Clouds Below the Mountains (36 page)

***

“Thanks for that mate,” said Mikey, salting the money that Brian had just given him into his jacket pocket. “ Enjoy the rest of your day.”

He walked over to where Sonya was sitting and threw himself down on the sun bed next to her,

“Get us a drink will you, love, I'll have half a beer with a lemonade top.”

“You can get one of the waiters,” said Sonya, lethargically, “I don't do the little woman bit.”

“I'll get it meself,” he said frowning at her attitude, because he thought she'd be all over him like a rash.

“I'll have a white wine spritzer while you're over there. Make it chilled and ask for a straw.”

***

“Oh hello, dear, aren't you from our hotel just up the road?” asked Rita, when she saw Lesley looking at some swim wear that was hanging up in one of the souvenir shops. Lesley nodded to both the women and started to look at a few sparkly tops.

“I thought you were. I said to you, didn't I, Maureen, it's that nice young woman who came in yesterday? We saw you sitting with the rep' last night at dinner, but you were on your own this morning at breakfast time? Did you not go to the Welcome meeting?”

“To be honest I forgot, but I'm sure I can ask Lucy if there's anything I need to know.”

“That's right, dear, but we've been here since a week last Friday, so if you don't want to bother the rep' come and find us.”

“I will, thank you.”

“We're just buying a couple of souvenirs to take back with us. These are last minute as we go home the day after tomorrow. We got most of our presents in Santa Cruz. There's a very good duty free store there, but you have to be careful about how much you try to get through Customs in your suitcase. Well, I'm sure you'll want to get on, don't let us stop you. Perhaps we'll see you this evening in the bar.”

“Poor girl,” said Maureen, as the two women walked along in search of a cafe with a toilet. “Did you see her eyes, they looked full of misery. She's probably been crossed in love”

***

“You know, Gary, we could have gone back to that timeshare office and seen the man ourselves, instead of dragging me all this way to find a Post Office.”

“It has to be done formally, Darling. We've written our letter on hotel headed note paper, so the owner of the company will realize we have the full might of Mr. Sanchez behind us.”

“Then I think we should get a taxi back, I'm not used to all this walking, as you know.”

“While we're here, why don't we go over to that shopping mall and find something that will bring a sparkle back into your pretty eyes? A pair of naughty panties, maybe?”

“I've told you before, Gary, I won't have any of that smutty talk. Now I see a taxi over there. You can go and tell the driver to come over and get me.”

***

Lucy felt nervous after she and Kath had eaten lunch together and her supervisor decided to go back to the office.

“I'm not really needed here now,” she said stiffly. “If you could cover the rep's desk until the visitors arrive, I would be most obliged.”

The heads of the German travel company were being picked up by taxi at the airport and providing the ‘plane was on time, they should arrive at the Valia by half past three.

Just an hour, Lucy thought, as she quickly dashed back to her apartment to change her blouse, then realized she'd have to do more washing as this was her last clean one. She brushed her hair and pinned it up into a gold coloured banana clip, brushed her teeth, washed her face and applied new makeup to it. Just a dab of her favourite perfume, Chanel No 5, then she dashed back through the foyer to await the owner's call.

The swap box was a mess, so she put the books in order, flicking through the pages to check which ones she'd read. There were magazines for straightening in the rack, her folder of excursions checked, the wall shelf with the tourist leaflets. Anything until the Sanchez summons to keep the Germans' visit off her mind.

The Walsh's arrived, Norman and Betty, to check if they could go on the Mount Teide trip. Ten minutes passed, as they briefly told Lucy of the reason for the wheelchair, then decided to go to the sea front as it had cooled down a bit.

***

Uwe Shroeder climbed out of the taxi with his colleague, Heiko Rennsburger. Both men were hot and sticky from their travels and looked forward to a cooling shower in their bedroom.

“Such a difference,” he said in his native language to Heiko, after he had asked the driver for a business receipt and picked up his luggage. “I cannot believe that only five hours ago we were battling through the snow to get to the airport.”

“Me too, Uwe, though even if we do not do business with this Herr Sanchez, we can at least go home with a sun tan.”

“I hope we do,” said Uwe, “ I think that if we can find a small hotel such as this one, our customers will welcome it. Many people do not like the high rise hotel.”

“I wonder what our guide will be like and this Ralf Sanchez,” said Heiko, beginning to walk into the foyer.

“Probably the woman is ugly with a mole on her chin and Sanchez will be a hard headed business man.”

“Herr Shroeder and Herr Rennsburger,” said Uwe, as they were greeted by Isabelle.

“Guten Tag,” said the girl in reply, as she recognized the man had a German accent, “I will telephone through to Senor Sanchez and let him know of your arrival.”

“Good looking girl,” said Uwe quietly, as he appraised Isabelle's warm brown eyes, long dark curly

hair and attractive mouth. “I wonder if she will be our guide on Tenerife?”

“Herr Shroeder, Herr Rennsburger, it is good we meet at last. So many ‘phone calls.”

Ralf hurried over to shake hands with his arrivals. “Did you have a good journey, it is probably warmer here than in Germany?”

“Ja, that is true,” said Uwe, who was usually the spokesman of the two colleagues. “We left the snow in Germany, so we look forward to the sunshine here.”

“Unfortunately the forecast is not good for tomorrow, but what am I doing letting you stand here?

Isabelle, order coffee and ask the waiter to bring it in here.”

He turned towards his office, then slapped his forehead ruefully. “Isabelle, where is the porter?”

“I am here, Sir,” said an older man, coming from behind the water feature, as he doubled up as a security guard as well.

“Isabelle will give you the key for the gentlemen's bedroom. Take their baggage and put it in the room, then bring the key back to my office, please.”

“Si Senor.”

The three men settled in Ralf's office, while they waited for the waiter to bring them refreshments. Heiko clung to his laptop carrying case, as if it was a protective shield. There was a silence while Ralf examined his finger nails.

“So, Herr Schroeder, Herr Rennsburger, you have a small travel company in Hamburg. How long since you started it?”

“We worked together as travel clerks with a large tour company, but early last year we decided to take loans from our parents and branch out on our own. We have had some success, enough to employ four travel clerks now,” said Uwe sounding proud.

“Good, good, just like me. I borrowed money from a member of my family to buy this place, five years ago now. Before, I too worked in the travel industry. So you know that with the right destinations, the right properties, good connecting flights, guests will use your firm again if they enjoyed their holiday.”

“Exactly our sentiments,” Uwe said.

Just then Miguel arrived with a coffee pot, sugar bowl, teaspoons and three little cups. “Thank you Miguel, leave the tray there and I will pour,” said Ralf pleasantly. The waiter bowed his way out and left them to it.

“In a few moments I will introduce you to the young lady, who will be your guide for the duration of your stay. Her name is Lucy and she is on loan to me from the travel company, who use my hotel. A pleasant girl, I am sure you will agree.”

Lucy tidied the leaflets under her desk top for the third time. She was dying to go to the Ladies, but didn't dare leave her station as the security guard had told her that the V.I.P's had arrived, when he had passed her with their luggage.

Soon the sound of Mr. Sanchez's voice came to her ears and footsteps coming in her direction.

The words of her granny's favourite actor Humphrey Bogarte came to mind, as she first set her eyes on Uwe. “In all the joints, in all the world ”… and somehow she was able to stop her hand shaking, as she took the hand that he held out to her. She had heard of falling in love at first sight, as she gazed into his pale blue eyes that held a hint of mischief, looked at his generous mouth as he said he was pleased to meet her; took in his medium height, his short straight brown hair, the squareness of his chin and his smart brown suit that had a lighter stripe running through it, but had always dismissed the saying as words of a romanticist.

It was as if she was sleep walking, when she shook the hand of someone called Rennsburger, a taller man wearing gold rimmed spectacles, but she smiled at Mr. Sanchez and followed the men to the foyer. Though here the call of nature overpowered her trancelike state and she begged to be excused.

“We'll meet you by the pool bar,” said Ralf, thinking that the girl was probably going to repair her makeup, having certain knowledge that was what his wife and daughter would want to do.

***

Lucy washed her hands after using the toilet, then stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed and the pupils of her eyes dilated. Pull yourself together, she told herself sharply. He's here on business, not on the pull. Act like a professional, that's what you're paid to do.

The thought of being in his company though for the next three days, began to wash over Lucy's senses subliminally, as she applied her rose coloured lipstick with a more steadier hand. He had said his name was Uwe, pronounced Oover. Uwe Schroeder what a lovely name. She pulled back the strands of hair that had escaped from her banana clip, yanked down her skirt that seemed to have got even tighter, tucked her blouse into her waistband; sprayed herself with the perfume vial that she kept in her handbag, then finally taking a deep breath and surveying herself. She walked from the Ladies at a lighter pace, as now she was the Periquito Travel rep'.

***

“Ah, here she comes. Lucy. I got you a wine spritzer, I didn't know what you normally like to drink. Come and sit beside me over here.”

Ralf Sanchez patted the seat beside him, full of bonhomie and cheer. This was what he liked to do, it was the part of his job that he didn't find exacting.

“Lovely perfume. Chanel No. 5, am I right?”

Lucy smiled and nodded, conscious of three pairs of male eyes looking her way. She was glad she had her jacket on, as a brisk cool wind made her shiver or had that been the look from Uwe's eyes?

“I think the weather is changing, gentlemen,” Ralf said, looking up at the dark clouds that were scudding across the sky. “You can never tell at this time of year, whether the sun will shine for us next day. We'll drink up, then continue on your voyage of discovery and tonight we have Spanish dancers. Now that will be a treat for you.”

The two men smiled and sipped at their Carling, letting their host do the talking and feeling relaxed as the last of the sun disappeared behind the palm trees. They were sure they were going to like it there.

***

Brian and Anthea were dressing for dinner. They liked to keep up appearances and not let the side down. Brian caressed his wife's shoulders, after he had zipped her into her low cut dress, a little black number with shoe string straps. He wore his lounge suit, a light grey single breasted one with a jazzy purple tie; he smelt of musky after-shave as he nuzzled her slender neck. She purred like a cat at his action, then kissed him as she turned around to face him.

This was a signal to Brian that his wife was after sex, but he'd already performed that afternoon and really could do with a rest.

“Save it for later, my own true love, when we've chatted up that couple that we spotted by the pool,” he whispered, before tenderly kissing her brow.

***

Paul and Cheryl were not really speaking. She had been closed lipped with him since talking to Kate. She had spoken to the children, made grunting sounds if he asked her a question, but Paul could tell he was in the dog house and felt full of misery.

What did Cheryl want from him, he wondered, as he stood in the bathroom toweling himself dry? She knew how hard he worked to support them, but she was always wanting that bit extra. Would it make her really happy if he tried to buy a villa? A fruitless question he knew, because she'd rarely bother to use the place, but it would boost her ego.

***

“My turn to look after Evan this evening, Mum. I want you and Dad to enjoy yourselves, stay up late and have a ball.”

Greg smiled at his daughter fondly, as she stood at the bedroom door talking to Kate, who was all dressed up in a black sparkly top and wide legged trousers to match. Stay up late and have a ball?, thought Greg, as Evan came to jump and climb all over him. He'd have to drink a lot of beer if he was expected to perform.

***

Lesley turned the last page of her book with a sigh, another romance with a sentimental ending. Did the authors live in a realistic world? This one had been about a wife who lived in her husband's shadow, until the day she decided to find her inner self. But she ended up falling in love again, this time with a guy who wanted a trophy wife. Lesley sighed and went to close the bedroom curtains. The dusk had come but lightening was brightening up the sky, and the thunder overhead seemed too close for comfort. She decided to go for a shower and block out the noise.

Later, as she looked uncertainly in her wardrobe at the clothes she had bought to create her new look, she thought back to the woman in the novel and wondered if that was what she should do? Maybe she'd walked in Geoff, her husband's shadow, trying to please his every whim? She hadn't friends, or hobbies of her own and hadn't a clue about her inner self. Though her heart still felt numb at the thought of his desertion, perhaps now what she needed was a companion in her life.