Ocean Breeze

by Laura Conway

  “It’s a tapas restaurant. Just around the corner, near the marina.”

  “Not Sun and Sand?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Dad raved about that place,” Payton said with a grin.

  “He was a regular. You know, I’m surprised we haven’t met already,” Jackie said, returning her smile. “He never brought you?”

  “No. He actually liked cooking for me here, or we usually went off to Cordoba or Granada, always somewhere new. He could have worked for the Spanish tourist office. Each time I came over, he had another town or city he wanted to show me.”

  Jackie nodded. “And I’ve been coming and going a lot in the last few years. We probably just missed each other.”

  “Probably.”

  Jackie glanced over at Payton, trying to remember if Luke ever mentioned how old she was. If he was only forty-five, she couldn’t be more than twenty-five or twenty-six. She didn’t know what Payton’s mother was like, but she could see the similarities between father and daughter. They had the same olive skin that tanned so easily, and a lot of their mannerisms were the same.

  “We’re going to be pissed before lunch,” Payton said, swirling the ruby colored wine in her glass. “Sod it,” she muttered before taking another drink.

  Jackie started laughing. Add that to the list of similarities.

  “What’s so funny?” Payton asked, turning to face her, looking at Jackie as if she’d completely lost her mind.

  “I thought you were a New Yorker.”

  “I am.”

  “And when you’re drunk the Londoner comes out?” Jackie asked with a smirk.

  “Ugh,” Payton said with a half-smile. “I have heard that before. I didn’t know it was a rule though.”

  “You sound just like Luke,” Jackie said, shaking her head.

  “Maybe, it’s your accent rubbing off on me.”

  “Maybe,” Jackie said, blinking back tears again. She kept forgetting that Luke was gone, and when it hit her, it was like being told for the first time again and again. She took a drink to swallow down the lump in her throat.

  “So,” Payton said, draping her arm across the back of her chair as she angled her body towards Jackie. “What did you leave behind in London?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Payton shrugged. “You said you went back and forth, that you had a flat there. Are all of your family still there?”

  Jackie took another drink. “Just a sister. My parents are gone. What about you? Do you have family to consider when you’re trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life?”

  Payton scoffed. “I am one hundred percent not factoring my mother into this decision, but that’s it. I’m an only child. My mother’s family are spread out in different states, and all of my dad’s family are in England. My grandmother still lives in London, but I haven’t seen her since the funeral. I don’t know. I think she might be homophobic, and I know age isn’t an excuse, but she’s eight-two, and to be honest, I don’t really care.”

  Jackie tried to focus on the words coming out of Payton’s mouth, but she got sidetracked when she heard Payton say the word ‘homophobic.’ Did that mean...? Wouldn’t Luke have mentioned that his daughter was gay? Wait, why would he have? Just because Jackie was out, didn’t mean that Luke would have said something.

  “Jackie?”

  “Hmmm...?” Jackie’s eyes locked onto Payton’s, her blue eyes narrowing as she shielded her eyes from the sun.

  “I said, I’m going to get a pair of shades. Do you want one?”

  “Sure. Yeah. Thanks,” Jackie said, her hands wrapped around her glass as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table so that the sun wasn’t on her face.

  Payton was back a minute later, handing Jackie a pair of aviator sunglasses as she slid on her own. “Much better,” Payton said as she got comfortable again.

  “Thanks,” Jackie said, putting her own on, hoping that she didn’t look ridiculous. She loved the look of aviators, but she never thought she could pull them off.

  “So, to answer your question, I’m not factoring in anyone else. I’m making this decision based on me. I can go back to New York and do something else. I can stay in London or here, and I know, I probably sound like an entitled snob, but I do realize how fortunate I am to have those kinds of options.”

  “Did you get along with Angela?” Jackie asked, taking another sip of wine.

  Payton stared at her for a second. “Sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I keep forgetting that you knew my dad and, of course, you knew my step-mother. Yeah. I did actually. My mother hates her, but I think it’s just a reaction. Angela is younger and so much more fun than my mother ever was, but I know she doesn’t really care. My mother stopped loving my dad years ago. She’s the one who wanted a divorce.”

  “How old were you?” Jackie asked, hoping she wasn’t being too curious.

  “Fourteen.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. It’s hard to remember things being normal, but all of my memories are ‘before the divorce’ and ‘after the divorce.’ Normal and chaos, but they were both happier after they separated, and I got to visit my dad in London every summer and come here with him, so it wasn’t all bad.”

  “You probably grew up fast,” Jackie said, suddenly feeling the effects of the alcohol. She’d almost slurred those words.

  “Maybe... It wasn’t as traumatic as I’m making it out to be. I had a good childhood. I traveled. I went to a great school. I’m not complaining.”

  “Is there anything from that childhood that might give you a hint about what you might want to do? Something you were good at?” Jackie asked, knowing that she’d be unable to filter her words from this point on. She was definitely drunk. She should have had breakfast this morning.

  Payton sighed. “I don’t know. Everything was about my grades and getting into law school. I loved art. I was always drawing or painting, but I don’t think it’s something I could do full time.”

  “You never thought about following in your dad’s footsteps?”

  “And open a digital marketing agency?” Payton asked, bringing her glass to her lips, her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. I never really thought about it.” She laughed softly. “It was weird. Having a father who was on SnapChat before you were. I did learn a lot from him. Yeah,” Payton said with a nod. “It’s an option.”

  Jackie cradled her glass. She was going to pay for this tomorrow. Maybe even this afternoon. She’d have to have a siesta.

  “Well,” Payton said, putting her empty glass down on the table and stretching her arms over her head. “This is not how I thought today would go.”

  “And it’s only noon,” Jackie said with a smile as she finished her wine. “I should go.” Her hands were on her bare thighs, and she pushed herself up, holding on to the edge of the table to keep her balance, just in case. She didn’t trust herself right now. Two glasses of wine on an empty stomach so early in the day was not something she was used to. “Let’s not do this again,” Jackie said with a laugh as she followed Payton back inside the apartment and to the door.

  “Maybe at a more civilized hour.” Payton held the door open for her, leaning against it, her cheeks slightly flushed.

  “Agreed. I am just across the hall though, if you need anything. Don’t be shy,” Jackie said as she left, her hand in her pocket as she fished out her keys, and of course, she dropped them. Great.

  “I’ll just wait here,” Payton said, and Jackie could hear the smile in her voice. “In case you need any help.”

  Jackie scooped up her keys and flashed her a smile before turning the key in the lock and opening her apartment door. “Everything is just tickety-boo,” she said with a wink, knowing Payton would appreciate the phrase. It was one Luke used often.

  “Alright,” Payton said, giving her a wave. “Be safe. No driving.”

  “Definitely not.” Jackie gave her a salute, cursing herself as soon as she’d close
d her door. “Well, she probably thinks I’m a total dork,” Jackie said to herself with a sigh, throwing her keys onto the wooden tray that was on a narrow table inside the door.

  Again, the news of Luke’s death hit her like a sucker punch to the stomach as she went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out a bottle of water. She had to tell Oliver, but it could wait a few more hours. She needed to eat something first and sober up a bit before she even thought about leaving her apartment.

  She went out on the balcony with a slice of tortilla that she’d made yesterday, not trusting herself to actually chop or cook anything in the state she was in. She sat down, enjoying her Spanish omelet with a glass of orange juice. She’d be fine in an hour.

  Jackie smiled to herself. Payton was a lot like her father. They had that same charisma, that same smile.

  She’d done her best not to stare when Payton had been in her robe, and it was easier than it should have been. The knife had distracted her and then there was the news of Luke’s passing.

  What a morning.

  Chapter Five

  As tempted as Payton was to open another bottle of wine yesterday, she didn’t, opting for some lunch and a lazy day of unpacking instead. Today was her first day out and about in Benalmadena. The sun glistened off the ocean as she strolled along the promenade, happy to be in shorts and a tank top in November when it was snowing back in New York.

  Booking a one-way ticket was as frightening as it was exciting. She’d never had this much unstructured time with no commitments, no responsibilities. Even after her father’s death, she’d kept working at the coffee shop around the corner from her apartment. Now, she had no job. Only free time. She just had to figure out where her life was going. No pressure.

  Payton thought about what Jackie had said, about maybe following in her father’s footsteps and getting into digital marketing. It was definitely something to consider. She wouldn’t be tied down to one location. She could split her time between New York, London, and Benalmadena, or she could sell one of the apartments and live somewhere else.

  It would give her time to do what she really wanted, without worrying about draining her savings account. She could finally take photos and create art without the pressure of making a living out of it. Whatever challenges she’d face starting an agency, it was still so much more appealing than going to work at her mother’s law firm or any law firm for that matter.

  Payton’s flip flops gently slapped against her feet as she followed the pavement, entering the marina area where dozens of expensive yachts were docked. Restaurants, shops and bars were to her right and behind the boats on her left, several apartment blocks rose out of the water. Payton remembered wishing her father had bought one of those when he’d brought her to Puerto Marina for the first time. She loved the idea of living in a building that felt like it was surrounded by water, but now she was glad that he’d gone with the two bedroom that was just a ten-minute walk from here.

  Puerto Marina was bustling with tourists and locals, eating or having a few drinks in the sunshine. As delicious as the food smelt, she knew this was a tourist trap, and that there were far better places to eat if she kept going, including Jackie’s tapas restaurant.

  Payton adjusted the strap of her black sling bag, the weight of her phone and journal causing it to dig into her bare shoulder. She’d get some lunch and write down some ideas, get all those thoughts running through her mind out of her head and onto paper.

  She found Sun and Sand easily, the sky-blue building standing out among the row of restaurants and bars. Most of the seating was outdoors, but that was normal here. Almost every one of the white square tables was taken. Yellow umbrellas provided some shade from the sun which was directly overhead now.

  Payton slid her shades onto her head as she weaved through the tables, finding a free one in the corner. A waiter appeared with a menu and a dish of green olives. She took out her journal and started writing down everything she was thinking, about how amazing it was to be here again, but also how hard it was. She flipped to a new page when a business idea popped into her head.

  The waiter was back, and she ordered a glass of white wine and three kinds of tapas, small dishes that were almost like starters or snacks. She tapped her pen against the lined pages, trying to pick up where she left off, but she gave up for the moment and sat back, taking a sip of wine. Her eyes fell on Jackie who came out from behind the bar along with a muscular man with salt and pepper hair, tattoos covering both arms.

  Payton darted her eyes away when Jackie wrapped her arms around him. She distracted herself by rereading what she wrote, ignoring the burning sensation in her chest. She stole another glance, and Jackie’s hand was running up and down his arm. It was intimate, as if she was comforting him, and Payton felt her cheeks burn when Jackie’s eyes landed on her.

  They were both looking in her direction now, and Payton froze. Jackie turned her attention back to the taller man, and then they were making their way towards her. Payton closed her journal, shoving it in her bag, and when she looked up, they were both standing beside her table.

  “Payton, hey,” Jackie said, her eyes glistening. “This is Oliver. Oliver this is Payton, Luke’s daughter.”

  Oliver extended his hand, and Payton shook it. “I’m so sorry,” he said in a thick London accent. “About your father... I’d been thinking about him these last few weeks, wondering when he’d be back,” he cleared his throat. “I’m just so sorry.”

  Payton nodded, looking up at him. “I’m sorry that you weren’t told, that you didn’t get the chance to come to the funeral. We were so caught up in the shock of it all. We didn’t think to come out here...” Payton sighed. “Thank you for being such good friends. He loved coming here, to Benalmadena, to this restaurant.”

  Oliver smiled. “He was one of our best customers, and he always sent people to us. He was so generous,” Oliver said, running a hand through his thick hair. “Ugh. Blimey,” he said, brushing away a tear. “I never cry.”

  Jackie’s hand was around his waist, pulling him into her, and Payton couldn’t remember the last time she felt this uncomfortable, and she didn’t even know why. These were her father’s friends, her father’s neighbor. They looked like they were a couple, and Payton had no issues with PDAs, so why did she feel like being anywhere but here?

  “How’s Angela?” Oliver asked.

  “She’s good. Okay. The same as me, I guess. Just trying to keep going. She’s still in London, in the flat they bought together.”

  “I don’t know if I could stay there,” Oliver said with a sniffle. “Too many memories. I’d probably have to move out. Anyway,” Oliver said, taking a deep breath. “I’m glad she’s doing okay. We’ll let you enjoy your meal which is on the house, by the way.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to-” Payton started to say, but Oliver waved her off.

  “I insist,” he said, giving her a warm smile.

  “Thank you.”

  Jackie stayed beside her table when Oliver left, but Payton couldn’t seem to relax. Jackie’s dark hair was tied up in a messy bun today, and her arms looked amazing in the white tank top she was wearing. A silver pendant resting just above the dip in her tank top caught the afternoon sun, and Payton tore her eyes away.

  “I knew he wouldn’t take it well,” Jackie said, her eyes still on him as he left the restaurant and walked along the boardwalk. “But he knew Luke in London. I don’t even know how far they went back. Luke helped him with his first restaurant, with the advertizing and everything.”

  “Really?”

  Jackie nodded, and the waiter was back with her food. “Enjoy your meal,” she said with a smile, and then she was gone, chatting to a couple a few tables over.

  No wonder her father loved coming here, and not just to Sun and Sand but to this area in general. Everyone was so friendly and the pace of living relaxed. What a change from London and New York.

  The scent of garlic and shrimp left her mouthwatering as
she looked at each dish, from the octopus salad to the fried shrimp to the sardines, not knowing which to try first, finally settling on the salad.

  Payton knew coming back to this part of the world would be tough, but it wasn’t sadness that she felt. It was almost jealousy, of all these people who knew and loved her father, who might have spent just as much time with him over the years as she had. It was like he had this other life that she hardly knew anything about, but at the same time, it was comforting, hearing about her father from a new perspective, knowing that he was well loved by more than just her and Angela.

  Speaking of Angela. She’d better check in with her. Angela had always been good to her. Payton was almost eighteen when they’d started dating, so she’d never been that stepmother that had to try and replace her actual mother. Angela was only ten years older than her, and they’d always gotten along. Their relationship was more of a friendship than anything else, and right now, Payton was being a shitty friend. It had been more than a month since she’d spoken to her on the phone and at least three since they’d seen each other.

  Payton could spend a few days in London and catch up with her, although the thought of leaving this lovely sunshine for cold and dreary London wasn’t exactly appealing. She could invite Angela here. She could probably get away for a long weekend.

  Payton finished the salad and moved on to the shrimp. She’d give Angela a call later and try and organize something.

  Payton caught herself looking at Jackie again and darted her eyes away before Jackie could notice. She was extremely attractive. There was no point in denying that. Her black hair fell a few inches below her shoulders. Her tanned legs were on display in shorts that showed off her figure. Her arms were toned, too, and Payton returned her focus to the food in front of her. Crushing on her new neighbor and her dad’s friend wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She should probably check out the local gay scene and find someone that she actually had a chance with.

  Chapter Six

  Jackie would have loved to be sitting at home, on her couch, in front of the TV with a glass of wine, but she knew she had to cheer Oliver up. He’d been walking around in a daze since she’d told him about Luke two days ago.