Keep Practising

"Of course, let's get going."

The next few days were wonderful. Mum and I talked and talked in a way I could never have done as José. She snuck into my room, and after examining my wardrobe, declared we needed to go shopping. She treated me to some expensive dresses and tops and, most embarrassingly, insisted on buying new underwear for me.

We even bumped into Senora Rodrigues, and Mum introduced me as her niece. The old bat bought it hook, line and sinker, and even remarked how we could have been sisters. There was one thing bothering me, and on the last evening before Mum flew back I had to raise it with her.

"Mum, I am so happy you have accepted me like this, but how will Dad react?"

"First, your father loves you, so never forget that. It was a shock to both of us to find out what you were doing, but it is your life and if this makes you happy then he will accept it. I can guarantee it. When you come back will you come back as Josie or José?"

I had already thought about this and without hesitation said, "At work I will be José, but Josie will still be a big part of me, so I will keep on being both."

I took her to the airport the next morning as Josie and as we parted at Departures, she hugged me and whispered, "Live your life as you wish, not as others want you to."

She kissed me and I waved to her until I lost sight of her in the crowds.

Chapter Seven

"Hi, you wouldn't happen to speak English, would you?"

I had been dozing on the sunbed by the pool, and was startled to hear a voice. I opened my eyes and immediately shielded them with my hand as the sun almost blinded me. I grabbed my sunglasses, slid them on, and looked up to see a girl standing by the side of the sunbed looking down at me. The sun was behind her and I couldn't see her face properly, even with the sunglasses on.

"Yes, I do. Can I help you?"

"Oh, thank God. I can't speak Spanish and the porter doesn't speak English. Would you be an angel and translate for me?"

I sat up on the side of the sunbed and as she moved out of the sun my heart almost stopped. Sofia was looking down at me.

"Are you OK?" she said. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."

It was only for a few seconds, but I swear Sofia had come back to life. I knew it couldn't be, and as I looked at her more closely, I could see she looked a lot like Sofia, but my subconscious had filled in the blanks. I stood up, my legs a little shaky.

"Sorry, sorry, you reminded me of someone I knew. What do you need me to do?"

"Um, I've just arrived, and I need the keys to my cousin's apartment. He's not here, and the porter doesn't understand me. Can you come and explain to him for me, pretty please?"

I had to smile as she pulled a face like a kid asking for an ice cream.

"OK, but how did you know I speak Spanish?"

Her eyes widened. "You are Spanish, aren't you? I mean you look Spanish."

I laughed as I stuck my sunhat on my head. "My mother's genes. I'm English, well sort of, born and bred in Surrey. Come on, let's get you sorted out." I pulled on my sun wrap over my shorts and bikini top, and pushed my feet into flip-flops.

As we walked towards the porter's office, I checked her out from behind my sunglasses. She resembled Sofia, but, if anything, she was even prettier. She had the same undercut pixie hairstyle as Sofia, and the same air of confidence about her. I choked up at the thought of Sofia and felt a tear leak from the corner of my eye.

"I'm Emma, by the way, and you are?" She had been chattering away as we walked, but this was the first thing I had paid attention to.

"Oh, I'm Josie. Pleased to meet you, Emma."

"Likewise."

We arrived at the porter's desk, where Fernando was looking typically bored.

"Buenos dias, Señorita Josie." He pronounced it in the Spanish way, making it sound like Hosie.

"Buenos dias, Fernando." I explained Emma had come to collect the keys to her cousin's apartment. I turned to her. "What number is it, Emma?"

"Oh, 337."

Fernando frowned. "There is no key here, Señorita Josie. I have had no instructions to give anyone a key."

"Emma, I think there's a problem. Fernando doesn't have any keys. Can you call your cousin?"

"What? No, there must be. Can you ask him to check again?"

I did, and Fernando repeated there was no key.

"Can you call your cousin to sort it out?"

"He's in Australia on business, it's the middle of the night there now. I can text him, but he might not see it until tomorrow. Shit, shit, shit."

She looked so crestfallen I took pity on her.

"Look, send him a text, and stash your things in my apartment until you get things sorted out."

Her face lit up. "Honestly? You sure? That would be wonderful."

I smiled. "I would be grateful for the company. Grab your things and we'll take the lift."

I explained to Fernando who looked relieved to make it someone else's problem.

Emma had a large rolling suitcase and a small bag, which we maneuvered into the lift, and I pressed the button for the seventh floor. We travelled up in the silence people adopt in lifts, even when there is no-one else there. I led the way to our apartment, which was on the corner of the block. I opened the door and let Emma go in first.

"Fuck me. Sorry, I mean wow, what a view."

It's the reaction people have when they enter our apartment for the first time, albeit usually without the swearing. It's actually two apartments knocked into one on the top corner of the block, giving a wraparound view of the nearby marina with its rows of gin palace cruisers. It's also high enough to see Palma to the left and over towards Palma Nova to the right. The Bay of Palma stretches out in front, where you can see the giant cruise ships leaving and arriving and where billionaires occasionally park their superyachts. I love the view and it always makes me smile to see others' reaction to it. Emma had dropped her bag on the floor and stood looking in amazement through the floor to ceiling glass windows.

"My God, is this yours?"

I came to stand beside her. "It belongs to my parents. My mother is Spanish and they bought it with some money my abuelito left her."

"Abuel who?"

I laughed, "Sorry, force of habit, Abuelito. Spanish for Grandfather."

"So, you are Spanish?"

"Bit of a mongrel, to be honest. Mum's from Barcelona and Dad's from Basingstoke. Mum taught me Spanish and I have dual nationality. Put your bags over there and you can sit down. Do you want something to drink? Or eat? It's nearly lunchtime."

"Oh, well, if you have a beer, I could kill one."

I fetched a couple of bottles of Estrella from the fridge and handed one to Emma. "We can sit on the balcony if you want."

I slid back the door and we stepped outside.

"Damn, it's even better out here." She looked awestruck at the view.

"Where have you come from, Emma? Today, I mean."

"Oh, from Gatwick."

I giggled. "Doh," she said, "You mean, where did I start from?" She laughed. "I'm not normally that dumb. From Norwich, up at 4am, train to London, then down to Gatwick and EasyJet here. My cousin had assured me it was all set up for me to pick up the keys. Thank you so much. I mean, for helping me out. I don't know what I would have done otherwise."

We clinked bottles. "De nada."

"De what?"

"It's Spanish for you're welcome."

"I should have paid more attention to languages at school." She yawned.

"Emma, if you want to crash out, you can use one of the bedrooms. You must be tired."

"I am wiped out, to be honest. If you're sure you don't mind? I don't want to keep you from whatever you had planned."

"It's no problem. Come on, I'll show you the room. There's a shower there too, if you want to freshen up."

She put her hands together and looked skywards. "Dear Lord, thank you for sending me an angel in my hour of need."

I laughed out loud. "No way."

Before I could move, she pulled me into a hug. "Well, I won't be surprised if I find a pair of wings on your back."

To my surprise, it felt good to feel her arms around me. I showed her the room where she promptly fell onto the bed.

"I'll be out on the balcony. Let me know if you need something."

She sighed, "Now I know you are an angel."

I closed the door and headed out to the balcony, where I sat and stared out to sea. I had been well and truly spooked by her resemblance to Sofia. Was it that which had made me invite her up? Surely, I would have done the same for anyone in the same predicament. It had been a tough few months, and I was getting my mind sorted out when Emma appeared out of the blue to remind me of Sofia.

Chapter Eight

A couple of hours after Emma had gone to sleep, I heard a phone vibrating inside. Hoping it was her cousin, I knocked on the bedroom door.

"Emma, your phone is ringing."

There was no response, so I tried again. Still nothing. I opened the door to find her on the bed, still fully clothed.

"Emma, it's your phone."

She mumbled something I couldn't catch. I shook her shoulder gently, and she rolled over and said, "No, not with her, you bastard." I jumped back, but realised she was still fast asleep and dreaming. I shook her harder until she grunted and her eyes flicked open.

"Oh, sorry, I just had a little nap."

I smiled to myself, as she had been dead to the world.

"It's your phone, Emma. It's been buzzing."

"OK." she yawned and stretched. "I hope it's my cousin."

I handed her the phone and closed the door to leave her to it. A few minutes later she emerged from the room and slumped down on the sofa, her face like thunder.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck,"

"What's up?"

"You can choose your friends, but not your family." She said it with such an edge in her voice.

"Uh?"

She turned to look at me, her eyes blazing. "The moron got the dates wrong. He says he thought it was next week I was coming. He has rented it to a family from Bradford this week. Why does this happen to me?"

"Oh, that's awful. What will you do?"

"Not much I can do. Find a hotel, I suppose, or get a flight back."

Before I could think about it, I blurted out, "Why don't you stay here?"

She stared at me. "What? No, I couldn't do that."

"Why not?" I gestured to the apartment. "There's plenty of room here. All you would have to do is put up with me for a while."

"That's so nice, but no, I couldn't impose on you."

"Don't be daft, I don't mind. I could do with some company now."

"Josie, only if you're sure about this. I'm warning you, be careful what you wish for."

I laughed. "I am sure. You're welcome to stay here."

"Thank you so much, I'll pay you ----"

"No, you won't, don't be stupid. We can go half and half on the food and stuff, that will be enough."

She shrieked and wrapped her arms around me. "You really are my angel." I have to admit it felt good to have someone hug me again. She stepped back and kissed me on the cheek.

"You won't have to worry. I will keep out of your way. You won't know I'm here."

It was when she said that it hit me what I had done. I know I can pass as a girl because of my small stature and androgynous looks together with the practice I've had over the years, but to carry it off at such close quarters with a genuine girl would be a hell of a challenge. It was too late now. I had made the offer and would just have to be extra careful. What could she do anyway if she made me? I would simply ask her to leave.

"Josie, please let me take you out to dinner tonight. It's the least I can do after what you've done for me. Where should we go? Your pick. No limit."

I thought for a bit, not knowing how far upscale to go. "There's a place on the Marina which is great, but it's pricey."

"No problem, it's my treat. It's the least I can do for my guardian angel."

I rang to book a table, and Emma disappeared into her room to get ready. I heard her calling from the room, but couldn't hear what she was saying. I opened the door to find her naked and bent over, her backside pointing towards me, searching in the wardrobe.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I was totally flustered, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment. She stood up and turned to face me, grinning.

"I just wanted to know if there was a towel I could use. I couldn't see one."

"Uh, they should be in the cupboard in the shower room."

"OK, I'll have another look." She didn't seem fazed at all to be naked and didn't even try to cover up. I looked away, but only after seeing her small, firm breasts and neatly trimmed bush.

I scurried out of the room, hearing her yell from the shower, "Found them."

Back in my room, I sat on the bed and wondered if I had done the right thing. I had surprised myself by inviting Emma to stay. Had I spent so much time on my own I was desperate for some company? She seemed nice enough. But was I taking a risk letting someone get so close to me? Well, there wasn't anything I could do about it now, so I had to make the most of it.

The first issue I had to sort out was what to wear. My shopping sprees with Mum and on my own had given me a bigger choice of things to wear, and I chose one of the dresses Mum had bought for me. It was pink chiffon with a high neck, cut away at the sides and a razorback, finished with a ruffled mini length skirt. Mum had also treated me to a lovely necklace, which I thought went well with the dress. For some reason I spent a little more time on my make-up than usual. It was the first time I had been out with someone for a while and I wanted to look good. Standing in front of the mirror, I debated whether to leave my hair in its usual ponytail, but let it down and brushed it out. I had inherited my mother's dark hair and with my tan I thought it looked better down. I slipped on a pair of open-toed heels, spritzed some Marc Jacobs Daisy, and I was ready.

I walked into the lounge to find Emma already there, reading something on her iPhone. She looked up, saw me and gave a whistle.

"Josie, you look fierce."

I blushed, unaccustomed to compliments. She stood up and I am sure my mouth dropped open. She was wearing an outfit that made Emma look as if she came out of the latest edition of Vogue. She wore a tight black top with a deep vee without a bra, with a long white skirt slashed to mid-thigh on both sides to show her legs. Long dangling earrings, a simple silver bracelet on her wrist and white trainers on her feet completed the outfit. I had thought she was pretty, but tonight she was gorgeous.

"My God, Emma, you make me look like a bag lady."

"Don't be silly. You're rocking that frock." A flash of memory as I remembered Sofia saying the same thing. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out onto the balcony. "Come on, let's get some selfies."

The sun was setting, and the soft evening light would have made Quasimodo look good. Emma pulled me close to her and took several selfies of us together and then insisted on taking some of me looking out to sea and then straight into the camera. She made me laugh by pulling faces and took even more.

"Enough, enough. Let's get going or they will give our table away."

It was only a short walk to the Marina, but we were getting some admiring looks from the people we passed. At the restaurant, the head waiter took one look at us and snapped his fingers at a waiter to take us over to one of the best waterside tables.

"We are honoured," I told Emma. "They usually reserve these tables for their VIPs."

Emma beamed. "Babe, that's exactly who we are tonight."

It's a great place in the evening to admire the boats, and to watch the beautiful people parading along the Marina. In the past I've spotted a member of the Spanish Royal Family, a few footballers from Real Mallorca, and one evening, sat at the next table to Rafa Nadel, himself a Mallorquin.

The restaurant was busy tonight, and the evening was warm, and the afternoon breeze had died away. We ordered a couple of beers and the waiter handed us both a menu.

Emma glanced at it before putting it back down. "What's good here? I'll eat pretty much anything, if it helps. Oh, and I'm starving, so don't hold back."

"In that case, we'll have some Sobrasada Croquettes, Calamares and Padron Peppers to start with. The burgers are good here, too. The apple pie is to die for if you've any room for dessert."

She nodded, "Great, I'm sorted."

I ordered, and we sat for a while people watching. Emma's eyes seemed to pay more attention to the girls than the boys, which got me wondering.

"So, Emma, what brought you here?"

She looked away for a second, then back at me, as if deciding how much to tell me. "A bad breakup, to be honest. I needed to get away and my cousin offered me the use of his apartment here. I didn't realise what an idiot he is."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, don't worry. But, it was horrible. I caught them with a mutual friend in bed. Betrayal always hurts."

I noticed she didn't say he.

"It's a great place to get away from things, for sure." She must have caught something in my voice, because she gave me a quizzical look.

"Who did I remind you of?"

"What?"

"When I asked you if you spoke Spanish, you said I reminded you of someone."

"Oh, yeah, an old friend of mine. You look a bit like her. You startled me, that's all."

She took a long pull at the beer and before she could follow up I asked, "What do you do, Emma?"

"I'm a journalist. Features stuff for magazines. Fashion, mostly, but I want to do some serious stuff as well." She grinned. "And, of course, like all journalists, I'm writing a novel. What about you, Josie?"

I grimaced. "Don't laugh, but I'm a plumber."

She was in mid swig, and I swear she snorted beer through her nose.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I didn't expect that. A plumber, like in leaky taps and toilet flushes?"

I bridled at her words. "I'm a qualified gas engineer too."

"OK, I am sorry. But, you're not what I imagined a plumber would be like."

I sighed, then mimicked a customer complete with air quotes, "I thought you'd be a man." I shrugged my shoulders. "I get it a lot. I work for my mum and dad's company. Corby and Son."

"Good on you, girl. Striking a blow for equality. I like it. Who's the son, your brother?"

My blood ran cold. What had I done?

"Oh, no. It was originally my Grandfather's company. The son is my dad."

Good save, Josie, I thought.

Emma smiled. "Maybe one day, it will be Corby and Daughter."

Luckily, the food arrived, and over more beers we spent the next hour eating and sharing stories. Emma roared with laughter at some of my tales, and she told scandalous secrets about some of the models she had met. She polished off her share of the food and some of mine. We finished with Spanish brandy and coffee before Emma paid with a Gold credit card, so I didn't feel too guilty about the price of the meal.

As we got up from the table, Emma slid her arm through mine, and somewhere in my mind a memory flashed to a time when it had happened before.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asked, pulling me a little closer to her.

"Sure, we can walk along the Marina and then out along the jetty. Ogle at the boats."

"Mm, let's go, girlfriend." Another memory pinged as I remembered it was what Sofia had called me so many times.

"Emma, I had a great time tonight, thank you."

"Mm, me too, Josie. But, it's me who should thank you for all you've done for me."

It felt odd, but good to be walking and talking with someone again. It made me think I had cut myself off for too long. Maybe I had mourned enough for Sofia. Before long, Emma dragged me into one of the many bars, and we had another beer or two. The barman leant forward and whispered something to me. I looked around and Emma asked, "What is it?"

"Those two guys over there want to buy us a drink."

She frowned, "Bloody cheek. How do you say Fuck Off in Spanish?"