Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
I make my way along the beach, away from the stretch near the hotel still busy with swimmers, until I find a quieter area.
It is almost deserted, apart from a man who is throwing a stick into the water for a dog to retrieve and a family who are collecting their things about to head off home.
The old man near the water, wishes me a kalispera as his black dog emerges from the water triumphantly with the stick and shakes itself.
I walk a little further before setting down my towel and striding into the foamy water.
The coolness is glorious, and I float around on my back for a while, staring at the still blue sky above.
I think about how my evening would look back home, and it reinforces to me that I am absolutely doing the right thing in being here.
An evening at a sunny beach sure beats eating alone and settling down with a box set, very probably with rain hammering on the windows outside.
I flip over and swim along, as the surrounding mountains watch over me. In the distance, I spot a small speedboat bouncing across the water, making the most of the long hours of daylight.
In a few days’ time I will be saying farewell to Kai, who I know I will miss immensely.
If he stays in Australia for a while, maybe I could pop over and see him, if things don’t work out here.
It could be my next adventure. I scold myself for thinking that way.
Perhaps I could go for a holiday, but Greece has fully restored my heavy heart and given me a new venture, that includes a home.
I owe it to myself to at least give things here a try.
I arrive home and I answer a FaceTime call from a beautiful princess.
‘Summer! How lovely to hear from you, how’s it going?’
‘Hi, Erin. Better than I could have imagined.’ She beams. ‘I get paid for dressing up like this, but I would do it for free,’ she says with the brightest of smiles.
‘You look wonderful. Are you Cinderella?’ I ask tentatively. Disney princesses have never been my thing. When my friends dressed up as princesses for World Book Day at school, I was either a mermaid or a pirate. Usually a pirate. I guess the love of water has always been in my blood.
‘Snow White,’ she tells me.
‘Of course.’ I roll my eyes.
‘So how are things there? Kai called me last week and said he is off to Australia soon.’
‘He is. I’ll miss him, as I do you,’ I tell her.
‘I miss you too. Anyway, more importantly, are you ready for the big café opening in a couple of weeks? Is everything on track?’ she asks excitedly.
‘Almost. My apartment furniture is being delivered a couple of days before the opening. Things are still busy at the hotel, but by late September Zeta tells me it quietens down a little bit.’
‘I can imagine. Oh Erin, your own little café in a lemon grove, how exciting. I promise I will come over when my contract here finishes.’
‘I would love that.’
I don’t tell her about the broken window, as the more I think about it, it was almost certainly an accident. And I don’t want a frown to cross that beautiful, positive face. It wouldn’t seem right somehow.
‘In the meantime, keep sending me the photo updates,’ she says brightly.
‘I will be sure to.’
We chat a little more before she tells me her break is over and she must go and prepare for a princess show in one of the entertainment lounges.
‘Have fun,’ I tell her.
‘Oh, I will. Talk soon, Erin.’
‘Bye, Summer.’
She waves furiously at the camera until I end the call.
Speaking to Summer always puts me in a good mood, and I decide to call Mum, but it goes to voicemail. I send her a goodnight message and settle down for the evening with my book.
An hour later I am worrying that Mum hasn’t called me back as she usually does, when my phone suddenly rings. I switch on the camera and say a quick hello to Douglas before chatting to Mum.
‘Sorry, love, I have been in the cinema.’ Mum tells me all about her evening and the Italian meal they enjoyed before the film, which she tells me she enjoyed, but was surprised by the sex scenes.
‘What was the film called?’ I ask Mum.
‘Stiff Competition. I thought it was about rival office workers.’
I burst out laughing.
‘Which it was,’ she continues. ‘But they became friends in the end. A bit too friendly if you get my meaning.’ She raises an eyebrow.
Douglas is in the background, flicking the kettle on, and I can see his shoulders shake as he laughs. I am so grateful to him for being there and helping during her injury.
‘Oh, Mum.’ I wipe away a tear after laughing so much. ‘No one can say you don’t have a variety of different experiences.’
‘I know.’ She smiles. ‘And it could have been worse. We almost went to watch Handling It Well. Goodness knows what that would have been like,’ she chuckles.
I manage to reply before I crease up with laughter once more. ‘Maybe you ought to read the film synopsis more carefully next time you visit the cinema.’
‘I certainly will. Night night, love. Only a few sleeps now before the big opening.’
‘That sounds like the title of another dodgy film,’ I say and Mum roars with laughter.
‘Night, love.’
‘Night, Mum.’