Sun, Sea & Second Chances
Hannah fled to Menorca to escape her embarrassing past, but it – or rather, he – followed her! Oh, dear…
Sharp sunlight glinted off the turquoise sea which was hugged by a semi-circle of rocky, almost prehistoric cliffs. Hannah sighed. There was no doubt about it, Menorca was stunning.
“A glass of white wine, one of those pomadas everyone’s talking about and a pina colada,” drawled a very sunburned American lady.
“Coming right up,” Hannah said.
She hoped there was enough fresh pineapple in the fridge for the pina colada.
Even with the breeze sighing across the Mediterranean and dressed in a white vest top and shorts, she was feeling seriously hot.
Somehow the late afternoon sun crept under the canopy covering Chiringuitos, the beach bar she was managing for the summer.
“Are you OK?” she asked Pablo, the other bar tender, who was trying to re-stock the shelves with bottles of beer. “You need to take a break soon.”
“I’m fine.” He smiled, a light dancing in his blue eyes as he stacked the now empty crate behind the bar.
Even by Chiringuitos’ standards they were busy. But why was she surprised?
This was the height of Menorca’s summer season and the bar was everything the owner had claimed.
The location was beautiful, the view over the beach to die for.
Other than a couple of rainy days, the weather had been perfect and the bar had a good reputation for fair prices and a scrumptious menu – all the right ingredients for a successful business.
It was all she’d dreamed when studying her travel and tourism degree.
Besides, being busy was the perfect antidote for a broken heart, she thought, mixing the lemonade and gin for the local favourite, pomada.
Putting the drinks on a tray she took payment from the American lady before serving her next customer.
“A pint of…” The man suddenly stopped. “Hannah? Is it you?”
She looked up, straight into the light brown eyes of Ollie Redmond.
“Ollie! Umm… hi,” she spluttered. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey – hurry up – I’m dying of thirst while you two chat!” shouted a tattooed
man standing behind Ollie.
“Sorry – what would you like, Ollie?”
“Two pints of cider and a diet Coke.”
She busied herself with his order, terribly aware of those gorgeous eyes watching her.
She hadn’t seen him since… her face flushed, remembering.
“I’m on holiday with Aaron and Tom. Tom’s getting married next month. It’s his last taste of freedom.” Ollie laughed, counting out some euros. “Menorca’s great but Aaron’s moaning about the lack of night-life.”
“There are a few clubs, but Menorca’s more for families.”
“He messed up the booking – thought we were going to Majorca not Menorca.” He raised his dark eyebrows. “Any recommendations?”
“I’m usually too exhausted after a day here,” she said.
The truth was, after their last meeting and the break-up of her romance with Ezra, she’d lost the confidence to hit the clubs.
“I’ve heard there’s some great places in Son Bou,” she offered.
“We’ll try them,” he said, holding her gaze. “Will I see you around later?”
“If you come back here, probably. I’d better get on,” she said, aware the tattooed man was looking crosser by the minute. “What can I get you, sir?”
She took his food order while her head buzzed with thoughts of Ollie Redmond.
She’d left England to escape men and her problems, yet Ollie had turned up here in Menorca.
It was hardly a remote island but she hadn’t expected to run into someone she knew so early in her managership of the bar.
So much for getting away from it all.
The afternoon passed in a blur.
While Hannah and Pablo were run off their feet, Ollie joined his friends at Chiringuitos’ picnic tables, under the shade of thatched umbrellas.
Hannah was intensely aware of him and burned with embarrassment at the memory of their last meeting…
It had been Christmas and she’d been celebrating in Canterbury uni’s bar after gaining a merit for her latest essay.
She was sharing a bottle of wine with her friend Nadia when Ollie came in with his friends.
“If you like Ollie, ask him out,” Nadia urged.
“I don’t feel comfortable making the first move. You know… after…”
Nadia had rolled her brown eyes.
“I know you’ve had problems, but come on, it’s 2018 not 1918. We women can take control these days, you know.”
Empowered by Nadia’s words and the wine, Hannah had joined Ollie at the bar where he was chatting to his mates.
“Hi,” she’d smiled.
“Hannah – hello. Good to see you,” he’d smiled back.
He really was gorgeous, she thought, with light brown eyes, close cropped beard and dark hair. He had the body to match; studying sports, he was super fit.
“Could I… umm… have a word?”
Already her nerve was failing. She glanced towards Nadia.
“Sure,” he said, not attempting to move away from his friends who had stopped chatting to listen.
She hesitated. This wasn’t how she’d planned it. Why hadn’t she asked to speak to him, privately?
“Umm…” She could feel her face burning.
“It’s OK – I don’t bite.” He laughed.
Feeling it would be even more embarrassing not to speak than to ask him out, she blurted, “I wondered if… if you’d like to come out with me one evening?”
There! She’d said it!
She smiled, although her face felt weird as if her lips were stuck to her front teeth.
Ollie’s smile faded.
“I’m sorry, Hannah. That’s really kind of you to ask but I’m afraid…”
Despite his polite answer, all she could hear was NO! NO! NO!
“Don’t worry – no problem – I was just asking – see you around.”
“Hannah, wait!” he called.
But she wasn’t going to. Turning on her heel, she rushed back to Nadia. Why had she listened to her?
“I’m going,” she said, grabbing her coat.
“Wait!” Nadia called.
But Hannah didn’t intend spending another second in the busy bar. She was marching down the street in the cold night air by the time Nadia caught up with her.
“Where are you going?” Nadia gasped.
“Home!”
“Why? What happened?”
Hannah stopped walking.
“It was so embarrassing. He said no.”
“Why?”
“Never said. It was awful. I’m never doing that again.”
As they walked back to the house they shared with two other students, Nadia offered reasons for his response, but all Hannah could think was that Ollie, who she’d lusted after for weeks, had said no – in front of his friends in the busy union bar.
She’d be a laughing stock! She wasn’t like Nadia who oozed confidence. She’d struggled with self-esteem, especially since…
Now, as Hannah collected glasses from the tables, she thought how much that December evening had impacted on her.
If she hadn’t felt so mortified she’d probably never have said yes when Ezra asked her out the following week.
Ezra was the total opposite to Ollie.
He was loud, pushy, confident, up for a laugh – he seemed the perfect remedy for her hurt pride.
The sun set in an orangey glow over the Mediterranean. All around couples, arms wrapped around each other, wandered along the beach. Was it only Hannah who was alone?
Hannah had always loved Menorca, spending most of her childhood holidays here. It was quieter than mainland Spain, and she and her sister Michelle made the most of windsurfing, sailing and waterskiing in the crystal-clear water.
So, when she had the idea of running her own beach bar, Menorca was the obvious choice.
“You sure, Hannah?” her mum had asked when she’d revealed her plans. “It’ll be great experience but…”
Hannah understood her mum’s hesitation. She’d always lacked Michelle’s confidence.
When Hannah had developed an eating disorder at secondary school, her self-esteem had nose-dived. Early intervention and therapy helped her overcome her eating issues but her confidence had remained on a permanent diet.
“You should be so proud of yourself,” Michelle used to say, hugging her. “Think how much you’ve achieved. You’ve battled your problems and won.”
Michelle’s support had helped her find the strength to study at uni but she still struggled with things other girls on her course achieved without thinking.
Like asking guys out…
Working in Menorca was a big step, but so far, she’d made a success of it.
“You eating OK?” her mum would check when they Skyped.
“Yes.” She’d laugh. “It’s gorgeous food here – fish, fruit, salads – nothing I’d want to skip.”
But that night, after seeing Ollie at Chiringuitos, she’d pushed her meal around on her plate. It was the first time in two years she’d rejected her food.
Dating was a minefield. Ezra had proved a nightmare.
At first, he’d been fun, but then he’d started messing her around, cancelling dates, and if he did show, he was glued to his phone.
When Nadia said she’d seen him in town with another girl when he was supposed to be “revising,” she hadn’t been surprised. However, this latest rejection hit her hard.
After gaining her degree, she couldn’t wait to leave for Menorca.
So far, the move had been positive. She loved the island and the super-friendly locals.
But then Ollie had turned up and her feelings of worthlessness had returned with a vengeance.
She put down her knife and fork. Maybe her appetite would return when Ollie and his mates left.
The next day at Chiringuitos, Hannah checked constantly for signs of Ollie and his mates. When he, Tom and Aaron arrived in the afternoon, Hannah hissed to Pablo, “Can you serve that guy?”
“But I thought you were friends?” Pablo smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.
“I know him – we’re not friends,” she said, ducking behind the bar, pretending to check the stock.
When she thought the coast was clear, she popped back up to serve other customers. She could feel Ollie watching her and once thought he’d waved but studiously ignored him.
Later, she saw him walking over to the bar. Quickly she disappeared to the kitchen area to make up food orders.
Hoping he’d gone, she returned to the bar only to bump straight in to him.
Red-faced, she said, “Oh hi… sorry. Didn’t see you there.”
“I thought you were avoiding me… Look, can we chat?”
“Well, Pablo and I are very busy…”
“Later then. You must get a break?”
She glanced at Pablo who nodded for her to go.
“OK – I’ll have a drink when I’ve cleared these orders.”
“Great.” He smiled. “I’ll introduce you to Tom and Aaron.”
Hannah almost groaned. That’s all she needed – getting to know two men who were at the union that evening and who almost certainly were laughing behind her back.
Urged on by Pablo, Hannah took a cold drink and went to sit with Ollie. Luckily Tom and Aaron had gone swimming.
“Great to see you again, Hannah… Menorca mightn’t have much nightlife but it’s growing on us. Lovely scenery and we visited the Cathedral Ciudadela yesterday… gorgeous.”
Hannah was surprised. She’d imagined they’d only be interested in the pool and bars and clubs.
“It is. I went last month for the first time. The stained glass windows are fabulous.”
“Yes, I thought it was a modern church, the lines were so clean.”
She smiled and sipped her drink.
“Look, Hannah, I want to apologise. Last time we met… at uni…”
She stood up. “Really, it’s OK. It was my fault. I must get back. Pablo – it’s busy.”
Her words tumbling, she turned and rushed back up the beach to the bar.
“You OK?” Pablo asked.
“Yes,” she said, shaking. “But if that man asks to speak to me again, tell him I’m busy.”
“He hurt you?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. I just don’t want to talk to him.”
Later Hannah handed over the bar to Camila. It had been a long day. She was tired, but before she could head to her apartment she must go shopping.
She’d only just got through the doors of the supermarket when she saw Ollie.
“Hello again!”
Oh no! She groaned inwardly. Why hadn’t she gone straight home?
“It’s becoming a habit,” he said, catching her hand. “You running off when we speak.”
She glanced down at her own feet.
“Sorry, Ollie, it’s just… I feel so… so embarrassed when I see you.”
“Don’t be. Look – we can’t talk here. There’s a coffee shop across the road. Will you meet me there when you’ve finished shopping?”
“OK.” She sighed.
“And no running off?”
“No, I promise.” She smiled.
Hannah could hardly concentrate on her list but once through the checkout, she made her way to Café Hola. The round tables had glass tops and were surrounded by purple painted chairs. She soon saw Ollie.
“What would you like?”
“Frappe would be great.”
As he queued, she thought again how lovely he was. If only he’d said yes when she’d asked him out.
He returned with two cups.
“Look, I owe you an apology. I know I upset you in the union that evening, but I didn’t mean to.”
“No, Ollie, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you out. It’s not my style.”
He sipped his cappuccino. “Well, I was flattered. It’s not every day I get asked out by a beautiful girl.”
Her face burned at his compliment.
“My friend… she knew I liked you and urged me to ask you. Like I say – it’s not what I do, normally.”
“I didn’t say no because I didn’t like you,” he said, his eyes locked into hers.
Hannah tingled. He really was so kind, trying to make her feel better – and it was working.
“I said no because I already had a girlfriend… I’d have explained but you didn’t give me a chance.”
She was shocked.
“But I… I never saw you with a girl around uni.”
“I knew Chloe from school. She didn’t go to uni. Stayed in our old hometown.”
Relief flooded her. He’d rightly turned her down because he had a serious girlfriend, not because he wasn’t attracted to her.
“I thought we’d be together forever, but as it turned out we were with each other for just two years.”
“Were?” she said, tentatively.
“Yes. We split at Easter. Being at uni… well, sadly, we grew apart.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, quietly. “For you and for Chloe. And also for asking you out. I’d never have dreamed of doing that if I’d known you weren’t single. I’m sorry.”
Ollie smiled. “Don’t be. The next guy you ask will be very lucky.”
“No way! Not again! I’ll wait to be asked next time.”
“Well, in that case…” he said, reaching for her hand. “How about having dinner with me tonight?”
She smiled. “Please don’t feel you have to ask me.”
“I’m asking because I want to. If I’d been single back then, I’d have jumped at the chance of a date with you.”
“Really?” she said, smiling into his gorgeous eyes.
“Yes, really. Now where’s the best place to eat round here?”
She felt her appetite returning – for food … and for life.
