Page 28 of His Innocent for One Spanish Night

Alejandro started the car’s engine and indicated to pull out, but before he did he asked a question of his own. ‘What aboutyourfiancé?’

‘Touché...’ Emily begrudgingly smiled. ‘How do you know about Gordon?’

‘I looked you up.’

Late last night—or rather early that morning—his curiosity had been piqued. Something that rarely happened. It had taken him ages to find Emily—her business was very new.

He’d seen a lovely family-run business, the happy couple, their smiles for the cameras... But Alejandro had noticed how the man’s arm was held so awkwardly around Emily, and the tension in her features...

He’d also realised that her dreadful hair hadn’t been caused by some recent ghastly slip of the hairdresser’s scissors—she’d worn it like that for years.

He glanced over at her curls when she remained silent.

‘We broke up three months ago,’ she finally admitted.

‘Good,’ he said.

‘Most people offer their commiserations.’

‘Good for them.’ Alejandro shrugged. ‘So, you owned a business together?’

‘No...’ Emily swallowed. ‘It was his mother’s business. She died a few months ago. He broke things off shortly after.’

‘Why?’

She sucked in her breath at his question.

‘Well, I need to know,’ Alejandro said. ‘If I’m in the running to be your rebound guy, I have to know what issues to work on.’

He’d brought a reluctant smile to her lips, but it was fleeting.

‘Couldn’t you afford to buy him out?’ he asked.

‘It was only his.’

‘Emily...’ he said in reproach. ‘Don’t tell me you didn’t get your name on a contract...’

‘I didn’t.’

He tutted.

‘I didn’t want a messy break-up. You know how hard these things are.’

‘No.’ He shook his head and said what few people would. ‘Breaking up doesn’t have to be hard. I do it all the time...’ He smiled at her. ‘I mean, I do it a lot!’

‘I’m sure sometimes it hurts more than most.’

‘No.’ He would not be swayed. ‘I used to say it to my parents when they fought: why do you have to make things so complicated? You love to be with the other? Stay. You don’t love to be with the other? Then go. Why do you have to make all this drama between you?’

‘Did they fight a lot?’

‘Alot,’ he agreed. ‘My mother is a very flamenco talented dancer. Maria de Luca.’

‘I don’t really know much about flamenco...’

He liked their slow conversation...a few kilometres, a few words, a stretch of silence as they both thought over what the other had said.

‘You’re unacquainted with it,’ he said. ‘Is that the right word?’

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