe shrugged. “She’s still a housewife and she loves it, so I suppose it was the right move for her. My mum really missed me too, so that was also part of the reason I came back.”
“That’s sweet of you.” Marcy was about to ask the next question but fell silent when she saw two butterflies flying their way. She gasped when one of them landed on Zoe’s hair. “Sorry, random question, but are you aware that you attract butterflies?”
“Yes.” Zoe glanced up and smiled. “It’s my organic shampoo; my mum makes it. It’s rich with pollen and nectar and it’s really good for my hair. She never set out to create it with the aim to attract butterflies; it was just a coincidence, but she thought it was so magical to see me surrounded by them that she kept making it and she’s never shared the recipe with anyone. I’ve loved butterflies ever since they came into my life from a very young age, so I keep washing my hair with it. If you love something, why not attract it?”
“That’s just incredible. You do realise this could make your mum very, very rich, right?”
“She’s not interested in selling the idea or manufacturing any of her herbal medicines. If lots of people started using them, it may affect the eco system; there’s no way of knowing what would happen. But one person occasionally confusing the odd butterfly here and there shouldn’t do any harm. They think I’m a flower, but they soon realise that I’m not. That’s why they never stick around for very long. It does give me a few precious moments to admire them, though.”
“It’s magical,” Marcy said, even more fascinated by Zoe now.
