Chapter 22 #2
Maddie shepherded Charlotte to her seat.
‘A little starstruck are we?’
‘You don’t understand. She was all my brother talked about. And like most teenage boys, he barely spoke in those days. We even persuaded my parents to let us go to see a gig of hers in Reading of all places. And you know how strict my parents were.’
Maddie raised her eyes to the sky.
‘Don’t remind me.’
The lying she’d had to do to release Charlotte from their clutches had involved them both developing an intense interest in art classes, followed by sleepovers at hers, which really meant clubbing for most of the night with Sofia, whose mum had been fine with it, even turning out to pick them up at all hours.
Luckily, Charlotte had always been a fantastic artist, so it wasn’t a problem to produce a few pieces as proof of their passion for both of them.
‘Honestly, I can still remember Suzie’s gig. It was amazing. It’s so weird to find her here, on a tiny Greek island. I can’t really believe it.’
‘Okaay. Maybe she’ll let you take her pic later to show your brother. I don’t think many of this lot’—Maddie pointed at the crowd pouring into the bar—‘will have a clue who she is.’
Charlotte was still staring in Suzie’s direction.
‘I wonder why she gave it all up? She just disappeared after a few hits. Never made another album.’
‘For love, it sounds like.’
‘How romantic.’
Charlotte really hoped that the love that had tempted Suzie was still alive and kicking.
To give up your country as well as your unique skill was huge.
Her talent for art might have deserted her for the moment, but she hoped and prayed she’d find it again soon.
She couldn’t imagine going through the rest of her life without painting.
The next time Sofia looked over at the bar, Grace was there talking to Suzie.
‘Grace! Over here!’ Sofia gave an ear-splitting whistle.
Maddie put her hands up to her ears.
‘Thanks for that, Sof. I thought it was going to be the music that hurt my ears, not you.’
Once Sofia had hugged the life out of her old friend, she reintroduced her to the others.
Maddie had met up with Sofia’s tall, blonde uni mate, Grace, a couple of times over the years, Sofia’s first wedding being one occasion, and at a couple of parties, but she’d not seen her for ages, and not since she’d lost Tony.
Grace had also been widowed herself a few years ago, she recalled, but according to Sofia, was now happily hooked up with an ex special-forces soldier called Will. She certainly looked well on it.
Both she and Charlotte were hugged in turn by Grace.
‘Hi. I remember meeting you both ages ago, but as madam here has basically had hardly any time off work in the last ten years, it’s been a while. But now all that work nonsense’s over…’
Sofia bumped against her friend.
‘Don’t say that! It’s not over.’
‘OK, on hold. Anyway, it’s great to see you both here on the island. Welcome and Yamas!’
‘Yamas!’
Maddie and Charlotte smiled back and clinked bottles with Grace.
‘I’m not na?ve enough to think I’m the only attraction on the island. I’m sure you’ve both met a certain someone called Adonis.’
Sofia put her hands on her hips.
‘Grace! Why are you trying to wind me up the second I’ve got here?’
Maddie winked at Grace.
‘We certainly have noticed Adonis. Sof was desperate to get here. On the previous island she was all twitchy and restless like you wouldn’t believe. She even turned down a perfectly hunky car hire guy with the looks of a Greek god, and you know that’s not like her…’
Sofia slammed her beer down on the table.
‘Oh great, you’re ganging up on me now.’
Grace put her arm round Sofia’s shoulders.
‘We’re just excited that this one’s lasted more than one night. I was here when you met him almost a year ago, remember. And you’ve been back for more quite a few times since, haven’t you?’
‘Back for more sounds sleazy. Look, I keep telling you all that it’s just casual. He’s a nice guy, and we get on well. There’s nothing more to it than that. Why won’t you believe me?’
Sofia wasn’t sure how convincing she sounded.
It was almost as if she was trying to convince herself.
She couldn’t bear the thought of being in thrall to a man.
Look where it had got her mother, years of torment and regret, feeling she’d failed and wasn’t good enough.
There was no way she was going to let a man make her feel like that.
Keeping things light with Adonis was the key, even though her body ached knowing he was so close.
Charlotte patted her friend on the arm.
‘I believe you.’
Maddie exchanged a look with Grace before she spoke.
‘Mmmm, me, not so much.’
The music from next door had been getting louder and louder as they talked. Grace stood up at the sound of an announcement in both Greek and English.
‘OK, I’m on in a few minutes. I’ll see you in there.’
After they’d waved her off, Maddie downed the last of her beer.
‘So, I wasn’t dreaming about you saying she’s a DJ. I thought I’d made it up.’
Sofia finished her bottle too and stood up.
‘She’s still a teacher by day, but she’s always loved music. She does a soul session at the eighties’ nights every now and then to keep her hand in.’
‘Fantastic. Go Grace!’
Charlotte took a last lingering look at Suzie manning the bar before they moved through to the music venue.
‘Oh! That’s why it’s called the Star Bar!’
Maddie looked up at the hundreds of stars twinkling above them, now darkness had fallen.
‘I have to admit that’s pretty special.’
Grace was already on the raised dais with a much younger blonde guy, who was coming to the end of his set.
They quickly found seats at a table next to the large dance floor and ordered more beers from the floating waiters.
When, minutes later, the first beats of McFadden and Whitehead’s ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’ pulsed into the night air, Charlotte was straight out of her seat.
‘Come on, you two! We have to dance to this. It was our anthem back in the day.’
Maddie and Sofia let themselves be led onto the dance floor, and the moves came back to them in a rush.
The warm air, the stars, and the sight of people of all ages and nationalities giving it their all was a truly memorable experience, mused Maddie. She’d never dream of going to a club in Britain, but here it really didn’t seem to matter.
After dancing through the whole of Grace’s set, which brought the memories flooding back, all Maddie could think was how much Tony would have enjoyed it.
It was like she’d taken two steps forward and one back.
Every song recalled a moment frozen in time in a way that hit her more deeply than a photo ever could.
As the beat pulsed through her, the final song brought an overload of memories from a soul weekender they’d gone on with friends in Norfolk, a precious few days away together while Tony was at university.
Everything from being pushed squealing around the on-site supermarket in a trolley, to dancing next to each other in unison with hundreds of others, and shutting themselves away in their room for a snatched few minutes alone all through the day and night made her head whirl.
She couldn’t bear to let the music pulse through her any longer.
She left the others to it, found their table and ordered more beers for everyone.
The blonde male DJ was back and had changed the music to more of an Indie vibe.
Sofia and Charlotte were still going strong, and she watched them for a long moment, trying to calm her racing mind.
‘All a bit much?’