“I’m a chef,” Zoe said. “I’m starting at that hotel they’re renovating down the strip.”
“The one behind Paradise Hotel?” He nodded. “I know Marcy, the site manager. I play golf with her father. She’s a nice woman, always in a good mood.”
“Yes…” Zoe felt her stomach sink again. “She is,” she lied, and finished her beer. She’d come here for distraction, not to talk about the very person she was trying to avoid. She put a five Euro note on the bar and got off her stool before he had a chance to strike up a conversation about Marcy, who was obviously way more popular than she deserved to be.
“You don’t want another one?” he asked as she walked off. “It’s on me. Any friend of Marcy’s is a friend of mine.”
“Thank you, but I’ve got stuff to do.” Zoe smiled and hoped he wouldn’t see her distress. “Have a lovely day.”
9
The four men Marcy had hired to help her finish the pool at the cave house were packing up their tools. The temperature was warm today and the labour had been intense, so they’d had to stop every hour to hydrate and step into the shade for ten minutes. They only had about two hours of work left, but it was five pm and that only meant two things to Spanish workers: a shower and a beer. Overtime was not a word in their vocabulary. Thankfully, they’d agreed to come back tomorrow, even though most of them didn’t normally work on Sundays.
“Thank you so much,” she said, giving them a grateful smile as they climbed into their trucks. They weren’t very talkative, but they did insist on having the radio on loud while they worked, and as soon as they disappeared, Marcy turned off the music and took a deep breath, welcoming her favourite sound: nature. The wind carried beautiful birdsong from the small outcrop of trees further down the hill, and although the sun was still high, crickets could be heard chirping as they rubbed their wings.
She went inside to grab a bottle of water from her fridge and stared out at the near-finished pool, imagining it filled with cool water. God, what she wouldn’t give for a swim right now. Rolling her shoulders, she sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her legs. With a seven am start, there was no way she’d do any more work today; her body could only handle so much. Checking her phone, Marcy grinned when she saw a message from Abby, her mother’s best friend.
‘I’m alone tonight. Want to meet up?’
Abby and her mother ran a gallery together in Altea, and Marcy went there once a week to share a bottle of wine with them while they caught up with locals and chatted to tourists. What her mother didn’t know was that Abby and Marcy occasionally met up for a bit of fun between the sheets. It all started when Marcy drove Abby home one night after she’d had too much wine. She confessed she’d always wanted to sleep with a woman, and with Marcy being Marcy, she was more than happy to help her mum’s attractive friend satisfy her curiosity. Since Abby was married, she didn’t have to worry about it getting serious between them and that was refreshingly simple. Abby also knew exactly what Marcy was like, she didn’t get jealous, and she had no intention of leaving her husband, ever.
‘What time?’Marcy typed, then waited for the standard reply.
‘8 pm, my place.’The message was followed by a saucy picture of Abby’s cleavage in a red, lace push-up bra.
‘Mmm… I’m looking forward to it. See you later.’Marcy chuckled as she finished the message with a wink emoji. A night with Abby was exactly what she needed after her long day. What they were doing was wrong, of course, but that was Abby’s problem to worry about, not hers, and besides, who knew what her husband was up to while he was away on his business trips?
A strange noise in the distance made her look up from her phone, and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to work out what direction it was coming from. It sounded like an animal, but it was like nothing she’d ever heard. Again, a strange cry; first high-pitched, then lower, like a growl. Getting up, she headed for the end of the terrace and realised it was coming from the trees. Bears and wolves hadn’t been seen in the area in decades, so she had no idea what it could be. A cat perhaps? When she heard the cry for the third time, Marcy decided to head in the direction of the noise. If it was a wounded cat, she’d never be able to relax tonight if she hadn’t done everything in her power to save it.
After about ten minutes, Marcy continued to follow the sound. Walking through the undergrowth she used a stick to scare away any snakes that might be hiding in the tall grasses, and continued to scan the dry dusty soil until she got to the densely wooded area. Grateful for the shade, she stood very still, waiting for the sound again. It was quiet, and she suspected whatever animal was in trouble, sensed she was near. Five minutes passed, then ten, until finally she heard it again. There was no doubt in her mind this was a cat now, and after a thorough search in which she stopped regularly to look for movement, she finally saw a branch shake.
Approaching the pile of branches quietly, Marcy spotted a tail with a bushy, black tip.
“Hey there, kitty. Are you okay?” she whispered. From the back, the animal looked like it was stuck between two big branches from a fallen tree, but Marcy gasped when she walked around the creature and saw it wasn’t just an injured cat. It was an Iberian lynx.Although the government had been pushing the breeding and release program around Spain, she’d never expected to encounter one, especially not around here. Unsure whether it was safe to get closer—it was a wild animal after all—Marcy took in the situation from a distance. The lynx appeared to be trapped between two branches, with another bough over its back, pushing the poor creature down. She could lift it, which would probably allow it to escape, but that meant she’d have to stand right next to it. “Please don’t attack me,” she mumbled, as she took a step closer. Bracing herself for an attempt at escape, she was surprised when it remained still and quiet, as if resigned to its fate.
Marcy took another step towards it and held her breath. Her ankle was right next to its head now, and the animal hissed. “It’s okay,” she whispered, then lifted the top branch. It was heavy, but she managed to steady it against the tree trunk, so it remained upright. The lynx wiggled a little but was still unable to move. Feeling more at ease now, she went to work moving the troublesome shrubbery before she finally removed the last heavy branch.
“Go on, then.” For a split second, they locked eyes, and she had a crazy feeling the lynx wasn’t scared of her. It slowly began to move and stretch its back but didn’t run. It looked skinny and had quite possibly been trapped amongst the trees since the last storm, almost a week ago. “I’d pick you up, take you home and feed you, kitty, but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.” Marcy sat down next to it and sighed, suspecting it was hurt. She’d have to find out who to call and get help. Surely there were charities that took care of wounded wild animals or perhaps the local veterinary practice would know. She couldn’t see any blood, but the fact that the lynx wasn’t attempting to run away meant something was definitely wrong. Remembering she’d brought her bottle of water, Marcy reached for it, poured some into a natural hollow that had been formed from an old tree stump and stepped back. The lynx’s head moved back in fear, then forward again as it sniffed the air before leaning in and licking the water from the makeshift bowl.
“That’s a good kitty,” Marcy whispered. She poured more water until her bottle was empty, then called one of her friends who had worked in wildlife conservation to find out what to do next.
* * *
Hours had passed and it was almost eight when she finally heard a car driving up the road. She’d been given the number of a ranger based in the Serra Gelada Natural Park and he told her to stay put and that he would send someone along. When she heard voices near, she let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m here!” she stood up and yelled a couple of times so they could follow the sound of her voice. Her behind hurt from sitting on the hard ground and she was hungry, thirsty and tired.Fuck.I’m going to be late for my date.
The sound of Marcy shouting and the approaching rangers seemed to startle the lynx, and to her surprise, it jumped up and ran off.
“I’m really sorry,” she said when they got to her. “It literally just disappeared back into the woods. Maybe it’s okay after all.”
10
Zoe swelled with pride as she looked over the brigade of staff she’d hired. It was the first time she had gathered them in the kitchen together, and they’d spent the morning introducing themselves to each other and getting acquainted over coffee and fresh croissants. They weren’t the best chefs in the country, and they didn’t have the most impressive CVs, as her budget didn’t allow for that, but they all had one thing in common; they had a fantastic palette and a passion for food. And that meant they had potential to be great. She would be responsible for their performance, but also for the joy they derived from working here. Because a happy team would make her job a hell of a lot easier.
The vibe was great, and there was even some banter going on. It didn’t feel like a first meet-up at all and as she had soon discovered some of her team already knew each other having worked together in other local establishments.
“So, we’re finally going to see those menus you’ve been tempting us with,” her sous chef said when she handed out files to everyone. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we’ll be cooking up.”
