Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Suzie put the last of the beer bottles in the fridge, turned all the labels to the front and straightened up.
‘Everything ready, Kosta mou?’
Her son gave her a thumbs-up from the other end of the bar. He was back on duty after his accident and, though his arm wasn’t fully healed yet, he was able to do everything except heavy lifting. Suzie found it sweet seeing Manolis rush to his aid whenever there was anything big to carry.
Both men were beyond excited at the idea of becoming uncles to Giannis and Kat’s baby. They still had a long wait ahead, but there was no doubt that this baby would be inundated with family, especially on the grandfather side, with three of them lined up.
She’d been snowed under with work all week.
Now it was July; they were edging towards peak tourist season, so she’d had little time for socialising.
Giannis and Christian had met twice on their own and been on a long fishing trip, that she did know.
Her son hadn’t given her many details, but maybe she could get more of a sense of how things were going, as they’d both promised to be here tonight.
Charlie sauntered in from the club space and took his customary seat at the bar. Suzie handed him one of the chilled beers.
‘Cheers. Big night tonight, Mrs I.’
‘Hope so. We need it.’
The DJ karaoke nights with music from the Seventies to the Nineties drew the crowds and got the money rolling in. Charlie smiled his smile that also pulled a lot of the female punters in, not that he had eyes for anyone other than his gorgeous wife, Anna.
‘Great news about Gianni and Kat, isn’t it?’
Suzie reached across the bar to take his hand.
‘It really is. I’m so excited.’
‘While I’ve got you…’
‘Yes?’
‘You know you’ve always been like a second mum to me…’
‘Aw, sweet.’
‘I wanted you to know early doors.’
Charlie looked down at his feet and then up at her, his smile widening by the second.
‘We’re having one too!’
Suzie rushed round to the other side of the bar and hugged him as hard as she could. She’d known the man since he was a child. They both had tears in their eyes.
‘That’s fantastic.’
‘Anna’s a few weeks back from Kat, and we’re not really making it public yet, but I wanted you to know.’
‘That’s so lovely. And your babies will be friends, just like you and Gianni.’
Charlie hit his chest with his fist in the Greek gesture of love.
‘I hope so. But what if they hate each other?’
‘No! That’s not possible.’
The idea of their friendship passing onto the next generation was something so special that Suzie couldn’t stop the tears falling down her face and onto her T-shirt. She’d put down her roots here in Greece, and they’d keep on growing long after she was gone.
‘Hey. Are you OK?’ Charlie put his hand on her arm.
‘Yes, sorry, got a bit emotional there for a minute. It’s such happy news.’
The rollercoaster ride was catching up with her.
Singing again in front of a paying audience …
Christian’s surprise appearance … rowing and then making up with her sons …
learning she was going to become a grandmother – it was as if several years of experiences had been packed into a few intense weeks.
And that wasn’t even counting finding a real friend in Vicky, someone she could confide in and trust totally. How could it be that only a few months ago she had imagined herself alone and stuck in one place, unable to move forward?
Charlie downed the last of his beer.
‘Well, if you’re sure you’re OK, I’d better get set up.’
‘Perfectly sure, thanks. And congratulations again.’
Charlie planted a kiss on the top of her head and moved away. Kostas waved and grinned from the end of the bar. It must have been tough for him to keep Charlie’s news to himself. Her younger son was a real gossip hound, unlike Giannis, who had to be virtually tortured to reveal anything juicy.
She blew a kiss at Kostas, now doing an impersonation of rocking a baby in his arms. It was another little tot for him and Manolis to coo over.
Her son would surely be made godfather, maybe even twice over.
Neither of her sons was particularly religious, but most Greeks opted for a christening, and the godparents paid a hefty contribution to the costs and did a lot of the organising.
Suzie smiled to herself. That would come as something of a shock to Kostas.
But she was thinking way too far ahead. The first punters were already coming through the doors. She fixed her smile in place. Work was what she needed to focus on for the next few hours.
The bar was doing a roaring trade by the time Suzie spotted her friend arrive.
Vicky wore a simple white linen dress with a long, beaded necklace in bright pastels around her neck and gold sandals on her feet.
The white set off her tan, and the sun had highlighted her blonde hair and streaked it with gold.
She looked nothing like the careworn woman who’d arrived to work at the sanctuary.
The fact that she was now a co-owner of the place and would be staying on the island was the best thing Suzie had heard all week.
‘Hi. What can I get you, on the house?’
‘I’ll have a Mythos, please.’ Vicky looked around her at more and more people streaming in. ‘I can see that a cosy chat’s out of the question.’
‘Sorry, we’re completely mobbed. I should be able to get away in a bit and watch the karaoke, but we wouldn’t be able to hear ourselves speak then anyway.’
‘True. What about lunch tomorrow?’
‘Yes! I’ll deserve a rest after tonight. Come to mine around one?’
‘I’ll make something for you.’
‘Sounds fabulous.’
Angeliki appeared suddenly beside Vicky and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.
‘Kalispéra. A drink for the thirsty vet please.’
‘Ange! You made it. First one’s on me.’
Angeliki poked her tongue out at Suzie as she handed over a beer.
‘Don’t call me Ange.’
Vicky was treated to the full glare next.
‘And you, Miss Secretive. Come and tell me all about your plans for the sanctuary before Nick gets here. I would never have forgiven you if you’d not given me a heads-up before it was announced to everyone today.
’ She gave a little chuckle. ‘Alex looked completely stunned at the news. It’s not often someone gets one over on him.
So thrilled we get to trap you here on the island forever. ’
‘Not sure about the word “trap”, but OK.’
Angeliki bustled a protesting Vicky away.
Suzie’s old friends, Grace and Sofia, were next to arrive, with their men, Will and Adonis, in tow.
Sofia was now a permanent fixture on the island after finally getting together with the manager of the island’s most prestigious hotel.
Suzie was pleased for her friend that the high-end boutique she’d set up in the hotel’s reception was going great guns, but even happier that she’d found love.
Round upon round of drinks orders came and went, and Suzie was relieved when most people started to move off towards the open-air club side of the venue now the music had started.
Giannis and Kat had brought Charlie’s wife Anna with them. Suzie gave both women a long hug and, in a whisper, congratulated Anna on the baby.
Christian had messaged earlier to say he was coming, and Suzie had searched for his blond head in the crowd a couple of times, but she couldn’t see him anywhere.
Not that it mattered. The man could never be relied on one hundred per cent to do what he said he was going to, so she shouldn’t be surprised.
A voice to her left interrupted her latest scan of the room.
‘Looking for someone?’
Christian’s smile was a bit too confident for her liking.
‘No, not really. Just assessing the size of the crowd for insurance purposes.’
Why had she said the first thing that came into her head?
‘Okaay. Are you allowed to come through and listen to the music now? I’d rather not be on my own; I don’t know anyone.’
As if that would stop him.
Suzie was about to refuse, but her son had obviously been listening in.
‘Go on, Mama. You’ve been on your feet for hours. It’s your turn for a break.’
Christian smiled a sly smile.
‘Listen to your son.’
‘OK. I’ll be back later to help you close up.’
In truth, they had plenty of staff – she’d got Kostas to call in a casual, Georgia, when she’d seen the size of the crowd – but it wouldn’t do for Christian to think she was doing his bidding. She grabbed four beers and found a table for two at the side, close to the stage.
Charlie was busy welcoming the latest singers up onto the stage. A trio of two men and a woman, probably German by their accents, had opted to tackle Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and were belting it out for all they were worth, the audience joining in with gusto.
Christian did the so-so gesture with his hand under the table, and Suzie had to hold in a smile.
‘It’s karaoke. They’re not supposed to be professionals.’
‘Even so.’
Next up was a rugby team’s worth of Irish lads strangling The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’, and Suzie couldn’t even look at Christian.
Their beers had gone in a flash, and Suzie lifted her hand to order some more.
Two Scandinavian girls made a good fist of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’, and Christian gave them both the thumbs-up, which Suzie would have bet money was more for their attractiveness than for their vocal ability.
The crowd clapped and cheered every song regardless of the quality.
Suzie cheered extra loud when Grace, Will and Sofia sang their hearts out to Sade’s ‘Smooth Operator’, and laughed all the way through Angeliki and Nick’s version of Cindi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, with Nick singing soprano.
A barnstorming rendition of Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ by a group of tanked-up Brits had the whole place on its feet, and she and Christian were up and dancing with the rest.