Nadia let out a huff and refocussed her attention on Plaza de Armas. Thomas paced in the long arcade behind her. She grit her teeth and, leaning against the column, tried to steady her phone.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

One eye squeezed shut. She assessed the scene before her. Under a black sky, Cusco lay as if drenched in honey. Grey cobblestones glowed beneath the golden light of lanterns, and the cathedral basilica rose up like marzipan. She waited on the tourists strolling through the town centre in their puffy jackets and knitted hats until the area cleared. With her breath held, she tapped the red button.

A pudgy man zipped in front of the lens a second before the long exposure finished.

Bloody hell! She peered down at her photo. The transparent ghost of a headless torso overlaid the blurred night scene.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

"Argh, Thomas, will you please be quiet!"

The sound stopped. Nadia turned to face him, noting his stiff shoulders and the way his fists clenched and unclenched. Her heartbeat ratcheted up a notch. He needed to stop being so protective, after all, she could look after herself.

"I don't think we should go, Nadia."

"Course we should."

"Why?"

She rolled her eyes. "To say goodbye."

Thomas sighed. His right hand dug into his pocket, coming out empty. "Damn!" he said, raking the hand through his hair.

The ball of ice in her stomach started to melt as an urge to brush the stray strands out of his eyes came upon her. The man needed a haircut — it looked so frickin' hot.

"He's a cad," he continued. "I don't understand why you want to say goodbye?"

The words made her body heat. She could look after herself. And she felt on edge as it was. The last thing she needed was for Thomas to stress her out even more than she already was.

"I need to talk to him; I told you that. Plus, I want to say bye to the others too."

Thomas' eyes flashed a brilliant blue. He turned on his heels, shoved his hands in his pockets and made for a vendor's cart pushed by a mature Indian woman. The halt of squealing wheels, muttered Spanish and clinking coins followed.

Nadia inhaled and tilted her head side to side, trying to release the knots of tension in her neck. Traces of gasoline, compostable refuse, dust and damp llama wafted through the crisp night air. A shiver racked her. The hour grew late, and white mist hovered in the air when she breathed out.

Soft pads approached, accompanied by the crackle of a plastic wrapper and the scent of bergamot cologne. A pair of arms snaked over her waist. Against her will, she melted against Thomas' warm, firm chest.

"Sorry," he said. "I only want to keep you safe."

"Do you think he's going to throw me off the balcony when I ask for my money back or something?" Her cheeks ached with the smile that spread across her mouth. The past twenty-four hours had been beyond incredible, but her face — and other muscles — were unused to the exercise.

A cold thumb and forefinger took her chin and, lifting her to her tiptoes, pulled her lips to his. She tasted the sticky residue of his strawberry lollypop, and idly thought she missed the taste of tobacco. The man was determined. He hadn't touched a smoke since the morning before — all for her. She grinned again, and Thomas broke the kiss.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Just thinking about how perfect the last two days have been." She turned into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her. The column met her back as their kiss deepened.

"Gringos cachondos."

They jerked apart and stared at a group of sniggering teenagers.

"What did they say?"

She flushed. "Oh, umm ... they think we should get a room."

Thomas nuzzled her nape, tickling her with the first trace of stubble. "I agree." His hand took hers. "Let's go to the hotel — we can get back in the hot tub." She made to pull away, but he drew her against him and whispered in her ear. "I can order some champagne, and you can put on that bikini of yours so I can unwrap you all over again."

The fever in Nadia's face moved down and liquefied into a molten pool in her pelvis. "No," she gasped. "I need to do this, Thomas."

"Why? Let me look after you. You needn't worry about money now."

She yanked back and glared at him. "Thomas, please, I told you I need more time to decide. I am considering —"

"I don't want you to be hurt again."

"That's exactly why I'm doing this."

"I would never —"

" All I ask is another month or two to think about it."

"You can't honestly think he'll hand your money over."

She shrugged. "Well, if he doesn't, I'll call his mum. One way or another, I'm going to get my money back and then I'll have enough to see me through for a bit. Mind you, I'm not paying for that fucking hotel. You're nuts. Seriously, who pays for a two-storey hotel suite?"

He chuckled. "I haven't heard you complain — until now. However, I'm open to negotiation. So long as we stick to private rooms only — and I want full-cama buses, where possible."

Nadia thought this sounded more than fine, but she wasn't going to let him cotton on to it. "If we must."

Thomas shoved his lollypop back in his mouth, muttering, "And if he hurts you, I'll make him regret it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gringos cachondos — Horny gringos

Image by me. (Damn people walking in front of your camera! 😹)