Chapter 14
Thought of the day…
It’s okay to disagree with your former self.
If something’s not working, make a different decision.
(This is even truer if new shit comes to light.)
I slept so well that night. It surprised me all things considered, but when I woke up refreshed, raring to help Julian sort out his troubles, I didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth.
I took my coffee out to the porch and sank into the cushioned rattan chair, sipping as I surveyed the incredible view. As I stared across at Naxos, I inhaled the herbaceous, briny air, boosting my already buoyant mood.
It’s divine here.
I was scheduled to spend the afternoon in the resort’s spa being pampered Aetherian style, something I was looking forward to.
And that may seem like a no-brainer, but all spas are not created equal.
I’ve endured a floatation tank with pink mould (disgusting), a pedicure that felt like sanctioned torture, and a facial that left me with an angry rash for five days.
That’s why we spent weeks vetting partners for our nation-wide Spoil a Divorcee initiative – a program that gifts low-income, recently divorced women a day of pampering, fully funded by a very generous corporate sponsor. And no pink mould in sight.
But I had zero fears regarding Spa Aetheria – I was sure it would be the pinnacle of luxury.
Everything else about the resort had been exceptional (if I ignored that it was haunted by two of my exes).
And Julian intended for the spa to be one of the resort’s biggest drawcards – he would have spared no expense.
Niki and Minh would be on hand to document the experience, but hopefully not the entire time. How many photos of a woman wearing a fluffy white robe would they need?
Kee-kee-kee.
I looked up to see a bird arcing across the sky – a falcon was my best guess. It seemed to be riding the air currents, turning, dipping, soaring. It was as good a metaphor as any for my situation. It was only my fourth day on Aetheria and there had been enough twists and turns to make my head spin.
And one extraordinary moment when my heart had soared. Last night with Tommy.
Baby.
It had been more than a make-out session – for me, anyway – and the word still rang inside my head. Only it wasn’t taunting me, it was seeding hope – both electrifying and terrifying.
And I couldn’t discuss it with Claude, because I’d lied.
There was also the matter of Elsa – that Tommy had cheated on her with me. I didn’t want to be that woman. I didn’t want him to be that man.
What on earth were we doing?
As these insistent thoughts intruded, pummelling my upbeat mood, I looked across the water again. Calm washed over me, hard-won wisdom edging out confusion.
When emotions and thoughts have twisted themselves into knots, the best way forward was to forge a plan – focus on what was within my control.
I had the entire morning to myself, which gave me ample time to seek out Julian and start delving into his mess. So that’s what I would do. I drained my coffee, then went to get ready for the day.
I’d intended to skip breakfast and head straight to Julian’s office, but as I neared the restaurant, the aromas lured me in. Freshly baked pastries have that power.
‘Ally!’ exclaimed Trudy, sat at her favourite table alone.
I headed over.
‘Sit, sit,’ she said, gesturing to the chair opposite her. ‘You can keep me company.’
‘Where’s Dale?’ I asked.
She waved her hand dismissively. ‘Oh, Dale’s with Julian, up at his villa.’
No need to rush through breakfast then.
I knew that Julian had accommodation on Aetheria, but this made it sound like he lived there. And what were he and Dale doing first thing in the morning – having some sort of meeting? Was Dale involved in this mysterious business of Julian’s?
‘It’s nice that Julian has a friend here, that he gets to spend time with Dale,’ I ventured, fishing for information.
An odd look flickered across Trudy’s face, vanishing almost instantly, telling me I might be onto something.
‘Trudy?’ I said, pretending I was playing (I wasn’t – clearly, something was up). ‘Have you got a secret?’
‘Not really,’ she said lightly. ‘Nothing as big as yours.’
I didn’t catch on right away, but then I realised she meant Tommy.
‘Oh well, yes… but that was years ago now.’
‘Yes, but weren’t you surprised? Seeing him here?’ she asked, clearly unwilling to drop the subject.
‘Oh, you have no idea! A total coincidence.’
‘You know,’ she said, her brows lifted, ‘sometimes the fates conspire…’
‘Conspire?’
‘To bring people together.’
I’d have entertained that notion if I believed for one second that external forces were actively steering my life. No, this was blind luck – a fluke – and nothing more.
I gave Trudy the sort of smile that belied my scepticism and she seemed satisfied that she’d made her point.
‘Kalimera.’ Christos was standing by the table, ready to take my order but I’d been too distracted to even peek at the menu.
I eyed Trudy’s plate. ‘What are those?’ I asked, pointing at half-eaten pastry.
‘Bougatsa,’ she replied. ‘So good – I might ask for another.’
‘I’ll have bougatsa, please,’ I said to Christos. ‘Sorry, I mean, parakalo.’ He gave me a quick friendly smile, then headed back to the kitchen. ‘And coffee, parakalo,’ I called after him.
He sent a smile over his shoulder, letting me know he’d heard me.
I had to admire how laidback he was. I got the sense that if I’d wanted to act on our obvious attraction, there would have been zero strings attached.
With Tommy, there were so many strings, I could open a shop. Want to be tethered to your past? Need a new set of heartstrings? Like playing cat’s cradle with your emotions? Then come on down to Ally’s String Emporium!
I sniggered to myself, stopping abruptly when I caught Trudy peering at me curiously.
‘Thinking about Tom?’ she asked, a telling glint in her eye. It was clear that Trudy was invested in a romantic reunion. I mean, I was too – but I wasn’t up for discussing it.
‘Erm… just something my sister told me last night,’ I lied, and I could tell she didn’t believe me. I looked away, pretending to be mesmerised by the view.
Thankfully, Christos soon returned with my order, sparing me from fabricating more nonsense.
‘Thank you – efharistó.’
Geez, Ally. I’d been in Greece several days and I was still forgetting to say please and thank you in Greek. And it’s just basic manners when you’re travelling – please, thank you, hello, goodbye. At the bare minimum. I’d have to remember for next time.
‘So, what are you up to today?’ I asked, redirecting the conversation.
‘I was about to ask you the same thing. I’m on my own today.’
Dale’s absence, not only at breakfast but for the rest of the day, was hardly a smoking gun. Then again, he and Julian had worked together in Ottawa, and they were both in tech – maybe he was caught up in this questionable business deal.
And poor Trudy – she probably thought she was in for a luxurious holiday with her adoring husband. Now she was spending the day alone.
‘Well, I’m booked into the spa this afternoon. They could probably fit you in,’ I suggested.
‘Ooh, a spa day! What treatments are you having?’
‘Essentially one of everything – well, all their signature treatments. There’ll be an entire PR campaign just on the spa. Julian says it’s world-class.’
‘Do you think they could fit me in? Even just for a manicure,’ she said, her eyes dropping to her nails.
‘How about I check with Niki, then let you know?’
Trudy perked up at that, beaming at me. ‘Perfect.’ After a moment, her smile softened. ‘You know, Ally, I didn’t expect to make a friend on this trip but— Oh, sorry, that was presumptuous of me.’ She shook her head at herself dismissively.
‘No, no, not at all. I feel the same way. And it’s very much welcomed, Trudy. I don’t have that many friends,’ I added wryly, careful not to sound woeful.
‘Really? But I would have thought with your— Oops, confession time: I looked you up. Ally, you’re famous. You’re the Divorced Diva!’
‘I am. And you’re right, I do know a lot of people. But most of them are just that – people I know, rather than close friends.’
‘Well, that makes it all the more special that we met then,’ she said, reaching over to pat the back of my hand.
I returned her warm smile, and for a second, I considered sharing my predicament with her. But just as quickly, I dismissed the idea. Despite our rapport, it would be unfair to burden Trudy with my worries and woes. It was too much to lay on someone I’d only just met, and she knew Julian.
I was about to take a sip of coffee when Trudy said, ‘I’ve been meaning to ask… what’s your connection to Julian then? How do you two know each other?’
Ignoring the ironic timing, I set down the cup and regarded her closely. It was obvious she wasn’t just fishing for a juicy morsel of gossip – she seemed genuinely curious.
She watched me, her eyes wide, as she waited for an answer.
I could have lied to her again, but what if Julian let it slip that we’d been married?
He’d pronounced it proudly when he introduced me to Tommy.
He might not think anything of it. There was also the possibility that Trudy would stumble upon it herself.
She’d looked me up – she might dig deeper.
She would only have to go back to my social media posts from a few years ago and she’d have a front-row seat at The Julian and Ally Show.
Besides, we’d only just talked about becoming friends – I didn’t want to lie to her.
‘Well, Trudy, I was also married to Julian.’
Trudy stared at me for a beat, then threw her head back and burst out laughing. ‘Oh, Ally, you’re too much!’ She fanned her face, gasping for air as her laughter intensified.
Well, I’d tried. If she raised it again, I’d set her straight but right then, I had more to worry about than convincing Trudy I was telling the truth.
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