Chapter 14
Akis knew he had said the wrong thing back at the restaurant, about getting on the plane being her decision. He had known it the second he saw her expression flicker. It was almost unnoticeable, but he had caught it. A drop of eye contact, reaching for a prop – the beer bottle – a reinstallation of a smile, immediate affirmation regarding his statement, all happening within seconds. And she had moved on fast, asked about Cosmos and Wren, asked for details of the wedding he didn’t have. He had answered, but his mind was wandering and wondering – what was her story? She had talked mainly about her aunt and her aunt’s business, there was nothing personal, no anecdotes relating directly to her. Was she simply a private person? Or someone who had to be rather than wanted to be?
She tapped his shoulder and he stopped the motorbike. She had taken off the helmet and slid off the back before he could even silence the engine.
‘You can drop me here. There’s a security guard and, well, I’ve almost been up for twenty-four hours so…’
‘Well,’ Akis said, getting off the bike and taking the helmet from her. ‘Thank you for staying awake.’
‘Oh, I didn’t mean that I didn’t have a good time. I did have a good time. You know, once I got off the stage.’
Akis smiled. ‘I think you enjoyed the mussels on the plate more than the muscles in the show.’
‘I think both kinds were equally impressive.’
He nodded, still smiling. ‘It was nice to meet you, Cara.’
‘It was nice to meet you too.’
And now what? Taking a girl to dinner hadn’t been his style for a good five years now. And if this was a casual hook-up he wouldn’t have left Corfu Town, would have suggested a club and then going back to his apartment. So, what was it? Nothing? Something?
Before his brain could put anything into a specific box, he had put a hand in her hair, leaned in and kissed her cheek. Quickly, he followed it up with a second quicker peck on the other side – as was the Greek way.
‘Kalinichta,’ he said, getting astride the bike again. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Goodnight,’ Cara replied.
He started the engine, needing the noise, wanting something to distract him from this strange feeling inside himself. The sensation was dangerously like he wanted to know more about her and that didn’t sit well. He put on the helmet, snapped down the visor and spinning the bike around, he roared back towards the main road.
Cara put a fingertip to her cheek. The space was still gently tingling where his lips had met skin. Despite having his crotch centimetres from her earlier, this was strangely more intimate. And it was an intimacy she hadn’t experienced – hadn’t allowed – since Seb. She had lost count of the number of times Margot had tried to set her up with a son/colleague of one of her business contacts and she could only count on one hand the people she had reluctantly agreed to have coffee with so there would be some respite before the next forced meeting. But, she guessed, this was an enclosed situation too. A wedding she was a bit-part at, in a foreign country, another Margot arranged event. Except it had been her choice to get on the back of Akis’s motorbike. And, somehow, despite food and conversation, she still didn’t know why he had been in that church in costume…
She moved then, towards the gate and the security guard, passing through and making her way towards the hotel entrance. Tiredness was definitely overwhelming her now and she couldn’t wait to sink into those fresh sheets and enjoy the air-conditioning. But the second she pressed the key card to open the door someone grabbed the handle and prevented her progress.
‘Cara, is that you?’
Margot.
‘Yes,’ Cara whispered. ‘Of course it’s me. I’m the only other person with a key for the room… right?’
‘Did you not get my message?’
‘Can’t I just come in? I don’t want to wake everyone else up.’ She gave the door a push but was met with more resistance.
‘Room 115.’
‘What?’
The door was partially opened, a mere crack, but there was Margot’s face.
‘All your things. They’ve been moved to Room 115. I mean, what was I thinking sharing a room anyway? You deserve your own space to relax… Stop it!’
Cara frowned. What was going on? Was someone in their room with Margot?
‘Room 115, darling. I will see you for breakfast.’
With that said, the door was slammed shut and Cara swore she could hear giggling.