“A clean bed,” Marcy added with a wink. “How about an island?”
“Yes. An island. Beach, a hammock, a book….” Zoe shot her a mischievous grin. “Are there islands without cats by any chance?”
“Stop it, you two. I’m getting jealous.” Rico put a hand on Marcy’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Seriously, though. Get that trip booked and let me know when you’re planning on heading out. If you want a really quiet break, I can recommend La Graciosa. My mother’s family is from there.” He scrolled through his phone to show them a picture. “There’s nothing but virgin beaches, volcanic landscape, a fishing village, a handful of restaurants and a couple of guest houses. No cars, no noise and nothing to do but explore the island by foot or bike.”
“I like the sound of that.” Zoe gasped as she looked at the photos. “Oh my, this is stunning. I know of La Graciosa, but I’ve never looked it up or considered going there.”
“It’s a little slice of paradise and very under the radar with tourists.” Rico shrugged. “My uncle has a guest house there and it’s very private. I can get you a good deal, if it’s available? It tends to be available out of season as the island isn’t really a destination.”
“Thank you, that would be lovely,” Marcy said, already imagining herself having romantic dinners and going on long beach walks with Zoe. They needed this time together, especially now that everything was still so fresh.
Zoe took a deep breath and rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan. “Okay, I have a plan,” she said. “We’ll have a beer while we look at flights and accommodation. Rico, if you wouldn’t mind ringing your uncle, that would be lovely. Once those little rascals have finished their meal, we’ll clean up this mess.”
67
The village lay sleepily before them as Zoe and Marcy stepped off the ferry and followed the stone pier to the harbour of Caleta de Sebo. Apart from two women carrying shopping bags, they’d been the only two people on the ferry that only ran twice a day out of season.
White homes were clustered close together in a semicircle around the harbour with only a few small businesses in between; all were graced with beautifully painted blue window frames. A couple of restaurants were just opening up for the day and a fisherman was doing his rounds. If this was anything to go by, Rico had certainly not exaggerated when he said it was quiet, and Zoe already felt the stress of the past months fall off her shoulders. It wasn’t just the sleepless nights and coming out to her parents; work had been so hectic in the start-up period that she’d often had to work six long days a week and she really deserved a break.
A man holding a wheelbarrow with a big parasol attached waved from the shore and introduced himself as Panchi. “Welcome to La Graciosa,” he said with a heavy lisp and a big, almost toothless smile. “Please put your bags in here and I will take you to your place.” He flinched against the sun as he looked over his shoulder. “So, you know Rico? I heard about the lynx.”
“Yes, by now I know him really well. We’ve spent a lot of time together since the kittens were born,” Marcy said. “Thank you for picking us up. You didn’t have to do that; those bags aren’t heavy.”
“Just wait and see; there’s no natural shade on the island so it’s way too warm to be dragging bags around, and besides, we don’t really have an address system here so you probably wouldn’t have found it.” The wheelbarrow rattled loudly on the sandy path as they followed him out of the village.
“Have you noticed anything different?” Marcy said, curiously taking in their surroundings.
“Well, it’s very pretty.” Zoe pointed to the black hills in the background. “And the landscape looks volcanic.”
“No. I mean, of course it’s pretty; but there’s no asphalt.”
“That’s right.” Panchi stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow before he continued. “We don’t have any real roads and no cars. There are a couple of four-by-four taxis; I’ll give you the number. You can also cycle; the accommodation comes with two bikes. It’s only forty-five kilometres to cycle around the entire island.”
“Great.” Marcy quickened her pace to catch up with him. “Would you like me to take over from you?”
“No need. I prefer the shade of the parasol.” Panchi grinned. “Shade is another thing we don’t have here. You can buy caps or sunhats in the village supermarket if you didn’t bring one.” He pointed to a detached, white cottage on the edge of the cliff before them. “This is the cottage. You’ll have everything you need there and the water by the beach to the left is safe to swim in. You’re almost guaranteed to have the beach to yourself, and the seabed is incredibly rich in sea life so it’s fantastic for snorkelling. There is some snorkelling gear in the storage room but if you prefer to buy your own, they also sell the basics in the supermarket.”
Zoe smiled at the sight of the quaint, white cottage with cobalt blue windowsills and a thatched roof. It was romantic in every sense, and the views were spectacular. “It’s beautiful.”
“You will like the ocean-facing side even more,” Panchi said, parking the wheelbarrow and letting them in. “It’s small but sweet and then there’s this…” He walked ahead of them through the open-plan kitchen and living room—that was small and cosy with simple, neutral décor and accentuated with sweet little local touches in the form of local art and tapestry. When he opened the curtains and the sliding doors to the back of the house, light poured in from the small, shaded terrace that looked out over the sea, the coastline to their left and parts of the village to their right. Under a white linen canopy stood a dining table and two chairs, and there was a padded, ratan sofa along the right side of the terrace surrounded by a white, stone wall that was decorated with intricate patterns. Flowerpots had been placed around the area and the orange hibiscus and leafy plants brought a splash of colour to the neutral palette, enhancing the blue of the sea behind them. “You’ve seen the kitchen and the living room and there’s a bedroom, a bathroom and a storage room by the entrance where the bikes and other stuff is kept. All pretty straightforward. Have a look around and let me know if you have any questions.”
“That won’t be necessary, it’s perfect,” Marcy said, taking the keys from him. “Thank you.”
“Very well, then. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll text you the taxi number. Most of the restaurants open soon…” He checked his watch. “Around midday, and the cafés are open for breakfast. Have a lovely stay, ladies.”
Zoe sighed in delight when they were alone, and Marcy put an arm around her and pulled her in. “When was the last time you had a real break away?”
“I don’t even remember,” Marcy said. “I went to the UK last year, but I wouldn’t call that a break as it’s rather stressful staying in my grandmother’s house with the whole family. What about you?”
“I went to Macao for four days when I lived in Hong Kong but that was before the pandemic, so it’s been years for me too.” Zoe inched a hand under Marcy’s shirt and stroked her back. They were alone at last, and the way Marcy looked at her made her weak in the knees. “Are you hungry? We could go for lunch or…” She shot her a mischievous smile. “Or shall we check out the bedroom first?”
68
“This is the life.” Marcy handed Zoe a glass of chilled, white wine and sat next to her on the terrace sofa. “My beautiful girlfriend, great sex, terrific food, a glass of verdejo and a sunset that takes my breath away. It couldn’t get any better.” The magic hour with the sun sinking behind a cliff at the tip of the island really was a spectacular sight, and she felt blessed to be spending this moment with Zoe. A palette of vivid colours settled across the horizon, painting the ocean in an array of colours from bright orange to red and deep purple. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Zoe, who looked mesmerizing in the light of dusk. Zoe was wearing a short, navy summer dress that bared her tanned legs and cute feet with red painted toenails, and a chunky cardigan as it was chilly once the sun started to set.
“I’m so happy.” Zoe snuggled closer to her. “We should do this again, but longer once I feel confident leaving my head chef in charge at El Escondite. Four days just isn’t enough. I could stay here for weeks with you.”
“We’ll go on many, many holidays together, I promise.” Marcy put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “I’ve never had someone I wanted to explore the world with.”
