Chapter Nine
I’m glancing around reception when I hear, ‘Nice dress.’
I turn around to see Ed wearing jeans and a pale blue shirt, next to a woman who must surely be a model, wearing a navy halterneck dress with a cream leaf pattern adorning it. Her ebony shoulders are toned. She definitely works out. My gaze tracks to her washboard-flat stomach then upwards to her face. Ed’s wife is quite simply, stunning.
‘Thanks. You don’t scrub up too badly yourself.’
‘Kat, this is my wife, Gloriana.’
‘Hi, Gloriana. It’s so lovely to meet you.’
She takes my hand and clasps it in hers. ‘You too. Ed has told me so much about you.’
Great, someone else who knows about my disastrous trip.
‘I cannot believe you’ve recently had a baby. You look amazing.’
She grins. ‘It was hard work before the birth, but running around after a three-month-old and a toddler means you don’t have time to eat properly, so all the baby weight has just fallen off.’
‘Gloriana’s a hiking guide,’ Ed says. ‘I had to tell her to cool it towards the end of the pregnancy so the baby wasn’t born on the top of one of our many mountains here.’
‘I only listened to him so I didn’t give the mountain rescue guys any extra work.’ She takes his fingers lightly in hers and they exchange a look. They are such a sweet couple.
‘Anyway, happy birthday. I believe today’s an important one for you,’ she says, ‘so I thought we’d get you a little something.’ She holds out a gift bag.
‘Oh my goodness, you shouldn’t have.’ They really shouldn’t have. I’m on the verge of tearing up here. These guys have known me less than a week, and in Gloriana’s case, less than two minutes and they’ve shown me so much kindness.
‘It’s just a little something. I thought it’d be appropriate.’
‘Thanks so much.’ I take the card out of the bag, read it and then open the gift. ‘Oh, wow. A waterproof camera. It’s perfect.’ I start prattling on about the fish we saw today and how much I loved it and Gloriana smiles.
‘I knew you’d catch the bug.’ She leans in towards Ed. ‘He’s a good dive guide and knows all the best spots. He taught me to dive, too, so if you enjoy it, you should try and go as often as you can whilst you’re here. Ed tells me it’s very different to back home.’
‘That’s for sure. I thought about diving in Oban, but it was freezing and murky. I think that was the main thing that put me off, but it’s like a whole new world here.’
Ed and Gloriana laugh then Ed, his hand on the small of Gloriana’s back, says, ‘Right, shall we go? I’m starving, and I did tell Nicolás we’d be there before seven.’
‘Sure,’ Gloriana and I say as one.
We head towards Ed’s SUV and as we drive, Gloriana shows me photos of their baby, Cristina, at my request. She’s adorable. Chubby, gummy and beautiful, with milk chocolate skin. She definitely won in the genes department, as did her brother, Felipe. And her eyes are the emerald green of Ed’s. Ed’s lips curve in a smile as Gloriana tells me all about Cristina’s antics. He’s smitten, with both mother and baby, and I’m so happy for my friend that he has found someone to share that kind of life with.
‘Here we are.’ Ed opens Gloriana’s door then mine then ushers us both ahead of him towards where a calypso beat is pulsing from a terracotta-coloured villa with Roman arches and a vast marble porch.
‘Wow, this is gorgeous. We’d need a lottery win back home to have something like this.’
Gloriana gives a tinkly laugh. ‘Not a lottery win. His dad’s an inventor. Some tech thing. Don’t ask me what.’
I raise my eyebrows.
‘Nicolás doesn’t like to make a fuss, or boast about being sort of rich,’ Ed confides.
I make a zipping motion with my fingers across my lips. ‘He won’t hear anything from me. Apart from how incredible his house is.’
Ed keys in the gate code– super-posh, or is it for security? The sanctuary one, I get, but your own home? I suppose when your home is as palatial as this you may need to be careful.
A hammock swings slightly in the breeze as we pass through a courtyard towards the rear of the house. Several people greet Ed and Gloriana and ask about the children and tell Gloriana how nice it is to see her. We round the house and a fifteen-metre kidney-shaped pool greets us. A makeshift bar– or perhaps it’s there year-round– stands off to one side, where a man is mixing cocktails. Two barbecues flank it. Nicolás is holding court at one, whilst Oscar is chatting to a man and woman at the other as he piles food on to their plates. The aroma of sausages and some sort of marinated chicken reaches me and my stomach rumbles.
Ed laughs. ‘Someone’s hungry.’
‘I forgot to have lunch. I was trying to sort out my life after you left the pool bar,’ I say pointedly.
‘Let’s get you something to eat so you don’t pass out from hunger.’ Gloriana takes me gently by the arm. ‘I know where all the good stuff is.’
I’ll drink to that, or rather I’ll eat to that.
‘Kat!’ Nicolás sets down his barbecue tongs– they’re really professional as if he has his own barbecue chef TV programme or something– then comes forward and envelops me in a bone-crushing hug. ‘Happy birthday!’
I have no idea how he can hug so tight. He’s whippet-thin. When he releases me, I take a moment to breathe again before saying, ‘Thanks.’
Nicolás kisses Gloriana on both cheeks and tells her that her dress looks incredible on her, then he shoulder pats Ed, and they chat for a couple of minutes before he and Gloriana go mingle.
‘Make sure he feeds you,’ Gloriana calls back over her shoulder.
‘So, are you looking forward to the big move? Or will you miss the fluffy slippers and luxury dressing gowns too much?’ Nicolás asks as he flips some burgers then waves the barbecue tongs in the air at me.
‘Honestly? I can’t wait. I know you’ll laugh, but I miss Flash.’
He laughs. ‘I hear he’s quite the cutie. I haven’t met him yet. I’ll need to rectify that soon.’ He studies me for a moment. ‘My aunt and uncle are so glad you’re coming to work for them. You’ve helped them out of a real hole.’
My eyebrows furrow. ‘I’m not sure about that.’ I adjust my dress, uncomfortable at the compliment, particularly when they’re the ones who’ve done me a favour. They’ve helped me flip my life on its head.
Nicolás nods vigorously. ‘I’m not joking. They were telling me only this morning. If they’d had to go through the recruiting process all over again– especially for Europe– it could’ve taken many weeks or longer to find a replacement and for them to get here.’
I mull this over and accept he’s probably right on that point.
‘You already being here removed that hurdle for them. Anyway, you’ll love it. I used to help out in the sanctuary when I was younger. I spent quite a lot of time there after school. It has to be the best first job ever.’ He grins.
‘I’ll bet.’ Certainly beats me delivering the Evening Times .
‘And there are so many things to do in your downtime.’
‘We get downtime?’ I say.
Nicolás knits his brow. ‘Oh yes, of course. Here, let’s get you some food, and then I can tell you all about the wonderful things within an hour’s drive. Sorry, I’m a terrible host. I just get so carried away sometimes. You can probably tell I’m very proud of my country.’
I grin. ‘I had noticed.’
Whilst Nicolás sorts me a plate of food, I cast my glance around the exterior of his home.
‘So, is this your usual weekend get-together?’ I ask.
‘Sort of,’ says Nicolás, expertly turning the chicken. ‘I forgot to ask, what would you like to drink?’
I tilt my head to one side and tap my finger against my lips. ‘What would you recommend?’
‘I do a mean mojito, but then I’m not in charge of the bar tonight. My cousin is.’ He calls over to him. ‘Can you make Kat your best mojito, please?’
If I’d been in mainland Spain and a man had said those words, I’d have found them a little smarmy, but Nicolás is as sweet and genuine as they come. Funny, I don’t know if he or Oscar have girlfriends.
‘Give me two minutes. I’ll do it once I finish mixing this Bloody Mary.’
‘No problem, hermano .’ Nicolás turns to me. ‘He makes it from scratch, which is why it takes so long. No pre-prepared mix for him. He’s an artist.’
‘I can fix that for you, Kat.’
I spin round to see Dexter. He’s wearing navy knee-length shorts and a Hawaiian shirt which has all the colours of the rainbow. Is he trying to outdo Carlos on the psychedelic shirt front? Has he worn it for a bet? It certainly looks like it should be in a competition, and winning first prize. My lips twitch in amusement.
‘Thanks.’
He leans in. ‘Nicolás bought it for me for my birthday, so every so often I wear it when I’m here. I assure you it’s not part of my usual wardrobe.’
I hold up my hands. ‘Oh, it’s not for me to question your sartorial choices.’
His eyes crinkle. ‘But you noticed, right?’
‘Busted. It is kind of hard not to, though. It’s a… standout shirt.’
‘Very diplomatic.’ He grins. ‘Let me get that mojito for you, and happy birthday.’
My smile doesn’t leave my face as I watch Dexter talk to the barman whilst he prepares drinks for us both. Nicolás is busy with a small queue which has formed: the hungry hordes in search of sustenance.
‘Kat, your food will grow cold,’ he chastises me, indicating with his tongs to my still full plate.
‘Sorry, I was miles away.’ Thinking about Dexter will do that to me. He looks good enough to eat tonight, never mind the barbecue food. And he smells divine. Would anyone notice if I licked him? Jeez, I need to get my libido under control. It’s not as if I’ve been starved of sex for months– just affection, I think wryly.
I take a bite of chicken. Dexter’s not the only thing that’s divine; this is so flavoursome, it’s like a taste explosion in my mouth. ‘Mmm.’ I chew a few more times. ‘Mmm.’
Nicolás is staring at me.
‘What?’ I ask. ‘Did you say something? Sorry, I didn’t hear you.’
He shakes his head. ‘No, I just like seeing people enjoying the food I’ve prepared.’
‘He fancies himself as a bit of a chef,’ Dexter says as he returns with my drink. ‘And people moaning appreciatively over his food will definitely make him a happy boy.’
At his use of ‘moaning appreciatively’, I flush and my thoughts move to rather more risqué subjects where that could apply. I cough to cover my embarrassment, and then down a large sip of my mojito, which proves not to be the best choice as I splutter and cough some more.
‘You OK?’ Dexter asks, his eyes on mine, his hand poised over my back.
I clear my throat a few times, then tell him I’m fine.
‘Oh, there’s Sofia and Carlos.’ Dexter waves them over.
I frown slightly as I glance over to the gate they’ve come through. More and more people are arriving.
I continue to chat with Dexter whilst Nicolás greets his aunt and uncle, then they both kiss and hug me as if they hadn’t just seen me yesterday. I find the effusiveness of the Costa Ricans so touching, and welcome, particularly today, given I don’t have my own family around me.
Whilst Dexter and Carlos fetch drinks, Sofia takes me to one side and tells me Dexter will pick me up tomorrow from the hotel as she and Carlos are busy.
‘And he will come around lunchtime. Then we can settle you in in the afternoon and you can go see the babies, spend some time with Luciana. It’s a lovely way to get accustomed to everything.’ She winks. ‘I won’t have you mucking out the cages on the first day.’
‘Thanks. So, if you don’t mind me asking, how long have you and Carlos been together?’
Her eyes take on a dreamy quality. ‘Oh Dios mio , forever. Since we were fifteen. I was from a small village near San José and he was from a little town near Quepos, which as you may know is near here. Have you been yet?’
I shake my head.
‘It’s the nearest city to the sanctuary. We were very lucky, both of us. We may not have had much money, but we grew up in nature, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Well, I imagine so. I haven’t actually been out of Costa Rica.’ She cackles. ‘Why would I?’
Right now I have to agree with her. There’s certainly no place I’d rather be, and as I catch sight of Dexter out of the corner of my eye, I convince myself it’s not only because of a certain Irishman who’s nearby.
‘So, where did you learn Spanish?’ Sofia asks, her arm partly around mine, in a gesture of familial intimacy.
‘At school. It was my favourite subject.’
‘You’ll have noticed quite a difference here then from the pure, Castilian Spanish they speak in Madrid.’
I laugh. ‘Yes, the words for “you” and the past tenses you use, although if I’m honest, I’m also trying to relearn everything too. I’m very rusty.’
Sofia wags her finger at me. ‘The fact you speak any Spanish is admirable in itself. Most people who come here don’t even try. Not even a few words.’ She tuts, and I’m glad to have met with her approval.
‘What’s this about the past tense?’ Dexter asks as he approaches us again.
‘You were about to be, mi hijo , if that drink had taken any longer.’ Sofia pretends to swat Dexter about the head, and he turns to me.
‘She’s so bossy, but don’t worry, her bite is just as bad as her bark.’
This time she does swat him, but when he excuses himself to speak to some people who are arriving– there’s still more? How big is this get-together?– she leans in to me and says, ‘He is like another son to me. I thank Dios for the day he sent him to us. He has been a godsend from day one.’
I’m about to fish a little more about Dexter when Mariangeles and Luciana appear. Does everyone know everyone here? I know the world’s meant to be a village, but this is ridiculous.
‘Another drink, Kat?’
I blink and see Dexter holding out his hand for my empty glass. I shake my head to clear it of thoughts and mentally return to the party.
‘Actually, why don’t you come this way? I have something to show you,’ he says.
‘That sounds ominous.’ My lips curve into a smile to show I’m not scared, and a frisson of pleasure darts through me. I really wish I wasn’t such an open book. I even have the dry mouth. What a cliché. He could be about to show me a bear in the woods or anything and yet colour is creeping up my cheeks.
I follow him and he mixes me another cocktail then we take our drinks and meander along a path that leads to a stream. Nicolás has a stream on his property? Despite the little torch Dexter is shining ahead of us, it’s properly dark now that we’re away from the house and I jump at the noises coming from the bushes.
Dexter laughs. ‘They’re katydids.’
‘Katydids?’ I ask, recovering my composure.
He nods. ‘That’s right. You almost have an insect named after you.’ His eyes crinkle and my breath catches as I note how ridiculously blue they are. We hold each other’s gaze a fraction of a second too long before I blink and the moment is lost.
I gulp audibly and pray he didn’t hear.
‘They’re loud, aren’t they?’ He turns towards the long grass at the side of the path.
Phew, he probably didn’t hear me then. ‘Yes, they are. Are there lots of them? Is that why they’re making such a racket?’
‘Who knows, but they’re well known for being noisy little beggars.’ He pauses for a second then says, ‘But they’re not why I wanted to bring you here.’
He wants to have his way with me; I knew it. Result! ‘Oh?’ I squeak.
‘No, let’s continue on a little.’ He pads in front of me. ‘Watch your step. Here.’ He holds his hand out to me, and automatically, I take it as he wraps his warm fingers around mine, his grip tight but not too tight.
I’m beginning to think it wasn’t an inspired idea to bring drinks down here with us, as navigating my way with two hands would surely be better than one, although given Dexter’s holding my hand, you won’t find me complaining.
‘Here we are.’ Dexter flicks off the torch.
I stop beside where the stream opens out into a slightly larger one. The lights of the house are far enough behind us that I can see Dexter and a few paces in front of me, but not a great deal else.
It takes a few seconds for me to see what Dexter is referring to, but once my eyes adjust I can’t believe I didn’t notice them before. Five then ten then dozens of tiny yellow and green lights illuminate the bushes, like little jewels or Christmas lights threaded through them. Fireflies. Dozens of tiny fireflies. I’ve never seen them like this before. I guess there’s usually too much light pollution.
I turn to Dexter and he smiles. I really want to kiss him. He hesitates, then clears his throat. ‘So, what do you think?’
He doesn’t really want to know what I’m thinking right now. I can’t exactly say, ‘I want to jump you,’ or ‘I’d like to snog you until someone sends out a search party.’ So I say, ‘It’s pretty special, isn’t it?’
He stares at me for a long moment as if he knows I was thinking something else, but then he nods. ‘Sofia showed me them the first time I was at the sanctuary, but I think the best place to see a significant number of them is here, at Nicolás’.’
‘I’ll need to check them out at the sanctuary,’ I say, aiming to calm my galloping pulse.
‘You will. But I think Nicolás was right to propose to Oscar here.’
My eyes widen. ‘Nicolás and Oscar are married?’
Now it’s Dexter’s turn for his eyes to widen. ‘You didn’t know?’
‘No, why would I? I didn’t even realise they were… together.’
Dexter smiles. ‘Well, now you do.’
‘Tonight’s certainly all about the revelations.’
‘I’ll drink to that.’ He raises his glass and clinks it with mine. We sip our drinks as I take in the complete silence, apart from the katydids, and I realise I’m completely comfortable with this man. I mean, if he was an axe murderer, he has a prime location for taking me into the woods and chopping me into small pieces, as it’s right on his doorstep. But I don’t feel even a hint of unease. No, what I feel is full-on lust, and I need to get that under control. I guess it’s my hormones, because of all the emotional upheaval I’ve had this week. Time to put them back in the box.
A text alert sounds and Dexter checks his phone. ‘We should head back.’
I follow him back along the barely there path towards Nicolás’ villa. Dexter keeps a reassuring grip on my hand, and I can’t help feeling a twinge of sadness that our time alone is at an end.