The Women Who Ran Away - Sheila O'Flanagan Page 0,79

this evening. It’s not usually crowded at this hour.’ He glanced around at the café, which was now almost full, and shook his head in puzzlement.

‘You’re welcome,’ said Grace. ‘Are you on holiday, or do you live here?’

‘I don’t live here, replied the man. ‘But I visit from time to time. My ex-wife is from Navarre.’

‘Oh.’ Grace gave him a polite smile, then took out her phone so that they didn’t need to share life stories. When she glanced up again, he’d done the same. She was suddenly aware that with his dark hair and five o’clock shadow, he was an attractive man. And then, as she put his age somewhere in his late thirties or early forties, she realised he could easily be her son.

Why do I have these random and probably inappropriate thoughts about perfect strangers? she asked herself as she switched her attention back to her phone and hoped that Deira would show up early. Is there something wrong with me?

Her prayers were answered five minutes later when she looked up again and saw Deira walk into the café. She raised her arm in greeting and Deira spotted her straight away.

‘Am I late?’ she asked.

‘I’m early.’ Grace was about to say something more when she realised that Deira was staring at the man sharing the table. Her expression was one of both surprise and recognition.

‘Hello again,’ said the man, who had looked up from his phone when Deira had arrived at the table. ‘We’ll have to stop meeting like this.’

‘You know each other?’ Grace was astonished.

‘Not exactly,’ said Deira. ‘We met on the ferry. And he . . . I’m sorry, I never asked your name,’ she said to him before turning back to Grace. ‘He was my knight in shining armour when I fell and bruised my ribs.’

‘It was nothing,’ said the man. ‘I hope you’re feeling better now.’

‘Much,’ replied Deira. ‘Thanks to Grace, really. She gave me the most brilliant gel. It seems I only meet the best people while travelling. But you two . . .’ She glanced from one to the other. ‘Are you old friends?’

The man shook his head and smiled. ‘Perhaps we should introduce ourselves properly. I’m Charlie Mulholland.’

The two women introduced themselves too, then Charlie asked if he could get them a drink.

‘I’ll get these,’ said Deira.

‘No, no. It’s my shout,’ he insisted.

‘Seriously, I owe you one,’ said Deira. ‘Grace too. What will you have?’

Charlie asked for another beer, while Grace stuck with sparkling water.

Deira went to the bar and ordered the drinks, choosing a wine for herself and also accepting the small dish of mixed nuts and olives the barman gave her.

‘So,’ she said when she’d settled at the table. ‘How come you’re here in Pamplona? I thought you were going to Paris.’

‘I did,’ said Charlie. ‘But my plans were thrown into a bit of a muddle, so I came here sooner than planned. I’m a documentary maker,’ he added when both women looked at him enquiringly. ‘My most recent was a series about EU citizens living and working in Ireland.’

‘Oh, I think I saw that!’ exclaimed Grace. ‘Was it the one where the Lithuanian woman bought a farm in Tipperary?’

‘Yes.’ He looked pleased.

‘I loved that episode,’ said Grace. ‘And the one with the Polish guy who set up his own business. Very inspiring.’

‘Thanks,’ said Charlie.

Deira gave him an apologetic look and said that she didn’t watch much TV but she’d look for the series on catch-up later.

‘Don’t feel obliged,’ said Charlie.

‘No, I’m interested,’ Deira assured him. ‘So what are you doing now?’

‘That programme in reverse,’ replied Charlie. ‘Irish people living and working in the EU. I know the Irish abroad has been done a million times,’ he added quickly, ‘but I’m concentrating on people who’ve become an integral part of the life and culture. The reason for the Paris trip was to interview a woman with an intriguing personal life story who’s working for a prestigious publishing firm. Unfortunately she had to head to the Basque country for a family funeral and won’t be able to do it till later. However, I’d also set up an interview with an Irishman in Bordeaux, so I did that instead and then came on here to meet Amaya. She’s my ex-wife,’ he added. ‘I always visit when I’m here. I’ve a couple of interviews to do in Spain, so I’ll head back to Paris again after that.’

‘That sounds exhausting,’ said Grace. ‘We were in Bordeaux yesterday. We could just as easily