Tuesday, October 1 - Barcelona
“Please return your seat backs and tray tables to their full upright and locked positions and ensure that your seat belts are securely fastened,” the flight attendant said over the plane’s PA system. “We’ll be landing at Barcelona-El Prat Airport in just a few minutes.”
Rob rubbed at the knot behind his right shoulder and moaned quietly. He was exhausted. While he had managed to sleep a bit during the overnight flight from Boston to London, the flight from London to Barcelona was too short for more. And besides, he never slept well on a plane, even when he could stretch out in business class. Fortunately, an in-flight movie and his Kindle had kept him occupied for the majority of the longer flight. Hopefully his room would be ready when he got to the hotel and he could crash for a few hours. He sighed inwardly. Was he doing the right thing flying here and getting on a cruise ship? Alan had been gone for two years. This was the trip they’d planned together and now his husband wasn’t here to enjoy it with him. Maybe he should have just stayed home.
But no, damn it! He promised Samantha that he’d make this trip even if it was without Alan. He’d agreed not to hide in his room either in Barcelona or on the cruise. Rob was relieved that she’d be joining him for most of this trip because that’s what BFFs were for, right? He could manage to spend a few days in Barcelona and then a week on the cruise by himself. After that, Sam would be with him and they’d cruise together for fourteen nights, seeing a bit of Europe, then crossing the Atlantic before finally arriving in Fort Lauderdale.
Gathering his backpack and carry-on, Rob stood with a groan, feeling every one of his fifty-eight years. Okay, he wasn’t old, but some days he certainly felt that way. He got off the plane and made his way to baggage claim without any difficulty, though it felt strange to be doing so alone.
Stop it,he scolded himself,you can do this.
It took a few minutes for his checked bag to show up on the baggage carousel and once he retrieved it, Rob headed to customs. Fortunately, the line wasn’t long and he got through it all very quickly. As he exited the doorway, he saw a group of drivers holding placards, or in some cases tablets, with last names on them and after a quick scan, he spotted a handsome young guy with an iPad that said Asher in bold letters.
Rob approached him with a smile and said, “I’m Robert Asher.”
“Buenos dias, señor Asher,” the man said. “I am Eduardo.” Eduardo took his bags, leaving him with just his backpack and said, “Please follow me. My car is not far.”
Although Rob knew a smattering of Spanish, he had been assured that the driver he’d reserved would speak English. With so little sleep, he didn’t trust that he’d remember how to sayanythingin Spanish.
Within a few minutes, they arrived at Eduardo’s black Mercedes sedan and Rob got in the back seat while Eduardo placed the luggage in the trunk. Once behind the wheel, Eduardo turned to Rob. “You are going to the Hotel L17 Metropolitan on Rambla Catalunya, correct?” When Rob nodded, Eduardo continued, “Traffic isn’t too bad; we should be there in less than an hour.”
Eduardo seemed to sense that Rob wasn’t in the mood for chatting, so he remained quiet and listened to music on the radio while he drove. Rob was lost in thought for much of the ride, still dwelling on the fact that he would be experiencing this latest adventure alone and worrying that he’d made a mistake in going through with this trip.
I still miss you so much, Alan. It’s been two years, but sometimes it feels like only yesterday when you died.I really wish you were here with me.
Too late to really do anything about the trip now. He’d survive Barcelona and heknewhe’d feel better once he boarded the cruise ship on Saturday. A week of relaxation and lots of reading on the ship would do him a world of good and once Samantha joined him, she’d keep him from dwelling on the past so much.
“We are here, señor,” Eduardo announced. Placing the luggage on the sidewalk, Eduardo said, “Enjoy your stay in Barcelona.”
Rob had paid for the car service when he booked it, but he handed Eduardo a tip when he took his bags.
“Gracias, Eduardo,” he said, then turned and entered the hotel.
Thankfully, there was no line at the front desk when he walked in. The registration area was two ornate wooden desks with comfortable leather chairs for guests checking in.
“Buenos dias, señor. ¿Puedo servirle?”the attractive woman behind one of the desks asked as he approached.
“Si,”Rob replied.“¿Hablas inglés?”
The woman smiled and said “Certainly, may I help you, sir?”
“I’m checking in. I have a reservation under the name Asher.”
The woman, whose name tag read ‘Isabella’ said, “Let me check.” She typed into her computer and after a moment said, “Ah yes, you are staying with us for four nights, correct?”
“That’s right,” Rob said. “Is there any chance that my room is ready?”
Isabella turned back to her computer then replied with a smile, “Yes, I see that your room is available now.” Rob breathed a sigh of relief and they quickly completed the check-in process.
Once in his room, Rob kicked off his shoes, set his phone alarm to ring in two hours and climbed onto the king-sized bed. He was asleep within minutes.
