by Ian Wilfred
“Gemma, I’m so sorry about everything. I wouldn’t be surprised or blame you if you ran a mile from me and the baggage I bring along. Look, can we just get the next couple of weeks over with, and then I’ll prove to you that things will work out and we’re just meant to be together.”
Thinking that they heard Dulcie’s footsteps behind them, they headed out to the terrace to join everyone else. Rupert was talking about the old house and how Jamie wanted them to refurbish it. Pablo explained that the local authorities were beginning to pressurise owners to maintain any old properties on their land and not let them fall into disrepair. Gemma suddenly realised that this was Jamie’s reason for working on the property. He hadn’t mentioned it to Dulcie and Rupert for fear of worrying them, but he had no intention of using it as a holiday home after all. He was just trying to comply with regulations.
“May I have everyone’s attention, please?”
Now what was happening? Gemma had never known her father speak in public before. Had he had too much to drink?
“Linda and I would like to thank Dulcie and Rupert for such a lovely holiday and making us feel so welcome. The villa is absolutely out of this world and we’ve both fallen in love with Graingcia, but the best part of the holiday’s been spending time with our beautiful daughter, Gemma, who just radiates happiness like we’ve never seen before.”
Gemma felt emotional and close to tears. Glancing across at her mother, Linda was already trying valiantly to wipe away tears of joy.
“I think I’m starting to ramble. I apologise for that, but there’s something that Linda and I would like to say. Since we’ve been here, we’ve had a lot of time to sit and think about things. It won’t be too long before we retire and…”
“Oh, Brian, do get to the point. What he’s trying to say is we’ve viewed a little one- bedroomed apartment down in the town. We’ve made an offer on it and we’re delighted to announce that it’s been accepted! Now we’ll have our own home to come to for long weekends and holidays and when we do eventually retire, we’ll be here a lot more.”
“Yes, but the most important thing is we’re looking forward to spending more time with Gemma. Isn’t that right, Linda?”
Chapter 48
“Hi, Dulcie. That was Mum on the phone to say they’ve arrived back in England safely and also to thank you again for the lovely holiday. They’ll see you again in six weeks’ time when hopefully all the paperwork’s sorted for their apartment.”
“You must be so excited for them, dear. The apartment’s perfect for them to just come and go as they please. Plus, you’re also on hand to keep an eye on it.”
“Yes, I’m delighted for them. I think it will do them both the world of good, especially Dad as he’s always worked such long hours. He’ll be able to relax and enjoy being over here, Now, can I get either of you anything? Dinner won’t be for another hour or so.”
Rupert and Dulcie were fine, they didn’t need anything, so Gemma decided to have a swim before preparing the evening meal. This would be the last quiet time for two weeks as no doubt from tomorrow onwards the pool would be full of inflatable toys and a screaming little boy. Gemma was nervous about the next fortnight. She wasn’t particularly used to children, especially ones who couldn’t speak English, and as she swam a few lengths of the pool, she wondered who she was more worried about – Mateo or Maya. She had convinced herself that Maya would be unaware that she and Dario had feelings for each other. Surely, if she had any inclination of that at all, she wouldn’t have asked to stay.
As she got out of the pool she could see Dulcie on her phone and after a while she handed it to Rupert. A quick shower, dinner and early night would be so nice after so many late nights out while her parents had been visiting. From tomorrow they’d be entertaining a little boy, so it wouldn’t hurt Rupert and Dulcie to have an early night too. Gemma vowed to stay out of the way as much as possible.
As she started to lay the table, Gemma saw that they were both still on the phone. Perhaps they were talking to Jamie about the old house. The food was about to be served and she wondered whether she ought to interrupt them, but Rupert put the phone down as she brought the serving trays to the table. Rupert explained that they had been talking to Jamie and he was coming over in a few days’ time to meet with officials to find out more about the property laws. Now this would pose a problem with Maya and Mateo staying. Mateo would now have to share with his mother, so Jamie could have the office room.
“There is another thing. Jamie mentioned Janice and I’m sorry to say – and this is her own words – but she’s too young to stop partying. She finds the people who have given up alcohol in her treatment group most boring. So, like we’ve said, back to square one again.”
“Sorry to hear that, Dulcie. I did believe she’d turned over a new leaf, but then I don’t know her as well as you.”
“It’s no real shock, is it, Rupert?”
“No, not at all. Anyway, enough of all that. How are we set for tomorrow? Are we ready for the little boy and more importantly, are you ready to meet Maya?”
Gemma blurted out how she wasn’t looking forward to any of it. Firstly, she wouldn’t be able to talk to Mateo properly. She was hoping Dario would take control and keep him occupied.
“Oh, don’t worry, dear. It’ll soon be over. I think you’re worrying about nothing, don’t you, Rupert?”
Rupert didn’t appear to be as confident as Dulcie, and for one of the first times ever it wasn’t the best time they’d had. No laughing or joking, and Gemma could tell that Dulcie was probably regretting inviting them both. Her reason for doing so had been that she thought it would be nice for Gemma and Dario to be together. Maya had never been in the picture at all.
Gemma cleared away the dinner things and left Dulcie and Rupert to enjoy the sunset. Just as she had finished filling the dishwasher, a text came through from Dario asking if they could meet. It was now past nine o’clock and she was tired, so she replied refusing, but adding a little white lie that she was looking forward to meeting Mateo. She felt guilty about the whole thing, and walking back to Dulcie and Rupert, she realised that she had to put on an act so everyone would feel better about the situation.
“I’ve been thinking. Perhaps I have blown this out of all proportion and I’m sorry if I’ve been negative about Mateo and Maya coming. I promise I won’t be like it when they’re here. Now, I’m going to make a cup of tea. Would you like one?”
They did, and the three of them sat talking for the next hour. There was no mention of either their impending guests or the old house behind the villa. It was just stories of when they were both young, living it up in London and all the mad things they got up to. It was great to finish the day on a better note, laughing and joking together.
Eventually Dulcie and Rupert said they were off to bed. Gemma said she wouldn’t be too far behind, she just needed to lock up, but as she was about to put the outdoor cushions away, she could hear a car pulling up outside and recognised it as Dario’s. Five minutes earlier and the lights would have been out. The car then pulled away again. Perhaps she was mistaken and it wasn’t Dario, but walking down to lock the garage, she checked the letterbox for some reason. Yes, there as an envelope and she recognised the handwriting. It was from Dario. Would this complicate things even more?
“I’m sorry, Gemma, but I must tell you this – Maya knows how fond of you I am. Dario.”
Chapter 49
So much for an early night. After reading the note, Gemma was straight on the phone to Dario to find out how Maya had found out that the visit would be rather complicated. Dario was full of apologies. Apparently Maya had managed to get through to Pablo as Dario wasn’t answering his phone. Pablo had said how nice it would be for Gemma to get to know Mateo, and when Maya had asked why, he had told her about them both. Dario had then phoned her back to explain that it was just Pablo and his wishful thinking. The whole situation was now becoming more and more awkward.
Gemma had
explained all of this to Rupert and Dulcie, who both said the same thing. If Maya wasn’t happy with the situation, she didn’t need to stay. Perhaps it was a good thing she had found out. The waiting was nearly over, they’d arrive in about an hour and everyone would have to meet each other. Gemma thought about the food she’d bought. Hopefully, she’d catered for everyone’s tastes.
“Are you alright, Gemma, dear? Just keep smiling, everything will be fine. It’ll just be like when Janice is here, won’t it? We’re all used to walking on eggshells but we always get through it.”
“I know, Dulcie, but I’d sooner have Janice arriving than Maya.”
She could hear the car pull up outside. Rupert and Dulcie made their way down to the gate and Gemma headed into the villa to look out the window. She wanted to see what they looked like, and how they behaved, in order to mentally prepare herself for their visit.
First through the gate and carrying all the luggage was Dario followed closely by little Mateo. Goodness, even from the window she could see how alike they were. She hadn’t known what to expect but he was a handsome little boy, a lot taller than she imagined. Perhaps it would have helped if she had asked questions about him before this, but she hadn’t been interested at the time. Gemma almost forgot to take her eyes off Mateo to see what Maya looked like, and she was stunning! Incredibly beautiful, with her dark hair, long legs and a figure to die for. Gemma suddenly realised that staying in the villa wasn’t what she should be doing. She had concocted a plan and it was time to set it in motion. She picked up a tray of glasses and a cold jug of squash…
“Hello, welcome to the villa.”
With that Mateo, already taking his shirt off, had spotted the swimming pool and ran towards it with Dario chasing after him. Gemma headed to the table to put the tray down and could see Dario tell Mateo something. Of course she didn’t have a clue what it was but she could also see Maya talking with Dulcie.
“Hello, nice to meet you. Isn’t he lively? I think he almost outran Dario there. I’m Gemma, by the way. Now, can I get you a cold drink?”
Gemma could feel she had gone into overdrive and needed to slow down, breathe and stop asking questions. Thankfully Dulcie came to the rescue and started chatting and with that, Dario came up with Mateo and introduced him to everybody in Spanish. Although he did reply with a hello, he was far too excitable to stand still for very long. Rupert suggested he might like to go in the pool with Dario while they showed Maya her room. He also mentioned that Dulcie’s grandson, Jamie, would be staying for one night and so Mateo would then have to share with her. This didn’t appear a problem and off they went.
“Gemma, breathe, dear. Just stand there and take some nice deep breaths. Everything will be fine. She does seem very nice.”
“You’re right, Dulcie, she does, and I’ll be okay.”
The next few hours went well, mainly because Gemma kept herself busy fetching, carrying, making sandwiches and preparing dinner. Dario and Mateo enjoyed themselves in the pool and running on the grass while Rupert and Dulcie chatted to Maya. Gemma knew the time would come when she’d have to sit down and join in the conversation. She was just clearing some things away in the kitchen when she could see Maya walking back up to the villa. They would be alone together. Who would speak first? Gemma was too nervous, and rushed into the utility room before Maya got there.
It worked, but she felt stupid hiding. She had to face up to everything sooner or later. The rest of the afternoon ticked along okay until Dario came to say that he was popping out to fetch Pablo who had been invited to come up for the evening. Maya would now have to concentrate on looking after Mateo.
“Are you, alright, Gemma? I’m so sorry if this is awkward for you. You haven’t stopped working to sit down since we got here. I wish I could say everything is going to be okay, but I can’t. I’m sorry, this is your home and you shouldn’t have to go through all this.”
Gemma felt stronger for the first time since they had arrived. She could also see that Dario was nervous about everything. In fact, he was in a worse state than her. No, she knew she needed to make the first move, stop hiding in the kitchen and say something.
“Don’t worry, everything’s fine. Just look how happy Rupert and Dulcie are to have them here. You go and fetch Pablo and we’ll have a lovely evening.”
Hopefully she had convinced him everything was going to be alright. Now she had to believe it herself. Gemma headed outside and asked everyone whether they needed anything. Dulcie told her to take five minutes out and sit down, but then Mateo handed her a ball and wanted to play. As he went running off, she knew she had to follow. For some strange reason she realised she hadn’t thought of this situation arising. Did she actually think she could go the full two weeks without playing with him? How do you play with a child?
“I think someone wants you to kick the ball, Gemma, and that’s something neither Rupert nor myself can do nowadays.”
Gemma had to do it knowing that her every movement would be watched by Maya. One big kick and the ball headed for him. He laughed as it bounced the wrong way, but kicked it back to her. Her next attempt was better, but Mateo was strong and kicked the ball with a lot of force. Gemma was beginning to loosen up a bit and actually enjoy playing ball with Mateo.
Rupert arrived with two cushions and placed them on the grass, effectively marking out a goal area. He didn’t need to say anything, as both of them knew what he was doing. Mateo wanted Gemma to be in goal, which she obliged, acting as goalkeeper for the next half hour, pretending to let Mateo score when she could have easily saved it, and enjoying having fun with him.
“We’re back.”
As soon as Pablo and Dario came through the gate, Mateo’s football game was over. He ran to them, shouting hello, which Gemma found amusing. Pablo made a great fuss of his grandson and left Gemma to get the food organised and wine opened. Rupert helped her with the wine and asked her if she was alright. She had managed quite well up to now, but there would be a point where she would actually need to sit down and join in the conversation.
Dario lit the barbeque and prepared all the meat which Gemma had bought, including some little sausages she hoped Mateo would like. Everything was now ready, so she brought it out onto the big table, mindful of trying not to catch Dario’s attention in case Maya spotted it. Dario was giving Mateo little jobs to do to help him with the barbecue and it was obvious how happy, and grown up, he felt.
Back in the kitchen, Gemma was getting the final tray ready to bring out when Mateo ran in wanting to carry the tray. It was far too heavy for him to carry, so Gemma found him a little tray and put some napkins on it for him to take out. If he were to drop it, it wouldn’t matter. Before he left the kitchen, she taught him the word ‘napkins’, which he repeated over and over again, so excited to have learnt a new English word.
Mateo ran out with the tray with such excitement that there were a few ‘hellos’ mixed in with the ‘napkins’. No sooner had he put the tray down, he was back in the kitchen for something else. Gemma gave him a pair of tongs for the salad but he just stood there with them in his hand staring at her. She pointed to the table, but he still didn’t move. It then dawned on her that he was waiting for the word. She got him to repeat it several times until he was happy shouting, ‘hello’ ‘tongs’ and ‘napkins’.
The barbecue was a success with everyone enjoying the food, and Pablo and Rupert on top form. Even Gemma and Maya had passed a few friendly smiles, and before they knew it Mateo had fallen asleep on one of the sofas. Dario picked him up to carry him into the bedroom, while Gemma started to clear the table and take things back to the kitchen. If Maya was going to say anything, this was her opportunity with Dario out of the way and the others still sitting outside. Gemma was right. Maya followed her into the kitchen with some more dishes.
“My little boy likes you! He doesn’t take to everyone, but I can tell you’re both going to have fun this holiday. You’ll have to keep teaching him new English words thou
gh, as he won’t give up otherwise.”
“He’s sweet. You should be very proud of him.”
“And what about my bigger boy, Gemma? What do you think of gorgeous Dario with the perfect eyes?”
Gemma could feel herself blushing. Why had Maya referred to Dario as ‘her’ boy? Was is that she still wanted him, but Dario had no feelings for her. Gemma didn’t know what to say for the best.
“Well, he’s not my boy really and to be honest he never was. The only thing we have in common is Mateo. The three of us could have a great life together, but Dario has no ambition. He’s happy just driving his taxi around this little holiday town, but he’s far more capable of doing a lot more. You see, I want to get on in life, test myself, push myself forward and achieve things. That’s the main reason we’re not together. He’s boring, a plodder, and that’s not enough for me.”
“Who’s a plodder?”
“You, Dario. You don’t use your brain and there’s so much potential in there…”
“…but I’m happy. I earn enough money, so what’s wrong with not wanting more?”
Both of them were saying these things in a civil enough manner without any animosity, even quite jovial, but Gemma still didn’t want to be in the middle of it.
“What do you think, Gemma? Is he boring? Do you think you’ll be able to put up with that for the next forty years? When he loses his looks, what will he have then?”
Maya then turned round and headed back to the table with Rupert and Dulcie. Dario stood motionless, lost for words.
“I like boring. No, that sounds so wrong. I like you just the way you are.”
Chapter 50
To Gemma’s surprise the next few days flew by with no upsets. Everyone was getting on well and Maya hadn’t said anything more to Gemma about Dario. Most days he had taken Mateo out to the beach and they had eaten out while Maya had done her own thing. One thing she’d been right about was Mateo wanting to learn more English words, and it had been fun with Rupert and Dulcie trying to teach him.