Page 14 of Best Laid Plans
Slamming her money down on the table next to his, she got up from her chair, set her shoulders back and walked in the opposite direction to the one he’d taken.
From this point on she would do as he asked and make a concerted effort to avoid any further contact with Monsieur Julien Moreaux.
4
On to Praiano. A tough day’s walk and the first leg of your journey west…
Julien knew he shouldn’t have kept on drinking after leaving Indigo at the table, but he’d needed to do something to numb the mortification that had trickled through him like ice water when he thought about how bitter and miserable he’d sounded. The look of hurt on her face after his blunt rejection of her offer of friendship had stayed imprinted on his mind’s eye till he’d finally managed to wash it away with his fourth beer.
This was exactly why he’d decided to spend the week on his own. The last thing he’d wanted was to let his frustration over the failure of his marriage ruin the first proper break he’d had in a very long time, let alone affect someone else’s holiday.
He took another long pull on his water bottle as he slogged along the rocky coastal path towards Praiano, willing the throbbing pain behind his eyes to dissipate. Because of his hangover, he’d started the walk later than he’d intended and was paying for it now by having to trek hard through the midday sun to make up for the time he’d lost.
According to the hotel receptionist, there should be a small trattoria about an hour’s walk from where he was. He was looking forward to eating a nourishing, carb-heavy meal to pick him up and give him the boost of energy he needed to get through the rest of the journey.
He attempted to while away the time by thinking through the next stages of a new build he’d been overseeing before coming here but, to his chagrin, Indigo’s hurt expression kept popping back into his head. The worst thing, he finally accepted as he struggled along, was that he’d found himself beginning to like her as she’d revealed more about herself – particularly when she’d talked with such passion about the cafe and cooking classes that she’d set up to cater for vulnerable members of her community.
He couldn’t help but compare her to his ex-wife Celine, who, without even discussing it with him, had given up her job as a legal secretary as soon as they were married, spending her days shopping and watching reality TV instead. He’d not made a fuss at the time, thinking she’d probably grow bored after a while, but she hadn’t. Instead, she’d looked to him to provide all her entertainment and society, as well as supporting her financially.
Which had been fine for a time.
After years of having his nose to the grindstone and putting his business ventures before his personal happiness, meeting the beautiful, wild and carefree Celine had been like being caught up in a cyclone of desire and his formerly work-orientated life had suddenly become a whirl of new experiences and unpredictable passionate moments.
Until the bad luck that had changed everything for them, and his once happy-go-lucky wife turned into someone he didn’t recognise any more.
Pushing against the surge of discontent that continued to live within him, forever threatening to pull him under, he strode on, picking up his pace as the trattoria finally swung into view.
He trudged up the steps to the seating area inside, now desperate for some shade and sustenance, and managed to secure a small table near the door, slumping into the chair with a sigh of relief.
A loud squall of laughter floated over from the other side of the restaurant, and he turned around to see what was going on.
There was a large group of walkers all crowded around a table at the back, which heaved with the remains of what had obviously been a hearty lunch.
The only person who didn’t have a large empty plate in front of her, but was instead nursing a glass of what looked like water, was Indigo. She was talking animatedly with a ruddy-cheeked middle-aged man sitting next to her and the rest of the group were leaning in, listening to the story she was telling. There was another roar of laughter as she concluded her tale and she sat back with a wide captivating smile on her face, then drained the last of her drink and stood up.
His eyes were immediately drawn to her long, shapely legs as she stepped back from the table and his heart rate picked up as his mutinous mind conjured up the impression of how they might feel wrapped around him.
He turned away quickly as she went to grab her bag, not wanting her to catch him watching her, aware of a heavy pull of disgust with himself in the pit of his belly.
What was he doing? This was ridiculous. He wasn’t going to cower here like an idiot. He looked up as she walked past his table, readying himself to face the music, but she didn’t notice him sitting there, her eyes looking a little glazed as she made for the door.
Had she eaten anything since breakfast? He suspected not, judging by what he’d just witnessed, and now she was about to walk for another few hours in the hottest part of the day.
He shifted in his seat, irritated by her foolhardiness, aware of an achy tension in his body. Not that it was any of his concern. She was a grown woman who could fend for herself. If she weren’t, surely she wouldn’t have come on this walking holiday alone?
Except that she wasn’t supposed to.
The thought gave him pause.
But no, she’d made the decision to come on her own and just because they’d shared an association it didn’t mean he should feel responsible for her wellbeing.
He watched out of the window as she walked slowly away, then turned back to the matter in hand.
Looking after his own needs – in the form of lunch.
* * *
An hour later, he was back on the path, trudging towards a viewpoint where he planned to take another quick break and stare out across at the swell of the ocean while he caught his breath.
