Till There Was You
Chapter 12
"I'm surprised Luis didn't try and chop off your balls, amic", teased Xavi.
Steven gave his captain a look and passed him the ball. "Contrary to what you Spanish wankers think, us English have some manners. Mum and me gran raised me with manners", he retorted.
"Estem Català, no espanyol. Catalunya is not Spain, the first lesson you learn here, amic. Unfortunately, the worst British come here and they get drunk and fuck in public. That's why my house on the Costa Brava is far away from the town", said Xavi.
"They ought to stay in Blackpool and not embarrass us, maybe I ought to visit", said Steven.
"You should, la Costa Brave esta muy bella", said Luis.
"Maybe during the friendly break, that or see my family in Liverpool", he mused aloud.
Steven drove home after practice and frowned when he saw his empty condo, Aracelis at school and his own daughters back in Liverpool. I'll call later this evening, I'm going for a drive, he mused.
He got back in his car and was pleasantly surprised to see the text from Aracelis saying class was over. Steven drove towards her school and helped her inside, grinning like an eager schoolboy. "The lads gave me an idea, let's go to the Costa Brava", he said.
"D'accord, but I have class and then work tomorrow", she said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll get you back in time, Ari. I'm acting like a teenage boy in secondary school", he muttered.
"You are not a teenage boy, son un hombre Steven", she teased.
Steven laughed and put in directions into the GPS before following the signs towards the motorway. Soon they were passing the suburbs north of the city and on a road hugging the coast, the shimmering blue waters of the Mediterranean like a jewel under the sun. Only a few other vehicles shared the roads as it was near the end of the tourist season, much of the traffic going in the other direction.
"The tourist season is over, people are going home", she said.
"We could have a beach to ourselves, probably the water is warmer than in Blackpool", he chuckled.
Aracelis just grinned and shook her head. Steven parked in a public lot and led her down the stairs to the beach. The flat expanse of white sand was empty and the blue waters pounded the shore as high tide approached. The loud roaring of the surf drowned out the cries of seagulls who swooped down from the skies to catch fish, weaving and dodging like boxers.
"It's beautiful here, the sea and sand would be grey in Lancashire", he murmured.
"The beaches in Uruguay and Argentina are full now, it's the start of summer. When we go back, it's winter", she said.
"It's like that Simpsons episode with Bart and the toilet. It would be nice for it to be hot during the Christmas break", he laughed.
"It snows in Barcelona during the winter, your daughters are going to visit?", she asked.
Steven beamed. "Aye, I cannot wait", he replied.
Aracelis led him towards the water and took off her shoes, shivering at the feel of the cold water. "The water is colder in England", he teased.
"England is colder than Spain or Uruguay", she retorted.
"It is, me pasty English self is going to get used to the Spanish sunshine. Let's go back before Luis thinks I kidnapped you", he said, walking back towards the car.
Steven gave his captain a look and passed him the ball. "Contrary to what you Spanish wankers think, us English have some manners. Mum and me gran raised me with manners", he retorted.
"Estem Català, no espanyol. Catalunya is not Spain, the first lesson you learn here, amic. Unfortunately, the worst British come here and they get drunk and fuck in public. That's why my house on the Costa Brava is far away from the town", said Xavi.
"They ought to stay in Blackpool and not embarrass us, maybe I ought to visit", said Steven.
"You should, la Costa Brave esta muy bella", said Luis.
"Maybe during the friendly break, that or see my family in Liverpool", he mused aloud.
Steven drove home after practice and frowned when he saw his empty condo, Aracelis at school and his own daughters back in Liverpool. I'll call later this evening, I'm going for a drive, he mused.
He got back in his car and was pleasantly surprised to see the text from Aracelis saying class was over. Steven drove towards her school and helped her inside, grinning like an eager schoolboy. "The lads gave me an idea, let's go to the Costa Brava", he said.
"D'accord, but I have class and then work tomorrow", she said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll get you back in time, Ari. I'm acting like a teenage boy in secondary school", he muttered.
"You are not a teenage boy, son un hombre Steven", she teased.
Steven laughed and put in directions into the GPS before following the signs towards the motorway. Soon they were passing the suburbs north of the city and on a road hugging the coast, the shimmering blue waters of the Mediterranean like a jewel under the sun. Only a few other vehicles shared the roads as it was near the end of the tourist season, much of the traffic going in the other direction.
"The tourist season is over, people are going home", she said.
"We could have a beach to ourselves, probably the water is warmer than in Blackpool", he chuckled.
Aracelis just grinned and shook her head. Steven parked in a public lot and led her down the stairs to the beach. The flat expanse of white sand was empty and the blue waters pounded the shore as high tide approached. The loud roaring of the surf drowned out the cries of seagulls who swooped down from the skies to catch fish, weaving and dodging like boxers.
"It's beautiful here, the sea and sand would be grey in Lancashire", he murmured.
"The beaches in Uruguay and Argentina are full now, it's the start of summer. When we go back, it's winter", she said.
"It's like that Simpsons episode with Bart and the toilet. It would be nice for it to be hot during the Christmas break", he laughed.
"It snows in Barcelona during the winter, your daughters are going to visit?", she asked.
Steven beamed. "Aye, I cannot wait", he replied.
Aracelis led him towards the water and took off her shoes, shivering at the feel of the cold water. "The water is colder in England", he teased.
"England is colder than Spain or Uruguay", she retorted.
"It is, me pasty English self is going to get used to the Spanish sunshine. Let's go back before Luis thinks I kidnapped you", he said, walking back towards the car.