Chapter 19
AGIOS STEFANOS NE
As beautiful as the neighbouring village to Avlaki was, Faye couldn’t relax the next morning as she sat harbourside with Dimitria waiting for Alexandros from the estate agency to arrive.
Fani had called in sick and although that meant there had not been inconsistent eggs at breakfast, it also meant that they were one person short in the kitchen all day, unless Katerina managed to work a miracle and find a replacement in her new temporary role as Faye’s assistant.
‘He is late,’ Dimitria remarked, sipping at her frappe. ‘I knew this was a mistake.’
‘Dimitria,’ Faye said. ‘He is only a few minutes late. We were here early. And you know what the traffic is like in Acharavi this time of year.’
‘He is probably fighting his way through hoarded items or dogs or chewed up rugs in the disaster zone the tenants have made my previously beautiful house.’
‘We could have met him up there,’ Faye said. She had made this suggestion earlier but Dimitria had ignored her. ‘To reassure you that everything is in good order.’
‘I would not be reassured. I would be stressed. Here I have frappe. That is the mistake. Not ordering a cocktail.’ She furiously sucked at her straw.
Faye put a hand on Dimitria’s, which was resting on the table.
‘Everything is going to be fine. This is a positive step, remember. Think about what you’re going to spend your money on when it sells.
’ As if thinking over what she’d just said, Faye said more.
‘What are you going to spend the money on?’
Dimitria gazed out over the water and Faye followed suit.
Small motorboats were already moored on the wooden dock, gently bobbing in the breeze.
Further out to sea sat expensive yachts cocooning the rich and possibly famous.
It was calm but, for Faye, it lacked the natural, more rustic feel of Avlaki.
‘I think,’ Dimitria began, ‘I am going to spend it on life.’ She smiled.
‘Spiros was always all about saving for a rainy day, the caution. I often wonder, if he had lived, and we had both got to this age together, if his mindset would have changed.’ She shook her head.
‘I like to think that whatever I decide to do he would approve and maybe, somehow, he will know.’
Faye squeezed her hand. ‘So, you’re going to do something frivolous? Buy a Ferrari? Or a superyacht like the ones out there? Hang on, how about buy a whole island!’
‘Do not be ridiculous, Faye. Do you have any idea of property prices? If I wanted to buy an island I would not be selling my house, I would be selling the hotel.’
Simultaneously, Faye’s stomach dropped and a sick feeling flooded her throat. She had to let go of Dimitria’s hand and reach for her own freddo cappuccino. ‘But you’re not going to do that.’ She swallowed the mouthful of cold foam. ‘Are you?’
‘Ah! Here he is now,’ Dimitria said, getting to her feet.
Faye stood too at the arrival of the real-estate agent. Medium height, medium build, dark hair, beard, sunglasses and a linen suit he was surely perspiring in.
‘Yassas, Mrs Aspioti,’ the man greeted, removing his sunglasses. ‘And you must be Mrs—’
Faye stuck out her hand, desperate to not be called Mrs Lawson. ‘Hello, I’m Faye.’
‘Alexandro,’ Dimitria said, leaning in to kiss the man on both cheeks. ‘Eímai Dimitria. First names for us both please. And sit down. Let me order us some cocktails. This coffee was the biggest mistake. I will find the waitress.’
Before Faye could say anything, Dimitria was walking off the seating area and crossing the road to the bar to find a staff member.
‘So,’ Alexandros said, sitting down next to Faye. ‘Dimitria tells me that you are also looking for property to buy.’
‘Well,’ Faye said. ‘I’ve been looking for something for a while now. Softly.’
‘Softly?’ he queried, turning a little in his seat.
‘I don’t want to rush into anything. When I buy somewhere it has to be perfect, you know, to feel right.’
She had looked at many homes, but something had always stopped her from committing.
For now, still, she was content living in the grounds of the hotel in her happiest place near the beach she adored.
She wholly believed that what was meant for you would always find you, the right thing at the right time.
‘Well, perhaps you need someone with my experience to show you the right places.’
Was it Faye’s imagination or had he smoothly moved his seat a little closer to her? He wasn’t unattractive. At all. But…
‘I have my details with your agency,’ Faye said. ‘They tend to send me an email if there’s anything in my price range.’
‘Maybe if I had your phone number I could call you,’ Alexandros said with a smile. ‘If anything came up.’
Faye smiled. He was definitely flirting with her and she started to wonder just how much talking Dimitria had done about the lack of romance in her life while she was discussing the potential sale of her property. ‘That’s very thoughtful.’
‘So?’ Alexandros said, producing his mobile phone from his jacket pocket.
Gosh, he was keen. But was she? She didn’t know. Why didn’t she know? She needed to say something.
‘Erm… how about you give me your number and I can call you if I… see anything I like.’ Her phone was sat there on the table. She couldn’t have worded it any worse…
‘Do you?’ he asked, leaning a little closer. ‘See anything you like?’
Now she felt something and it was definitely somewhere between ‘fight’ or ‘flight’. And it didn’t feel right.
‘The cocktail menu,’ Dimitria said, arriving back at the table and passing them around.
Suddenly Faye’s phone erupted and she looked to the screen. Saffron. Her heart leapt. Not because there was a text from her daughter but because she suddenly realised she hadn’t even looked at those messages Matthew had sent yesterday.
‘Sorry,’ Faye said, picking up her phone. ‘Do you mind?’ She looked to Dimitria. ‘It’s Saffron.’
‘Read it,’ Dimitria ordered. ‘Hopefully it will be a message saying she is coming back to us soon.’
Faye opened the text and almost fell off her chair. ‘Oh God!’ she gasped, catching her balance and getting up.
‘What’s wrong? What’s happened?’ Dimitria asked, hand to her chest.
‘She’s at the airport! Here! In Corfu!’
‘Fandastika!’ Dimitria exclaimed.
‘No, not fandastika.’ Faye was already picking up her bag and checking around her seat to make sure she had all her stuff. ‘She said Matthew texted yesterday to ask me to pick her up and—’
‘Go!’ Dimitria ordered, shooing her hand in the air and ordering Faye away.
‘Are you sure?’ Faye asked. ‘I could ask her to get a taxi but it’s expensive. And why didn’t she text or call me herself?’ She was asking the universe that question rather than anyone sat at the table.
‘Please leave, Faye. Now. Alexandros can take me back to the hotel. I can tell you everything later.’
‘OK, I’m going,’ Faye said. She took a step away but then turned back. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Fyge!’ Dimitria ordered.
With the ‘go away’ ringing in her ears, Faye rushed off to the car.