I own nothing but a rather full library! (never a bad thing!)
What I want
Chapter the Second
Leaving London was surprisingly difficult for me to do, I had travelled there so many times for work, but never had the time to just relax and see the sights. I couldn't remember the last time I acted like a tourist in a city like London.
Here's the thing with most big cities, once you've seen one you've seen them all. Sure, there are different historical places and the skyscrapers look different, and there may even be parks in strange places, but they are pretty much thousands of people shoved into a small footprint all going somewhere and getting in each other's way. Especially when you are there for work, no one moves fast enough and your always in a hurry, no time to stop and smell the proverbial roses. I was always like that, to paraphrase W. H Davis 'I had no time to stop and stare.'
And I didn't, usually but this time, this visit was different I wasn't rushing through the airport to get to my car and go on to work I was there as a tourist! I was there to admittedly catch a connection to Spain, but the whole purpose of this visit was to relax and enjoy! No, I wasn't a married woman, and no I wasn't on the honeymoon I was expecting but did that mean that I had to miss things I wanted to see? Well perhaps this time, but I had taken an open-ended leave of absence so why shouldn't I take my time going home and be the tourist I haven't been in years.
What's wrong with being a tourist anyway? By definition you are a tourist if you are a tourist if you are travelling or visiting a place for pleasure. And while I do object to being compared to most annoying loud tourist types, I don't think showing a quiet admiration for a new place or somewhere you've never gotten to explore properly is a bad thing!
With my resolve set, I settled back into my luxurious seat on the plane with my ever-present notebook and began to plan. Of course, I couldn't book things just yet not while flying but I could put things in order, I could decide where I would go after leaving Barcelona. After all it was my money that was paying for this holiday in the first place! Not that I would ever admit that to daddy. Although Jake liked to pretend he was this hotshot lawyer, who could at any point follow in my father's footsteps and take his place in the annals of famous lawyers who end up make protestations of innocence on the steps of the courthouse!
The truth was that Jake just wasn't that good, in the nearly eight years we had been together and the three or so that he had been practicing law at his firm he had never once defended his own case. He had used the connections that both of us had to get himself to a place where he didn't have to work all that had and still had a bit of prestige. It was me who had supported us for all this time, having graduated first and worked my ass off ever since. It was my money that was paying for this honeymoon! That was why we were going to Barcelona in the first place, I made the argument that if I was paying, I was choosing! He didn't really have a leg to stand on and he knew it, didn't even put up that much of a fight. As such I had been able to get away almost with murder, metaphorically speaking of course.
Awaiting me at the airport would be a driver to take me to the hotel and be available to me the whole week that I would be there. Allowing me to travel to place just outside the city without having to drive myself! I had an itinerary that included visits to, Dali's Theatre-Museum, all of Gaudi's houses and the cathedral, a visit to the Madonna at Monserrat, a tour of the old town and a day spent in the Park Gűell doing whatever I wanted! I couldn't wait!
I had travelled before as a child with daddy, but it had been years and you never look on things the same as an adult that you saw as a child. That's why this holiday was so important to me. I was going no matter what anyone said, besides it was all in my name, nothing could stop me.
The plane was relatively full this trip and I had someone sitting just across from me – thank god we had two seats booked and I still had a row to myself – who seemed to take a great interest in my scribbling away, even putting his book down and watching closely as I thought of all the places I was now determined to cram into this break.
'That's either very important or someone has really fucked up.' Came a voice so rich and deep that if I hadn't seen the guy across the aisle I would have though Kevin Sorbo was on the plane with me. (Don't judge you know that guys voice is amazing!)
'Excuse me?' I looked up into bright clear green eyes – the kind everyone thinks comes from contacts – framed with thin black glasses looking at me with a spark of amusement.
'The look on your face, it's very intense but I can't tell if it's good or bad.'
'Who says you have to know?' Now this may seem blunt and slightly rude considering that Daddy raised me to be unfailingly polite to strangers – which has led to more random conversations than you can think of – but consider what I had been through today and the very little patience I had for anyone of the male sex and you may understand my sharpness.
'No-one, but I find people fascinating, and when confined in a small space like this with as many strangers as this and I feel conversation should at least be attempted.'
'Huh… Well in that case it's a bit of both, but if you don't mind I won't be sharing my life story with the entire plane just yet.'
The sparkle in those unbelievable eyes grew brighter, and a smooth chuckle whispered around me. 'Fair enough, I hope though, that the fuck up was fixable at least.' He turned back to the book on the tray table in front of him and drifted in the flow of written words.
'It will be soon enough.' I said quietly to myself and looked back at my list that was growing at a startling rate. Rome, Florence, Venice, St Petersburg, Paris, Normandy, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New Zealand, and maybe even Australia.
I knew that even though it would make the most amazing holiday I couldn't go to all of these places now but having reawakened my love of travel just for the hell of it, there was no reason not to plan more trips in the future. I just had to work out how to make myself happy again. It had been a long time since that thought had passed through my head. I had spent so long thinking about Daddy and Jake and work and all the other people I thought I owed my time, patience and happiness to, but really the only person I should have been thinking of was me. That's all Daddy ever wanted for me, my happiness.
How strange, it is to think that, to know without a doubt that whatever I do next I know he will support and encourage me just as he always has. I don't know when I forgot that, and it strikes me again just how much I lived for Jake! And why? What made him so much more important than me? And just like that I was angry all over again!
I really hope this whole holiday isn't going to be like this cause if it is, its going to be exhausting!
A.N: I cannot thank you enough for all the support and love I have gotten for this, you are all amazing! I can't pretend that this will be a regular thing cause to be honest I'm a bit surprised I'm posting again this soon! However, I will try to keep to a somewhat regular schedule. And please tell me if it seems like I'm just rambling, this is all written without a beta at the mo, so its all a bit rough and ready. Hope you enjoyed and see you again soon.
