Chapter 27
‘So are you sure you’re going ahead with all of this?’ Jo and Emma stood on the terrace to greet me, coffee cups in hand.
‘Never been surer of anything in my life. This is absolutely the right thing for me to do. You’ve been telling me for ages to take a risk.
This is my moment, my leap of faith. I know you’ll probably think I’m a total loon, but it’s almost like I can feel that my mum and dad are behind me and pushing me to do this.
Nothing has ever felt more right,’ I explained to them.
I knew they were worried about me, but I felt quietly confident that this was a huge turning point in my life.
And everything was going to work out one way or another.
Maybe we would do long distance for a while.
Or I could move to Greece permanently. Demetri might even want to come back to England.
We could work it all out. I just couldn’t wait to see him.
‘Then in that case, we’re right behind you. And don’t worry about the gorgeous Greek man you’re leaving behind. We’ll look after him.’
I laughed out loud. ‘Please do. But not too well. You have Tom and Seamus in your lives. And hopefully, Makis will not be far behind me. He’s just got some loose ends to tie up here and then he’s heading over too.’
‘So is your boat crossing all sorted now? I know you said that there were some doubts over it.’
‘No, it’s all booked. I fly into Rhodes tomorrow and then stay overnight and the boat is the following morning. All being well, the weather will be good. Keep your fingers crossed for me.’
‘Oh, we will. How do you feel?’
‘Shit scared but excited at the same time. I don’t think I’ve slept properly for the last few days while I’ve been trying to sort it all out.
Makis and I have a meeting with the man who is going to give me some more information about the investments he’s recommending this afternoon, and then I’ll know what I want to do there too. ’
‘I’m so pleased for you, Michelle. It’s almost like everything is coming together all at the same time.’
‘I know. I think that when I had that chat with Jacqui, it really shifted something within me. With that and my call with Seth, it’s put me in a really different place and I feel freer than I’ve ever felt before.
I think I’ve just been carrying all that shit around with me for so long that it’s a huge relief and I feel lighter now than ever before.
Metaphorically, of course. I’m sure I’ve eaten myself through my grief for so long that the weight might take a while more to shift. ’
‘So how do you feel about your meeting with this money man?’ Jo asked. ‘What even is his job?’
‘He’s called a wealth manager apparently. Excited and wary I think.’ Mixed emotions were my thing at the moment.
‘Understandable. But you don’t have to make any decisions, do you?’
‘Well, I’m not going to, whether they want me to or not.’ I laughed. ‘I’m in the mindset that this time last week it wasn’t going to happen anyway, so if it doesn’t then nothing has changed.’
‘Good idea.’
‘Doesn’t stop me spending the money in my head though.
’ I laughed again. ‘I’ve been looking at office premises in the next village over.
Some lovely barn conversions. I’ve also been looking at properties on Amarissa too.
God knows where I’ll end up. But I’m just going to take it as it comes.
Better to be armed with information than not. ’
‘Totally agree,’ Emma said. ‘You know that we’ll miss you if you don’t come back but we’ll do everything we can to make the move easier for you. And if you do move there permanently, you’d better make sure there’s a spare room for your buddies.’
‘Of course. It’s one of my non-negotiables.’
There was a long list of requirements I would have in anywhere that I chose to live.
I continued. ‘You know you two are responsible for most of my decision making, don’t you?’
‘Us?’ Jo asked. ‘How come?’
‘Because you believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.
You were the ones who told me that I could do anything I want.
When I first met you two, you encouraged me to set up my own business, and move down here to Sandpiper Shore.
You even encouraged me to date Dr Hottie. And look where that got me.’
‘And would you change any of that?’ Emma asked.
‘Not a bloody thing.’
‘Maybe everything in life has to happen to lead you to where you are and the person that you are today.’ Jo was always on standby with some wise words. It wasn’t until I met her adopted mum for the first time that I realised where she’d got this gift from.
I glanced at my watch.
‘I suppose I’d better go. Meet this tycoon.’
I left them behind and promised to let them know the outcome of the meeting.
* * *
When I arrived back at the house, I smiled to see Makis stood in the kitchen waiting.
Looking dapper in a crisp dark suit and open-necked white shirt, which had arrived by courier the previous day, he looked casually cool but smart and snappy.
However, he did have an expression on his face that I couldn’t quite decipher.
‘Everything OK?’ I asked.
‘Yep, you ready?’ he replied, with a glint in his eye.
‘As I’m going to be. Do I look OK?’ He winked as I did a twirl.
I was trying to portray the image of a whip-smart, confident business owner, rather than middle-aged menopausal woman.
Decked out in a navy trouser suit, but with a cerise and emerald-patterned blouse to show that there was a fun, creative side to me too, I hoped my shaky hands wouldn’t give my nervousness away.
Makis faced me and put both of his hands on my shoulders.
‘You’ll be perfect, Michelle. Absolutely perfect.’
Makis had arranged for us to meet his contact at a resort about half an hour away, at a fancy restaurant by the sea.
When we arrived, the ma?tre d’ took us to a seat in the window with a view of the marina.
It was stunning, with several flashy yachts moored just a few feet away.
I wondered which one belonged to the man we were meeting.
I excused myself to go to the ladies’, and after having a nervous wee, I fluffed up my hair and applied a little more lipstick.
I’d gone for a minimal make-up look, wanting to create the right impression.
When I came back to the table, Makis was texting on his phone.
The disappointed look on his face told me there was something very wrong.
‘What’s up?’ I asked.
‘He’s been delayed. Has told us to go ahead and order without him and he’ll join us as soon as he can.’
‘Oh, perhaps we should wait.’ I tried to hide my own disappointment with a smile.
He picked up the menu. ‘No, he insisted that the meal would be on him so to, how do you say, “knock yourself out”.’
When the ma?tre d’ returned, he took our order.
Nerves were getting the better of me, and I wasn’t sure I felt like eating, but while I was dithering about what to choose, Makis ordered a really expensive fillet steak and a bottle of Chateau Margaux which I noticed was rather pricey.
It became clear he was used to living the high life.
I was driving so just had water, alongside my squash and parmesan risotto.
I just fancied something light that I could push around my plate, although when it came, I polished most of it off, not realising I was hungrier than I’d initially thought.
It was actually rather mediocre. I had expected much more from such an elegant establishment.
Makis and I tried to make polite conversation, but the situation was awkward.
I decided to ask him about Amarissa, wanting to know a little more about it before I arrived later in the week.
It hit me then that within a couple of days, I would see Demetri again.
Just the thought gave me immense butterflies and put a huge smile on my face.
‘It’s a small island, very pretty. Lots of white buildings with blue roofs like the rest of Greece.
Lots of hidden sandy coves with water as clear as glass.
There’s a small village a few minutes’ walk away from the house.
Nothing else much to say really. There’s not an awful lot there. Quite dull really.’
He clearly took the beauty of the island for granted. Demetri had made it sound much more picturesque, although maybe that was because he was trying to get me to join him there.
I glanced at my watch again. It had been two hours since Makis’s contact had arranged to meet us and still there was no word.
‘What’s in the village?’ I asked, trying to distract myself from the burning apprehension.
‘When I was there last, a few shops, a couple of restaurants and bars, on the seafront. Nothing much.’
‘That must have been hard for you growing up if there wasn’t much to do.’
‘Yeah, Demetri stuck his head in his medical books and I learned how to, how do you say, wheel and deal?’
I laughed. ‘Yes, that’s right.’ He still sounded like a wheeler and dealer but on a much larger scale, dealing with much more money these days.
Not quite knowing what to do with my time, I excused myself to visit the ladies’ again, and as I walked back towards our table, Makis made eye contact with me and shook his head. Puzzled, I wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell me.
‘He’s not coming. He’s had to divert to the South of France and can’t get here. Said that it couldn’t be helped. He’s asked us if we can meet him tomorrow instead.’
‘But tomorrow I’ll be…’
‘Yeah, I know, on a plane to Rhodes. I’m so sorry, Michelle.
He said if we pay for the meal, he’ll reimburse us.
I’ll get the bill.’ He waved over the ma?tre d’ again and asked for the bill.
When he patted down his pockets, realising that they were empty, he frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
‘I know that all I seem to be saying to you today is sorry, but I haven’t got my wallet with me.
I remember taking it out of my other jacket when I was getting dressed and I think, hope, that I’ve left it on the bed. ’
I went to speak, and then closed my mouth with a frustrated sigh.
God only knew how much this meal – that we didn’t even need – would cost. I picked up the bill from the table and my eyes widened when I saw the total.
It was just over ￡180, the wine that Makis had only half drunk costing ￡75 a bottle and the bottle of sparkling water I’d had just over a tenner.
The meals were extortionate and for that price, I would have expected it to be far nicer.
When the ma?tre d’ looked the other way, I whipped the half-drunk bottle of wine from the table and hid it under my jacket – I’d paid for it so I was having it.
‘I’ll make sure he pays you back, Michelle. And again, I’m so very sorry that this hasn’t worked out as planned.’
My fake smile probably explained how I was feeling adequately enough. It was a good job that the next day was going to dictate the rest of my life.