Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes Page A

happy.
    They turned into a narrow cobblestoned street lined with art galleries and florists. She felt Henry’s arm brush her elbow and a tingle ran down her spine. She watched Hugo slip his arm around Gabriella’s waist and felt like she had joined some secret club.
    â€œMy grandmother brought me to Paseo del Borne every Saturday,” Gabriella said. She wore a red dress and white sandals. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders and she wore red lipstick. “She spent all morning trying on clothes at Chanel and Dior. She said even though she lived on an island she adored fashion. Afterward we had tea at the Hotel Can Alomar. I ate persimmon and yogurt and thought I was the luckiest girl in the world.”
    They stopped in front of a restaurant with a striped awning and tinted windows. Henry opened the door and Juliet saw paneled walls and a beamed ceiling.
    â€œPatrick opened the restaurant two years ago. We played on the tennis circuit together,” Henry explained. “I lost my luggage at Heathrow Airport and he leant me his lucky shirt. I won my matches 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 and qualified for the semifinals at Wimbledon.”
    *   *   *
    They ate cold pumpkin soup and talked about music and food and tennis. Juliet tasted baby yams and thought it was lovely not having to worry about Lionel’s contract or about convincing Gabriella to record a song. It was wonderful to feel the flush of wine and inhale the scent of citrus and olives.
    â€œWhen I was young all I needed was tennis,” Henry mused. “The rush of being on the court was like riding a magic carpet. But I’d go back to my hotel room and watch movies in German and Italian and realize I’d give anything to have someone to talk to.”
    â€œI remember the first time I met Gabriella.” Hugo tore apart a baguette. “I walked up the steps of Casa Isabella and saw a young woman standing in the foyer. She had dark hair and green eyes and a smile that lit up the room.” He touched Gabriella’s palm. “I know her grandmother thinks I should hurry and propose. But marriage is serious and I want the resources to make her happy. I want every day to be filled with good food and laughter and the feeling we are building something together.”
    My parents have been married for thirty-one years.” Juliet nibbled scallops and avocado cream. “My father is a linguistics professor and my mother writes a column for The New Yorker . They met at a reading at her apartment. He saw her long brown hair and green eyes across the room and knew he was going to marry her before he introduced himself.”
    â€œThat’s the great thing about love.” Henry studied her diamond earrings. “You never know when you’ll find it, but when you do you feel like you’ve waited all your life for that moment.”
    *   *   *
    They paid the check and walked onto the street. The sky was dark velvet and stars twinkled like a thousand fireflies. Juliet gazed at stone buildings covered in ivy and window boxes filled with tulips and wanted to keep walking.
    They entered Paseo del Boneo and saw lights strung over the plaza. A band played and couples danced on the cobblestones. Juliet heard people clapping and saw children playing hopscotch.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Juliet asked.
    â€œEvery Friday night Palma has a street party,” said Gabriella, taking Hugo’s hand. “Come, let’s dance.”
    â€œI’m not allowed to dance during training.” Henry stood on the pavement. “My coach is afraid I’ll injure my back.”
    Juliet watched Hugo put his hands on Gabriella’s waist and spin her around the fountain. Gabriella and Hugo moved in perfect rhythm, as if they had danced together forever. She inhaled the scent of cigarettes and sweat and thought it must be wonderful to know someone so well you moved like one person.
    She remembered