One Summer in Spain

by Ian Wilfred

“Right, that’s all the shopping put away, and thanks so much for letting me have the time off yesterday to help Pablo and Dario. I really appreciated that and I know they did too. How about we go the whole hog for lunch: club sandwiches and chips? It will keep us going until tonight when Jamie gets here because we probably won’t be eating until quite late.”

  “Go on, Gemma! You’ve twisted our arms, hasn’t she, Rupert?”

  “Yes, you’re just trying to fatten us up a bit! Dulcie was telling me that the holiday complex is ready for its first guests now and you’ve even managed to get them some enquiries. They must be thrilled to bits. We were only saying yesterday how we would have loved to stay there if we hadn’t found this villa. It’s such a lovely place, but with the size of this and the view, we’ve been totally spoilt. I thought I’d take it all for granted, but I haven’t at all. I look out to sea every day and count my blessings. I know we eat and drink far more than we would at home, but we exercise more too with all the walking, and the pool. As for the weather, it makes you feel so much healthier. Neither of us has been unwell since we’ve been here. We’re so fortunate.”

  “You’re right, Rupert. Both of you seem to have a lot more energy, which has to be a good thing. Are you thinking of coming back again next year?”

  “Oh, yes, club sandwiches are my favourite. You know, I might even have a can of beer with it.”

  They’re definitely up to something, Gemma thought, as the subject changed rather rapidly, and it’s something to do with the villa. No doubt they’ll mention it in their own time, but somehow it seemed like Jamie’s visit was something to do with it too.

  “By the way, Jamie thinks he should be here by nine. He did say to have dinner without him, but perhaps we’ll all eat here together at the villa later.”

  “Okay, that’s no problem. Right, let’s go through the agenda again. Tomorrow you’re going out to eat, and on Sunday you’re having a barbecue and you’ve invited Rosa, Maria, Pablo and Dario?”

  “That’s right, dear. Then early on Monday morning we’re going to Almeria. We’ll be back here for Tuesday evening but we’ll eat on the way, so you won’t need to worry about that. Jamie’s leaving on Friday now. Every time I speak to him he seems to extend his stay, which is lovely. I’m so looking forward to having him stay.”

  Gemma had so many questions about their little trip to Almeria, but it wasn’t really her place to ask, and she didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable. With that her phone bleeped with a text from Dario to say they had their first booking! The three couples had booked to arrive on Tuesday for a week at a rate of 500 Euros per couple. Furthermore, on their departure the following Tuesday, there was a booking for six couples. That meant that each room was fully booked, and would provide a total of 3000 Euros. Gemma replied saying how delighted she was.

  After telling Rupert and Dulcie, she cleared away the lunch things and went to make sure Jamie’s room was ready and organised as was the office, as Jamie would be using that too. She noticed a pile of envelopes with written notes on Post-it notes attached to them, but as they were private, she ignored them.

  The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool with Dulcie and Rupert, but Gemma was planning up excuses for leaving them alone with Jamie as it was obvious to her that they had things to talk about. Tomorrow she would prepare things for Sunday’s barbecue. It would be interesting to see how Rosa and Jamie get on and whether they’d rekindle their brief relationship.

  “I know what I was going to ask you, dear. Any more news on Dario’s son coming to stay?”

  “He hasn’t mentioned it again, no, and I don’t really like bringing the subject up. I was thinking that surely it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. Oh, there goes my phone again. Talk of the devil, Dario himself. He’s sent over a photo of another headboard he’s finished. Three done, three to go.”

  Before putting her phone down she looked at the villa’s Twitter page and was pleased to see that Dario had Tweeted some lovely photos showing the palms and the swimming pool. He’d also mentioned availability dates for the rest of the year. Gemma had wanted him to take over the responsibility, it was his family business after all, so only right that he should play a part in marketing it ready for a future point when Pablo retired. That said, she couldn’t see Pablo ever giving it up as he loved the place so much.

  Time to relax, she thought to herself. It had been ages since she’d had an afternoon by the pool. This was something she would really miss when back in England as well as the beautiful Spanish sun which shone day in, day out.

  “It’s been a lovely afternoon, Gemma. I’ve enjoyed you spending time relaxing out here with us. Not that I’m complaining because you’ve been out and about recently, you understand.”

  “Yes, I agree, Dulcie, it’s been a lovely afternoon. Well, it’s six-thirty now, so how about we all shower and change and then sit on the terrace with a nice gin and wait for Jamie to arrive.”

  “Dinner’s in the oven. It’s honey and garlic chicken.”

  “One of my favourites. By the way, while I was getting ready Jamie’s sent a text to say he’s landed safely and just needs to collect the hire car. Thanks for the gin, Gemma, too. Now, what was I going to say? Oh yes, do either of you ever catch yourself in the mirror and stop to think how lucky we are to enjoy such wonderful times as this. This place takes my breath away. It really does.”

  “Don’t cry, Dulcie, but yes, I often think back to the bad times and to be honest the worst times for both of us were when we weren’t together and unable to support each other as we were in different parts of the country.”

  “Yes, Rupert but a lot of the bad times were when we didn’t approve of each other’s partners and as it happened, we were both right. It’s a harsh word to use, but I hated Jim for the way he treated you and the fact that you were blind to it for so long. Anyway, he got his comeuppance eventually.”

  “Who was Jim, Rupert, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “It’s fine, Gemma. Jim was my partner for six or seven years. I lived with him when I was in my thirties. We met on the tube and at the time he was living in a bedsit with a house full of strangers. To cut a long story short, he moved in with me and after a month had lost his job. No, I’ll rephrase that. He walked out on his job because he found it boring. That meant I was having to do more waiting shifts to pay our way. Sometimes I’d leave the flat at five in the morning and not get back till after midnight. I’m just going to top my glass up. Anyone want some more gin?”

  “Not for me, but I’m sure Dulcie will.”

  “You know me too well. By the way, he’s sugar coating Jim. He was a vile, sly man, and most of all a user, but I put a stop to his ways eventually although it did take a few years.”

  “No doubt, Dulcie’s added a few unpleasant things about Jim while I was getting the drinks, but the long and short of it is that he just wanted to be kept. He had no feelings for me at all. I hoped it would change, but realistically it was never going to happen. It got to a point where he would just go off for a few days without even saying where he was going, and I’d be working harder and harder just to make ends meet. Sadly, all such a waste of time. Dulcie, you carry on please…”

  “Like a lot of things in life, such a lot comes down to luck and chance. I’d already split up with my husband, Janice’s father, although we were still living in the same house. Invited myself and Janice to stay at Rupert’s with a plan to get rid of Jim, and the whole plot took less than two weeks. Basically, I took away his freedom. We were under his feet, making noise and he couldn’t do anything about it. He knew he couldn’t upset me as that was something Rupert wouldn’t have tolerated. One day I heard noise in the bedroom – cupboard and wardrobe doors opening, and a lot of movement. He was emptying all his possessions into bin liners and within an hour he was gone. No goodbyes: just disappeared into the back of a taxi and that was the last of him. Janice and I stayed with Rupert for another six months and it was the happiest time
of my life, so special for the three of us.”

  “And you haven‘t seen him since?”

  “One night about a year later, the doorbell rang and there he was with all his bin bags, begging me to let him stay. He couldn’t stop apologising for the way he had treated me. I let him stay for the night but told him that he had to leave the following morning. If I’d have let him stay until he found somewhere else, I know he’d have been with me for ever. Sad really because we could have had a lovely life together.”

  “No, you wouldn’t, Rupert. Do take your rose-tinted glasses off. Jim was totally disrespectful to you, a vile man. Anyway, I’m not in a position to judge. Look at some of the men I’ve had in my life. Thank goodness, my memory isn’t as sharp as it was once and I’ve forgotten most of them. Now, enough of the past. We’ve got an exciting future ahead of us.”

  Rupert gave her a knowing look. Had she said something she shouldn’t? They were definitely planning something, and Gemma hoped it would be another few months’ holiday in Graingcia.

  “I’m off to check the dinner and prepare a large bowl of salad. Jamie will probably be here very soon, so where shall we eat?”

  “Would it be too much trouble if we sat out to eat on the side terrace? I love the atmosphere, especially in the evening with the stars and moonlight views.”

  “Of course we can, Dulcie. I’ll lay the table. Oh, I can hear a car outside. Jamie’s here!”

  Gemma went to open the gate, greeted him quickly and then went off to the kitchen. She poured Jamie a beer and a gin and tonic each for Dulcie and Rupert. As she was setting the table, a phone rang. Over her shoulder she could see Dulcie answering hers. Something was wrong, as she immediately passed the phone over to Jamie. Rupert suddenly had rather a serious expression, and Gemma didn’t know whether to interrupt or not. Finally, she decided to ask if everything was alright.

  “Gemma, there’s a slight problem. That was my mother on the phone. Apparently she phoned into my work to speak to me and they told her I’d left for a holiday in Spain for a week, so she’s just given Gran a real mouthful, and you can imagine what she’s said to me.”

  “Oh, Jamie, what a shame, but you’re here now and just need to switch off and try to enjoy your stay.”

  “I will until Sunday when she arrives!”

  Chapter 36

  Barbeque day, or more importantly, Janice’s arrival day. Gemma had kept herself busy since Janice’s phone call; something was definitely going on as Dulcie, Rupert and Jamie had been studying a lot of paperwork. On the few occasions that she had sat down to eat with them, she couldn’t help but notice that Rupert treated Jamie in exactly the same way as Dulcie did. That said, Dulcie and Rupert were closer than most married couples and so it wasn’t unusual for Rupert to be playing a grandfatherly role with Jamie.

  It was still early, the sun was just rising over the mountains, and Gemma was heading towards the pool with her coffee, mentally preparing a list of jobs she needed to get done. Jamie was now using the office as a bedroom, as Janice would be needing the spare room. How would the week pan out? Would Janice go to Almeria with them or stay behind at the villa? If the latter, then Gemma would have to find things to do to avoid her. Knowing Janice though, she’d use the opportunity to party at the Spanish night clubs, get drunk and then spend the following day sleeping.

  “Morning, Rupert! How are you this morning? Let me go and make you your cup of tea, and I think I can hear Dulcie, so I’ll make her a coffee while I’m at it.”

  “Oh, I wish she wasn’t arriving today. You know it will be a repeat of last time, and that took me weeks to get over. Plus, this time she’ll get to hear about… Excuse me, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

  Get to hear about what? One thing’s for sure, if Dulcie and Rupert have a secret and Janice knows about it, the problem won’t be me knowing about it, but all the people she mixes with down in the town, Gemma thought.

  “Morning, Dulcie, one tea, one coffee. Now, did you want to wait and have breakfast when Jamie gets up or can I get you both something to eat now?”

  “I think we’ll wait for Jamie, don’t you, Rupert?”

  “Yes, but first of all we’ve something important to tell you. We were going to explain everything after our trip to Almeria when things were finalised, but seeing that we’ve had to tell Janice, it’s only fair to keep you in the loop too.

  “A couple of months back when we were chatting about how nice it was here, we wondered whether it would be a good idea to continue renting the villa for a further six months. That would take us through the winter period so we wouldn’t have to go back to a cold, miserable England.

  “We contacted the agency to discuss it, and they said it wouldn’t be possible as the owners will be putting the villa on the market to sell. Apparently, they want to release some capital on it to invest in another project. We were so disappointed, but we understood and told them we were enjoying our stay. The agency kept emailing Rupert with other villas we could rent, but quite honestly none were a patch on this one.”

  “Yes, but one day I was looking through properties in the area, and instead of looking at rental sites, I thought why not buy? It’s not as if we don’t have the money, so I mentioned it to Dulcie and we brought Jamie in as he’s so level headed and not one for letting emotions run away with him. So, we spoke to the owners and surprise, surprise, we’re in the process of buying this villa! That’s why Jamie’s here and the reason for our trip to Almeria tomorrow. It’s a complicated purchase with both English and Spanish solicitors and accountants, but in a few weeks’ time we hope all this will be ours. Another thing, because of our age we’ve had to look into private healthcare, and we still haven’t decided what to do with the house in England yet.”

  “Wow! How exciting is that! I’m thrilled to bits for you.”

  “Thank you, dear, but all this affects you too. Of course it goes without saying we’d love you to stay and take care of us, but you have family in England to think about, and you may want a far more exciting career than fetching and carrying for two old people.”

  “You must be joking! You two have far more energy than I do, and why would I want to give up this lifestyle? You treat me like family, so it really is the perfect lifestyle. Thank you both so much.”

  Dulcie and Rupert went on to say that now Janice knew about the purchase of the villa, she would also realise that the lottery win had been bigger than she had initially thought. That could only spell trouble. However, Jamie was pleased they were now investing their money wisely as well as enjoying it, and Dulcie and Rupert admitted they were a bit worried that Gemma would prefer to return to her parents in England.

  Jamie emerged from his room at that point, ready for breakfast. “So, I presume you’ve told Gemma everything now. I can’t believe they were worried you’d say no. I told them all along you’d be happy for them now that you’ve made friends here. From what Dulcie tells me, you’ve a nice young man here too.”

  “Yes I’ve friends, but there’s no nice young man.”

  “But like Rupert and I were saying yesterday, the reason you’ve not given into Dario is because in the back of your mind you knew you were going back to England and would have to leave him. So, now you’ll be staying permanently, the fairy tale can begin.”

  As Gemma was preparing the food for the barbecue, Dulcie’s words remained uppermost in her mind. Romance apart, the last few months had been a fairy tale. Living here was a dream, but so much for day dreaming – she had an hour to get things sorted before the guests arrived and probably only three hours before Janice, worse the wear for drinking on the plane, made an appearance.

  “Hi, come on in, Rosa, love your dress. And Maria, I can see where Rosa gets her style from. Dulcie, Rupert and Jamie are down on the bottom terrace if you’d like to go and join them, but what can I get you to drink?”

  “Hi, Gemma, you’re looking lovely too. Two glasses of white wine, I think. Is that alright for you, Mum?”

&
nbsp; Gemma went off to pour the wine. It was nice to have friends over for the afternoon, and she couldn’t wait to tell Dario the happy news that perhaps now there would be a future for the pair of them. Another bonus was that Rupert had agreed that Jamie could do the barbecue cooking. It would be far more organised and less dramatic. That is, until Janice arrives.

  “Hi, Gemma, how are you today? We let ourselves in and Rupert told us to come up here for a drink.”

  “I’m fine, Dario. Actually, I’ve never been happier in my life, thanks. Now, what can I get you to drink?”

  “Two beers, please, but that’s intriguing! Why are you so happy?”

  “I’ll tell you when I can, but it’s all under wraps at the moment. There’re the beers, if you could take yours and Pablo’s as I’ve got Maria and Rosa’s white wine here. Can’t wait to hear more about the bookings. Isn’t that wonderful news?”

  “And I can’t wait to hear your news and find out why you’re so happy.”

  For the next hour there was a lot of chit chat and banter. The meat had gone on the barbecue, Maria helped Gemma to bring the salad and bread out and Rupert filled everyone’s glasses up. Jamie and Dario got together to chat about sport, and Pablo chatted to Dulcie about the villa and the bookings. He couldn’t believe how quickly the Twitter account had drawn in the business, and was so happy he didn’t have to pay agency commission.

  Gemma could see Jamie looking at his phone. The expression on his face when talking to Dulcie was clear. Janice had landed and would be here very soon. Perhaps they should have waited for her before beginning to eat, but that was nothing to do with Gemma. They had arranged the barbecue gathering in advance and that was the time Rupert and Dulcie wanted to eat.

  Gemma’s mind was like a ticking clock counting down the minutes to the alarm signalling Janice’s arrival. She wasn’t far wrong as a car pulled up on the driveway outside and Jamie went out to the gate to pay the taxi driver. He knew his mother too well!