Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
‘ B om dia ,’ said Rebecca, busy tidying up the rows of products in the spa reception as Inês arrived.
‘ Bom dia .’ Inês smiled appreciatively and glanced at her wrist. Rebecca didn’t need to check her own watch to know she was at least fifteen minutes early.
As she’d demonstrated over and over in the last few weeks, she didn’t like to be idle, and this work ethic appeared to have served her well because Inês almost approved of her these days.
‘That looks good. I like the way you’ve arranged the moisturisers. Much easier to see what we’ve got and what we’re low on. Like the toner. Would you order some more?’
‘Yes, of course. Your first client is a facial and I’ve set the steamer up in the therapy room.’
‘Thank you, Rebecca. I have a spare hour after this appointment. I’d like to talk to you.’
‘Okay,’ replied Rebecca with a bright smile, wondering if Felipe had put two and two together and guessed that she might be leaving soon, even though she hadn’t even talked dates with him or Will.
As much as she loved living here, she knew she needed to leave sooner rather than later.
Surely Inês would understand and release her from her contract as soon as possible.
Will was keen to go home and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be around Felipe for any longer than she had to be.
She recalled their last conversation, when he’d asked if she were happy.
She winced. Was she? Torn would be a better way of describing how she felt.
It was ironic. Will was offering everything she’d wanted for so long.
So why did the image of his house and living there in the future suddenly present itself in shades of grey?
She glared at the bottles in front of her, deciding to find a task that required more concentration because this one was giving her too much thinking time.
‘I’ll be back in ten minutes and we’ll sit down,’ said Inês after a very relaxed client left the therapy room.
‘Okay,’ said Rebecca, who’d been looking at her calendar. How much notice was reasonable? she wondered.
When Inês returned with two coffees and a plate of pastries, Rebecca began to think this might be a charm offensive to ask her to stay a bit longer. Inês had never brought her so much as a glass of water before.
‘Let’s sit down.’ Inês nodded towards the seating area, which normally was out of bounds for staff.
Rebecca perched on the edge of the couch, her knees primly together, and took a sip of her coffee.
Inês opened up her laptop and Rebecca felt as if she were in an appraisal or something.
‘Felipe has sent me a proposal.’
‘Oh,’ she said, now primed for the worst and no doubt being held accountable for the ridiculous ideas.
‘For retreats?’
Rebecca nodded while Inês tapped on her laptop.
‘It’s a good plan,’ she said, looking up at Rebecca.
‘You like it?’ Rebecca couldn’t help the surprise spilling out.
Inês threw her head back and looked up at the ceiling.
‘I wasn’t happy when Felipe decided to employ a Pilates teacher– it wasn’t my idea and I didn’t see the point.
I thought you were one of Felipe’s millions of girlfriends and he was finding a job for you.
But the guests really like it andmore come for treatments after they’ve been to your class.
I don’t know what you tell them, but… it’s been good for business. ’
Her face softened. ‘And… you are a very good worker. Turns out Felipe was right. He did hire the best person.’
Rebecca found there was a lump in her throat at the rare praise, but at the same time a sinking feeling at the words one of Felipe’s millions of girlfriends.
‘I think you are the best person to organise and manage the retreats. It’s a full-time job.
I want to build up the spa and Felipe says he’s too busy.
I would like to offer you thejob. I know you have already discussed with him the outline of what would be required.
I’ve gone into more detail and I have put together a job description.
’ She glanced down at her laptop and pressed a few keys again. ‘I’ve emailed it to you.’
‘Do you know that Felipe works late into the night several times a week and that Maria and Ana are totally reliant on him?’ said Rebecca, realising that she had picked up Felipe’s trick of deflecting when she didn’t want to talk about something.
It had been weighing on her mind that Inês didn’t give her brother enough credit, and although now wasn’t quite the right moment, she couldn’t help blurting it out.
‘But M?e is the executive chef.’ Inês’s dark eyebrows furrowed in an alarmed V, reminding Rebecca of a flock of flying geese. ‘She should be running the kitchen.’
‘She does to a certain extent, but Felipe does all the related admin. Ordering supplies, equipment. He also does the bookkeeping, all the admin for the hotel. He even works in the laundry when Luisa is off.’
‘But that is ridiculous.’
Rebecca shrugged as if to say, Tell me about it .
Inês pursed her mouth and the lines in her dark, angular face relaxed with sadness.
‘That is my brother. Ever since Pai and Tio died, he’s felt he has to look after us all. He did everything then, ran himself ragged but… I should have seen it. He still is, isn’t he?’
To Rebecca’s consternation, a tear rolled down Inês’s cheek. ‘I should have seen it. But I’ve been too wrapped up… my family, the spa… I can take on more to help him… but he has never asked.’
‘He doesn’t– so I think you should ask him how you could help more,’ suggested Rebecca.
The other woman surreptitiously wiped away her tears and her face brightened. ‘And having you here will be a big help. Another pair of capable hands is just what we need.’
Rebecca shook her head and swallowed. ‘Not me. I don’t want the job.’
Every cell in her body was urging her to look at the damn job description but she knew that would be a disaster. If she didn’t look, she wouldn’t regret turning it down. She couldn’t stay here.
‘Don’t be ridícula !’ snapped Inês. ‘It is a good job. You wouldn’t have to service the rooms anymore. And the pay would be much better. It’s perfect for you. You’re organised, methodical and good with the guests. I can’t see why you wouldn’t want it.’
‘Probably not, but that’s my decision,’ said Rebecca more than a little tartly because she so did not want to be having this conversation. She was too busy tamping down the urge to run away and burst into tears.
‘You never struck me as the sort of girl who would let a man stop her doing something she wants to.’ Trust Inês to speak as she found it, when Rebecca’s nerves were already frayed beyond bearing.
Was this her way of getting back at Rebecca for letting her know how much Felipe had been doing to carry the family?
‘I’m not,’ she said indignantly.
‘Well, you’re either not taking the job because of Will, because you think you should be going home with him– which is estúpida because I know you want this job– or you’re not taking it because of Felipe, because you don’t want to be around him.
I’m assuming if that’s the case, it’s because you’ve been stupid enough to fall in love with him. ’
Rebecca stared at her, horrified by her astute assessment of things.
‘I’m not blind, you know. I’ve seen you hiding behind that computer the last few days, like you can bury your emotions in work. Forget about the men. Think about you want. Please think about it. Properly. The job is yours if you want it.’
Nonplussed, Rebecca met her candid gaze.
‘Why are you being nice to me?’
‘Because I’m a mother. I have daughters. I always want them to be the best they can. You are the sort of woman I want them to grow up to be. Independent and able to stand their ground.’ She paused. ‘At least, that’s who I thought you were.’
Rebecca buried her bare feet in the soft sand.
She rested her chin on her knees and listened to the ocean.
She had to squint into the sunshine that sparkled on the sea like a spray of diamonds scattered across the surface as the waves raced into shore.
Apart from a few people walking in the shallows, she had the place virtually to herself.
She was glad that Will hadn’t responded to her text telling him she was going down to the beach.
Her forlorn sigh annoyed her, as did the way she was toying with her water bottle, screwing and unscrewing the lid.
She had choices. Nothing was set in stone.
She tilted her head backwards and breathed in the salted air, focusing on the fragrance of the sea and the scent of the pines on the clifftop behind her.
Feeling sorry for herself was a wasted emotion.
She gazed around at the earthy umber and ochre shades of the cliffs tumbling down to the sea.
She loved this place. It would be hard to leave.
‘Hey, I thought I’d find you here.’ She shaded her eyes to find Will standing over her. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Thinking,’ she said, taking a sip of water.
‘I guess there’s lots to think about,’ he said, plopping down next to her in a flurry of sand, his legs sprawling untidily in front of him.
‘Perhaps we should make a list. I was thinking you probably ought to give notice on your flat now, as what have you got? A month’s notice?
And won’t you need to inform loads of people like banks and things? ’
All the reservations that had been whispering at the back of her mind leaked out.
‘And I guess we’re going to have to tell your parents. That’s going to be fun.’ Will winced. ‘Your brothers gave me a hard time in the pub after you left.’
‘Did they?’ Rebecca stalled halfway through taking another drink of her water and almost choked.
Will thumped her on the back.
‘Didn’t really want to rake it all up again,’ he said with a blithe shrug, which hurt a little when she thought again of how the whole village had been witness to her humiliation. ‘Anyway. I was thinking. What are they going to do, if you just leave?’
‘What?’
‘The hotel. Your boss. It’s not like they can do anything. We could book flights for next week and go. There’s nothing keeping you here, is there?’
‘I can’t just leave. I made a commitment. I’m supposed to stay until the end of September.’
‘Come on, they can easily replace you. And they don’t have to have a Pilates teacher. People will understand that you need to go home. September’s only two months away.’
‘But what if I want to stay until then?’ She took a deep breath. ‘The thing is, Will, I’m not sure I want to go back at all.’
The words dropped like stones down a well, irretrievable, and judging from Will’s appalled face, the damage was irreversible.
‘What do you mean? You can’t stay here. This is just an extended holiday. You can’t live here.’
‘I think I could.’
‘But what about us?
He grabbed her hand and forced his fingers through hers. ‘Rebecca. I know I made a mistake before. And I’m sorry.’
‘It’s nothing to do with that. I want to stay here. For me. Because it’s what I want,’ she replied. And just like that, she knew she could. With or without Felipe.
‘But… what about me?’
This was it. She needed to be honest with him.
‘I’m sorry, Will, I can’t move in with you.’
He caught her arm, gaping at her. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m not going to move in with you. I’m not the right person for you.’
‘But I need you.’
‘I’m sorry, Will.’