تعطیلات عالی

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The perfect holiday

Max went back to the flat after his trip to town and prepared some food for the evening’s meal. He wanted to make everything just right for Stephany now.

He felt they had hardly seen each other alone since they left England and, after all, that was why they had come on holiday.

He put some wine in the fridge, got his swimming things, and went down through the quiet street. The smell of good food came from the houses on either side of the narrow street and Max smiled. This place was so wonderful.

Every colour was brighter than in England, every sound clearer, every smell more delicious. He suddenly felt full of good feelings for everything and everyone.

Carlo and Ruth were so kind, he thought. They were good people and he was pleased to have two new friends. But right now he wanted to be alone with Stephany.

Max found Stephany asleep. She was lying on her front in a sunny corner of the beach. The clear water was only a few metres away.

As it was early afternoon there was no-one else about. Most people had gone to cooler places or to restaurants to eat large lunches before sleeping all afternoon.

Seeing Stephany lying so sweetly in the sun, he thought how much he loved her. He had never felt like this before. He went quietly across the sand and sat down beside her.

She didn’t move. He touched her back. Her skin felt hot and he thought she might be getting sunburn.

Quietly he put a towel across her back and then lay down beside her. He put his arm across her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Her eyes opened. She looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled.

‘Hello, darling,’ she said.

‘Hello, beautiful,’ said Max.

She turned onto her side and put her head on his chest. This was a great holiday, he thought. A beautiful village, the sea, sun, a beautiful woman, and a good meal for them tonight.

Later in the afternoon they went swimming in the clear water. They swam out a little way and looked back at the pretty village from the sea.

‘This is the perfect place for a holiday’ said Max. ‘You were so clever to think of it.’

‘I know,’ said Stephany, and smiled.

Now she had had a good rest she felt better. She was beginning to forget about last night. No-one need ever know what had happened, and she wanted to enjoy being with Max.

‘Let’s come here for all our holidays,’ said Max, as they swam back towards the beach. ‘We’ll get to know all the local people, and everyone will welcome us each year!’

Stephany laughed.

‘You’re too romantic,’ she said.

‘I know, but after all, Carlo has offered you the flat whenever you want it, so let’s use it.’

‘Mmmm,’ said Stephany, and she suddenly went under the water and pulled Max’s feet.

‘You can’t catch me!’ she shouted when she came up, and then began swimming away from him. She was right. She was a much faster swimmer than Max was and she reached the beach first.

‘Well, what do you think?’ he asked when he finally reached the beach and sat down beside her, picking up her hand.

‘About what?’

About having more holidays together?’

‘I think we should enjoy this one,’ said Stephany. Max became worried that he was asking too much. Perhaps Stephany was not ready to get serious.

‘By the way,’ said Max. ‘I met Ruth in town.’

Stephany looked up quickly. Had Ruth told him she hadn’t gone to the festival?

But Max went on: ‘Poor thing. She always looks so tired. Your late night last night at the festival didn’t help.’

Stephany was pleased that Ruth hadn’t told him that she wasn’t there, but she also felt worried. What did Ruth know?

‘Come on,’ she said, wanting to talk about something else. ‘Let’s get dressed.’

The air was cooler by the time they got dressed and walked up to the hill path.

‘Let’s go for a drink in the bar,’ said Max.

Stephany stopped for a moment. She didn’t warn to see Luigi in the bar. She was afraid of what he might say to her in front of Max.

‘How about walking over to the next village, and finding a bar there?’

‘Good idea,’ said Max. ‘There’s a little church there I’d like to have a look at. I heard about it from Ruth this morning.’

It was a beautiful walk with wonderful views of the blue sea below them and they could see tiny white sailing boats. They climbed up some steps to the next village and found themselves in a very pretty square.

On one side was a little church, which Max went to look at. Stephany found a table outside a bar and sat and watched the people come and go. She liked to look at the clothes the Italian women wore.

They dressed very well. As she watched she thought about Luigi. He seemed to want to make trouble for her yesterday. And Stephany didn’t want any more trouble this holiday. She was pleased they had come to a different bar.

Max soon came out of the church and sat down next to her. ‘It’s great,’ he said. ‘This tiny, unknown church is full of beautiful paintings. They would be in a museum in England, but here the paintings are allowed to stay where they were painted!’

Stephany reached over and took his hand. She thought he was very clever. They drank their drinks.

‘What’s the time?’ Max asked. ‘I need to start cooking or there won’t be any dinner this evening!’

Stephany then realised her watch wasn’t on her wrist.

‘That’s strange,’ she said, ‘I hope I didn’t lose my watch when I was swimming this afternoon.’

‘Oh, no,’ said Max. ‘We’d better look for it on the way home.’

They walked back looking out for Stephany’s watch, but they couldn’t find it.

‘Never mind,’ said Stephany. ‘It might be in the flat. I don’t remember putting it on today’ Max put his arm round her.

‘I’m making you a wonderful meal this evening,’ he said. ‘Then I think we should go to bed early. We’ll worry about your watch tomorrow.’

‘Mmmmmm,’ said Stephany. And that is exactly what they did.