Chapter Nine #2
Nina had been to expensive restaurants with Sam sometimes, often on work events, and he’d usually spent most of the night on his phone messaging colleagues anyway.
But this, she thought as she looked around at the setting sun and the sparkling waters, at Vassilis with his dark eyes gazing at her and the fading sunlight catching the slant of his cheekbones, this was something else.
Even in her old life, places like this were a rare treat, and she worried that Vassilis was stretching his budget.
She would make it clear that she wasn’t a person who needed luxury all the time.
‘What’s Ovilos?’ she asked.
He brought his fingers to his lips and kissed them, and Nina felt another shiver as she imagined those lips on her own. ‘Best wine, made in Kefalonia of course.’
‘Of course,’ she said, smiling. She liked a glass of wine, it was the drink she’d trained herself to favour. It was sophisticated; it fitted her idea of what she should be.
She thought again of her mum, dressing up and spraying perfume ready to go out with Theo, balancing in heels, the gold bangle glinting on her wrist. Nina so wanted to be like her, to be so effortlessly beautiful.
She’d worked hard to be that person, taking care of her appearance and putting her creative instincts to good use by carving out a career where her sophisticated taste was valued.
She wanted to be the girl sipping wine at a table on a private balcony with a handsome man.
Perhaps Theo had arranged something like this for her mum all those years ago when they met in Kefalonia; she doubted it, somehow.
She couldn’t imagine him being quite that romantic.
So when the wine came, Nina sipped it; a crisp, cool white that she enjoyed. And when the food arrived, smelling so delicious that her stomach gave a loud rumble in response, she nibbled at it delicately instead of falling on it and shovelling it into her mouth, as she wanted to.
Vassilis was attentive, refilling her glass as it emptied and checking that she was enjoying the food.
He told her about his childhood in Kefalonia and the grandparents he adored who he still visited every week.
He told her about his work, how his dad was a builder and now he and Vassilis worked together, though Vassilis was in the process of taking over the business as his dad prepared for retirement.
He complimented her on her appearance, her outfit and her DIY skills.
He placed his glass on the table, wiped his mouth and gave her his full attention. ‘I hope tonight has been happy for you,’ he said. ‘You seemed – you were not feeling too good with life the other day, no?’
Nina took a slug of wine. She wanted him to see her as she’d once seen herself – strong and successful. But he’d already seen her when she was a tearful mess, so there wasn’t much point in pretending. ‘Yeah, it’s been a bit – things haven’t quite gone . . .’
He nodded, and she didn’t feel the need to say more.
‘But this is new start for you. Perhaps tonight helps just a little bit.’ He grinned, using his finger and thumb to indicate the very small amount the evening might be helping, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
‘And you are here with your baba, yes, in this nice and sunny place.
You like helping with the house?’
‘I used to do quite a bit of DIY actually,’ she said. ‘You know, fixing things and painting and . . .’ She tried not to remember painting the flat when she and Sam had moved in, full of dreams of what their life there would be.
‘You are good at this.’
‘Yes.’ She found herself sitting a little straighter. ‘I am. Not just that stuff, the designing too; you know, if I had the chance there’s so much I’d do with the house.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘Yes, but I wouldn’t change it too much, I mean it’s all there. The bones of it are so beautiful, you know?’
He cocked his head. ‘Well . . .’
‘Well apart from the holes in the roof! But thankfully we have you for that.’
He nodded. ‘Glad to be this help. But you have ideas for the painting and all this?’
She found herself talking at length, and with an enthusiasm she hadn’t felt since she’d been called into that office at work, about all her décor ideas. Vassilis listened and nodded, occasionally asked a question. His phone stayed in his pocket. Sam would have been checking his every two minutes.
Afterwards, he walked with her along the harbour, moonlight pooling over the still waters, his arm around her waist, his fingers slowly circling her skin through the small gap in her dress until she could think of nothing but his touch, and her skin prickled with goose bumps.
He ordered the taxi back and walked her to the door.
Under the stars, as the crickets chirped, he leaned in and she felt dizzy at the closeness of him, his citrussy smell laced with a tang of sweat, the warmth of his solid body so close.
She looked into his eyes and longed for him to kiss her, but just as she was expecting to feel his lips pressed passionately against her own, her breath coming fast in anticipation, she felt him kiss her cheek softly.
Blinking, she looked at him in surprise. He smiled, and ran his thumb gently over her cheek.
‘Thank you for this lovely night,’ he said softly.
Then he left, sauntering away with his hands in his pockets.
Nina was warm and full with good food and wine, dizzy from the closeness of him and burning with longing for him to press her against the wall and kiss her with such passion that she couldn’t breathe. That kiss on the cheek had only left her wanting more.
She sighed and slumped against the door.
And it was then that she felt the paint.