to the emotional buzz he gives me, even if it only lasts three weeks I want to drink up as much of him as I can while it lasts and screw the consequences.
I decide that a spot of shopping is going to be the order of today. Throwing on a bikini then a light, paisley, polyester maxi dress, I head out. First I fill up at the breakfast bar, sampling their whole bean coffee for the first time, I must say it is delicious and along with a bacon sandwich it does wonders for the last of the lingering tummy ache that has been following me around all morning.
I head to the lobby and ask the receptionist where I can go locally, she explains that in an hour, at 9am, there is a coach trip leaving for the city and I can join them, it’s almost full but there is a couple of places left if I want to put my name down now. I accept her offer, noting the name on her badge, Mari; as I give my name she looks up smiling “Ahhh, Ms. Mavers” she says, putting my face to the name she has become used to. Outstretching my hand across the desk we shake, introducing ourselves at last “please, call me Kate” I say pleasantly to her.
“Thank you, I am Mari” she replies, the silence that follows is slightly awkward, eventually I excuse myself under the pretence of getting ready for the trip, although I have my purse so there is really nothing more I need to do.
I saunter around in the morning sun for about forty minutes before joining the group of people congregating in front of the lobby building. I make small talk with a chatty American couple, Blair and John; they are here on a second honeymoon, ten years of marriage and still as much in love as they were when they first set eyes on each other. High school sweethearts they tell me, taking it in turns to gush about their perfect love. It’s enchanting sure, but considering the recent break up of my shitty marriage I can’t help but feel they are figuratively kicking me in the face.
I give them a brief rundown of my cheating husband, broken heart and destroyed life, in the vain hope that they abandon me, for fear of my bad luck somehow rubbing off on their perfect lives; but to the contrary they immediately take me under their wing with ‘coo’s’ and chorus’s of ‘poor soul’, their unconditional sympathy so heartwarming that I find myself telling them of my own fairytale blossoming romance (leaving out the more intimate details of course).
They are quickly back to gushing, but this time about me, they seem legitimately over the moon for me, pestering me for every last detail, insisting that I join them for the day. Blair admits that John is only coming to keep her company and after a quick debate he decides to stay behind in return for me accompanying her.
As he heads back into the resort, relieved to have escaped a day of girly shopping, we discuss our plan of attack; she has been to this area before so she knows all the good spots for bargains, divulging in stories of how, on her first trip, she had paid well over the odds on some trinkets, not being so adept in haggling as she is now.
Once we are on the bus I explain that I need to find something special for Carlos and the reason why. Her eyes widen at the mention of his name “Not Carlos Johnson?” she asks surprised.
“Yes” I reply warily.
Her face lights up and she becomes impossibly excited “The Carlos Johnson, his parents own the resort!?” she screeches, looking around I notice some of the other passengers turning interested, towards her raised voice.
“Yes, that’s the one” I say lowering my voice in the hope that she will mirror me. “Oh my Gosh, that’s amazing, he is a hunk! What are you going to get him?” she thankfully speaks in a reduced volume.
“That’s the problem, I have no idea” I admit.
“Well that’s OK, I have plenty of ideas” she says a playful grin spreading across her lips.
I had no idea we were going so far from the resort when I signed up for the this trip; the bus comes to a shaky halt four hours later in Calle Virgilio a quaint little shopping area with narrow winding streets. We all disembark and no