Chapter Seventeen #2
The restaurant, one they hadn’t been to before but equally as luxurious as the others, was a little outside Argostoli. Nina felt the waiter’s eyes slip over her loose, casual dress and informal sandals and, though he maintained a carefully neutral expression, she knew she was underdressed.
They were taken to a table with a gorgeous view of the sea. The best table, no doubt. Vassilis looked at her expectantly, and she nodded.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, trying to stop picturing herself on the sofa with Theo.
Remembering his miserable expression, she had to swallow down rising guilt and sadness.
It was unlike him to lose things, especially something so precious.
He’d been distracted and disorganised lately, getting upset and lacking his usual playfulness.
Perhaps the stress of the work on the house and the protests was getting to him. Perhaps he was just getting older.
Nina felt tears burn behind her eyes, and hid her face behind the menu.
She shouldn’t have walked off when he was so miserable earlier.
She should have been kinder. It wasn’t his fault he’d lost the bracelet, he’d never do anything to purposefully hurt her.
And she had left him, when he clearly felt so bad.
It was all she could do to stop herself from leaping up and going to him right then.
She blinked, and tried to focus on the food options.
She would make things up to Theo when she got back; she didn’t want a late night anyway so she’d be home soon.
The food all looked delicious. But Nina wasn’t very hungry.
Perhaps she could manage the Gigantes Plaki, baked butter beans in a light tomato sauce.
Such a comforting meal, and one that Theo used to make her when she was ill.
Nina took a large gulp of water, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, soothing the lump that sat there and refused to budge.
She stared blankly out at the gorgeous view and barely saw it; she faced the gorgeous man sitting opposite and barely thought of him.
Her hand strayed to her wrist, her habit of twisting the bangle when she was in need of reassurance, and met only skin.
Tears threatened to appear again and she bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself. Nina smiled at the waitress who placed the final plate on their table, thanking her. But she only played with her dinner, unable to stomach the idea of eating.
‘You’re very quiet,’ Vassilis said. ‘What’s wrong? You don’t like the food?’
‘It’s not the food,’ she said, and she could hear the flatness in her own voice.
‘Then what?’ he said, wiping his mouth and placing the napkin down on the table. ‘Look where I bring you. You don’t like it?’
She felt a stir of annoyance. He meant well, she was sure of it, but he didn’t seem to notice her sadness. Then again, Sam would often be insensitive to her moods when he was hungry. Perhaps it was a male thing. Inwardly, she sighed. She felt tired and confused.
‘I just – the place is lovely, it’s not that, but I did say I wanted a quiet night.
I’m worried about the bracelet; what if I can’t ever find it?
It’s the one thing I have that was mum’s, her most precious thing, and .
. . And I’m worried about Baba, he’s acting so strangely, getting all upset and confused and losing things.
It’s not like him. And I was – I was kind of mean to him.
’ She slumped down in her chair, picking up her water and taking another gulp, the glass wobbling a little in her hand. She blinked again, forcing back tears.
Vassilis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. In other circumstances she would have fed on the sight of his sharp cheekbones accentuated by the lighting, his sensuous lips. But even his beauty couldn’t distract her tonight. She must be feeling bad.
He frowned. ‘I’m sorry you’re feeling this way, but I’m sure things will be good again with your baba.’ He reached for her hand. ‘And we’re together, out in this beautiful place, having a nice night.’
‘I know, it’s just – I’m just upset about –’
‘Well don’t be.’
‘What?’ She leaned forward, hardly able to believe her ears.
‘You hear me, don’t be. You’re out with me on nice night, the beautiful place, the best food – don’t be upset, be happy. Be more fun.’
He smiled playfully, but her annoyance grew.
‘Be more . . . are you serious?’ She didn’t know what she’d expected from Vassilis, some sympathy she supposed, or at least some level of understanding.
For a brief moment, the image of George drifted through her mind, the concern in his eyes, the quiet understanding of how important the bracelet was to her, even though they both knew it almost certainly wasn’t to be found on the beach.
Vassilis sat back in his chair, arms folded. His face unreadable. ‘What we need is our wine,’ he said. ‘This will cheer you up.’ He looked around, raising his hand in the air and clicking his fingers.
‘I don’t really want any, to be honest,’ Nina said. ‘Maybe a beer?’
He smiled. ‘I forget you like beer. Most girls go for something sweeter, you know? But you, no, you like a beer, you like a mojito. Not like other girls.’
He said this with what appeared to be admiration, and Nina couldn’t help feeling that the implication was that being like a girl – or in fact, just being a girl – was somehow inferior. Her feminist hackles rose.
‘Well I don’t know about –’
‘Come on, Nina.’ She felt his leg jiggling under the table. ‘I’ll get you a beer, let’s have some fun.’ He looked around again. ‘Where is this waitress?’ He scowled at the young girl who hurried over.
‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘How can I help?’ She blew a chunk of fringe from her eyes, looking a little flustered. It was probably her first job. Nina smiled, and she smiled back.
‘Well, you can come when I call you, this would be helpful,’ Vassilis said. ‘We would like two beers.’
The smile dropped. ‘Sorry, . . . Yes, I will get them right away.’
‘Thank you,’ he said. Though he said it more politely, Nina could see the annoyance in the set of his face, and the waitress blushed as she rushed off.
‘Vassilis . . .’ Nina said. ‘There was no need for that.’
He shook his head. ‘You have to set your standards higher, Nina. Perhaps you have settled for less than you deserve.’ He reached over the table. ‘We’re paying a lot of money. We must expect the service to be good.’
She looked down at his hand over hers. Perhaps he was right and she did have a low bar when it came to what she deserved.
Looking up, Nina saw the young waitress in tears as she put the beers on a tray ready to bring over. She couldn’t sit silently while the poor girl was treated like this.
‘I think the service has been great,’ she said.
She glanced around. Everyone was looking at them. She didn’t care.
‘And . . .’ she continued, doing her best to keep the rage out of her voice. ‘I didn’t want to come here tonight anyway. I told you that, but you didn’t seem to hear me.’ She put her napkin on the table. ‘I’m going back, to check on my dad.’
Nina took some euros out of her purse and gave them to the waitress who had arrived with the beers. ‘My half of the bill,’ she said, smiling at her. ‘And your tip. I’m sorry.’
Vassilis stared in astonishment as she got up and walked away to order a taxi home.
The cab came quickly, and Nina was soon back in peaceful Metalios.
She got out in the square, and took a little time to walk through the quiet streets.
Everything was closed now, the café, the market, the shops, and she could see lights through windows and sometimes people sitting out in their courtyards or on balconies, enjoying the warm evening.
The sound of the sea whispering against the shore was like a lullaby, gentle and reassuring.
Nina walked over to the beach, taking in the pale sand and dark waters, black and still.
The place was deserted, the calm of nature at night, and she felt her knotted stomach relax as she at last stopped fuming over the evening with Vassilis.
Stopped replaying it in her head. Instead, she found herself feeling grounded in the peace of this place.
The last thing this village needed, she thought, was a hotel complex with a noisy, bright bar and drunken tourists littering the beach. But that wasn’t the plan. Was it?
Nina sighed and walked a little way along the shore, carrying her sandals, and then began to make her way up the hill to the house. She would check with Baba, make certain their actions weren’t going to harm the wildlife.
Maria was little more than a shadow in the fading light, and Nina only realised it was the old woman herself out in the front yard, and not just a trick of the light, because of the grunts and groans and mutterings in Greek (which, judging by the tone, she assumed were swear words).
‘All right there?’ she asked, stopping to lean over the little white-painted stone wall. ‘Need some help?’
‘No,’ Maria grunted, heaving up a watering can and sprinkling the flowers in the pots. ‘What you doing wandering around on your own? Where is that Vassilis tonight?’
Nina leaned over the wall to tickle Milo’s head as the little goat butted into her hand. ‘The evening didn’t work out so well.’
Maria raised an eyebrow and huffed out a breath as she placed the now-empty watering can down. ‘That Vassilis is a no-good boy. Not a good boy, like my grandson.’
Nina sighed. ‘I think you’re right. And I was already upset, I just wasn’t in the mood, to be honest. Baba’s been a bit – he’s not himself, you know, and he’s lost my bracelet, the one that was –’ To her horror, she felt her voice wobble and catch at the back of her throat.
‘Oh.’ Maria’s bright eyes filled with sympathy. ‘Not the one that was your mama’s?’
Nina nodded, unable to speak, and Maria reached over the wall and hugged her. She found herself leaning into the older woman for a moment.
She pulled away and wiped her eyes. ‘Sorry, I’m being stupid. I know it’s just a bracelet, but . . .’
Maria was shaking her head. ‘It’s more than that, it’s special to you. I hope you find it.’ She cupped Nina’s cheek with her rough hand. ‘But don’t be too cross with your baba, eh. He’s annoying, silly man, but he loves you.’
‘I know, and I feel bad; I was upset with him. But I’m just –’
A voice interrupted her, speaking in Greek, and she was sure she heard the word ‘yia-yia’ at the beginning. There was a tone of gentle rebuke and Maria pulled a face as the speaker walked over and took the watering can.
‘My grandson,’ she said, although Nina had already made the connection. ‘Yiorgos. George, you will call him.’
Yiorgos. The grandson. Of course. It seemed so obvious, now he was standing in front of her, that Nina wondered why she hadn’t made the connection immediately.
‘We’ve met,’ Nina said, unsure whether she was pleased to see the man who’d helped her search for her bracelet, or irritated to see the man who’d organised protests against the hotel and been so rude.
He frowned at her, looking equally taken aback by her presence, while Maria watched them shrewdly, turning from one to the other.
‘He is a good boy,’ she said. ‘Looking after his yia-yia.’
‘Trying to,’ George said, smiling at her in that way he had when he talked about the turtles, a disarming beam that broke over his face. ‘But I might just give up on you and go home if you keep insisting on doing stuff like this and won’t let me help you.’ He indicated the watering can.
Maria’s face took on a stubborn expression. ‘My foot is almost better now, boot off soon. And the doctor said I have to keep moving, not just be lazy sit-about.’
‘She said gently, not heaving great heavy watering cans about.’
Maria glowered like a belligerent child. Nina was almost enjoying this.
‘At least let me put Milo in for you.’
Nina watched, trying not to grin, as Maria folded her arms. She could see her considering whether to argue, as George waited patiently.
‘All right,’ Maria relented. ‘Only because you bother me. I can do it myself if I want.’
‘I know you can, Yia-Yia,’ he said, leading Milo away. He ignored Nina completely.
‘I only let him to make him feel useful,’ Maria said, leaning in conspiratorially.
‘Of course. Otherwise, what’s the point of him being here?’ Nina smiled, feeling better having witnessed this sweet family interaction, even if it did involve the obnoxious George. It made her want to fix things with Theo even more urgently. ‘I’d better go. I need to talk to Baba.’
Maria nodded and turned towards her door, wobbling a little. ‘Good girl,’ she said.
Nina walked on, imagining the good-natured squabbling that went on between the stubborn old woman and the grandson who was trying to help her.
Seeing him brought back her confusion over the hotel Theo was planning to sell to, and her worries about the turtles. If George was right, then she must persuade Theo to change his mind.
Again, an image of the house decorated and ready to welcome guests, she and Theo running the place together, flitted through her mind.
Perhaps she’d talk to Theo about this tonight, but first she wanted to apologise for her behaviour earlier, to reassure him that she didn’t blame him for what had happened with the bracelet. Eager to see him, she hurried through the door.
But the house was dark and silent. She called, but there was no reply. Theo wasn’t there.