by Audrey Storm
The architecture was stunning. The city had so much history about it and was a far cry from the generic town in which she grew up. Already she could feel the culture seeping into her bones, and she felt enlivened by it. Now that they were in the city the driver had to slow down, but this gave Emma a chance to take in everything around her. The buildings were old and crumbling, and people walked about without a care in the world. Somewhere in the distance a bell was tolling, and as she looked in between the buildings she could see spires poke up. Emma wasn't a religious person, but being in the presence of such monuments of faith was enough to make her feel awed.
As they drove to her hostel Emma flicked through her guidebook and felt elation sweep through her as she marked certain landmarks. The monotony of the flight had already disappeared, and she couldn't wait to go exploring.
Soon enough, the driver stopped, and she stepped out of the cab. The hostel was a small building and didn't have any distinguishing features apart from a small sign that jutted out above the doorway. The driver made sure that she was okay, and then drove off. Emma took a deep breath, and walked inside.
She was greeted by a slender blond woman with olive skin. She was slim, and had the kind of figure that Emma had always envied. Being a curvy African American woman was all well and good, but there were some times when Emma wished she knew what it was like to have a toned, tight waist. She was shown to a room with a few bunk beds, although there wasn't anyone else in the room at the moment. Emma claimed one of the top bunks and threw her bag there. The woman was friendly, and gave her some suggestions of places she should go and visit, and some of the best bars. Emma took all her advice on board.
The nap she had on the plane, coupled with her natural excitement, meant that she was ready to start exploring. It was late afternoon, and the siesta was just finishing, so the city was beginning to become alive again, and Emma was ready to throw herself into it.
Chapter 4
Well, what a first day that was! It's about 11 at the moment, although it feels much later because the jet lag is catching up with me. When I first arrived in Barcelona, I felt so intimidated by the history of the place. There's nothing like it in America. I know we take a great deal of pride in our nation, but we're fools if we think we can hold a candle to the rest of the world. I only went for a quick stroll, but already I've seen so much. I walked along the cobbled streets in the alleys winding around the houses, and I caught a glimpse of the main tourist area. It was so crowded I could barely move and I think I'll try and stay away from it as much as possible. I came here to experience local life, and that's what I intend to do. I went to a small cafe and had some paella for dinner, which was lovely. So far, the people have been very friendly and forgiving of my English. I haven't met anyone else in my room yet. From what I understand, the Spanish nightlife lasts, well, all night long—so maybe I'll hear them when they get back later, but right now I'm exhausted and I can feel my eyelids getting heavier by the second.
With that, she let the pen drop onto the pad with a dull thud and felt herself drift off to sleep. When she awoke in the morning, it was to the sounds of people talking and getting dressed. Emma rubbed her eyes and her head appeared above the bunk.
“Hey, American! You are finally awake,” a French man said, smiling at her. There were another two men and three women standing around. All looked to be around the same age as Emma, and as they spoke and introduced themselves, Emma realized that they had different nationalities. Pierre and Jacques were French, and the other man was from Poland, called Josef. The girls were made up of an English woman named Jessica, and two Australian twin sisters, Kim and Karen—these two giggled a lot.
“We didn't think you'd ever be awake. I wanted to wake you last night to welcome you to the best room in the hostel, but the others said that it was not such a good idea,” Pierre continued.
“I, um, well, thanks for that I guess. I'm Emma,” she said, and began to clamber down.
“If you'd like to join us, we’re going to grab some breakfast and then head to the beach,” he said. Emma, figuring that meeting new people was just as much a part of the trip as exploring the city, decide to take him up on his offer. After a quick wash, she followed the group downstairs where they had some cereal, and then they went out into the streets. Emma made a point to memorize where she was going, just in case she needed to find it later. Pierre was an outgoing man and seemed to be able to speak to anyone they passed. Josef was much more reserved and seemed to be hanging out with them because it was better than being on his own. The twins were giggling to themselves and walking arm in arm, but Jessica fell into step with Emma and struck up conversation.
“You'll get used to the two of them, they're always like that,” she said, nodding to the Australian twins.
“I love your accent,” Emma said.
“Thanks! I love yours too. I always wanted to go to America but I figured I should go through Europe first since it's closer to home.”
“Have you been here long?”
“Maybe a week or so. I'm heading down to Portugal after this, and then maybe to Greece or Italy. I haven't decided yet.”
“Come on, girls. The day is wasting away!” Pierre shouted, clapping his hands. Jessica laughed and bit her lower lips.
“He's something, isn't he?” she said, lowering her tone of voice.
“Are you two...?” Emma inquired.
“No! I mean, well, kinda. We kissed a couple of times, but it's nothing serious. I mean, how serious can it be? But… yeah, there's something there,” she said, and gazed at Pierre wistfully. “How about you? Do you have anyone back home?”
An image of Matt flashed through her mind. “No, no one at all,” Emma said, and smiled. The two of them chatted more as they walked through the city. The others pointed out places of interest to Emma, and she couldn't wait to see them for herself.
When they got to the beach, Pierre stripped off his clothes and ran along the soft sand to jump into the sea. Jessica and Emma remained on land, rubbing lotion into each other.
“I shouldn't stay here too long, I'm supposed to be exploring the city,” Emma said, and talked about how her grandmother had inspired the trip.
“There's plenty of time for that. I guess it might be different from where you're from, but I'm English so I need to soak up the sun wherever I can get it!”
“Yeah, I guess. It just feels like there's never enough time to do everything I want. The world is so big.”
“Tell me about it. When I was planning the trip, I realized I'd have to be a millionaire if I wanted to see all the places I wanted, but I'm so glad I came out here. I feel like a different person already. I'm dreading going back home.”
“No fun there?”
“That's putting it mildly. My house is a nightmare at the moment. There's stress all over the place, and I really don't know what I'm going to do with my life.”
“I know that feeling,” Emma said as she rubbed lotion into her leg and then looked out to the horizon. The golden sun glowed and sunlight danced upon the water, making it glitter. A few kids ran around, laughing gleefully, while older people lay in the sun, their leathery skin soaking up the rays. “I'm out of college now and this should be the time when my real life begins but I don't know what to do. Figured it was better to get some life experience.”
“What did you study?”
“English Lit.”
“Ah, so you want to be a writer?”
“How did you guess?”
“Elementary, my dear,” Jessica said with a twinkle in her eye.
“That's another reason why I wanted to do the trip. I'm writing a diary about my experiences.”
“Well, you know, experiences only come from spending time with other people, not from going after buildings. If you want to have good stories to tell, I think you might have to change your expectations for the trip.” What Jessica said certainly gave Emma food for thought, and as she looked around the beach she was awed by just how m
any people there were. All of them had their different stories, different dreams, different desires, and she knew that's what people were interested in, and she knew that's what she wanted to write about. As the day went by, she watched Jessica be pulled into the sea by Pierre, and caught the eye of some Spanish men watching her. Back home, she'd never gotten much attention from boys, so when these swarthy, tanned men winked at her, she flushed crimson with embarrassment, and initially wondered if it was some kind of trick. Not long out of a relationship, she wasn't sure what she wanted, but the attention was appreciated.
Chapter 5
A girl I met today told me that if I'm to write a great story it has to be about the people I meet, so that's what I'm going to try and do from now on. My first full day wasn't as I expected. I thought I would go through the Catalan region and see the quirky architecture, go shopping in the Boqueria market, and see the Sagrada Familia church. Instead, I spent the whole day at the beach with my new friends. Let me tell you a little about them.
Pierre and Jacques are the two French boys. Very handsome, although Jacques barely says anything. Pierre is a heartbreaker though, and when he looks at you, it's like he's looking into your soul. He seems to be able to talk to anyone, and has such a playful nature. Jessica, the English girl, is totally in love with him. She's really pretty, and I think Pierre likes her too, but whether it's as much as she likes him… I'm not sure. We struck up a great conversation and I'll be sad when she leaves because we get on really well. I just hope that she manages to make a move on Pierre before they go their separate ways, otherwise she may regret it forever. He seems the type to let things come to him—perhaps that's part of his charm—so she'll have to do the work.
Jacques is always by Pierre's side. They came traveling together, and he's like a sidekick. I don't know if it's just because his English isn't as good as Pierre's, or whether he's content to live in Pierre's shadow, but he's mostly quiet and seems to study everything carefully. Josef is Polish, and in all honesty, is the odd one. He's huge, like a bear, but his voice is soft and gentle. I'd like to know more about him but his English is not so good. At the beach, he met some other Polish people and became more animated, so it's sad that the language barrier is preventing him from getting to know us properly. The other two girls… well, they seem nice enough, but they're always giggling to themselves and they rarely take part in group conversations. I guess being twins means that they've always had a special type of connection, but it gets tiresome watching them whisper to each other. Maybe it's just the paranoid part of me coming out...
She was interrupted by writing more when the others invited her out for the evening. Her usual routine was to be in bed by this time, and she could feel the sleep tugging at her, but she fought the urge to sleep and pulled herself out. Everything was later in Spain, so it was about nine when they ate. They went to a small tapas bar and shared the food. The others took great delight in introducing Emma to something new, and her mouth was alive with different flavors. After this, they walked through the city to a bar that the others were crazy about.
It was a wide, open chamber with tables dotted all around. Lamps hung from the ceiling and the walls were a dark orange. Candles sat at the tables, and Emma was surprised, for she thought the others would have preferred a more active atmosphere.
“That will come later when we hit the clubs,” Pierre said as he went to the bar and ordered a round of drinks. They were the largest group in there, and the loudest. A few more locals appeared as the night went on. Soon enough, Emma realized why they liked the bar, for the drinks were cheap, tasty, and LARGE. It wasn't long before she was feeling the effects. When she stood up, she staggered to the bathroom, and felt a rush of hazy delirium. After that she slowed down a little, and managed to reach a plateau where she had a good buzz going and her inhibitions were relaxed, but she wasn't completely out of control.
As the drinks flowed and the bar was filled with laughter, more and more people entered. The night for the locals didn't begin until late, and soon enough, Emma's table was surrounded by people, but she was more focused on trying to get Jessica and Pierre together. She'd taken an instant liking to the English girl, and wanted to help her get what she wanted, although it wasn't proving to be easier since she was reluctant to take any sort of chance.
“Hey,” Emma said, “I know what it's like to make the first move. I had to with my ex, he was so shy that he could barely look at me. We spent a lot of time together, watched a lot of movies, but he never once made a move and I was starting to think that he didn't like me. I knew that if I wanted something to happen, I was going to have to make it happen.”
“What did you do?”
“While we were watching a movie, I snuggled up close to him and pulled his arm around me, and then I kissed him.”
“What did he do?”
“Kissed me back, then looked relieved. And after that we were together. We just had to get through that hurdle. If you want something, you just have to go for it and hope that it works out for the best. At least you know that if it doesn’t, you'll both be going to different countries.”
“I just don't know why he'd like me.”
“Why wouldn't he?” Emma countered. Jessica didn't have an answer for that. She took another sip of her drink, and leaned forward. Emma could smell the alcohol on her breath.
“So what happened with you and your guy then?” she asked. Emma looked away and tilted the glass in her hands, watching the liquid sway inside.
“That is a long story,” she said.
“I'm not going anywhere.”
“We'll make a deal. I'll tell you what happened, and you make a move on Pierre.”
“That's not fair!”
“That's the offer on the table,” Emma said, shrugging and leaning back in her chair.
“You are positively evil, but fine,” Jessica said. Emma moved forward and rested her elbows on the table, and then delved into the past.
“We were together for a few years and he was always there for me when I needed him. This trip was one I'd been planning ever since I was a kid, and I actually loved that he wanted to be a part of it and share it with me. So we were going through all the planning, we'd bought all the tickets, we'd made a strict schedule of where we were going to be staying and all the countries we'd be visiting. I mean, he knew how important it was to me...” Emma felt herself getting more worked up as she spoke. Her voice became raw and the anger she was feeling made blood race to the surface of her skin, making even her dark flesh glow red.
“So what happened? What did he do?”
“He came to me a few weeks ago and told me that a group of buddies had found a way to get some discounts on tickets to Comic-Con in San Diego. But of course, he'd spent all his money on our trip, but instead of asking me whether we could change things around so that he could go, he told me that he'd gotten a refund on some of his tickets.”
“He what?!”
“I know right! He told me that since I'd been planning to go on my own most of my life, he didn't think it was that much of a big deal, and we'd get some time to spend together on the first leg of the trip anyway. He said that a long time ago, he'd made a pact with his buddies that they'd all go to Comic-Con together, and it was just the same as my dream of going traveling and that I shouldn't stand in his way.”
“What did you say to that?”
“What do you think I said? I told him to go screw himself. He could have at least told me about it. And he threw the rest of the trip into chaos because there were some places I'd only added to the route to see with him. And to be honest, I didn't want to go to those places because I knew I'd just be thinking of him and getting annoyed, so in the end I refunded my tickets as well and just came here. I needed to get away from everything and take stock of things.”
“And so now you're here and he's at some convention.”
“Pretty much.”
“Well, you've got the better of it. I mean, I've had guys cheat o
n me in the past but this is something else. I can't believe he'd do that. Did he just not think at all?”
“I guess not!”
“Well, you definitely need to get out there. I've noticed a lot of men checking you out, you should go and talk to a few of them.”
“Oh, I don't know about that, I've never really been all that good at that.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, if I'm going to be going over to Pierre, you have to do something as well. I'm not going to leave you sitting here by the end of the night.”
“But look at everyone else, there are so many gorgeous women here. I feel so… I don't know, inadequate,” Emma said, squirming in her seat.
“Yeah, but you're new, different. Over here, you're exotic,” she said. Emma had never thought of herself as exotic before, and as she passed her eyes around the bar, she caught people staring at her with interest. For the first time in her life, she was standing out from the crowd. Confidence flowed through her and made her glow radiantly. When she walked to the bar, she carried herself with grace and eyes followed her across the room, enchanted by her elegance. As she left the table, Jessica took a deep breath and ventured towards Pierre. Emma smiled as she watched her new friend approach the Frenchman and sidle up to him. The two of them looked comfortable together, and it wasn't long before Pierre was idly resting his hand against her waist.
But Jessica's efforts left Emma with a predicament, for she was now left alone. The group had split apart, but it was a good testing ground. She waited at the bar, surveying the area, when a man came up beside her. He was tall and had the same olive skin as the other locals. His dark hair drooped over his forehead, and he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. His arms were covered in thick, dark hair, and he exuded a masculine charisma that made Emma's heart flutter. There was an instant, electric chemistry between them. At first, he spoke something in Spanish, but she shook her head and shrugged.
“Ah, you are one of those that doesn't learn the language of the country they are visiting,” he said with twinkling eyes.