by Megan Brooks
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Megan packed her bags. She was sad to be leaving but far happier than she had been when she had arrived here. She didn’t bother to call Richard to tell him she was on the way home. She noticed that he had left her several calls, but she still didn’t bother. They were going to have a lengthy conversation when she got back home anyway.
The flight left soon but Megan was doing reasonably well time wise. She checked out of her hotel and took her bags down the street, toward the tourism office Angelina worked at. She couldn’t resist. She had to tell her goodbye one last time.
Usually, Angelina only arrived at work right before her tour started. There was a chance she wouldn’t even be there. Megan felt confident she would be waiting for her, though. She must know that Megan would swing by. Her work was so close.
Bags in hand, Megan headed to the front of the shop. She looked through the window, searching for Angelina. She found her… and what she saw made her drop the bags she was holding.
Angelina had her arms around another woman. They were laughing together, smiling. Before she pulled away, she even kissed her on the cheek. Apart, they were holding hands. Megan wasn’t sure what to do - so she left. With warm tears falling from her face, she grabbed her things and hurried off to catch a bus to the airport.
She had known Angelina was too good to be true. Maybe she wasn’t working with Lucas, but she was almost as bad as Richard. She hit on tourists because they weren’t here long. Megan wondered if the other woman knew or if she was as in the dark as Megan had been. She wasn’t going back to warn her. She was too humiliated.
Megan kept her head down all the way to the airport. She went through the lines and through the security checks. She made it all the way to her seat before bursting into tears. She tried to face the window and not let anyone else see her tears. She wasn’t sure how successful she was.
Once the plane had taken off, Megan looked down at the strip of pictures she was holding. To think only last night, she had been as happy as she looked in the pictures. It didn’t feel right.
Megan looked down at the smiling faces in the pictures and cried harder than ever. Her heart and soul felt hurt, empty…longing. She turned to the window one last time and looked out of it, toward Mallorca… and Angelina. Despite everything, she still loved her. Despite everything, she wished she had said goodbye.
The plane landed sooner than Megan would have liked. She hadn’t really had time to think about what she wanted to do. She knew what she probably needed to do, but she wasn’t sure she had the energy for it.
Megan got of the plane and walked into the airport. As she had expected, her husband was waiting for her near the exits with flowers and a red “I Love you” cheesy foil helium balloon. He beamed when he saw her and opened his arms wide.
Fortunately, Megan was all out of tears at this point. The pictures from the photo booth had been shoved into her pocket. She’d started to throw them away but just couldn’t bring herself to. She approached Richard.
“You’re home!” Richard sang, like he hadn’t sent a private eye after her. Maybe he was worried she would say something about that, because he didn’t mention the fact that she hadn’t called him. He did keep his arms spread wide like he was waiting for a hug, though.
Megan gave it to him. What else could she do? Soon she’d had to tell him how she really felt.
Chapter Ten
Megan hid the photo booth picture in a shoe box beneath the bed. She pulled it out almost every day. She’d put the bracelet Angelina had given her in there, too. She would touch it while she looked at the picture, and her thoughts would turn to Spain. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t miss her.
There was no denying that Megan was woefully unhappy in her marriage. She did her best to lie to herself. She told herself it wasn’t all that bad. He hadn’t cheated since the time she had caught him. He had been more devoted since, quicker to listen to her thoughts and concerns. Richard valued her more now, and that was nice.
So why was she so miserable?
Work wasn’t going that great. She’d enjoyed it well enough before, but now it just didn’t make her happy. She drove there every day and resented that she was even there. Where was Angelina at that moment, she wondered. She was doing a job she loved, in a place that was beautiful… with a new girlfriend.
Not that Megan could even really be considered an ex girlfriend. She had just been a fling.
Megan was in the bedroom looking at the picture when Richard got home from work. She hastily tucked it back in its box and slid it beneath the bed. She forced a smile on her face and went out to meet her husband. “How was work?”
“Great,” said Richard. He was wearing a grin. Normally, he went straight to to the sofa. He would answer her question, but she wouldn’t have his attention. Something was up. “I have a surprise for you.”
Megan raised an eyebrow at that. A ‘surprise’ was, certainly, unusual. Richard didn’t do surprises. He barely remembered special occasions, and, as far as Megan could remember, this wasn’t one of those. “Why?’ she asked.
“It’s been a year since our relationship had its… hiccup,” said Richard.
Megan couldn’t place what he meant at first. Gradually, she realized. He was talking about when she had caught him sleeping with the postwoman. She wasn’t sure she would call that a ‘hiccup.’ ”I guess,” she said, having a hard time believing that it had actually been an entire year.
“We should be proud of the way our marriage has endured,” continued Richard. “We’ve seen adversity and persevered.”
Megan wasn’t so sure about any of that. They had floundered is what they had done. Their marriage wasn’t exactly the poster child for anything. She chose not to say anything. There was no point in picking a fight. She might as well see this gift he had gotten her.
“I figured we could both use a bit of treat, so…” Richard produced two tickets from behind his back. “Tada!”
Megan recoiled before she could even see where the tickets were to. It couldn’t be. “We’re not,” she breathed, disbelieving.
“Mallorca, Spain,” said Richard, grinning. “Two tickets, round trip. We’ll go for a week. We’ll do everything you did and stay everywhere you stayed. It’ll be amazing. You can give me the tour.”
How was she supposed to react to this. Megan was speechless. Unfortunately, Richard took that as a good sign and swept her into a hug. They spent the rest of the night planning their trip.
Megan would need to take a week off work. She would be genuinely surprised if anyone cared. She hadn’t been their star employee this past year. The few friends she had had there had all been promoted to better jobs at higher volume branches. Her job could be filled in by most anyone for a week. No one would miss her.
It was difficult to say just how she felt about the trip. Part of her was terrified. Another part of her was unspeakably depressed. A very small part of her was eager. She had missed Spain terribly. It seemed unlikely Angelina would even still be there, but the chance of seeing her was all too tempting.
They left on a Monday. Richard had bought them tickets in first class this time. Megan was annoyed but didn’t bring it up. He was all smiles and eager for a vacation. She didn’t want to ruin that for him and start a fight.
She slept for most of the way. She dreamed of Angelina when she did. She dreamed of her face and that night they had spent together. These sorts of dreams came often, but the ones on the plane felt especially vivid. She was going to see her again. She couldn’t possibly know that for a fact, but somehow she just did.
Richard shook Megan by the shoulder when the plane began to land. Megan’s heart soared, knowing where they were.
The ride to the hotel thrilled her. Everything was as beautiful as she remembered. She tried to point out things to her husband, but mostly she just stared. It was difficult not to. She had been seeing this place in her dream for a year now. She had looked at t
he pictures she had kept every day. Somehow, it still hadn’t prepared her for how unspeakably beautiful this place was. Only being there did she remember.
They were staying at the same hotel Megan had stayed at. It was run by the same elderly couple who were only too happy to see Megan back once she had reminded them of who she was.
Richard wasn’t thrilled with the accommodations, but it was too late to check into another hotel on such short notice. He said he would manage and began to unpack his things.
“So, what’s on the schedule for tomorrow?” he asked, coming back from a shower to crash on the bed.
“Well, last year I went on a tour I really enjoyed.” Megan could hardly bring herself to suggest such a risky thing. She hoped her nervousness didn’t show in her voice.
“Sounds good,” said Richard. It was difficult to tell if he actually meant that. “You wanna have some fun before bed?”
Megan managed a smile. “Not really. Jet lagged, you know?” Richard took that excuse, but it wasn’t the truth. Megan couldn’t bring herself to have sex with her husband. Not now. Not with Angelina so very nearby. She wondered if Angelina had a new girlfriend by now.
Chapter Eleven
The walk down to the tourism office had Megan’s heart racing. Half the way down there she was suddenly very afraid. What if the tour was full? What if they didn’t even offer it anymore?
Fortunately, the tour still existed and there were spots. If anything Megan had just arrived too early. She was forced to wait with a complaining Richard after paying.
“Is this even worth it?” he asked her, being entirely too loud about it. “This place feels a little shabby, doesn’t it?”
Megan answered him with brief noncommittal answers. She wasn’t going anywhere. Even if she wanted to, her legs were refusing to work. She could only stare out the glass front of the building and wait for the bus she hoped would be carrying Angelina.
Gradually, more tourists started to pour in. They looked the way Megan had remembered them. They also made it harder to see the front of the building where she was keeping an eye out for Angelina. She didn’t move, though. Already, she was worried she looked more than a little suspicious.
Finally, the bus pulled up. Megan got to her feet as the rest of the tourists began to gravitate toward it. She pushed her way toward the front, watched the doors, and… There she was.
Angelina came down the steps looking as gorgeous as ever. Her hair had been cut short, but it still looked beautiful on her. Aside from that, she really hadn’t changed.
“Hey guys!” Angelina called out over the tourists. “We’re going to have a great day today. I just need to go over a few-” She stopped suddenly. Her eyes had found Megan. They held each other’s gaze for a while. The change in Angelina’s demeanor was an obvious one. Seeing Megan had hit her hard. “I remember you,” she said, finally, trying to save the moment from awkwardness. “Welcome back to Spain!” She launched back into her opening safety spiel.
“What was that about?” Richard whispered, standing behind his wife.
Megan just shook her head. “I took this tour last year, remember?”
Once they were on the bus, Megan took the aisle seat in hopes that Angelina would have to say something to her on the way by. She wasn’t sure she could take being ignored in such a small space. It could make her cry, and she was already on the verge of tears.
Angelina came right to her seat. There were tears in her eyes and a nervous smile on her face. “I didn’t think I was going to see you again.”
Megan couldn’t help but smile back. She nodded and made a point to introduce her husband before Angelina could say anything too incriminating. “This is Richard, my husband.”
Angelina’s face darkened momentarily. She forced a smile for his benefit. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” said Richard but so quickly it didn’t sound like he much meant it.
“Well, I have to get seated so we can start,” said Angelina, heading to the back. “We’ll catch up later.”
Megan couldn’t shake the feeling that Angelina was ashamed of her for still being with her husband. It was fair. Megan was ashamed of herself.
The tour was very much the same. The bus parked, and they had a lengthy hike to the caves. Angelina approached Megan like she was planning on walking beside her. That got too weird with Richard right there, though. She had to go on ahead and lead the tour. Unfortunately, she was a little off her game. The other tourists didn’t notice, but Megan did. Angelina’s thoughts kept wandering. Her gaze kept straying to Megan.
It wasn’t until the took a break for lunch that they finally had a real chance to talk. Richard had gone off to find a bathroom - which involved a fair amount of backtracking. The moment he had gone, Angelina hurried over to Megan.
“Why are you still with your husband?” Angelina asked, keeping her voice low. “Are you all right?”
Megan couldn’t keep it together anymore. The tears started to come down her cheeks. “Good to see you, too.” There was bitterness in her voice. She couldn’t help it.
“Of course, it’s good to see you.” Angelina hugged Megan, though she had to keep it brief. “I thought you were going to come see me off the day you left. I thought we would try to keep in touch.”
“I did come to see you off.” Megan’s gaze strayed to the floor of the cave. She tried not to appear too outwardly angry. “And I saw you with your other girlfriend.”
“My other girlfriend?” Angelina repeated. “Megan, I didn’t have another girlfriend. If we’re being completely honest, I haven’t even dated anyone since you were last here.”
“I saw you with her!” Megan had to struggle to keep from shouting. She couldn’t stand being lied to, though. Not after Richard. “You were hugging. You kissed her on the cheek, and-”
“My sister?” Angelina asked, still looking puzzled. “Megan, the only person I can think of is my sister. We’re really close, but she doesn’t live here. She surprised me that day. I wanted to introduce the two of you.”
Megan wanted to doubt Angelina, but she couldn’t. Looking at her, she knew she was telling the truth. That made it hurt more. The tears really started coming down then. She launched herself at Angelina and hugged her. “I’m so stupid.”
“No,” Angelina said, sternly, squeezing her tight. “You’ve just been hurt before. I understand.”
As if on cue, Richard came back from the bathroom. Megan and Angelina had to scramble to separate and hope he hadn’t seen them.
“This place is pretty great, huh?” Richard put a hand on his wife’s shoulder while she was still trying to rub the tears from her eyes. “This was a great idea. I’m loving this place.”
The whole tour was agonizing. Megan wanted nothing more than to have some time alone with Angelina. Instead, they could only share looks from across crowds of people.
By the time they were riding home, Megan was exhausted. Making matters worse was the fact that Richard’s arm was around her from that point on. Angelina couldn’t seem to stop glancing at that when she approached them before they left.
“It was good to see you again, Megan,” Angelina said, forcing a smile. “I hope you two enjoy your stay.”
Megan nodded, already trying to formulate some way to sneak off and have time alone with Angelina. She wasn’t sure she could make that happen, but she had to try.
“Hey,” Richard began, in a way that suggested something had just occurred to him. “Do you do private tours?” He looked at his wife. “Is this the woman who took you rock climbing?”
Megan looked at Angelina, uncertain of what to say. She knew Angelina wasn’t supposed to do private tours. Already, she had a decent idea of what Richard was getting at. It terrified her.
“I do,” lied Angelina, putting on the smile she used for work. “My rates are a whole lot better than anyone else you could hire in this area, too.”
“Let’s talk, then.” Richard left his wife’s side to discus
prices with Angelina. Megan couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. This felt like a monumentally bad idea.
Chapter Twelve
The day they were to meet with Angelina was way too near the end of their vacation for Megan’s liking. Multiple times, she wanted to sneak off and meet with her. Richard made sure they had a full schedule, though. He took her to all the tourist traps and multiple crowded beaches. He complained every step of the way but insisted that they were having fun.
A vacation stuck by her husband’s side was a miserable experience. It paled in comparison to her first trip to Mallorca. She longed for that now.
A few times, she would look out her hotel window and find Angelina lingering, looking up with a halfhearted smile. Megan would wave, but that was just about all she could do. Sometimes, she couldn’t even do that. Richard’s presence complicated things considerably. When she had fantasized about coming back here, it hadn’t been with him.
Megan’s day with Angelina was fast approaching, though. That morning, she took time to do her hair and makeup. She picked out the cutest pair of active clothes she owned.
“You’re just going to sweat off that makeup, aren’t you?” asked Richard, amused by her scramble to get ready that morning.
Megan ignored him. She was glad she had, too. When she met Angelina downstairs, she found she had dolled herself up for the day as well. She looked absolutely stunning in her dark tank top and shorts. When she saw Megan, her eyes lit up. Then, of course, Richard came downstairs.
Angelina made a point to put on a smile, but it was clearly fake. “You two ready for a day of adventure?” she asked.
Richard put his arm around his wife. “You bet.”
Angelina took them both to the cliffs she and Megan had climbed together. They were just as beautiful as Megan remembered. She reviewed the basics of climbing with them. It took a long time for Richard to get the hang of the concepts behind it. Even when he had those down, he seemed to have a lot of difficulty actually climbing.