It was getting impossible to imagine being here in Barcelona without Javier; he was as much a part of it as the beach, as all the wonderful places he’d taken her. In fact she was beginning to feel like he was some kind of drug – a drug she knew was dangerously addictive, but there was no way she wanted to stop and say no.
‘There you go.’ He moved back. She breathed again.
‘Let me get on first, then climb on. You can hold these bars, or put your arms round me – whichever you feel most comfortable with.’
Bars. She’d hold the bars.
‘Oh my God, how do I get on?’
‘Like a horse.’
‘When I get on the horse it’s a saddle for one.’ Not that she minded sharing with him, the black leather jacket, tights jeans and boots suited him. Man in black. ‘And there’s not a big back box stuck in the way normally, I just throw my leg over.’
‘Well throw your leg over me.’ He chuckled, the fan of wrinkles round his eyes more pronounced than ever, along with the dimples. She thumped him.
‘Do I have to get off and let you get on first, like I do for my Gran?’
‘You are so cheeky. I’m not like your gran, I am an agile young thing.’
‘Ah yes, I noticed that when we went jogging.’
‘We didn’t, I was there minding my own business and you just happened to join me.’ And rescue me. He was shaking his head, rubbing a hand over his chin that had its normal dark shadow.
‘I can lean it a bit – you can either put your foot on the peg or just go for it.’
She went for it, then wriggled about on the seat.
‘Just go with the scooter round the bends, don’t fight it or over-lean.’
‘Just like riding a horse.’
‘Exactly, you’ll be a natural now you’ve managed to get on.’ The warm chuckle reverberated through them both and she wondered if she should move back a bit. ‘Here we go.’ Too late. He revved the engine and they were off, an involuntary squeak forcing its way out of Daisy. To hell with holding the bike, she was hanging on to him. Or his jacket. It was perfectly respectable, they were both fully clothed. Even if right now it felt as intimate as anything she’d ever experienced.
‘Oh my God.’ She squealed, and clung on tighter, as he sped up and started to weave his way through the traffic, but she knew that she had the same kind of grin plastered across her face as she did when she was galloping Barney across the fields. Literally plastered. It hadn’t seemed windy until they started to pick up speed and she could see why he’d told her to put a scarf on.
At the traffic lights they trickled their way to the front, joined three others that were in pole position, and the moment the lights were on green, engines were revved and they all zoomed ahead, easily outpacing the cars. Daisy leaned forward, gripping tighter. Then, as the smell of his hair teased at her nostrils she sat back. She had to, or she’d be forgetting all her good intentions and trying to kiss him again.
Javier headed through the city, the traffic thinning slightly as the road began to climb. Their speed dropped as the scooter struggled up the increased incline and Daisy hung on, laughing. ‘Are we going to make it?’
‘I think you’ve been eating too many tapas.’
‘Cheeky.’ Even as she spoke, the road evened out and he pulled up. Daisy clambered off and pulled the helmet off her head, fluffing her hair out. She turned round as she did so, then stopped short. All her attention had been on the road ahead, but now she realised how high they’d climbed. ‘Wow, look at that view.’
‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’
‘Where on earth are we?’
‘We’re where you get the best ever view of Barcelona. Keep going.’ He took her hand as she looked doubtfully at the steps, steps that became an uneven path that he picked his way over like a mountain goat. ‘Nearly there.’
And then they were. It was fantastic, a high point from where there was a 360-degree view of Barcelona. All of it.
‘Oh my God, what is this place?’ She didn’t need Javier’s urgings now as she let go of his hand and scrambled on. ‘We’re on top of the world.’
He laughed and climbed over a wall and railings on to a flat platform, with what she was sure was a sheer drop on the other side. ‘It’s a Barcelonian’s secret, hardly any tourists come up here. I wanted to show you what it’s like on a bright day so that you could get the full scale of the city, but it’s fabulous at night. I’ll bring you one evening. Climb over.’ He held out a hand.
‘Oh no, no way am I going over there. Railings are there for a reason. I don’t do standing on the edge of high things.’
‘Come on, trust me, crawl and I’ll give you another history lesson.’
‘I might be history if I do.’ She muttered under her breath, but he heard and grinned.
‘You don’t have to.’ His voice was lazy, but those amazing blue eyes were fixed on her. ‘Not if you really don’t want to, not if you’re happy to miss the most amazing view of the city.’
She took his hand, still undecided, and the quake in her stomach could have been down to anticipation, fear, or those seductive circles he was making on her hand with his thumb. ‘I want you to see this city the way I do.’ Those blue eyes were a killer, irresistible and yet, when she looked into them, she knew she’d found somebody who believed in her. Who wanted to share something special with her. And how could she even think about saying no?
She wanted to see Barcelona through his eyes too, feel the same passion he had for the place. Share as much of his life with him as he wanted to offer. Which, okay, might not be that much, seeing as he was just being friendly and she was the one with the kissing-impulses. But she could cope with that. Couldn’t she?
‘But do it for you Daisy, not for me, not anybody else.’
It was as though they were the only two people there. Everything else had faded away and all she was aware of was him, of her own growing need to do this, to prove to herself she could. To experience something nobody else had ever offered her. He wasn’t just showing her a view, he was giving her a glimpse of himself.
She couldn’t help the nervous laugh, which she knew meant she was going to do this. She had to. Javier would look after her, and she was here as the new, brave Daisy – the one who dared to do things.
‘Oh to hell with it, I do, but I might get all clingy.’
‘I can cope with that.’ He grinned.
‘You might have to look the other way though, me clambering over this fence isn’t going to be a pretty sight.’
‘Promise I won’t look.’ He strode over to the edge confidently, sat down, his legs dangling over the edge.
‘Okay, I’m coming.’
It was a bit like giving a nervous horse the confidence to jump a big hedge she thought, as she clutched the fence and did her best to clamber over. He’d told her she could do it, led the way, and then given her her own time and space to make the leap. And it was worth it. She could tell as she inched forwards towards him, even before she got to the edge.
He had a hand out, had her safe as she shuffled the last few inches. If she leant back and tried not to think about what was, or wasn’t, under her feet, she knew it was worth it.
He grinned at her, shared the feeling of triumph, and she clung to his arm, feeling on top of the world in a way that wasn’t just down to their height above sea level.
The view was stupendous. It was a clear day, and the whole city was laid out below them, but as much as that, she was aware of the man next to her. The man who seemed to be bewitching her even more than this beautiful city was. ‘I think I need distracting. Talk to me.’ Not that she’d be able to hear a word.
‘We’re at Turo de la Rovira, which used to be an anti-aircraft command post.’ He waved back, behind them, but she daren’t move a muscle. ‘These gun platforms and bunkers were built in the Civil War, the bunkers were then used by squatters for a while but the place was tidied up before the 1992 Olympic Games.’ He gave a wry smil
e. ‘Lots of Barcelona was tidied up for the Games.’
‘So the Olympics had a real impact?’ She knew she sounded a bit wooden, but she was interested, despite herself. Maybe it was because she’d glued herself to his reassuringly firm body.
‘Oh yes, it was more than just the stadium built on Montjuic, there was a massive investment. The Barcelona you’re seeing is way different to before the Games.’
There was a slight note of censure in his voice she hadn’t heard before. ‘All good?’
‘In the main.’ He shrugged. ‘Some parts of the city were pretty dire, and the whole pickpocketing and prostitute thing needed sorting, so all that was addressed.’
‘But?’
‘I guess some of the character of the place was lost as well, swept away because it was easiest, tidiest.’
‘Somebody got carried away?’ She sobered for a moment as she stared out over the city. Since she’d made the decision to come here, she’d felt like she might be getting carried away, swept along, caught up in the excitement, wondering where she was heading. She didn’t want to lose any of the good things about her life, she didn’t want to lose the real Daisy, but she didn’t want to be stuck in a rut, never evolving.
‘It’s not always good to change just for the sake of it, is it?’ He pulled his gaze back from the view and looked at her. ‘It’s knowing when to stop that’s the important part. A few small changes can make such a difference, but you don’t need to go too far.’
A tingle ran over her arms. ‘I don’t. I mean, they don’t.’
‘Nor do you, Daisy, some things are perfect just the way they are.’
For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her, hoped he was going to kiss her, as they sat perched on the edge of the world, where the opportunities to change seemed limitless. They stared at each other and Daisy wished she could read his mind.
‘What would you change if you could?’ She had to say something, anything, before she gave in to the urge and spoiled the moment.
His gaze never wavered. ‘Right now I’d keep things exactly as they are.’
She wasn’t sure what they were talking about now. The city, or being here together. A perfect moment, when she could lean in, touch him, kiss him, and probably ruin things for ever.
She swallowed. ‘You love it here, don’t you?’
‘I do.’ There was the slightest lift to the corner of his mouth. ‘Faults and all. Barcelona had to change, and it has done, it still is – things evolve, don’t they?’
‘They do.’
‘Sometimes it takes patience, and we never know quite what the future will look like.’
She hadn’t a clue what her future looked like; wondered if he had any idea about his. Wondered what it would be like if the passion he had for all this, this place, was transferred to a person. To her. A shiver ran through her and she dragged her gaze away from his and stared out at the city, not wanting him to read her thoughts. A sudden pang of loss had hit her as they’d looked into each other’s eyes, a regret that these desires he was stirring inside her were never going to be anything more – and she knew it would be written all over her face for him to see.
The more he showed her of himself, the more she knew she was falling for a man who she’d never even shared a proper kiss with.
He squeezed her hand. ‘I like the old character best, and maybe I’m a bit of a country bumpkin myself.’ Then he chuckled, leaned in closer, and the sound vibrated through her body. ‘Though obviously not as much as you are.’
‘Obviously. Tell me more about what they changed.’ If she kept him here talking she could stretch this time out, make the moment last.
He shifted so that his arm was round her shoulder, his voice soft in her ear. ‘The airport and railway system were redeveloped, the whole waterfront, beaches, marina – you name it,’ he pointed as he spoke at the various landmarks that they could see from their vantage point, ‘if it looks faintly modern then it was probably built or redeveloped back then. Bored yet?’
‘Carry on.’ The brief moment of sadness she’d felt was gradually slipping away as the facts brought a feeling of normality back. She should be happy, not sad, she was in a wonderful place with an amazing man.
‘That’s why we’ve got the mix we have here, Gaudi sitting next to something ultra-modern. Look,’ he pointed towards the Sagrada Familia, ‘when that was started in the 1880’s it was a big plot of land, around 3 acres I think, hard to imagine open fields round it now, isn’t it?’
‘It’s a shame really that you can only see it properly from up here.’ Her body relaxed a bit, then tightened as her brain registered the smell of him, the fact they were so close. She tried to inch away to a respectable distance, but her body was refusing to co-operate.
‘Well they are thinking about demolishing some of the buildings. Gaudi’s vision was that there was space in front of the Glory Façade, which would be nice.’
‘Space is always good. Though not necessarily under my feet.’ Daisy looked at her legs dangling over the edge and felt herself leaning back in towards him, purely so she could listen to him, of course, and grab him if the earth suddenly moved. ‘It must be incredible to have that kind of mind, you know, get that kind of vision.’
‘A dream on a massive scale, eh?’
‘Massive. My dreams are much smaller. I’ve got this list of things I really want to do, well I had Flo’s list of places, and I had my kind of dream list of silly things—’
‘Nothing is silly if it’s what you want to do. One person’s dream is building a cathedral, the next person’s is conquering a fear, writing a poem, climbing a mountain, they’re all equally valid.’
‘Well this is silly stuff I’ll never get round to, like riding in the Canadian Rockies.’
‘Why won’t you ever do it?’ He smiled, a slow, dangerous smile. Well dangerous because it brought out his dimples, showed just a hint of white, even teeth and made her want to kiss him.
She shook her head. That thought really did need walloping on the head. He’d very politely pointed that out when she was on an adrenalin and perspiration-soaked high after her abortive jog. ‘I’m never going to be able to save up that kind of money, it’s just a dream.’
‘Dreams are just realities that haven’t happened yet.’ He shrugged. ‘You can make more or less anything happen if you want to.’
Easy for him to say. ‘Well, anyway.’ Get back onto safe ground, Daisy. ‘I decided yesterday that I needed a new list, not like a sight-seeing one, but the things that really mean something to me, things I want. Like walking on the beach barefoot, and being a bit more daring.’ Things that, deep down, meant something.
‘You don’t need a list, Daisy. Throw it away.’ He was grinning, his eyes dancing. ‘I dare you.’ Okay, so he’d got a handle on her. ‘Let go, surrender.’ He was laughing now.
‘To you? Never.’ If she said it enough times she might believe it.
‘Look,’ he leant in a bit closer, so his shoulder nudged against hers and she couldn’t avoid his mesmerising gaze. ‘You don’t need lists, it’s all in your heart.’ Oh God, he’d touched her chest, she’d forgotten how to breathe, ‘what you really want to do. Need to do. Listen to it, trust it.’
She was holding her breath, everything tensed up.
‘Just for a couple of weeks anyway. Let things happen.’
‘But that’s what I’ve done my whole life and I feel like I haven’t done anything.’
‘Of course you have, don’t knock what you’ve got, Daisy.’
‘So you’re saying I should just be satisfied.’ Like Jimmy. With Jimmy.
‘That’s not what I said, build on it, don’t knock it. You’ve got a horse, dog, a great home, haven’t you?’
‘Yeah, but that just came to me, the cottage. I know I’m really lucky to have it,’ she glanced up at him, ‘really lucky, because it’s wonderful, I couldn’t hope for a better home, but I suppose having it stopped me making a decision to do anything
different.’
‘But you chose it.’
‘It chose me. Well, it was this old woman in the village that Mum knew. She didn’t have any relatives and she’d lived at Mere End Farm all her life, it was passed down to her. I think she was born there actually. I suppose most people used to be like that, they stayed in the same place, grew up, found work. Farming people did anyway. Not like now.’
‘Lots of people in Barcelona have been here all their lives.’
‘Mum used to pop in and drag us along. She’d take pies and casseroles, stuff like that, and Mrs Webster would let us pick the apples and other stuff from the garden. We lived on a farm, but I still liked going there. We used to say it was a ghost house, me and Em – my sister – would play hide and seek. The place was filled with antiques and old books and all the floorboards creaked.’ She smiled to herself. They used to try and scare each other, and they used to try and find out if Mrs Webster was a witch. ‘When she died she left Em some money, and me the house. It was Mum she was thanking though, not me,’ she shrugged, ‘I was just an annoying kid, but Mum looked out for her, chased away salesmen and stuff like that. She’s kind.’
‘That’s where you get it from; the generous and kind nature.’
Daisy felt herself blush, so blustered on. ‘If I hadn’t got Mere End Cottage though, maybe I would have done more with my life. Been forced to do something.’
‘Forced isn’t good though, is it? You’ve chosen to do what you want to, Daisy, and that’s good. Your life’s fine, from what I can see – you just want a few exciting highlights.’
Highlights like having a gorgeous man like him in her life. Highlights like kissing him. What would he say if she told him that he was number one on her unwritten list of dreams? That she’d be quite happy to let go and surrender if he gave the slightest inkling that he could be part of her life. She shook her head to chase the thought away.
He’d hit the nail on the head though. She did love lots of things about her life, but she wanted to add experiences like this in. Raise her blood pressure – although maybe the way Javier was doing it for her wasn’t exactly what she’d expected. Have some fun. Live a bit. ‘I just wish I’d been brave enough to do things like this,’ she waved an arm to encompass everything around them, ‘before. I used to look at Mum when I was a teenager, you know, through those judgemental, know-it-all eyes, and pity her. All she did was look after the family – she never did anything for herself. My parents don’t even go on proper holidays because of the farm, they can’t get away, Dad doesn’t care, but Mum sometimes talks about places as though she regrets not going, doing things. I don’t want to get to her age and feel like that.’
The Holiday Swap Page 17
