Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
H e’d done this journey so many times, he could do it on autopilot, which was just as well because he and Rebecca hadn’t stopped talking all day, not since they’d finally peeled themselves out of bed, sweaty and sticky, to shower together one last time.
They still had plenty to say as they drove along the motorway back to the Algarve.
Going on one of the old-fashioned, bright yellow trams was also something he hadn’t done in years.
Usually, he avoided them unless he needed to be somewhere because it was a touristy thing to do, but the delight and excitement on Rebecca’s face had made it well worth it.
He’d enjoyed pointing out familiar landmarks as they clung to the overhead straps and rattled along the rails up and down narrow streets and steep hills.
How could he have forgotten what a good way it was to see the city?
Rebecca had given him a new view of his own city and it was chastening as well as uplifting.
Had he also forgotten to let himself go?
Sure, he dated, but it was fleeting and he always had one foot out of the door, thinking about the next day and what he had to do.
After the tram ride, they’d taken the historic Elevador de Santa Justa, from Baixa to Carmo Square, and she’d marvelled at the Gothic structure before they’d walked back to the apartment to collect their things for the return journey home.
She was the first woman he’d taken there to stay, and as he locked the door, he felt a stab of something he couldn’t pinpoint but which could have been sadness.
‘Would you like to come back again?’ he asked, surprising himself.
‘Love to. I love Lisbon. It’s been so much fun– and don’t forget I didn’t try sardines.’ She pulled a face, indicating how much that had been a problem.
He felt familiar laughter bubbling up at her obvious distaste and couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much light-hearted fun.
She was easy company and her low expectations made him want to exceed them all the time.
It troubled him that she thought she deserved so little.
And the sex, the closeness, well, that had been a revelation and he was grateful that she wasn’t expecting any more because…
he could have given more. The thought unsettled him as had the unexpectedly tender seed of something that had made him scoop her closer last night.
Normally he was ready to move on straight after sex.
He didn’t want to get caught up in emotions and feelings– he didn’t have the time, space or bandwidth for them.
He had a business to run and a family to look after.
‘In fact, I don’t think I can do sardines.’ Jerked from his thoughts, he focused on her unimpressed expression. ‘They have faces. You can see their eyes looking at you. Spooky.’
‘You get over it,’ he told her. ‘And we have plenty of sardines. I’ll take you to the Sardine Fiesta in Olhos De água in August.’
‘Sardine festival? Seriously?’
‘Yes. It’s lots of fun. A big occasion in the town. Everybody goes.’
‘I’ll take your word for it.’
‘I’ll persuade you. And you can be a brave little soldier and try one. You might even like them.’
This easy conversation continued once they’d got in the car and headed home.
‘I’m not sure I want to go back to real life,’ said Felipe when they were an hour into the journey. The thought of going back to the hotel daunted him. So many responsibilities and decisions to make. So many people he was responsible for.
‘Must be so tough,’ said Rebecca, nudging him, and part of him regretted that he’d created such a good alter ego.
‘Whereas some of us have to go back and work. Although I never think of teaching Pilates as work. It’s better than working in the brewery with my brothers, which is my proper job at home. ’
‘What made you take up teaching Pilates?’
‘I wanted something of my own that was completely separate from my family. As you can probably imagine, we’re all a bit competitive.
My brothers are both really sporty, so anything I can do, they can do better– or think they can.
Pilates is for girls– or that’s what they think.
It was a safe option and, luckily for me, something that I really enjoy.
I did a class for years and then my teacher was doing an advanced qualification and asked if I’d go with her, to be her “body”.
While I was there, I thought, why don’t I train to teach? So I did.’
‘And when you set your mind to something…’ He remembered having that passion and determination when he was cycling. The thrill of winning a speed trial, cresting a mountain, racing downhill or breaking away from the peloton and cruising to victory in a stage.
‘I’m pretty determined,’ she said. ‘I go for what I want.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, really. You sound sceptical– what do you mean?’
It was interesting that she read him so well.
‘You say you love this man, Will, so why haven’t you gone for him?’
‘I have. I did.’ He could hear the defensiveness in her voice. ‘It’s not that easy. You can’t force someone to love you.’
‘True but… I would say you haven’t gone for it– not all out– because you don’t think you’re good enough for him.’
Beside him, he sensed her hunching into her seat and it made him sad and angry at the same time. No one should feel they’re not good enough. And she should be fighting back against that feeling, not accepting it.
‘I’m not his type.’
‘Says who?’
She laughed bitterly. ‘He pretty much did, going off with someone who was my complete opposite. In her cute little dress. I think it was a pretty good sign.’
‘I thought your dress last night was very sexy.’
‘I had help. There was a girl in the changing room who insisted I buy it. I’m clueless about shopping.’
‘I know someone– a couple of someones– who would be delighted to help you out there.’
‘Cristina and Katerina.’
‘And Ana. You should ask them– it will give me a rest from their makeover attempts.’ He rubbed at his hair, grateful that thus far he’d escaped Cristina’s enthusiasm for cutting it.
Rebecca sighed. ‘It would be nice to have a better idea. I really got it wrong that night. No wonder Will went off with her. I’m just not his type.’
Or Will was incredibly cruel and cowardly, thought Felipe.
Men knew when women were attracted to them.
This Will guy could have let her down gently.
He sounded like a filho da puta . Felipe didn’t like the guy on principle, just for making Rebecca think she wasn’t enough.
Mind you, her brothers didn’t sound as if they were that much better.
He found it contradictory that in so many ways Rebecca was so confident and forceful and yet when it came to this guy Will she had so little self-esteem.
‘I’ve been thinking about you wanting to teach more classes.
And your idea of a Pilates retreat. In fact, seeing Kimberly and Alfonso this weekend gave me an idea.
What do you think about a winter cycling-slash-wellness retreat for professional athletes?
’ He’d been mulling the idea for a while, but offering Pilates was the final piece of the jigsaw and now it all made perfect sense.
‘That’s a great idea,’ she said, her voice brimming with gratifying enthusiasm.
‘You could include Pilates, massage, swimming. The hotel would be perfect. Or… you know what you could do? Offer that to your pro cycling friends– free accommodation in return for leading cycle rides. You could sell it as an exclusive holiday guided by a pro cyclist for cycling enthusiasts. They’d love that.
Cycling with someone who’s done the Tour de France. ’
Felipe took his foot off the accelerator and the car groaned in protest. He quickly changed gears and moved into the slow lane. ‘Rebecca, that’s a genius idea.’
‘I know,’ she said, sitting straighter in her seat. ‘I thought so. And I’ve been thinking about running classes in the evenings. In fact, you should come.’
‘What, and be at your mercy? I’m not sure about that.’
‘I’m liking the idea more and more. You can show me what you’re made of.’
‘I thought I’d already done that.’
With a laugh she gave him a quick nudge. ‘Stop distracting me. Do you know any places I could hire to set up a class?’
‘Why not at the spa?’ It was obvious and he was a little irritated with himself that he hadn’t thought of it before.
‘The spa closes at six, but if we kept it open later, we could offer local residents, many of whom work, evening massages and treatments. You could use the Pilates pagoda after hours.’
Rebecca snorted. ‘Like I said before, Inês isn’t happy about the Pilates classes as it is.’
‘Yes, but if you convince her it will bring in more business to the spa, that would appeal. She wants to make it a success. Inês is cautious. She doesn’t like change at first but when things work, she comes round. Why don’t I suggest it?’
‘I know you’re charming but she’s my boss. I’m not sure she’ll listen to you,’ Rebecca scoffed.
Felipe simply tilted his head from side to side. ‘I can try.’ It amused him that Rebecca had no idea he was the boss and now he was loath to let her know, in case it changed the easy dynamic between them. After all, sleeping with the boss had all sorts of connotations.
‘Let’s assume I can charm her. Tell me what you’d do if you could run evening classes?’
They pulled up outside the hotel, both fizzing with their ideas and plans, so it was doubly pleasing to see how full the car park was.
Lots of people came for lunch on a Sunday, which usually developed into a long, lazy afternoon with more drinks.
Early on he’d made sure the local taxi firms were primed as inevitably there would be more than a few cars remaining in the car park come Monday morning.
Sunday evenings were also one of his favourite times of the week. There was no service once the paying customers had left and the staff would sometimes congregate for drinks and an informal reflection on the previous week and how things were going.
He rolled his shoulders to loosen them off a little. ‘I could do with a swim. Fancy having a go at trying to beat me? Over ten laps.’
‘What do you mean, trying to beat you? I’ve beaten you every time.’
‘Not really,’ he said.
She bumped him with her shoulder, her eyes crinkling with amusement and airy condescension. ‘Yes, really. But happy to beat you again.’
‘Rebecca!’ The call came from the terrace above them.
It was like watching all the lights go down in a blackout. One minute bright and glowing, the next dead. Rebecca’s face lost all its animation and joy.
‘Will!’ she said, her voice strained.
As the man came striding towards them, a big smile on his face, Felipe fought the urge to snatch Rebecca to his side and step in front of her, put her out of danger.
Next to him, her body stiffened, prepared for flight or fight.
His hand touched hers, just to remind her he was there if she needed him.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, bewilderment tingeing the words.
‘I thought I’d surprise you,’ he said, coming closer. ‘Youlook amazing.’ He threw his arms around her and gave her a big hug. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
Felipe felt himself flinch when she wrapped her arms around the other man.
‘Will! I can’t believe you’re here.’ Now her face lit up and her beautiful eyes shone with happiness. Felipe felt his stomach twist.
Will was tall and lanky, with floppy brown hair that had a touch of a young Hugh Grant about it, as well as the almost diffident, boyish stance.
He gave Rebecca a gentle kiss on the cheek, and Felipe felt a little sick when she stared up at Will, shock and happiness radiating across her face.
‘You’ve certainly surprised me,’ said Rebecca.
‘Nice surprise, I hope,’ he said with an engaging smile. ‘It’s been so weird without you at home. I really missed you.’
Felipe saw Rebecca swallow. There was quick uncertainty in the suddenly strained smile. The urge to rescue her, to put his arm around her shoulders, was overwhelming– would she thank him for it? Instead, Felipe stood his ground and kept quiet.
‘It’s so good to see you.’ Her hands fluttered in front of her. ‘When did you get here?’
‘Yesterday, and I was gutted when I discovered you weren’t here. They said you’d gone to Lisbon for the weekend. We’ll have to do that. You can show me round.’
Everything inside Felipe protested at that. Lisbon was theirs. As if Rebecca felt the tension in him, she turned to him.
‘Felipe, this is Will, my friend from home.’
‘More than friends, Becca,’ said Will, putting an arm around her shoulder, stepping forward and holding out a friendly hand.
Felipe gritted his teeth, shook the man’s hand and managed a smile, even though inside he was raging at this man who’d been so careless of Rebecca’s feelings.
‘I’ll leave you to it. Nice to meet you, Will. Catch up with you later, Rebecca.’
‘Yes. Sure,’ she said, looking shell-shocked.
He strode off towards the farmhouse, anger, confusion and irritation combining into an unfamiliar cocktail of emotion. What the hell was wrong with him? He should be happy for Rebecca. The love of her life had turned up– so why did he feel so pissed off?