Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
I prepare a supper of salamis, cheeses, and various dips that I lay on a table, along with some olive bread from the bakery. I glance at Phoebe and Nicos, who are holding hands and smiling at each other.
‘I congratulate you.’ Ireta briefly pats Phoebe’s hand. ‘I always thought you two would marry,’ she says as she scoops some bread into some hummus.
‘So did I,’ says Nicos. ‘But Phoebe had other ideas.’
‘I was not ready.’ She turns to Nicos. ‘I know I hurt you. I thought you would never speak to me again.’ I am just thinking about the woman he appeared with at the café on the launch day, when Phoebe explains that it was his cousin who was visiting.
‘When I saw Phoebe in the café, I just lost my nerve,’ he says, honestly.
‘I am glad you have talked things through.’ I smile. ‘People change. The timing may not have been right, but it doesn’t mean you stopped caring for each other.’
When Phoebe and Nicos head off, we talk some more until Ireta and Georgios leave too.
As I clear up in the café, I struggle to keep my eyes open for a minute longer, the events of the day clearly catching up with me.
‘How did you get here?’ I ask Takis, knowing his village is several miles away.
‘I walked,’ he explains. ‘I felt a little restless. In fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to join me for a drink at the hotel.’
‘That would have been nice.’
‘It would. The storm was not expected until tomorrow.’
‘So how are you going to get home? Surely you are not going to walk?’ I ask.
‘I was thinking of calling Zeta to see if there is a bed available at the hotel. She can drive me home in the morning.’
‘That’s a good idea. But your trousers are still soaking wet upstairs,’ I remind him.
‘I don’t mind wearing these.’ He grins. ‘It is dark, after all. Besides, it gives me a reason to come back for my trousers.’
I can hardly believe it when I wake the following morning to sunshine streaming through my bedroom window. It is as if the storm never took place.
Wrapping my robe around me, I head to the balcony to the sight of the leaves on the trees sparkling like jewels in the morning sun.
I flick the kettle on hopefully, and to my relief the power has been restored.
The food in the freezer downstairs will be ruined, but luckily there was not much in there.
I will need to head out early and do some shopping as we ate most of the fridge contents last night, so I will open the café at lunchtime today, although I can’t imagine there will too many visitors this morning.
Last night I draped my wet clothes and Takis’s trousers over a dryer on my small, covered balcony. A smile comes to my face when I think of him in my pale-pink lounge pants. And I don’t know how many times I have replayed that kiss in my mind. So much for keeping my distance.
I call Rita at the hospital, and she tells me that John will be discharged later with some crutches.
‘Broken femur, but I suppose it could have been much worse. I don’t know how I can ever thank you,’ she says. ‘All of you.’
‘It is only what anyone would have done,’ I tell her. ‘And if you are able to get him here on Thursday, there will be a singer at the café at six o’clock.’
‘Really? That sounds wonderful. I should imagine John will be crawling the walls by then; he can’t usually stay still for long.’
‘I’m glad he’s okay. See you Thursday hopefully.’
‘Thank you, Erin.’
I quickly shower and I am about to head out when my phone rings.
‘How are you this morning?’ Takis asks.
‘I’m good, thanks. I can’t believe how gorgeous the weather is today.’
‘It is what happens here sometimes, especially after a heatwave,’ he tells me. ‘I was just wondering, are you free right now?’
‘I am going shopping to stock up on some food for the café – we ate a lot of it last night,’ I remind him.
‘Would you like some company?’
‘Are you still wearing the pink lounge pants?’
‘No. I keep some clothes at the hotel, in case I stay over, which I do from time to time.’
‘That’s a shame. I thought you looked rather fetching in them.’
‘I can always change again.’
‘Not if I have to go out with you in public.’
‘Ah, so you like me to dress in pink in private,’ he says, and I can’t help laughing.
Takis collects me from the hotel and we take the coast road to a large supermarket just outside the town. As we drive, he advises me to shop at a cash and carry, rather than a normal store.
‘I will do. I just wanted to get an idea of how much stock I need. I thought I would give things a week or two as I don’t want to be throwing anything away, buying in bulk,’ I explain.
‘Do you have time for coffee first?’ asks Takis as we approach the large supermarket. ‘Maybe breakfast? I am ravenous.’
I smile. ‘That would be nice.’
We park up and head to a café opposite a stretch of quiet beach.
Sitting at an outside café sipping coffee as we wait for our breakfast, I imagine we look like a couple.
I take in his handsome face as he glances over the water at the calm sea and think about what he told me yesterday.
Going to Kato Petres Beach must have been so difficult for him, but maybe also something he needed to do to move on.
We finish our delicious breakfast, omelette for Takis, Greek yoghurt, honey and a small pastry for me, before we head off.
Crossing the road, we take a walk along alongside the shingle beach, taking in the fresh, salty sea air as we walk. Presently, we come to a small jetty with two empty fishing boats bobbing in the water.
‘I wanted to thank you for yesterday,’ says Takis as he gazes across the water that is flanked by pine forests.
‘You have already done that,’ I tell him.
‘And, of course, I wanted to be alone with you again, so I could do this.’
He pulls me to him, his lips coming down on mine and we share a thrilling kiss that seems like the culmination of a journey.
I feel every nerve in my body awakening with a feeling of pure pleasure.
When we finally come up for air, we stand, arms wrapped around each other’s waist. Standing here, the empty boats in front of us, it feels like we are the only two people in the world.
‘I never expected to feel this way again,’ Takis tells me as he looks lovingly into my eyes. ‘It made me realise that I had not been in love with Anna for a long time. If I was, I would never have fallen for this English girl on the beach.’