by Sarah Pond
Once they were settled, Rachel and Lea ordered their drinks. There wasn't a menu, and the food was brought out to them. To begin with, there were olives, peppers, mozzarella and salad. This was followed by pasta, and then by various meat dishes. There was so much food, and more than Rachel and Lea could possibly eat. Having no room for dessert, they each ordered coffee to finish. It had been the perfect end to the day, and when they got back to the villa, they fell into bed, exhausted.
Late the following morning, Rachel was aware of a banging noise. She wasn't sure whether she was dreaming, or awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She looked over at Lea, who was still sound asleep. The knocking was coming from downstairs, someone was at the front door. They had gone to bed naked, so Rachel pulled a baggy t shirt over her head, which she used as a nightshirt. Wondering who it could be, she opened the door a crack to look out. Outside was a dark haired woman, who smiled when she saw Rachel. 'Ciao, I'm Marcella, a friend of Benni. He asked me to welcome you. I live next door.'
'Hello. I mean ciao. Pleased to meet you. Do come in.' Rachel opened the door wide, standing back to let Marcella in.
'Thank you. Did you have a good journey here?' Marcella had a beautiful accent, which matched her striking looks.
'Yes, thank you.'
'I won't stop long. I just wanted to welcome you. Also, I can be your tour guide while you're here. Benni suggested some places I can take you.'
'That's very kind, but you really don't have to.'
'A friend of Benni's is a friend of mine. It will be my pleasure.'
'Thank you, that's so kind.'
A sleepy Lea appeared in the hallway, and Rachel introduced her to Marcella. They exchanged some pleasantries in Italian, which impressed Marcella. They arranged to meet in the afternoon, to visit Solfatara, a now dormant volcano. Once Marcella had left, Rachel and Lea spent a deliciously lazy morning in the garden, sunbathing and dozing. They had a picnic in the garden with focaccia, slow roasted tomatoes, olives and mozzarella. They dipped the bread in olive oil and pear balsamic vinegar. Lea said, 'We'll have to buy some of this balsamic to take home, it's the best I've ever tasted, and such a lovely consistency.'
Marcella called for them after lunch. The drive to Solfatara was only about a half an hour. When they arrived, Rachel and Lea were immediately hit with the strong smell of sulfurous fumes. 'Oh my word, that's pungent!'
Marcella laughed, she was used to visitors exclaiming about the odour. In some areas where the steam rose from the ground, they couldn't see more than a few centimetres in front of them. Rachel was surprised, 'It's so open here. If this was England, it would be all health and safety, and barriers!'
After Solfatara, Marcella suggested going to a café. The hot chocolate was nothing like at home. It was rich, dark and thick, almost like a dessert. Lea insisted on paying for the drinks. 'Thank you Marcella, for taking us out today.'
'You are most welcome. So, you are in Italy on your own. Are your men at home?' Marcella was very direct.
Rachel felt a bit awkward. 'Um, no. It's just us.'
'You are friends, then?'
Lea couldn't help but laugh. 'You could say that, yes!'
'I don't understand.'
Lea continued, 'We're a couple. Girlfriends. Amiche.'
Marcella looked serious for a moment, and Rachel was worried that Marcella was going to be upset. Instead, she suddenly smiled, 'Okay, then! Tomorrow, I was thinking that we could go to the Abbey of Montecassino. It's a longer drive than today, so shall I call for you at eleven?'
'Lovely, thank you.'
It was a warm day, with the sun high in the clear blue sky. As they walked over the mosaic compass set into the ground, Marcella lifted her black Jackie O sunglasses onto her head, and turned to Rachel and Lea, momentarily going into tour guide mode, 'The monastery was founded in around 529 by St Benedict. This was once the site of the temple of Apollo. It has long been regarded as a place of holiness, culture and art. I think you will like it here.'
From the Abbey, the views were stunning. Marcella, Rachel and Lea looked out over the treetops, across the Liri Valley, with the beautiful mountains in the distance. Lea took some photographs, framing some of them through the beautiful pale marble arches to the views beyond. Then she handed Marcella her camera so that she could take a photo of her with Rachel, their arms around one another, their heads touching as they smiled at Marcella. 'That is a beautiful picture,' she handed the camera back so that they could see.
Later that day, when they were ready to leave the Abbey, Marcella said that it was time that they had a gelato. She took Rachel and Lea to one of her favourite places. There were so many flavours to choose from. It was usual to have two scoops, which helped a bit with the decision making. Lea chose mango and coconut. Rachel plumped for the coffee and chocolate. Rachel said, 'Oh my god, I think this is the best ice cream I've ever had.'
Lea agreed, 'It's divine. I can see why the woman from Eat, Pray, Love put on weight when she visited Italy!'
After their meal together that evening, Marcella gave Rachel and Lea a bottle of lemon liqueur. Opening it, Rachel poured out a glass for each of them. 'Saluti,' Marcella raised her glass.
Lea's eyes opened wide, 'My word, that has quite a kick to it!'
'Ooh, it's lovely,' said Rachel, taking a second sip.
After Marcella had left, Rachel topped up her glass. Lea put her hand over her glass, 'No more for me, thanks.'
'It's rather moorish. I'll make this my last.'
A bit later on, Rachel turned the music up, and pulled Lea up off the sofa, 'Come on, dance with me. We really should go dancing more!' Rachel was really letting go, flying around, arms over her head.
Lea went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and when she came back a couple of minutes later, she stopped in the doorway to see Rachel undressing as she danced. 'I do like to see you letting your hair down. It looks that's not the only thing you're letting down!'
In the morning, Lea was aware that Rachel was awake when she heard her groaning. 'Hey, babe. Did you sleep well?'
Rachel rolled onto her back, 'I think so, did you knock me on the head last night?'
'Are you feeling a bit delicate this morning?'
Rachel would have nodded, but decided that keeping her head still was a better option. Lea got out of bed, and returned with a glass of water. Rachel pushed herself semi upright, and took a sip. 'How much did I drink?'
'Not that much, but the limoncello is very strong. Also, you're not used to drinking. Still, the floor show was great. If you ever get fed up with the gallery, there may be a career in it for you!' Rachel looked non plussed. 'You don't remember?'
Lea got up to fetch her phone, and selected videos, to find the one that she recorded last night. Getting back into bed, she said, 'I couldn't resist capturing you on film.'
Rachel watched a few seconds, and put her head in her hands. 'Oh my god. Please delete it.'
'I think it's very sexy.' Rachel slid back under the covers, pulling the duvet over her head.
They decided to have a quiet, relaxing day at the villa.
Over the next couple of days, Rachel and Lea visited Herculaneum and Pompeii. Marcella was working, so they went alone. They spent hours wandering around the ruins, and Lea was particularly interested in the paintings. Rachel was wistful, 'It's fascinating here, and beautiful. It's also very sobering to think how many people died here, wiped out so suddenly.' The thought of that sudden loss overtook Rachel, as she remembered the phone call from Sue, telling her about Lea's accident. She relived that moment, when her insides felt hollow, and it seemed as if all life was taken from her. Rachel stood so still, and a tear ran down her face. Lea walked over to stand beside Rachel, taking her hand, and squeezing it gently, 'Hey, it's okay.'
Rachel inhaled a shaky breath, and nodded. 'Sorry, it sometimes just gets me, completely unexpected, and I have this overwhelming feeling of loss. I couldn't bear to lose you.'
Lea turned towards
Rachel, taking her head in her hands, 'I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.'
Rachel recovered herself, and smiled at Lea, 'Sorry.'
'You don't need to apologise. Come on, I think it's time to get a drink.'
When they were back at the villa, and making love, Lea felt the intensity of Rachel's need for closeness. Rachel made love urgently and tenderly at the same time. Lea knew that Rachel was feeling insecure from earlier, and there was nothing that she could do, other than hold her and love her. And Lea did love her with her very being. As much of a cliche it may be, Lea knew that time would be a healer, and if Rachel didn't indulge those dark thoughts, she would move beyond them. Even more strongly than that, Lea knew, more than most, that love was the biggest healer of all.
For the last day of their holiday, Marcella took them to Mount Vesuvius, and afterwards, the Bay of Naples. As they all sat on a wall eating gelato, and admiring the view, Lea and Rachel thanked Marcella for being such a wonderful tour guide. 'You are most welcome, it has been a delight. This evening, I have a suggestion for dinner. Naples is the home of pizza, and I know the perfect place.' That evening, Marcella took them to a pizza parlour just around the corner from the villa. The dough was freshly made, and in no time at all, the sauce and toppings were added. They were placed on a peel, and put into the oven for what seemed like seconds, before being placed on a plate, steaming hot. The pizzas were delicious, the thin crusts soft and flavoursome. 'I might have a go at making some at home,' Lea said, licking the escaped sauce off of her fingers. As Rachel watched her, she wasn't thinking about pizza any more.
Before they left for the airport in the morning, Rachel and Lea presented Marcella with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and some bottles of wine. 'Marcella, we can't thank you enough for looking after us.'
'You are so kind, thank you.' Marcella kissed each of them on both cheeks.
'Also, I painted this for you.' Lea presented a framed watercolour of the Bay of Naples to Marcella, who was visibly moved by the thoughtful gift.
'It is beautiful, thank you so much. You are very talented. It will have pride of place in my home.'
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The flight home was smooth, and Sue picked Lea and Rachel up from the airport. 'Welcome home, girls. Did you have a good time?'
'Lovely, thank you.' They both hugged Sue.
When they were back at Lea's cottage, Sue helped them in with their cases. Rachel asked, 'Would you like a cup of tea, I'll put the kettle on.'
'That would be lovely, thank you.'
Rachel disappeared off to the kitchen, and Lea opened up one of the cases. 'We've got a couple of gifts for you.'
Lea handed Sue a bottle of limoncello, a couple of bottles of wine and some pear balsamic vinegar. 'You shouldn't have, thank you so much.'
Lea said, 'Marcella suggested storing the limoncello in the freezer.'
'Really. Won't it freeze?'
'No, the alcohol content is that high, it won't! That's why you don't need to drink much at a time. We found that out the hard way with Rachel!'
Rachel walked into the lounge from the kitchen. 'The tea is brewing. Are you telling stories about me?'
'Would I?! It turns out, you really can't hold your drink, can you, babe?'
Rachel pulled a face of mock indignation, and Sue laughed. They spent the next hour or so telling Sue all about their holiday, and showing her their photographs.
On Monday morning, Lea went off to the studio to paint. Being February, she wasn't needed in the cafe at the moment, and the winter was usually her most productive time in the studio. This was often the time of year when she would work on the big canvases, knowing that she could take her time over them. Lea took her photos and sketches of Naples with her. Arriving at the studio, Lea could hear chatter and laughter coming from upstairs, her friends had all had the same idea. It wasn't often that they were all there at the same time. She hugged each of them in turn, and sat down on one of the beanbags. They all had a lot of catching up to do. Betsy started with, 'How was your holiday?'
'It was wonderful. It was great to get away with Rach, our first holiday.'
'And she's moved here permanently now?' Tyler waited for a response.
'Yes, I can hardly believe it.'
Sam smiled fondly at his friend, 'I know how desperately you wanted it to happen, I never imagined Rachel would just up and move like that.'
'Me neither. I nearly cocked it all up, though. I was so fed up of her working all the time. When we were in London, just before I came back home, I heard myself breaking up with her. It was like an out of body experience, it wasn't me saying the words. Thank goodness she didn't give up on me that easily.'
Saskia said, 'I have to ask, the Mermaid Gallery?'
'Yes, she named it for me.'
'Lea, are you actually blushing? You know, you never told us how you met.'
Lea hesitated, then began, 'It started when Sue was away, and I was looking after the cottage. I walked in to see Rachel dancing to the radio, looking so free. I know it sounds crazy, but I think I fell in love with her at that moment. She had absolutely no idea. Then, the next day, she came into the cafe. Actually, every morning. I kept bumping into her.'
Saskia said, 'It sounds like she kept coming to find you.'
'I never thought about it that way. I think she was just a bit lonely, and wanted someone to chat to.'
'So what happened next?'
'I invited her round to dinner.'
'Are you sure she had no idea?' Sam asked.
'I know it doesn't sound like it, but it was kind of natural. I was just going home after work, and asked if she'd like to join me. I have to say, I was thrilled when she said yes.' Lea was grinning from ear to ear.
It was Tyler who asked, 'So is that when you put on the smoochy music and got it on!'
'Yes, just like in a movie. I looked across the room, told Rachel how I felt, and she looked into my eyes... Of course, not. You are such a boy!' Lea playfully nudged Tyler, then looked a bit sheepish. 'Having said that, I did nearly kiss her.'
Betsy said, 'Really?'
'I managed to stop myself, thank goodness.'
'What do you mean?'
'I probably would have scared her off. I wanted to spend some time getting to know her. And so she could get to know me.'
Tyler said, 'You soppy romantic!'
'Maybe, but we don't all think with our pants.'
'Ouch!' Tyler gave Lea a lopsided grin.
Betsy wanted to hear the rest of the story. Lea said, 'Well, I suggested we spend the day together, and take a picnic. We went by boat, and it was the most wonderful day. That was the day I kissed her.' Lea's eyes misted over as she remembered that day. Although it had only been a matter of days since she had set eyes on her, to Lea it had felt like a lifetime.
Tyler said, 'And I bit more than that, I reckon. You can stop drooling at the mouth, we get the idea!'
'It's been a bit rocky along the way, but it's great now.'
Betsy said, 'It's all so romantic. I hope I get to meet someone like that. Except, a guy in my case!'
Lea's friends were really happy for her. Her last relationship hadn't ended well, and it had really knocked her back for a while. This was what had made it all the more surprising, how quickly she had fallen for Rachel.
When Lea met Ann, they had at first seemed a good match. They had been together for a few months when Ann took Lea to meet her parents. They seemed like a very nice couple, and they had liked Lea. Ann's mum asked whether Lea saw much of her parents, and she had said not much. It was obvious that Lea wasn't comfortable talking about it, so Ann's mum changed the subject. That evening, back at Ann's house, Ann had brought up the subject again. She was the kind of person who liked to have things arranged neatly in her head, so she knew just where to find them. Lea's ways and thoughts often wouldn't fit into her structured view of things, and Ann found this difficult sometimes. Still, Ann thought that it was worth it, they had a pretty grea
t relationship. With the matter of Lea's parents, Ann was like a dog with a bone, and Lea eventually told her what had happened.
'That's terrible, how could they disown you like that.'
'They didn't disown me. I live my life in my way, and they live theirs.'
Ann was horrified, 'I couldn't imagine my parents ever doing something like that. You must have felt so bad.'
'It's okay, really. We're our own people. They're old fashioned, it's not a crime.' It did frustrate Lea at times, how Ann would sink her teeth into something, and not let go. Still, she was her own person too, and Lea accepted her as she was.
After a few days, Ann stopped mentioning Lea's parents, and Lea was relieved. Then a few weeks later, Lea received a phone call from her parents. They said that Ann had contacted them, saying that Lea wanted to talk to them. Lea assured them that she knew nothing about it, and after a short, polite chat, Lea rang off. When Ann came round that evening to see her, Lea was not happy. Ann stepped into the lounge, 'Hi, have you had a good day?'
Stone faced, Lea said, 'My parents rang.'
Ann tried to look surprised, but was secretly thrilled. 'Oh, really?'
'As if you didn't know. Ann, they said you'd contacted them.'
'Oh.' Ann's face dropped, but at least it had worked. Lea's parents had called, and they would talk, and everything would be okay. 'Was it good to catch up with them?'
