-x- Chapter 5 -x-

As they were ushered into the small Spanish restaurant, by the grey-haired male matire-d, they were seated in a corner of table over-looking the beach.

"Here's your menu, and wine list, would you like a few moments to decide?" He said, in perfect English.

"Oh, yes, si, gracias, em, thank you." Charlie replied, slightly shocked that the waiter spoke perfect English.

"Oh, no trouble sir, madam. Just raise your hand when you're ready to order, and I'll be right over. My name is James." He said, as he left them alone at their table.

"Lovely, thank you, James." Duffy replied, also taken by surprise.

Duffy looked over at Charlie, and said, "I certainly wasn't expecting an English waiter were you?"

"No, not at all. Strange, as it is such a Spanish restaurant. Oh, well. So, whilst we are waiting, what do you fancy. More champagne?" Charlie asked, whilst he took out his glasses from his pocket.

"Sounds perfect." Duffy looked up at him.

"Champagne it is." Charlie said, as he smiled back at Duffy.

Charlie raised his hand, and tried to get James' attention. Who raised his hand at Charlie to acknowledge him, as he walked over.

"Ah, decided already, good, good. What can I get you?" James asked.

"A bottle of your finest Champagne, please." Charlie asked, as he looked up at James.

"Oh, of course, no trouble. Are you celebrating anything special? An anniversary perhaps?" James asked, as he wrote in his notebook.

"It's our honeymoon." Duffy replied, as she reached out for Charlie's hand.

Charlie squeezed her hand, and smiled at her adoringly.

"Oh, how wonderful. My wife and I will be celebrating our thirtieth wedding anniverary next week. So love is certainly in the air in Sante Cruz." James replied, as he looked up at the dark slightly greying woman behind the counter at the till.

"Oh, so you've been together thirty years?" Duffy asked him, as she looked at the woman, then back at James.

"Yes, the first time I saw her she was working in this very restaurant with her parents. I was on holiday with a group of friends. And I never left. I stayed here, for her."

"Oh, that's so romantic." Duffy said, as she squeezed Charlie's hand again.

"She's worth it. So, tell me, how did you two meet?" James asked.

"Actually, we've known each other for thirty years." Duffy said, looking over at Charlie.

"We worked together at the same hospital for many, many years, and…" Charlie interjected.

"It took a little longer than we expected to finally be together." Duffy replied, looking at Charlie, blushing.

"Well, you two are together now, and what better way to celebrate than by coming here." James replied, by extending his arm and pointing out the surroundings of the restaurant.

"I'll go and get your champagne. I won't be long." James said, as he left the two alone.

"Are you ok?" Charlie asked Duffy, as he could see she was becoming slightly redder.

"Thirty years Charlie. That could have been us." Duffy said, as she looked over at James' wife.

"Duffy, the past is in the past. We're together now. Just you and me. Ok?". Charlie said, reassuringly, reaching for her hand once again.

As he took her hand he reached down and kissed her wedding ring.

"For the rest of our days, this is who I am, and where I want to be…" Charlie recited their wedding vows to her.

"With you." Duffy added, she smiled at him, and covered his hand with hers, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Always." Charlie took her hands in his, and squeezed them lovingly, tears filled his eyes as he did so.

"Ah, here we are, for the happy couple." James said, returning with a bucket of ice, and champagne.

Charlie and Duffy, both broke away from each other's grasp and smiled kindly at James.

"Thank you." They said in unison.

"No trouble, and to add to the occasion of your honeymoon, my wife and I would like to give this to you both, on the house."

"Oh, we couldn't." Charlie said, looking at Duffy, and then to James.

"Nonsense, love has no bounds, especially for those who are meant to be. No matter how many years it takes." James said, as he patted both of them on the shoulder.

"Really?". Duffy asked, looking at Charlie lovingly.

"Of course. Now, would you both like a selection of our tapas this evening?" James asked them, as they both looked at each other in unison. Then began to smile adoringly at each other.

-o-

They walked arm in arm, carrying their shoes, as their footprints were washed away by the shallow tide. The moonlight shone highlighting the rippling waves, and the stars floated alongside like drops of glitter.

"Charlie, this is perfect." Duffy said, as she looked stopped at the view before her, the mountains were just visible.

"I knew you'd love it." He said, as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I just don't want it to end." Duffy said, as she sighed.

"It doesn't have to, we have all night." He said, as he turned, pulled her closer, then kissed her.

-o-

The sun shone through the light white curtains of the balcony of their hotel room. There was a light breeze that moved the curtains back, allowing the sunlight to catch on their sleeping forms. Charlie stirred first, as he cradled Duffy against his chest. The sunlight blushed over her face, and Charlie gently stroked her cheek. As Duffy began to move, and he greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, gorgeous." Charlie said.

"Morning, ha ha, what are you like." She said as she patted him on the chest.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" She said.

"I can call you gorgeous or sexy, whenever I like now, Mrs Fairhead." He said, as he took her hand and kissed her wedding ring.

"Ha, ha, oh Charlie." She said, as she stroked his chest.

"Sexy woman." He said, as he brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"Stop it."

"Make me." He said, as he smirked back at her.

"Ha, ha." Duffy said, as she leaned in and kissed him.

-o-

As she put on her light sundress, wrapping it around her batheing suit. She tied up her hair with a large hair-clip. She looked up and laughed hysterically.

"I'm all set." Charlie said, as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Ha, ha, ha, Charlie, you can't go out looking like that!" She giggled.

"Why not?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Just Speedos? Ha, ha, ha." Duffy said, giggling and shaking her head at him.

"No?" He said, looking down at his speedos.

"No, I don't think so, let's go and get you some better beach clothes darling." Duffy said, as she walked over to him with a white cotton t-shirt of his, that lay on the chase long.

-o-

They'd been to numerous shops in centre of the town, neither of which did they find anything suitable for him. But, as they turned another street corner, they stopped by a local "Surf Shop", and Charlie couldn't resist but walk in and take a look.

"How about this one?" Charlie said, as he lifted up a extremely bright, somewhat 'loud', pineapple designed shirt.

"I don't think yellow is your colour." Duffy said, shaking her head at him, grinning the entire time.

"This one?" Charlie said, as he chose a far less exciting and a lot more dull coloured and designed shirt.

"Brown, oh you can do better than that."

"How about this one?" Charlie raises a dark blue flowery shirt from the clothes rail.

"Ha, ha, perfect." She said, as she clasped her hands together in delight.

"It suits you." She said, smiling back at him.

"And these?" He choses a cream pair of cotton shorts.

"Oh yes, ideal." She said smiling at him.

"Oh, and definitely one of these, very you. Ha, ha." She said smiling proudly at him, as she put a cream coloured straw fedora hat on his head.

Charlie winked at her, and smiled.

"Come on then, let's go and get these, then we can get a cocktail to celebrate." Charlie said, as he got his wallet out of his pocket.

-o-

They sat lying on their sunloungers, each had a banana daquari cocktail in their hands. As they listened to the music coming from the bar of their hotel.

"Cheers." Charlie says, as he clinks glasses with Duffy.

"This beats a bottle of cider in the park." Duffy says, as she sips at her drink.

"Oh I dunno, the park would've been quieter." Charlie said, as he grimaced to the pop music playing loudly.

"Ha, ha, Charlie."

"What?"

"You 'ol romantic you."

"No harm in wanting you all to myself is it?"

"No, not at all."

"It is warmer here though. Plus I get to see more of you. A lot more of you." He says, his eyebrows raising as he looks at her up and down.

"Charlie, shhh."

"What?"

"Stop it."

"Can't help it. Gorgeous woman." He says, as he leans in to kiss her.

Duffy blushes as she kisses him back lightly.

"Give over you. You're making me blush."

"Good." Charlie says, as he smirks back at her.

-x-