Chapter 13
ALICIA
As I took in the sight of the whitewashed buildings with the famous blue-domed churches, I gasped.
I couldn’t believe that I was really in Oia, the stunning village I’d seen so many times online and splashed across the pages of glossy magazines.
It was like I was living inside an Instagram post.
As Petros led us through the crowded cobbled streets to the restaurant where we’d be stopping for lunch, I snapped another million photos on my phone.
After that, he’d said that we’d have the rest of the day to explore the area before meeting up later at a castle’s ruins to watch the sunset.
I’d heard so much about the sunsets in Santorini. Apparently, they were epic and the particular location we’d be watching it from was apparently one of the best places to view it. Something told me that moment was going to be one of the highlights of the entire trip and I couldn’t wait.
Petros stopped at a restaurant with incredible views. Directly ahead was an uninterrupted vista of the gorgeous blue sea and to our right were rows of pretty white houses that looked like they belonged on a postcard.
‘This is stunning.’ I smiled at Adonis, still trying to take everything in.
‘It is. But it cannot compare to your beauty, my love.’ He beamed.
I almost burst out laughing. Not just because what he said was clearly ridiculous (trust me, no one, not even one of my many celebrity crushes was as beautiful as the views right now), but also because it was kind of cheesy.
If Adonis didn’t look so genuine, I would’ve said it was a chat-up line. But we’d already been matched so he should know he didn’t need to butter me up. I was already sold. It was obvious he was a catch.
‘Thanks,’ I said sweetly. To be honest, I was glad that he still seemed into me considering how much time he’d had to spend with Kayleigh.
I’d half imagined him to not bother calling after they’d finished the cable car ride because he decided he preferred to be with her.
But sure enough, Adonis phoned me and soon after, we met up.
‘Allow me.’ Adonis pulled out my chair and I beamed at what a gentleman he was. Chivalry was alive and well.
Even though I said that I wasn’t really a fan of aubergines, or eggplant as he called it, Adonis went ahead and ordered the moussaka, insisting that I couldn’t come to a Greek island and not try it.
I was grateful at least that he also ordered a chicken souvlaki, which was marinated chicken pieces that were grilled on skewers, served with pitta bread, tzatziki sauce dip (made from yogurt and cucumber), tomatoes, onions and chips, so at least I wouldn’t go hungry if the moussaka wasn’t for me.
Luckily, he was right – everything was delicious.
During the meal Adonis gushed about how amazing the cable cars were.
‘Would you like to see the photos? Perhaps then if we get some free time, we can come back and go on it together.’
I really wished he’d stop trying to persuade me to do it. I wasn’t going to change my mind.
‘Sure,’ I said, not wanting to dampen the mood.
He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through. The first picture was a selfie of him with Kayleigh inside the cable car. They looked a bit cosy, but it was a confined space, so it was understandable.
When I saw the photos of the view and the drop, it confirmed that I’d made the right decision not to go. It would’ve been too terrifying for me.
Once Adonis finishing showing me the many photos of the views, some images of Kayleigh popped up.
She was posing by a wall with the pretty buildings and sea behind her and her hair flowing effortlessly in the wind like it’d been programmed with the exact coordinates and force it needed to blow to make her look extra photogenic.
Not that she needed any help. You could tell she was a model.
If I was in those photos, my eyes would be closed because I’d blinked at the wrong time, my hair would either be plastered all over my face or I’d have a random curl stuck to my lip gloss.
And that was before I even attempted to work out how to pose. I never knew what to do with my hands in photos. Put them on my hips? Behind my back? Under my chin? It was a minefield. If I wasn’t so embarrassed about looking like a plonker, I’d ask Kayleigh to give me some tips.
‘Kayleigh asked me to take some photos for her,’ Adonis explained as he locked his screen then placed it back in his pocket. ‘Because I already had my phone out.’
‘Makes sense,’ I said. For once, I wasn’t going to get jealous or overthink. Adonis had been nothing but attentive towards me so I had no reason to doubt him.
A loud squeal of laughter sounded from the other side of the restaurant’s grand terrace and when I looked over it was Kayleigh throwing her head back then clutching her stomach, clearly amused at something Noah had just said.
I wondered what was so funny. Noah was flashing that smile that always lit up his face. My stomach fluttered. I must’ve eaten too much.
As I continued staring, my thoughts turned to the coach journey to Oia. I winced, then quickly looked away.
I couldn’t believe that I’d fallen asleep on Noah’s shoulder.
So embarrassing.
When he’d taken the initiative to ask Petros about what the journey would be like before we even got on the coach and asked Kayleigh if she’d mind swapping again because he knew I’d find the mountainous views too much, he blew me away. He’d been really thoughtful again and I was so grateful.
After we’d chatted about how much we’d enjoyed visiting Fira, I said I was going to read on my phone to distract me, but then clearly I’d fallen asleep.
I hadn’t even realised I was that tired, but I must’ve been more shattered from all the travelling than I first thought.
The next thing I knew I was being woken up by Petros’s announcement that we’d arrived in Oia.
Thankfully I hadn’t left any dribble on Noah’s shoulder, but that wasn’t the point. Yeah, it wasn’t the first time I’d slept on him. I still remember when I accidentally did that on his chest years ago.
But the situation was different now. He was here with Kayleigh and I was with Adonis. I shouldn’t be laying my head on him. It’d give people the wrong idea.
As hard as it would be, on the way back to the hotel, I needed to just put on my big-girl knickers and sit with Adonis. Hopefully this time he’d be a gent and let me have the aisle seat.
Actually, maybe now was a good time to ask him.
‘Adonis,’ I said. ‘Do you think I could have the aisle seat on the way back to the hotel so that we can sit together?’
‘You are finding it hard to be away from me.’ He grinned.
‘Yes!’ I said enthusiastically. ‘You’re my match and I’d really like to get to know you better.’
‘I like the sound of that.’ He smiled. ‘Of course, my darling. The aisle seat is yours. Always.’
‘Oh!’ I said, surprised that it was that easy, given how strongly he’d refused when I’d asked him earlier. ‘Thanks. I really appreciate it.’
‘Anything for you.’ He grinned again.
‘So,’ I said, pushing my knife and fork together, ‘what would you like to do after this? Go and check out the sights?’
‘Of course, but first we will go to the shops.’
‘Okay,’ I said, thinking how great it was to be with a guy who liked to go shopping. He really was shaping up to be my dream man.
Visions of us doing a spot of shopping, followed by strolling down the pretty streets arm in arm flashed into my mind. Then of course we’d head to the castle ruins to see the most beautiful sunset in the world.
It didn’t get more romantic than that.
Luckily, we still had hours left to explore the village.
It was almost 4 p.m. and Petros recommended we arrive at the castle ruins at least an hour and a half in advance, so by seven at the latest to secure the best spot because there were so many tourists.
Actually, I’d suggest to Adonis that we turn up at 6.
45. That way we didn’t have to rush and we’d get the pick of the best positions.
Yes. Great plan.
Once we’d finished dessert, Adonis led me away from the restaurant past the tourist shops to an area of the village that was slightly calmer.
A string of designer boutiques lined the wider streets and Adonis’s eyes lit up.
At first, I thought we’d just do some window shopping.
But over an hour and a half later he’d taken me to all of them and literally tried on every T-shirt they had.
Ordinarily I enjoyed shopping, but even I was starting to lose the will to live.
Women had a reputation for being big shoppers, but Adonis made Becky Bloomwood from Confessions of a Shopaholic look like a fashion-phobe.
In one shop he bought three identical T-shirts for hundreds of pounds (which in my opinion were two sizes too small, but hey, he loved them, so that was the important thing). And they all had huge logos emblazoned across the front.
‘What do you think?’ Adonis asked as he emerged from the changing room of the latest boutique he’d dragged me to. ‘Do they make my arms look good?’
I studied him as he turned to look at himself in the main mirror from one angle, then twirled himself around to check the other side of him was also on point.
Then he whipped his mobile out of his pocket and started taking mirror selfies like the ones I cringed at when I scrolled through dating app profiles.
‘Er, they… your arms look… really… big,’ I’d said diplomatically as his biceps strained against the fabric, which looked dangerously close to splitting.
‘Great!’ He beamed, before flexing in the mirror like he was competing in a bodybuilding competition. He’d said he’d won a few of those, so this was obviously something he was passionate about.
‘You can take photos of me too if you like.’ He smiled.
‘Oh…’ I paused. ‘Okay. Thanks.’