Chapter 30
THIRTY
A little after six in the evening, Andreas calls me and asks if I am free in around an hour.
‘I am sorry it is a little short notice, but I wondered if you would be up for that trip to Oia later?’ he asks me.
‘Do you mean to audition?’ I ask, feeling a sudden ball of nerves in my stomach.
‘Yes. I realise it isn’t much time to get some songs together, but there is a resident pianist, and one or two musicians,’ he says. ‘They would be mad not to fall in love with you,’ he says, before quickly adding, ‘With your voice, I mean.’
‘Do you really think so?’
‘I am certain. When I explained you were going home tomorrow, my friend was keen to see you before you leave,’ he explains.
‘Of course, then yes, I would love to go to Oia,’ I say excitedly. ‘And thank you for setting that up for me,’ I tell him gratefully.
‘It is my pleasure. And, of course, it will be the right time to enjoy that famous sunset,’ Andreas reminds me.
‘Sounds wonderful,’ I say, imagining sitting in a bar and watching the sun go down. A singing audition in Greece though? This might just be the craziest thing I have ever done in my whole life.
I quickly shower and change and in no time at all Andreas has arrived. He looks handsome this evening in a peach-coloured shirt, and some dark jeans. On his wrist, he wears a leather rope bracelet, in contrast to his brother, who is never without his Rolex on his wrist.
‘You look nice,’ he comments on my knee-length white dress as he opens the car door for me to climb inside.
‘So do you,’ I return the compliment.
The drive to Oia is short and beautiful as we drive along the mainly empty road, passing fields of grapevines and rugged mountainous scenery, interspersed with pink and yellow villas.
As we climb higher, we enjoy wonderful views below, and my stomach begins to churn.
Shouldn’t I be looking for a singing job back home, and looking for a place to rent?
And didn’t Dad say another local pub is reopening and that they would be looking for singers?
Maybe I could combine that with another part-time job to earn a decent living wage.
I tell myself that the work here would only be until the end of the summer, so I guess I would at least have the experience to look for something when I get home.
We pass a row of donkeys on the white pavement below a cobbled stone path that leads up to a church, before the road becomes busier with cars and quad bikes, as we near our destination. Thankfully my nerves have begun to give way to a feeling of excitement.
‘No going back now then,’ Andreas says with a smile as we pull up outside a white building that looks seriously cool.
A sign above the door has the words ‘Theo’s Bar and Restaurant’ in black writing against a silver backdrop.
Two marble sculptures of Greek goddesses sit either side of a heavy black-wooden door at the entrance.
‘This place looks expensive,’ I say to Andreas as we approach the door. ‘And it appears to be closed.’
I almost suggest leaving, as once more my nerves get the better of me. Am I really good enough to sing in a place like this?
‘It only opens at eight o’clock,’ he tells me as he rings a bell. After a brief conversation on an intercom, a man around the same age as Andreas appears at the door.
‘Andreas, welcome.’ He shakes us both warmly by the hand as Andreas introduces us.
Stepping inside onto a marble-floored reception area with a chandelier overhead, I glimpse the restaurant ahead, ready for service. Orange high-backed velour chairs contrast perfectly against white walls adorned with black and white art.
The guy who greeted us is called Mikail and he offers us a drink, before leading us to a room a little further along a corridor.
The spacious room has a piano in one corner, and a patio door leading to a large outside area, filled with chairs and tables that give dramatic views over the island.
I take in the bar on one side of the room and the sumptuous sofas dotted about.
‘Wow, this is gorgeous,’ I say as I look around the beautiful room.
‘This is the piano bar, as you might have guessed.’ Mikail introduces me to the resident pianist. ‘People like to relax here after dinner and listen to some music, which, of course, is why you are here.’
Could I seriously be hired to sing in a place like this, over the summer? Even the thought of it has me pinching myself.
‘We have a set of songs we can suggest, but if you have anything in particular, we could take a listen,’ says Mikail.
‘Okay,’ I say.
‘In the meantime, we would be happy to hear you sing today, if that’s okay?’
‘Yes, and I would be happy to go with your suggestion for a song today,’ I tell the pianist, who is introduced as Nicos.
He suggests ‘The Long and Winding Road’ by The Beatles, which is thankfully a song I have sung several times before and suits my voice perfectly.
The piano man plays his intro, and I can feel the adrenaline kick in. As I begin to sing, I feel as though I am soaring above the mountains as I give the vocals everything I have.
The three men in the room are silent for a moment when I finish, and I think I see Andreas wipe away a tear from his eye.
A slow smile spreads across the face of Mikail as he slowly applauds me.
‘You were not joking when you told me she was good.’ He turns to Andreas, before shaking me warmly by the hand. ‘That was wonderful. The question now is surely, when can you start? I think you could work with Mia, yes?’ He turns to Nicos the piano man.
‘It would be my honour,’ he replies kindly.
‘Wow, really? That’s it? I’m hired?’ I ask, my heart thumping.
‘You are. That is okay, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, of course, it’s more than okay, it’s wonderful, thank you! So am I right in thinking that the post will start in July?’ I ask.
‘Yes, it does,’ Mikail replies with a smile. ‘I suppose I was being impulsive when I thought of firing our current singer so you could start sooner,’ he says to my surprise.
‘Are you not happy with him?’ I find myself asking.
‘Not always, but not because of his singing,’ he explains.
‘He has the voice of Michael Bublé, but unfortunately the drinking habits of a drunken sailor,’ he reveals.
‘He has me on edge, turning up late and sometimes has me wondering if he will turn up at all.’ He sighs in frustration.
‘But, yes, you can start one month from now if it suits you?’
He tells me I will appear four nights a week, between nine and midnight, with a break in between. The salary he suggests is far more than I was expecting.
‘Oh and, of course, accommodation is included if you need it,’ he tells me.
‘I’m sorry, what?’ I say, hardly able to believe my ears.
‘Staff accommodation. Literally just down the slope,’ he says. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mention it to Andreas at the time, but a room has only just become available. One of the restaurant staff has had to return home earlier than expected,’ he explains.
‘I can’t believe it,’ I say, genuinely shocked by the offer of free accommodation. ‘To tell you the truth, I think that paying for a place to stay might have been a stumbling block,’ I tell him.
In fact, it would have been highly unlikely despite the very generous payment I am to receive for my performances.
‘Then now you have nothing to worry about.’ He smiles. ‘That is assuming you would like the job?’
‘Yes. Yes, I would love to perform here, thank you so much,’ I tell him, my head spinning. Have I really just accepted a job here in Santorini?
‘Perfect,’ he says. ‘Welcome on board. I will email details of your contract. And if you arrive a couple of days before you start work, you can go through some songs with Nicos.’
‘Yes, of course, and thank you,’ I say, hardly able to believe what is happening to me right now.
I head outside with Andreas in a complete daze.
‘My gosh what just happened?’ I say, realising I am shaking slightly.
‘What happened is that someone has rightly recognised your talent,’ he says. ‘I am so happy for you. And now, let us find somewhere to celebrate.’
Around the corner is a small bar with football shirts all over a wooden ceiling, once more with a stunning vista.
‘Not quite as glamorous as the last place, but shall we grab a beer?’ suggests Andreas. ‘The sun will be setting shortly, so we are lucky to get a seat anywhere around here at this time.’
‘This is perfect,’ I say as we head inside.
It isn’t long before the bar is crowded out with visitors hoping to bag a seat to watch the legendary sunset.
‘You know, I think we ought to toast both of us actually,’ I say to Andreas when our beer arrives.
‘You do?’ says Andreas.
‘Yes. You have the beach workshop and I have a singing contract, which feels weird when I say it out loud.’
‘Well deserved. And, yes, perhaps we ought to toast our respective future careers,’ he agrees. ‘Not everyone has the opportunity to do what they truly desire.’
‘To us,’ we say as we tap our glasses together.
There is a hush in the bar as the sun begins its descent and the view from up here is nothing short of spectacular.
The sky fills with a rainbow of colours, and as the sun begins its final descent, the surrounding buildings seem to be bathed in an orange hue, giving it a truly magical feel.
‘This is perfect.’ I sigh, resting my head on Andreas’s shoulder as we watch together, lost in a moment that I will remember forever.
When the conversation in the bar resumes, I feel slightly embarrassed to have leaned on him like that, but he didn’t seem to mind. At least I hope he didn’t. Watching the sunset here has been the most extraordinary way to end one of the most exciting days of my life.
‘Would you like a coffee before we leave?’ offers Andreas.
‘No, thanks, I will be awake half the night if I do, but you get one if you like.’
‘I am okay.’ He smiles. ‘Perhaps it is that I don’t want to leave just yet,’ he says and it occurs to me that I am in no hurry to leave either.
His eyes meet mine and as he leans closer, I prepare myself for his kiss as a waiter drops a glass on the next table and it crashes to the floor.
‘Although maybe we ought to get going,’ he says. ‘There are so many people here this evening, the roads may get busy later on.’
‘Of course,’ I tell him. I suddenly feel a little tired anyway, no doubt coming down from the adrenaline rush I experienced earlier when I sang at the restaurant.
I have to stop myself from drifting off to sleep on the journey home by chatting to Andreas, and taking in the surrounding landscape that has been plunged into darkness.
As we leave the lights of Oia, the road becomes even darker, the only light from passing villas or the occasional bar or restaurant.
It is almost eleven when Andreas drops me off at the apartment.
‘I can’t thank you enough,’ I tell Andreas as we stand beneath a sky studded with bright stars. There is still a buzz from the restaurants across the road; the sound of chattering and laughter ringing out can be heard. ‘I would never have thought of looking for a job here in Santorini.’
It makes me think that contacts can be invaluable when it comes to securing any type of work.
‘I was happy to help, although you were only hired because of your talent. Believe me, Mikail only hires the best people,’ he tells me.
‘Thank you.’
‘So would you like a lift to the airport tomorrow?’ Andreas offers.
‘Surely you can’t keep taking time off from the shop?’ I say.
‘My cousin is more than happy to work,’ he reminds me.
‘It’s kind of you to offer, but I have a hire car that I can drop off at the airport,’ I explain. ‘I will be travelling back on the same flight as Irene and Patsy, so I will take them to the airport too.’
‘I see,’ he says, glancing down at his shoes for a moment. ‘Then I guess this is goodbye.’
‘For now,’ I correct him. ‘It won’t be long until I return.’
Just then I hear someone call my name as Irene and Patsy come bounding across the road.
‘Oh, my goodness, you’re back,’ says Irene excitedly. ‘So how did it go?’
‘I will leave you to it.’ Andreas smiles, before wishing us all a safe flight, and saying he will be in touch, before he climbs into his car.
As I wave him off, I can’t help wondering what might have happened if Irene and Patsy had not appeared when they did.
‘So go on, tell us how it went,’ insists Irene as we link arms and head into the apartments.
‘Well, you are never going to believe this, but…’