‘You will be working next door,’ Charo said, shooting Luna a glance that looked almost amused.
The office Luna had been assigned was filled with sunshine. It overlooked the small courtyard and beyond to the harbour. Through the slits of the windows’ elegant wrought-iron balconies, she could just make out patches of the scintillating sea, and colourful yachts bobbing up and down in the bay. Next to the window sat a smart oak desk, accommodating a computer and a couple of telephones. A series of prints of various herbs threw splashes of colour on one of the whitewashed walls. Another was lined with files and medical journals. As her eyes moved round the room they came to rest on something almost fantastical standing in a corner – enchanting, she had to admit, but definitely out of place in a researcher’s office. It was a large sculpture of a young gypsy holding a basket brimming with what looked like wild flowers. Something about the statue stirred her, but the scientific researcher in her was tempted to reject it as caprice.
Luna turned to face Charo and smiled. ‘I’m lucky to have such a beautiful room. I’m still trying to get my head around the idea that this is a medical centre. It feels like an elegant old family hacienda, but then you’ve got all the state-of-the-art labs.’
‘That was the vision for El Instituto. The idea is if the staff are happy then the feeling spreads to our patients. Do you really think there’s anyone in the world who wants to be treated in a concrete-and-steel block? I think not!’ She grinned. ‘I love it here, and I just know you will too.’
Luna regarded Charo thoughtfully. Whatever delight the young woman took in being indiscreet about its employees, clearly the Institute itself inspired her unwavering respect.
‘You should find everything you need in here,’ Charo added breezily, ‘but if there’s anything else you want, just let me know.’ She paused. A mischievous little devil danced in her bright blue eyes.
‘Actually, you’re very lucky to have been assigned to Dr Rueda de Calderón. Wait until you meet him. He’s swept through this place like flu. There isn’t a woman at the Institute who doesn’t secretly fancy him. He can be a terrible flirt. It drives Doña Vaina crazy, I can tell you.’ She shot Luna a sideways look, then gave a little chuckle. ‘Though I’ve known him long enough myself to get past all that. Besides, I only have eyes for my boyfriend, Miguel.’
Luna smiled but offered no comment. Human nature was the same, whether in Cádiz or New York, and she had learned a long time ago that to survive the gossip mill, it was sensible to adopt the prudence of the three wise monkeys. Her thoughts drifted reluctantly back to Ruy – another Spanish alpha male who seemed to make all women go weak at the knees.
Charo seemed in no hurry to go to lunch.
‘Are you married?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘Boyfriend?’
‘Not at present.’
‘Wait until you see him. I’ll bet my last euro you won’t be immune to his charms. You know, I have a feeling he won’t be indifferent to yours either. You might just get on like a house on fire.’ She winked conspiratorially. ‘It would really drive the Virago completely out of her mind. She’s already furious he’s given you this office.’
Luna laughed. ‘Not a hope in hell! I’m not into Casanovas, and certainly not relationships at work.’ She tried to visualize the thumbprint photo of the bespectacled man she was going to work with, an image that didn’t seem to tally with his reputation as a Don Juan. From what she remembered, it was unlikely that he was going to get under her skin. ‘Anyhow, I’m finished with men.’
Charo paused. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, are you gay?’
Luna gave her assistant a guarded look. ‘No, I’m just not into that type of man. Not at all my cup of tea.’ She shrugged. ‘Besides, I’ve got better things to do with my time than to take up with some idle womanizer.’
‘Womanizer maybe, but Dr Rueda de Calderón isn’t idle. Far from it,’ Charo protested vehemently. ‘I’ve worked with many medics over the years and, I can tell you, I’ve never come across a more dedicated person. Totally devoted to his research, so passionate about it. You’ll enjoy working with him, believe me.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ said Luna.
She looked up at the clock on the wall. It was nearly one o’clock. Where had the morning gone? ‘I’d better sign those papers Doña Vaina was talking about, and then I’ll head off for my lunch break.’
Charo opened a desk drawer and took out a pile of documents. ‘Here, take your time reading them over the weekend, if you like. I can pass them to the Virago on Monday.’ She grinned. ‘Do you have any lunch plans? I could show you the local deli, it’s just across the road.’
Although Luna would have preferred being on her own for a while, she didn’t want to seem standoffish on her first day. ‘Sure, why not,’ she replied. ‘I was just going to grab a quick sandwich so I could catch up on some things before Monday, but it would be good to go out for a while.’
Charo’s blue eyes were inquisitive. ‘You’re new to Cádiz, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ Luna replied as she flipped through the contract in her hand.
‘I expect you don’t know anyone in the city.’
‘Mmm? No, I don’t.’
‘There’s a Vargas exhibition next week. A few of us have tickets,’ Charo ventured. ‘If you’d like to come along as my plus one, you might find it fun. A few drinks, canapés, a bit of culture, you know.’
After the frosty attitude of Doña Vaina this morning, Luna felt a sudden glow of appreciation. ‘That sounds lovely. Really kind of you.’ She smiled. ‘You’re right, I don’t have any other plans. I’d love to come, thank you.’
Charo beamed. ‘Wonderful! Right, I just have a letter to type before lunch. I’ll pick you up as soon as I’m done,’ she said, and slipped out of the room.
Luna read through the lengthy contract. It was quite a complicated document with umpteen provisions and stipulations, one of which was a particularly detailed confidentiality clause.
She had spoken to Ted Vandenberg about confidentiality and her editor had pooh-poohed it as something he would take care of when the matter arose. She could easily scan and email the agreement over to him to check before Monday. Yet she hesitated. Wasn’t this assignment partly about proving to Ted she could be independent? She needed to show some initiative, use her own judgement. Besides, there was no room for procrastination if she wanted the job.
She wanted the job too. It wasn’t just her ambition it spoke to. Everything about it was so novel, and it appealed to the adventurous side of her personality – the side she was discovering more and more; the side of late so expressive that she hardly recognized herself. Still, she was uneasy with the role she was meant to play to fulfil the assignment.
She reread the clause a few times. It definitely stipulated that all information was the property of the Institute, whether new discoveries made by her or other material. If the worst came to the worst, they could just pull the article. Ted wouldn’t endanger the magazine by inviting a lawsuit. Even if her article never made it to print, the assignment would still be a leaf added to the notebook of her professional experiences. To see a clinic like this in action – how it functioned and whether the health programmes served its clients – all that was invaluable.
She signed her name on the dotted line.
* * *
An hour later, Luna was walking back through the gates of the Institute with Charo. Their lunch had taken longer than she’d planned but given how entertaining Charo had been and how charming the surroundings, she found herself not minding one bit. In the colourful deli on the corner of the next street, its window piled high with mouth-watering cheeses, chorizo and jars of appetizing sauces and pickles, she had watched the cheerful man behind the counter as he prepared a bocadillo with serrano ham for her, using a rustic barra de pan, drizzling olive oil and rubbing a cut tomato on the inside of the bread. These small details made Luna revel in the difference of
everyday life here. Even compared to the Jewish delis of New York, the rituals of sandwich preparation seemed more exotic in Andalucía.
Charo seemed to know half the customers who came and went, chatting animatedly with those who stopped at their small table. She introduced each one to Luna, who watched her new colleague’s carefree spirit with amused admiration. When they were left alone to carry on with their meal, though the young woman tried to fish for more personal information, there were enough interruptions to make it easy for Luna to field Charo’s evident curiosity.
Now, as they crossed the car park and Charo expounded enthusiastically on the gastronomic and cultural delights of Cádiz, a vintage-looking black-and-maroon car pulled into a space in front of them. The door opened and a familiar dark head came into view. Luna’s heart leapt – she would know that profile anywhere.
It was him. Again.
Ruy emerged from the car looking his usual infuriating, stunning self in a lightweight pale-blue suit and tie. His sparkling aquamarine gaze fell on Luna and his mouth curved into a slow smile. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it.
Luna, on the other hand, was staring at him, almost frozen to the spot. Once more this man was appearing out of nowhere when she least expected it. Her emotions ran riot. A million thoughts crashed through her head, jostling for prominence. The longer she stared at him, the more mockingly handsome he became. His dark hair still curled in a devilish wave behind his ears. His shoulders looked more magnificently defined than ever; and his eyes glinted like crystals, making her feel lost, set adrift in a sea of confusion. Had he followed her, despite his cool denial of such intent at the airport? Was this some kind of joke? She was torn between anger and excitement, indignation and curiosity.
For a few seconds the air around the two of them crackled with electricity; one could almost hear the undercurrents crepitate, waiting to explode at any moment.
‘El gran doctor en persona, the great doctor in person!’ Charo exclaimed with an impish smile, which Ruy acknowledged, arching an indulgent brow. ‘Dr Rodrigo Rueda de Calderón, let me introduce Dr Luna Ward, all the way from the United States. She arrived this morning and I’ve been showing her around.’
‘Thanks, Charo. What luck! I believe we’ve already been introduced … briefly,’ Ruy declared, his eyes glinting with humour.
Luna blinked at his arrogance. Could that small, grainy photo of the short-haired, bespectacled Dr Rodrigo Rueda de Calderón really be the same man? Him? The jigsaw of coincidences fell into place: Ruy, short for Rodrigo, of course … the knowledgeable ‘gypsy-scholar’ in Barcelona for Goldsmith’s talk … His presence on the same flight to Cádiz the next day. Was there really such a thing as fate after all?
Then for a moment, as their eyes met, a flash of empathy passed between them and, without thinking, she responded to his smile.
‘We’ll have all the time in the world to get more acquainted,’ he carried on as he continued to observe her, his blue eyes teasing. ‘Since Dr Ward has been hired to help me in my research, I’m sure we’ll achieve great things together. Isn’t that so?’ His gaze held hers steadily, scanning her face as if trying to gauge her reaction.
Luna swallowed and nodded, aware, too, that Charo’s eyes were darting back and forth to watch their exchange, almost as if she were at a riveting tennis match. He must be enjoying this moment immensely; and she was finding it all too easy to let down her guard, faced with those bewitching blue irises. Well, she wasn’t going to look like a dumbfounded fool.
‘I’m sure it is,’ she managed, forcing a polite smile. ‘What surprising luck we’ve already had the chance to meet! Then again, my first few days in Spain have been full of surprises, Dr Rueda de Calderón,’ she added pointedly.
‘Please, it’s Ruy.’ His gaze was unwavering.
‘Yes, of course it is,’ she retorted, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice. Underneath her contained exterior Luna was panicked, wondering if it wasn’t too late to back out of her assignment. Her feelings about having to investigate the doctor – working undercover – had been uncomfortable enough, without the fresh complication of that doctor – her new boss – turning out to be Ruy. She had signed the contract, though, and she squirmed equally at the thought of retracting now.
Charo, who had been casting speculative glances at the pair of them, finally piped up: ‘Well then, I’ll leave you both to get reacquainted.’ She raised an eyebrow at Ruy, then said to Luna with a knowing smile: ‘I’ll see you back in the office.’ At this she bounded off, turning to give them one last mischievous look as she disappeared through the main entrance.
‘Charo is a breath of fresh air to work with,’ Ruy observed after she’d gone. ‘Charming, good-hearted and a dreadful matchmaker. Now she’ll be quizzing me about how we already know each other.’ Luna turned to catch him grinning shamelessly at her. He shrugged. ‘Doesn’t fate work wonders.’ It was more of a statement than a question. ‘You know that saying: “When God closes a door, he opens a window?” Well, sometimes he’ll do you one better and kick a wall down.’
‘Do you know what Lemony Snicket says about fate? That it’s like “a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like,”’ she answered, her dry tone valiantly trying to mask the feeling of shock.
Without warning, his hand reached out and covered hers. She stared down at the long, brown, elegant fingers. When she looked up again his eyes were boring into hers and suddenly the atmosphere was emotionally charged again. ‘We have to talk properly, don’t you think?’ he whispered sheepishly. ‘My dinner invitation still stands. How about tonight?’
Shock now made way for anger. Luna pulled her hand away and glared at him, her lips setting in a belligerent line. She ignored his question. ‘Was it really just coincidence that we kept bumping into each other so conveniently?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, absolutely. It was rather convenient, I’ll give you that.’
‘But you knew who I was on the plane, didn’t you?’
‘Not at first.’ His lips twitched with a mixture of amusement and contrition. ‘It wasn’t hard to put two and two together once you told me your name was Luna.’
‘Though you, of course, deliberately kept your name from me.’
Now he had the grace to look guilty. ‘Yes, I suppose I shouldn’t have. It was unfair of me.’
‘Downright manipulative and obnoxious, I’d say. Do you get off on playing mind games?’
He raked a hand through his hair. ‘I didn’t mean to play games with you.’
Luna lifted an eyebrow and shook her head. ‘Oh, please! I’m not a fool.’
He was still standing by his car and now locked it with a click of the key. Her expression seemed to make him thoughtful as he leaned his back against the door and folded his arms.
‘Listen, Luna,’ he said, smooth and low. ‘I meant what I said to you on the plane. I can’t apologize for being drawn to you but I am sorry for not divulging my identity. When I found myself sitting right next to you, I suppose it was too good an opportunity to miss, after letting you go twice before. I wanted a chance to see you unguarded.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Though clearly I failed miserably on that front. If I had told you who I was, you might have behaved differently, given we were going to work together. As it was, you made it very clear that you weren’t interested in talking to me, so I thought it best to leave you alone and hope we could start again.’
Their gazes tangled and his was direct and sincere. At that moment she believed him. Yet she also knew it was only half the truth. Whatever this electricity was between them, it was charged with a dark, competitive edge and he had revelled in having the upper hand.
‘So you thought it worth lying to me?’
He rubbed his jaw. ‘Technically, I didn’t lie to you about anything.’
Luna stared at him. Was she overreacting? Yes, probably. Her own hypocrisy wasn’t lost on her either; after
all, she was here under somewhat false pretence. Still, something about Dr Rodrigo Rueda de Calderón made her lose her grip on reason. This man seemed to make her feel either stupid or furious.
Ruy scanned her determined face, her stubbornly lifted chin. ‘You’re right, of course,’ he added. ‘I should have admitted who I was. It was ill-judged.’ He pushed away from the car door and took a step towards her.
Luna felt his gaze travelling over her face, burning, scorching, and the male vibrations of his nearness on her skin. An invisible thread was drawing her back to him. Her senses were whirling dizzily, electrifying heat stirring through her veins. She had the impulse to touch him, to rest her hand on his sleeve, anything to have some sort of physical contact with him. Her heart hammered like crazy as she fought not to give in to that overwhelming need.
‘We’ve got so much to talk over, Luna.’ He was employing every weapon he possessed, caressing her with his eyes, his voice. She could read the desire in his steady gaze; he was using it to manipulate every nerve in her body and every cell in her brain with masterly expertise. His blue irises swept down and she cursed her own automatic response as her nipples tightened to firm points beneath her bra.
Please don’t let him notice.
His gaze returned to her face, now focusing on her with unnerving intensity.
Luna held herself still, battling with her own weak will. How could she work with this man, day in, day out, and submit herself to such powerful, disturbing feelings? He was standing too close now and, although the rest of her was in turmoil, her light amber eyes were unblinking.
Suddenly, she said: ‘I don’t think this is going to work. I should quit now and save us both the bother of realizing it later.’ Her voice was defiant, hiding the havoc his proximity was wreaking on her emotions, but she held her ground.
Gratified, she saw his face suddenly register surprise. ‘You can’t do that. You’ve just signed a contract. You owe me six months.’
‘I owe you nothing. If I owe anybody, it’s the Institute’s board of directors.’
Legacy Page 11
