‘Sorry to interrupt, I just thought you’d be annoyed if I sat within listening distance while you did your affirmations and didn’t make myself known.’ He couldn’t resist a smirk, which riled me even more.
‘They aren’t affirmations, I was on the phone. Can’t you go to one of the other coffee places?’
‘Easy, easy,’ he said, holding his hand out like a horse whisperer. ‘Sure, I’ll get out of here. I didn’t want to be rude, that’s all, and I didn’t see you until I sat down. I was gearing myself up to climb the mountain.’
‘Fine. Sorry.’ He’d caught me unawares and I was being unnecessarily harsh. ‘I was thinking of doing the same,’ I said, not to be outdone, having been doing nothing of the sort. I’d been gearing myself up to eat a cheese platter for two and a carafe of white wine, once my coffee and fairy cake starter was out of the way.
‘Great minds,’ Leo said, following my gaze. ‘Fancy a race?’
My coffee had been quite strong, and I felt some latent competitive rage rear up inside me. He was laughing at me again. He didn’t think I had it in me. I’d show him.
I shrugged. ‘Why not?’ Knowing even as I said it that my aptitude, attitude and attire were all in short supply. I sat up and eyed my maxi dress and trainers. No teeny tops or weeny shorts here.
‘You’re on. After you’ve eaten your cake, obviously.’
‘It’s required eating, apparently. The Dona Amélia – a local delicacy.’
Leo shaded his eyes, salivating as I tucked in.
‘I’ll leave you to it and be back in ten,’ he said, walking off along the waterfront. An old man with a leathery tan wobbled in on a fishing boat and was trying to lasso hisrope over a wooden post. The boat was laden down with nets of silvery fish, their rainbow bodies glinting in the morning sun. Leo whistled then held out his hand to help, catching the rope and pulling him in.
‘Obrigado,’ the fisherman called gratefully, revealing a gold tooth. Leo waved and strode off like the everyday hero he was, while I snaffled down my Dona Amélia. It was as sugary and delicious as promised, and I hoped the solid carbs would fuel my enthusiasm levels before my hike. What had possessed me to agree to it? I could barely walk up the stairs these days, let alone up and down a mountain in half a day. I was supposed to be enjoying some R&R with Bryce and getting back to myself for a few hours. I drank the rest of my coffee, my eyes fixed on Leo as he made his way around the harbour, shaking hands with the shop owners and petting a fluffy dog. The gelato lady offered Leo samples of different flavours, before he eventually settled on what looked like chocolate. Caffeine-fuelled annoyance coursed through my body as I watched him eat his ice-cream, savouring each tiny shovelful. He eventually looked up and caught me staring, waved his plastic spoon and walked over.
‘Chocolate ice cream, eh?’ I called. ‘Can’t beat a classic.’
‘No, it’s Black Forest and pistachio,’ he replied, showing me the pale green bottom layer. ‘I like to try whatever they say is selling well to stay on top of the trends.’
Hmm.
‘Zach didn’t fancy the climb then?’ I asked, changing the subject.
‘Nope. He went with Brooke and Heidi to the Uzu Yacht Club. Thiago is a member, and he offered to sign them all in.’
I felt a pang of jealousy. Bollocks. The Uzu was yet another money-can’t-buy experience. That’d teach me to ignore Heidi when she called.
‘Lounging around and drinking gets tiresome after a while,’ I said, annoyed at myself. ‘I prefer a more authentic experience.’
‘Agreed. We can drink champagne anywhere – this might be the only chance we ever get to scale the mighty Monte Brasil.’ Leo tightened the elastic on his shorts and adjusted his backpack. I was woefully unprepared in comparison. I paid the bill, and we set off, falling into an easy rhythm as we walked through the harbour towards the mountain.
‘Do you hike back home?’ I asked.
‘Occasionally,’ he replied, giving me a three-fingered salute. ‘Ex-Boy Scout with a silver Duke of Edinburgh. I get out in nature whenever I can.’
‘Only silver, eh?’ I said, furious that my gold Duke of Edinburgh hadn’t set me apart enough to get that bloody job. ‘I’m a gold so I should probably take charge.’
‘Fair enough,’ he replied. ‘Send my regards to the duke when you see him.’
He gave me a stiff smile and upped his pace, forcing me into an almost-trot to keep up; luckily the fire in my belly fuelled my competitive spirit. It had been a few years since I’d dragged myself up Snowdon for charity. Heidi had suggested we do it as a team-building exercise and it had been hellish. But the facts were the facts. I was gold and he was a silver and there was no way he was beating me to the top of this mountain. My upper lip was sweaty, and I unglued my dress from my back. The two backpackers were already halfway up, their matching redbags zinging bright against the pale grey rock. A man sat in a portacabin at the foot of the path, handing out maps and taking money.
‘Ten euros,’ he called on repeat as a steady stream of tourists ploughed through the turnstile.
‘Two, please. I mean,por favor,’ Leo said, going first and paying me in.
‘You didn’t need to do that,’ I said and instantly regretted my tone.
He gave me a look. I hadn’t meant it to come out quite so rude. ‘It’s kind of you, though, thanks,’ I said, trying to backtrack. I wasn’t used to men paying for me. I wasn’t used to men doing anything for me.
‘It’s a business expense,’ he said, nonchalantly. ‘Makes no odds who claims it.’
