One Greek Summer Wedding

Chapter 13

Cara had ridden with him again. This time on the back of a motorbike, a slightly too big helmet on her head, holding Akis’s waist as they had whizzed through the narrow alleyways of the town, scaring sleeping cats, almost snaring lines of washing until they were out on the main road. And within ten minutes or so they had arrived here. Here was a gorgeous taverna right on the water’s edge and, seeing as it was well after midnight, they were, unsurprisingly, the only people here. The lights were low, the water was so still and you could see the masts of many yachts moored in a marina. She turned her attention away from the scene to Akis who was talking with the owner. How was she at a restaurant with a man she barely knew? Who was this I’ve-only-been-in-Greece-for-a-few-hours version of herself? Perhaps she should send Margot a text to let her know she was OK…

‘I’ve ordered everything.’

Akis was back, sliding into the seat opposite and putting a large bottle of beer in front of her.

‘Oh, I don’t really drink beer and I had quite a lot of?—’

‘You don’t really drink beer? Or you don’t drink beer?’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

‘Have you tried Greek beer?’

‘No, I?—’

‘Try it. You don’t like it and I will let you off from paying me the fifty euro you promised me.’

Cara smiled and lifted the bottle to her lips. She took a swig and the bubbles hit her tongue. ‘Ooo, no, this is terrible.’

‘You lie to me!’

She laughed. ‘OK, I admit, it’s not bad.’

‘You like fish?’ Akis asked.

‘To look at?’

He laughed. ‘To eat!’

‘Yes, I like fish but we ate, before your show.’

He checked his watch. ‘That was hours ago. And have you ever had Greek fish?’

‘I have not.’

‘Well, this is one of the best places for it. Straight from this water to the plate.’

And within twenty minutes or so, that was exactly what happened. Piles of steaming seafood arrived. Dozens of tiny fish coated in breadcrumbs, larger flatter silver fish opened up and cleaned of bones, pieces of octopus tentacle, squids, giant prawns, and a vat of mussels. All alongside hunks of bread and a canister of olive oil.

Whilst Cara speared a sardine with her fork, Akis went in with his hands. He picked up speedily then ate slowly, closing his eyes and looking like he was savouring every morsel.

He opened his eyes and caught her looking. ‘I have no manners when it comes to good food. I would apologise, but I am not sorry.’ He picked up a serviette and wiped around his mouth.

‘It is delicious,’ Cara admitted.

‘I come here as often as I can. After a show I am always hungry.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ she said. ‘I mean, it’s quite the workout.’

He smiled. ‘You noticed.’

‘It’s hard not to when bits of you were flying everywhere.’

‘Oh, Cara, I do not think so. One thing I am certain of is that I am fully in control of my bits.’

And now she was blushing again. Seriously, how did this guy manage to do this to her? She picked up a mussel and opened its shell. ‘So, how long ago did you lose your finger?’ she asked.

‘You think that’s why I don’t use cutlery?’

‘No, I?—’

‘I’m joking,’ he said and took a swig of his beer. ‘It was almost nine years ago now.’

‘What happened?’ She swallowed. That was a really stupid question to ask someone who had been through trauma. How many times had people tried to ask her similar things and made her feel like she was in the midst of it all over again? ‘Sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘That was really rude of me.’

He shook his head. ‘Ochi. No. It’s OK. My brother fell into some machinery. I pulled him out. All of him made it back out again, the machine took my finger. But, you know, I was not destined to be a heart surgeon so it is OK.’ He sighed. ‘Although I felt I could not continue with the orchestra so?—’

‘You were part of an orchestra?’

She didn’t know why she was so surprised. She had heard the way he played tonight, knew it was something exceptional.

‘Try this,’ Akis said, putting some fish onto a fork and holding it out to her.

‘Honestly, I am so full. I’ve been here less than a day and I already know that the rumours of Greeks feeding you up like the witch in Hansel and Gretel are true.’

He laughed. ‘I know of this story and, as a Greek, I think the witch was light on those portions.’ He offered the fork closer. ‘Please, just a taste.’

It was easier to give in than refuse because it looked so white and light and delicious. She took the fork from him and put the morsel in her mouth. It tasted divine. Like nothing else she’d tried before.

‘Good, right?’ he said, knowing the answer already.

‘So good.’

‘Goes well with the Greek beer?’

‘Maybe.’ She put down the fork. ‘And you avoided talking any more about the orchestra.’

He shook his head. ‘Not avoided. Moved on. To new subjects. Like… why you were in a church tonight looking to confess.’

It was suddenly like being under those stage lights again. She put her mouth to her beer bottle and took a drink.

‘OK, we don’t have to divulge all our secrets tonight,’ Akis said, breaking the silence. ‘I am assuming that you are going to be at all the pre-wedding events my mother has planned.’

‘I don’t actually know anything much about the wedding at all,’ Cara admitted. ‘I didn’t know it was even happening until the night before I got on the plane.’

‘I see,’ Akis answered, nodding, a smile on his face.

‘What?’ Cara asked.

He picked up a piece of squid with his fingers and popped it in his mouth, eyes dancing with hers.

‘What?’ she asked again.

‘You made a decision to come here,’ he said. ‘A small seed perhaps but?—’

‘No, I am just a plus one to my aunt who was actually invited so it was pretty much her decision that we?—’

‘You got on the plane,’ Akis said.

And all at once she knew that he didn’t understand her anxiety at all.

She nodded, picking up her beer bottle and knocking it against his. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘Go me.’