Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
JOEY
Joey hadn’t spoken about her parents in a long time. She hadn’t even used the word ‘alcoholic’ in years. It was such a neat word, for such a messy childhood.
The truth was that her father wasn’t a bad man. He was an addict. He could be loving and kind, but when he was drunk he turned chaotic and unpredictable. And once or twice he’d been violent. Joey grimaced. She hadn’t meant to tell Vanessa this. The only other person she’d told was Dani.
“Is that why you don’t drink?” asked Vanessa, immediately following up with, “Sorry if I’m prying. Do tell me to bog off.”
Joey smiled. There was a charm to Vanessa’s gentle inquisitiveness that she couldn’t resist. “Mostly,” she admitted.
“And based on what Carmen’s said, my sense is that you’re single and happily so?” Vanessa pressed.
Joey nodded.
They drifted into a comfortable silence. Vanessa looked stunning in the candlelight, which seemed to have transformed the balcony and its cushions and blankets into a secret world that belonged to just the two of them.
Joey remembered Vanessa’s previous words and knew that along with a trail of failed businesses, Vanessa had left at least a few broken hearts, too.
Perhaps her own, perhaps others’. Not that it was any of Joey’s business, of course.
And the decisions that had brought Joey to Barcelona weren’t just about her parents.
They were about her own heart, and its fragility.
“So tell me about your planned cafe, Vanessa. I can see you’ve been thinking hard about it,” said Joey, keen to move onto some less sensitive topics. She didn’t want to think about her dad and his texts.
Vanessa needed no further encouragement, and launched into a detailed description of her dream cafe and how it would look and feel.
She talked about the recipes Joey had already taught her, that she planned to take there.
Her eyes lit up and she gestured with her hands, communicating so clearly how passionate she was about her venture.
Usually, Joey found the company of other people draining.
Dani had once told her that this made her an introvert, and having looked up the definition online, she was inclined to agree.
Joey recharged alone, whether that was by reading, walking or swimming.
Being alone was her safe place. But this evening with Vanessa felt like it was energising her, somehow doing her good. It was unexpected.
“You look like you need to sleep,” said Vanessa an hour or so later. “I had a good long siesta, but I know you’ve been working hard today.”
“Sorry,” Joey replied, stifling a yawn. “It’s not you.”
“I know,” said Vanessa with a smile. “But I’m going to leave you to it.”
Joey had an urge to ask her to stay. But Vanessa was right, it had been a long day and she needed sleep. And besides, what would she be asking her to stay to do?
Vanessa got to her feet and left the balcony. Joey watched her go, then stood herself and followed her into the apartment. “Thanks for listening,” said Joey.
“Oh, I think you did far more of that than I did,” said Vanessa, shaking her head. “But you’re welcome. Thanks for a lovely evening.”
“Yeah, it was,” Joey agreed.
Vanessa paused, and Joey wondered whether she was going to pull her into a hug. Joey wasn’t a hugger, but she felt drawn to this woman in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Vanessa seemed to come to a decision, stepped forward, and put her arms loosely around Joey’s shoulders.
Joey instinctively put her arms around Vanessa’s waist, but before she could think about what was happening, Vanessa had moved away and disappeared through the front door, leaving the scent of freshly shampooed hair in her wake.
And the memory of her body pressed against Joey’s, albeit momentarily.
Joey felt the heat of where they’d touched and shook her head.
No.
This was not a good idea. Just because she’d had a nice conversation with Vanessa and opened up a little more than usual, it didn’t mean anything. She was just vulnerable after the text from her dad.
She went onto the balcony to collect up the cushions and blankets. She blew out the candles, watching the spire of smoke rise into the Barcelona night sky.
Twenty minutes later she climbed into bed, dressed in shorts and her vest top.
She felt out of sorts, but not, she thought, in a bad way.
She just felt different. She felt warm, and somehow restless.
The aroma of Vanessa’s hair still lingered in her nostrils, and she could still feel tingles where Vanessa’s arms had made contact with her bare shoulders.
Joey turned onto her side. She was tired.
She needed sleep. But her body needed something else.
She screwed up her eyes and started counting backwards from one hundred in Spanish.
It was a tried and tested way of getting to sleep if all else failed.
Only this time, as she said the words in her head, she couldn’t help but imagine Vanessa saying them, whispering them gently into her ear, lying beside her, laughing at her desperate attempts to sleep.
Noventa y nueve, novente y ocho, noventa y siete…
Joey sighed and turned onto her back. She opened her eyes and brought her hands to her chest. Hands that had rested so recently on Vanessa’s back.
She brought her hands down to where she could already feel her nipples through the material, and moaned quietly.
She didn’t do relationships, but she had needs.
Noventa y cuatro, noventa y tres…
She raised her vest top over her breasts and stroked them, squirming with the pleasure of it. The imaginary version of Vanessa continued to whisper in her ear as she gazed at her teasingly.
Ochenta y nueve, ochenta y ocho…
She closed her eyes and brought her hands down into her shorts. She could feel she was ready. More than ready. There was an urgency to her movements now, as she imagined Vanessa moving above her, touching her, kissing her.
Ochenta y tres, ochenta y dos…
She melted as she touched herself where she most wanted it, moaning softly into her pillow.
Sesenta y ocho, sesenta y siete…
She needed more, and she knew what to do to make herself arch off the bed. More movement and a steady rhythm built her into a sweaty, writhing mess of sensations, and before long she peaked, her legs spasming with the overwhelming feelings travelling across her body.
She chose not to think anymore that night, finally drifting to sleep, imagining Vanessa’s arms around her as the countdown gradually pulled her to zero.