Chapter 12 #2
‘What? What is it? Tell us, or we’ll have to kill you.’
‘His boyfriend, who I saw creeping out of his room at dawn was none other than … the hot priest from the monastery!’
‘No!’ Maddie wouldn’t have picked him as Dimitris’s lover in a month of Sundays.
Sofia grinned at the others.
‘Wow, that is Grade A stuff, Char. The thought of those two together is … frankly quite a turn on.’
‘Sof! Really.’ Charlotte took a sip of her coffee. ‘Obviously it’s none of my business. I shouldn’t be telling people his secrets, and I really do hope they can be properly together one day.’
‘Me too, of course.’
Charlotte raised her eyebrows at her friend.
‘No, I do. I love a bit of true love.’
Just as long as it involved other people and not her, it was a wonderful idea. She’d seen what true love could do, and it wasn’t always the fairytale ending of books. It could bring destruction and heartbreak in its wake too, so it was best to steer well clear.
Sofia glanced at herself in the mirror. ‘Plus, I’m pleased that it wasn’t personal and that I’ve still got it.’
‘Vain cow.’ Maddie punched her friend on the arm. At least Charlotte had smiled for a few unguarded moments.
The stroll down towards the town beach was a lot less strenuous.
To Maddie’s relief, they’d all agreed that they’d not be going up and down those endless steps to the hotel more than once a day, and they’d brought their swimming stuff with them.
The ice creams had been extremely filling, and an afternoon lying on the beach would do nicely.
‘Let’s walk along here first.’ Charlotte pointed to where some small boats were anchored. ‘It must be the old harbour, built before the big one we came into on the ferry.’
The old wooden fishing boats lined up along the quay were painted in bright blues, reds and whites. They were obviously still in daily use, as the empty crates and nets on the decks could testify.
One guy even had a small stall of fish laid out beside him. He sat back on his metal chair and took a long drag on a cigarette as they approached.
Charlotte’s first thought was that if someone had requested a hot middle-aged Greek fisherman for a film, this one could have come straight from central casting.
Tanned, lined, handsome face, tick. Battered denim cap, tick.
Muscles in all the right places, tick. Startling blue eyes, tick.
Slow, knowing smile, tick. Her fingers were twitching.
He’d be a great subject to paint. The shock of even thinking it brought a glow to her whole body.
It was the first time in weeks she’d felt the urge to capture a person on canvas.
‘Kalispéra.’
He was speaking to them. She took the chance to practise her very limited Greek.
‘Kalispéra.’
‘Ah, you are English?’
It had lasted all of one word.
‘Yes, how did you know?’
He gestured at them.
‘You look English.’ He pointed at Maddie. ‘And she, with her beautiful hair is the big clue. We do not have many people with hair this colour in Greece, kókkinos, red.’
‘I see.’
The man got to his feet, towering over all three of them, cigarette still in hand.
‘I am Thanassis.’ He pointed to his stall.
‘Are you interested in some fresh fish? Caught this morning. Only a few pieces left.’ He put his fingers to his lips and kissed them. ‘Stunning cooked with just lemon, herbs and olive oil on the grill, or baked in the oven with a little fennel.’
His gesture gave Maddie a funny feeling in her stomach. Tony had been the cook in their house, and to hear another man talk about food with such passion took her aback for a second.
Charlotte answered for them all.
‘It looks lovely, but we are staying in a hotel, so we don’t have the option to cook.’
‘Shame.’ Thanassis nodded his head in the direction of his vessel.
‘I also do boat trips, complete with gorgeous spitikó, home-made food, and local wine. You will get to see the best beaches on the island, beaches you cannot get to by car or on foot. Plus, we can watch the sun go down together on our return journey.’
‘Oooh that does sound lovely.’ Charlotte spoke before she’d okayed it with the others.
Seeing the excitement on her friend’s face decided Maddie and she nodded at Sofia who put her thumbs up and grinned at Thanassis.
‘Yes, we’re in. As long as the price is right.’
Thanassis named a price, which was actually far less than Sofia would have been prepared to pay.
‘Agreed. We can give it to you now in cash if you like, if you knock off ten per cent.’
She’d cottoned on to the fact that many Greeks were happier with cash, so they didn’t have to bother with all that tax stuff, and would give you a better deal if you asked.
Thanassis ground his cigarette underfoot and smiled his lazy smile.
‘That sounds good.’
Sofia handed him a wad of notes.
‘Efcharistó. OK, I will just clear up, prepare the food and meet you back here in half an hour?’
‘Great.’
Charlotte stepped forward.
‘Can I please take a quick picture of you for my blog?’
Now she’d experienced the elusive desire to paint, however briefly, she wanted to at least capture him on camera in case the muse visited her in the future.
She’d been taking fewer and fewer shots for the blog as the days passed, and she’d told the others she’d put the best shots together and publish it as one piece after they got home, so they didn’t need to worry about anyone tracking their journey, Doug included.
‘Sure. No problem.’
Thanassis struck what he obviously thought was an engaging pose, but Charlotte knew she’d prefer the unguarded shots she took when he’d stopped posing and sat down again.
Sofia noticed that his eyes hadn’t left Maddie’s face after the comment about her hair.
He was still staring at her friend as they walked away, although Maddie was oblivious.
Sofia quickened her pace and linked arms with the others.
Her plan for the next half hour involved shopping, and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.
‘Right, I noticed a shop up that way that looked like it had some good stuff, and we’ve got time to pop in before meeting Thanassis again.’
Ignoring the groans, Sofia pulling the others along, bumping shoulders with Maddie.
‘The handsome fisherman’s taken a liking to you, I’m telling you.’
‘Don’t talk nonsense.’
‘I’m being serious.’
‘And I’m seriously not interested. You seem to forget Tony’s only been gone just over a year.’
‘Exactly. Isn’t it time to … spread your wings?’
Sofia was surprised at the flash of anger that overtook Maddie’s face. She’d obviously touched a nerve.
‘I think you mean spread your legs, don’t you? And the answer’s no. We’re not all like you, Sof.’
Sofia pulled her arm away from her friend, breaking up the trio. Charlotte carried on walking. She had no desire to play referee, and it would give her a chance to have a quick flick through her photos.
Sofia stood facing her friend, Maddie’s thunderous look mirroring her own.
‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Needing a man’s attention all the time.’
‘OK, thanks for that.’
Maddie reached over and held Sofia’s hand.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so blunt. But I just get really fed up with people trying to push their widowed, divorced or occasionally single friends on me.
They assume that we’ll all have huge amounts in common, and that I’ll obviously want to bonk their brains out, as I must be desperate after all this time. ’
She was desperate, but for Tony’s touch, not anyone else’s.
The pain in Maddie’s face shocked Sofia anew.
‘I’m sorry too. I can see that must be incredibly annoying. But all I said was that he seemed keen on you. I’m not suggesting you wrap yourself up in his nets together on the dock right this minute.’
‘I know, but it’s just such a sore subject. Let’s drop it please.’
Sofia opened the shop door and winked back at her friend.
‘He is cute though, isn’t he?’
Maddie turned her face away, so Sofia couldn’t see her smile.
‘You’re incorrigible.’