Later in the day, Eduardo and Kylie were walking hand in hand across a stone bridge over a wide river, with Caroline lagging a long way behind. They stopped halfway over the central arch to lean on the railing and look down into the water.

'So what river's this?' asked Eduardo.

'The Ebro,' said Kylie. 'It's very big and important, actually.'

'Important? Why?'

'I don't exactly know, but it's the biggest river in Spain, anyway. You could read that guidebook I bought, if you really want to know. It's in my back pocket.'

'It'd be more fun if I had to search you for it,' said Eduardo, making Kylie giggle as he delved deeper into her back pocket than necessary to retrieve the thin guidebook.

'Hey, Caroline, come over here!' Kylie called. 'Eduardo's going to tell us about this river.'

'Must be so limiting, only being able to read one language,' said Eduardo, running his eyes over the text.

'It is,' said Kylie, as Caroline mooched over to join them. 'Enlighten us, sweetie.'

'Where did you read that the river was important?' asked Eduardo.

'I don't know – some encyclopaedia.'

'I think it must've come from a translation originally. This is saying the Ebro is importante, but it doesn't mean exactly important; it means big... significant... leading... noteworthy might be the best way of putting it.'

'God,' said Kylie. 'Spanish doesn't have enough different words.'

'It does if you understand the context and you're not lazy about translating it.'

'Okay, so translate for us. What about this river?'

'It's the biggest in Spain and has the largest area of drainage basin... and that's really all it says about the river. It says more about the Puente de Piedre – that just means the Stone Bridge... this bridge, which is also known as the Puente de San Juan Ortega. He was a saint, obviously... famous for building hospices and bridges for pilgrims, and he's the patron saint of hospice keepers, children and barren women.' He looked at Kylie. 'You really interested in this stuff?'

'Somewhat,' said Kylie. 'I don't suppose San Juan built this bridge, did he?'

Eduardo consulted the guidebook. 'No, he can't have done. He was living in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, and this bridge was built in eighteen eighty-four. Fascinating stuff, huh, Caroline?'

'Maybe I'd better leave you guys alone,' said Caroline. 'I don't know what I was thinking, coming out just me with a couple. You must want to be by yourselves.'

'Yeah, it's hot stuff, I know,' said Eduardo, turning a page in the guidebook.

'I wouldn't have asked you if you weren't welcome, Caroline,' said Kylie.

'You didn't ask me,' said Caroline. 'You asked me and Steph.'

'What'll you do if you leave?' said Kylie. 'Go talk to her?'

'I don't think she wants me to talk to her.'

'What do you want, Caroline?'

'It's not me who doesn't know what I want,' said Caroline. 'I can't talk to her, Kylie – not just like that. She's the one who's gone into herself and won't come out, and it had to happen when we're stuck here in Spain, with nowhere to run away to and no interfering family or anyone to help us sort things out.'

Eduardo had been absorbed in the guidebook until this point, or pretending to be, but he suddenly looked up and said, 'You mean you actually want your family interfering in your life?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said Caroline. 'I guess I might feel differently if we were back home. But right here, right now, I wish I had somebody to pave the way... make Steph see that she can talk to me.'

'Are you asking?' said Kylie.

Caroline brightened. 'Are you offering?'

'Well, I don't know. If you're close enough friends to go on vacation to Spain together, surely you can fix whatever it is that's wrong without a virtual stranger acting as a bridge between you.'

'But Kylie, what happened... it's huge!'

'Are you going to tell me what happened?'

'I don't know,' said Caroline. 'Steph might not like it.'

'You can't really expect Kylie to help you if you don't tell her, Caroline,' Eduardo said reasonably.

'No, I guess not,' said Caroline. 'Well, see, the thing is we... what happened was... well, last night after the tapas bar hopping, we...'

'Caroline!' snapped Kylie. 'Either tell us or don't.'

'We kissed!' Caroline blurted out.

Kylie waited a moment. Eduardo went back to reading the guidebook. Then Kylie said, 'And?'

'That's it,' said Caroline.

'Oh,' said Kylie.

'What do mean, "Oh"?' said Caroline. 'We kissed, Kylie!'

'But that's all you did, right?'

'Well... yeah.'

'Is it really that big of a deal?' said Kylie. 'I mean, this isn't The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – there's no need to make a huge fuss over one kiss.'

'Isn't that some kind of classic novel?' said Caroline.

'Yeah, it is,' said Kylie. 'I just read it. This farmer kissed this priest's daughter and didn't marry her, and it was a really big deal in this Victorian country village.'

'But did it mean anything?' said Caroline. 'When he kissed her, was there anything behind it?'

'Not a thing,' said Kylie. 'So it's not the kiss itself; it's the emotional fallout. Is that what you're telling me?'

'I really like her, Kylie,' said Caroline. 'And I thought she felt the same way.'

'Even after she refused to open up the Melba Tunnel?'

'What?'

'In that last tapas bar.'

'Oh, I see,' said Caroline. 'Well actually, I did get the message then. I wasn't the one who started it when we got back to the hostel!'

'So she kissed you first?' said Kylie. 'And now she's put up walls. So either it was a mistake and you have to agree to go back to being friends, or she feels the same way you do and so you agree to become more than friends. If you really like her, the first option isn't ideal for you, but thousands of people have come to terms with that arrangement before.'

'You don't seem to think it matters that we're both women,' said Caroline.

'It doesn't matter to me,' said Kylie.

'Nor me,' said Caroline. 'But it matters to Steph. She's only ever been with guys before.'

'So she's freaking out about being bi-curious,' said Eduardo, as he reached the end of guidebook, 'or maybe more. That's understandable.'

'Maybe you'd like to pave the way for Caroline, sweetie,' said Kylie.

'Why does anybody have to pave the way?' said Eduardo. 'Look, Caroline, just tell Steph more or less what Kylie said: you like her, and you'll be happy if she feels the same way, but if not you still want to be her friend and no hard feelings.'

'Yes, that's exactly what to say,' said Kylie, turning back to Caroline with a triumphant smile. 'That would work for any two people in your situation – gender has nothing to do with it.'

'Well, I... I guess you're right,' said Caroline. 'Yeah! I'll go back to the hostel and say that to her right now, shall I?'

'Good idea,' said Kylie.

'Can you find your way back okay?' asked Eduardo.

'Sure,' said Caroline. 'We haven't come far – I can retrace my steps. I'll see you guys later. And... thanks!'

She turned and walked briskly off. Kylie turned back to Eduardo and slipped her arms around his waist.

'Sweetie, that was such good advice!' said Kylie.

'Don't sound so surprised,' said Eduardo.

'Sorry,' said Kylie. 'I was just thinking, you could've said that to me a couple of years ago if you'd wanted to... what you told Caroline to say to Steph, I mean. Who knows what I might've said?'

'It's no good rushing things,' said Eduardo. 'If we'd gotten drunk on beer and wimpy Spanish chorizo and kissed, I would've said exactly that, but we didn't.'

'No you wouldn't,' said Kylie. 'You'd have done a Steph and hidden from me.'

'Oh yeah?' said Eduardo. 'Y'know, you were the one who pretended Achira didn't mean what she made you say. I asked you about it.'

'Only because you thought I might want to have sex with you. You didn't love me then, and I certainly didn't love you.'

'But you did want to have sex with me, right?'

'I think you know the answer to that,' said Kylie. 'Part of me did and part of me didn't.'

'I know exactly which part of you did,' said Eduardo, and she squealed with laughter as he pounced on her right in the middle of the bridge.

It was getting dark when they got back to the youth hostel. They had almost reached the stairs when Kylie noticed Steph standing at reception with a wheeled suitcase leaning against her leg.

'Oh no, Eduardo, look,' said Kylie. 'Steph can't be leaving if Caroline said what you told her to say!'

'It's really none of our business,' said Eduardo, though he didn't sound too sure this time.

'I'm going to talk to her,' said Kylie.

'Okay,' said Eduardo. 'I'll wait for you. Except... it looks like Steph might need a translator.'

Kylie looked, and saw that Steph was gesturing frantically at the man behind the reception desk and saying in a loud voice, 'Dónde está la playa!'

'She's asking him the way to the beach,' said Eduardo.

'Go on up and wait for me, sweetie,' said Kylie. 'She won't need a translator if I can persuade her to stay.'

'What happens if you can't?'

'Then she'll have to find you and ask you herself. I'm not helping her to run away.'

'In that case,' said Eduardo, 'I won't take off all my clothes and cover myself in scrambled egg tapas or anything.'

Kylie laughed and gave him a kiss, then she headed for the reception desk and he for the stairs.

'Hey, Steph,' said Kylie. 'What are you doing?'

'I'm checking out,' said Steph. 'Well, trying to.'

'Without Caroline?'

'Yes.'

'Eduardo just told me you're asking this guy the way to the beach.'

'Way to the beach?' the receptionist said, in a voice even louder than Steph's had been.

'Está bien, señor,' said Kylie. 'I, er... hablo to ella.' She pointed at herself, then at Steph, then put her hands on Steph's shoulders and steered her away, leaving her suitcase where it was. 'Oh God, I'm crap at languages! I think he understood, though.'

'If Eduardo saw me struggling,' said Steph, 'why didn't he come and help me out?'

'Because you don't really want to leave,' said Kylie, as they entered a room full of vending machines, bean bags and a foosball table.

'What the hell do you know?' said Steph. 'This is none of your business!'

'Caroline made it my business,' said Kylie, pushing Steph down onto one of the beanbags, then sitting on one herself. 'Look, after you talk to me, you can still leave if you want to. But you'll have to fetch Eduardo yourself because I'm not doing it.'

'You mean Caroline told you what happened?' Steph said anxiously.

'Yes,' said Kylie. 'She didn't know how to talk to you.'

'It was all a huge mistake. It's better that I leave.'

'That can't be true. Did Caroline tell you she likes you and she'll be happy if you feel the same way, but if you don't she really wants to go back to being friends and no hard feelings?'

'Yes, that's exactly what she said. How did you know that?'

'Oh, well,' Kylie said evasively, 'that's the right thing to say in this situation. I'd have said very much the same thing myself, whether it was a guy I'd kissed or a girl. Although I don't... I mean... Steph, let me ask you something. If you'd come here with a guy, and you ended up in the same situation, and the guy went to you and said what Caroline said... would you be running away right now?'

Steph thought for a moment. Then she said, 'I probably would, yeah. Look, Kylie, you're making an awfully big deal out of us both being women.'

'Only because Caroline said it was a big deal to you,' said Kylie. 'When she was talking to me about it, I didn't even bring it up; she did!'

'I see,' said Steph. 'Well, maybe Caroline doesn't know as much as she thinks she does. Maybe what I'm most worried about is our friendship. You and Eduardo said you were friends before you got together, right?'

'Did we?' said Kylie. 'We weren't exactly friends like you and Caroline are friends, but... yeah, I guess we were friends.'

'Well, when you were thinking about becoming more than friends, weren't you afraid of losing what you already had?'

'I don't know about that. It wasn't really the same, but... yeah, I know what you mean. But Steph, won't running away damage your friendship a lot more than staying and working things out?'

'Not if we can't work things out,' said Steph. 'What if things go too far, and then it gets really awkward because we realise we don't want to be a couple even though we've gone to bed together and everything?'

'I, er... don't know,' said Kylie, clearly feeling a little awkward herself now. 'Then you can still run away at any time, I guess. I'm just saying, I think leaving is a bad idea because I know Caroline really wants to work things out, one way or the other. And now that I've said that, I'm gonna butt out of your business. But you'll have to hurry if you want to ask Eduardo to help you check out, because as soon I'm done in the bathroom, our door will be locked.' Then she smiled and added, 'Good luck, Steph. Whatever you decide.'

'Kylie!' said Eduardo, jumping up from the bed as Kylie entered their room. 'Look what I've done!'

He held out the Rubik's cube she had given him for his birthday, and Kylie took it. She turned it over in her hands, and saw that each face showed a complete picture of a London icon.

'Oh, sweetie, well done!' she said. 'So I guess it was more than nine times harder than a regular one, huh?'

'I don't think you can put a number on it,' said Eduardo. 'Y'know, I kind of wish I knew if I'd done it in a reasonable time-frame... not too far outside the average.'

'You should never compare yourself to other people,' said Kylie, putting the Rubik's cube down on the nightstand and then kissing him deeply. 'It really turns me on when you do something intelligent, baby.'

'In that case,' Eduardo said with a grin, 'we should probably lock the door. I think that's the most intelligent I've ever been... in the way you mean, anyhow.'

'Oh, that reminds me,' said Kylie, as she returned to the nightstand and picked up the room key. 'I take it Steph didn't come and find you?'

'To do what – cure her of her bi-curiosity?'

Kylie laughed as she turned the key in the lock. 'She wishes, right?'

'Of course.'

'Seriously though, you remember I said she'd have to come and find you herself if she wanted your help? Well I told her that, and I said she'd have to hurry or she'd find herself locked out.'

'So I guess she's staying,' said Eduardo, holding his arms out to Kylie as she crossed the room.

'She still might go, if she finds someone else who can speak Spanish for her... or a staff member who understands English, maybe.'

'Querida, I really don't care right now.'

'Mmm... me neither,' said Kylie, as they dropped onto the bed in each other's arms.

The next morning, when Kylie was about to enter the shower room, the door was flung open and Steph and Caroline crashed into her. They were both wearing towels and laughing hysterically.

'Oh... sorry, Kylie,' Caroline grinned at her.

'No problem,' said Kylie.

'So,' said Steph, unable to keep from giggling, 'aren't you gonna ask what happened?'

'To you guys?' said Kylie. 'Of course not. It's none of my business.'

'If you say so,' said Caroline. 'So listen, Kylie, if you and Eduardo are up for it, we'd like to hang out with you guys again today. We thought maybe we could go to that winery on the edge of town and have a wine experience.'

'What's a wine experience?' Kylie asked.

'I don't know,' said Caroline, 'but wouldn't it be fun to find out?'

'Maybe,' Kylie said dubiously. 'I mean, I'm not much into wine, but of course we'll go with you.'

'Bonza,' said Steph. 'You're cool, Kylie. You had to be, with a name like that. You do know it's an Australian name, right?'

'It's from the same root as Kyle, isn't it?' said Kylie.

'Nah,' said Steph, 'it's Aboriginal. Anyway, we'd better leave you to your shower and go get dressed.'

'We don't have to get dressed,' said Caroline.

'Caroline!' Steph squealed, as they went frolicking off to their room together.

'Looks like Caroline and Steph are a couple now,' said Kylie, when she and Eduardo met up in their room after their showers.

'That's nice,' said Eduardo.

'Is that all it is?' said Kylie. 'I thought guys – well, straight guys – all turned into drooling perverts at the thought of two women together.'

'Ky, come on, don't stereotype people.'

'Okay, maybe not all of them, but I know what you like and I bet you're turned on by that kind of thing.'

'If that's true,' said Eduardo, 'I hope I have the good manners to keep it to myself.'

'And the other thing guys do is,' said Kylie, 'they look completely bewildered and stupid, and then they go, "What do lesbians do, anyway?"'

Eduardo gave her a look. 'You know I know better than that.'

'Yes. Yes, I do,' said Kylie, and smiled. 'To be honest, sweetie, I'm just really impressed by how you gave that great advice to Caroline without even thinking if it needed adapting for a same-sex relationship; you just knew it didn't.'

'Why wouldn't I know that?' said Eduardo. 'Love is love. You know that too, Ky. So what, are you saying you thought I was the kind of guy who thinks lesbianism should be confined to phallocentric porn videos?'

'No, of course not.'

'I'm glad to hear it.'

'I'm sorry, babe,' said Kylie. 'I didn't mean to offend you.'

'You didn't,' said Eduardo, and gave her a hug.

'Good.' She paused, then added, 'I didn't know you knew that word.'

'What, porn?'

'No!' she tittered. 'Phallocentric. So are those all-girl videos really...? No, don't answer that. Anyway, I said we'd hang out with Caroline and Steph again today.'

'Cool,' said Eduardo. 'It was fun last time. Of course, this time they'll be wanting me to go with them to that sex store we saw to ask about dildos, vibrators...'

Kylie smacked him admonishingly on the chest and laughed.