“It’s a perfect excuse to have fun this afternoon,” said Catarina, waving away Anna’s hesitation. “I’m looking forward to this. Nothing happens in this town all winter, so this is the most excitement I’ve had in weeks. It’s also one of the warmestdays so far this year, and an afternoon outing is just what I need. Plus, who doesn’t love sexy new underwear and bras to make you feel brand new? I’ll take you up to the Castle too and show you the view.”
She and Catarina strolled into the upper-walled village where Anna soon lost her bearings. They took in quaint shops designed for tourists and functional ones that sold everything from colorful produce to decorative stationery, and a small pharmacy where Catarina also picked up a few things. They shopped for about an hour and a half and visited the Castle before Anna called for a time-out.
She didn’t love shopping, but this had been both practical and fun. She’d seen lots of the old town with narrow, winding streets, small courtyards filled with beautiful greenery, and spring flowers tucked in unexpected places. Many of the streets were made of cobblestones polished smooth by hundreds of years of foot traffic—just like her postcard. It was astounding to think how long people had inhabited cities in this part of the world. Seattle had nothing older than Ward House, built in 1882. Here, a plaque said they built the Castle of Cervera prior to 1026 CE. The only Europeans in North America at that time would have been the Vikings.
“I’m beat,” she said. “Can we stop for a coffee or tea? Maybe a snack?”
Catarina led the way back to the more modern part of town to a sidewalk cafe, where she rattled off an order for two pastries and two coffees.
“Make mine a black tea with sugar, please,” Anna said to the server.
He nodded and headed inside to get their orders.
“How long are you staying in Cervera?” Catarina sat, resting both of her cloth shopping bags at her feet.
“I’m not sure,” said Anna as she sat across from her companion at the cozy round table. “I’d love to stay for several months because I want to write, but I don’t have money to stay longer unless I find work. Do they need any more help around the Inn?”
Catarina shook her head. “I’m actually heading out of town soon for the racing season and my younger sister has already spoken for my job at the Inn while I go watch motorcycles.” Her eyes gleamed.
Anna’s heart sank. Her first friend in Spain was leaving.
Catarina continued, not noticing Anna’s disappointment. “What kind of job did you used to have? I know everyone in town. There might be something similar. I could put in a good word for you.”
Anna frowned at the suggestion and shook her head. “I appreciate it, but no thanks. I worked in marketing for the last several years, but I’m not interested in that kind of job anymore. Do you race motorcycles?” She couldn’t imagine her fashion-conscious new friend with her perfect eyeliner and crimson nails racing.
Catarina chuckled. Being laughed at was one of Anna’s personal hang-ups, but nothing about Catarina indicated she was laughing at Anna, so she relaxed. “I was an umbrella girl on the racing circuit for a couple of seasons almost ten years ago. I’m going again this year.” She cocked her head to the side. “I’ll get to travel all over Europe without paying, as long as they’re happy with my work. There are also two trips to Asia and one to the Americas. If you’re interested, I bet I can get you the same kind of job. Some teams hire their own grid girls instead of relying on the ones brought in for the events by the racetrack owners.”
“Racing circuit?” said Anna with a shake of her head. “What’s a grid girl?” Though Catarina had spoken English, her words had still been a foreign language.
The chocolate-filled pastries arrived with two hot drinks in white cups with saucers and a creamer-size pitcher of milk. Both women fixed their drinks and spent a moment savoring the aroma.
“Motorcycle racing,” said Catarina, blowing on her piping hot coffee. “I thought you knew.”
“Why would I know about racing?” said Anna, raising her eyebrow. Placing her cup on the saucer, she hid her sweaty palms under the table. Had she missed something important?
“Because of Isaac and his brother.” Catarina paused, perhaps waiting for Anna to clue in, but she just shrugged. What should she know? “Vince Vasquez is one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers of all time and the current world champion. His old rival, Victor Rossini, retired a few years ago with nine championships. Rossini was famous worldwide, but Vince has an unprecedented twelve. He hopes to get one more this year, then decide if he’ll retire.”
Vince and Isaac Vasquez. Famous. Anna’s fantasy about getting to know Isaac flickered and died out. If he was someone important, he wasn’t likely to be interested in someone like her for anything long term. Like his brother, it was probably just a one-night kind of thing. Plus, it sounded like he too, was leaving.
“I just met them in the town square when I got off the bus. I couldn’t see anyone else besides tourists. When I wandered over, they spoke English. Isaac was nice and offered to show me where the Inn was,” said Anna. “Vince told Isaac to ask me to have a drink with him. I think. They were speaking Spanish, so I might have been mistaken.” Tears of embarrassment welled up in her eyes. “I had no idea either of them was famous.”
“Don’t get upset. How were you to know? You aren’t from here.” Catarina patted Anna’s hand, then laughed, an infectious sound that reminded Anna of sunshine and picnics. “The province’s most eligible bachelors invited you to hang out, and you didn’t even know who they were. I love it.”
“I’ve barely heard of motorcycle racing,” said Anna, also recognizing the humor. The tension in her shoulders relaxed. “Just Indy cars and F1. That’s about it. And even then, I’ve never paid attention.” She vaguely recalled hearing about some sort of monster trucks, too, but that hardly seemed like racing.
“I can’t wait to tell them you’ve never heard of the great Vince Vasquez.” Catarina chuckled as she added another dollop of milk to her steaming coffee.
“If Vince is the champion, what does Isaac do?” Anna couldn’t help herself from asking. She wanted to find out anything she could about the younger, taller brother with dreamy eyes. Something about him had appealed to her at first glance.
“He races too, but he underestimates his abilities. He thinks he’s only there because of who his brother is, but that isn’t true.” Catarina stopped laughing as her tone became more serious. “He earned his own ride at the top level and has been moderately successful. He doesn’t think it is a big deal, but he won both Moto3 and Moto2 on his way up through the ranks and is consistently a threat for the top ten. For another ten or twelve finishes, he was on the podium.” She sounded proud, like an older sister, not like a love interest. “He’s most competitive when it rains.”
The mention of rain brought Anna back to Catarina’s job suggestion. “What would I have to do if I became an umbrella girl?” What did being a grid girl entail? Other than holding an umbrella, which sounded easy.
“Races are every week or two, though there is a month off in the middle of the summer and we’ll all come home. They start in Qatar, then most races will be in Europe for a few months. There will be a race in Argentina, one in Texas, and another in Mexico City. In October and November, there’s a race in Australia and a few more in Asia, before we finish up in Spain again. The best thing is, all that travel is paid for if you’re with a racing team. You should come. There’s almost always at least one day to sightsee.”
Catarina’s voice picked up speed and her eyes widened. “I bet Vince can get you a job with his brother. Isaac would never ask for his own umbrella girl to travel with them, but Vince can make it happen. You would get paid to look pretty, smile, and wave.” She grimaced. “Your feet will ache from wearing heels on the tarmac for so long and your arm will get sore from holding the umbrella, but other than that, it’s easy. Just don’t talk to Isaac on the grid, or any of the other riders, and you’ll be a hit. Before long, we’ll have converted you to a super-fan.”
“Why would Vince help me?” Anna’s brow furrowed. Would there be strings attached to a favor from Vince? She didn’t want to lead him on. But Catarina would be asking for the favor, so maybe this would work. It would be nothing like her previous job and she needed the money. The adjustment could be difficult, but she could do it. Plus, Catarina’s excitement was infectious. Starting over was about new experiences.
