Page 59 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Once they couldn’t stand the heat anymore, they climbed out, using the towels from Riley’s rucksack to dry and redress. Riley disappeared into the building, returning a few minutes later with a small man wearing a dark orange polo shirt and too-long khaki trousers that bunched at his heels.

“Ella, this is Senhor Pires.”

“Boa tarde, Senhor,” Ella greeted him.

“Call me Henrique, please.” He extended his hand, shooting Riley a look with his eyebrows raised. “She’s a pretty one. Now I understand why you want private.” He winked, shaking Ella’s hand a little too vigorously. “Come. Come. Food is ready.”

Food? Ella cast a glance at Riley, but she just raised her eyebrows as they followed Henrique behind the building, where more purple and blue flowers filled baskets hanging beside the windows. A dozen tables and chairs were set out on a decking overlooking the forest, where several holes had been dug into the ground. Mounds of dirt were piled high like giant anthills. Ella hoped that whatever created them wouldn’t be on the menu.

Henrique showed them to their seats, although the rest of them were empty, and pulled out Ella’s chair for her.

“Obrigada.” She sat awkwardly, shuffling her bum along the wicker, her hat flopping with each movement.

He clicked his tongue. “Ah, polite, too.” He flashed them a toothy beam and clapped his hands. “So, who is hungry?”

Riley leaned across the table. “Henrique makes the best cozido on the island.”

“Psh.” He waved his hand. “Best in the world.”

“And he makes a vegetarian version, too.”

“Cozido?” Ella asked, as Henrique approached one of the holes and started shovelling the dirt from the top.

“Mariana!” he shouted, seemingly to the sky.

Riley chuckled. “It’s a type of stew. It’s buried underground and then cooked by the heat of the volcano.”

“What? That’s amazing!”

Riley’s eyes sparkled. “I thought you might like it.”

A bang and a clatter from the door behind them turned their heads, and a tall woman appeared carrying two metal poles. She exchanged some fast words with Henrique in Portuguese, and then, with a grunt, they used the long poles to lift the pot out from the hole.

More chattering voices sounded, and Ella swivelled to see a handful of people walk into the restaurant, greeting them before taking their seats. While Henrique and Mariana prepared the dishes, the seats filled up. Ella recognised some of them from the village, including the baker with the yellow butterfly clip.

It really did seem to be the place the locals frequented.

“How…” Ella looked around, struck by how quickly the place had filled up.

“Everyone knows it’s cozido time. It takes hours to cook underground.”

Ella’s belly growled at the hearty scent of stew, and Henrique brought two enormous portions over to them. Steam poured out of the bowl, and she peered in, spotting cabbage leaves.

“Bom apetite.” He shot them a wink and joined Mariana in dishing out the other bowls.

Ella dug in, tearing apart the cabbage leaves to find a selection of other vegetables inside, soft and perfectly cooked. She spooned the stew into her mouth and let out a groan at the juicy, flavoursome broth.

Stew wasn’t what she’d imagined she’d be eating when she daydreamed about Portugal on the plane. More like endless pizza slices, chips, and margaritas while lying horizontal on a beach somewhere, as the sun washed away all her problems. But that sounded boring in comparison. She didn’t want that anymore. From pushing her comfort zone, she’d discovered more qualities about herself that surprised her.

She caught Riley’s eye across the table, and she grinned. Stew had been the least of her surprises on this trip. She smiled back at her, trying to be thankful for this moment, with the delicious food and even more delicious company, as the crackle of conversation buzzed around them.

By the time they got back to Riley’s, Ella’s feet ached all over. She collapsed on Riley’s bed, disappointed not to see Ziggy bound towards her. A kitty cuddle would have been perfect right now. He must be out exploring.

She let out a heavy sigh. “I’m fucking knackered.”

Riley chuckled, packing away the contents of her rucksack. She hung the towels in the bathroom to dry and then sat on the bed by Ella’s feet.

Ella pulled her gaze from the ceiling to look at her. “Thank you for today. I had the best time.”