Chapter Three
Libby had a deep and dreamless sleep, waking just before her alarm feeling full of energy andjoie de vivre. She jumped out of bed and opened her curtains, stretching in the morning sunlight. It was a wonderful novelty rising each morning to a clear blue sky. She had a quick shower and brushed her teeth before pulling on a pair of denim shorts and a T-shirt. As she made her way downstairs, she listened for signs of life in the rooms and dormitories that she passed by. Apart from the sound of someone using the shower, it was all pretty quiet. Downstairs, she opened up the blinds that covered the windows and unlocked the front door. She opened the door that led out on to the terrace and stepped out into the dry heat. She wandered over to the railing, spending several minutes soaking up the view. The sea gleamed softly under the rose-tinged dawn. She could smell the sweet scent of the sprawling honeysuckle that covered one whitewashed wall of the terrace.
Floriana appeared moments later. She was going to join Libby on her morning shift. As the guests trickled down, Floriana and Libby made them breakfast, answered their questions, cleared the plates and manned the phone. The first set of new arrivals came at around eight o’clock, and Libby watched carefully as Floriana checked them in, chatting happily to her guests as she scanned their passports and showed them to their room. Nothing too tricky, she was relieved to see. This kind of work was right up her street.
Libby enjoyed chatting to all the guests of so many different nationalities. She took careful note of the recommendations Floriana gave out, writing them in her note pad so that she would have them at hand to pass on if Floriana wasn’t around. A group of Belgians, dressed head to toe in suitable hiking gear, asked for a recommended walking route. Floriana gave them a map and explained that her favourite was called ‘Il Sentiero degli Dei’ or ‘The Walk of the Gods’. It was a long and winding footpath that connected the two hilltop towns of Agerola and Nocelle, just above Positano, offering jaw-dropping views of the coastline and spectacular scenery.
It all sounded so beautiful that Libby couldn’t wait to start exploring on her days off. There was just so much to do: incredible walks, day trips to the picturesque towns of Amalfi and Ravello, boat trips to the islands of Capri and Ischia; even Pompeii wasn’t far away. She wanted to find out more about the ancient Roman city. She was ashamed of her lack of knowledge about Pompeii, despite having done a degree in Italian, and was determined to ensure she finally made it there this time around.
‘Which is your favourite, Capri or Ischia?’ Libby asked Floriana that afternoon. She had spent her lunch break sitting on the terrace, sunbathing and reading about the islands in herLonely Planetguide.
‘Ooh, that’s quite a tough question. Let me see… I think I prefer Ischia, in a way. Capri is stunning but it can be a little overcrowded. The Grotta Azzurra is beautiful, you should definitely visit it, but personally I prefer Ischia.’
‘I definitely want to visit them both at some point,’ said Libby. ‘I’m so excited about all the exploring I can do.’
‘You should get Luca to take you. His best friend has a boat and they are always going on excursions. Luca?’ she shouted in the vague direction of the bar. He had arrived several minutes before and was setting up for the day.
‘At your service, Floriana,’ he appeared, giving an over-the-top bow, a tea towel draped over one bulging bicep.
‘I was just telling Libby here that you must take her to visit the islands next time you go out with Gian Matteo.’
‘Certainly! We would love to have you on board,’ he winked, smiling broadly.
‘That’s very kind of you,’ Libby smiled back at him; it was hard to resist his infectious enthusiasm.
Just then a fresh-faced girl let herself in through the front door.
‘Buongiorno tutti,’ she smiled at the room.
‘CiaoMaria,’ said Floriana.
‘Buongiorno bella! Come stai?’ asked Luca.
‘Bene, bene, grazie,’ said Maria. ‘It’s so hot out there today, though; I’m drenched! Thank god for the air conditioning in here.’
‘Maria, this is Libby, she’s here for the summer,’ explained Floriana.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Maria with a broad smile.
‘Piacere,’ replied Libby, shaking her hand. Maria and Luca went through to the bar to continue setting up.
The bar opened at around four o’clock, and soon all around was the sound of chatter and laughter as a large group of American backpackers gathered there, chinking bottles of beer and reliving their recent escapades in Rome. Libby laughed along with them as she listened to their conversation through the open door. Travelling was such a carefree time in anyone’s life, it did wonders for the spirit to be around so many people just living in the moment; not bogged down by doom and gloom and the daily grind. She loved being surrounded by people who were taking so much pleasure from their surroundings, just as she was. Not for the first time she wished that she could apply the same mentality to her ‘normal’ life in London as she did to her travels. Whenever she arrived back home and established a routine for herself, she began to feel claustrophobic and trapped. She knew she had to learn to take pleasure in the small things; to make herself happy no matter where she was or what she was doing. Her habit of throwing in the towel when boredom struck to take herself on holiday wasn’t sustainable, and she couldn’t keep chopping and changing jobs forever.
The clock ticked closer to six o’clock, and soon enough Giulia came sauntering in through the door. Her lips were stained a deep berry red today, her hair pinned back at the nape of her neck. She really was very beautiful. Libby was embarrassed at herself for feeling a pang of jealousy. She reminded herself about Giulia’s difficult circumstances, caring for her mother; it was amazing how Giulia managed to remain so upbeat and positive.
‘Evening,’ said Giulia brightly. ‘I’m here to relieve you. How was your first day?’
‘I loved it, thanks,’ said Libby. ‘Though I have no doubt messed something up one way or another.’
‘Don’t worry – if you have, we’ll fix it. Luckily Tonio and Flori are pretty relaxed. And, this is Italy… balancing the books is important, but not so important that they can’t turn a blind eye to the odd slip-up.’
‘Well, let me know if you notice any glaring mistakes,’ said Libby.
‘Will do.’
Free to spend the evening how she wished, Libby made her way down into the village for a walk. This time she turned left at the piazza, and wound her way along a set of crisscross steps that twisted and turned back and forth, eventually coming out on a tiny ledge overlooking the sea. She found a deeper set of steps that cut through the rock and curved back around to the right, bringing her out on to the far side of the main beach. A group of bars lay further to the east and she could hear the gentle thudding of rhythmic music playing out over the sea. The sun was like a drop of molten lava finding cool relief as it eased its way, inch by inch, into the sea. Libby sat on the bottom step and watched the sunset, admiring the effect of the changing light on the clouds, tinged first orange, then gold and eventually pink. The sea reflected each changing shade like a mirror. She could never grow bored of watching the sun rise and set. It was a luxury that was denied to her in London. In the city you were either at work or asleep, and if you did happen to be outside at the right moment, or near a window, you would undoubtedly have a towering block of concrete or brick blocking your view.
It was this slight sense of claustrophobia that had stopped her from settling down like all her friends had done. Whenever she felt close to having a stable relationship, or a steady job, she seemed to panic, and before she knew it she had run away, taking refuge in the transient life of the traveller. It was what drove Angus crazy. He was constantly telling her she needed to figure out her priorities and stop jumping ship the moment things got tough. She wished she could be more like everyone else, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She had periods of self-doubt and panic that she was missing out, but it didn’t make it easier for her to change. She had promised herself at the beginning of her law conversion that this time things would be different. She was going to sort her life out once and for all – get a proper job, forge a successful career, have a relationship, maybe even get married and have children one day. She wanted to prove to Angus that she could do it, and to herself, of course.
