Chapter 6
Thought of the day…
Setting boundaries – and sticking to them – is vital for good mental health.
(And if anyone crosses your boundaries, activate the see-ya-wouldn’t-want-to-be-ya protocol.)
I pulled Niki aside as we sailed out of the cove.
‘What else is on your list?’ I asked. ‘Any nice-to-haves you were hoping for?’ A cunning little dodge – stay busy, avoid Tommy for the rest of the sailing trip.
She took out her phone and scrolled through a list. ‘We got the paddleboarding and the shots for Solari, the cove, lots of pics on the boat…’ she said to herself. She looked up. ‘What do ya reckon – see how we go?’
‘Okay,’ I replied, disappointed. ‘Let me know if something comes up.’
‘Sweet as.’
She left me to go talk to Tommy, and I looked towards the coastline.
That olive grove I’d seen from the helicopter yesterday was now visible, the gnarly trunks so thick that the trees must have been cultivated decades ago, possibly even longer.
I imagined the people who had planted them, living on this island for generations. Who had owned the island before Julian?
It struck me again how unusual it was to buy an island. I still hadn’t pressed Julian on what had prompted such a dramatic purchase, but I could bring it up at dinner.
And Julian wasn’t the only ex who’d made a life-changing decision.
Tommy had left his career in structural engineering to sail rich people around the Aegean.
Maybe I did want to talk to him – if only to ask how he’d ended up on Aetheria when he’d been hellbent on saving the world.
It wasn’t as if there were any lifesaving wells to dig, or earthquake-ravaged dams to rebuild.
As far as I could tell, the only thing broken on Aetheria was me.
As we sailed north, hugging the coast, the winds picked up and for much of that leg, the boat heeled at a steep angle. We all braced ourselves against the cockpit, holding on tight.
Even Elsa had to remain above deck. I kept checking to see if she had spontaneously combusted in the sunshine. Turned out to be wishful thinking.
When we rounded the northern point of the island, the wind behind us, the boat levelled off, returning to that gentle rise and fall. By unspoken agreement, there was little conversation. We all seemed content to soak in the scenery and sit with our thoughts.
I was wrestling with whether I should talk to Tommy later when Trudy suddenly leapt to her feet, shrieking with delight.
‘Dolphins!’ she exclaimed, her arm outstretched. Sure enough, three dolphins were zipping along with us, criss-crossing under the boat and riding the slipstream.
I laughed, giddy with excitement. Tommy caught my eye and we grinned at each other, everything else falling away – our troubled history, my conflicted emotions, regret… It was simply a shared moment of pure joy.
Eventually, the dolphins left us and excitement continued to buzz about the sailboat. With a bashful but slightly proud smile, Minh passed his camera around to show us the footage he’d captured. It would be brilliant in the promos.
Not long after the dolphins swam off, the resort’s pier appeared on the horizon and I settled back against my seat, sighing contentedly. There were times when all it took to fill up your near-empty bucket was an awe-inspiring experience of the natural world.
‘Pretty impressive how you got those dolphins to appear on cue,’ Dale said to Tommy, who laughed modestly. I sniggered along.
‘If only! Those are the first I’ve seen since I arrived.’
‘How long have you been on Aetheria?’ I asked, the question flying out of my mouth.
‘Three weeks,’ he answered, though he seemed uncertain and looked over at Elsa. ‘It’s three weeks, right? Since we arrived?’
Why’s he asking her? Then his words hit me. Since we arrived. Oh god, they’d come together.
That doesn’t mean anything, I told myself quickly.
Maybe the whole staff had started at the same time – though Niki said Elsa had been there longer than she had.
And if Elsa and Tommy had arrived together, there was every chance they were a couple.
Which would explain all the whispered conversations.
No, I wasn’t going to talk to Tommy. Being alone with him was a terrible idea.
Especially now, when I was becoming increasingly convinced that he was loved up with tart-faced Elsa.
And that wasn’t me being unreasonable or jealous.
Even Niki thought Elsa was surly and rude, and she seemed to get along with everyone.
Once the boat was docked – buoys lashed on and tow ropes tied off – I was the first person to disembark, stepping carefully onto the pier.
I considered dashing back to my villa and pouring myself a large glass of wine, then sorting through the chaos in my head, but manners dictated that I wait for the others.
We said our goodbyes to Tommy and Elsa, who were still on duty, then trundled to the end of the pier where two golf carts were waiting for us.
As we walked, I sensed collective fatigue from such a full day – the sights, a delicious lunch, paddleboarding and swimming, dolphins…
There was also the Tommy Factor, turning run-of-the-mill fatigue into a dense, bone-deep weariness. If I didn’t get on top of it, it would settle in and take years to shake off. Like last time.
At the golf carts, Niki got in the driver’s seat of one and Minh sat beside her. ‘Our office is pretty close to your villa,’ she said to Trudy and Dale. ‘Want us to drop you off?’
‘Oh, that would be lovely,’ said Trudy with a grateful sigh. No doubt she was eager to wash off the dried salt and treat those sunburnt shoulders.
She and Dale climbed into the back of Niki’s golf cart and I waved them off. Which left me alone with Christos. I glanced over my shoulder towards the boat, but Tommy and Elsa must have been below deck. I didn’t want to imagine what they might be doing.
‘Did you have a nice day?’ Christos asked as I settled beside him.
‘I did. And you?’
‘It was busy, but good,’ he replied, driving us towards my villa. He didn’t say anything more and I welcomed the silence, content to let the world – or at least the resort – go by.
Before I knew it, we’d pulled up outside my villa. In another timeline, I might have invited him in. But adding Christos to the mix was a complication I didn’t need right now.
Besides, I wanted that glass of wine and a long soak in the bath before my dinner with Julian.
* * *
I realise that my life may appear glamorous and exciting, and for the most part, it is. I promise never to complain about travelling to far-off places, attending glitzy parties, or being gifted beautiful clothes.
(And if I ever do, someone please give me a swift kick up the arse.)
But as well as being a lot of fun, this life I’ve worked so hard to build is also a business, a platform – a brand.
And there are downsides.
Sometimes all I want is to sink into a hot bath, watch some trashy TV, and get an early night. But when those moments collide with work, work wins every time.
After Christos dropped me off, I was so tempted to pour an enormous glass of wine and run a bath, like I’d promised myself.
But after a day away from my desk, I knew I should check in with HQ.
Claude would want an update and there might be other matters to attend to.
So, I poured myself a medium-sized glass of wine – no sense in depriving myself entirely – then logged in.
I sped through several requests for collabs, mentally assigning them labels: definitely, possibly, and thank you, but I’d rather not. I was about to log off when a familiar email address caught my eye – Tommy’s. Heart in my mouth, I clicked on it.
Meet me at the boat at eleven.
Why all this Secret Squirrel business? And what was so important? Had Tommy’s sea change prompted him to reevaluate other aspects of his life? Like me and him?
Stop it, Ally.
It wasn’t helpful to entertain those kinds of thoughts.
Too much power to send me spiralling. Besides, I was the Divorced (Fucking) Diva, a woman content in her singlehood – ecstatic in it.
And I was always telling my followers that an ex was an ex for a reason – for multiple reasons – and going back was going backwards.
This was one of those times I needed to heed my own advice.
I typed a reply:
If it’s so important, just email me. I’m not meeting you at the boat.
I read it over. Hmm – a little curt. Even if I was justified – Tommy had essentially sent me a directive – I couldn’t shake Mum’s voice in my head: Manners cost nothing, Ally.
‘Okay, Mum.’
I revised it to:
Can’t you just email me? I’d rather not meet you at the boat.
Before I could second-guess myself further, I sent it, then slammed my laptop shut and went to get ready. I was meeting Niki and Minh at the bar before dinner – more campaign photos – and I only had half an hour.
I chose a silk jumpsuit in cobalt – a nod to the striking blue accents dotted around the resort – and strappy silver wedges.
I’d been kissed by the sun that day, so kept my makeup light – a touch of shimmer across my eyelids, mascara, and lip gloss – then adorned myself with dangling silver earrings and a handful of silver bangles.
I did not wear the platinum and diamond bangle Julian had given me, but slipped it into my clutch, intending to return it at dinner.
Before leaving my villa, I checked my appearance in the full-length mirror, giving myself a satisfied nod.
I was rocking the Divorced Diva look and in the back of my mind, I knew I needed it – part of the armour.
With two ex-husbands on the loose – one wooing me with expensive jewellery and the other asking for clandestine meetings – I needed all the emotional protection the Diva brings.
As I walked down the hill towards the bar, the setting sun cast a pinkish hue over the building below, turning its whitewashed walls apricot. I paused for a moment, taking in the incredible view. The sky was streaked in pinks and blues, a low band of clouds lit from beneath like it was on fire.
I continued on my way, the pathways bisecting lush gardens brimming with young olive trees, aromatic herbs, and bursts of bougainvillea and oleander.
I passed several villas, their doors and windows obscured by strategic landscaping, affording the level of privacy Julian’s guests would expect – and that I’d already taken advantage of.
The air was clean and fragrant, and I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with top notes of jasmine and lemon and a base note of brine.
Well done, Jules. Even the air quality is top notch.
Soft yet lively music greeted me when I arrived at the bar, a long flag-stoned terrace bordered by the infinity pool I’d seen from the air, floating candles scattered across the surface.
Overhead lanterns, suspended from beams, gave off ambient light, and overhanging branches of an olive tree were strung with fairy lights.
At the far end of the bar were low-slung sofas and armchairs with plump linen cushions, and closer sat four high tables with wooden stools.
Every seat looked across the pool to the view of the coastline and in the distance, the island of Naxos, just visible beneath the setting sun.
Niki was sitting at the bar, angled towards the entrance. She waved as soon as she saw me and I walked over and took the stool next to hers, setting my clutch on the polished concrete bar.
‘You look great,’ she said.
‘Thank you,’ I replied with a bright smile. ‘Part of the job.’
‘Right, good point.’
‘What are you having?’ I asked, eyeing her drink.
‘It’s the signature cocktail – the Aetherian Glow. I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered one for you. For the pics.’
‘Sounds good to me. What’s in it?’
‘Gin, Mastiha, a Greek liqueur, thyme syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling Assyrtiko,’ said the bartender, placing a coupe garnished with a sprig of thyme in front of me.
He was dark-haired like Christos and just as handsome, only a little older, maybe late thirties.
I sniffed my glass. ‘Well, it smells delish.’
‘Enjoy,’ he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I may have sworn off entanglements with the locals, but it didn’t hurt to look.
‘Yamas,’ said Niki, dragging my attention from the dishy bartender.
I raised my glass to meet hers. ‘Yamas.’ We sipped our cocktails. ‘Oh wow,’ I said, my eyes wide.
She chuckled. ‘It’s yummy, but potent.’
‘Mmm,’ I murmured. I knew a few men like that.
‘Oh, hi,’ she said to someone behind me.
Expecting Minh, I turned around and my smile disappeared.
‘Oh hello, Tom.’
He looked so handsome, damn him – wearing well-worn, hip-hugging jeans and a white loose-weave shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
‘Hello, Ally,’ he said with a strained smile. ‘I was hoping to borrow you for a minute – get your thoughts on the sailing trip, that sort of thing.’
He made it sound like the most natural thing in the world to ask of ‘the face of Aetheria’. Saying no in front of Niki would make me look like a right cow, which I was sure was his intention.
‘Er, I would but I promised Niki and Minh we’d—’
‘Oh, we only need a couple of pics of you at the bar, Ally,’ she interrupted unhelpfully. ‘Once Minh gets here, it’ll take two secs. Then she’s all yours,’ she told Tommy.
‘Perfect,’ Tommy answered, and I wasn’t sure which one of them I wanted to strangle more.