Love Around the World 01: Andorra

Returning to my hotel, I had a shower and changed into clothing that would be appropriate for an evening out. Sofia was waiting for me outside the hotel she was staying, taking my breath away with the dress she was wearing. A slightly plunging neckline and far shorter shorts than I thought a woman of her age might consider wearing though she'd stayed with the comfortable shoes.

She'd asked around and had been told about a restaurant that cooked and sold local delicacies. Offering to take her hand, she grasped it immediately as we ended up on the one main road that goes through Andorra la Vella, eventually turning off onto a tiny side street and finding the restaurant. Probably no more than six to eight tables inside, and the smells that greeted our nostrils as soon as we walked inside made us ravenous.

Sofia did all the ordering as the waiter barely spoke English, sharing a bottle of local wine. I admitted I wasn't much of a wine drinker, earning a chuckle as Sofia assured me that I'd enjoy it. We ordered a main meal plus numerous smaller plates to sample, continuing to make small talk as we waited for our food to arrive.

It was only after we finished dinner and I'd settled the bill that she took my hand again once we were outside, suggesting a small bar was nearby where we could sit and talk. It was a quaint little place, only a murmur of conversation, ordering a glass of wine for her as I ordered a beer. Taking a seat at a table, she wanted to hold my hand again.

"Mark, have you been married?"

"No. Or maybe I should say not yet."

"Been involved in a serious relationship?"

I had to look away and think about it, wondering what she'd consider a serious relationship. "I've never lived with another woman, but I did have one girlfriend I dated for at least a year."

She squeezed my hand and didn't miss her eyes start to glisten. I shuffled my chair closer. "I'm a widow, Mark. I lost my husband five years ago. We were married for thirty years." She waited until I did the sums. "Yes, I was twenty years old when I married him. He was... older..."

"How much older?"

She glanced away, almost looking embarrassed. "He was forty-one on the day we married..."

"Oh..."

"My father... He set it up. He wanted me to marry someone he approved. He worried I'd end up pregnant at an early age and stuck in the small town I was born and raised in. My husband was an ambitious and already rich man when I was married to him."

"Did you love him?"

"I knew of him from a young age. Did I love him when I married him? Honestly, no, I didn't. But you can't spend thirty years married to a man, who did his best to provide you with the best life possible, without loving him."

"I understand you've lost someone, but why are you upset now?"

"I turned fifty-three last month. My husband made sure I was set up to see out the rest of my days comfortably. But I've come to realise that I'm as lonely as a widow as I was when I was married. He never wanted children. I was married to a man I loved but never truly fell in love with... I've tried to fill up my time with other things. I have many friends but no real family any longer. My parents are long dead. I have a sister though she lives in the United States. We speak once every couple of weeks. A brother has moved to Italy. He's focused on his own life, and we don't see each other very often."

"Is that why you travel?"

"Partly. Thing is, I've lived around Europe. I spent a few years in London. A year in Paris. We had a holiday home in southern Spain. I call Barcelona home nowadays, a nice apartment not far from the city centre. But you get to my age, and you start to think and wonder 'What if?'"

"It's never too late to find love, or that's what I think anyway. Men and women find love even in retirement homes, both of them having lost their partners, and they spend their last years with each other."

"That's a rather lovely sentiment, Mark."

"I've spent most of my life focused on things other than my love life. In the months I've been on the road, and I've had time to relax, sit back and contemplate my life, I do wonder what it would be like if I was doing this trip with someone. We'd either love it completely or drive each other nuts."

"You're still young though..."

"But the clock is always ticking."

"Do you want children?"

Shrugging, I admitted, "I've never really thought about it. I know some men want children as some sort of legacy. I've never really felt that paternal urge some men get."

Walking her back to her hotel, it was locked up for the night though she had a key to get inside. Turning to face me, I noticed the look in her eyes, taking the chance and leaning down to leave a soft kiss on her lips. There were lamps to either side of the door and her eyes positively sparkled as I pulled back after kissing her.

"Do you like hiking?" I asked.

"I didn't get these legs from sitting behind a desk."

That comment made us both smile. "Want to join me tomorrow? I plan on doing a couple of hikes while I'm here."

"I'd love to join you."

"And... I might just stay a little longer than planned though that is depending on someone else's plans."

She rested a hand on my chest, her eyes not moving away from mine. "Come upstairs with me," she whispered.

Taking her hand and holding it, I kissed her again. "Part of me would love to say yes, Sofia," I said softly, "But I don't want to rush into anything... And that is something I rarely do."

"You don't want to hurt me..."

"I feel like I know you already. We've spent all day talking. I'd love to spend all day with you tomorrow, just the two of us..."

Pulling her close and wrapping my arms around her, I felt her head rest against my chest. "I haven't been with a man since my husband," she confessed, feeling her shudder, "I've had interest before though never returned it, but... There's just something about you that I like."

"I haven't always been likable... Most people don't like me when learning what I did for a living!"

"I'll forgive you."

Sharing one last kiss, I caressed the soft skin of her cheek as part of me wanted to go upstairs with her. I'd never slept with a woman so much older than me. I'd had some experiences with girls in their early twenties when I was eighteen or nineteen, but since arriving in the United Kingdom, most of my lovers were either the same age or younger. Just how things happened...

Heading back to my hotel, I received a message from Sofia while I was lying back in bed.

Gracias for a wonderful day. Looking forward to our hike tomorrow. Xx

After breakfast the next morning, I walked down the road to pick up Sofia, walking hand in hand back to my hotel where my car was still parked as I would need to drive us to the start of the hiking trail. She was wearing a gorgeous sundress and a pair of sensible walking shoes. A wide-brim hat and pair of sunglasses. I'd stopped at a shop on the way, my backpack filled with a few snacks and drinks, both of us carrying a large bottle of water.

Driving us to Arinsal, which was nothing but a small village seeming there specifically for the ski season, it was only when we were getting everything out of the boot of the car that she finally asked, "So where are we hiking today?"

"Well, I'm thinking of doing a couple of hikes. Today I was thinking of doing at least part of the Coma Pedrosa. There's meant to be a lovely lake or two where we can stop and maybe even have a swim if we build up a good sweat."

"Oh, I was hoping for that..."

"Why's that?"

When she started to almost blush, I chuckled before she replied, "I may have ensured I'm wearing something to enjoy a dip in the water as I thought we might take advantage of any water we'd find."

"You can always find lakes and streams in the mountains. From what I've seen online, most of the hiking trails will have encounters with some sort of water source."

"How long is the hike?"

"If we went all the way to the top, it would be about five hours, but after halfway, it gets more difficult and though I love hiking, even I'm not that fit. The lakes are about halfway up, and the route isn't considered overly difficult."

Starting our climb, Sofia quickly proved she was as fit as a fiddle as she easily kept up with me and we continued to make small talk as we followed the trail. We were not the only people out and about. We hadn't missed the fact that the capital was full of tourists at this time of year, Andorra was popular all year round as people took advantage of the mountains for all sorts of outdoor activities. We did stop after an hour for a quick drink and to simply enjoy the view. I'd crossed the border into Spain from France weeks ago, but the road had been on the edge of the mountains. We were right in the heart of it now.

Resuming our trek, I could see Sofia was really enjoying herself even as we built up a sweat and exerted ourselves, a near-constant smile on her face as we walked side by side where we could, and I happily followed her at times, and I think she knew I was keeping at least one eye on her sweet little butt.

It took longer than anticipated to make it to the lakes I'd read up about, thankful that they were slightly away from the main hiking trail, skirting around the edge until we were assured of at least some privacy. I'd packed a small blanket to place down as we took off our backpacks and sat down, sitting in silence for a few minutes. The water looked cool and refreshing as Sofia turned to me.

"Are you wearing something to swim in?"

"Yep, underneath my shorts. I've got a towel as well to dry off."

"A man with a plan."

I'd grown up being told that you should never swim on a full stomach, so I finally stood up and took off my t-shirt. Sofia wasn't shy in glancing me up and down. Yes, I'd kept myself fit but I certainly wasn't particularly defined. I just worked to keep the weight off. Sprinkling of dark hair on my chest as I wasn't someone that groomed past his neck. Well, I would if it started really developing on my back... Kicking off my shoes and socks, I dropped my shorts as I was wearing a tighter pair of swimming shorts.

"Going to join me?" I asked.

Sofia took off her hat and sunglasses as I walked backwards, shivering slightly as the water was bloody cold. I expected it though it was still a shock to the system. Taking off her t-shirt first, she was wearing what was obviously a two-piece swimsuit, I smiled at her as I loved the confidence. She wasn't too slim, and had the right shape for a woman her age. Kicking off her shoes and socks, she lowered her shorts to reveal her swimsuit bottoms and jogged towards me as I slid backwards into the water.

We messed around for a few minutes before she swam towards me. "Thank you for today," she whispered.

Pulling her close, I felt her body press into mine as I didn't hesitate to kiss her. Sliding my tongue into her mouth earned a whimper as we pulled into each other. My heart was beating like crazy as we kissed. I couldn't remember the last time I'd ever felt something similar for someone. Maybe it was just the idea of being relaxed and genuinely liking her. Sometimes you just can't explain things.

When we finally broke apart, she gazed at me with fondness that had me smiling. "Mark... I miss my husband in certain ways, but time since his death has also given me plenty to consider about our marriage. That kiss we just shared... I can't remember him kissing me like that..."

I kissed her again, feeling her lift her legs up and wrap around me as she moaned softly again and I'm sure she would have felt my rapidly rising erection pressing into her. That was confirmed when she broke the kiss and we gazed into each other's eyes, the slight colouring of her cheek, that way a woman gazed at you, lips slightly parted, knowing the man they are with is totally aroused by them.

"Sofia..." I started to ask.

She seemed to know what was on my mind. "You have a million and one questions about my marriage, Mark," she said, "And I understand why because some of my comments perhaps suggest I wasn't happy. What I can say is that my husband provided for me and did his best to make me happy. And I do miss him in certain ways." That's when she pressed against me and definitely felt my erection. "I do not miss him in this way though," she added softly, "For most of our marriage, he was simply not interested in me that way."

"Was he blind or stupid? If you were my wife..."

I stopped as I knew what I'd just said. Sofia's eyes widened slightly before softening again, leaving a soft kiss on my cheek. "Finish your thought," she whispered.

"If you were my wife, I would definitely be interested in you that way in addition to trying to make you as happy as hell."

She hugged me tightly as I caressed her back. We must have stayed like that for a few minutes before she suggested eating something would be a good idea. Grabbing our towels, we dried ourselves off before getting dressed as we could feel the chill mountain air when getting out of the water. Spending an hour or so nibbling on our snacks, I had a sense she had far more to tell me but perhaps hesitated. This was probably nothing more than a short holiday romance. If things progressed...

We followed a different trail back towards the car as there were paths all over the mountain leading from Arinsal. Arriving back at the car, we packed our things into the boot before we had a walk around the little village. There wasn't all that much around as the place would be crowded during the ski season, but during the summer, most of the restaurants and bars were either shut up completely or only open for certain days or hours.

Returning to Andorra la Vella in the middle of the afternoon, Sofia made me chuckle as she admitted to wanting a nap. Stopping the car near where she was staying, I turned to her and asked, "Want to nap in my room?"

"Maybe I can just grab a couple of things..."

I parked as close as possible to her hotel as she kissed my cheek, stating she'd just pack a bag of things. She returned ten minutes later with the same backpack, and I drove us to my hotel. It was nothing fancy, you won't find major international chains in Andorra, but it had good reviews and had already proved to be comfortable.

Leading her up to my room, I showed her where the bathroom was as I offered her a drink. The room came with a mini fridge that I'd already packed with my own drinks and snacks. She walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later wearing a t-shirt and a pair of panties. I nearly dropped the can of drink I was holding as I couldn't help gazing up and down her body.

"I'm hoping you'll at least stay with me," she said softly, "But that walk was exhausting..."

"Want to do another one in a couple of days? We can come back here to nap again."

Taking off my t-shirt, I slid under the sheets as she shuffled closer to eventually rest a hand on my chest. We lay in silence for a few minutes, checking to see if she'd fallen asleep. Each time I glanced, she was looking at me and smiled every single time. She eventually drifted off as I pulled her a little tighter, her last words to wake her up in around an hour. Not quite a power nap, but she did enjoy an afternoon siesta during most days.

Waking her after just over an hour, her eyes slowly opened before she gave me the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen, not hesitating in snuggling into me and kissing me. When she ended up straddling my body, she would have felt my excitement as she sat up briefly enough to take off her t-shirt, leaving herself in just a bra and panties.

"I'm glad my body excites you," she said softly, "It's something I've worried about for a long time. I always thought my husband... I thought I didn't excite him."

Snorting made her laugh. "I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, Sofia..."

"I've learned a lot about myself since his passing. I did mourn him, don't get me wrong, but I realised rather quickly that his love for me was... I was his dutiful wife, someone on his arm at events, but I was otherwise just another asset, almost a decoration at times." Leaning up to caress her cheek, her eyes closed as she leaned down to kiss me. "I graduated university, I worked, I had so much to offer..."

"You still do..."

"What do you see in me, Mark? I can feel something already and it scares me. You're going to leave in a couple of days..."

"I see a beautiful woman who perhaps hasn't had the life she once envisaged, but there's no reason she can't make the rest of her life as wonderful as it could be. What's stopping you from doing that?"

"Fear of the unknown. My life was ordered until he died. For the last five years, I've just drifted..." She lifted herself up again, resting her hands on my cheek. "What I want is to fall in love and feel that love returned."

I think we both wanted more in that moment, but she slid off my body and snuggled back into my side. We lay in silence, not really discussing anything. To be honest, compared to my life, I think she carried a burden of sorts and hadn't been able to confide in friends or family. While I was attracted to her physically, I also knew I wanted to get to know her at heart. Despite the obvious wounds carried on her heart, she still had a spirit about her, remembering that smile on her face during the hike...

We had dinner at another local restaurant, this time the waitress spoke excellent English, so I was able to help with the order. After eating, we walked hand in hand along the main street, gazing through the shop windows at the incredibly cheap products on offer. Andorra was a tax haven and notorious for being filled with French and Spanish citizens looking to buy everything under the sun at a knockdown price.

"I don't want to sleep alone tonight," she stated as we neared her hotel, "I don't want to be alone, Mark."

"How long are you staying here?" I finally asked.

"Night to night. It's not a busy hotel..."

Turning towards her, I held both her hands. "I'm staying at least a few more nights before moving on. Would you like to stay with me?"

"And after that?"

"I honestly don't know... What I do know is that I want to spend the rest of my time here with you."

I helped her pack her things. She hadn't packed heavily as she'd arrived by bus from Barcelona. After dropping our things in my room, we walked downstairs to the hotel bar. Even though there were none of the major chains, most of the hotels still had a dining area and a small bar, Sofia enjoyed a glass of wine while I sipped at a beer. We didn't broach any major topics of conversation, instead, she asked questions about my holiday so far and the places I wanted to see afterwards. I spoke of southern France, areas in Italy, the Dalmatian coast and arriving in Greece to explore an island or two in the last days of summer into early autumn.

"And you have no date of return to London?" she wondered, "No desire to return to Australia?"

"The only things that would have me returning to London would be running out of money, which isn't likely as I'm savvy enough to ensure I'm still making money, or if I wanted to go back for a particular reason. As for Australia, I miss my family, but they know my life is here in Europe. I've flown home twice for brief visits."

Returning to what I should now consider our room, she disappeared into the bedroom as I stripped down to my underwear, leaving on the lamp that was attached to the wall above each nightstand. To my surprise, she walked out of the bedroom after a few minutes in what looked like a sheer black nightie. She still had panties on, but I could easily see her breasts as she joined me in bed.

We kissed immediately as I pulled her into my body. I was almost achingly hard and didn't hesitate to raise a hand to caress one of her breasts. Feeling how hard her nipple was, I gently pinched it, earning a moan of appreciation. Her hand cupped my groin, seeing her smile as I'm sure she appreciated in return how hard I was for her.