Page 77 of Minha Dona

“Tonight we walk into town, we eat at the best restaurant on the coast, we drink too much wine, and we walk home along the beach in the dark.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“It will be, Gatinha. I promise.”

Chapter 28

The restaurant was called Maré and it sat at the end of the town’s waterfront, perched on a terrace above the rocks where the harbour opened onto the open ocean. Helena’s family had been eating here since before she was born and the owner, Jorge, had known Helena since before she could talk. When he saw Helena walk in he came around the bar and hugged her like a long-lost friend.

“Helena! Minha querida!” He held her at arm’s length, grinning. “It’s been months,” he continued in Portuguese, “I was wondering if you’d ever come back. Your parents tell me you’re busy with work?”

“I could never stay away for too long,” she replied, before switching to English. “Jorge, this is my friend Caitlin. She’s visiting from America.”

Jorge turned his attention to Caitlin and his grin widened. He kissed her on both cheeks and said, with a heavy accent, “Welcome. Helena’s friend is my friend. We must celebrate, I’ll bring wine.”

When they were seated on the terrace Caitlin leaned across the table and whispered, “What are we celebrating?”

Helena grinned. “With Jorge, life.” She shrugged. “I know you know your wine,” she added, acutely conscious that Caitlin had told her a turning point with Zoe was when she had punished Caitlin for ordering the wine for them, “and anywhere else we go I’d love for you to be the one who orders, but here, when Jorge says he’ll bring wine, it’s a gesture. And the house white is perfect with the food anyway.”

An understanding smile twitched across Caitlin’s lips. “Completely understood.”

“I said we didn’t need to dress up,” Helena said, with a nod towards the other tables on the terrace.

“You said it was the best restaurant on the coast. I wasn’t going to go to the best restaurant on the coast in flip-flops.” Caitlin had changed into a white, loose dress which, with only the necklace as jewellery, looked incredible. Caitlin knew it, too, which only made her even more deeply attractive.

They ate well. The menu was seafood caught that morning by, Jorge claimed, his cousin’s boat, and as usual it was all very good. They shared two dishes because Helena wanted Caitlin to try both the grilled prawns and the octopus salad. Caitlin ate with the appetite of someone who’d spent the day swimming, lying in the sun, and working up an appetite from what they did in the ocean and at the pool house later on.

“These prawns,” Caitlin said, closing her eyes and making a noise that Helena had heard her make several times already that day. “Helena.” She opened her eyes again and shook her head. “These prawns.”

“Good, right?”

“I’m going to leave you for Jorge’s cousin.”

“I’ll let Jorge know. His cousin’s wife might be disappointed.”

Caitlin grinned. “She’d cope.”

The conversation started out light and easy, but it shifted when the second carafe of wine appeared.

“Can I ask you something?” Caitlin said, putting her glass down.

“Anything.”

“What do you need from our relationship? I can call it that, can’t I?” Helena nodded and Caitlin continued. “Good. It feels fast but it feels right. But my question, I don’t mean the dominant-submissive thing… that’s a given and I love it. It’s a huge part of it. I mean the rest though. What do you need from a partner? From someone you’re with?”

Helena looked at her across the table and reached across to take Caitlin’s hand in hers. The candlelight did something unbelievable to Caitlin’s features… her dark eyes seemed deeper somehow. Helena could get lost in them, easily.

“Honesty,” she said eventually.

“Honesty?”

“Honesty. That comes first. I need someone I know will tell me the truth, even when it’s difficult. I’ve had relationships where people told me what they thought I wanted to hear and it’s a quick fix when really it corrodes everything.”

Caitlin nodded slowly. “What else?”

“A partner, not a project. Someone who has their own life, their own ambitions, their own identity. I need to be with someone I respect, someone whose strength matches mine.” She paused, thinking. “And I need someone who can see when I need to let go. That’s harder to explain.”

“Try. I’d like to understand.”