Chapter 2
Chapter Two
‘ G ive it back to me!’ Katerina darted around Felipe, chasing her younger sister, who held an eye pencil above her head. Cristina doubled back, using him as a barrier, while Katerina yelled at her again, ‘Give it back!’
Welcome to bedlam , he thought and plucked the pencil out of Cristina’s hand with what he knew was an annoying grin. He held it above his head, far out of reach of the younger girl and her sister.
‘Felipe,’ muttered twelve-year-old Cristina with a pout.
‘Why are you here?’ He paused and put a finger on his chin with a mock frown.
‘I live here. Yes, that must be it.’ He grinned at the diminutive frame standing in front of him.
Of all the Rebelo girls she was, to her disgust, the smallest– although she certainly made up for it in strength of personality.
She was no runt of the litter. Being the youngest, barely two years old when her father had died, she’d had to fight hard above the grief that had swamped the family when both Eduardo Rebelo and his brother, Emilio, were wiped out in a road traffic accident.
A careless driver rounded a bend too quickly and mowed down both men in front of Felipe when he was just twenty.
With a grieving widow, two distraught siblings and three distressed cousins, Felipe’s life had changed beyond all recognition: his pro-cycling dream snuffed out overnight.
He looked at the make-up in his hand. ‘Hmmm, I think I’ll keep this. It’s just my colour.’
‘No,’ wailed fourteen-year-old Katerina, ‘it’s mine,’ she said with venom, pointing to her sister, her eyes flashing with promised retribution. ‘She stole it!’
‘Did not,’ said Cristina in sing-song denial. ‘It was in the bathroom. Finders, keepers.’
‘You must have taken it out of my room!’ screeched Katerina, lunging with intent at her sister, who squealed and ran around the other side of the sofa.
‘Or maybe it was Ana,’ suggested Felipe, a wicked twinkle in his eye, referring to their older sister. Both girls looked at him indignantly. ‘No,’ they said in unison, coming to a rapid halt just as he’d known they would. Unified by shock and sudden sisterly loyalty, they both glared at him.
‘Ana would never do that,’ said Katerina.
‘No, she wouldn’t,’ said Cristina. ‘That’s mean, Felipe.’
‘So now I’m the bad guy,’ he said, shaking his head sorrowfully. They both burst into giggles, realising he’d been teasing them, and they followed him into the big family kitchen where his mother sat at a large pine table, a pot of coffee and a plate of pastries in front of her.
‘Morning, M?e ,’ said Felipe, stooping to drop a kiss on her slightly greying hair.
‘Felipe, you’re home. When did you get back? I didn’t hear you.’
‘Late last night.’
‘Aw, didn’t your girlfriend want to put out?’ said Cristina, the little minx.
‘Cristina!’ snapped Felipe’s mother, although her eyes sparkled with quick mischief. It was always a relief to see her smile so readily and easily these days. It had taken some time for the whole family to climb their way back out of grief.
‘I have a meeting this morning. I decided it would be easier to drive back last night rather than risk the traffic this morning.’
Cristina sat down at the table and propped her chin on her hand, studying him. ‘Booty call then.’
Katerina giggled.
His mother closed her mouth but didn’t reprimand the girl, probably because she was desperate for him to find a nice girl and settle down, which he had absolutely no intention of doing. He had enough women in his life on a permanent basis; he did not need another one to look after.
Ana walked into the room. Thank goodness. His older cousin was far more refined and thoughtful than her younger sisters.
‘Hey, Ana,’ he said as she acknowledged him with a slight nod.
‘He goes to Lisbon to escape from you, you menaces,’ said Ana, calmly patting her aunt’s shoulder as she rounded the table to sit opposite Felipe.
His mother, Maria, poured him his favourite meta de leite , a traditional milky coffee, and pushed it towards him. ‘Have a pastry. Ana made them this morning.’ She indicated the plate containing several bola de arroz , the crusted sugar on top glistening invitingly.
He took one and bit into the light, crumbly muffin.
The rice flour gave it its delicate texture, and the lemon zest, the fresh flavour.
They were his favourites and he’d earned one in the pool.
He’d had to push himself hard to keep up with the new girl.
She had to be the new hire because there were no guests of her description at the moment.
She was fast and had a great smile. He wondered if she was single, although he assumed, if she’d agreed to work out here for several months, she must have no real ties back home.
It could be fun to spend some time with her. He got the feeling she’d enjoy challenging him in more than just thepool. Maybe, like him, she was after some light-hearted fun during the summer.
Taking a sip of his coffee, he realised his mother was talking to him. ‘Sorry, M?e , I was miles away.’
‘I was asking if you’d have time to approve the new menu today.’
‘Sure,’ he said, exchanging a quick glance with Ana, who gave him a discreet smile.
His mother had been working in the kitchen since before he was born and was an absolute genius with flavours and local food.
People travelled for miles to eat in the restaurant.
So it was a mystery why she still sought his approval on the seasonal menu changes– it wasn’t as if he ever changed anything– plus, he had a million and one other things to do today.
Hebit back his impatience. ‘How about we go through it at two o’clock? ’
‘Thank you, and you can see what you think of the new butter dishes I’d like to buy.’
Felipe smiled, hoping she couldn’t see beneath the surface. He loved her dearly and she had excellent taste. He couldn’t remember a single time he’d ever challenged one of her suggestions.
‘Can I swap my shift with Cristina on Saturday?’ piped up Katerina.
‘No!’ squealed her sister with an outraged howl. ‘I’m going swimming that afternoon!’
‘But I’ve got something planned,’ protested Katerina.
The girls began to bicker about it. Felipe sucked in a quick breath and wondered how they’d react if he stood up and walked out.
Knowing those two, they’d follow him down the corridor, jumping up and down at each other like a pair of excitable monkeys.
‘What does it say on the rota?’ he said sternly, knowing full well because he’d signed it off last week.
Katerina pouted, which she did rather well.
‘You both work alternate Saturday mornings,’ said Felipe, running his hand through his hair. ‘That’s fair.’
‘Yes, but Cristina can go swimming anytime. It’s not like she has any friends.’
‘Do too! I have real friends. You just want to go and do kissy faces with Bernardo.’
‘I don’t!’ said Katerina turning bright red and throwing a spoon at her sister.
Felipe gripped the table, threw his head back and looked at the ceiling, wishing sometimes that he could go and live in his nice little apartment in Lisbon and leave them all to it.
Except that wasn’t possible. When his dad and uncle had died, it had fallen to him to take responsibility for the hotel, the restaurant and the family.
He loved them all dearly but sometimes, like now, it was like living in a zoo.
‘Girls!’ said Maria firmly, clapping her hands. ‘Enough. Felipe has only just got home.’ They both stopped talking and contented themselves with glaring and mouthing insults at one another. ‘Give him some peace. Ana needs to talk to him about the new flour supplier. There have been a few problems.’
Ana gave him a shy smile. ‘Maybe not now,’ she said with an apologetic shrug, which was ironic because of all the family she was the least demanding, but she wasn’t assertive enough to deal with suppliers.
‘Why not?’ he said softening his voice. ‘It might be the best chance you get.’
This day was only going to get busier, he thought, and he was suddenly grateful for the quick, fun interlude earlier.
It was the first interaction he’d had with an attractive woman for a while, despite what his family liked to think.
He didn’t have the time or the inclination for anything serious, but there was no reason why he couldn’t have a bit of fun.
Knowing he’d see plenty of the girl from the pool cheered him no end.