Page 37 of What Happens in Paradise

Alejandro took a sip of his drink, then continued. ‘Lola became like a mother to us. She is very protective. Sometimestooprotective.’ He smiled.

‘I’m sure it’s just because she cares. Are they in Madrid?’

‘No. They are both in London. Evita is studying and Lola has lived there for many years.’

‘Oh yeah!’ I nodded. ‘I remember you saying she was married to an English guy.’

The waitress brought over the saltfish fritters, fried dumplings which were pieces of fried dough, as well as some ackee and saltfish.

‘This is ackee?’ Alejandro pointed to the bright-yellow pieces that kind of looked like bright fried egg yolk.

‘Yes.’ I squeezed my eyes shut. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve had any Jamaican food.’

‘Por qué?’

‘Well, it’s not easy to get in Spain. And as we’ve established, my cooking abilities are limited!’

‘Everyone has the ability to cook. Especially someone like you.’

‘Someone like me?’ I frowned.

‘Sí. Someone who is intelligent, resourceful and determined.’

My heart fluttered. Alejandro was always very complimentary.

‘You’re such a charmer.’ I took another glug of rum punch. ‘I bet you use those silver tongue lines to getallthe ladies.’

‘You think that I am a Casanova?’ Alejandro’s brows knitted together.

‘Maybe not a Casanova, but I’m sure you’re not short of female attention. And you’re a young and attractive man. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying your life. I wish I hadn’t wasted my twenties.’

‘Why did you waste them?’

I blew out an exasperated breath, then picked up the punch glass which was now almost empty. I should really wait until the rest of the food came before I had more to drink, but it was so addictive.

‘Where do I start?’ My shoulders slumped. ‘Short version is, I met a guy, fell for his charms, ended up working for him, then marrying him and sacrificing my whole life to get the company off the ground. So instead of going out and enjoying myself, I was always stuck at my desk.’

‘And he did not want to go out and have fun with you?’

‘Oh, he went out. He travelled for work a lot and played golf. He was older so we were at different stages in our lives. I should’ve dated someone my own age. Won’t make that mistake again.’

I drained the punch dry just as the waitress brought over our mains.

‘Gracias,’ Alejandro said as she put the plates down. ‘It sounds like you and your ex-husband were just not a good match,’ Alejandro said. ‘His age may not have been relevant.’

‘I disagree.’ I shook my head. ‘Anyway, so I wasted most of my twenties and thirties on him. But now I’m making up for lost time.’

‘By having more fun?’ Alejandro spooned some of the rice and peas and jerk chicken onto my plate before serving himself.

‘By focusing on myself and building my own career,’ I said, as if it was obvious. ‘When we broke up, after I’d discovered he was screwing his secretary, I lost my home and my job. When an old friend put me forward for the job at the Love Hotel, I wasn’t sure. I was in the middle of a divorce, so I didn’t think I’d be a good advert. But when the founder, Celine interviewed me, she said that she thought my divorce could help me relate to guests who’d gone through the same thing and were hoping for a second chance at finding their soulmate.’

‘That is true.’ Alejandro nodded.

‘And most importantly, despite my ex-husband cheating on me, I still believed in love. Well, at least for other people. And the role combined so many elements that I enjoyed, like travel, organising trips and activities, plus I knew it’d give me the chance for a fresh start in a new country. Luckily, Celine believed in me and I got the job.’

‘I am sorry you had a bad experience. Your ex is clearly an idiot who did not deserve you,’ he said sympathetically and my stomach fluttered yet again at another compliment. ‘But at least you turned a negative chapter of your life into something more positive.’

‘Definitely. I love my life in Spain.’ I slid a forkful of rice into my mouth. ‘And how about you? You must be living your best life! With your talents, it won’t be long until you’re promoted, so your career is taking off and you have the pick of women. You’re probably the envy of every man.’

---