Learning to Dance Again (13 page)

Julia couldn’t explain why, but she was keen to show she was coping well on her own.
She put on a brightly coloured dress and her new gold sandals; did her hair, put on some make-up and perfume and stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked dramatically different to the frazzled, exhausted woman that had arrived in Sicily eight days earlier. She stood taller, her shoulders had lost some of their tension and the shadows that ringed her eyes had vanished, albeit with some cosmetic help. She smiled at herself and noticed her eyes sparkled back.

She didn’t need to leave for the airport for hour
s so she made some breakfast then picked up her book and took it outside, intending to make the most of the remaining peace and quiet. She looked at her watch frequently, checked and rechecked the train timetable online, and then she realised she would either have to call a taxi to take her to the train-station, walk down to the town or ride the scooter. She decided to walk. She would wear a pair of plimsolls, and put her sandals on when she got to the train station.

Cameron strode through the door of the arrivals hall dragging his silver metal trolley bag behind him. He stopped when he spotted her, clearly surprised. He hurried forward, grinning at her, so obviously delighted to see her, Julia couldn’t help but smile back.

‘Julia, you look amazing. This holiday has obviously been good for you,’ Cameron said, as he planted a suitably platonic kiss on her cheek.

‘Thanks!’

‘Well
, let’s go and find the car hire office and get back out into the sunshine, before the sun goes down.’

They walked over to the car hire desk and Julia waited patiently while Cameron negotiated over the car
and a sat-nav. He handed over his platinum credit card and paid for it and picked up the keys and grinned at Julia.

Cameron had hired a two-
seater SMART cabriolet, which raised an even bigger smile on his face when they reached the car, all shiny red and perfect. Julia opened the passenger door while Cameron put his suitcase in the miniscule boot. Julia hadn’t been in such a small car before; the cabin space was uncomfortably intimate.

Cameron fiddled wi
th the sat-nav with the seriousness of an airline pilot about to take off. He started the engine, checked the mirror and then drove out of the car park.

‘Have you driven abroad much before?’ Julia asked, envying his confidence on the road.

‘At least once a year I suppose. We went to Portugal last year and Spain the year before. You get used to it after a while. What about you? Tell me about this scooter you’ve been running around on.’

Julia talked about some of her little trips into town on the scooter and about how nice and helpful her landlord was.

‘You’ve
certainly got yourself a dream holiday villa.’

‘Definitely! Tony
’s really nice; you might get to meet him, although I noticed his car wasn’t there this morning. I didn’t get a chance to say you were coming to stay since you took me by surprise yesterday.’

‘A nice surprise I hope,’ Cameron said, turning briefly to look at her.

Julia grinned wickedly.

‘We’ll see. Just so long as you behave yourself.’

‘Me? I’m always the perfect gentleman. Well apart from that one little whisky fuelled error of judgement.’

Julia turned and looked out of the window and stared at the cars driving past them. Cameron was driving quite sedately, which was a relief as the top was down on the car and Julia’s hair fluttered around her face.

‘Who knows you’re here?’ Julia asked, after a moment of silence.

‘Um, nobody actually. My colleagues know I’m meeting with a German architect;
but I let them assume I’m in Germany.’

‘I’m glad. People would talk, and t
hey would find this situation rather suspicious. I didn’t even tell Marianne.’

‘Real
ly? So nobody knows?’

Julia laughed.

‘No, and I prefer to keep it that way.’

When they reached Cefalu, Cameron insisted on taking Julia out to dinner before going back to the villa. He had left Shetland first thing that morning and had been travelling all day, and now he was hungry. They found a restaurant on the seafront and parked the car outside.

They ordered their dinner and
while they ate they caught up with each other’s news. Julia felt like she had been away from Shetland forever. As they talked she started to relax in Cameron’s company. He was charming and entertaining, but he certainly wasn’t trying to flirt with her, which was a relief.

Tony’s car was not
on the drive when they arrived home, but Julia still felt the need to be quiet as she led the way along the path to her villa while Cameron carried his case behind her.

‘Nice solar lighting!’

‘It’s pretty isn’t it? And very necessary, it would be pitch black without those lights. There’s some around the pool too.’

‘You’ve got a swimming pool?’

‘Oh yes, not too shabby eh?’

‘I quite fancy a swim actually.’

‘I thought you were tired,’ Julia said, as they reached the door to the villa. She reached into her bag to find the keys. Cameron stood behind her and admired the veranda.

‘I’m knackered actually; b
ut it feels wrong to pass up an opportunity to swim outside at this time of night, but maybe I should wait until tomorrow.’

Julia smiled in agreement
and ushered him indoors. She switched on the lights in the villa and walked through to the spare bedroom.

‘This is your room. It has a great view
of the mountain in the morning. The bathroom is next door, and it’s all yours. I have an ensuite in my room.’

Camer
on set his case down with a broad grin on his face.

‘Much nicer than a hotel.
Thanks for letting me stay with you. This is just what I needed; a break from everything.  I think you did the right thing getting away for a while.’

‘It’s be
en a bit up and down actually; but I do feel a bit better in myself.’

‘You look good on it Jule
s.’

‘Thanks!’

Julia turned on her heel and walked back to the kitchen. Cameron followed, his eyes taking in the décor and the furniture. Julia headed for the fridge and took out a bottle of wine.

‘Fancy a drink now you don’t have to drive anywhere?’

‘I would love one, thanks!’

Julia poured two glasses of white wine and carried them outside to the veranda. It was a little cooler than it had been on the previous evening, but still warm enough to sit outside.

Cameron sat down on one of the loungers and put his feet up and shut his eyes for a moment, his head resting on the back of the cushioned head rest.

‘I’m in heaven. Two days ago
I was standing in a cold wet field with a client, discussing their plans to build a new house. I was freezing, and now I’m here, sitting outside with a glass of wine.’

Julia smiled and nodded.

‘Tell me about this project Jürgen wants to talk to you about.’

‘H
e’s been commissioned to design a luxurious holiday resort on the coast not far from Palermo. But not just any old resort. His client specialises in upmarket eco-tourism holidays and the complex must be designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, using sustainable materials, renewable energy sources and recycled waste water to support the landscaping. And they want to design something that makes the best of the bonny views, with big windows and lots of light. Most of the local buildings tend to have small windows covered in shutters against the heat.’

‘I didn’t think you’d be interested in helping to design a holiday resort.’

‘Ordinarily I wouldn’t be; not my kind of thing at all. But this is a chance to try out some state of the art building techniques Scottish building regulations haven’t approved yet. It’s a really prestigious project and it would be great to do something different for a bit. I love designing individual houses, don’t get me wrong; but there are so many things I would like to try out - new types of insulation, ventilation, renewable energy, different materials…’

Julia studied
Cameron as he talked about the project. He was certainly fired up with enthusiasm. He seemed a completely different man to the one who had turned up at Marianne’s birthday party. Despite the fact he was tired from a long day of travelling, he looked happy and excited. Julia was delighted she had somehow accidentally introduced him to Jürgen. And then she relaxed, safe in the knowledge Cameron had genuinely come to Sicily for a business meeting, and it wasn’t some kind of underhand way of getting to see her again.

13

The next morning they set off to Palermo. The traffic was heavy as they approached the city, but thanks to the hired sat-nav they found their way through the maze of congested streets and complicated one-way systems. Julia spent the last part of the journey gripping her seat in fear, as pedestrians, scooters, buses and taxis hurled themselves in their path, horns tooting, people shouting and tempers flaring.

‘
I’m so glad I’m not driving,’ Julia said, as they narrowly missed another scooter, ridden by a young man who was not wearing a helmet and was also holding a mobile phone to his ear as he shot out in front of them from a side street. ‘That boy has a death-wish,’ she added, as she watched him turn down another road and almost hit a pedestrian who was trying to cross on the green light.

Cameron found the car-park for
Jürgen’s company and parked the car. Julia opened the door and got out, looking around, trying to get her bearings. In the distance she could see the dome of the Teatro Massimo they had passed a few minutes earlier in the car. She decided to head in that direction.

‘I’
ll ring you when I’m finished. No idea how long we’ll be. I suppose it depends on whether we go out to visit the site or not.’

‘Take your time;
I’m sure there are plenty of things to keep me occupied in the city.’

‘Would that involve shopping by any chance?’ Cameron grinned at her.

‘It just might; I haven’t bought any presents for anyone yet.’

‘Well, if it helps, I have plenty of room in my suitcase so I can take stuff back for you if you want.’

‘Really? Well then, that’s me sorted for the day. Have fun, and good luck with your meeting.’

Cameron walked
around the car to Julia and touched her arm briefly, as they said goodbye. Then he headed towards the architect’s office, swinging his briefcase. He stopped at the door and waved at her.

Julia strolled
back towards the street where she had noticed a Prada store. Not that she imagined she would buy anything from this famous shop, but it seemed criminal not to go in and have a look, if only to brag to Marianne when she got home again.

Ju
lia spent a hugely enjoyable morning browsing around the shops, most of which seemed to have end of season sales on. She bought trendy Italian shirts and jeans for her sons and a little handbag for Marianne. She ventured through a street market and was bullied into buying a fake designer belt, just because she had paused momentarily to look at it.

She stopped for a coffee and a slice of pizza at lunchtime, before walking down t
o the harbour. Palermo had a large and busy port, but it was easy to forget you were so close to the sea when you were walking around the city streets. From the city centre there were only occasionally glimpses of water to be had, although the surrounding mountains were a constant looming presence.

Julia found the faded grandeur of Palermo fascinating. She stared up at the ornate architectural details of th
e old buildings blackened by pollution and crumbling with age. Some attempt at modernising the city had been made and there were occasional new buildings; ugly apartments and soulless office blocks, designed for economy rather than aesthetics.

She watched the endless streams of traffic and wondered where everyone was going in such a hurry. She marvelled at the way people dressed, so effortlessly elegant, even if
simply wearing jeans. There was something about the way the women walked that captivated her; they seemed so confident striding along the streets in high heels, chatting to their friends or flirting with boys on motorbikes. Julia lifted her chin a fraction, determined to try and emulate some of their style.

She checked her phone for messages but Cameron had not called.
She put her phone back in her bag and headed back towards the Via Roma and decided to visit a big department store which had an intriguing window display of the new Autumn/Winter fashions.

Julia stood outside
the shop and looked at the display of fur trimmed coats which looked more appropriate for the Shetland climate than here in Sicily. She wondered when it would ever get cold enough to wear something like the Alice Temperley Cossack-style fur hat, placed at a jaunty angle on the head of a mannequin.

She wandered into the store and t
ook the escalator up to the first floor and perused the designer labels that hitherto she had only ever seen in magazines. Up close they didn’t seem quite so attractive. In fact, the rack of cashmere sweaters selling for 500 euros didn’t look half as nice as one she had bought in Marks and Spencer the previous year. She left the shop with the uplifting feeling she wasn’t missing much in life by not being able to afford big-name fashion. She crossed the road deciding to wander back towards the Teatro Massimo, but instead she found herself staring in through the window of a lingerie shop.

The mannequins wore a selection of grey and navy silk and lace underwear, accessorised by scarves and legwarmer
s; a curious combination that would not have a place in the real world. She was tempted to go into the shop for a closer look but she changed her mind when she admitted to herself she had no need to invest in such gorgeous and expensive frippery. She sighed and turned away from the window and marched along the street and soon found herself in the square across the road from the Teatro Massimo. She sat down on a concrete bench and checked her phone for messages.

“
Should be free soon. Where shall we meet?”
Cameron had texted a few minutes earlier.

Julia replied:
“
I’m sitting in the square in front of that big theatre we passed earlier. Shall I wait for you here?”

There was no immediate reply so she decided to wait anyway. She watched two beggars approaching people who were sitting on the other side of the square. They
were trying to sell something, and not taking no for an answer. She watched one young woman try to wave one of the men away. She was talking on her mobile phone, but still he persisted on trying to get her to part with her money. She got up and stomped away and Julia was horrified to see the man stalk after the woman, who subsequently increased her pace. The beggar finally gave up when she crossed the road. Julia grasped hold of her carrier bags, intending to move away if he came towards her, but he turned back towards a group of young women who were sitting on another bench.

Julia kept an eye on the two beggars, feeling increasingly nervous as she watched the
ir rather aggressive pursuit of money. They were middle aged black men, and she wondered if they had families to support, which was why they were so persistent. She felt sorry for them, as well as a little afraid. The idea of having to beg for a living was an alien concept to her. There were never any beggars or visibly destitute people in Shetland. She checked her phone again, but there was still no response from Cameron.

She was
still fiddling with the phone wondering whether to ring him when she felt someone grab her shoulders from behind. She leapt up from the bench and screamed, before turning around to confront her attacker.

‘Cameron! For God’s sake, you scared the life out of me!’

Cameron looked as shocked as Julia felt.

‘Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.’

He put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Julia almost collapsed with relief into him, before she steadied herself and pulled away again.

‘It’s OK
; no harm done. I was watching out for those beggars over there and getting kind of nervous. One of them practically chased after a young lass, when she wouldn’t give him any money.’

‘Yeah;
there are some seriously poor people here. Anyway, I’m back now. Nobody is going to tell me what to do.’

Julia looked up at him
and smiled. Cameron was at least 6’3, with the build of a lean and fit rugby player and she couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to get on the wrong side of him.

‘So, how did you get on with
Jürgen?’

Cameron reached for her
carrier bags and indicated they should walk towards the theatre.

‘Brilliant.
You should see the place where they’re going to build the resort. It will be paradise.’

‘Are you going to work with him then?’

‘Yes; we agreed I would come over and act as a consultant on some parts of the project where they have less experience. I won’t be designing the villas as such, but they would like some input on the scheme. Most of the consultancy will be done by email, but I should get at least another of trip out of it. Can’t be bad eh?’

They stood at the side of a
busy road, wide enough for three lanes of cars, and waited for a gap in the traffic. Cameron grasped Julia’s hand and they sprinted across, laughing with relief when they got to the other side.

Cameron let go of her
, but the warmth of his hand left an imprint on hers. She caught a waft of his light fresh aftershave as they stood close together on the pavement. His caring gesture reminded her of Duncan. He had never been one for public displays of affection, but he had been the perfect gentleman, and would have carried her bags and held her hand crossing a busy road.

‘It sounds great. Lucky you
, being paid to come over here,’ she said, trying to shake off thoughts of Duncan.

‘And I have you to thank. Let me take you out to dinner somewhere.’

‘Perfect; but could we go back to Cefalu? It’s a lot less manic there.’

They drove home in the rush hour traffic while Cameron told her more about his new project. She had watched his
Grand Designs
programme when it had been on the television, and she had visited his house many times. She knew he was committed to carbon-neutral architecture, but it was only now she realised how driven he was.

They drove back to the villa first
, to drop off the shopping bags and to freshen up, by which time they realised their day had tired them out.

‘That swimming pool is calling to me,’ Cameron said
, as he stepped out onto the veranda carrying a cup of coffee. The sun was setting and the birds were singing in the trees and there was a soft breeze cooling the air.

‘We could just hav
e something to eat here if you want to go for a swim. I could make some pasta. And there’s plenty of wine.’

‘Shall we? I know I promised to take you out for dinner, but we could
always do that tomorrow. We could go exploring for the day. How about that?’

‘Perfect!’

Julia wandered back to the kitchen, leaving Cameron outside. She bent down to inspect the contents of the fridge. Tomorrow would be her birthday and she didn’t want to mention it to Cameron in case he started to make a fuss about it. But she conceded it would be nice to go somewhere on her birthday, even if she was celebrating it in secret.

Julia took out some vegetables and chicken from the fridge and then went out to the vegetable plot to find some garlic
and tomatoes. Cameron came indoors and helped her peel and chop the vegetables and together they cobbled together something for their dinner.

They sat outside to eat
. It was dark and the birds had hushed for the night, apart from one insistent tweeting from a bird perched on the roof of the villa.

‘I know you should leave some time before going swimming but I will be asleep, or drunk, if I lea
ve it any longer,’ Cameron said, as he put his empty plate down on the table. ‘I’m going in anyway; what about you?’

Julia did not relish the idea of wandering around in her swimsuit in front of Cameron, so she declined, saying she would come out and sit by the pool after she had tidied up the kitchen.

‘I can help tidy up; I’m quite domesticated you know.’

‘It’s OK
, I just feel like being lazy. You go and get changed; I’ll come out in a few minutes.’

Cameron chose not to argue the point and headed off to
his room. He came out a few minutes later wearing a pair of shorts. He walked out to the pool carrying a beach towel. Julia had already finished in the kitchen and had switched the dishwasher on, so she followed him outside. She took a seat at the edge of the pool and watched enviously as Cameron climbed into the water.

‘It’s really warm isn’t it? I thought it would be colder.’

‘It’s solar heated apparently.’

Cameron nodded in approval.

He swam a few lengths up and down the pool. The twinkling solar lights enabled Julia to see him in the pool, but it was not too bright. She wished she could pluck up the courage to join him.

‘It’s lovely in
here Jules, are you sure you won’t change your mind? I have seen you in a swimsuit before. Don’t be shy.’

‘When?’ Julia snapped, instantly revealing her real reason for not wanting to swim with him.

‘Let me see? 1978 I would say; when we were at school.’

‘That’s different, we were kids.’

‘I might have been, but you most certainly had the figure of a woman if I remember rightly.’