“No,” I shook my head. “He was always sweet.” Until I moved with him to Spain. “That is until he decided to cheat on me. When I found out, he didn’t try to fight for me. Not once, but right before you came to see me, he showed back up in my life. I didn’t handle it the best, refusing to talk to him, but I had nothing to say, and I wasn’t going to allow him to make me late to see my patient. It’s been months.” I added the last a little too loud, causing the people who were seated around us to turn their heads and look at us.
Our waitress brought out our dishes and placed them around our small table. It didn’t leave us much room, but they smelled divine, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
Callum put a little bit of everything on his plate but waited until I took my first bite before he started to eat. Once I moaned at the heavenly gnocchi that hit my tongue, he seemed to be appeased and took his own bite.
“I wasn’t wrong, was I?” He pointed his fork to the dish.
“Not wrong at all. I can’t believe you don’t eat this for every meal while you’re here.” I shoved in another bite and chewed.
“If I did that, I wouldn’t look like this, and I’d be a shit driver. I’ve got to fuel my body with what it needs to be efficient out on the track.”
“I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as dedicated to their job as you. I really do believe it’s part of the reason you’ve done so well with getting back behind the wheel.” I was astounded after watching him compete against nineteen other drivers. I would have been a nervous wreck out there, but when he felt the smallest inklings of a panic attack come on, he had me talk him through it. There were only three instances, and the amount of time he had me speak to him was shorter each time.
“You’re the other reason. If it was anyone else over the system, I would have lost it.” The look on his face said he believed every word out of his mouth.
We had tried letting Kaspar talk to him, but after thirty seconds, Callum demanded in a desperate voice for me to come on the line.
“You didn’t give Kaspar a chance. Maybe we can slowly work him in the routine. I—”
“No,” he interrupted me. He looked about ready to jump from his seat and run at the mere mention of having someone else talk to him. It wasn’t as if I was telling him my deepest, darkest secrets. Today, after he’d calmed down, I read some of the book I’d been reading for the last several days to him.
“Callum,” I said his name softly, “what would happen if I got sick and couldn’t be at one of your races? What would you do then, not race?” I wanted to say when I wasn’t around any longer, but I knew that would send him over the edge, so I kept that to myself. For now.
“We’ll buy you some good vitamins tomorrow and make sure you eat healthy. Then you won’t get sick.” The statement somehow didn’t sound desperate but more of a demand.
Not wanting to unnerve him any more than I already had today, I kept quiet with my observations and ate the amazing food he’d ordered for us. If this is what I got to experience at every destination, I was going to have to start doubling down on my workouts. Otherwise, I’d gain a hundred pounds by the end of the season. Now Callum’s early morning workouts made sense.
“I was thinking after this we’d go to the Oceanographic Museum. Does that sound good to you?”
My forehead wrinkled at the thought of a museum about water. It didn’t sound exciting, but since Callum had probably already gone there before, he must have liked it.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.” He laughed, throwing his head back. I couldn’t help but stop and watch. He had a laugh that drew you in. Even though Callum was a happy-go-lucky guy, I didn’t think he let himself laugh all that much.
“Tell me about this ocean museum.”
“Like I said, it’s not what you’re thinking. I’m not sure why they call it a museum when it’s an aquarium. What I do know is that it’s beautiful and peaceful. It will be perfect after our meal and to further bring me down so I can sleep tonight.”
That made me smile. I couldn’t get over how happy it made me see how much his win affected him. I had a feeling when he lost, Callum took it very hard.
“Sounds perfect. I need to walk off this food baby I’ve got going on over here.” I rested my hand over my stomach. If we had been back at the hotel, I would have unbuttoned my jeans, or better yet, taken them off.
Callum sat up straighter and acted as if he could see my food baby. His eyes flared before he settled back down in his seat. After taking a sip of his water, he cleared his throat. “Are you ready to go start an adventure?”
“I thought I already had,” I shot back.
“Good answer,” he stood, smiling down at me. “Let’s do this.”
“Do you see that building right there?” He pointed out over the water to what looked like a palace to me. It was spectacular. A broad smile broke out across his face. “That’s the museum.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. That’s it? I never would have guessed. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen.”
While I stared out at our destination and watched as it came closer and closer, I could feel Callum watching me.
“Do you know how lucky you are that you get to travel the world for your job?” I asked as we sat side by side in our taxi, and I stared out the window in awe of our surroundings. Before moving to Barcelona, I’d never been out of the country. Looking back on the little time I lived in Spain, I wish I’d explored more. Instead, I’d been trying to mend my broken heart by working and isolating myself. Now I knew it would have healed a whole hell of a lot faster if I had been experiencing the beauty of the land around me. After this, I wasn’t going to take my location or time for granted. One gorgeous city and I wanted to explore the world.
Placing his hand on my knee, he squeezed. “I do know how lucky I am. I will admit, after having dinner with you tonight, it’s nice having the experience with someone.”
“Does that make you want to have a girlfriend?”
He moved away and rested his forehead to his window. “Even if I did, I don’t have time for one. When am I supposed to see her? I only have a few months I’m not traveling, and I can’t imagine any girl putting up with that.”
He had a point.
Slowly he turned to look at me. “Maybe you’d like to be my girlfriend.”
Callum
Austria
No matter how many times Aspen turned me down, I wasn’t going to stop trying to convince her there was something between us. I knew she found me attractive. It was hard to miss the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn’t looking. I only had to find the right way to convince her because so far, all I’d done was push her further and further away.
Aspen had started to retreat into only being my therapist after I mentioned her possibly being my girlfriend in Monaco. She still accompanied me around the city, but it wasn’t the same. She always kept at least three feet between us, and with each new city, she went back to her room earlier and earlier, cutting our time together short. Somehow, I had to get the woman who had been easy to smile and wrap her hand around my bicep back, the woman who had started to open up to me on our first plane ride. She was there for me when I drove, but she’d stopped giving me anything that pertained to her life. Each day that passed, I worried about what would happen if I pushed her too far and made her leave.