Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
A few days later, the walls in the apartment upstairs have been replastered and painted a soft taupe. I arrive in the early morning to the sight of a skip filled with the glorious pink bathroom suite.
‘Too late to change your mind now,’ says Jack with a smile on his face.
‘Guess we will just have to go with the free-standing white bath and the glass sink sitting on the blonde wooden stand.’
‘I didn’t think you would want to keep the old suite – or the snake.’
‘Snake?’ I feel my skin prickle.
‘Yep. Curled up in the drain it was. I don’t think it was so happy to be disturbed, judging by the hissing sounds.’
‘Oh, my goodness, where is it now?’
‘A couple of miles away in the forest where I rehomed it.’ He grins. ‘I thought you might prefer it as far away as possible. Even though I think it was harmless. And they do tend to keep the rats away,’ he tells me casually.
‘Rats! Oh gosh.’
‘Well, you have purchased an abandoned café in a lemon grove, and a lemon grove surrounded by a forest no less,’ he reminds me. ‘The good news is, I have never seen one around here.’
I think of the adorable cats in Greece and consider getting one.
‘Thank you for disposing of the snake, Jack,’ I say, although wishing he had never mentioned it.
‘No problem. So, is the lime kitchen definitely going? Last chance.’
‘Tempting as it is to keep it, I have my eye on some pale-blue doors that I think will look really good against the stone walls.’
I pull out a brochure from my bag and show them to him.
‘Nice. I’ll measure up and order them for you. What do you think about olive-wood worktops?’ asks Jack. ‘They are very durable. And sustainable too, of course.’
‘I like the sound of that.’
Jack had told me the housing units were solid enough to just replace the doors, which will speed the renovation up a little, as well as keeping the costs down.
‘It’s going to look great when it’s all done,’ he says cheerfully. ‘If you feel like selling when it’s finished, can I have first refusal?’
‘You can. But hopefully I won’t be doing that – at least not for a while.’
It occurs to me then that if things don’t work out, I will have quite the little gem here to sell. But that won’t be happening. I am determined to make a go of living in this most beautiful place; we look forward, not back. I am more than ready to embrace an adventure.
Back at the hotel, I spot Takis chatting to Zeta in the reception area. They are both sitting on one of the square blue fabric sofas sipping coffee and laughing over something.
I wish I didn’t feel something whenever I catch sight of him.
Romance is the last thing I am looking for.
I want all my focus to be on my new café venture, and I do not need any distractions.
Gosh, what am I even thinking? He has never given me a hint that he even finds me attractive, and there is the not-so-small matter of him already having a girlfriend.
I fight these feelings I have for him, and wonder why we have to feel an attraction towards someone when the timing is all wrong? I guess the laws of attraction don’t care about that. But there is no way I am going near someone who has a partner, no matter how strong the attraction.
It’s my day off today, so I am looking forward to my day out with Athena. My phone buzzes as I receive a text from her saying she will collect me in five minutes. Takis notices me then and excuses himself from his aunt to come and say hello.
‘How are you?’ he asks.
‘I’m good, you?’
‘Good also, thank you.’ He smiles that ridiculously sexy smile. ‘You look nice; are you off out somewhere?’ he asks.
‘Over to Symi,’ I tell him. ‘With Ireta’s daughter Athena.’
‘On a boat?’
‘No, we are going to swim across.’
‘I know you are a good swimmer but…’ He frowns.
‘Of course on a boat.’ I roll my eyes.
‘You are funny.’ He smiles.
‘Funny humorous, or funny peculiar?’
‘I haven’t decided yet,’ he replies. ‘And I will try not to be offended that you didn’t choose to book your trip with me.’ He pushes his bottom lip out.
‘You’ll get over it, I’m sure. Anyway, I must be going,’ I say, as I glance at my watch. ‘I don’t want to keep Athena waiting.’
‘Have a nice day,’ he tells me. ‘Maybe I will see you around here this evening.’
‘Maybe you will. Bye then.’
Perhaps I have been out of the dating game too long to recognise if someone is flirting with me or not, but I get the impression Takis is taking an interest in me.
Maybe he has broken up with his girlfriend, although it was only the other day that Zeta mentioned her.
She told me his girlfriend never sees him and I wonder whether his aunt may have got things wrong about his relationship status.
I can feel his eyes on me as I walk to the entrance of the hotel. I consider turning around and waving but stop myself. No need to be over enthusiastic. Especially if he isn’t single.