love to sit somewhere and relish being on the earth again. She knew any hint of makeup she’d put on that morning was gone. Her hair had to be a mess. And she’d love to forget about everything and just veg out—preferably away from Rafael Sandoval.
He laughed. “True enough. But better for my image if every time I’m wrong, few people know about it.” He looked around, fists on his hips.
Amalia thought he looked the way a conquistador probably looked when landing in the New World and thinking he’d conquered all he surveyed.
“We can wait in the basket if you like,” he said.
“No, thanks, I’ve spent enough time there today.”
“Then help me with the balloon.”
They stretched it out, then began rolling it toward the basket. Once it was compacted, he reached in the basket for the blankets and a large plastic tarp.
“We cover the balloon, then we sit and wait.”
“Why cover the balloon?”
“To keep it dry. Wet nylon doesn’t inflate very well.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll take a blanket to sit on,” he said when the envelope was covered. He also took the last two sodas.
She handed him a blanket and then put hers down on the ground. Rafael sat opposite her.
“Will we have to spend the night here?” she asked as he tossed her one of the sodas and kept the other.
“Probably. I didn’t see any signs of civilization when looking for this space. I don’t want to spend a lot of time traveling back and forth when we could be airborne.”
“I’m not much for camping,” she said.
“Ever been?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Then how do you know?”
“I like hot and cold running water too much.”
“Look on this as a great adventure.”
“Yeah, that’s what my brother says. Who says I want adventure?”
Rafael laughed.
Amalia swallowed her drink wrong and ended up in a coughing fit. He pounded her on the back until she stopped.
“Thanks, I’m okay now.”
She looked around. The clearing was several acres in size. There were a few scruffy trees here and there, but otherwise it was a rocky flat area on the dry side of the hills they’d been following all day. She was already feeling the hard unevenness of the ground beneath her. How could she sleep on it? How could she sleep alone with Rafael?
Were there wild animals? She looked around, realizing how fast the light was fading.
“It’ll be dark soon,” she said.
“We have a couple of flashlights in the gondola. At least when it’s dark, you can see the stars like never before. Each one is crystal clear.”
“I’d think you’d dislike it even more than I do. Aren’t you missing the fancy restaurants like last night? The luxurious hotel with the fabulous spa tub?”
“You’ve been reading too many newspaper accounts. Sure I enjoy fine things. And I like eating good food. But I also enjoy climbing, hot air ballooning. Versatility is needed for both.”
“So tell me about climbing. How did you get into that?”
“Friends from school and I first went on a trek in France when I was around eighteen. I was hooked. Talk about a challenge—finding my way up the face of a cliff that looked as if it had never been scaled. Reaching the summit and feeling like I was on the rim of the world. You should try it sometime.”
Amalia shook her head in horror. “I can’t imagine much worse—unless it’s hot air ballooning.”
“So your hobbies are needlepoint or knitting, safe and secure?”
“Don’t turn your nose up at those kinds of hobbies. They’re probably fun for many people. But not for me. I like computers.”
“So you don’t take your brother on camping trips?”
“Is that a guy thing? He does plenty outside. He’s going on a science camp this week, with twenty other students. They’ll be camping out and exploring geophysical phenomena. He’ll love it, even if it rains.”
“I do admit to preferring four walls and a roof in the rain,” Rafael said.
He stretched out his single blanket, then lay down.
“Are you going to sleep?” Amalia asked. It was getting darker by the moment. She could already see a few stars in the sky.
“No, just wanting a good view of the sky. Once the crew gets here we’ll have a fire and lights and miss some of the spectacle.”
Rafael confused her. Every time she thought she understood him, he’d say or do something opposite to what she would expect. There was more to him than the playboy image he seemed to relish in Barcelona.
There was something rock solid about him. Even when he pushed for his own way, she knew she could count on him to keep his word and get her home safe.
She looked at the sky. If she sat looking up long enough, she’d get a terrible crick in her neck. Reluctantly she spread her own blanket and lay down. Shifting slightly to find a more comfortable spot she relaxed and enjoyed the starry sky. The darker it became, the more stars appeared. She could see the Milky Way.
“It is spectacular,” she murmured.
“It always puts things into perspective,” he said.
“Like?”
“Like work is not the be all and end all of life. That we are insignificant creatures in the great scheme of things. How many stars can you count?”
“I can’t count them all!” She laughed.
“They say God knows the name of every star.”
“I find that totally amazing.” She was silent for a moment savoring the beauty above her.
“You could have asked for the fifty thousand Euros for yourself,” he said.
“What?” She sat up. “Where did that come from?”
“I was thinking about your scathing comments about the bet. I’m sure you must have imagined what that kind of money could do for you and your brother.”
“I provide just fine for me and my brother. Soon he’ll be on his own and every penny I earn will be mine.”
“A gift, then,” he said.
“No, thank you. That’s not my style.”
He looked at her, silhouetted against the night sky. “So what is your style?”
“To earn my own way,” she said.
He smiled, though she couldn’t see in the dark. So idealistic. Refreshing after the women he usually dated. Then again, maybe the fault lay in his taste in women.…
“After this balloon ride, maybe you’ll feel you earned it. Or at least a bonus from Vicente for going above and beyond the duties of a PA.”
“Are you giving Helena a bonus?” she asked.
“Yes.” No need to tell her the thought had just come to him. Helena made a good salary, but this was certainly above and beyond.
“Money plays a big part of your life,” she said slowly.
Her voice moved as she lay back down.
“It does in everyone’s life,” he replied.