He'ya, what's up?
So… twice in one week, that's uncommon.
Don't get used to it ;)
In case you missed the previous chapter, and don't know Sam and Andy are in Barcelona, please start with chapter 12.
Enjoy!
Sam stirred between the sheets and slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment he forgot where he was and who was there next to him.
When his eyes were finally open and focused, he blinked in surprise to find Andy lying next to him, hugging the long pillow barrier with her dark hair scattered all over.
If she was somewhat distressed to have found herself in his bed in the morning, her eyes and mouth smiling at him did a really good job to conceal it. Her intense smile seemed like she was looking at him for a while now, waiting for him to wake up.
"Good morning" she said, and he licked his lips wet, swallowed his saliva, blinked again and then nodded and smiled a full dimpled smile in return.
To wake up to this look in the morning will make any morning good.
"Why am I here?"
He was shocked to realize she had no recollection of her last awake moments from the previous night.
Slowly he reminded her how she walked outside his room and acted like it was hers and tried to open it with her card, how he opened the door for her so her companion will not see him and know he's there.
He told her how she simply fell asleep while he was in the shower, and he didn't want to wake her up.
Andy took a look at her dress, appreciating the truth in his words, and his old-school act of placing the pillow barrier.
She had a bizarre feeling of time jump, and she told it to Sam.
Fearing of what might have happened, Sam guided her like the pro cop that he was through all that had happened to her since they departed at the elevator at the top floor of the hotel 12 hours earlier.
Andy had recollected everything, though her walk with Ibrahim to the door of room 615 was a blur and everything that followed was simply not registered in her memory.
Sam was relieved to know she missed only the time that he could account for.
Something still bothered him, so he prodded "You said there was no alcohol in the party, but you looked pretty much wasted when you got here. And the way you fell asleep right away and don't remember it..."
"I don't know, Sam." She interrupted him "Maybe I was just too tired. I don't remember."
She brought her nose down, closer to her dress and sniffed, searching for evidence of smoke or alcohol.
Her nose buds came blank.
She continued "Sorry. Maybe I was too tired and my sub-conscience brought me here because I kept telling myself your room number all night long. Maybe I needed a way to get rid of this Ibrahim guy. I don't know, Sam. I'm sorry. I just ... I just can't remember anything."
He could tell she, too, found this lack of memory irritating, and decided to drop the subject for now, before she's too emotionally upset.
"So... we got the whole day to ourselves." He stated a minute later in a lighter tone with a crooked smile. "Edmonds said we need to be ready only at 18:00 for the flight back. Don't know why I'm here for, yet. But I do know Barcelona is a beautiful city, and I would like to tour it. Want to join me? I've watched the tourism channel on TV last night, and I want to take one of those sightseeing tourists' busses. You think they take debit cards?"
Andy appreciated his rambling. She took it as another sign of her partner backing her up, helping her through the though – and tougher – parts.
"Sam, I don't think they take Canadian debit cards" she said dismissively "but I have some American dollars which I think we could easily exchange to Euros at the exchange place around the corner. I saw it on our way in. I have enough to get us through the day, I think."
Sam heard the positive motivation in her voice, and kept the momentum going.
Throwing the covers on Andy, he quickly got up and went to the bathroom to do his morning routine.
Andy was happy to see he came out still wearing his day-old stubble.
She really liked it.
After he got dressed, Sam packed his duffle bag and made sure he left nothing in the room.
They intended to leave the bags at the hotel's front desk so they wouldn't be in a hurry to come back to check out before their due hour.
When he was done, they went to her room so she could get ready, too.
Coming out of the elevator on the tenth floor, Andy took a quick look at the hallway before walking.
Being seen in a wrinkled dress you clearly slept in wasn't such a welcomed adventure to her, and she wanted to avoid the attention.
She was surprised to see Mustafa coming out of the room next to hers, quietly closing the door and hurrying down the hall on the other direction.
Andy pointed and named him to Sam, and they both stepped out of the elevator.
In her room, Andy quickly took a shower and got ready.
Sam, in the meantime, examined the city map left in the room, and then the view from the tenth floor, admiring Montjuic in the rising sun.
He looked back at Andy coming out of the bathroom, and asked "Anything you want to see?"
"Nothing specific. I'm easy." She ignored his raised eyebrows looking at her "You plan the route, and I'll be your happy sancho panza for the day."
Sam widened his eyes and smiled in pure enjoyment.
Finally, someone who enjoyed fine reading!
"Okay, so we'll take the Blue line to La Sagrada Familia" Sam said in a perfect Spanish accent, and Andy smiled. "If we leave now we'll be the first there, so it won't be crowded. Then we'll have breakfast somewhere nearby, after which we'll switch somewhere to the Red line, and go to La Rambla, then we'll go to La Boqueria market and buy produce for lunch which we'll take to park Guell and have a picnic. We'll just take the tourists' busses, so we'll save money on cabs while we tour the city. What you think?"
As he ended laying his plan to her, he realized he really did care what she thought. He really did want her to like the plan and enjoy the day.
His face lit with shy dimples while awaiting her to answer.
"I think JD planned a very romantic tour of the city for his new girl. Julie would love to hear the details of such a day. And Rachel would love to experience it to tell her."
She looked up at him from near the closet, where she was re-packing her trolley and winked at him.
And once again they were Sam and Andy.
As planned, after coming out of Gaudi's ever-in-construction cathedral, Sam and Andy walked into one of the many coffee shops along the street, and had breakfast consistent of omelet bocadillos, some pastels and a bottle of water as they both wished to stay sharp.
"First time is Spain?" The waitress asked when she heard them talking English.
"Yeah, first and hopefully not last. We don't have enough time in this trip to see it properly. Just a short tour of the city this time." Andy started sharing and Sam leaned backwards, enjoying the sight of JD's girlfriend starting a casual small talk he could never have held.
There was something about Andy that made people trust her and talk to her. He noticed it before, and the feeling just got stronger here, in this foreign place.
"... don't know how he learnt such great Spanish, it's our first trip together." Sam felt Andy's fingers lacing in his on top of the table, and realized the conversation revolved around him, so joined in.
"Nothing too mysterious, honey. I grew up in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood, so I had to learn it to play with the kids next door."
Andy felt he was telling JD's story, which was not entirely his own. She accepted this excuse, and the waitress' attention was called to another costumer.
After breakfast, they headed to La Rambla, as planned, and walked slowly between the different kiosks the promenade had to offer.
Casually, their steps synched, and their hands touched. Without talking about it, they both knew they needed to play the role of JD and Rachel, madly in love.
Andy enjoyed the heat of the autumn Spanish sun, and Sam enjoyed the heat of the Canadian cop holding his hand.
Andy never thought her hand can be in such perfect fit with another person's hand.
They crossed the street and walked straight to a commotion in front of them where people were looking up on a building at the side they came from.
They both looked up to see what's going on, and were amused to see a Marilyn Monroe copycat with a bad wig standing on a small balcony up on the second floor, pretending the non-existing wind lifts her dress. The big neon sign under the balcony indicated this was an erotic museum of some sort.
Sam coughed and then laughed. "I have a friend that will find this a cultural milestone. He likes anything kinky."
"Well, I have a friend like that, too. Maybe they should meet" Andy teased.
"Not gonna happen, he's married." Sam said
"What's your friend's name?" they both asked simultaneously.
"Jerry/Tracy" the answers came together, too, and Andy started laughing.
"You think it's funny?" Sam was insulted.
"Nope. Just that our friends are already dating each other for the last couple of months."
Sam looked at her intently. "He finally left that wife of his? Good for him!"
Afraid they might take the conversation the wrong direction in this public place, JD tucked his hand around Rachel's back, and guided her to the market.
They walked between the market stores and stands, admiring the variety of fresh fruits, special cheeses, and beautiful candies, without talking about it, they both avoided the fresh meat and fish stands.
They decided on a bread-cheese-wine lunch, and got all they needed, plus some deserts and a fruit shake to go.
Sipping their shakes they walked comfortably next to one another, avoiding the water puddles and crowded areas, taking their time before taking another bus towards Gaudi's Park Guell for their lunch.
A guided group of tourists came towards them, and Andy found herself hugged in Sam's arm, tacked against his shoulder. She never thought that there could be a person whose nook in the neck was made exactly to her head's measurements. That there was someone so physically compatible to her. She started analyzing this, and didn't reach any conclusions, as it made no sense. By the book, there could be many other man to fit her body. But experience showed her no one before ever did, and a gut feeling told her no one ever will.
No one but him.
The drift of people drove them apart, and Andy found herself missing Sam's body.
She soon felt a hand holding her, hugging her tightly.
Too tightly.
Taking a deep breath she pushed the hobo away, and quickly found refuge in Sam's embrace.
They walked to the bus without saying a word. Andy was too embarrassed to admit out loud what just happened to her.
It was becoming a daily event.
Getting to the bus stop to head to Park Guell, Andy reached for her bag out of instinct, though the money and bus day tickets were already in Sam's hands.
Sam watched as the color drained from her face, and panic crawled in.
His eyes begged her to talk, no matter what she has to say.
And then she spoke.
"The passports. They're not here."
JD felt the Spanish sky fall over him.
What do you think? What will they do? How could they get back to Toronto?
And why was JD brought across the ocean to join this trip? Any thoughts?