by Ian Wilfred
Gemma also noticed that Rupert and Dulcie often appeared to be whispering to each other, abruptly stopping whenever she joined them. That was rather out of character, she thought, and another thing was that she hadn’t seen Dario since their trip to Ikea. She’d had texts from him updating her on progress. Wardrobes had been ordered, and would arrive with the beds and sofas. Gemma had arranged by text to walk down to Dario’s later the next day when everything would have been delivered and arranged in the apartments.
“Morning, you’re looking very dapper, Rupert. Oh, yes, it’s your morning out with the gang isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re meeting up in Roncia and going to the little café in the courtyard beside the church for lunch. An author’s been invited to give a talk, which will make a nice change, and then afterwards he’ll be showing us around the historic buildings. I’m actually looking forward to it as there’ll be less booze and gossip than usual.”
“Less gossip! That’s a surprise. I thought that was the only reason you went to the coffee morning. We’ll be so disappointed, wont we, Gemma, if he comes back without sharing news of a scandal?”
“Very funny. I hope you both have a nice day, and by the way if I hear any gossip I won’t be repeating it when I come back, so there.”
“What rubbish, Rupert. It’s impossible for you to not repeat things. Anyway, we look forward to hearing all about it later.”
“So, Dulcie, do you fancy doing anything today? A walk down into the town for a spot of lunch or just a coffee?”
“Actually, that’s is a good idea. I fancy a club sandwich and half a lager, but I’m not able to walk that far and back, dear. We’ll get Dario to bring us up the hill, if that’s alright with you. Are you on better terms now?”
“Yes, we’re getting on fine, thanks, Dulcie, although it’s quite a complicated story. What time do you want to leave?”
Gemma could tell by the expression on Dulcie’s face that she was curious about what she had meant about Dario. It would be good to tell her about Dario being a father as she knew Dulcie wouldn’t repeat it to anyone. She was a wise old lady and able to see things from a different perspective, this giving sensible advice.
“Let’s leave about twelve noon, shall we, dear? I’d quite like to have a look in that ladies clothes shop as well. I know most of it is just beach and holiday wear, but they often have some nice bits and pieces. Do we need any food shopping while we’re out?”
“No, I don’t think so, It might be good to run the fridge and freezer down a bit and then stock up again before Jamie arrives, but are you sure Janice won’t decide to come with him?”
“I’m sure she won’t because she’s not even aware he’s coming over. Right, I’m going to grab a quick shower now. See you back here at twelve.”
That’s all a bit odd, Gemma thought. Why exactly was Jamie coming over for another holiday so soon? Perhaps it’s to sort out some money investments. It had been some while since their lottery win, and enough time for it all to sink in and to consider the future. She had two hours spare before leaving for Graingcia with Dulcie and set about doing some more Internet research for Dario and Pablo. She was now interested in looking through holiday let websites to compare prices of similar complexes around the Almeria area. She did notice that agencies seemed to take a huge commission charge and wondered whether there was a cheaper way to do the administration when letting out rooms.
She was now ready to head out into Graingcia with Dulcie. “Do you fancy sitting on a seat overlooking the beach for a bit, Dulcie? We can eye up all the nice young men!”
“That would be nice, dear, but we’d better be careful. We don’t want to end up with a reputation like those women at Dorothy’s party, do we?”
Although it was the same view of the beach and sea they had from the villa, being down on the edge of the beach was so different. The holidaymakers were now families instead of retired couples, all eager to escape the cold, wet weather around Europe and enjoy the hotter temperatures and sunny Spanish beaches.
“Lunch first or clothes shopping?”
“Shopping I think, dear. I know I don’t really need anything, but every so often it’s a real pick me up to treat yourself to something new, isn’t it?”
“I hope Rupert doesn’t decide to fly back because we’ll have so much luggage to take back, Craig’s car will be overflowing.”
“Oh, we’ll cross that bridge another time. We don’t need to worry about that just now, dear.”
Gemma hadn’t meant to suggest that Dulcie and Rupert had gone overboard with the spending. Dulcie’s reply had been rather sharp, she felt, but hoped she hadn’t been offended. The shop Dulcie wanted to look in was full of beachwear and rows and rows of flip-flops. Dulcie loved going through all the racks, and during the time they had been in Graingcia, she had bought quite a few lovely things. It was just a case of rummaging through to find the better garments.
“Oh look, Gemma, there’s Dario. See, he likes this place just as much as I do. Hello, Dario, found any nice bargains? What do you have there? Don’t you think they‘re a little on the small side for you?”
Dario was standing there with an armful of children’s clothes, which Gemma realised must have been intended for Mateo. Now Dulcie would be wanting to know who Dario was buying for and Gemma could visualise all the questions she’d ask. Gemma was going to tell her all about it anyway as she knew Dulcie would be discreet and not treat the revelation as gossip.
“I’m just going to try a couple of things on, dear. You can chat to Dario while I’m away.”
“Hi, they look nice. They’re for Mateo, aren’t they? You do know that as soon as we get out of here, Dulcie’s going to ask me a hundred and one questions. What shall I tell her?”
“Just tell her the truth. She’s not the type to spread my business around, is she?”
“No, of course not. Anyway, how are you? Excited about all the new furniture arriving tomorrow?”
“Yes, I just want to get it all finished. I’m doing some work on the outside today and Dad’s negotiated a good deal on three sofas which I think will be perfect. I’m not sure about the colour; they’re described as turquoise blue, but you can have a look when you come over. Look, I’d best go and pay for these before Dulcie comes out of the changing room, but I think it’s best if you do the talking. See you tomorrow.”
“Has Dario gone already, and did he buy those children’s clothes? Anyway, I’m going to have this sparkly top. It’s just right to wear for dinner out one night. Did you say that Dario did buy those things?”
“I didn’t, but yes, he did. I’ll explain over lunch.”
With that they headed off along the promenade to one of their favourite little restaurants. It was now well past the busy lunchtime period and they decided to sit outside under the shade of the canopies. Dulcie loved her club sandwich with chips, it was the only thing she’d ever choose from the menu, washed down with a cool, refreshing lager to quench her thirst. The nice thing about the restaurant was that it was compact and intimate, the tables only seating two people, which meant that its clientele were couples rather than family groups. Gemma felt safe, her conversation with Dulcie would not be overheard. She waited until the staff members were out of earshot before she began…
“I’ll start at the beginning, Dulcie, but I only found this all out when we went away for the shopping trip. He didn’t need to tell me, and I didn’t ask, but I think he was relieved to clear the air.”
Gemma explained the whole story about Maya and Mateo as Dario had told it to her. Dulcie listened intently, didn’t ask any questions or give her opinion, but Gemma could tell that she was giving it all a lot of thought. They had a quick coffee and agreed that they would tell Rupert back at the villa later. Dulcie didn’t keep secrets from him, and this was one of the reasons why their relationship worked so well.
“Talking of Rupert. Why don’t I give him a call? If he’s not back at the villa yet, perhaps he
can get his taxi to stop by and pick us up. By the way, it won’t be Dario as he said he’s working on the garden part of the complex today.”
“That’s perfect, Gemma, dear. I don’t know what to say about what you’ve just told me, apart from the situation sounds quite sad. On the other hand, the child is obviously loved by his parents and the grandparents, and as we know Dario’s a lovely man. But would you be prepared to take care of someone else’s child and possibly playing second fiddle? You know, a situation like that can never be straightforward.”
“That’s never going to happen, Dulcie, because in a few months’ time I’ll be heading back to England with you and Rupert, won’t I?”
Before Dulcie had time to reply, the taxi pulled up in front of them and she went to instruct the driver. Gemma was a little perplexed. She couldn’t stay here in Spain and let Rupert and Dulcie go through the process of finding a replacement when back in England. No, Dario’s situation was not something she would become involved in.
Chapter 31
A busy day! Maria was off duty and Gemma wanted to get ahead with her chores. If the furniture was to arrive at the holiday complex, she wanted to help Pablo and Dario get everything straight as quickly as possible. She’d also been thinking about a way to let out the apartments and if it was to be successful, it wouldn’t cost them anything.
The subject of Maya and Mateo had not been raised over dinner apart from a brief discussion with Rupert. They had both agreed that if Gemma were to have any kind of relationship with Dario, she would have to consider being part of the triangle with Maya. They hadn’t lectured her though, it had been a friendly conversation much the same as how they had chatted through Craig’s domestic problems with him. Gemma had no intention of Dario becoming her boyfriend. She had looked upon the holiday let refurbishment as her own little project, a dream come true, and Pablo and Dario had just been a part of it.
“Right, I’m off now. Are you sure you don’t mind me not being here to prepare dinner? Everything’s on trays in the fridge. All you need to do is put them in the oven for twenty-five minutes.”
“We’ll be fine. You just go and get Pablo and Dario organised. The quicker you sort everything out for them, the sooner they’ll be able to rent them out. We’ve enjoyed looking at all the photos, images and designs you’ve showed us, and we can’t wait to see the finished results before all the holidaymakers move in. Isn’t that right, Dulcie?”
“Yes, we’ve certainly enjoyed hearing all about the project and we wish both Pablo and Dario all the best with the new venture. One thing, Gemma, we don’t wish to come across as know-it- all parents, but we just wanted you to realise that Dario will always come as a package with Mateo and to a certain extent Maya too. Do think about all of this before you get too involved.”
“Don’t worry, you two. He’ll be so busy with the apartment complex he won’t have any time left for me, and before we know it we’ll be saying goodbye to Graingcia and heading home. Now, promise me you’ll call if you need anything. See you later and thank you both for being like parents. It does mean so much to me.”
Dario had sent a text to inform her that the delivery had just arrived and that Pablo was staying out of the way. Gemma had decided not to mention her ideas for getting guests to book for now. She would pick the right time. There were cardboard boxes everywhere. Dario was obviously unpacking things. She should have come down earlier and helped to clean the rooms as it would have been far easier before the furniture went in, but she didn’t think it wise to mention it to Dario.
“Hi. You’ve been busy! Looks like you don’t need my help.”
“Oh, I do! Forgive me, but I told a little white lie earlier. The furniture arrived early, but I didn’t want you getting all sweaty and dirty cleaning out the rooms. I paid two cleaning ladies to come in and do a deep clean yesterday. They were more than happy with their wages, so don’t be too angry with me! The other thing I’ve been doing is putting the wardrobes together. That’s it, I promise!”
“It’s fine, Dario, not a problem! I’m bursting to see everything though. Which one can I go in first?”
“No 1. I’ll be working my way through the others and I’ve still got three more wardrobes to assemble.”
Gemma headed to the first apartment. The bed was in place, still with its plastic sheeting around for protection, and the bedside cabinets were modern and sleek, complementing the bed perfectly. The experimental headboard was missing, but Gemma could tell that it would also go well with the new furniture. The wardrobe was expensive, probably more so than Pablo could afford, but it did look far better than just having a single rail, and provided extra space and storage.”
“Now I can’t wait to see a photo of the sofas, and of course I’ve not seen the kitchen since you’ve completed all the painting.”
“Well, I’ll have to confess, the kitchen’s more like a store room at the moment, but my dad’s given me a catalogue with the sofas in. He can get them cheap as the company who manufacture them have gone into receivership and are trying to pull in as much money as they can. There’s one other thing I want to show you. I’m not too sure it’ll work, but you might think differently, and a second opinion is always welcomed.”
They headed over to the main building together. Dario was right, it was more like a store room but Gemma could see that the ladies had done a thorough job with the cleaning. The doors on the kitchen cupboards looked fabulous. Dario found the catalogue and showed Gemma the pictures of the sofas. They were indeed rather a vivid turquoise blue, but as that would be the only colour in the room, Gemma thought it wouldn’t be overpowering.
“So you like the colour? You don’t think it’s too bright, do you? And does it match with the overall image you had in mind?”
“Yes, Dario, but I’m not too sure what you’re getting at?”
With that he showed her the catalogue again as well as a photo of some bucket chairs. Although Gemma liked the style, she didn’t like the dark brown or washed out green shades. Dario explained that the company had the exact number they needed – two for each room, but in the same turquoise blue as the sofas. Would that be too much colour for the room? Gemma thought it would be alright, but wanted to Google the colour to match it with the cushions for the beds and the large pictures that were in a box waiting to be unpacked. She heard Dario speaking excitedly in Spanish on the phone with his father, and the next thing she knew was that they would arrive the day after tomorrow.
“So what’s the first job you’d like me to do? Would I be any help putting the last few wardrobes together, an extra pair of hands and all that?”
For the next couple of hours they worked together to assemble the remaining wardrobes with Dario admitting that Gemma was a great help. It’s always difficult to hold wood in place while balancing it at the correct angle and drilling it, so the extra pair of hands were useful. They talked about dressing the rooms, but first they needed to fix the headboard to the bed to decide whether the overall look was good enough to extend to the entire project.
“Finished! Thank goodness for that. We’ve done a great job, but I’m starving now. I didn’t realise how late it was, time flies when you’re occupied, doesn’t it? It’s ten o’clock already. How about a pizza in the little place behind the church? It’s not a fancy restaurant, so we don’t need to get dressed up, and it will probably be full of locals just finishing work but it’s the best pizza you’ll ever taste!”
Gemma agreed. The pizza was out of this world. She couldn’t believe how many times she’d been to Roncia but never eaten at this delightful little restaurant. Rupert would have loved the food, but it wouldn’t have been the right atmosphere for him to try and entertain the other diners. They wouldn’t have taken a blind bit of notice of him. Dario thought that was funny! They ordered another half-litre of wine and chatted about the work still left to do. The pictures could go up and Gemma wanted to iron all the new bedding and put the china, crockery and glasses into the cupboards. T
hey could then do the big reveal to Pablo once the furniture arrived. The headboards wouldn’t be ready though, and it would just leave the furniture for the external areas to sort out, but Dario said there were always lorries driving around the resort selling that kind of thing.
“You didn’t tell me what happened after I bought Mateo’s clothes the other day, Gemma. Did Dulcie ask why I was buying them?”
“Yes, she did, and I explained the full story. She was really positive about it and said you’re the perfect father, caring, responsible, loving and that Mateo would be very well cared for.”
“But I expect she didn’t say I was the perfect boyfriend, did she? No, it’s okay, you don’t need to answer that!”
“She was alright with it actually. Just said that any girl who entered into a relationship with you would have to be prepared to be part of a three-way triangle, and that these things are never easy.”
“Very wise words, and correct because it looks like I’ll be seeing a lot more of Mateo in the future. Maya wants me to spend more time with him. We discussed it on the phone this morning and he’s coming over to stay some time during the summer holidays.”
“That‘s really nice, Dario – the perfect place for the two of you to get to know each other a bit better.”
“Yes, and I’d really like you to meet him too.”
Chapter 32
Dario’s parting words were still ringing in Gemma’s ears, as was Dulcie’s gentle warning. Things would be complicated. Never the normal boy meets girl, have fun, fall in love, type of scenario, this would be boy meets girl and then she gets introduced to his child. If Dario was keen for her to meet Mateo, would that also involve meeting Maya? No thanks, Gemma thought to herself!