by Sherie Keys
He walked back out to the sofa and sank down onto it, reaching for her glass of Zinfandel and handing it to her. “Here. Drink this and listen to me.”
She took it, and he sat beside her, showing her what he had been looking up on his smartphone. “You just broke up with him this morning. What you need now is some perspective and some time away. You need a breath of fresh air and some space and time to think and regroup. Then, you come back here, you get into the dating scene, you find your guy, and voila, you meet Mr. Right, get married, and then have a family. First things first, though. You need to decompress. You can’t come off of a year and a half relationship with a broken heart and expect to jump into anything. I should have thought about that at first, but now we are thinking it, and I’ve got you taken care of. Have a look.”
Justin handed the phone to her, and she stared at the images before her. They were beautiful photographs of exotic locations around the world. “Look, you could go to Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, here’s a vacation in Greece, ohhh…. maybe skip Egypt for now, it’s kind of in political turmoil. I want to know you’re safe while you’re out. How about… oh look, the south of France, and there are several in Italy. What about this? This looks good.” He stopped on one of the photos, and she gave it a curious look.
“Where is that?” Delphine asked, looking closer.
“It’s… um, it looks like it’s Lisbon. Portugal.” Justin looked closer at the image and tapped it. A new window opened up with several more alluring photos. “Actually, this looks amazing. This might be just what you need.”
She bit at her lower lip. “It does look amazing, but… that’s not what I need right now. I’ve just lost a year and a half, and what I need to do right now is start making up for all of that lost time. I want a family, Justin.”
He looked at her seriously. “Look, you do need to make up for it, but you don’t need to make up for it in the next two weeks. You do need a break, just to get yourself balanced emotionally again. You should get out of town. Listen, I know how badly you’ve always wanted a family, and when you come back if you don’t find Mr. Right, then I will give you a family.”
She blinked in shock and stared at him. “What?”
He waved his hand in the air a moment as if to clarify. “I mean that I’ll supply the sperm. We’ll have to use a fertility facility, but think about that. I would make a great gay dad. We’d be good parents. If you can’t find what you are looking for, I will be your backup. It wouldn’t be a traditional family, but you would at least have your own child, and I wouldn’t mind having my own child too. So, you have that ace up your sleeve if you need it. Now you don’t have to stress about having babies right away. Just go on the trip and you can pick your life back up when you get home.”
Delphine tilted her head and smiled a little. “You’re serious! Gawd, Justin, you’re such a great friend, such a dear and precious friend. I don’t think it’s going to come to you needing to be the father of my kids, but I do appreciate it.” She sighed then. “I still don’t think it’s a good time to go on a trip.”
“Of course it is. Why isn’t it a good time?” he challenged her.
She frowned. “Well, we’re just starting our bee business. We have so much going on with that right now.”
“I can take care of that on my own for a week or two while you’re gone. We’re not in a dire situation with it right now,” he answered.
Delphine sighed. “I have a meeting with that awful Hank Thomas to argue our case again, and I’m not about to reschedule with the zoning commissioner. It was like pulling hens teeth just to get him to agree to meet me in the first place.” A grimace flashed over her face.
Justin shook his head. “I’ll go. It doesn’t matter which one of us he meets with. You should leave.”
“He is one serious snake in the grass, Justin. I don’t know if you should take him on alone,” Delphine worried.
“I’ll take Georgia. She could handle him with one hand tied behind her back and her eyes closed.” Justin gave her an encouraging smile.
Delphine laughed softly. “Well, you’re right about that; she sure could.” She sighed once more and leaned back into the cushions of the sofa, gazing at the phone again. “It does look very beautiful there, and I have always wanted to see Portugal.”
Justin grinned as he realized that she was caving to his suggestion. “Look at this… it’s incredible. You have to go.” He was thoughtful for a long moment. “In fact, I think I’m just going to make it official right here and now.”
“What?” she asked in surprise as he took the phone and began tapping at the screen again. “What are you doing?”
He beamed as his fingers flew over the phone. “I’m sending you to Portugal for a week. My treat.”
“You can’t-” she started to say, but he held up his hand to stop her.
“I already did. You’re set. You leave in the morning.” He handed the phone back to her, and she stared at it. There was a confirmation on the screen.
“Did you just buy me a week vacation in Portugal?” she breathed in wonder.
“Yes. I’ll even help you pack for it,” he answered, quite pleased with himself as he tipped his wine glass back and took a long sip from it.
Tears formed in her eyes again, but they were happy tears. She reached her arms to him and hugged him tight. “You’re the best friend in the whole world. I love you so much. Thank you, Justin. Thank you.”
“Just enjoy yourself on the trip and bring something cool back for me,” he told her gently. “Now, let’s finish this wine and this ice cream. We’re celebrating a bright future ahead, however it turns out.”
Taking her wine glass in her hand, she toasted him, and they finished off the first bottle and opened the second one. Her heart felt somewhat lighter, and she was grateful that she wasn’t going through her terrible breakup alone. She knew how lucky she was, and she told Justin. He replied that he was just as lucky to have her as a best friend too.
True to his word, Justin helped her pack her suitcase, and they fell asleep on the sofa late that night, both bottles of wine empty, both pints of ice cream gone. When they woke, he put her bag in the trunk of his car and drove her to the airport.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she spoke softly as she held her hand to her head, trying to stem the slight headache she had from all the wine the evening before.
He pulled up to the curb in front of the departures area and helped her from the car, setting her suitcase down on the sidewalk. “You can believe it when you get there. Just be safe and have fun, and know that I love you and we can figure life out when you get back. It’ll all work out. Just take some time for yourself and heal. Everything will be waiting here for you when you return. In the meantime, have a great time.”
He hugged her tight, and she laughed in amazement. “Thank you so much. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“You’d better!” He waved at her as she walked into the airport, pulling her suitcase behind her.
It seemed to her as if hardly any time passed at all between the click of her seatbelt and the opening of the plane door in Lisbon. She’d slept most of the way, but somehow, she still felt tired. The bright, warm sun seemed to be shining from everywhere, and she loved it, feeling her skin drink it in as the car she was in sped away from the airport and headed to her hotel.
The car passed the newer areas of Lisbon, and Delphine noticed that the closer they got to the water and the hotel in the center of town, the older all of the buildings seemed to be. It was almost like going back in time by the looks of it, and she was charmed by the vintage architecture and the pretty pastel colors that covered most every building she saw. The old-world style of it in pleasant coloring made her smile, and she found herself enjoying it even before the driver had taken her very far through it.
Delphine was truly impressed with the beautiful hotel she was booked into. She hadn’t looked too closely at it when Justin had booked it for her. Sh
e had been far too focused on the breakup. It was a boutique resort, small and neatly tucked into a street just up the hill from the water. It was beautifully designed, and when she stopped with her suitcase at the front door to look back over her shoulder, she was enchanted with the stunning view that stretched out before her. She could see the city to the sides of the hotel and on the few streets between the resort and the shoreline of the estuary. It looked like a dream to her, some place that wasn’t actually real but was instead some postcard or wallpaper on her computer monitor that she had stared at too long and imagined herself into.
“May I take your bag, Madame?” a man’s voice asked.
She turned and faced a bellhop in the doorway, giving him a smile. “Certainly, thank you,” she answered, giving him the bag that was on her shoulder. The driver of her car had taken her suitcase into the hotel and given it to the bellhop already.
She went to the desk and checked in, and as she was standing there waiting for the clerk to complete the process, Delphine turned and looked around her at the lobby. It was wide open and sunny with a white marble floor edged in green plants and potted flowers. There was a short railing between the lobby and a sitting area that was part of a small café for the guests of the hotel. Beyond the café was a bar with light colored wooden stools and a great deal of glass and mirrors set around, making the lounge look a little bigger than it was. The wall to the outer side of the bar and café was filled with windows, and she could see through them to a garden lined with tall trees, and far past the trees was a shimmering ribbon of blue where the water danced in the sun.
She was admiring the view when she noticed a man sitting at the bar with a cocktail in front of him, though it looked as if he hadn’t touched his drink yet. He had long, muscular legs and a strong, fit physique about the torso and arms. She wondered for a moment if he was a body builder or if he was just in really great shape. His skin was light, his hair black and longer, combed back in waves away from his face. What truly struck her about him and took her breath away was his eyes. They were bluer than the water and the sky outside of the hotel, and they were focused intently upon her.
She felt her body flush with heat and her cheeks warmed as her heart picked up its pace. Knowing she had to acknowledge him, she gave him a smile and then turned back to the desk, surprised at herself for feeling such a heated reaction simply from the steady gaze of a strange man.
The clerk smiled at her. “We’re giving you a free upgrade to a suite. I just need to finish getting this changed over for you, and I want to make sure that the room is ready. I’ll be right with you.”
“Oh, thank you. I appreciate it.” Delphine gave her a grin. She was tickled that she was going to get a little more than she had expected at the resort.
“Pardon me, I hope I’m not intruding. Are you on holiday?” a man’s voice asked smoothly.
Delphine blinked and turned, slightly startled as there hadn’t been anyone next to her. Blue eyes were gazing into hers, and the face of the man who had been sitting at the bar was much closer. There was something strong, passionate, and mysterious about it, almost like he was a Roman god, just freed from the chiseled perfection of a marble statue.
“I’m sorry?” she asked with a shy smile, realizing that he had spoken to her and she hadn’t comprehended what he had said. It was almost impossible to comprehend anything with him standing so close to her and locking those gorgeous eyes on her. Her stomach tightened, and she drew in a sharp breath.
The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as if he was bemused by her. “I asked if you were on holiday here. It was an educated guess.”
With a light laugh, she eased the tension in herself and grinned at him. “Oh! Yes. Yes, I’m on vacation.” Pausing, she remembered what he had asked her. “Holiday, I mean.”
He smiled widely and nodded. “It’s a beautiful city to visit. Have you been here before?”
Delphine felt as if the whole world around them was slowly fading away, and becoming a blur, except for the shrinking space that ensconced the two of them.
“No, this is my first time here,” she answered, wondering who the stranger was and what a man like him was doing sitting alone in a café of a resort.
He seemed interested in her; her answers, her purpose, her stay, her face and her eyes. She saw him glance at her mouth and he smiled a bit again. “You are from the states, no?” he asked, looking as if he was making another educated guess.
Feeling her cheeks warm even more, she nodded. “Yes, I’m from New York. What gave it away?” She thought it must have been that she had said vacation instead of holiday.
“Your accent,” the man replied simply, looking completely unbothered by it.
She was surprised. “Accent? I have an accent?” It had never occurred to her that someone from another country might think that she was the one with the accent, rather than the other way around. She was absolutely certain that it was him who had the accent.
“You do,” he nodded and gave her a wink, “but it’s charming and sweet.” He paused a moment then, eyeing her. “Are you with anyone on this trip?”
She shook her head, forgetting to wonder if she should give him the answer, and instead just answering him. “No, I’m here on my own this time.”
He smiled just a little more, and she swore that she saw his eyes twinkle a bit. “I’m Adrian Ferriera.” He held his hand out to her, introducing himself.
Taking it, she gave it a sturdy shake and replied, “I’m Delphine Bishop. It’s nice to meet you.” His grip was comfortable, his hand was warm, and his skin was soft. The feel of his touch against hers made her smile as her heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, the pleasure is entirely mine,” Adrian answered. “I’m waiting for a business partner to arrive for a meeting, but I think he won’t be here for a little while. I came a bit early. Would you like to have a drink in the bar with me while I wait? Perhaps we can talk a little and I can tell you about this beautiful city that you are visiting.”
For a moment, she wanted to. For one moment, she desperately wanted to go and sit with the beautiful man before her and sip a cocktail in a pretty little hotel bar in Lisbon, Portugal, but then in the back of her mind something poked her, and she felt as if she was waking up, at least a little. Romantic encounters like her swift little daydream did not happen. They did not really occur in anyone’s life. The clerk came up just then and handed a key over the counter to her.
“Your suite is ready. It’s on the top floor, last door on the right from the elevator. It’s the best in the hotel. Enjoy your stay and please let us know if there is anything that we can do to make your visit better.” The girl beamed at her, and Delphine took the key.
“Thank you,” she answered with a smile. Then she turned to look at Adrian. “I’m sorry, I’ll have to pass on your thoughtful offer. Thank you, though. I hope that your meeting goes well.”
Adrian nodded at her and gave her a smile in return. He watched her as she picked up her purse and headed down the hallway with the bellhop who was carrying her suitcases.
Chapter2
Delphine was stunned at the elegance and beauty of her room. It was much nicer than she had anticipated it would be, and it felt decadent to her to be there, surrounded by luxury in the same light colors that were reflected in the architecture from the city outside her windows and balcony.
Mirrors were featured on some of the walls, gold metal fixtures adorned the doors and dresser, the bathroom sink and the chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the sitting room of the suite. Off of the sitting room there was a large bedroom with an enormous bed, a balcony that overlooked the waterfront and the river, and a spacious bathroom with a vintage bathtub and ornate décor. She felt as if she had stepped into a dream and that none of it could possibly be real.
Picking up her cell phone, she tapped the screen a few times and a phone on the other end of the line began to ring. Delphine stood in the middle of the bedroom and stared around her at
the sitting room, bathroom, and balcony, all visible from where she was.
“Hello? Del? Did you make it? Where are you?” Justin’s voice came through with some concern and excitement.
“Justin, I’m standing in the most amazing room I’ve ever been in in my whole life. We’ve never even seen anything like this in a magazine or on T.V. This is crazy! I feel like it can’t be real!” Delphine laughed and breathed out as the realization began to wash over her.
“Oh good! So, you’re at the hotel. The room is nice then?” Justin asked hopefully.
“No. It’s not nice, Justin, it’s like Marie Antoinette came in here and had it designed. It’s amazing. They gave me a free upgrade to the suite. I haven’t ever seen anything like this, and I have you to thank for it! I know I wasn’t sure about coming on this trip to begin with, but this is seriously the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and from the little I’ve seen of Lisbon so far, I have to tell you, it’s pretty incredible! I wish you were here. I think you’d love this place!” Delphine stepped away from the bedroom and went to the balcony, walking out on it and trying to wrap her mind around the beauty before her.
