Her back was to him as he stepped in out of the harsh sunshine. He stood for a moment, framed in the sunlight of the doorway, dabbing at his face and throat with his neckerchief, the sweat dripping from him.
She carried a small tray of empty glasses from a tiny table in the corner, crossing to the bar where an old man, clad in white, smiled and nodded his head towards the entrance. She turned, frowning, unable to make out the features of the stranger standing before her.
“God, you"re beautiful,” he breathed and took a step across the threshold.
She saw him and her face cracked wide open in a beam of sheer happiness. Springing forward, she ran into his arms and he took her around the waist, swinging her round, both of them giggling like small children, fearless and free.
“The room"s sti
