Secrets to a Happy Ending

Chapter 5

Lydia hurried along the street, she could not get the images out of her head about Julie and the domestic violence she had suffered at the hands of her ex husband.

As she walked along she remembered Jason, and how much she missed him she wished he was here right now. Tears welling up in her eyes she swallowed hard, she thought about that day, the day they went off on the motorbike.

"Jason don't go so fast!" She said

"Stop panicking, I know what I'm doing."

No one could have seen the lorry appear out the side road, she remembered the screech of brakes. She closed her eyes and stopped; breathless she stood to compose herself. She looked around to see where she was at, she had stopped at a small cross road and when she looked to her right she saw the village square.

To her left there was construction work going on old, Bulgarian homes busy being renovated. And straight ahead of her she saw a man walking towards her talking to some builders.

"Mr Ross." She called out

Mark had spotted Lydia waving at him, one of the workmen was also talking to him showing him a map of the village pointing to different areas, whilst speaking to him in Bulgarian, at a fast pace.

"Slow down dammit, I cannot understand you when you speak to me that fast!" He yelled at the workman.

Lydia felt herself become annoyed that she was blatantly ignored, she hurried across the road as fast as her shoes would allow her, trying to attract his attention. Mark noticed and began to quicken his pace, whilst dealing with three workmen trying to speak to him all at once.

"Mr Ross, I just need a moment of your time." Lydia shouted

Mark stopped and turned to face Lydia; he smiled at her and extended his hand. Lydia took it lightly and shook his hand. He was an older man with silver grey hair, incredibly handsome In his early fifties, he wore a checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of brown cords, with brown faded suede boots.

"I am Lydia Spalding, I'm a travel blogger, and I hoped I could get a few moments of your time?"

"A travel blogger you say? What is one of those?"

Lydia had not planned for such a question and not really being a blogger, thought quick on her feet for a decent answer.

"Well it's kind of like a travel journal, that I share with readers about places around the world. I heard about the amazing work you are doing, and wondered if I could chat to you about it?"

"I don't honestly see how I can be of help to you, all I did was buy the Village, I have a team of people helping to build it up, perhaps you ought to speak to them, start with my wife Joanna, she works at the realtors office, she will be able to answer many questions. Good day Miss Spalding, enjoy the beautiful Bulgarian weather won't you?"

Mark walked off whilst trying to deal with the workmen, asking questions about the plans in the village still pointing at the map. Lydia stood looking as he walked off in the distance, she got the immediate. Impression, that he was not going to be forthcoming with an interview, and that she would have to try to dig deeper and see what she could find out, to perhaps lure him to talk to her. She decided to try to find out where the realtors were and saw a sign, pointing towards the centre of the Village.

Lydia took out her camera and started to take some pictures of the square, she went over to a seat, where she sat down and took out her tape recorder. Lydia glanced over at the Happy Endings Realtors office and saw a woman inside sitting at a desk on the computer, so she got upƒ and walked over to where the office was.