70
Cycling along the spectacular rocky shoreline, they’d passed a ghost town before reaching the landmark of Arco de los Caletones; a group of big, basalt arches formed by the erosion of the sea that ran beneath, small farms and beautiful beaches. With the island being mostly flat, their mountain bikes moved easily over the unpaved paths. As there were no shops on the island apart from those in Caleta del Sebo, where they were staying, Marcy had water in her backpack and Zoe was carrying the towels they’d used after stopping off several times for a refreshing swim. They’d had a heavenly morning making love, snorkelling and they’d had breakfast by the harbour. Now they’d almost completed their fourteen-kilometre cycling route, enjoying the views and the sea breeze. To their left, the crystal-clear turquoise water of the Atlantic broke into white foam on the golden beach. It was in stark contrast to the darker, volcanic landscape inlands, that looked almost otherworldly in places. With only seven-hundred residents and nothing but dirt-tracks criss-crossing the island, it had felt like they’d stepped back in time from the moment they’d set foot in La Graciosa, and wearing the straw hats they’d bought at the supermarket, they fitted right in with the locals.
“I think I can see the village,” Marcy said, narrowing her eyes at the white buildings in the distance. Without any signal on her phone, there was no way she could check, but the routes were clearly marked with signs and following the shore most of the way, it was impossible to get lost.
“Thank God for that. I need to get out of the sun for a while.” Zoe caught up with her. “I might be the better swimmer, but you’re definitely beating me at this. I’m exhausted.”
“Poor baby. How about lunch in the shade?”
“Yes!” Zoe looked skyward and raised her hands from the handles. “Yes. I’m going to order a Coke and a cold beer and everything off the menu.”
“A cold beer sounds so good.” Marcy wiped the sweat off her forehead and was relieved to see the harbour as they followed the coastal path. The village was livelier later in the day, with a few day-trippers and locals drinking and dining on the main strip of sandy road and some of the bars were playing music. The pace of life in Caleta del Sebo was slow, with waiters drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes in between service and shop owners reading the paper or gossiping in front of their shops. They parked their bikes and headed for the first restaurant, where white tables overlooking the harbour stood in the shade of big parasols. Fishermen were drinking beer in their boats that were gently bobbing along the pier and a couple of old men were playing a board game on a folding table that they’d placed in the shade of the buildings. There were no children here; the average age was above fifty, and Marcy suspected the younger generations had moved away years ago to seek opportunities in Lanzarote, or on the mainland.
“Let’s see…” Zoe studied the menu on their table while they waited for the waiter to bring their drinks. “I love Canarian food.”
“Me too. Will you please order, chef?” Marcy chuckled as Zoe licked her lips. For a lean girl, she had a huge appetite and her natural curiosity and passion for food led her to try just about anything once. Since being with her, Marcy’s own love of food had grown, and she’d become more aware of what she was eating and where the food came from. And when it came to freshness and sustainability, it didn’t get any better than right here, where the fish was cooked straight from the ocean.
They chatted to the waiter about the cycling route and the weather while they sipped their beers and twenty minutes later, their table was filled with salted potatoes with mojo picón, a bell pepper-based sauce, barbecued octopus and shrimp skewers, grilled sardines, deep-fried smoky goats’ cheese with lemon and a crisp green salad.
“This has been so nice,” Zoe said as she scooped more food onto her plate. “I could easily stay here much longer with you.” She chuckled and shook her head.
“What’s so funny?” Marcy asked, regarding Zoe’s amused expression.
“I hardly dare say it, but I’m also looking forward to seeing those little troublemakers again. I hope they’re okay.”
Marcy threw her head back and laughed. “I know what you mean; I’ve been thinking about them too. But I think the real question is, is Rico okay? Being with them day and night can’t have been easy.”
“I think he’s enjoying himself. He loves to be in nature, and he doesn’t have much outside space where he lives. And you said he could bring his wife and kids over in the day, right?”
“I did. He told me his kids would love the pool, so I’m sure they’re having fun.” Marcy stretched her leg out under the table and ran her foot over Zoe’s. “So, you want to come away with me again?”
“Yes.” Zoe’s eyes sparkled with flirtation. “And you can bring that toy of yours anytime too.”
“You really like the toy, huh?” Marcy lifted her leg higher and wedged it between Zoe’s thighs. The memories of last night and this morning made her ache with longing, and she was dying to rip the clothes off Zoe’s sexy body. “Well, we still have another whole night to make as much noise as we want.”
71
Over the past few weeks, more and more of Zoe’s things were left behind. Her toiletries, a small weekend bag, a hair dryer and today, the most recent addition that caught Marcy’s eye, a bigger suitcase with more clothes. Since Zoe slept here most nights, it was simply easier for her to have some clothes here, so she didn’t have to go home before work in the morning.
When Marcy started the journey of building the cave house, she’d never envisioned herself living here with someone else. Her dream was simplicity and minimalist living; nothing would enter her sacred space that she didn’t really need. She wanted a home with no distractions in the form of clutter so she could fully appreciate the view and the beautiful cave that had everything she needed. It was the very reason that, despite building a small wardrobe into one of the alcoves, she hadn’t built much storage in the first place as straight lines in the form of closets would disturb the organic flow of the walls and the roof. Now, she realised, there was nowhere to put Zoe’s things that were piled up in a corner.
It didn’t annoy her in the sense that she didn’t want the stuff here, because she did, and it made her happy to see that Zoe was making herself at home. It bothered her that she didn’t have the means to make it more comfortable for her. Because what she hadn’t understood when she embarked on the journey of building her dream home, was that a home was for love as much as it was for living, and she couldn’t see a future here without Zoe anymore. Not only had her presence brought her joy and happiness it felt like she had a family, someone to share her incredible home with.
“You guys going out again?” she asked Tank, who blatantly ignored her as she passed her. “Okay, never mind me; I just live here.” Tank went outside with the kittens on her heel, but instead of turning right to explore the side of the house as usual, they went left, into the hills. Marcy didn’t think much of it; they always came back after two hours or so and she was grateful for the time she had to get some cleaning done. Zoe wouldn’t be home tonight; she was attending a supplier conference in Barcelona over the weekend, so maybe this was an opportunity to plan some changes.
Where to fit a wardrobe?Marcy studied the walls and walked over to the corner. It was a funny space that she’d turned into a reading nook with a chair, a small coffee table and a lamp. She rarely used it; she didn’t have much time to read and if she did, she preferred to sit outside. It was a decent space for a shelving unit, and since Zoe had told her she didn’t have much in general, she may be able to put her clothes there. Then there was the shed, of course—where she could erect some temporary rails—or she could elevate the bed, making drawers that could be hidden underneath.
Grabbing a measuring tape and a note pad, she went to work and made a plan. The materials were there already; she had some beautiful, rough wood left that she’d used for floorboards, and she could even make a nice hanging rail with the off cuts from the copper plumbing pipes she’d used throughout the cave. She recognized the sound of Rico’s car and waited for him to appear in the doorway.
“Hey, Marcy. I was in the neighbourhood, so I thought I’d check in.”
“Hi there. You really have trouble staying away, don’t you?” Marcy joked. “You just missed them; they left for their daily outing about five minutes ago. They went the other way.”
“You mean up the hill?”
“Yes.” The frown on Rico’s face made Marcy uncomfortable. “Why? Is that a bad thing?”
“No, no. It’s not bad at all. It means they’re venturing out of their comfort zone so that’s great.” He hesitated. “But don’t be surprised if they don’t come back. It’s actually the reason I stopped by today. I’ve seen their behaviour change over the past week; they’ve become a lot more confident.”
